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Baja California Road Report
The latest reports of road conditions and driving conditions along Mexico's Hwy 1 through Baja California.
Our road reports depend on our network of BajaInsider readers to give us the lowdown on the 1000 miles of road between the border and Cabo San Lucas. If you are driving Baja you can submit your detailed road report and earn an Insider Polo shirt! We also appreciate your pictures! But please, be sure they are taken from the passenger's side!
There is still one truisms/joke about driving in Baja?
How many doors on a Baja Roadside rest area? Two, the driver's and passenger's!
Sobriety road blocks are becoming more common, particularly in community problem areas. In May there were 4 fatalities on the road to Pichilinque and the beaches of Balandra and Tecolote north of La Paz. They involved excessive speed, passing in bad areas and wrong way drivers. Now, La Paz police are checking drivers entering and leaving the downtown area for the beaches beginning at about 7PM Thursday through Sunday.
For a general description of the drive down the Baja peninsula - click here.
November 30, 2008
TJ to La Paz
Tomas - BajaInsider
Veteran Baja Driver
Let's start with the fact that this was probably the easiest Baja drive I have experienced in nearly 20 Baja road trips. The road was in great shape, there are a few areas of construction, mostly consisting of road resurfacing and a few minor detours, none of which would prove a challenge, even to those hauling trailers.
Two days up, 5 days in California and 2 days back I got an excellent opportunity to write our readers a detailed road report. The purpose of the trip was importation of my vehicle, and we will post that adventure as a separate story soon. Since most of you at this time of year are driving south we'll start this road report in Tijuana.
I crossed the border at San Ysidro in the afternoon. We have received many reports of the changes to the border crossing route to the toll road south to Ensenada. I did not find anything different from my recollection – You remain the the center lane following the Mexican inspection station. The exit for the toll road is still vaguely marked and you need to pay attention and get in the right lane after the first ramp which will dump you down on surface streets. The ramp banks tot he right then passes over the toll road and sends you south.
Some of the most significant construction and related detours occurred on the toll road. Resurfacing is underway on the south bound lanes at this time and all traffic is routed onto the northbound lanes, with two way traffic and no passing for about 3 miles at a time, in two locations. There are road cones marking the center line in these areas and a solid yellow line. Several of the cones had been sucked into the southbound lane by passing trucks. These are the 3' tall spires on a weighted base, and when they tip over in the traffic lane present a considerable 'thud' and will get stuck under your vehicle if you try and pass over them. Avoiding them on the other hand will force you to detour into oncoming traffic. So beware.
There are three toll booths along the route, which handle the traffic rapidly. Tolls are $24.00, $24.00 and $29.00 pesos respectively. They only except one or the other currency, so make sure you have enough change of one currency to pay the tolls. Pesos is preferable, as the exchange rate was posted at 11:1, well below the current rate. I paid in pesos, so I can't confirm that is the actual charged rate or just an old sign. I did run across one Federal Highway patrol car, parked at one of the toll plazas which was emitting X Band radar. Remember, radar detectors are illegal in Mexico and virtually useless except in this zone and near Constitucion much further south.
The first checkpoint is just north of Ensenada, at the end of the toll road and I was given a cursory glance in the windows and waved through.
The road through Ensenada was in good shape and clearly marked. i recommend in most situations you follow the tourist route along the harbor front and turn left, just about 1km south of the cruise ship terminal on General Something street, which is clearly marked as the route to the Transpeninsular Highway. Within 4 blocks you make a right back onto Highway 1.
Ensenada continues to expand and they are continuing to re bed the road and lay concrete southward through the shopping district. You will find everything from Walmart to Burger King along this section and if you need to pick up anything for the road, this is the place to do it. Your next significant merchandise will be found in La Paz. It is also a reasonable safe place to exit your vehicle.
Traffic was moderate all the way through town to Maneadero. At the base of the climb into the hills south of Ensenada is the second checkpoint. Some cars ahead of me were checked briefly, particularly those with Baja plates. I again, received a cursory check.
In the straightway's at this point you should make effort to get past those slower vehicles in front of you. The climb and the curves over the next 15 miles can bring heavily laden trucks to a crawl and create a string of many cars. If you are driving an RV that doesn't keep up the pace, consider a brief break in one of many gravel turn offs.
It was clear and fast all the way south to the outskirts of San Quintin. This little farming community has grown over the years I have been driving and now stretches more than 16 miles. Paseros (private busses) can really slow things down and passing can be limited from Colnet south to the end of civilization about 3 miles south of San Quintin proper. Northbound traffic can be worse, with trucks full of produce from the farms headed to the border.
A permanent military checkpoint is located just north of El Rosario. There is also re paving going on in the very same area. They are chewing away all the old pavement down to the road bed but this should be completed very soon and there was only a minor detour to well graded gravel. The inspection at the checkpoint was cursory southbound but took about 20 minutes when northbound.
Due to my late start from TJ, El Rosario was the end of my first day of travel. There are limited places to take a break following El Rosario, making the next opportunity about 2hrs away. As always, we highly recommend NOT driving in the dark. I discovered a new motel, that was a basic, simple and clean room for $250 pesos, off the highway and with the ability to park my car right in front of the room in a somewhat secure compound. Another driver recommended the El Cardon for $380 pesos per night as a little spiffier place to shut your eyes.
South of El Rosario there was re paving completed very recently. On my northbound venture days earlier not all of the new pavement had been striped. On my southbound trip the yellow outer lines had been completed, but still no center line. Be VERY careful if crossing these areas in the dark or in fog. The very black pavement disappears and you drive by looking for where the road is NOT. An error on your part or that of the oncoming truck could send you down a steep and likely fatal embankment. In daylight, the new pavement was a joy to drive on.
It is still important to fuel up in El Rosario. The next Pemex station is in Catavina and I did not see it open on either my north or southbound trip. This means there is about 240 miles between El Rosario and Santa Rita, just north of Guerrero Negro without a gas station. You can buy gas from a barrel in Catavina, at about $80.00 pesos per gallon, a fair price if you consider he may have to drive 1/2 that distance to fill up his barrels – and you are literally 'over a barrel'.
A new tip here for drivers. It was drizzling the morning I was southbound. Truckers pull over to the shoulder turnouts to catch a few winks through the night. Where they pull back onto the road left more than 100 yards of mud and gravel, which at 65 miles per hour made the car dance down the road and would be even more challenging if pulling a rig. Most of these can be spotted well in advance, so slow down a bit.
Through Catavina there was nothing but good roads and light traffic. In Catavina you will see a sign, of which there are several along the route indicating "SCT Tramo Terminado" the federal highway ends. Here you are subject to local jurisdiction. On my last trip through Catavina the speed limit was 30kph, a dead crawl to be sure. Local police delight in those not observing their speed trap. Watch the velocity of the truckers in these non-federal areas, their speed will be an indication of the amount of 'policing' occurring in these areas. Catavina has raise their limits now, 40kph was the slowest posted limit.
The vado over the springs of Catavina is still a bit rough, no axle breakers like in years past, but take it slow through the dip at the south end of the pueblo. There is a Hotel there in Catavina, formerly a La Pinta government hotel. It is certainly not worth the $800 pesos they charge, in comparison to other local hotels further down the line, so schedule your driving accordingly.
South of Catavina, at about Km195 and for the next 20 miles the road had been resurfaced with the asphalt-roadgrader-roller technique and the pavement is delaminating. This has created some rough road with 1"-3" differences in surfacing, which can toss you about a bit.
The roadway was in good shape from here to the checkpoint at Guerrero Negro. This section has always been sort of a 'no mans land' between the states of BC and BCS, and usually the worst section of road. This trip however, aside from the assorted rough spots, there was nothing to report.
There is still a $10 peso charge for the undercarriage spray administered at the BC/BCS border. It is now done automatically as you drive across. I didn't detect any odder other than water (wink)
Guerrero Negro is just about the 1/2 way point and usually my night-over spot. There is a wide variety of motels in the town, some are starting to look pretty spiffy, particularly those closest to the turnoff. Some are as much as $800 pesos per night. The going rate at some of the motels is usually under $300 pesos, but it depends on your taste and needs. Most have compounds that help keep your stuff secure. I stay at the Motel Ballena, which is located just a 1/2 block north of the main drag, visible from the road and in the block prior to the grocery store on the north side of the road.
There is an ATM after the curve in G. N. about 4km from the Highway. it is across from the Salt plant, well lit and secure. If you are buying significant amounts of fuel I recommend driving into town for the Pemex on the NW side of the road. The station on the highway right at the military base has a reputation for 'short liters' and poor exchange rate. It is however, much more convenient if you are dragging a rig.
From Guerrero Negro south the road was in stellar condition without a single detour or construction project. There was one notable exception, with the rain there was a new pond covering most of the road in Vizcaino. It was a few seconds of slow navigation around the pond, which should disappear in a day or so.
I had a tire delaminate just south of Vizcaíno. I pulled into a driveway and a gentleman in a pickup was coming out as I was assessing the problem. Steve summoned a few of his ranch hands who changed my tire in Baja 1000 pit crew time and I was back on the road in minutes without even getting my hands dirty – one of those great Baja stories that renews your faith in traveling. I gave Steve one of my business cards and now we have added one more reader to our list of Baja Insiders. Thanks Steve!
Just short of the intersection near CD Insurgentes/Constitucion is a bridge/elevated roadway that has been a problem since Hurricane John a few years back. It looks like there is still some half hearted construction going on and the pavement is very rough.
Constitucion presented the most significant road work and detour of the entire trip. The entire highway through town is being improved, elevated and paved in concrete. This project has been reported to us for several months and it would appear that it has some time to go yet. Northbound the detour is harder to follow than southbound, where you remain on the service road. Follow a local northbound, as once you are directed off the road, they leave you to your own resources. Hopefully, you will end up back on the highway as you travel 2 blocks east and parallel.
It also negated my opportunity to dine at Tacos Karen, located on the east side of the road near the physical center of town, right on the highway. There was no way to get there and too much dust to make the best carne, fish or carnitas a safe bet. Maybe next trip...
Locals buy their fuel from the station on the south side of town, two blocks east of the highway. There are signs pointing to the station and it is easy to find. This may be because they have the newest tanks or the most complete liters, I'm not sure. Remember, it is customary to tip your fuel attendant, particularly if they check the air, oil or clean your windows. These folks work for peanuts and $10 pesos really makes their day.
I did see federal highway patrol on both side of Constitucion both north and southbound. One car was using X-band radar.
From there south to the checkpoint just short of La Paz there was nothing worthy of note. It was a quick trip, both north and southbound for me and the easiest I have made. All the bridge construction has been completed and aside from a few rough spots the road was in excellent condition. My drive total drive time over two days was 19hrs 45 minutes, including breaks (limited) and inspections. My average speed was 40mph on day one and 52mph on day two. Total distance from the border to CostaBaja Resort and Marina in La Paz was 948miles.
Happy Thanksgiving and Safe Driving!
Tomas
September 29, 2008
BajaInsider
Construction in Downtown Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas, Baja Sur, Mexico has a lot of new construction of the streets in town and therefore there are many detours. Here is a map of Cabo San Lucas representing the major portion of construction going on and the detours around these areas. It is making it more difficult for large trucks, motor homes and those with trailers so, please be advised of these detours and plan you trip into and out of downtown Cabo carefully.
One of the main detours is on Lazaro Cardenas and while the street is still open (down to one lane) going into town; leaving town there is a major detour from the Puerto Paraiso Mall taking you around to the Me at Cabo hotel and the older Club Cascadas hotel and then out to the highway.
One of the main streets into Cabo, from the north is Cabo San Lucas Avenue and as they are busily working down by the plaza of Cabo to put the power lines underground, creating a much better tourist area with less (parking unfortunately) but larger sidewalks for tourist. Next spring they plan on doing the same on Calle Hidalgo (street); the one way going north opposite of Cabo San Lucas avenue; creating more of a tourist area to walk around the older restaurant row where there is a lot of shopping, bars and the original plaza of Cabo San Lucas, where the Cabo Museum is located.
While all of this is being done during the slow season due to weather and other slowdowns it promises to be a little challenging to Cabo drivers as the high season is coming. With a little planning and forethought though; the inconvenience is well worth it for the future of tourist traffic and finally putting those ugly power lines underground.
Please realize the town of Cabo was never planned to have an infrastructure to handle the tourist that are now coming here at an increasing rate. we do appreciate that the local state and federal governments are working hard to better the roads not only in Cabo but by passes around the downtown area that will start in the Los Cabos corridor and then exit slightly north of downtown Cabo for those that are headed north to the Pacific corridor or to the northern part of Cabo and all the new resorts being built in that direction.
So please have some patience and realize that these traffic hassles will improve when all the planned changes are finished over the next couple of years. One suggestion is to go to the Puerto Paraiso mall or the large parking lot located next to the Hotel Tesoro or any of the other areas that are close to where you want to go and walk from there. You might also elect to use the water taxis located in the Cabo marina area to go to and from from downtown to any of the Medano Beach restaurants or hotels.
Sept 4, 2008
Additional Comments by the Editor
A newspaper in California contacted us about towing a trailer down Baja while I was editing John's story about the road conditions. I forwarded the above information to them along with the additional general information about driving Baja and thought, why not pass it along to our readers as well...
#1 DON’T DRIVE AT NIGHT. It’s not banditos, you have a statistical better chance of being struck by lightening. It’s the cows, 60 to 0 in a hurry! Mexicans LOVE 4 way flashers on their cars. Seen on an oncoming car usually indicates cows, or something else in the road ahead. US statistics show the two most dangerous times on a 2 lane highway is dusk and 2AM (when bars close), these stats translate pretty well to our Baja Highway 1
#1A Get Mexican Auto Insurance. US auto insurance does not cover you in Mexico. In the event of an accident you can be detained until fault and payment is determined. Without insurance, you could be fatally delayed from being evacuated to a more significant healthcare facility. Cost is from $25/day to less than $500/year (depending on car, trailer and value)
#2 Don’t be ostentatious, cover things of value like kayaks and brand new outboards. Keep the volume down and try to remain nondescript. This is good advice for travel anywhere where the locals earn in a year what you may earn in a week or month. If you look like you have too much, someone will relieve you of the ‘burden’.
#3 Don’t push it. Take 2 days in a car or three days from San Diego with a trailer. The road has very little ‘cruise control time’ so you are ‘on’ constantly and it gets wearing. Carry at least one extra tire for each vehicles and some extra gas. Be sure to buy gas in El Rosario, it’s 200km to the next full Pemex stop in Santa Rita, there is a mini station in Catavina now.
#4 Check our Road Report – we rely on reader participation, so during the summer it can get a little stale. rivers should watch for small washouts in the shoulder that can be painful when towing. They can send us a road report when they arrive and help everyone.
#5 Check the weather – We post forecasts every day and every two hours when a tropical cyclone threatens Baja. We have the ONLY English weather report FROM Baja. Don’t be the first to drive through a flooded vado (although there may not even be any more) Should a tropical cyclone ZZZZ materialize, find a nice hotel. Although this too is becoming history, sometimes you can get stranded nowhere on a highway island when roads flood or wash out. But as I said, this is becoming pretty rare. You can also run into gas stations that are shut down or have flooded tanks in storms. Damage usually only lasts a day or two. Hwy 1 is a major transport route for about 20-30% of the ‘stuff’ used here in Baja, so the hwy folks get right on making the road passable.
#5 Don’t carry all your money in one place. Carry a believable amount of cash on your wallet. “Driving while Gringo” is still an offence that could by a cop lunch (or a new set of tires) If you can open your wallet and say look, $20 is all I have, you’ll probably be on your way pretty quick. Obeying the traffic laws is another handy way to avoid mordida, but not always sure. Most traffic fines are less than $75USD, most around $25. Don’t get sucked into the photocopied sheet some cops show that shows fines well over $100. Watch when the signs say the Federal Highway is ending (Carraterra federal terminado – Check my Spanish) Speed limits are usually much lower in these non-highway areas and you need to watch. Only Federal Hwy Patrol can effect a violation on the Federal Highway, they now have video cameras in car and radar and tend to be pretty just.. Three places to watch for this scam are La Paz, Catavina (note: even the trucks do 25mph though there) and Santa Rosalia.
#7 If you need roadside assistance the Green Angels are there to help. These are federally paid, well equipped and clearly marked trucks that roam Hwy 1. Most will refuse a tip for there assistance, there is an esprit du corps that somehow seems to keep these guys squeaky clean. I have never heard a bad Green Angle story. (their trucks have traditionally been green)
#8 Get your tourist visa as soon as you can when entering Mexico or at the consulate prior to your trip. I think in response to the US’s crack down on immigration we see them following the letter of the law on most occasions. If you get to Baja Sur without a tourist visa or valid FM2 or 3, your $18/180 day visa can cost you an extra $50 fine.
#9 On straight-aways consider driving more toward the center of the road. This will give you more time to react and help avoid those little washouts at the shoulder.
In mentioning the shoulder we should also mention that it is also one of the challenges of baja driving. The lack of a shoulder in a majority of your trip. Having a flat along the road may mean setting inin a very dangerous situation. Flairs, cones, reflectors and even rocks, leading away from the shoulder are used to indicate a vehicale in the roadway ahead. Construction crews sometimes use rocks painted white or paint cans with burning diesel rags at night.
As to the safety threat – There has been massive response by the government and not a single attack on the highways of a tourist since last November (prior to the response) I won’t get into specific incidents, but many of the incidents I investigated involved being a ‘gringo tonto’. As I am aware, all of these attacks occurred in the first 100 miles south of the border.
North Americans have some of the tightest internal security (for the good and bad of it) of any nation I have traveled, and Americans pay the price for it. (yet bad thing STILL happen in state and national parks and along our roadways. Americans become ‘unaware travelers’ as a side effect. Finding the most secluded place along the beach to camp isn’t something I would do in at least ½ the countries to which I have traveled. A person who keeps up their awareness can usually tell when ‘the wolves start to circle.’
Just in contrast to all the ‘propaganda’ generated by slanted publications like the San Diego Union Tribune, who would have you believe that you have about a 50-50 chance of surviving a trip to Mexico, was the comment made by the Baja First Timer co-pilot of my friend, John Henigan mentioned above. They suffered three flat tires along the way and in each event the found a local, ready and eager to assist them on their way. Their warmth and willingness to offer what ever they had to resolve the problem melted away any Mexiphobia she had prior to the adventure.
One recent story in the Trib stated that “Kidnapping of Americans in Tijuana was the fastest growing crime segment’ True and false. The numbers off the top of my head were an increase from 14 to 26, yes an 85% increase. (see More than ½ of these events appear to have involved illicit activity, shall we say. Kidnapping is a growing industry in Mexico and the people have just about had enough (note demonstration last weekend) But the victims have been doctors at hospitals, management people of corporations and others that may be protected by deep pockets or kidnapping insurance. In Mexico City there has even been speculation that the list of who has this specific insurance may be available for a price to those wishing to profit.
The important perspective is that more people will visit Mexico by noon tomorrow than will visit London in a year, paints a much clearer picture of the odds of these events. Tijuana, one of the most volatile cities in Mexico had a murder rate of 5.7/100K in 2007. That compares quite directly with Philadelphia, a city of approximately the same size and almost identical murder rate. (San Diego across the line does draw a sharp contrast as it has one of the lowest murder rates, right around 3/100K) Most of these murders have been ‘within the family’ of drug traffickers in TJ. We see a flurry of travel warnings for TJ, yet travel is still encouraged to places like New Orleans (one of the most dangerous non-war zone cities in the world with a murder rate of over 18/100K) About two thirds of American cities rated had a higher murder rate than Tijuana.
Remember, firearms are NOT in option in Mexico for securing your safety. There are military checkpoints, specifically looking for weapons and drugs. Should you have the misfortune of having to defend yourself with a weapon, it is very possible that you would face jail time as well. There is a 1 year minimum sentence for weapons or ammunition.
Drive smart, drive awake arrive safe. Mucho Ojo!
Tomas
