Traveling from Ensenada to Cabo

[mattbaxter]

Looking for recommended stops on a two or three day drive from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas. It looks like Guerrero Negro and Loreto would divide the trip nicely into three days that wouldn't be too long. Are those cities nice, or are there better ones? And any recommended RV parks?

Thanks.

[profdant139]

Matt, you probably already know this, but try to time your trip so that you are in El Rosario when you are ready to eat. There is a nice place called Mama Espinoza's -- some of the best fresh seafood I have ever eaten in my life. Lots of garlic.

[mattbaxter]

Appreciate all the thoughts. We leave in a few days, and I have softened the plan and increased the number of travel days , so fewer miles every day and more time to enjoy the time on the road. And no night driving!

[Almot]

The road improved substantially in the last 3-4 years. Dangerous curves have been (mostly) upgraded. Mostly. Plenty of straight stretches where you can see several miles ahead and can do 55 without problem, for 20-30 minutes at a time. Then you speed up to 65 and suddenly hit the section of the "old road" with cracks, no shoulders, and chipped/missing chunks of pavement at the sides. In daytime you can see it, in the night you can't.

When Mex traffic sign says "slow down", - slow down. They are not kidding.

Approach every sharp turn or a crest where you can't see more than few hundred feet, as if there were an eight-wheeler around the corner - or a crazy driver halfway in your lane, heading straight up to you. Because sometimes there will be.

[briansue]

When I drove a truck we called it "White Knuckle Time" - hours of boredom broken up by moments of shear terror. In the Baja there are only minutes of boredom broken up by shear terror - white knuckles most of the time. I suppose in a car you might drive 65 - in an RV that would be really pushing it. That road is not a high speed road. There are many areas of very slow.

[Almot]

"Newbie's maximum daily average" 🙂 - this is what I meant by 50 in a car, 45 with a trailer. When you're trying to go as fast as you safely can, speeding up on a long straight stretch as much as you can, up to 65+ sometimes. This road is periods of white-knuckles drive with hours of boredom in between.

At 65 there will still be cars passing you on this 2-lane road with a so-so pavement at best. Locals and local gringos that only need to get from A to B.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Some sections of the highway are snot. South of Cataviña past Laguna Chapala the road surface is very rough. I hope the work is finished next week but south of Sto Tomás 8 miles of horror grade detour took me nearly an hour. ABC bus was crawling along at 2MPH it was like a jeep trail.

Drunks love to swerve and dart after nightfall. What the hell there are no cops and zero chance of getting caught.

The SCT did a survey several years ago and found 40+% less traffic at night but a majority of accidents and fatalities. By the way on straight and level stretches it is still the custom if suffering a flat tire kn the driver's side to pull into the opposite lane and change the tire. If in a tow pickup wear seat belts. An 800 peso fine will be imposed if the PFP sees a driver sans belt.

There are some deusey speed bumps entering Guerreo Negro. Many choose the MALARRIMO RV Park on the right side about 1-1/2 miles after exiting Mex 1.

South of Sn Ignacio past Ejido Bonfíl will see a microwave tower on your left. Just past that a now unmarked downgrade begins and it is nothing to sneer at. La Cuesta del Diablo. Hazard lights low range and 15mph. Roar over the lip of that downgrade and it'll get ugly.

Nasty speed bumps now on either side of Vizcaino. Pavement missing on stretch through Sta Rosalia.

You can take your time driving down either willingly or unwillingly. I much prefer the former. Waiting for parts is a drag.

[briansue]

I drove a semi back when the speed limit was 55 mph. Back then the trucks were setup out of the factory so they could not go more than 62 mph (adjustments to the fuel pump - could be changed once out of warranty). Running around 60 mph all day my "average" would still be 50 mph due to variations in traffic etc. That does not include any stops - just straight driving - on Interstate highways. On a road like the Baja when I say average I mean in a motorhome or other RV driving safely and not like a madman. Only a madman would drive at night on that road. Or drive very fast. Or pass unless totally safe. So "average" speed could be slower than expected. Odometer and watch checks to figure it out. But what is the big hurry to get to Cabo - or anywhere else for that matter. There is so much to see and do along the way. That is what this RV thing is all about. As others say - if you are in a hurry then flying would be your best bet. I do not understand RVers who only think about getting from point A to point B - or those who want to cover way too much territory. There is just way too much to see and do out there - and that is what RVing is about. Being in a hurry means passing by some of the greatest experiences you may ever have.

[Almot]

briansue wrote:
I am not sure what speed it is possible to average if you are not highly experienced driving this type of road.

For a first-timer, probably 50 mph in a car, including military stops.

40-45 mph with a 8ft wide trailer or MH. People with wider 8+ RVs tend to avoid "The Baja Road" and for a good reason.

It is close to 400 miles from Ensenada to GN. Doable, not enjoyable. Could be a lot of farm traffic around San Quntin, you go 35, then you want to speed up to make up for the lost time, but the road won't always agree with you.

200 miles is on the small-ish side, but 400 is a bit too much. I would go 1st day 220 miles to Catavina, 2nd day to San Ignacio or Sta Rosalia, then somewhere past Loreto.

The road is better now than it was 10-15 years ago. Shoulders in most dangerous places - but not everywhere. Lanes to pass in some places, wider lanes in some - not everywhere.

The question is - what's the purpose? To see anything, you need to drive no more than 200-250 miles a day. Less stress, more free time. To get there in a hurry - I would seriously consider flying.

[Talleyho69]

Tambien! We aren't 30 anymore, and have a few more brains. We survived, and who knows why?

Now we live on the mainland. Never drive at night, you can't see anything, especially the scenery!

[briansue]

I believe it is over 1,000 miles from the US border to Cabo - maybe a little under 1,000 from Ensenada? Last I knew the lanes are 9 feet wide and there is no shoulder - a drop off - no margin for error. Lots of curves etc. I am not sure what speed it is possible to average if you are not highly experienced driving this type of road. Our motorhome is 8'6" wide (not including mirrors etc - so are those semi tractor trailers coming the other way. That means about 3 inch margin on either side not counting mirrors or anything else. Drive at night??!! Not in a 6' wide car! Cows. Horses. Topes. You name it. We heard the truckers running all night - and saw some in the ditch in the morning. Driving these roads is exhausting. How many hours before we can't take it anymore? Our general idea of a day of driving in Mexico on the best of roads is to try not to exceed 200 miles - rarely push it to 300 - and that is on Interstate highway type roads. In the Baja? Well we don't do the Baja anymore - maybe to Ensenada but not much further. Mainland for us. I guess the young still find challenges like the Baja worth the risks.

[Almot]

Absolutely don't drive at night on Hwy 1. On Ensenada main street you could - with lamp posts every 50ft and decent road surface, but not on Hwy 1 in the middle of nowhere.

Cows, yes. Topez - including those unmarked. Vados - rarely any warning sign. Potholes, missed chunks of pavement, road repairs in the middle of disrepair - with traffic signs uninformative or missing altogether. Big eight-wheelers doing 60 on the curve where you don't see it until it's too late, his wheels about a foot in your lane, when there is only one lane each direction, each lane 9ft wide, and there is no shoulder.

Daylight and reasonable speed is the only thing that will keep you safe.

[navegator]

When I was in San Antonio we would make it to Washington DC in 72 hours of continuous driving, one of us drove 2 hours and the others slept and then we changed, on roads that the taxpayers maintain 4 lane highways.

Driving in Baja at night is worst than playing Russian roulette, apart from the roads being narrow 2 lanes with no shoulders and drop-offs you have the ever present pot holes, topes, cargo trucks and semis that may or may not dim their lights and will not pull to the right to much and then you have the donkeys, cows etc.

Rounding a curve doing a conservative 55mph and encountering a black bull resting on the pavement, if you hit him a 500kilo bull is the same as hitting a barrier, RV is totaled if on the other hand you manage to veer and you get of the pavement and you over steer trying to get back up on the asphalt the rig will roll down the embankment and roll over, totaled RV, no Mexican insurance only US, not covered in country you will be held until they determine whether you where drunk, and if you happen to have wounded the bull you are liable for the animal, in any case you are guilty until YOU can prove that you are innocent, that is where the Mexican insurance covers you, Allstate only covers for 75 miles South of the border and for two weeks only, after the 2 weeks if you are still in Mexico that part of the insurance is void and null, and they have access to the photographs taken as you exit at all borders, that's the flash that you see when going through the barriers, license plate and driver, time and date, this I learnt from my insurance broker.

DO NOT drive at night in Mexico not only do you encounter live stock four legged that is, you may also encounter the herd of two legged ones they really will make your stay a bad one, if you are left with you underwear you are lucky
or you might get to you expiration date a lot sooner.

Oh! well I am viviendo la vida loca in Mexico!

navegator

[Almot]

Every place in the world has its beauty, sure. Even a Walmart parking lot - I like this one one, Mex 🙂

Though... if by "nice" the OP meant to say "safe", GN is alright. Not much visually appealing, hardly interesting when you only have a few hours, still a popular location to hole-up for the night when going South.

[Talleyho69]

You are so right. We traveled that route from 1980 to 1990 when we gave up Baja for the mainland.

There is beauty everywhere, you just may have to look a bit.

We used to hit the border at Tijuana at sunrise, drive to Catavina for sunset, get up at sunrise and arrive in San Jose del Cabo for sunset, absolutely trashed....