Aqua Verde

So we left Bahia Concepcion with much regret.  If one is into beaches, crystal clear water and laying around all day doing whatever you please this is the place.  If you fancy swimming with whale sharks it will fill that bill as well.  Plan was to head south and turn off towards Bahia San Juanico.  Another great beach area but much more remote.  Had heard the road going in was bad and required four wheel drive at times.  Would certainly keep the RV crowd out.  Ben decided to stick with me for another couple of nights as he wanted to get off the main road and felt travelling together would be safer.  For some reason we missed the turn and ended up at the military checkpoint just before getting into Loreto.  After having to go through and wasting time while they inspected the truck and camper decided to keep heading south.  I did not want to turn around and have to go back through the checkpoint.  Had heard of a place called Aqua Verde on the coast south of Loreto so after stopping in Loreto for lunch ...... Aqua Verde was on.

Hung out at a place called Auggie's down on the Malecon while Ben took care of some cell phone issues in town.

Puerto Aqua Verde is a little fishing village which is reached by a steep descent down to the water.  Once leaving the main highway you begin a gradual descent up into the Sierra San Franciso range.  Once you get up top you start down ...... in a hurry.  The mountains come right up from the Sea of Cortez in this area and it's a very scenic drive in towards the coast.

Once you reach the coast there are some hot springs and beach camping which is accessible at mid or low tide.  The hot springs can only be utilized at mid tide.  They are way too hot to enter without some sea water coming in.  At high tide you don't get much hot water so the time to use them is limited.  Not being a fan of hot water when it's blazing hot out anyway we passed on the soak.  You have to drive out on the actual sea shelf alongside the rocks to get around the point.  When we got there the tide was still in so not wanting to wait around for low tide we kept working our way down the coastline where we followed a wash in towards the coastline.    Found a perfect campsite where we stayed for two nights and three days.  This shot was taken the following day as we drove back down to check it out.  At high tide your wheels would be under water and undercarriage would be drenched.

Campsite at the end of a big wash directly on the beach

Only one other couple in here and they had told us they'd seen a big rattler in our campsite just two days ago.  Was certainly snake country in here as I'd seen two dead rattlers on the way in.  Being this far in if he were to get popped in here there is no way I'd get him out in time.  Considering his size a vet once told me that unless he gets bit in the vet's parking lot he doesn't have much of a chance. Petey did not receive his free roam pass while camping in here but he made the most of it.

Didn't want to leave him in here for these guys to pick over.

Sat around the fire that night and reflected on what a great camp spot it is in here.

Ben and I parted ways after our stay in here.  He left early on the third morning and I hung out till mid afternoon before making the climb back out towards the highway.