Hotels in San Quintin off the highway?

  • Hotels in San Quintin off the highway?

    Posted by BajaBundo on October 3, 2022 at 2:13 pm

    When we go to San Quintin we love staying at Jardines Baja but they have been full our last couple of trips through where we were traveling on an open itinerary – something we are doing more of lately. We stayed at the Old Mill on one of those trips but last time it was full too so we ended up getting a room out on the highway at the Hotel La Villa. It was was okay but a bit noisy. We would really prefer to stay as far off the Transpeninsular as possible. Both my wife and I are light sleepers.

    I know of the Mission Santa Maria (La Pinta) hotel out by Cielito Lindo but are there any others that are a mile or more off the highway? We used to always stay at at Don Eddies next door to the Old Mill but that place really went downhill fast after the old man died and that’s when we switched to Jardines.

    Appreciate any suggestions you could offer.

    coyote replied 1 year, 9 months ago 23 Members · 55 Replies
  • 55 Replies
  • maxmo

    Member
    October 3, 2022 at 2:33 pm

    Do you like to camp? San Quintin has several good camping options and my favorite is Los Olivos campground, just 300 meters north of Jardines Baja. They have a pool, hot showers and even a hostel option with a dorm room and bunk beds. RV hookups too!

    https://www.sanquintinbc.mx/place/parque-los-olivos/

    • BajaBundo

      Member
      October 3, 2022 at 5:32 pm

      Years ago we used to camp sometimes when traveling but mostly due to the fact we downsized to a smaller vehicle a few years back it doesn’t leave us a lot of room for camping gear. And bunk beds were okay back when we were in college but not really our style these days.

      But thanks.

      • boe4fun

        Member
        October 17, 2022 at 11:05 am

        It seems that there’s been no mention of the Cielito Lindo, very basic rooms, far from Mex 1 highway (quiet), good restaurant, one of the best happy hours in Baja (4 -5 PM).

        • BajaGringo

          Organizer
          October 17, 2022 at 3:42 pm

          You’re absolutely right and definitely worth a mention. Last several reports I had heard mentioned that the rooms and bedding needed updating but the restaurant and bar are still great!

        • offroadrage

          Member
          October 17, 2022 at 3:53 pm

          @boe4fun / @BajaGringo – Cielito Lindo needs to empty out their rooms, fumigate and then paint before putting in new beds, mattresses and sheets-bedding. The beds seemed old and were as uncomfortable as hell the last few times there staying overnight and one of the riders in our group found bed bugs, and ended up sleeping in his truck.

          • boe4fun

            Member
            October 17, 2022 at 5:22 pm

            Whoa – hadn’t heard of the bug problems, but then again I haven’t stayed there for quite a few years. Nowadays when I drive down I mostly try to plan my trip so I can attend the Flying Sams clinic at the Los Pinos Ranch. They always stay at La Misión Santa Maria, so I stay where they do. They do usually have a dinner at the Cielito Lindo Saturday nights, always a great time.

            • offroadrage

              Member
              October 17, 2022 at 6:00 pm

              No complaints on the restaurant / bar – love their margaritas, but they don’t appear to have invested much if anything in the rooms for the last 10 years or so and it really shows. The bed bugs issue was it for us. We may still eat there but we sleep somewhere else.

            • Dorado

              Member
              October 25, 2022 at 6:07 am

              We heard of the bed bug issue too but that was 6 or 7 years ago. Haven’t been back to find out as we just prefer to stay at Jardines.

  • trekker

    Member
    October 3, 2022 at 2:56 pm

    We don’t like sleeping near the highway either and why we stopped staying at Baja Cactus when heading southbound. We liked the idea of staying in El Rosario when going south as we felt like it gave us a head start on our trips south of San Quintin, but the highway noise is just too much. So we switched to the hotel Mision Santa Maria for our southbound drives and love it! Clean rooms, on the beach, a good restaurant-bar and it’s on the south side of San Quintin which helps us avoid most traffic in town in the A.M.

    When heading northbound we like to stay at the Paraiso Hotel in Colonet for the same reasons, it gives us a big head start on the morning traffic and it’s 45 minutes closer to the border.

    • BajaBundo

      Member
      October 3, 2022 at 5:38 pm

      We stayed at the Santa Maria once and it was nice but it reminded us of staying at a La Quinta Motel in the US. We don’t need for a hotel to be luxurious or super modern but we do want to feel like we are in Baja when staying overnight somewhere and for several reasons that hotel just doesn’t seem to give us that vibe. The Old Mill does and so does Jardines but they both are full quite often. Just looking for another option.

      • trekker

        Member
        October 3, 2022 at 5:48 pm

        Funny you say that, my mom said the very same thing when she was with us last year. But we like the quiet there with the beach out in front.

    • amandae

      Member
      October 3, 2022 at 5:44 pm

      The Hotel Paraiso is on the highway, noise isn’t a problem there?

      • trekker

        Member
        October 3, 2022 at 5:51 pm

        It’s really not for some reason. Even with a curve nearby, we rarely hear any jake brake noise inside the rooms when we stay there.

  • BajaGringo

    Organizer
    October 3, 2022 at 6:51 pm

    A couple of observations…

    Jardines Baja is where I usually send all my family and friends to stay because I know the hotel owners personally and I know that they will get a clean room, beds and towels with good hot water pressure every time they go.

    I know the owners of Mision Santa Maria too and they are good people who run a very nice hotel. If it wasn’t so far from us here at La Chorera I would send family and friends there more often.

    Another option off the highway is La Cueva del Pirata in Camalu:
    https://www.sanquintinbc.mx/place/la-cueva-del-pirata/

    The problem there is there aren’t a lot of rooms so they fill up quickly and it also is a long drive from our place here at La Chorera.

    Finally, the OP mentioned his number one choice used to be Don Eddie’s Landing.

    I had heard many of the same stories that some of you have probably heard or even personally experienced at the place since Don Eddie died. It was abundantly clear that his son Carlos – who took over – was simply unable to keep the place up. His family, career and life is in Tijuana – not San Quintin – and he would eventually begin to look for a buyer.

    What many of you probably don’t know is that he finally did sell the place earlier this year.

    Don Eddie’s Landing has new owners and management who took over the reins and moved onsite full time. The new owner is a general contractor who is in the process of investing some serious money into the compound by bringing in some top notch subs who are going over the place from top to bottom.

    He’s even putting some of his own personal elbow grease into the place and I am having lunch with him tomorrow. I’ll be given a full tour to see everything that is going on over there, so get ready for a full report when I get back.

    I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised as I hear he’s making some very welcome changes and we just might see Don Eddies become a favorite stop for travelers and fishermen again here in San Quintin, very soon.

    Stay tuned…

    • BajaBundo

      Member
      October 3, 2022 at 7:01 pm

      Really? I look forward to hearing your report as we always loved staying there but you can only put up with no hot water, torn bed sheets and leaky roofs for so long before it’s time to look somewhere else to stay.

    • BajaBundo

      Member
      October 3, 2022 at 7:11 pm

      I thought his name was Tony, not Carlos?

      • BajaGringo

        Organizer
        October 3, 2022 at 8:34 pm

        When we met him and his wife Lidia at a dinner several years ago, he introduced himself to me as Carlos and that seems to be how the locals addressed him however I also was aware that he introduced himself as Tony to visitors.

        No clue as to why…

    • McBaja

      Member
      October 4, 2022 at 7:23 am

      That is really awesome news, we used to love staying at Don Eddies. I got to know Eddie and even went out fishing for white seabass with him about 18 years ago.

    • mx-rider

      Member
      October 8, 2022 at 6:52 am

      That’s great news, I look forward to hearing what you have to say about the place now.

    • laguera

      Member
      October 17, 2022 at 7:37 pm

      We tried to stay at Cueva del Pirata in Camalu once but after driving out there with directions from the gas station on the highway, we found the place was closed. As we were leaving a security guard(?) came out from around the back and said the owners had gone to Ensenada and would be back in a couple of days. Didn’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence in the place so we drove onto Vicente Guerrero to The Mission Inn, which was nice but is on the highway.

      • boe4fun

        Member
        October 18, 2022 at 8:56 am

        I had a similar experience a couple of years ago. After calling the hotel and making a reservation, when I drove out there the entire place was closed!

        • Volcan

          Member
          October 19, 2022 at 7:55 pm

          We have stayed there a couple of times and you never know what to expect. Sometimes the hotel is closed, sometimes the restaurant is closed and sometimes they are both closed. But it’s a killer view and worth the effort.

  • mikemc

    Member
    October 4, 2022 at 6:55 am

    I listened to the new owner Don Eddies of on Let’s Talk Hookup a couple of weeks ago. He wants tp return it to it’s past glory, he has the old chef back too. I’ll stay there going south next week to check it out. I love that’s on the water.

  • MikeyD

    Member
    October 4, 2022 at 7:19 am

    Cool! I would love to see Don Eddies be brought back to life!

  • bajabill

    Member
    October 4, 2022 at 6:23 pm

    I haven’t been back to Don Eddies in probably 8 or 10 years. After he was gone the place was never the same. I wish the new owners the best and if they are really dedicated to bring it back to life, they will almost certainly be successful.

  • nashsimpson

    Member
    October 6, 2022 at 9:56 am

    We like to stay at Jardines in San Quintin and always make sure we contact them well in advance to make a reservation. One time they lost our reservation and we had to stay at Don Eddies and it wasn’t a very pleasant experience but that was probably 3 or 4 years ago. Glad to hear there are new owners and we might give it a try when we come down early next year.

  • DuckDive

    Member
    October 8, 2022 at 8:29 am

    The Hotel 3 Reyes is a good option. Although it’s only a couple of blocks off of the highway, it’s really quiet back in there and the rooms are clean and the staff is really nice. It’s located just north of Lazaro Cardenas about a mile before the military base. There’s a traffic light and I think it’s a hospital at the corner. Go east 2 blocks and it’s on your left hand side.

  • boe4fun

    Member
    October 30, 2022 at 10:35 am

    While it’s not exactly in the San Quintin area, Cueva del Pirata in Camalu is a great place to stay. It’s about 30 minutes north of SQ, turn west at the light in Camalu, go about 2 miles to the coast, go north (turn right) for a couple hundred meters. Nice restaurant on site, known for their guacamole and cracked crab in paprika, good margaritas too. Hotel has reasonably priced clean basic rooms. Reserve a second floor room overlooking the Pacific with a small veranda to watch the sunset. Also there’s very reasonable camping prices on the bluff with electricity, water, WiFi, and a bbq structure.

  • LowCal

    Member
    October 31, 2022 at 7:20 pm

    A guy I work with stayed with a group at Don Eddies last week and reports both the hotel and restaurant are MUCHO improved! Their rooms were clean, new beds and bedding, new towels and the water pressure is good and lots of hot water. No more cold water surprises in the middle of your showers like we experienced 3 or 4 years ago.

    He tells me the restaurant is getting back to its heydays of 20 years ago and the place was nearly full. Going to have to check it out our next time down.

    Thanks for putting the word out Ron.

    • MikeyD

      Member
      November 1, 2022 at 1:37 pm

      That’s what I like about this website. Everything posted here is good info and not just fluff/filler.

    • boe4fun

      Member
      November 1, 2022 at 3:36 pm

      There are (or used to be – before the renovation?) several nice, level spots with amenities for those who prefer camping.

      • coyote

        Member
        November 2, 2022 at 12:32 pm

        Don Eddie’s has lots of RV spots and I’d bet they’d only charge a small fee for camping.

        • boe4fun

          Member
          November 2, 2022 at 5:48 pm

          Yup, I’ve stayed there a couple of times with my 5th wheel, but many years ago on our way to our clinic in La Paz (it’s been parked in Bahía Asunción since 2010). They had good level spots and were very reasonable.

          • Volcan

            Member
            November 5, 2022 at 8:10 am

            We are staying there tonight on our way to Mulege. I’ll ask and report back.

  • MikeyD

    Member
    November 6, 2022 at 3:53 pm

    Another problem with San Quintin is the relative lack of any good Airbnb oprions.

    • CRF450R

      Member
      November 6, 2022 at 3:56 pm

      There are some Airbnb listings for San Quintin but looking at them closely it seems that many are just 2nd rate hotel rooms listed. Or at least that was my impression when I search a year or so ago.

      • BajaBundo

        Member
        January 13, 2023 at 4:17 pm

        Yes, more Airbnb options would definitely be nice, especially if you are planning to hang out for several days in lieu of just an overnight. Does San Quintin not have that many rental properties that could be converted?

      • BajaGringo

        Organizer
        January 14, 2023 at 6:56 pm

        Don Eddies is in the process of building some new Airbnbs right now. ALso there are a couple more Airbnb units being built right now off the north end of the San Quintin Bay. I’ll post more about that as they get closer to being available.

        • bajatraveler

          Member
          January 14, 2023 at 7:50 pm

          Fabulous! I’ll be watching for any updates.

        • coyote

          Member
          January 19, 2023 at 12:11 pm

          I think I saw those Airbnb units at the northern tip of the bay by Ejido Chapala?

  • coyote

    Member
    January 12, 2023 at 7:34 am

    We stayed overnight at Don Eddies our last trip down and it definitely is a big improvement over our last visit in 2021. Looks like they are on track to get the place back up and running as it was in its glory days as @mikemc mentioned. I highly recommend you pay them a visit if you haven’t been there in awhile.

    • McBaja

      Member
      January 12, 2023 at 8:30 am

      Excellent news. We used to always stay there in years past and looking forward to staying there in our trip down this spring. Love staying there right on the bay with different options to eat and drink all close by and the launch ramp just a steps away. It’s a fisherman’s dream.

      • coyote

        Member
        January 13, 2023 at 9:59 am

        It’s one of our favorite spots in northern Baja to go to when we just want to get away from it all.

        • McBaja

          Member
          January 13, 2023 at 2:12 pm

          Do you go to fish or just hang out?

          • coyote

            Member
            January 13, 2023 at 4:14 pm

            Both. Mostly depends on whether I’m coming down with wife or friends. (she loves eating fish but doesn’t want to go out and catch them)

            • nashsimpson

              Member
              January 13, 2023 at 4:35 pm

              That could be a discussion all on its own – Baja with and without wives/girlfriends. 😇😇😇

              • McBaja

                Member
                January 14, 2023 at 7:23 am

                That would be an incredibly fun topic however I sense that for some, that discussion could never see the the light of day else it be used in divorce court. 🤣🤣🤣

  • Dorado

    Member
    January 14, 2023 at 10:36 am

    A few of my fishing buddies have stayed at Don Eddies recently and tell me the place has really improved so I might give them a try my next trip down in March. Hopefully the hot water and heaters are working in the rooms.

    • BajaGringo

      Organizer
      January 14, 2023 at 11:07 am

      The new owners at Don Eddie’s – Ed and his wife Angelica – have installed all new plumbing and on-demand water heaters for each room. And last month they installed all new mini-split heater A/C’s in each room, so you should sleep comfy all year round.

      • Dorado

        Member
        January 14, 2023 at 11:09 am

        Awesome, I’ll call and make a reservation then. Thanks Ron.

      • MikeyD

        Member
        January 14, 2023 at 6:23 pm

        Great! Another positive sign that these new owners are in this for the long haul.

        • BajaGringo

          Organizer
          January 14, 2023 at 6:56 pm

          They aren’t going anywhere and they still have more improvement plans in the works. Stay tuned!

          • blitzer

            Member
            January 14, 2023 at 10:22 pm

            Great news! Will have to check it out.

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