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Flying into the Los Cabos airport or the La Paz Airports? The first time the drive from either to La Ventana or Los Barriles can be confusing.
This is especially true from Los Cabos to La Ventana since by the time you clear customs, rent a car and make the long drive you will be making the last half of the trip in the dark.
The turns are poorly marked and cows abound on the road after dark. So these maps will help you.
Los Cabos Airport to Los Barriles. Leaving the airport take the first sharp right and drive about a mile. Go over the freeway overpass and take the curving on ramp on your RIGHT. Merge with the northbound traffic. Continue north until you see Los Barriles. Towards the center of town you will see a well marked entrance to the town.
Los Cabos Airport to La Ventana via San Antonio. Passing Los Barriles you will cross several large arroyos then enter a mountainous region which is free range so watch for cattle on the road especially after dark. About 75% of the way to San Antonio you will pass through an arroyo and see a confusing sign that says “San Antonio” to the left. Ignore this sign. Continue on Mex. 1 climbing into more mountains. After a while, it is dark , you will see a few scattered lights of San Antonio below you. As you drop into the valley you will see a few houses slow down and look for the only paved road going RIGHT (east). There should be sign saying Los Planes and Buena Suerte. This turn is partially obscured by dense trees so watch for it carefully. (if you miss the turnoff you will drive through the middle of another village El Triunfo after about 15 minutes. Make a U turn and return to San Antonio) You are now heading east and after a few miles of twisty roads you are in the huge Los Planes valley that creates La Ventana’s fabled thermal winds. There are often several car swallowing potholes along the first part of this road so use caution. Continue eastward until this road ends in a “T”. Turn LEFT and drive a few miles passing a gas station. Look for a cluster of large road signs on your RIGHT. Here you make a RIGHT onto the road going to La Ventana.
Outskirts of La Paz to La Ventana
Did you know that La Ventana was discovered by windsurfers almost a decade after sites like Los Barriles? There is a reason for this late discovery. Almost all of the other windy Sea of Cortez sites are easily accessed by driving down Mex. 1. So all of us old timers just drove until we found white caps along Mex. 1. But La Ventana is on a 50 mile dead end road that used to accessed from the middle of the sizable city of La Paz. And you never think of driving through a big city to get to an isolated beach. These days it is much easier to access La Ventana but you still have to negotiate the streets on the outskirts of La Paz and there is not a single sign saying La Ventana to guide you. So this map should help those making the long drive down Baja to La Ventana or those renting a car at the airport.
