Archive for April 15th, 2012
East Cape, Los Cabos, or Pacific Corridor are names of real places we know – the names locate the places exactly. Yet, there is a stretch of the Pacific Coast of Baja California Sur that doesn’t have an agreed upon, commonly used name. At least not one that we know of – so we have taken to calling it the Mid-Pacific Coast. The area in question extends from north of Todos Santos for some 80 miles up the coast to Bahia Magdalena. This is a beautiful and off-the-beaten-track sort of place where, until recently, change has come slowly. The coast is sparsely populated with a few villages whose inhabitants are either fishermen or agricultural workers. There are also a number of old ranches scattered throughout the area whose inhabitants raise cattle, goats, and sheep and make cheese.
The Mid-Pacific Coast is not a mountainous area, but rather a region of hills and mesas (actually old sea bed) and miles and miles of cardon/cactus forest. The coast itself alternates between dramatic cliffs that drop off to the ocean and other more inviting and gently sloping dunes and terrain that lead down to the sea.
People ask us: the peninsula is only 26 miles wide from La Paz to the mid-Pacific – surely the climates are the same? In fact, the Mid-Pacific Coast has a comfortable year-round climate where the summer temps are easily 10 to 15 degrees cooler than La Paz and it’s far less humid with refreshing sea breezes to keep it that way. What a world of difference from La Paz where the brutal heat and humidity drive so many people to escape during the summer months!
To get there, drive out any of the roads branching off of the Transpeninsular Highway north of La Paz at kilometers 35, 38, 55, or 79 to name a few. The road at Km 79 will lead you to Punta Conejo, a popular spot with surfers. The other roads will take you to inland villages as well as out to some old ranch properties along the coast such as La Aguja, El Progresso and Los Inocentes. This is the narrowest part of the Baja peninsula, and the coast is easily accessible.
During the real estate boom years before 2008, many properties along the Mid-Pacific Coast were bought up by developers, wanting to create seaside communities or by others wanting to simply have a small place to call home. Then the housing crisis hit, the market disappeared, and many of these grand plans were postponed or dropped altogether. However, there are a couple of survivors. One of them is Playas Pacificas which is a small development located on Rancho La Aguja.
The Canadian/Mexican owner discovered this old ranch property back in 1998 during a camping and exploring trip in his trusty poptop camper and immediately became smitten with the place. And when he discovered that it was for sale, well, as they say, the rest is history.
La Aguja is a beautiful ranch nestled in a coastal river valley on the Mid-Pacific Coast. The locals tell us that it was once famous for the strawberries and melons grown here. From the river valley floor, the land rises up to a steep mesa towards the south. And to the north there are elevated plains that slope gently from east to west down to the Pacific. On these elevated plains, you will find Playas Pacificas, a coastal residential community in a peaceful rural environment.
For those weary of urban life, you would do well to come and see what is being created here. This small development offers very large secure, serviced homesites in a spectacular setting just steps away from the one consistently safe, swimmable beach in the region. In the planning of Playas Pacificas, great attention has been paid to preserving the natural landscape and beauty of the area; you will find large areas of reserved green, natural zones which will remain untouched. These natural zones along with the large homesites mentioned above create a low-density environment with lots of open space. You will not be elbow-to-elbow with your neighbor here!
What can you do at Playas Pacificas? The activities are many for adults and children alike: swimming, boogie-boarding, surfing, fishing, hiking, walking on the beach, bird-watching, exploring the back country on ATV or motorcycle, and star gazing. The night sky here is amazing (no city glare) and there is something primeval in the sight of the full moon rising over the mesa. Or simply relax and read a book, then watch the sunset as it turns the sky all shades of red from palest pink to vibrant fuchsia.
You get to Playas Pacificas by turning off the highway at Km 55 and following the road straight out to the coast. At the time of this writing, the road is dirt, but it is part of a new government paving project which has just started, so the dirt road will be a thing of the past in the not too distant future.
Find out more about Playas Pacificas at www.playaspacificas.com.
Playas Pacificas is listed with/represented by Linda Neil Properties (www.lindaneil.com). Contact Jim Donahoe at jim@lindaneil.com or call (612) 140-1054.
*Jardín Velasco: The public square by the cathedral is between 5 de Mayo and Independencia, and between Madero and Revolución. Site of performances and Lotería (Mexican bingo games).
*Parque Cuauhtémoc: across from the Malecón at the foot of Bravo Street. Site of tourism office, crafts cooperative and the former skateboard park.
*Parque Revolución (also called Plaza de los Músicos): across from Chedraui Palacio on Felix Ortega between Bravo and Rosales.
*Kiosko on the Malecón: It’s at the foot of 16 de Septiembre on the Malecón and it’s the site of many public outdoor events. The dock nearby is called the Muelle Turístico.
*Muelle Fiscal (also sometimes called Muelle Turísitico): It’s the wide dock with the watchtower on the Malecón across the street from the Callejón Ignacio Bañuelos Cabezud with its centrepiece of three “seashell musicians.” It’s between Burger King and Hotel Perla.
*Muelle at the foot of 16 de Septiembre: It’s the narrow dock that catches a delicious breeze at sunset. Some maps call it the Muelle Turístico (but the other muelle is sometimes called that, too). It’s on the Malecón at the foot of 16 de Septiembre, close to the kiosko that is the site of many events.
Looking for other places to visit or the venue for a particular event? Check out the webpage Roz In La Paz at http://www.rozinlapaz.com/rozinlapaz/Venues.html for more information.
Can you believe it?! We raised $5,000 pesos from the raffle, the sale of jam and cash donations at the St. Patrick’s Day Benefit for Mujeres Ayudando A Mujeres, last Friday at Pelicanos. These funds combined with funds raised at the Super Bowl event and the La Paz Ladies Luncheon will likely be enough for a hot water heater and installation costs for the shelter. This addition to the shelter will go a long way to improve the quality of life of the women and children. A huge thank-you to Daryl and Carmen of Pelicanos, Sean Bagg and L.C. Riches for organizing this event for us. A huge thank-you to all of you for coming and for your generosity.
