monica

would like to go from tijuna down to end of california .Any suggestion ? where to g and how to get there . alternative transport (not aonly car) <BR> <BR>other option chapas .any suggestion appreciated <BR>we are from italy and planning trip end of september begining october <BR>thank you <BR>

Jane

HI, To go from Tijuana to the tip of Baja California by land is only for the adventurous. The road south of Ensenada to La Paz is virtually empty. Only a few small towns, and it is very long. Possibly 1000 miles. The road is not all that good and there are many stories of bandits on the deserted road. You need to carry extra gasoline for your car. The best way to get to La Paz and Cabo San Lucas is to fly. Actually it is the ONLY way to go. Tijuana is a very large, economically poor town. You would really enjoy the west coast of Mexico, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Acapulco etc. much better. Cabo San Lucas is nice, but very isolated. However, the water is great everywhere.

bajabilly

The above message is not very accurate. First, Tijuana is the most prosperous city in Mexico. Definitely NOT the most attractive but it is the most prosperous. Ensenada is a very nice Mexican city. Not real spectacular but nice. Though the highway south of Ensenada is not the best, it is far from isolated. Thousands of people drive it all the time. I personally don't drive it as to me driving in Mexico is not fun and is not necessary. They have excellent public transportation. To set the record straight, I have lived and worked in Mexico and travel there very frequently. I own a business in Mexico, fluent in Spanish and my wife is Mexican. So I know the coutry pretty well. <BR> <BR>Baja California and Chiapas are as different as night and day. I prefer Baja over any area of Mexico and I have seen it all. Of course, each person has their own opinion. There are some very interesting places between Ensenada and La Paz. However, for your first visit I would go to La Paz unless it is in the summer. Baja essentially has two climate zones. The area around Tijuana and Ensenada is temperate like coastal Southern California. The rest of Baja, except for the mountains, is pretty hot in the summer. La Paz is my favorite place in Mexico. It is a small city of about 150,000 and is the capital of the state of Baja California Sur. La Paz is not very touristy but does offer many amenities and has excellent beaches nearby. Cabo San Lucas is very touristy and expensive. You can visit it for the day from La Paz. Todos Santos is a nice place just north of Cabo San Lucas. Remember one thing, Baja California is essentially a desert. It is dry and hot except for the northwest corner and the mountains. It offers spectacular scenery and is very popular with many experienced Mexican travelers. <BR> <BR>The west coast of Mexico is not all that great. I lived near Mazatlan and was just there a few months ago. I would NOT recommend Mazatlan to anybody. If it wasn't for family in the area, we would never go there. Lousy beaches and not a very attractive city or countryside. The only good thing about Mazatlan are the people and the Panama restaurant/bakery. Puerto Vallarta is OK but again lousy beaches. Chiapas is another story. It is more primitive than most areas of Mexico. I personally would stay away because of the political situation. The Mexican government has gotten pretty tough with foreigners hanging around Chiapas. They usually won't bother the bonafide tourists but sometimes they are not too discriminating. <BR> <BR>I would fly to La Paz or Cabo San Lucas. There are direct flights from Tijuana, San Diego and Los Angeles as well as other places. One alternative is to take the bus. It is a long tiring trip but you can split it up. There are some interesting places that you can stop at along the way for a night. Bus travel in Mexico can be very good and is inexpensive. They have a deluxe class of service not found in the US. <BR> <BR>It is very true that there are bandidos in Baja California but that is true all over Mexico. Crime has been escalating rapidly throughout the country since the economic crisis of Dec. 20th, 1994. Exercise some caution and you should be OK.

monica

thank You both for your suggestion. <BR>I am from Italy and read about baja.I know it is <BR>not a tourist place but can offer beautilful scenary. <BR>I am not very into trourist places. <BR>Bayabilly can You by any chance give me name buscompany ? just to contact and see wether i ccan get more information. <BR>Plannig a trip with some friends end of september <BR>beginning october <BR>thank You once again <BR>

cece19732000

How is the driving between La Pas and Cabo? Roads okay? Safe (yes I know that is relative question).,....and how far in terms of hours? To do or not to do...that is the question. Thanks for your input.

Bill_H

<b>How is the driving between La Pas and Cabo?</b>

The two roads are paved but narrow by US standards, more like a county road than a major highway. Two biggest traffic problems are US drivers speeding, and large trucks that take up a lot of the road, otherwise it is safe for daylight driving.

Most of the traffic is on the Pacific side because it's shorter and there are fewer hills and curves. Expect a lot of truck traffic. Stopping in Todos Santos is a nice way to spend a couple of hours and the best restaurant in Baja is located there (Cafe Santa Fe).

The Cortez (east) route takes longer (thru San Jose and East Cape) and the road crosses more passes and hills and has more curves, but there is less traffic. You can do the entire loop (up one side, have lunch in La Paz, return on the other side) as a day trip.

<b>To do or not to do ...that is the question</b>

La Paz is really crowded, a lot more people than the rest of Baja, and not really a popular day trip destination. It can be intimidating driving in the city in a rental car. I would rather visit it as an overnight trip.

I would personally prefer to take a day trip to Todos Santos first, taking your time and checking out the beaches etc, and if you enjoy that day (Todos Santos is the anti-Cabo because of the lack of vendors and time share touts) then consider taking another day trip up the east side, going to the Los Barriles area and then maybe taking the dirt road toward Punta Pescadero. This is a beautiful desert landscape with beautiful ocean scenery on the other side. Maybe have lunch at Punta Pescadero ( http://www.puntapescadero.com/ ) or somewhere in Los Barilles (there aren't many options unless you are staying at one of the fishing resorts). Tio Pablos is good for lunch, probably a few other similar places, but these are more like bars that serve food than good restaurants like Cafe Santa Fe in Todos Santos.

As I mentioned you can do the entire loop, with time for lunch in La Paz, but it's a long day.

MichelleY

I wonder how cece found this thread since it is over 10 yrs. old?

Thanks for the additional Baja info, Bill H.

MY