A Photographic Journey Though The Baja California Peninsula

Baja has always held a special place in my heart. At six months old, my parents took me on my first Baja road trip and I have returned every year since. It is like a second home to me. From the vast desert landscapes to the crystal blue waters of the Gulf of California, Baja is a wonderland.

One of the many empty dirt roads in Baja

As the crow flies, the Baja California Peninsula runs 775 miles long from Tijuana to Los Cabos. However, if you were to drive from the border to the tip without detouring it is 1,200 miles, which is 24 hours of straight drive time. With the majority of the population living in big cities like Tijuana, Mexicali, and Cabo San Lucas, Baja has a lot of remote and open space to be explored, so detours are encouraged.

Baja has some rich biodiversity

Morning rays in the desert

There is a good chance your table salt at home comes from Baja California Sur. The city of Guerrero Negro is home to the world’s largest salt making facility. It produces around nine million metric tons of salt each year. To put that into perspective, an elephant weighs about a metic ton. So that’s a LOT of salt. Even if you haven’t had the chance to explore Baja just yet, there is a good chance a little bit of Baja is already in you.

The archaebacteria bloom in a salt flat lake

Baja is also home to the world’s largest species of cactus, the Pachycereus pringlei, which is more commonly known as the Cardón. Its name is derived from the Spanish word "cardo”, meaning "thistle". On average, a Cardón reaches a height of 30 feet, however they commonly grow upwards of 70 feet tall. Even more impressive, these gentle giants live for hundreds of years. When exploring Baja, please respect these natural wonders by not touching or climbing on them so future generations can enjoy their beauty.

The giant cardons dominate the Baja desert

The Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) separates the Baja Peninsula from the Sinaloa region of Mainland Mexico. Newly paved Highway 5 runs parallel to the Gulf and is more desolate than Highway 1, which runs along the Pacific Side. Most travelers prefer Highway 1 for its moderate climate, rich cultural history, and easy access to good food and beaches. However, Highway 5 offers some amazing ocean vistas and vast desert landscapes.

The blue waters of The Sea of Cortez contrast with the Baja desert landscape

In the summertime, surfers from all over the world flock to Baja to ride the amazing warm water point breaks. Many are still a hidden secret so its best if I don’t mention their name. Sorry. But remember, Baja is all about the adventure, so it would be no fun if I told you where they were. However, with a little bit of research, a map, a good spirit and the proper 4 x 4 vehicle, you could be riding some of the best and longest waves of your life.

The author enjoying one of the many perfect point breaks in Baja

Not surprisingly, Baja is home to some great rock climbing. The closest crag to San Diego is Valle Azteca, located halfway between Tijuana and Ensenada. Other well established areas include Pilon De Lolita near Loreto and the beaches of Los Cabos. If you are the peak bagging type, Picacho del Diablo (10,157 ft), Baja’s highest peak, has a well documented climbing history. But with a name like “The Devil’s Peak", I think I’ll stick to bouldering. Speaking of which, some great bouldering can be found in the granite boulder fields surrounding the town of Cataviña. While it may not be a climbing destination, it is certainly worth checking out on your way to Southern Baja to surf.

The author climbs Right By Da Beach (V1)

One of the many unique rock formations in Baja. Look at the climbing potential!

There was once about 30 Spanish missions spread along the Baja Peninsula. They were established between 1683 and 1834 by the Franciscans, the Jesuits, and the Dominicans to spread Catholicism among the native Baja tribes. While many of the missions have been destroyed, fallen down, or melted back into the earth, a handful can still be visited today. One of the more impressive ones is Misión San Ignacio Kadakaamán, established 1728.

The Date Palms of San Ignacio

Another view of the well preserved, stone mission

Misión San Ignacio Kadakaamán, established 1728

A view of the Río San Ignacio

One important thing to remember when driving the Baja is that you can’t be in a hurry. Everything is a little slower pace south of the border, which is a good thing! We like to take our time in Baja. This not only applies to driving but also daily life. Baja is all about freedom, adventure, and discovery. The moment you cross the border, get in your “Baja state of mind” and go with the flow.

Most likely, your trip to Baja will not go as planned. Speaking from personal experience, it will not go as planned. Okay, story time. These are some of the things that have happened to me when traveling through Baja that may also happen to you…

1) A road will be washed out/underwater after a tropical storm and you have to take an 8 hour detour to reach your destination. This is after you’ve already driven 13 hours…today.

2) You will unexpectedly get two blown out flat tires at the same exact time and only have one spare. When you go to change one of your flats, you discover the chain that holds your spare on under your truck is rusted and won’t move. Therefore, your spare tire is very very stuck. This is a problem. You look in your tool bag for something to cut the chain with, but nothing will work. Hmm. You put on your thinking sombrero on and since you are a crafty Baja traveler, you come up with a brilliant idea. You decide to use a metal file you discovered in your tool bag to file down a chain link to get the spare tire off your truck. Two hours of filling causes the chain to weaken, snap, and your spare tire is finally free. Great! However, your face was conveniently located under your spare tire, so when it was freed, it came down on your face and gave you a bloody nose…that may also be broken. Its hard to tell. Now that you've changed one of your two flats, your only option is to drive on the rim of the flat you couldn’t fix to the next town. You travel at a whopping speed of 5 mph on a bumpy dirt road for 6 hours to the nearest town hoping someone has a tire and rim you can buy (because you just destroyed yours) that fits your car. There are only 15 people who live in the town and no one has the rim/tire your size. Big surprise, right? However, a local man gets on his CB radio and learns that someone’s wife’s cousin’s husband’s sister is driving in tomorrow and they will bring you a tire and rim. Thats Baja!

3) Your brake lines will leak and your brakes suddenly stop working while driving on a windy, steep, and narrow road. You miraculously survive and make it to the next town. The local mechanic then proceeds to fix your brake line by hammering a nail into the end of it to block the leak. This causes the pressure in your brake lines to change and every time you use your brake now, your car aggressively pulls to the right. At least the brakes work now, right? Well kind of. Every 15ish miles you have to pull over and add more brake fluid into the chamber. But, the nail miraculously stays in until you reach the next town 60 miles away, where they can properly fix your brake lines.

4) You get lost. Very lost.

So the moral of the story is if I just scared you, you probably shouldn’t go to Baja. If you are in a hurry, intolerant, or impatient, don't bother coming at all because you won’t enjoy or appreciate it. However, if my stories excited you, then Baja is definitely for you!