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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.
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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. We also appreciate your
pictures! But please, be sure they are taken from the passenger's side!
When we first began publishing our road reports 7 years ago road conditions could change dramatically, particularly during our rainy season. Today, most of the major vados have been replaced with bridges and four lane road exists near Constitucion and La Paz to Todos Santos. Soon the 4 lane will be complete to Pescadero and by the end of 2011 all the way to Cabo. Rough road usually exists in the region between Baja California and Baja California Sur. Any kind of major road detour is the result of construction or rains and by-passes are often in place within 24hrs and paved if need be within days.
Driving Baja is quite simply put, far less of a challenge than a decade ago and not much different than driving many of California's 2 lane highways. One notable exception is the lack of shoulders but even that is being remedied.
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 Pichilingue 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.
As a tourist you are allow to bring in ONE desktop computer or laptop per person. Additional computers will be taxed, used or new. The minimum taxable amount is $300 USD. This is being strictly enforced, even at the airport in Cabo San Lucas.
Printable Baja California Peninsula Mileage Chart
Baja Road Reports from Our Readers
July 17, 2010
Cabo San Lucas to TJ
James Glover, Publisher
Veteran Baja Driver
Leaving Cabo there is still a lot of construction just north of the city on highway 19. The construction starts just as you leave the northern area near Cangreos or the police station and continues on for several miles. Then you will find more construction beginning south of the Los Cerritos area on to Pescadero and though the town almost to Todos Santos. In all of these areas the detours are dirt and a bit rough. The crews are working fast though and therefore they will be some changes day to day as to where the construction is actively going on. Be very cautious if driving at sunset or night as not all the detours seem to be well marked.
From Todos Santos to La Paz is all new and easy driving roadway. North of La Paz the construction that was going on a month ago has been completed. Once we were in Ciudad Constitucion be very careful as the local police are stopping foreign plated cars for little or no reason other than to obtain bribes. This is very unfortunate but true and it is going to really hurt the local businesses as people are not going to stay there at all and I don't blame them. Since I was driving a motor home plated from Vegas Nevada I felt as if I was actually being stalked by the police for any excuse for them to get me. I was already aware of the problem and drove very carefully right on through town and on to Insurgentes turn to Loreto.
There is some more road work being done close to the downhill into the Ligui or Puerto Escondido area. It was well marked and it seemed the crews were working very hard and fast to get the road opened back up to two lanes. We had no delays but I can imagine at times you might; especially if you end up behind any large trucks.
There are still some new bridges being built between Loreto and Mulege but the detours are paved and fairly well marked. Again be very cautious if driving late in the evening or at night. Headed north from Mulege the road was in great shape until north or Guerrero Negro. The road is a bit rough south of Punta Prieta and on to Catavina where it then smoothes out until just south of El Rosario where the major bridge is under construction and the detour is dirt and pave but slow going.
From El Rosario on through San Quintin the road was fine with only one bridge detour paved up in the area south of Colonet. Further north was fine with some minor road work as they are cleaning weeds from the roadside and building more gutters alongside the road going into Santo Tomas. The construction going into the Bufadora ( blow hole) turn off south of Ensenada has been 
completed and was smooth going north and then we elected to use the Ruta Vino on to Tecate. That road has been great for the last few years but has now been torn up with major construction south of Tecate about 30 miles and continues on into town. This area has really bad dirt detours and I recommend avoiding going this way until they get it finished. Very rough and very slow going with a lot of dust. Sad for the tourism as far as the Ruta Vino if you are coming south or if you plan on visiting the wine area I suggest you return to Ensenada as it was really torn up and the border crossing there was the slowest I have ever seen it.
A couple of final notes:
First be very careful in all towns and some areas with dangerous curves ahead as the government has really gone a little overboard with not just topes (speed bumps) but using these vibrators (repeatedly thin strips of concrete across the roads) before and after topes. They can be very rough if you are driving at any speed at all... truckers and most people really hate them as they beat up the suspension and are somewhat unnecessarily overdone as previously stated. Just go slow and realize trucks with loads must really slow to 10 mph to not damage their loads.
Secondly, all military checkpoints were open and all of but one asked to look inside the vehicles. They were all very friendly and courteous and fairly quick depending on traffic. We ad the feeling that were stopping everyone going north because they were told too and were not very thorough at all...just doing their job.
June 16-17, 2010
Tecate to East Cape
Alma & Greg Marsh - veteran Baja Drivers
We crossed the border at Tecate at 6:30 AM, but the Migracion office was closed. We had to wait approximately 45 minutes for the personnel to arrive and validate our visas.
No problems negotiating through town as the route was well marked. Immediately getting out of town on Mex 3, we encountered construction. This seemed to stretch for approximately 15 miles and was very slow going as they were putting in drainage tunnels under the highway. They were diverting traffic to the side which was smooth, but very dusty.
The bridge north of Vicente Guerrero was under repair from the damaging winter rains, but there was a paved detour through the arroyo. There were various other bridges in the midst of repair from the winter rains in the north and Jimena in the south.
We did notice some very active traffic enforcement in Ciudad Constitucion. The municipal police were on foot, cars and motorcycles and very busy handing out citations.
The military checkpoints were a little more comprehensive with the southbound traffic than I have ever noticed in the past. Even though I was obviously a tourist; sporting a kayak, numerous fishing rods, two young daughters and my wife, they still detained us several times and spoke to us. In previous trips, I've never even had to stop or roll down the window as they were eager to motion us through. The check point north of La Paz was not manned by military personnel, but instead they seemed to be plain clothes "authorities" from la Paz, but they were only concerned with northbound traffic.
Great trip down the peninsula. There are numerous new Pemex stations along the route and fuel was never a problem. The price of diesel was $8.34 per liter which figured out to $2.60 USD per gallon with the 12.15 exchange rate.
Much to my surprise, there were very few gringos on the highway in either direction. Looks like the northern media is still scaring the tourists to other destinations.
Mucho OjO
-Alma & Greg Marsh
Police Games in Constitucion?
DWG – Driving While Gringo
Paula - Veteran Baja Driver
I just wanted to put a warning out to the folks traveling through Ciudad Constitucion. We just drove up Baja from Los Cabos and we stopped in Constitucion for gas. A warning from a friend, who had traveled through a few weeks earlier, told us of the police stopping them for going through a yellow light.
She spoke Spanish and did not get a ticket nor did she have to pay a bribe. So we were well aware of every stop light and stop sign driving through the town, going the speed limit.
We were stopped at a stop light and I saw the Police stopped at the stop light going the opposite direction. He was to go straight. After the turning lane next to him finished and before our light turned green he made an illegal u turn from where he was in front of us and pulled over at the end of the block ahead. I just knew that he was after us.
We stopped right next to him at a stop sign then when to the next stop light, as my husband got to the intersection it was blinking green, in the middle of the intersection it turned yellow. Never any red. Sure enough the police pulled us over and told us it was illegal not to stop at a blinking green light and said it was a $100 ticket.
We argued that it was not illegal and that he could give us the ticket and we would go to the court. He said we could not go to the court till the next day (a Saturday), it was 4:30 pm when we were pulled over. This went on for awhile and finally we gave him $20 and he left. It was really disappointing,
I've always liked this town to stop and eat, but now when we come back down, we won't even stop for gas.
Editors Note to this story: (also see Bad Cop - No Donut)
It does sound like this cop was out for his afternoon taco money. However, US and Canadian drivers should be aware that the whole agenda of traffic lights is 'pushed back' one color. Flashing green is equivalent to the US yellow. Yellow in Mexico is kinda like dark orange in the US, you are suppose to be clearing, not entering, the intersection.
There are fiscal hard times in Mexican police departments just like there counter-parts in the US right now. Just like in the US, a cop says you ran a stop sign, you ran a stop sign. Tickets are a great revenue generator, here in Mexico roadside mordita goes more directly to the cops in the car that stopped you.. Here is system is a little different and since most cops get paid on the 1st and 15th, infractions tend to rise on the 12th and 26th of each month. Traffic citations are up dramatically (38%) in San Diego county this year too, are divers driving 38% worse? – see the analogy?
The unfortunate fact is in San Diego it WOULD have cost the $346. By- the-way, the cops often try to pass off a fake fine sheet or BS you into a sheet WRITTEN in pesos and photocopied into dollars. I personally saw one cut and paste job that looked like the cop's 5 year old kid did the work. Although I don't support 'Mordita', (paying bribes) I think the author did well to move on for $20. Think of it as your Mexican Highway Tax, up close and personal, it makes it less painful.
May 10 - 12, 2010
Cabo to Ciudad Constitucion and north to La Purisma
BajaInsider - James Glover
The road from Cabo is still being worked on in several areas as the government is converting it to four lanes. The four lane is more or less complete from Todos Santos to La Paz and has trimmed the drive time by about 15 minutes. The additional traffic and traffic lights once you enter the city of La Paz can steal back that savings. The construction is really just beginning on the section from Todos to Cabo San Lucas. There are areas just north of Cabo and then close to Los Cerritos and Pescadero where they have just begun widening the road. The four lane now extends north from central Cabo to just past the propane plant about 11 miles north of town. For south bound drivers, the single lane still exists on the long grade where laden trucks are reduced to granny gear and slowdowns can occur.
There are well built dirt detours in most of the areas but it will be slow going for trucks and motor homes or those with trailers. All is passable but not marked very well for night driving which is not a good idea especially for those un familiar with driving in Baja.
The fruit and military check point north of La Paz seems to be really checking all vehicles headed north but not southbound. The officials are very friendly and actually inspect the Mexican cars much more than the tourist vehicles. They are polite and very easy going and as long as you are not doing anything wrong it is just a slow down depending on time of day and traffic. At about KM maker 84 north of La Paz there is still a lot of 
construction and the detour while easily passable is a bit rough so take it easy on your vehicles.
Further north on the way to Constitucion there are a few small areas of work but mostly the road is in great shape and fine for driving. Keep in mind that early morning and late afternoon the marine layer or fog is present really reducing visibility for just an hour or so.
This last trip I went north of Insurgentes on highway 56 which I had not driven before. It was paved all the way to La Purisima and even 6 km further east, however the pavement can be a bit rough with some potholes along the way as well as summer crossings where it dips in the arroyos and the pavement may be rough or have a little dirt on it. The road going east of the small town of San Isdiro is not paved and the locals said that you may not be able to continue all the way to Hwy 1 north of Loreto since damage caused by Hurricane Jimena.
After driving East a bit out of San Isdiro we stopped at a beautiful view spot to take a few pictures and do some video for the 1000 mile walk. We had already decided that the road going east just north of Insurgentes would be a better option for Ben to walk and that road according to the locals is open all the way to Loreto but it is a rough dirt track but not by any means an off-road only road. Ben was left to walk form Insurgentes to San Javier mission over the mountains to Loreto and we now have a report from San Javier back to Loreto as it being easily driven but of course still a rough dirt track.
Well that is all I have for Baja Sur road report and if you need more up to date information on the highway from Tijuana to Cabo please refer to my past report which still is pretty accurate. Please always drive alert, be aware of driving at sunset as that is when animals are most likely 
going to be on the highway and keep in mind when near the pacific coast that there can be heavy fog in the mornings or evenings.
Please help us out by submitting road reports you might have from other areas of the Baja Peninsula and have a Buen Viaje
More below...
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 Mordita, 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-away's 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 in a very dangerous situation. Flairs, cones, reflectors and even rocks, leading away from the shoulder are used to indicate a vehicle 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 2007 (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
