Going to San Carlos in a week, looking for a few answer :)

[shaxs]

Hello All!


For spring break, a buddy and I are driving from San Diego to Tucson, Az. We are then taking a bux to Guyamas, and then we need to figure a way to San Carlos from there. I assume taxi? Should I bring a translator on my pocket pc? Can anyone suggest any good restaraunts? How much does an avergae meal cost down there? I saw a map of the dive spots in SC, and it looked like there is shore diving. Is this true? How much does a standard taxi fare around the town cost? Is it easy to get taxis to an fro from different places? What about night life, anything you can suggest? Should we convert our money or just take USD? I assume credit cards are taken there at certian places; what about ATMs? I am sorry for the slew of questions, but I would appreciate an naswer or two. Also, if you have any general feedback about travelling in Mexico, San Carlos, ect, please feel free to post that as well!!

 

[Stirling]

Depending on how much stuff you are hauling with you, you can take a bus or taxi from Guaymas to San Carlos. The same bus service that is taking you to Guaymas may also serve San Carlos, so you might want to check with them. I think a taxi should run about $15-20, but I haven't done it recently.

I have no idea whether the translator on a pocket pc will help or not, because I have never used one. If you don't speak any Spanish, I would suggest working out at least a handful of questions that you know will come up - where can we find a taxi to San Carlos? and How much to take us to __ in San Carlos? for example - and have them checked by a competent Spanish speaker before you leave the States.

There is some good shore diving in San Carlos, and here is a link to an article that mentions a couple of favored places, Lalo and Frenchie's Cove
http://www.scubadiving.com/travel/pacific_ocean/downtime_in_the_sea_of_cortez/

If you can, I would recommend getting out to San Pedro Nolasco Island.

That article includes the following contact information for dive operators in San Carlos, with web sites you may want to check out, as well, including El Mar Diving Center, San Carlos, 011-52-622-226-0404, web: elmar.com/mexico. Gary's Dive Shop, San Carlos, 011-52-622-226-0049, web: www.garysdiveshop.com. Ocean Sports, Marina San Carlos, 011-52-622-226-0696, web: www.desertdivers.com.

Food costs a lot or a little - expect to spend more in San Carlos than in Guaymas, because San Carlos grew up to appeal to the American boating and diving and tourist trade - depending on how much you want to spend and how particular you are about the kinds of places that you eat. No matter what the exchange rate or the local cost of living, hotel food seems to find its own level everywhere in the world. People who think (or hope) that Mexico is still a very cheap place to vacation may be surprised to find that it isn't all that cheap any more.

There are dozens of places to eat, and here are a couple of sites with lists that is probably more or less current (but I haven't been paying close attention to what restaurants are still around and which have gone out of business):
http://www.sancarlosmexico.com/restaurants.html
http://www.wildsidepdx.com/SanCarlos.html

Jax Snax has hamburgers and is casual; Piccolo is an Italian restaurant and is a more traditional sit down service place; Rosa's Cantina for carne asada.

 

[Stirling]

Here's another site that is very well put together from a diver in Tucson (which I just found by searching this forum), with other useful information about traveling to and diving in San Carlos:
http://www.vancesystems.com/scuba/

 

[immersed]

Holy Frijole, I think maybe Stirling's been there once or twice!
All of the info is good, and I agree with the pricing observation - theirs is a bit more Americanized than many other parts of Mexico.

Make sure you take your passport or a notarized copy of your birth certificate. Those two are always accepted, while others sometimes are and sometimes aren't. It's a long drive, but I have yet to be bored by it.

On restaurants, I like San Carlos Bar & Grill, Blackie's (a little more expensive but not outrageous), and there's this place that's a couple blocks down from Marina Terra, patio style seating and it may be two story but I wouldn't swear to it. I can't for the life of me remember the name. They have awesome shrimp and their prices are quite fair. You'll know you're in the right place if the ashtrays are made from soda cans (very artful, not just cut open). I think I generally wind up spending between $5-10 per meal, but as stirling said, you can spend a lot or a little.

If you already have translating software you may as well take it, but a lot of the SC residents speak enough english that you can generally make yourself understood. Stirling's suggestion concerning a possible taxi conversation is a good one. Blackie's even has a translator that comes by with the waiter when they take your order.

Mexico went on this big 'bring back the peso' campaign and it got pretty much impossible to pay with American dollars. A lot of places take credit cards but it seems like they have frequent problems with their little credit card modem thingies. They do have an ATM at the bank. You should probably convert enough for the potential taxi ride.

Absolutely definitely get out to the island. There is shore diving but it's not in walking distance, and I'm not sure if you'd be able to get a taxi to take you. Sites that are basically shore insofar as they're up against the mainland don't seem to be accessible by land (although I admit I haven't done that much exploring, am just basing that on the view from the boat).

Dono about night life; I can do that at home, so when I'm there I basically just dive until I drop.

Let us know how it went when you get back.

 

[shaxs]

well I made it and I am here sitting in Barracuda Bob's using their iMacs....yuck to iMas. We are heading to San Pedro twice this trip if thigs work out. I am using three different scuba companies here so that I can write a review and expereince of my trip for Scuba Board....Ill post back once I am back and have a long write up....it has been quite the experience so far!

 

[immersed]

I am using three different scuba companies here so that I can write a review and expereince of my trip for Scuba Board....

woohoo, that'll be good info - I've only ever dived with Gary's.
Waiting with abated breath. Rats, not supposed to do that. Well, I didn't lock down my epiglottis so it's not holding, it's pausing. Yeah, that's it. Pausing.

it has been quite the experience so far!

We expect nothing less than a full report with all the juicy details!

 

[rossi777]

well I made it and I am here sitting in Barracuda Bob's using their iMacs....yuck to iMas. We are heading to San Pedro twice this trip if thigs work out. I am using three different scuba companies here so that I can write a review and expereince of my trip for Scuba Board....Ill post back once I am back and have a long write up....it has been quite the experience so far!

What did you think if the different companies you used? Was one significantly better than the others?