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Toyota World Runners
Sand to Sea ~ Catavina to the Coast
If you’ve ever travelled in Baja Mexico, you know that the transition between different terrain and ecosystems is rapid. One minute you’re watching your step through cactus groves, and the next you’re wrapped in a blanket of sea salt from the oceans affection.
This journey we’ve decided to embark on starts in Catavina and trickles through valleys of lush desert vegetation, abandoned moments in time, and then spits us out on the rugged Pacific Ocean. Our route is roughly 175 kilometres (110 miles) of off-road driving on un-maintained dirt roads. We have prepared the truck and ourselves for 3-4 days of travel before our tires reach pavement again.
We are travelling in our 1976 Toyota Chinook that we have 4x4 converted by placing the body on top of a 1996 Toyota Land Cruiser chassis. We have a 160L (42gal) fuel tank underneath, as well as a 60L(15.2gal) water tank, and 20lbs of propane. We packed enough food for a week.
In preparation for the remoteness of this route, we carry items such as:
- Garmin In Reach (for emergencies)
- Starlink Mobile Internet
- Recovery gear such as Winch, Straps, Maxxtrax
- All necessary tools for the truck
- Extra fluids for truck (and us)
In this blog Matthew and I (Stacey) will be simultaneously sharing our memories and notable moments through journal entries in the field. We are very early in our Baja tour, but this route holds a special place in our hearts. We hope to inspire you, the reader, to challenge yourself and embrace the unknown. Some of the greatest parts of the world haven’t even been found yet, or felt.
March 14th, 2023
With the tires aired down to 12 psi in the front and 18 in the rear, a tickle of excitement roars with the exhaust as we glide through the sand. Mister sun is somewhere above us making sure we get the full desert experience today. It’s hot and sticky in the cab of the Chinook, but the guitar strings bellowing from our portable speaker pair perfectly with the hues outside. Somehow, I don’t notice the heat much. Distracting my internal temperature is the foliage that is fanning out through the hills beside us. Naturally, my head is hanging out the window in true canine form as I take it all in. Cacti known as Cardons stand above two stories tall and age almost a hundred years. Underneath the giants lay other abstract forms of cacti we can only describe as Doctor Seus like. Especially the tall gangly tree known as a Boojam tree of which some curl in perfect whoville fashion. Lucky us, we are gifted a Spring bloom that fills our noses with endorphins, and freckles the overpowering greens. Surprisingly refreshed as our eyes fixate on the folding layers the desert is offering, we press on.
Our drive from Catavina was nothing short of epic. Dry desert rock protruding from the earth in oval shaped towers turned into mountainous climbs surrounded by cactus forests. The drive progressed through miles of single track and mostly gravel terrain with the occasional sand bar and dried up creek bed. We travelled for hours in the heat of the day and stopped several times to let the truck cool down. I am fascinated by the spacing of the flora in these deserts. Everything seems to have its own space and rarely does anything seem crowded. The elephant trees are my favourite.
Today we began our journey at 11:30am, and arrived at the ocean at 6:00pm, 76km later. We took many breaks, and had lunch at one of the huts in the middle of the cactus forest. You will find a few abandoned ranchos while crawling through the hills if you’d like to break up the drive and enjoy a night under the stars amongst the giants. San Jose was our goal. Although we arrived in the dark, the ocean rewarded us with its melody as we fell asleep on the cliff side.
March 15th, 2023
The inconsistent waves and their almost out of tune rhythm; That seventh loudest crash perked my ears through the night, but thankfully the other six lulled me back to sleep. Salty air filled the Chinook and the sun danced among the sea shells. I can’t imagine how quiet it would be without the waves. We are alone out here, but somehow don’t feel that way. Nature and animals have a way of welcoming, even from a distance.
Waking up to the ocean waves and the sea breeze feels home-like for us west coasters.
After some coffee and ocean appreciation, we pack up and seek a cove to settle in to for the rest of the day and night. We will have many choices along this route, but I am sure we will find the right one. However, for the next couple hours the ocean fell away from our view as we zig zagged through volcanic shale. Today, I am grateful for our new Falken tires. The confidence they have brought as we tackle earth’s roughest terrain is noticeable. We round over one more hill and spot our home for the night.
We found our home for the night in a beautiful horseshoe shaped cove. Barefoot beach walks under the now overcast sky was our flavour of pass time. In perfect timing, we popped the chinook’s top, grabbed a blanket and enjoyed the solitude. Clouds dissolved around us, and they gifted us condensed moisture gifts. Now it really feels like home.
March 16th, 2023
I blink my eyes open to find softness. This morning there is no hide and seek with the sun rays. There is no temptation to crawl deeper in the covers for warmth. This morning is stillness. Near surfaces hold tear drops of moisture as our breaths collide with the ocean’s song. With no sun to motivate, we enjoy extra coffee inside and watch the waves. Solitude, again. Since beginning this route, we have encountered two locals that seem to be fisherman. Other than that, it has been the two of us, the coyotes and the birds.
Before we leave, it is most certainly necessary that we touch our tires on this impeccable sand. Back and forth and back and forth. The joy this brings is truly unmatched.
This coastal road is wild. And I really mean that. Not how sometimes it’s used to describe mundane things. This road, is wild. We found beaches seemingly barren of human life other than the occasional fisherman, and cactus forests I could only imagine in story books. In between salt flats and red dirt roads, we found cove after cove. Our camera is getting a workout for sure. At this point, you could come out here for weeks and beach hop through amazing surf coves. As long as you're prepared of course.
The Pacific Ocean has the incredible talent of revealing the rugged, untold secrets of everything it touches. Rocks fall victim to erosion patterns with horror movie edges, and shells get entangled with the ending. Waves carry carcasses to shore like gifts to land for staying put. It’s incredible what you’ll find if you look close enough at what the ocean is trying to tell you.
47 years of memories squeak from the camper with each bump, and we can tell it’s time to find camp. You could park anywhere on the side of this route and be gifted with a view. Ours is on the edge of a cliff over looking one of the last coves of the route.
A tecate each in hand, we left the truck and meandered down to the beach for sunset. The sheer volume of incredible crab, muscle, clam and other amazing sea shells is staggering. Each one is worth keeping, but we’ve decided, one per beach otherwise the Chinook would be full of them. This beach we found ourselves on had a unique surprise waiting at the end. Layers upon layers of fossilized crustaceans embedded into the sandstone from the lapping tides.
March 17th, 2023
The waves are extra loud this morning, so we begin our trek inland extra early. Though not without a couple more drives on the beach as we crest into Puerto Blanco. Seldom, we say our goodbyes to the coastal life and welcome back the gruelling desert terrain. Only 55km roughly to the road, but somehow that seems like a lifetime.
The next 30kms of road were brutal, taxing and utterly gorgeous. Between washed out sections mixed with high elevation shelf roads, our patience was dwindling, even amidst the beauty. After six slow hours crawling through the desert, we found ourselves on the top of a cactus painted plateau. A gorgeous sunset felt like a reward for the efforts everyone showed today, and the crickets sang us to sleep.
March 18th, 2023
Our elevation is a good indication that today will be one of the easier days. Down the winding “middle road” we go. With the sun shining our path, we brave the mighty Baja head wind. New wild flowers we haven’t seen before come into our gaze, and that makes us smile. This section was fun, and really fit for a perfect finale. Only stopping a couple times for abandoned rancho exploration, and a surprising oasis, we made great time. And then all of a sudden, in the distance, a semi truck roars down the tarmac. We did it! We cheer and share many high fives. What was supposed to be an off-road route to the ocean very quickly found a spot in my memory bank for when we gave into the adventure. We had no choice but to surrender to the unknown.
We would recommend this route to anyone with a sense of adventure, a craving for solitude, and curiosity for Baja's magical secrets.
For those travelling to Baja, or simply the deeply curious, we post our camp spots and coordinates from this route on our Patreon.
