Baja Road Trip

Baja Road Trip

A drive up (or down) the full length of the Baja Peninsula will surely introduce you to some of the most fascinating and unexpected desert beauty imaginable. The Baja Peninsula may be a desert, but prepare yourself for the striking turquoise lagoons of Bahía Concepcion and the oddly twisted, humanlike cirio trees, also known as boojum trees, found in the mid-peninsula Cataviña desert region—they appear almost like apparitions along the 1,656-km-long (1,029-mi-long) highway. Driving Baja is an absolute adventure and most of the trip is about as far a cry from driving neighboring Southern California's expansive freeways as can be imagined. Be forewarned and prepared. Most of the Baja highway is one lane in each direction, and as narrow as can be.

Let's say you've decided to make the drive in a southerly manner. First off, don't drive into Mexico without first purchasing Mexican car insurance. There are a number of reputable drive-through insurance agencies along Interstate 5 in San Diego prior to crossing the border at Tijuana. Once insured, cross the border and get though Tijuana. Jump onto the Quota, or Toll Road, that will take you through to Ensenada. Enjoy this wide, well-maintained scenic coastal highway with stunning panoramas while you can—it's the last you'll see for 1,610 km (1,000 mi)! Puerto Nuevo, or Newport, is known for its many, and we mean many, lobster restaurants—perhaps 50, or maybe more. Most often the langosta is broiled on mesquite grills, but at some of the restaurants they're customarily boiled.

Consider renting an auto from CABAJA Rental Cars,located in San Diego. It's one of the very few American car-rental companies that permit taking their cars south of the border, and they actually encourage it. 9245 Jamacha Blvd., Spring Valley, CA, 91977. 888/470-7368 or 619/470-7368. www.cabaja.com. For affordable insurance for your own car, that covers you in Mexico, try Lewis & Lewis Insurance. 8929 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 200, Beverly Hills, CA, 90211. 310/657-1112 or 800/966-6830. www.mexicanautoinsurance.com.

Yours truly, may wish to spend some time in festive Ensenada, shopping and strolling the large city's many colorful streets, and along the marina, perhaps stopping at the landmark Hussong's Cantina bar.

Be mindful of the immense distance you've set out to cover and plan your stops and stays before your trip begins. Also plan for unexpected diversions as it's very likely that one or two quaint towns along the way will steal your affections, luring you to stay longer than you had anticipated.

Once past the Tijuana border/Ensenada sprawl, you'll begin to experience the real Baja highway. It narrows, winds, and snakes up and down, into the mountains and then back down to the coast. The next stop along Highway 1 is San Quintín. If you find that it's getting late, nearing dark, don't plan to continue your drive at night. Here in San Quintín, pull off the road and book into a room at the Old Mill Inn, a rustic motel several miles off the highway and right on the coast.

South of San Quintín, the highway leaves the west coast and heads into central Baja, into the desert. Make sure you fuel up the car, topping off the tank, in El Rosario. It's a long way to the next gas station. Fuel yourself up at Mama Espinosa's Restaurant, well known for her lobster burritos, and a landmark on the highway since 1946. Mama was born in 1908, so wish her a Happy 100th birthday! There's also a nice motel at Mama's, if you reach San Quintín and feel like you'd like to push on a little farther. The next couple of hundred miles take you right through the middle of Baja's unique Vizcaíno Desert, a biosphere reserve, and one of the world's few fog deserts, which causes plants such as lichen to grow from posts, cacti, and really anything that stands still for long enough. Here you'll drive among giant boulders the size of houses, and into the Valle de los Cirios, of the oddly shaped cirio trees, likened to upside-down carrots, some of which live to be 350 years old. Much of the wild Baja interior has been set aside as national parks, biosphere reserves, and other protected areas. Rocky side roads through cirios, elephant trees, and incense trees lead to old missions and ancient cave painting, pinturas repuestres,which are older still. Use the little town of Cataviña as a headquarters for visiting this region. Stay at the charming and slightly costly Desert Inn.

You'll enjoy great views of Baja's desert flora and fauna from here south to Guerrero Negro—it's about a five- to six-hour drive from El Rosario—the town that straddles the border between Baja California (north) and Baja California Sur (south). A small checkpoint here will ask for your visa; if you did not get one in Tijuana, they'll issue you one for a small fee. There is an immigration office immediately after crossing the border into Tijuana, but it's very difficult to see, get over to, and then to find parking, most people pass by it without a second thought. It's easier to arrange for the visa in Guerrero. Guerrero Negro is a large, though not very touristy, town with a nice selection of hotels and in the winter months is alive and hopping with whale-watchers. Hundreds of whales congregate in nearby Scammon's Lagoon to give birth, mate, and enjoy the warm water, and locals take their international visitors out in small pangas to get up close and personal with the giant mammals.

From here the highway switches southeast across the width of the peninsula, past the small oasis town of San Ignacio built alongside giant groves of date trees and the pretty Spanish mission, Misión San Ignacio Kadakkaamán. Whale-watching tours to the San Ignacio Lagoon, and ecotours, including visits to Indian cave paintings, are available here, too. On the way to Santa Rosalía, several hours south along Sea of Cortez, you'll encounter a severe downgrade, the Cuesta del Infierno, with wild switchbacks and few guardrails. Take your time descending. Santa Rosalía has an interesting mining history, and a church designed and built by Gustave Eiffel (of the tower fame). About an hour south of Santa Rosalía is Mulegé, a tranquil town that's near both a river and the Sea of Cortez. A wealth of eco and adventure tours are available in Mulegé, from whale-watching to excellent fishing.

Plan on spending a couple of hours (or a couple of days) enjoying mesmerizing the 40-km-long (25-mi-long) Bahía Concepcion, just south of Mulegé. Numerous coves and inlets here make for great snorkeling, boating, camping, and hiking. At midday the deep colors of the bay are stunning.

Just a few hours south is Loreto, a town going through major changes. Once the quintessential small Mexican fishing village, it's now the site of a massive resort/community development called Loreto Bay, which is almost like a faux-town with sidewalks, street lamps, convenience stores, and the like. (Loreto Bay is also planning to create an estuary for flora and fauna, and they have set aside acres upon acres for preservation.) At the moment, Loreto remains a quaint Baja town, with a sedate town center, beautiful mission, and fishing galore. For some of the finest views of the pristine virgin islands, coves and beaches that the Sea of Cortez has to offer, and one of the top luxe eco-experiences in Baja, try the tiny, nine-room Danzante Resort, about 32 km (20 mi) south of Loreto. It's a Fodor's choice; make reservations well in advance of your drive. Make sure you've got good directions to locate this well-hidden gem.

From Danzante, it can be a one-day drive into Cabo San Lucas. But there's still mucho Baja to see and experience. So, if you still have the time, there's Bahía Magdalena on the west coast, another popular whale-watching stop, the peaceful capital city of La Paz (on the east), the art gallery town of Todos Santos (on the west), and its much-discussed Hotel California, and the East Cape.

Once you reach Cabo San Lucas, we recommend that you head straight for El Médano Beach, throw on your trunks or bikini and dive into the Sea of Cortez to congratulate yourself for a job well done.

10 Driving Road Rules

1. Don't drink and drive. 2. Don't drive at night. 3. Don't speed. As the philosophical sign we encountered along Highway 1 said: "Mas vale tarde que nunca," which translates into "Better late than never." 4. Obey road signs. When they say "Dangerous Curve," they mean it. 5. Go slower than you think you should—you never know what could be around the corner. 6. Be friendly—it'll come back to you. 7. Be patient—take your time. 8. Always watch for cattle and horses. And goats. And dogs. 9. Be ever wary. Buy Mexican insurance. 10. Anything can happen on Highway 1, so keep your eyes on the road, even if you're a photographer on assignment. Pull off, carefully, to enjoy the scenery.