North from Guererro Negro

As part of the Escalera Nautica project, the government under former Mexican President Vicente Fox pledged to bring first-world infrastructure, sprawling golf courses, and fine hotel accommodations to the barren beaches of Baja California. But when you get there, you realize just how much work lies ahead. The Carretera Transpeninsular is desolate between Guerrero Negro and El Rosario. There are no hotels, nor restaurants—even gas stations are noticeably missing. The area's small ranching communities are set back in the desert, making travelers feel as if they're driving through uncharted territory. Nevertheless, legendary waves draw thousands of surfers every year to the beaches of Punta Santa Rosalillita and El Rosarito, two tiny fishing villages on the Pacific where beach camping is the only option for an overnight stay. When you get there, you won't find much of anything, and that's exactly why people go.