Panam Reports
Extracts from Panam Report 1, By James Walker
By
Feb 8, 2006, 17:10

(17 January 2006): Tijuana – San José del Cabo

In Tijuana, we met a number of local officials, who assured us of a warm welcome. Arturo, who manages the Visitors Assistance and Facilitations department, promised his support in easing crossing border controls and providing a smooth passage along state highways.

On Thursday 12 January we left Tijuana for Ensenada, 100km down the Pacific coast, passing the Foxtration visitor attraction, located next to the Fox Film Studios where the movie Titanic was filmed, before enjoying a taco lunch at the Lobster Village in Puerto Nuevo. Just beyond Ensenada we visited the magnificent blowhole at La Bufadora and the San Vicente Monastery.

Once in Ensenada we all agreed that this would be a more attractive event start location than Tijuana, which frankly had not impressed us. It is also the start point of the famous Baja 1000 and Baja 500 rallies.

Baja California

With the help of a local friend of Kurt’s, Edward Everett, we discovered a fantastic start location, at a place called "window to the sea". The Ensenada Municipality welcome the event and are willing to help. The Hotel Coral, approximately 4km from the town centre, will make an excellent event HQ, with its modern, well-decorated rooms, beautiful gardens and other first class facilities.

We then took a long and exciting 4x4 section high into the mountains, with constant spectacular and breathtaking views. At Mike’s Sky Ranch, Mike the owner immediately promised his warm welcome to all our participants when they visit in November. After a hearty lunch we continued even higher into the beautiful mountains through the National Park to a mountaintop observatory, before making our way to a pretty courtyard hotel overlooking the ocean at San Quintin for the overnight halt.

4x4 trail in the mountains

Next morning, our hotel contact Alfredo kindly guided us in his own 4x4 to "La Lobera", a place of natural beauty where the sea curiously has shaped the rocks over thousands of years. Here, seals (‘lobos’) bathe in the sun.

We continued to Bahía de los Angeles, an attractive fishing village across the peninsula on the Gulf of California. From here, we took some great dirt roads down the coast, rejoining Route 1 shortly before the lovely mission village of San Ignacio.

La Lobera

From here it was a long but very attractive asphalt run down the Gulf coast to Loreto. The inn at Loreto Bay is a very good hotel situated by the ocean, decked out with elegant furniture and exquisite gardens.

Next day (17 January) we set off on a 4x4 trail over the mountains, passing ancient rock paintings at a pretty spot beside the road. The mission at San Javier, is probably the most beautiful that we have visited so far.

We headed for the beautiful southern extremity of Baja California, the Cabos, and the Marquis resort, which has been open for two years. It is without doubt the most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed in; quality, luxury and style are all words you would not hesitate to use when describing it – a perfect rest day hotel.

San Javier

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