Here we go continuing on our epic road trip down the Baja. This section is my personal favorite as you cross over the state border in Guerrero Negro onward to Cabo. The first leg is across from the Pacific to the Sea of Cortez. This is the first glimpse of the Sea unless you took the side trip to Bahia Los Angeles. Good idea to gas up and have all your supplies in Guerrero Negro. This first section is pretty desolate as you head due east. There is the oasis town of San Ignacio 92 miles away and this is another chance to take a side trip south to the surf Mecca of Scorpion Bay. Not to be taken lightly as this is a primitive road that takes about 3 hours to cover 105 miles. Mision San Ignacio is the center of this small farming community of just over 600 inhabitants.
Heading east toward Santa Rosalia you will have a fairly big climb and a steep descent that will challenge your brakes. For those towing a trailer be sure to take another look at your rig before descending this section. In the distance you will see the volcanoes to the north. There are 11 volcanoes in the Baja and 4 of them are visible just before you see the Sea. The first is La Reforma Caldera and then the aptly named Tres Virgenes. There is some Eco tourism here but it is rarely visited. Down and down you go, along a winding mountain road you see the blue waters of the Sea of Cortez and the mining town of Santa Rosalia at the bottom. You have made it across and the next few hours are magic.
Santa Rosalia was once a major copper mining company town developed by the French group El Boleo. Rumor has it that Iglesias de Santa Barbara was designed by Gustave Eiffel. Makes sense since he loved his metal architecture and this is a metal church. There is also a ferry to mainland for transporting supplies back and forth with mainland. The town itself is not so scenic as the old mining equipment, locomotives and decaying furnace are all rusting and rotting right in town. Not much tourism here as the snowbirds have much prettier options just to the south. Another chance for gas and supplies here before you head another hour to Mulege.
While we all call it Mulege the official name if Heroica Mulege. Due to the Mexican American War of 1884 when there were a few incidents won by the locals. This oasis has a prominent river Rio Santa Rosalia and has Mision Santa Rosalia. It is a wonder that it isn’t named that instead of it’s northern neighbor. Here tourism is a major draw for diving, fishing and snowbirds living along the river or on the beautiful beaches with great access. This river and palm oasis is an exception to the harsh desert environment and has been inhabited for thousands of years. There are numerous cave paintings to explore. Be prepared to be impressed for the next couple of hours as you will be driving along side the beautiful Bahia Concepcion.
A favorite for snowbirds and with caravans of RV enthusiasts, the Bahia Concepcion is the very essence of the Baja. Your first time should be a slow endeavor, a week of beach camping is a good start. If you are going to pass by do it with a steady slowness. Bahia Concepcion is one of the largest Bays in Baja and has over 50 miles of sandy beaches. There are great camping options with the most popular being Playa Santispac, Playa Coyote, Playa Cocos and Los Naranjas. The warm protected bay dotted with islands and plenty of sunshine and mangrove inlets make this a bahia to remember. But we must push further south as we make our way along the blue waters of the Sea of Cortez to your left and striped copper colors of the Sierra de la Gigantas to your right. The 90 mile stretch from Mulege to Loreto is 2 hours of road trip bliss. We like to stay in Mulege when going south so we can enjoy the sunrise over the water and the warm colors.
A short blast south and you are pulling into Loreto. I don’t want to kill your idea of making good time but this is a must stop over town with rich history. This is where one of the first missions in the Americas was established going back to 1697 by the Jesuits from Spain. The locals had enough of their strong armed ways and kicked them out in 1767, but they re-grouped as the Franciscans a few years later. The Jesuits went north to what is now Monterey, CA. There are seven significant buildings dating back many centuries with the grandest dame of the bunch being Mision de Nuestra Senora de Loreto Concha. Being mindful of not rambling we will have to dig further at a later date as we must keep heading south. The next twenty miles will have you spell bound as the Sierra de la Gigantas will start their color transformation as the sun fades west. The recurring start, stop, start development of Loreto Bay beckons but darn it all we got waylaid and the sun is sinking and we gotta make time. Will need a whole new article to even begin to describe Puerto Escondido and the amazing Islands of Loreto Resort that you must re-visit. Once you make an obvious western turn and start heading uphill into the Giganta Range you have the hill climb and s-turn road ahead into the next farming community. Ciudad Insurgentes is where you slow down and gas up. Just a short distance is the sister town of Ciudad Constitucion and another side trip option (don’t you just love options?) of yet another whale watching area Bahia de Magdelena. Mag Bay is best explored from San Carlos and is merely 40 miles west. But you are trying to make it to La Paz for good reason so we keep going down Highway 1.
Loreto to La Paz is 220 miles and about 4 hours as the road is well maintained. This is another possible stopping point. There are numerous hotels and full blown resorts with golf and marinas attached so you certainly have great options. La Paz is the city of Peace and there are many mysteries to explore. One of the wonders is the long board walk along the bay that is the heart of this capital city of BCS. Fast growth and retail chains have mushroomed as this is a prosperous town but the idyllic feel of a small town on the bay remains. One of the leading Eco-tourism destinations of the world is here. No wonder the nearby Cerralvo Island was recently renamed Isla Cousteau as this is a great starting point for the ‘World’s Aquarium’. As we reluctantly head out of Peace-town we try to console ourselves with dreams of Cabo so close by. But first we must decide if we are to continue along Highway 1 or take the easier, more direct route Highway 19 through Todos Santos. Yes we have choices but darn if both aren’t lovely options. In light of my rambling prose and your modern tendency for boredom we will choose the faster Pacific side.
A short hour south you will roll into another ‘Pueblo Magico’ town called Todos Santos. This was a successful farming community that had its glory years back when sugar was expensive and the Haciendas were flourishing. After a major drought, the locals moved out and the artists moved in and to this day there is a large artist community. This is also growing with new developments, some great boutique hotels and impressive restaurants. Just south is the surfing towns of Pescadero and Cerritos. Then it is only 40 more miles until you pull into the world famous Cabo San Lucas and Land’s End.
We will continue to cover this area in depth in our local insider’s guide at www.cabosfinest.com.
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