Baja North

Thanks to all for the information.

David

We are booked to fly into LAX (from Australia) to collect our RV from storage in Riverside, CA at the start of August and are keen to check out the Baja north area for three to four weeks (yes, we know that is not enough time to do an area justice but that is all we have at that time of the year).

There are a couple of wine festivals in August - one on August 16 in Ensenada and another in the wine valleys of Gaudalupe on 20 August (If I have translated this link correctly.)

Are the RV parks likely to be booked out in August or would it be reasonable to expect to find available spots in RV parks along the coast from Rosarito to Ensenada and in the Gaudalupe wine valley without pre-booking and maintaining a flexible schedule?

This Baja area mud map looks interesting.

OZeRV,

When we visited wine country we stayed at . . . http://www.ranchosordomudo.org . . . Rancho Sordo Mudo (Deaf Mute) - FRANCISCO ZARCO - Mexico 3 to KM 74 - 32.11186 -116.54689 - they take donations for the school as your fee - pick a space and someone should come over from the school across the street. Usually lots of room. Not sure if it is still open and all working ok so maybe contact them. Great location for roaming around wine country.

August is probably not the best month to visit Baja as it could be very hot. You might want to research that. Along the west coast could be cooler.

http://www.bajabound.com/destinations/bajawinecountry/tresmujeres.php . . . our personal favorite

http://www.winemag.com/Web-2012/The-Mexican-Wine-Revolution/

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/nov/22/valle-de-guadalupe-baja-travel/

http://www.fodors.com/news/guide-to-mexicos-wine-country-6966.html

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/baja-a-wine-tour

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443687504577565043684159300

http://www.wineriesinbaja.com/

http://www.wineriesinbaja.com/baja-winery-maps.htm

We will be crossing southbound at Tecate on Monday with Rosarito being the first port of call in our journey further south. This will be the first time for us driving in Mexico and the first time south of a border town. Is there any reason not to use 2D and 1D so that we can appreciate the ocean views from 1D. Sure it will take a little extra time but that does not matter.

Google maps Tecate to Rosarito via 2D and 1D

One of our reasons for crossing at Tecate is to avoid Tijuana and to visit wine country. If you take 2D you will go to Tijuana and miss wine country. Might as well just cross at Tijuana.

Pull up iOverlander.com and type in "ensenada". At least four choices with co-ordinates, reviews and pictures. Bien viaje.

Tijuana can be avoided completely, going South at the border there is a right hand turn and then a left tun that leads to the customs check point, stay on the right hand lane once past the customs area there is another left turn, there is an exit to the right that goes over the Tia Juana river and leads you down to the other side, stay on this road, it will go up a hill next to the border fence.

Once the road reaches the crest, the road turns left and goes down, be careful sharp curves, at the bottom stay on the right lane and exit, this merges with the road to Playas de Tijuana, now stay on the center lane up a hill, left curve down hill, up another hill and then you come to the "Y" left lanes go to Rosarito and Ensenada toll road and right lane(s) to Playas, now you are on the toll road to Rosarito and Ensenada.

On the way back, stay on the same road do not make any turns, once past most of the town the street becomes a one way, stay on the second lane from the left, this leads straight to the over pass to the border, go slow lots of traffic and idiots behind the steering wheel.

if you need to visit the Banjercito modules, Tijuana is not easy to get to them, specially with big rigs, I definitely recommend Tecate for that.

Buen viaje

navegator

This might be a little late in posting. We used to live at Estero Beach full time in a house and prior to that, went to their campground regularly in our RV. It is a nice campground, I think only 30 amp service, unless they changed it. But you shouldn't need AC anyway.
Estero Beach is a nice, safe place to stay. Right on the bay, restaurant, bar, tennis courts, hotel on premises, too.

Sue and Bill wrote:
This might be a little late in posting.

:)

Quite so.

Did anybody notice that - except for the last few posts - this topic is 6 months old? The OP have probably gone and came back already.

But, in case if they didn't, here are Camps Tijuana to St Tomas. And, if you go back to the home page, there are other camps along the peninsula. Estero Beach is undoubtedly the most expensive camp in the entire South and North Ensenada. More expensive than any other camp in 50-60 miles stretch. Why - don't know, don't ask me.

Not impressed with the beaches that far north. The ones on the mainland are better in my opinion. You have to go further south in Baja onto the Sea of cortes, at least to Bahia de Los angeles, to find nice beaches.