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If you really want to get away from it all and you are willing to pay the price (in
the time getting there and the abuse to your vehicle) and don't expect any luxuries when you get
there, Punta San Francisquito is a great place in the Baja outback to 'drop out'. This
remote Baja hideaway is not easy to get to but it is even harder to leave. It
is a small rustic resort (and we use the word resort v-e-r-y loosely here) tucked
away on a one mile stretch of pristine beach in the middle of nowhere. Services are
basic here, and include a very casual restaurant (can you say picnic tables?), 4
somewhat enclosed palapas (the 5th one blew down in 2007) with cots for sleeping, plus primitive his and her
restrooms. Pilots love the place because of the airstrips, (see airport info below)
and Baja adventurers of all types drive in on motorcycles, dune buggies, and 4X4
vehicles for an evening or two of relaxation. Even Parrot Heads love this place...
just ask Jimmy Buffett who camped on the beach here for 2 days. (Really!)
Punta San Francisquito began as a hunting and fishing camp in the late 1960's.
Rudy Valladolid, a farmer from Tijuana who was an avid sportsman, bought the property but used it very infrequently.
Years later he leased the land to a US-based company that ran a small "all-inclusive" resort on the site, providing access by building a small airstrip on the dry lake bed behind the beach.
After a few years of low profits they bailed out and Rudy jumped back in. Ten palapas provided shelter for pilots who flew in and adventurers who drove in.
In the late 1980's 5 of the original 10 palapas were torn down with the idea of building newer and nicer accommodations. But this is Baja and that never happened, so today only 4 palapas remain.
The resort fell into a rough state of disrepair until Javier and Chary Tiznado began running the place in the early 1990's. Rudy's son Gunaro Valladolid then took over management of the resort from 2001 to 2006. Gunaro kept the place in (somewhat) working order until he passed away. The less he maintained the resort, the fewer guests that showed up, the less he had to work. His goal seemed to be working out pretty well until he passed on in late 2006.
As we press into 2009 the resort is now run by Juan, a very nice hombre who does a good job keeping the resort running smoothly. Juan even makes it a point to have ice for the guests, something that had not been too common the previous few years.
The small staff does a commendable job of running the basic facilities, and the meals are
usually delicious! Fresh fish, rice and beans and a healthy side order of flower tortillas are common staples at dinner.
UPDATE! In 2008 the resort was sold to a wealthy individual and changes may be coming to Punta San Francisquito in the years ahead. When? That's the good news....everything in Baja takes lots of time!
P.S. After 14 years of living at Punta San Francisquito Chary and Javier have moved 20 minutes away to Rancho Progresso to start a new destination resort for Baja off-road enthusiasts.
The perfect place to enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of Happy Hour!
Plan a minimum 3 hour rugged drive in from the north, via Baja
de los Angeles. This north road to paradise is recommended for high clearance
vehicles and 4X4's, although lesser vehicles have made the grade many times. The world's
record for getting to Punta San Francisquito on the north road was established in
1997 by Baja aficionado Dave Denis. Dave made the grade in a stock Toyota Tercel,
and lived to tell about it. Damage to the vehicle was significant, but it didn't
matter because it wasn't Dave's car!
People who don't like Punta San Francisquito include folks who don't like wasps flying around the shower, people who do like perfectly maintained bathroom facilities and people who like their meals on time.
People who do like Punta San Francisquito include folks who like beautiful empty beaches, clear ocean waters, spectacular sunrises, star filled evening skies and fun times spent with friends (new and old).
Diversions at Punta San Francisquito include shore fishing (Carlos Fiesta caught a 25 pound yellowtail from the beach here early one morning), panga fishing, snorkeling (Carlos recommends the protected reef at the south end of the bay), Scuba diving (south or north end), kayaking and walking down the beach for a nap (with or without clothes). Star gazing and sunrises are simply spectacular. Swimming naked in the Sea of Cortez is optional, but tons of fun.
A few of Carlos Fiesta's favorite excursions from the resort include taking a boat to one of the 3 protected sandy coves around the point north of the resort, (including 18 Year Old Beach - don't ask how it got its name) and looking for round rocks at Egg Rock Beach south of the resort.
For pilots looking to drop into paradise for a day or two there are two runways at Punta San Francisquito.
Runways 33/15 were paved at one time but were not been maintained. There were a few pieces of broken asphalt on it when Carlos Fiesta walked the field in 2009. The taxiway is mid-field. For pilots who think they need an extra 500 feet this runway is a decent option for landing.
For birds needing a bit longer strip this 3,725 foot long strip (40 feet wide) is still an option. However runways 30/12 are hard packed dirt (unless it has recently rained) and more often used by pilots who are comfortable with it's 3,300 foot length (60 feet wide). The taxiway to ramp parking is past mid field, towards the south end. Park on the south end of the ramp near the restaurant and bring your own tie-down ropes just in case. This dirt strip is usually in great shape, although it can be under water for a day or two after a big rain.
The airstrip is located at 28 degrees 24.616 minutes north latitude and 112 degrees 51.603 minutes west longitude. Pattern altitude for all runways is 800 feet MSL and the south approach is recommended (winds permitting) to avoid the 50 foot hill at the north end of the runways. Field elevation is approximately 10 feet MSL. Air frequency is 122.8 here as well as all of Baja but yu can be pretty sure nobody else is on frequency 99.9% of the time. Cement tie downs hooks are free near the base of the resort (bring your own ropes) and avgas is rarely available.
Most pilots use the CH-22 WAC chart which includes all of the Baja Peninsula. Radio frequencies are 122.8 for Unicom (usually not monitored) and 126.3 for Mazatlan Center. The GPS location is N 28 degrees 24.6 and West 112 degrees 51.6. The airstrip parking is less than 200 feet from the main resort area.
The majority of pilots who visit Punta San Francisquito from the US use San Felipe as an Airport of Entry on the way down and an Airport of Exit on the way home. It's best to take on full fuel in San Felipe (from Domingo the fuel guy) for the full round trip, although in an emergency auto fuel can be rustled up in Puertecitos. Carlos Fiesta found this out the hard way when a stiff headwind ran the tanks low prior to reaching San Felipe. Yikes!
For further information on flying in Baja visit the web site of BAJA BUSH PILOTS or get the best publication on flying Baja AIR BAJA by Galen Hanselman. Both the Baja Bush Pilots and MacAfee and Edwards offer Mexican insurance for flying into Baja.
Punta San Francisquito can be reached by vehicle by taking the 75 mile dirt road south
from Bahia de los Angeles, or by taking the recently improved 67 mile dirt and
gravel road from Baja Highway One, just south of Guerrero Negro, through El Arco.
The resort is located 290 miles south of the US border, 180 miles south of San Felipe.
For more information on the area north of Punta San Francisquito check out
the BAHIA DE LOS ANGELES section of Baja Expo.
After dropping your stuff off on the cot at your palapa it's Corona time (not to be confused with Miller time, which is not nearly as much fun). Grab a cold beer out of the refrigerator, mark your purchase on the invoice on the right side of the kitchen door and grab one of the Costco plastic chairs sitting on the patio between the restaurant and the ocean. Soak up the amazing view of the Sea of Cortez and sip your cold cervesa. "Honey...I'm home!"
Except for the occasional Hummer full of Federales (17 year old boys with AK 47's) and the resort help, Punta San Francisquito visitors are mostly Gringos. About half the guests fly in on private planes and the balance of visitors come in on dirt bikes, buggies, and other vehicles (although Carlos Fiesta once arrived from Los Angeles once on a 19 foot panga - see CARLOS FIESTA'S 2,200 MILE SOLO BAJA CIRCUMNAVIGATION. Give new arrivals a few minutes to unwind...it's been a long haul getting to paradise! Once in a while Hardy is in town staying at his house at the south end of the beach.
Pick your pleasure! Do you like fishing? Fishing here is generally very good. Ask the locals where the yellowtail are currently biting. From May on the bite gets good. Is snorkeling your passion? Head south in a boat about 15 minutes to the "aquarium", just before the sandy beach. Like to skinny dip? Take a stroll north of the main resort beach to where it meets the large boulders. Take off your clothes and let 'em dangle. Like hiking? Head over to the large bay on the
north side of Punta San Francisquito, where the old shark camp used to be. This cove is very protected and is sometimes used by sailors to hole up for a day or two. It's amazing how much stuff there is to do at a place located in the middle of nowhere!
A few years back one of Carlos Fiesta's buddy's wife lost a huge diamond ring right in front of the restaurant in about 10 feet of water. It's worth thousands of dollars if you can find it with your mask and snorkel!
PUNTA SAN FRANCISQUITO
YOUR FIRST STOP IN TOWN
THE GRINGO FACTOR
THE BEST OF PUNTA SAN FRANCISQUITO
CARLOS FIESTA'S HOT TIP: