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Baja California Mexico

Tepezalá Tijuana Ensenada San Felipe? Playas de Rosarito? Tecate?

Baja California Mexico

The magnificent Baja California peninsula is divided into the two states of Baja California and Baja California Sur - north and south. It includes the resort areas of Cabo San Lucas, Ensenada, La Paz, Loreto, Rosarito, San Felipe, San Jose Del Cabo, and Buena Vista - to name a few of the larger ones.

This absolutely gorgeous place is one of the most facinating due to it geographical nature. The peninsula is where you will find some of the worlds most beautiful deserts, along with wonderful mountain areas full of pine forests, and hundreds of miles of untouched beaches and coastline.

Baja Norte, on the peninsula just south of California and Arizona, is a world renowned surf destination known for it's miles of beaches, both accessible and hidden from public view. It is also extremely popular and great for camping, with many small camping points along the coast.

Playa Salsipuedes, near KM88 in the La Salina area, is a very popular camping destination for surfers, known for its rocky beach and beautiful waves. It is also easily accessible, with an exit sign from the toll road, and has become a popular camping destination for surfers. To get to Salsipuedes you must travel down a very steep dirt road, which makes leaving very difficult if it should rain. Like most camping destinations in Baja Norte, Salsipuedes is managed by a family who charge a small fee (usually about $5 a night or less) in exchange for lodging, access to outdoor porto-potty style toilets and safety. For the most part, camping in Baja Norte is extremely safe, and the families that manage the camp grounds have your best interest at heart.

The people, in general are warm and friendly here. If you are traveling through Baja Norte for surf, make sure to check out Punta Baja. It's easy to find, but seems difficult at first because there are no paved roads here. From El Rosario, take a right at the first mercado and a left at the first dirt road. Travel over a stream, and go west. When you see a village, keep going until you see a radar tower and a sign that says Punta Baja. Here you will find miles of desert cliffs that overlook a beautiful and deserted coastline, perfect for surfing. Baja is filled with small villages ( small, as in, population 10 or 15), and Punta Baja is no exception. However, the people in these small villages are very warm, and will often times look to sell you delicious fish, clams or other foods that they catch and produce on their own.

Be careful though: the ocean in Baja is cold year-round, and, much like California, a wetsuit should be worn when entering the water. Similarly, since the area is typically deserted, you will often be one of the only, if not THE only, person in the water. For this reason, it is important to examine your surroundings before you tread in. With little traffic coming in and out of the water, the ocean is very active with wildlife. Seals are a common sight, which can be startling if you are out in the water, surfing or bodyboarding. Sea Urchins are also common as many beaches are rocky and provide the perfect environment for urchins to hide out- meaning pain for you should you happen to step on one. (Some urchins are even poisonous, so watch out!).

The weather in Baja is tropical. One minute it could be beautiful and sunny, and the next minute windy and cold, even rainy. Best to be prepared if you are camping or will be out for long periods of time in a natural setting.

Personal Stories:

Never in my life have I ever met a culture so warm and friendly. Although Mexico is often stereotyped as drug-fueled and dangerous, Baja is safe and overwhelmingly lovely. For example, once while traveling back from Punta Baja on a north coast surf trip, our vehicle got stuck in a stream and we could do nothing for about an hour. Although we eventually were able to move the car and start it back up, there was not one car with El Rosario residents that passed us and didn't stop. We were truly overwhelmed by their kindness. Similarly, we were met by love and kindness from the residents of small fishing towns. Typically, people would wave at our car from miles away, eager to say hello and try to communicate with us. Whereas in other parts of Mexico you can often get away with no knowledge of Spanish, Baja residents very rarely speak English, so at least a basic knowledge of Spanish is required. All in all, this is an amazing region of the earth that is a must-see for people attracted to beautiful beaches and beautiful people.