Baja Road Report - Baja Norte

I drive the roads of Baja Norte frequently. It is important to know that both night time and rainy conditions pose a problem. Sustained rain brings flooding conditions to many areas and pose a extreme danger along the inside lanes (especially) headed north along the coast road. Rocks slide down the steep embankments and end up in the right lane which we are encouraged to travel unless passing, this is particular dangerous as you approach a been in the road with limited visibility. Under these conditions travel at night is not recommended. Also entering Tijuana along the boarder, rain of almost any amount brings flooding... allow more time to compensate for this. As one approaches the boarder crossing be extremely careful as driving habits in both Mexico and the US are very dangerous with unexpected last minute maneuvers.
Soon I plan a trip from Ensenada to Nogales, I will be happy to report the conditions of these roads as well.

Road Report - La Paz to San Diego

Over all the road is excellent. A few bad spots around San Ignacio, central Baja around Punta Prieta and two bridges are still being build between El Cien and La Paz with a small detour. Drove it on Jan.25 and 26 2005.

Baja Road Report - Loreto to Agua Verde and San Javier

Just returned from a couple of weeks in Baja. The road from Highway One just south of Loreto to San Javier is in very good condition. Another traveler, however, had his street tires on his truck at 80 lbs and had two flats.
Also the road south of Loreto out to Agua Verde is in good condition.
On the main highway, be careful when approaching the deep vado just north of Catavina as the road was quite damaged by all of the rain. Also, the road in and out of Guerrero Negro has some deep pot holes.
We have never seen Baja so green with so many wildflowers. It is beautiful.
Diane

Road Report - Police in Catavina

Watch out for the police in Catavina as they will stop you for any reason possible. We brought a boat down last month and they were going to write us a ticket for the motor sticking out the back too far and no red flag. They also stopped the freind I was with a few weeks earlier because he was going too fast in the school zone (not posted). Go really slow in Catavina!

La Paz to La Ventanna, Bahia de los Suenos

Just a few days ago I drove south of La Paz, out to La Ventanna and el Sargento on BCS 286 to visit a few old windsuf buddies. The bridge that was out last year has been repaired. You will alos find that the new bypass around La Paz has been completed and is crossing the higway right before the repaired bridge. A little confusing a night so caution.
As for the potholes of last year most of them are patched however there are still a few new or old ones on the way down into the Los Planes area before the El Sargento turn off so be careful with those trailers.
I didn't get a chance to continue on to Los Planes or Bahia de Los Suenos (bahia del los [casi]Muertos) so if anyone has a report for that section of road please post it here.
There are many windsurfers and kiteboarders in La Ventanna Bay area driving betweeen there and La Paz so expect more than normal traffic until late Feburary.

Take care drive safe and remeber "OjO mucho OjO" (keep your eyes open), JAG

Baja Road Report

Our Insider Reader Doug, from the sailing vessel "Trula A" in La Paz brings us this road report:

We crossed the border at Tecate at daybreak and the guard was bundled up like an eskimo. He opened the doors to our van to discover it packed full. He inspected our cooler and asked is we had any 'armas' and sent us on our way.
The road surface coming out of Tecate was rough for the first 10K but not too bad. The drive through the wine country and cattle ranches in the early light was lovely. The only disconcerting thing was the increasing number of housing developments and and property for sale. More southern California urban sprawl.
We filled up in Ensenada at 5.2 pesos per liter and the posted exchange rate was 11:1. (making it $1.78 gal) There was construction widening the road south of Ensenada, but no delays.

Traffic was light and the road was in great shape all the way to the intersection for Bahia de Los Angeles. It was dark by the time we reached the intersection so we spent the night in the van behind the old Pemex station. when we woke in the morning there were four other vans and six freight trucks who had spent the night with us in the lot.

In many places, from 80km north to 30km south of Guerrero Negro the road was rough enough to make the CD player skip. But in the entire trip we never encountered the tire eating, rim bending monster potholes of years past. At the border with Baja Sur in GN, we were required to get the bottom of the van sprayed (as usual) for 10 pesos.

One thing I found annoying was all the old tope signs in Baja California (norte) had been replaced with new ones with a sedan with it's front wheels on the bump. For someone who has been driving Baja for years, they were much harder to spot.

In Santa Rosalia there was a slight delay for road crews packing cold patch into a sink hole. All the vados along the Sea coast had been filled and in one, the patch was still sticky.
We spent the last night of our journey in Loreto, at the hotel across from the Pemex for $220 pesos, perfect. We filled up one more time there for $5.50 pesos/liter.

South of Insurgentes there are 3 new bridges under construction, one before Constitucion, one at Santa Rita and the last at Las Pocitas. The detour at Las Pocitas was the roughest.
We encountered only 4 military check points on the trip from Tecate to La Paz. We were waved through 2 and only asked if we were 'vacaciones' at the other two.

All in all, it was a very pleasant drive. The hills and fields in the north were still green, but with the exception of a few wild daisies, the flowers have all finished blooming. Safe travels!
One Eyed Doug and his Faithful Indian Sidekick