San Felipe to Bahia de Los Angeles Trip Report in 4K

Destination: Campo Archelon in Bahia de Los Angeles

Route: Crossed border in Algodones, headed south to the toll road, Highway 2, then west towards Mexicali, exiting at Highway 5. Exit ramp requires a quick trek north before making a U Turn to head south towards San Felipe, continuing on the junction with Highway 1, and finally heading east back towards the Gulf of California and the Bahia de Los Angeles.

Accommodations: Casa Caretta, Casa Carey, and Casa Luna in Campo Archelon. A tremendous place to enjoy the serenity of Bahia de Los Angles.

Trip Date: Dec. 10, 2024

Vehicle: Bronco, Big Bend Package

Weather: High 60's with a notable wind event impacting the entire region, mainly a tail wind on Highway 5 with some cross winds when traveling west across the peninsula.

Traffic: Very light all the way down to San Felipe from the toll road in Mexicali. Fewer vehicle s on Highway 5 south of San Felipe. Noticeable uptick in trucks for the quick jaunt down Highway 1 to the Bahia de Los Angeles turn. The final stint was nearly void of other vehicles. We did the southbound journey on a Tuesday, 2 weeks before the holiday. On our return trip on Dec. 21, there was a definite increase in southbound traffic, mainly north of San Felipe.

Road Conditions: 4 Lanes for several miles south of Mexicali. Highway 5 to San Felipe was in good shape, with just one minor construction area where the mountains meet the salt flats. South of San Felipe, Highway 5 is typical for Baja, very small or non existent shoulders, but otherwise in good condition. About 60 km south of San Felipe, the road improves. Just after KM 115, there is a brutal sequence of pot holes that can easily damage a vehicle. The best road conditions were from Bahia de San Luis Gonzaga to Highway 1. Once on the main road south, the trucks returned and the shoulder disappeared, while the potholes increased. No real issues on our journey, however, I would be a big fan of driving this road after dark, due to the trucks and potholes. The the road to Bahia de Los Angeles is good news and okay news. The latter; very few other vehicles, which gave us a lot of latitude to avoid the former, numerous potholes. In short, the road was in decent shape, and all members of our travel party drove most of this road at dusk with some arriving after dark.

Pemex: We filled up in San Felipe. Worth noting, there was no premium fuel at Bahia de San Luis Gonzaga nor in Bahia de Los Angeles. There was what appeared to be a gas station at the intersection with Highway 1 and the road to Bahia de Los Angeles.