If You Haven’t Experienced Baja Yet, What’s Your Excuse?
Baja California is just a hop, skip and a jump from Los Angeles, and a relatively short flight from many major cities across the United States.
These reasons might just get you planning and packing for a Baja California vacation sooner than you think.
It’s Safe
Contrary to what some media reports may have you believe, travel in Baja is safe — in fact, many American cities are more dangerous. Most incidents involve those who are involved in drug or weapon trafficking, not the average tourist.
The People
The locals, and most Mexican people in general, are especially welcoming and helpful to tourists. They’ll go out of their way to assist when you ask for advice, and sometimes even when you don’t.
If you decide to take a walk into town, especially in some of the less-populated areas, chances are someone will stop and ask if you need a ride.
While it can help to speak some Spanish, the majority of Mexican citizens also speak English, at least to some degree, making it a lot easier to accomplish whatever it is you set out to do. Of course, the more Spanish you know, the better, as you’re more likely to return home having made a friend or two, and you can negotiate easier when buying those beautiful handmade goods from vendors.
Pictured here are Claude and Celia Vogel, the gracious hosts of Casita de Los Inseparables, a guesthouse available for rent on Airbnb.
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From the Ocean and the Desert to Soaring Mountains
In Baja, you’ll get it all, or almost all anyway. It has everything from scenic desert landscapes and picture-perfect beaches that sit at the edge of the Pacific or the azure waters of Sea of Cortez, to mountains filled with lush greenery and waterfalls.
Pictured here is the beach in Todos Santos at sunset. It’s nearly always empty, even on a winter weekend (which is the busy season for the area).
Baja California exists on more than 2,000 miles of coastline. The west coast is home to the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean, while the east coast looks out into the warm waters of the Sea of Cortez, which is sandwiched between Baja and the Sierra de La Madre Mountains on the mainland of Mexico.
This makes for an extensive array of scenery, wildlife and outdoor activities to enjoy.
Outdoor Adventure
You’ll be in paradise in Baja with the myriad of activities that await if you’re the adventurous type. Want to go diving or snorkeling? The options are many, including Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, located 60 miles north of Los Cabos.
The “jewel of the East Cape region,” as it’s often referred to, spans five miles from Pulmo Point to Los Frailes and is surrounded by undeveloped desert and magnificent mountains. Here, the pristine beaches give way to a calm, shallow bay that houses one of just three living reefs on the entire continent.
Only divers and snorkelers are welcome to this 10-mile-long by three-mile-wide underwater park.
If you’ve ever wanted to swim with the whale sharks or splash around with sea lions, you can do that too. La Paz, pictured above, is a popular jumping off point for swimming with whale shark tours.
It’s also the starting point for trips to Espirito Santo Island where you can snorkel or swim among the 300 or so sea lions that live there.
If you’re into surfing, you won’t be disappointed either, as there are countless “killer” breaks along the Pacific coast, with spots here truly in a league of their own.
Hiking is an option, too. In fact, the mountains not only offer gorgeous views, but a true oasis with waterfalls and even hot springs to trek to.
ATV tours, golf and sea kayaking are just a few of the other possibilities.
Whale Watching
Whale watching is another one of the many outdoor adventures available in Baja, but it deserves a section of its own. That’s because the region not only hosts majestic humpbacks, but it’s famous for the friendly grey whales that come to the breeding lagoons in the Sea of Cortez and along the Pacific coast.
There are three major lagoons here that are a primary destination for southbound gray whales: Magdalena Bay, San Ignacio Lagoon and Scammon’s Lagoon. The whales congregate here between mid-January and mid-April before they head to Alaska on their annual migration.
The whales are referred to as “friendlies,” and many of them even seek out human contact in the lagoons, with mothers bringing their calves to “introduce them” to curious visitors.
Don’t worry — the government strictly regulates any access to the lagoons to ensure human activities don’t negatively impact the whales while they’re here to mate and birth their young, as they have for centuries.
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Release Baby Sea Turtles
Want to watch newly hatched sea turtles be released into the wild? The releases are part of a process to save endangered leatherback sea turtles.
Researchers allow the turtles to crawl on the beach to the ocean so they can assess their readiness. They observe whether the turtles can move, crawl, orient themselves in the water, swim and come up for air as they swim away.
Visitors can watch, or even help release them too, near Todos Santos at Campamento Torugero (Turtle Camp). Releases take place most days from December 1 through March 31 just before sunset. It’s one of many wonderful things to do in Baja California, so be sure not to miss out.
The Incredible Cuisine
With all of those activities you’re likely to take part in each day, you’ll need plenty of food to fuel them. The good news is that pretty much anywhere you go you can enjoy an incredible feast, including lots of meals based on fresh ingredients such as seafood and locally sourced fruits and veggies — paired with a cold cerveza or margarita, of course.
Todos Santos in particular is a food lover’s dream, with an endless array of eateries. And, because organic farming is so popular here, organic options are plentiful too.
This charming town has become something of a culinary destination, with everything from cheap and tasty street food to trendy coffee houses and haute cuisine. Dine on streetside patios, under a palapa roof, in the courtyard of a historic adobe home or even in an art gallery.
There are weekly farmers’ markets to explore as well.
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The Magic
Todos Santos also deserves a mention of its own, if not more. Officially designated a Pueblo Magico, or Magic Town, in 2006 by the Mexican Tourism Secretary, magical is most certainly the word that best describes it.
Located just off the Pacific coast, about 50 miles north of Cabo San Lucas, here you’ll discover a natural oasis of palms and lush fruit trees that produce papayas, passion fruit, mangos, avocados and more. And don’t forget about the golden, unspoiled beaches that one can often enjoy all to themselves, just steps away.
A favorite destination with creatives and nature lover types, this artist colony offers a refreshing alternative for would-be expats who are seeking a destination that can truly inspire while soothing the soul.
Browse fine art at galleries tucked between old brick colonial buildings, enjoy breakfast with locals and travelers at La Esquina Café, and mostly just stroll the streets soaking it all in.
However, be sure to stop by The Mission. Built in 1733, Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Todos Santos (Our Lady of Pilar Church), offers a spectacular view of the Valle de Pilar and the ocean. Time it right, and you can take in that sight with a backdrop of beautiful song that carries from the church and seems to float down the hill, across the palms to the sea.
You can even be a part of it all, if only for a time, by booking a stay at Casita de Los Inseparables, pictured above. The Casita is a guesthouse that sits on a gorgeous property filled with tropical fruits, veggies and plants — some of which you can even eat right from the tree.
Located about a half-mile between La Cachora Beach and downtown Todos Santos, hosts Claude and Celia are sure to make you feel right at home — so much so, you may never want to leave.
Be sure to check out more photos of La Casita, The Mission, passion fruit and more sights from Baja California on the Travel-Wise Instagram.