Wind in February in Barriles, Baja Sur, Mexico
Nov 14th, 2007, 05:28 PM
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Wind in February in Barriles, Baja Sur, Mexico
I read in my guidebook that there is a lot of wind in February in Los Barriles, Baja Sur, Mexico. This area is between La Paz and Cabo San Lucas on the Sea of Cortez side. Wind is fine if you are a windsurfer, but we aren't. Is the wind so strong that you wouldn't enjoy being outdoors? What is swimming like around there for kids and are there whales to be seen?
Nov 14th, 2007, 05:49 PM
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I've stayed in this area many times on fishing trips, from Buena Vista to Punta Colorado, but mainly between May and October when the winds are typically light and the fishing is best.
The one time we visited in December it was indeed very windy with whitecaps all across the bay, though I understand the winds aren't constant (the north winds are the ones that kill them). These winds mainly affect the fishing boats since it's a pain to troll at 8 knots in high seas, but of course it is ideal for the windsurfing competitions.
<b>Is the wind so strong that you wouldn't enjoy being outdoors?</b>
It's a hassle for fishermen but otherwise not a problem.
<b>What is swimming like around there for kids</b>
Most people swim in the hotel pools ... the beach is nice and sandy and there's not much surf so beach swimming is OK in most places.
<b>are there whales to be seen?</b>
Probably, but you'll have to be on a boat to see them (see above about rough seas etc).
That time of year the waters are calmer to the south from San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas. The penninsula protects this area from the north winds. One year we spent a day at Los Barriles (Buena Vista) and the water was really rough, next day we were in a small open boat (panga) out of San Jose and the ocean was flat calm (and fishing was great).
Which lodge are you looking at in this area? If you have enough days you can easily stay at more than one place down there, mixing Cabo and/or San Jose with small towns like Los Barriles on the Cortez side or Todos Santos on the Pacific side or even La Paz (a relatively large city) a bit to the north, so you get a sample of various areas. Each of these five areas is very different from the others.
Bill
The one time we visited in December it was indeed very windy with whitecaps all across the bay, though I understand the winds aren't constant (the north winds are the ones that kill them). These winds mainly affect the fishing boats since it's a pain to troll at 8 knots in high seas, but of course it is ideal for the windsurfing competitions.
<b>Is the wind so strong that you wouldn't enjoy being outdoors?</b>
It's a hassle for fishermen but otherwise not a problem.
<b>What is swimming like around there for kids</b>
Most people swim in the hotel pools ... the beach is nice and sandy and there's not much surf so beach swimming is OK in most places.
<b>are there whales to be seen?</b>
Probably, but you'll have to be on a boat to see them (see above about rough seas etc).
That time of year the waters are calmer to the south from San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas. The penninsula protects this area from the north winds. One year we spent a day at Los Barriles (Buena Vista) and the water was really rough, next day we were in a small open boat (panga) out of San Jose and the ocean was flat calm (and fishing was great).
Which lodge are you looking at in this area? If you have enough days you can easily stay at more than one place down there, mixing Cabo and/or San Jose with small towns like Los Barriles on the Cortez side or Todos Santos on the Pacific side or even La Paz (a relatively large city) a bit to the north, so you get a sample of various areas. Each of these five areas is very different from the others.
Bill
Nov 16th, 2007, 05:45 AM
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Thanks for your thourough response. We are a family of 5. Can you recommend a plact to stay in San Jose Del Cabo? The place we may stay at near Barriles may be found at this site: http://arroyohouse.blogspot.com/
A friend of my husband's had it built and he landscaped it. Also, can you recommend a fishing charter near Barriles since you have fished there? I know that the catch would be different and much smaller in February vs. when you went.
A friend of my husband's had it built and he landscaped it. Also, can you recommend a fishing charter near Barriles since you have fished there? I know that the catch would be different and much smaller in February vs. when you went.
Nov 16th, 2007, 11:15 AM
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<b>We are a family of 5. Can you recommend a place to stay in San Jose Del Cabo?</b>
For a family of five I think I'd get a condo just west of town ... there are several people on Fodors who have stayed in various condos there who could chime in right about now (hint) ... here's a list of rentals near San Jose ...
http://www.loscabosguide.com/hotels/sanjose.htm
The only one we personally used was the Posada Best Western (before it affiliated with BW), a moderate-priced hotel on the beach (not a very nice beach). Usually when we are fishing pangas at San Jose we stay at the Westin, a deluxe place a few miles west that's close to the panga beach, but it's pretty expensive for a family and I think you'd be better in a condo with multiple bedrooms and a kitchen.
<b>The place we may stay at near Barriles may be found at this site:</b>
That's a *really* nice looking place but don't stay there unless you *really* want isolation ... Los Barriles is pretty small (a couple hundred people) and the area of this house is about 8 miles north of LB on a dirt road with almost nothing around it (at least the last time we were there), maybe a couple of hotels and not much else. So the isolation is great if that's what you want but you are far from the bright city lights
<b>can you recommend a fishing charter near Barriles since you have fished there?</b>
Most of the fishing is set up by the hotels, which have their own fleets of boats. The entire Bay of Palms is about 30 miles long, with seven fishing lodges scattered from Punta Pescadero (where you are going) to Punta Colorado.
There is a deluxe fishing lodge near your rental (if the map is accurate) and I would contact them and ask if you can charter one of their boats, though I think they have mostly pangas and maybe not as many cruisers (larger boats) because of the lack of secure anchorage ... this is their web site ...
http://www.puntapescadero.com/welcome.html ... we haven't stayed at this one but did visit once to check it out (the bar was nice, the view great, the staff very nice). You can email them and ask ...
If they are closed in Feb or don't charter boats to non-guests you can try the other fishing lodges near Los Barriles ... this site lists all the lodging around East Cape, the ones easiest for you to reach are Playa del Sol, Palmas, Rancho Buena Vista and Hotel BV Beach Resort (we have stayed at all of these excep del Sol) ... all have good boats ... http://www.loscabosguide.com/hotels/eastcap2.htm ... I think the one that has a lot of boats and is closest to you is likely Palmas de Cortez ... http://www.palmasdecortez.com/ ... they are easy to work with and have a wide range of boats (pangas to cruisers).
<b>I know that the catch would be different and much smaller in February vs. when you went.</b>
I think they can do pretty good in Feb when the wind is down, not as good for marlin etc as later when the water warms, but still pretty good. Staying at the house at Punta Pescadero looks like a great 'get away' vacation and you're not far from La Paz for day trips ... it would be a relaxing trip.
Bill
For a family of five I think I'd get a condo just west of town ... there are several people on Fodors who have stayed in various condos there who could chime in right about now (hint) ... here's a list of rentals near San Jose ...
http://www.loscabosguide.com/hotels/sanjose.htm
The only one we personally used was the Posada Best Western (before it affiliated with BW), a moderate-priced hotel on the beach (not a very nice beach). Usually when we are fishing pangas at San Jose we stay at the Westin, a deluxe place a few miles west that's close to the panga beach, but it's pretty expensive for a family and I think you'd be better in a condo with multiple bedrooms and a kitchen.
<b>The place we may stay at near Barriles may be found at this site:</b>
That's a *really* nice looking place but don't stay there unless you *really* want isolation ... Los Barriles is pretty small (a couple hundred people) and the area of this house is about 8 miles north of LB on a dirt road with almost nothing around it (at least the last time we were there), maybe a couple of hotels and not much else. So the isolation is great if that's what you want but you are far from the bright city lights
<b>can you recommend a fishing charter near Barriles since you have fished there?</b>
Most of the fishing is set up by the hotels, which have their own fleets of boats. The entire Bay of Palms is about 30 miles long, with seven fishing lodges scattered from Punta Pescadero (where you are going) to Punta Colorado.
There is a deluxe fishing lodge near your rental (if the map is accurate) and I would contact them and ask if you can charter one of their boats, though I think they have mostly pangas and maybe not as many cruisers (larger boats) because of the lack of secure anchorage ... this is their web site ...
http://www.puntapescadero.com/welcome.html ... we haven't stayed at this one but did visit once to check it out (the bar was nice, the view great, the staff very nice). You can email them and ask ...
If they are closed in Feb or don't charter boats to non-guests you can try the other fishing lodges near Los Barriles ... this site lists all the lodging around East Cape, the ones easiest for you to reach are Playa del Sol, Palmas, Rancho Buena Vista and Hotel BV Beach Resort (we have stayed at all of these excep del Sol) ... all have good boats ... http://www.loscabosguide.com/hotels/eastcap2.htm ... I think the one that has a lot of boats and is closest to you is likely Palmas de Cortez ... http://www.palmasdecortez.com/ ... they are easy to work with and have a wide range of boats (pangas to cruisers).
<b>I know that the catch would be different and much smaller in February vs. when you went.</b>
I think they can do pretty good in Feb when the wind is down, not as good for marlin etc as later when the water warms, but still pretty good. Staying at the house at Punta Pescadero looks like a great 'get away' vacation and you're not far from La Paz for day trips ... it would be a relaxing trip.
Bill
Nov 16th, 2007, 05:38 PM
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furly, the link for the house at Punta Pescadero mentions that they can arrange a fishing trip for you with pick-up in front of the house, which is convenient.
Also mentions that the lodge at Punta Pescadero is only a mile away and they serve meals if you want to get away from cooking for a nice dinner or lunch. But not much else around there, it takes 30-45 minutes to drive the 8-9 miles into Los Barriles
Do a Google search on 'fish reports east cape february' and you'll find several reports on fishing ... a typical one for that time of year said '5 windy days with no fishing, good fishing for dorado on the 2 calm days' ... so when the boats can get it it's OK (except few billfish), but a lot of days they don't bother.
Great place to get away from the world though at that time of year.
Bill
Also mentions that the lodge at Punta Pescadero is only a mile away and they serve meals if you want to get away from cooking for a nice dinner or lunch. But not much else around there, it takes 30-45 minutes to drive the 8-9 miles into Los Barriles
Do a Google search on 'fish reports east cape february' and you'll find several reports on fishing ... a typical one for that time of year said '5 windy days with no fishing, good fishing for dorado on the 2 calm days' ... so when the boats can get it it's OK (except few billfish), but a lot of days they don't bother.
Great place to get away from the world though at that time of year.
Bill
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