Catavina, Baja California  Dec, 2005

 

 

 

 

This picture was not in the Catavina.  It was in an otherwise unmemorable campground in El Rosario, but I couldn't resist showing it.  The campground was behind a motel.  By the motel was the usual sign saying "Please clean up after your pets".  This sign appeared in the campground.  Apparently RVers require a more explicit approach.

 

 

 

The campsite was very nice with even a live oak for shade.  There was no power available but there was water and a nice little restaurant.

 

 

 

Another good feature of this campground was that it was not crowded.  It was two miles or so off the highway so not many people come here except large RV caravans passing through.  There was an oasis and the ruins of a 17th century church about 15 miles farther down the road.  The mission was not a popular attraction since the road was only passable to 4-wheel drive vehicles and even then you had to walk the last mile.  We didn't make that trip.

 

 

 

Catavina is an oasis in the midst of a rather inhospitable desert.  The vegetation is mostly saguaro and organ pipe cactus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Approaching Catavina from the north, you will pass through a large boulder field.  The size of the boulders range from pebbles to as large as a house.  The source of the boulders is not apparent to me and I've seen nothing like it anywhere else we have traveled.

 

 

 

 

The scenery around Catavina is interesting but it can easily be seen from the highway as you are driving through.  Our main reason for stopping here was to break up what would otherwise have been a 250 mile driving day.  One other reason, perhaps, for stopping is that the motel in town "sometimes" has gasoline.  The next gas station is about 180 miles farther down the road.