Getting Here & Around

Getting Here & Around

The main artery of the Baja Peninsula is a road of legend: Highway 1 winds down from Tijuana to Los Cabos through deserts and coastal bluffs, past fertile estuaries and through bleak towns which eke out a few crops from the dry soil.

If you're driving into Baja California from San Diego during peak hours, you might try heading 35 km (19 mi) east to the much less congested border crossing at Tecate. From there, Highway 3 takes you south through the Valle de Guadalupe to Ensenada.

Highway 3 continues southeast from Ensenada over the San Martír pass, where it meets Highway 5. From here, you can head north to Mexicali or south to San Felipe, where the road ends. In northern Baja, Highway 2 hugs the border from Mexicali to Tijuana; although the hairpin turns make for beautiful overlooks during the day, the road east of Tecate is best avoided at night.

You'll almost certainly need a car to see Baja Norte: public transportation is infrequent and only serves the major hubs. If you're driving in from the United States, purchase Mexican insurance (required) from any of the brokers near the border. It's also possible to rent a car in Tijuana or Mexicali from any of the major chains. Pack plenty of water and make sure your tires are in good shape: although the major highways are well maintained, a number of smaller roads are unpaved.

There are few international flights into Tijuana, Baja Norte's only major airport; most travelers access the area from the border at San Diego. Mexicana flies from Tijuana to Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Zacatecas, connecting with other national and international flights. Aeroméxico flies to Los Cabos, to La Paz on the Baja Peninsula, and to several cities in mainland Mexico. Aeroméxico also connects Tijuana with Mexico City, and now offers once-weekly service between Tijuana and Oaxaca. AeroCalifornia flies between Tijuana and La Paz.