Baja California

Baja. Just the word itself conjures up images of bleach-blond surfers and fiery sunsets, of sun-tortured deserts and wild sierras, of twisted boojum trees and surreal rock formations. Whales, wildlife, nightlife and everything in between. Some come here to escape from the cities, others need the rush of a 30-knot wind tearing at a kite sail.

One way to take it all in is by car. The Transpeninsular Highway will challenge the driver and reward the passenger with marvellous scenery all along the way. Forests of towering cardon cactus, in an endless variety of shapes and sizes, provide foreground to far-off mountains and the intermittent lash of shocking azure sea. To the east are the rugged beauty and fish-rich waters of the Sea of Cortez, home to 875 fish species and 30 species of marine mammals. Baja will capture your imagination and hold you in its sway.

The best travel-date for the peninsula is February and March, when its green and the cactus are in flower. In April it will be too hot and the gray whales may have left the Baja. The growing Peak months to see mothers and calves in the lagoon are February until early April, but the official whale-watching season begins in end of December and last until April. The most important spots for whale-watching are Bahía Magdalena, Laguna San Ignacio and Parque Natural de Ballena Gris in Guerrero Negro.

Getting there: Several carriers fly to San José del Cabo, at Baja's southern tip. Ferries from Santa Rosalía and La Paz connect Baja California to mainland Mexico by sea. Air-conditioned buses operate daily between towns all along the peninsula.

From La Paz to the South  

La Paz was founded by Hernán Cortéz in 1535. It has been the capital of the State Baja California Sur since 1892. It?s a favourite spot for tourists due to its beautiful beaches, wonderful restaurants, duty-free shops and excellent diving and sportfishing activities. The port of La Paz is located between cactus-covered foothills and the cactus-covered shore of beautiful Bahia de la Plaza - largest bay on the west side of the Gulf of California. The architecture is charming and very typical but the most valuable asset this port offers is the tranquillity that is acquired just by being in La Paz.

Todos Santos

Todos Santos is one of the most flourishing oases in southern Baja California. With its red brick buildings and wide streets, Todos Santos is still a quiet, charming and picturesque town. Directly on the Tropic of Cancer, this town laid out in a small, rolling coastal plain called the Valle del Pilar, 64 kilometres from the Pacific Ocean Shore. Todos Santos is a beautiful virgin paradise that tourists, especially artists, won't want to miss.

Los Cabos

Located at the tip of the Baja California Peninsula, Los Cabos (the capes) has been one of Mexico's fastest growing resort areas for the past ten years, attracting tourists from all over the world. It's a flourishing resort area with strong combination appeal as a leisure, beach, ecotourism, diving and sportfishing destination. Los Cabos is essentially divided into three different regions. The colonial town of San José del Cabo has a flavour of its own and is steeped in Old World charm. Mango, avocado and orange trees grow abundantly in the region. Twenty miles south is Cabo San Lucas, that is quickly becoming a high-end holiday destination with a number of resorts and clubs. Here you'll find impressive fishing fleets and boats available for rental. Los Cabos has been long known as the "Marlin Fishing Capital of the World". Also it's famous for "El Arco", a jagged natural feature which partially fills with the tide. Connecting these two town is home of gorgeous beaches, championship golf courses and world-class five star resorts.

Los Barriles

East Cape (Los Barriles) located on the shore of Bahia de Palmas, just 65 miles from La Paz and 50 miles from San José del Cabo, is becoming the fastest growing place for sportfishing aficionados from all over the world. With a population of 3,000, East Cape is a fishing village with beautiful restaurants, cafes, markets and a private airstrip. If you're looking for a sportfishing adventure in an uncrowded atmosphere, you'll need to go there.

From La Paz to Tijuana

Loreto  

The city of Loreto was founded on an extraordinary bay of islands by Jesuit priest, Juan María de Salvatierra, on October 25, 1697. Here he founded the first mission Nuestra Señora de Loreto, as well as the Capital of the Californias. Loreto is a natural playground for anyone who loves the outdoor life. Its azure, clear waters and tranquil coves provide scuba divers and snorkelers underwater beauty and an explosion of marine life. Around the island, sportsmen will find perhaps the greatest fishing in the world, with record catches of sailfish, tuna and dorado. Sea kayakers glide across Loreto's bays to camp at remote beaches and sleep under the stars. Also the Sierra provides many opportunities for mountain biking, horseback trail rides and hiking over ancient trails used for hundreds of years.

Santa Rosalía  

Its mining history makes Santa Rosalía different from other mid-Baja towns. Brightly painted clapboard-sides house, the prefab church, a port and malecon (waterfront boulevard), black sand beaches and great views form the surrounding hills are all attractions. For southbound travellers, Santa Rosalía offers the first glimpse of the Sea of Cortez after a long dry crossing of the Desierto de Vizcaíno.

San Ignacio  

San Ignacio, Baja California's arid Central Desert terrain gives way to a large grove of lush green date palms. A large spring-fed pond and small river on the outskirts of town feeds into the central plaza and village next to the eighteenth-century Jesuit mission. San Ignacio serves as the gateway to San Ignacio Lagoon, the winter time sanctuary of the Pacific Gray Whale. It's interesting for an excursion to the spectacular pre-Hispanic, rock-art sites in the Sierra de San Francisco.

Guerrero Negro

Most people come here for whale-watching and the nearby Laguna Ojo de Liebre, which annually becomes the mating and breeding ground of California gray whales and is the prime attraction. Each year between mid-December and March, the whales migrate 9700 km from the Bering Sea to the lagoon, where their numbers sometimes exceed 1500.

San Felipe

If you haven't visited the eastern coast of the Baja Peninsula you are missing out on secluded beaches, mountain ranges and tranquil waters. Located 120 miles east of Ensenada, San Felipe offers natural beauty and a picturesque fishing village. This fishing village is well known for its natural beauty that offers clear blue skies, white sandy beaches and warm waters. Within recent years, it has become a popular spot among U.S. college students during their annual Spring Break.