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Camille

Jun 9, 2011, 10:42 PM

Post #1 of 21 (6886 views)

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Mascota to Bucerias

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Can I avoid Ixtapa? In other words, can I continue west from Las Palmas to some magic road that eliminates PV from the picture? And any suggestions for leaving Ajijic headed west without going up through Zapopan appreciated. I tried the Acatlan to Cocula route and only because I stopped every third klick for directions did I finally attain Ameca. I did hook up with a native driver who passed on impossible curves with me right behind and knew every tope from Acatlan to Ixtapa...

sioux4noff

Jun 9, 2011, 11:26 PM

Post #2 of 21 (6876 views)

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Re: [Camille] Mascota to Bucerias

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There are a few places you can cross the river into Nayarit in the dry season. I think you can cross near Las Palmas over to about San Juan de Abajo, and from Ixtapa you can cross the Mascota and Ameca Rivers and end up in San Jose del Valle.
When will you be in Bucerias? Maybe you'll have time for a cold drink or something. PM me if you want.

sparks

Jun 10, 2011, 5:46 AM

Post #3 of 21 (6853 views)

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Re: [Camille] Mascota to Bucerias

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Go out thru Jocotepec and west on 80. There are several places to cross from highway 80 to 70 (not thru Talpa). You won't go near Guad that way

Not sure what you want to avoid on the Vallarta end ... but 70 comes out way north of DT Vallarta (near Home Depot). Just take a right on 200 and Bucerias is 10-15 minutes further

Just looked it up on Google maps and the route I took was the road to Ayutla from 80 to 70. Good country road and you don't go near Ameca. Don't think you even go thru a town, they are all off to one side or the other

Sparks Mexico - Sparks Costalegre

(This post was edited by sparks on Jun 10, 2011, 5:55 AM)

sioux4noff

Jun 11, 2011, 8:42 PM

Post #4 of 21 (6729 views)

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Re: [sparks] Mascota to Bucerias

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Sparks, that route, if I am looking at it correctly, seems awfully long to get to Vallarta. Seems to me the route through Tala and Ameca would be shorter, and neither town is particularly large or traffic-snarled.

Edited to say that maybe the route through Cocula to Ameca would be OK.

(This post was edited by sioux4noff on Jun 11, 2011, 8:44 PM)

sparks

Jun 12, 2011, 6:32 AM

Post #5 of 21 (6696 views)

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Re: [sioux4noff] Mascota to Bucerias

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Well ... Tala from where? If from 15 north of Guad you have to double back from 54 and 80 (assuming Jocotepec route) and go into Guad. From Lopez Mateos to Tala looks like a double back as well

There is a route from Cocula to Ameca but I've only taken the Ayutla route

Sparks Mexico - Sparks Costalegre

tashby

Jun 13, 2011, 3:25 PM

Post #6 of 21 (6607 views)

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Re: [Camille] Mascota to Bucerias

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Quote

I tried the Acatlan to Cocula route and only because I stopped every third klick for directions did I finally attain Ameca.

What are you saying, Camille? My directions sucked? Ha!

I blame your map. Better luck next time!

Camille

Jun 13, 2011, 6:06 PM

Post #7 of 21 (6590 views)

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Re: [tashby] Mascota to Bucerias

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There was so little signage I COULDN'T follow your directions! And then there's my disastrous sense of direction......

tashby

Jun 13, 2011, 6:26 PM

Post #8 of 21 (6580 views)

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Re: [Camille] Mascota to Bucerias

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Remember I was kind of tentative describing that route? I imagine there was almost no signage. I remember saying, "Well, what you want to do is get to Ameca....and you have a few options on your crossover....and the maps are a little bit deceptive and well, you'll get there, good luck."

I've only driven it from the other direction....and since all roads lead to Guadalajara coming the other way, it's no doubt easier and with better signage. That all makes it easier on the rebound.

(This post was edited by tashby on Jun 13, 2011, 6:30 PM)

Camille

Jun 13, 2011, 7:29 PM

Post #9 of 21 (6564 views)

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Re: [tashby] Mascota to Bucerias

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Yes, but you were quite right.... I DID find it, eventually! In one of those lil towns before Ameca I hooked up with the Mexican AJ Foyt, a racer from hell who passed on hairpin curves with me right behind. I stayed a respectful distance behind til I saw his blinker and then goosed the mighty Tundra into Batman gear for many thrilling moments. Guy knew every single tope from Ameca to Ixtapa , a Wonderman!
If you look at the map, when you are in Las Palmas you are a stone's throw from Bucerias as de crow flies. I was hoping I could just lop PV off the itinerary, but it looks like no.
Maybe if Sioux showed me this dry riverbed.....

careyeroslib

Jun 16, 2011, 1:16 PM

Post #10 of 21 (6476 views)

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Re: [Camille] Mascota to Bucerias

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Absolutely you can go from Las Palmas in dry season, or even, perhaps other times and totally avoid Puerto Vallarta.

We crossed it in April 2011, behind a Ford Windstar which was fairly heavily laden. What they did was one of their group waded across and gave the heads up. Water was less than knee deep. We were behind them.

We have 4 Wheel Drive, but we didn´t need it.

In Las Palmas, ask any local for the road to El Calomo. (That´s what we did). From there it´s straightforward through San Juan de Abajo, San Jose del Valle and back to the Highway 200, totally missing Ixtapa.

I am currently looking at an old (2008) Guia Roji, p. 13.

Camille

Jun 16, 2011, 1:57 PM

Post #11 of 21 (6466 views)

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Re: [careyeroslib] Mascota to Bucerias

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Interesting! I was looking at a Jalisco map that I thought was more detailed than the Guia. It shows that road as more or less a goat track.... What kind of vehicle were you in? How wide is the river? How much less than knee deep? I'm not entirely sure I want to finish a drive from Ajijic by myself fording a river, but maybe......

careyeroslib

Jun 17, 2011, 7:27 AM

Post #12 of 21 (6414 views)

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Re: [Camille] Mascota to Bucerias

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Hi again Camille; I´m sorry I can´t really give a numerical width of the river there. It was, when we crossed (dry season) nothing as wide as the Ameca where one usually crosses between Jallisco and Nayarit, but it isn´t creek width either. It only took what felt like 10 -15 seconds to creep across. We have a 95 Nissan Pathfinder SUV. As I said the Windstar van made it across ahead of it and it was much lower. It was still definitely a stream, not a dry riverbed. We also have a Camry and I don´t think I would try it in that car, even in dry season. The rest of the road though was good. From Las Palmas to the river, a country road, but passable by any car, and from the River through the towns passed El Calomo, excellent paved. If we go again, I´ll try to provide more details.

The goverment has plans to build another bridge there (article in local papers in late March, 2011). Hopefully it will happen.

sioux4noff

Jun 18, 2011, 3:46 PM

Post #13 of 21 (6340 views)

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Re: [careyeroslib] Mascota to Bucerias

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If you do cross at Las Palmas, when you get to San Juan de Abajo, ask how to get to the new road to Bucerias. That is a very nice road with NO topes, and comes out right next to Famar Restaurant on Hwy 200 in Bucerias.

Camille

Jun 18, 2011, 10:48 PM

Post #14 of 21 (6313 views)

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Re: [sioux4noff] Mascota to Bucerias

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Yes, I know that road. It takes you to the dump, which enjoys one of the best views of the entire Bay. I have a couple of friends visiting nearby, young'uns in their forties, who have volunteered to do a project or two for me, so next week we will be cleaning the roof and hauling down the now unusable styrofoam panels, loading up the mighty Tundra and heading up to the dump. From there we will continue on to San Juan de Abajo and El Colomo, then on to Las Palmas through the riverbed.
I will definitely be posting about this route. This could lop maybe 30-45 minutes off the drive to San Sebastian, depending on the amount of water in the riverbed. ANYTHING would be better than the Land of 1000 Topes, Ixtapa!
And fresh road, no matter how short, is hopelessly alluring.....

sioux4noff

Jun 19, 2011, 7:33 AM

Post #15 of 21 (6287 views)

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Re: [Camille] Mascota to Bucerias

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Camille, please let me know how that route works! Sounds like a fun ride, if nothing else. I'll ask around here and see if I can get a better idea of where the crossing is on the Nayarit side.

careyeroslib

Jun 19, 2011, 4:52 PM

Post #16 of 21 (6251 views)

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Re: [sioux4noff] Mascota to Bucerias

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Hi again, we went across again today. Of course rainy season hasn´t started yet, but, it seemed almost trivial, the crossing. Only about 20 feet across, and no different than cobblestone streets in a rain. Maybe 3-4 inches at the most. I watched several vehicles (trucks and vans) and the water didn´t go up as far as the bottom of the hubcabs.

You then go through more shallow water by the dam (again only a couple of inches). There were lots of people there playing in the water, cars parked (including a jetta). You then have to turn left to go towards El Colomo. Going right next you up to the road to Alta Vista (which is where we were going).

My husband took some pictures and plotted our route on the GPS (Garmin). I´ll try to organize this material asap.

sparks

Jun 20, 2011, 5:50 AM

Post #17 of 21 (6211 views)

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Re: [careyeroslib] Mascota to Bucerias

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Well Beatriz should put a stop to easy crossings for awhile

Sparks Mexico - Sparks Costalegre

Camille

Jun 20, 2011, 7:36 PM

Post #18 of 21 (6168 views)

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Re: [careyeroslib] Mascota to Bucerias

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We went today too.... just a lovely drive! The road from Bucerias to San Juan de Abajo is one of the most beautiful in all Mexico. So lush, even at the end of the dry season. Beatriz will indeed put a stop to low-water bridge crossings for the summer. Sparks posted on another forum that as of 7pm there was heavy rain in Melaque, 185 miles north of the storm.
Not sure the back way would save much time, but if I were going to San Sabastian I'd sure go that way if passable.
What's at Alta Vista?

RickS

Jun 20, 2011, 7:42 PM

Post #19 of 21 (6166 views)

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Re: [Camille] Mascota to Bucerias

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A high view? ;>)

careyeroslib

Jun 21, 2011, 7:26 AM

Post #20 of 21 (6117 views)

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Re: [RickS] Mascota to Bucerias

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So glad you enjoyed the drive. We did too. Very green and nice. Glad we did it last weekend, eh? With the rains starting.

With respect to Alta Vista, it´s a nice little town with, Rick is right, a high view, but, most people go that way to see the Petroglyphs near there. The road we took is fine, but very long. We just wanted to explore something different. We´ve been to the Petroglyphs several times going the more normal route (exit from Highway 200), but thought this particular time we would explore an alternate route and, as a destination, see how the road into them is doing (it´s a farm road, sometimes not really passable by ordinary vehicles, but sometimes it is. ).

For anyone who doesn´t know them and is interested in finding them, here´s a link. Within it is a link with a very good Map (You need something like that as there are no signs of any kind. It´s still an active religious site for huicholes). Here´s the link.

http://richardlawhorn.com/...ta/pila_del_rey.html

Camille

Jun 21, 2011, 11:25 AM

Post #21 of 21 (6086 views)

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Re: [careyeroslib] Mascota to Bucerias

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I thought you were referring to another Alta Vista off the road to El Colomo! Yes, the petroglyphs at the Alta Vista I know are stunning....as is the view from the town. Too bad there's not a place to sit and admire the view with something cold in your hand!