Rosarito Beach losing tourists to crime fears

[Bill McIntyre]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,1079813.story

[Mike B]

Just go, it's not that bad!! I was there a couple of weeks ago riding a donkey up and down the beach drunk as hell having a good time I love that place, eathing seafood form the corner stands and driking A Dios mother f*#@%r 's at the clubs

[Seaholic]

Believe it or not I was in Rosorito this past weekend on Saturday and Sunday. My Girlfriend wanted to go there and hang out/party and she didn't care about what's happening there. So not to sound like a wimp I just went along with it. Its funny, I had this whole escape plan played out in my head.

Yes, Rosorito was like a ghost town and they have this 9 o'clock curfew where people cannot be out on the streets or something like that. The night clubs where so dead that we didn't even bother partying at night.

Nevertheless we had a blast there. Had some great meals right on the water with some nice servesas and tequila shots, and after that I went to the sand dooms right past Rosorito and just destroyed the tracks. It was so fun.

I never felt unsafe and I would go there anytime with no hesitation.

I can post some pics if you guys are interested.

[Teambcw]

pics

[Gary Schulte]

Bill,
Northern Baja has been ruined. Not only by the drug gangs, the kidnappers and the crooked cops, but by the greedy Mexican exploitation of their natural resources. The coastline is fished out, no abs, not lobster, etc. La Bufadora has been turned from a natural wonderland to a flea market. The coast is being eaten up by hi rise condo buildings and development not condusive to scenic beauty which is what I used to go down for. I drove through Rosarito Beach a couple years ago and the very next day three human heads were found in a bag on the street (I didn't leave them there). I know this picture looks inviting but it's an artists rendition and not real. Baja doesn't look like Hawaii folks. This is a Trump development.

[deckhandmike]

I'm all for travel to Mexico and think it's pretty safe but why not drive a little farther and avoid the border wars? It's definently a ghost town these days. Gas is cheap down there and that's all the motivation I needed not to stop in the bad areas. Plus the farther you go from the tourist areas the cooler the people seem to be. Way better vibe away from the border.

[Erasmus]

I blew it, in the 90's I would read about Mexico and the fun there in the water but was to busy climbing to go. Now it sounds like I may have missed the boat.

My question is this, with the Channel Islands 45 minutes away, should I head there or Mexico considering they will cost about the same. Possibly more in Mexico due to the travel time?

[Seaholic]

Originally Posted by Erasmus

I blew it, in the 90's I would read about Mexico and the fun there in the water but was to busy climbing to go. Now it sounds like I may have missed the boat.

My question is this, with the Channel Islands 45 minutes away, should I head there or Mexico considering they will cost about the same. Possibly more in Mexico due to the travel time?

As far as spearing go well here is what I think. If I am going to go to a different country I am going to want to shoot fish that I don't get to shoot here. It makes absolute no sense to me to go way over there to shoot fish that I can shoot in my own back yard.

So if you are planning to go to Baja where you will be shooting Nice bottom fish (Cabrllas, Groupers, trigers and, etc.) then it is very worth going there. But if you are planning to just go to like San Quentin to shoot some whites and yellows then you might as well stay in your back yard and save the hassle.

That just my own 2 cents.

[Gary Schulte]

I think the channel islands have way better diving than anything in northern Baja anyhow. Now, if you want to go to the Sea of Cortez that's a different thing all together.

[So-Cal Spearo]

I literally just saw an ad for Rosarito Beach on the back of a bus. The title read "Rosarito Beach, beyond your expectations"
Shit! So i guess if I expect to be robbed I may actually be murdered...better come up with a better slogan el departmento del touristos.

[zenspearo]

Originally Posted by So-Cal Spearo

I literally just saw an ad for Rosarito Beach on the back of a bus. The title read "Rosarito Beach, beyond your expectations"
Shit! So i guess if I expect to be robbed I may actually be murdered...better come up with a better slogan el departmento del touristos.

LMAO. Classic Austin.

[jimikinz]

Seaholic....can I get an AMEN!

[gunsup223]

9 o clock curfew? Mexico martial law! my friend told me a story and i wish i could find the article because i dont know if all my details are correct, but i believe it was about 4 years ago, and ms-13 captured two head police cheifs (one of Rosarito), beheaded them, sent one of their heads to mexico city (i dont remember where the other head went to) saying that Rosarito is no longer safe, and that it is their territory now. this was before the ransom kidnapping increased significantly there. MS-13 is bad stuff.

[IB Boyd]

Il tell my scary second hand mexico story. A year or so ago, a hispanic american gentelmen that works with me from time to time was down in TJ at a nice seafood place having dinner. Unknown to him, the place was favorite hangout of some trafficking clan or the other. To make a short story shorter, halfway through the second round of margaritas, the place gor raided by masked federales. Everybody in the place got put down on the floor at gunpoint. All the trafficers started ditching their hanguns on the floor. One landed right next to my friend. He protested that it was not his, but the feds decided to haul off every male in the resturant for good measure. Anyway, after a long night in jail they decided he was OK, and kicked him loose. Bottom line, if your not active in the drug smuggling business, you are probably safe, but if you happen to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time your day could end up badly.

[stevencabo]

Originally Posted by Gary Schulte

Bill,
Northern Baja has been ruined. Not only by the drug gangs, the kidnappers and the crooked cops, but by the greedy Mexican exploitation of their natural resources. The coastline is fished out, no abs, not lobster, etc. La Bufadora has been turned from a natural wonderland to a flea market. The coast is being eaten up by hi rise condo buildings and development not condusive to scenic beauty which is what I used to go down for. I drove through Rosarito Beach a couple years ago and the very next day three human heads were found in a bag on the street (I didn't leave them there). I know this picture looks inviting but it's an artists rendition and not real. Baja doesn't look like Hawaii folks. This is a Trump development.

I don't think I'd be too upset if that area slid away into the ocean. It's not what it used to be. But my 0.02 centavos, which is worth less today because the pesos is 13:1, there's a lot of Baja that's still pretty bitchen.
Today the air was 82, water 80 ish.