Vizcaíno Junction

Ejido Vizcaíno, along Highway 1, offers a number of services for motorists and truckers, but the larger town of Vizcaíno Junction (pop. 2,500) is located west of the highway.

Hotels

A couple of hotels offer reliable accommodations here. Hotel Olivia (tel. 615/156-4524, US$30), across from the Pemex station at Km. 144, is a family-run establishment with 36 very clean rooms, each with two double beds, private hot-water bathrooms, seven channels of SKY TV, and 24-hour security.

The unique Hotel Kadakaamán (615/156-4112, kaadekaman [at] aol [dot] com, US$40), on the west side of Highway 1 at Km. 143, was named after the former Jesuit mission site near San Ignacio, Misión San Ignacio Kadakaamán [1]. It also offers air conditioning, hot-water bathrooms, 10 channels of SKY TV, and Wi-Fi in its 18 rooms. The artistic grounds feature a mural of the cave paintings found in the surrounding area.

Restaurants

Highway 1 through Vizcaíno is dotted with many good, simple eating establishments, serving mainly homemade Mexican food, roasted chicken, and tacos. At Km. 140 on the east side of the highway, the very simple Bar/Restaurant Nancy’s (no tel., hours vary) features good homemade meals at reasonable prices, with main dishes ranging US$6–9.

Similar food awaits at friendly La Huerta (no tel., 6 A.M.–11 P.M. daily, US$5–12), located by Hotel Olivia and attached to the bus depot.

Café Restaurant/Mezquite Grill Afrodita (daily, mains US$8–20) is the colorfully painted restaurant on the grounds of Hotel Kadakaamán. It specializes in varied cuts of steak.

At Km. 142 on the west side of the highway is Maximo’s Pizza (no tel., lunch and dinner daily, mains US$7–10), which operates a second location in Guerrero Negro.

Getting to Vizcaíno Junction

An Aguila bus depot outside Hotel Olivia leads to all points on Highway 1 north and south. A van transports passengers to and from Bahía Tortugas [2] on a daily basis for US$18 each way. Vans depart from the hotel at 10 A.M. each day and return at 3 A.M. The trip takes under two hours.

If you’re driving, there are two ways to get to the Vizcaíno Peninsula’s coastal attractions: You can turn off Highway 1 at Km. 144 and begin a 148-kilometer journey through the desert. As of early 2011 the road is now paved the entire way, and you can make it to Asunción Bay [3] in about an hour.

Alternatively, if Punta Abreojos [4] is your destination, you can turn off Highway 1 at Km. 98 and follow an 80-kilometer road to the coast.

If you want to make the trip into a loop, start by heading west to Bahía Tortugas or Bahía Asunción at Km. 144 on Highway 1, and then head south along the coast to Punta Abreojos, where you can turn back east and reconnect with Highway 1 at Km. 98.