Hwy 1 - San Diego to La Paz

[PNW_Wood]

Hi,

I've been talking about driving to La Paz in some different circles and on two separate occasions people have said they wouldn't drive an RV on Hwy 1 due to certain spots being so narrow.

On the other hand, I've read blogs and articles on the area and they talk about Hwy 1 being a four lane highway.

Obviously a little conflicting info. I figured folks here would have an authoritative answer on the drive/route.

Slightly related subject - If the plan is to take the ferry over to Mazatlan (side question - can an RV do that?) is there a place to get your TIP as you enter Baja?

Thanks

[Almot]

What is sketchy?

Ask at the Nomads forum about the area you're interested in.

Yes, there are road repairs currently on Mex1 in Baja Norte, I wouldn't try to read too much into that. Few gravel sections with lane zigzagging with red traffic cones just like in the US.

There are some old sections - not repairs - with cracked pavement and poorly filled potholes where you can do 30-40, not 60. There is usually a traffic sign with lower speed limit then.

And - yes, there are hills and sharp turns. The road straddles the mountain range all the time, except for when it goes through the desert. Boredom will be a bigger enemy than the road condition.

4-lane exists only to the South of La Paz, AFAIK. Everywhere else it's 2-lane, one Northbound and one Southbound, 9-10ft wide lane at best.

People don't take RVs to Baja? How then all those rigs on campgrounds got there, I wonder. Ah, - yes - forgot about ferry from the mainland. There are two, one to La Paz and one to Santa Rosalia. Terribly, ridiculously, unbelievably expensive with RV. Besides, coming from WA, this doesn't sound convenient, and you won't see Baja then. If the goal is to get there, not to see anything, then you don't need to drive that far - there is international airport in La Paz, this will be much cheaper and less stressful.

[PNW_Wood]

that sounds really sketchy

thanks for the info

[qtla9111]

Lots of current info on the web. This is from Discover Baja.

Baja Road Conditions

[briansue]

Much - if not most - of the main Baja road has 2 lanes about 9 feet wide. As stated above there is no shoulder - a couple feet drop off. I actually got out and measured the road. Our motorhome is 8'6" wide not counting mirrors and such. That leaves us about 3 inches on either side to play with. Semis are also 8'6" wide with mirrors. If your rig is as big as ours it can be a tense drive. Pay close attention at all times. There is almost no margin for error. Do not look at the vehicle coming at you from the other direction. Keep your head on the right side of the road and where you are relative to that drop off. If you are not as big as our Bus you have more room to play with. But this is not a road to play around on. There are also some steep hills. I am no expert as we only got about 600 miles down before we turned around. There are other roads in Mexico similar to this but on the mainland there are options. In the Baja there are no options. Some drive many miles per day on this road. For us a couple hundred miles and exhaustion sets in. Take you time and spend time seeing the sights along the way. Lots to see and do. I am no authority. We prefer the mainland. I have heard there are sections of the Baja road that have been improved since we were there but I can't provide any recent insight.

[profdant139]

There are some things to be aware of -- the drop-off from the pavement to the shoulder is sometimes a foot, which can be tricky at high speed. And there are places where there is not much room between your rig and an oncoming truck. Stay alert, be conservative in your driving habits, and don't drive at night (the livestock wanders onto the roadway).