5 Best Places to Visit in Baja California Sur for Outdoor Adventure – Bearfoot Theory

Baja, Mexico is an out of doors haven simply south of the US border that boasts world-class alternatives for whale watching, browsing, mountaineering, and exploring stunning, white sand seashores.

While many vacationers know Baja California Sur due to the glitzy Cabo San Lucas, there’s a lot extra to this a part of Mexico than all-inclusive resorts and golf programs. If you need to study the most effective outdoorsy locations in Mexico’s Baja California Sur, this information is for you.

I rented a automotive in Cabo San Lucas for my journey and visited a few of the most scenic spots within the area like La Paz, Magdalena Bay, Todos Santos, and Loreto. 

I spent 8 days street tripping Baja, however I encourage you to plan extra time to go to the most effective locations in Baja California Sur, as this a part of Mexico is really numerous and huge, with many locations boasting attractive hidden corners and less-explored spots.

Where is the Baja California Sur?

The Baja peninsula is the lengthy strip of land that extends over 700 miles south from the US-Mexico border under California.

It’s made up of two states, Baja California (additionally known as Baja California Norte) within the north and Baja California Sur within the south. While Baja California has some nice locations, my favorites are in Baja California Sur.

How To Get To Baja California Sur

If you need to fly to Baja California Sur, the best choice is Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) situated about 25 minutes away from Cabo San Lucas. This airport has direct flights from many locations within the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and gives a handy start line in your adventures.

Other choices are La Paz International Airport – Manuel Márquez de León (LAP) and Loreto International Airport (LTO), each of which have flights to the US and mainland Mexico. These are smaller airports, so plan to pay the next ticket value and have fewer flight choices than Cabo.

If you’ve bought extra time to spare, take into account a street journey right down to Baja California Sur from California. That means you possibly can discover all the finest locations to go to in Baja California on one journey.

Baja California Sur Transportation Options

Some of the most effective seashores in Baja can’t be accessed by public transportation, and taxi or Uber will not be all the time accessible, particularly in small cities which regularly function gateways to a few of the finest adventures within the area.

Since public transportation is scarce, your finest wager is to hire a automotive to discover the peninsula.

You can browse obtainable choices by way of DiscoverAutomobiles, a preferred platform for renting automobiles the place you possibly can get pleasure from budget-friendly charges and versatile cancellation insurance policies. I booked my automotive with Avis through DiscoverAutomobiles, and would suggest their companies.

Best Baja California Sur Destinations

1. La Paz

La Paz is the capital metropolis of Baja California Sur (to not be confused with La Paz in Bolivia), and a getaway to journey that provides pure magnificence, cultural experiences, outside actions, and wildlife encounters. For this cause, it’s on the prime of my checklist for the most effective locations for outside fans to go to in Baja. See this weblog put up for a full 4-day La Paz itinerary.

Located on the jap aspect of the peninsula, La Paz is famend for its gorgeous seashores, together with Playa Balandra, Playa Tecolote, and Playa El Tesoro.

These seashores are teeming with marine life and are thought-about one of the biodiverse seas on the earth — excellent for swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling, and kayaking.

In addition to visiting the seashores, right here’s a number of of my favourite issues to do in La Paz:

• Visit Isla Espíritu Santo, a UNESCO World Heritage web site that may be a brief boat trip away and might be visited solely with a tour as a consequence of its protected standing. It has spectacular rock formations, clear waters, and a wealthy ecosystem. Tours let you discover the island’s mountaineering trails, snorkel with sea lions or whale sharks (relying on the season), and benefit from the unspoiled pure magnificence.

• Walk across the charming historic downtown space with colourful buildings and native markets. You can discover retailers and artwork galleries.
• Enjoy conventional Mexican delicacies at native eating places. My favorites are El Estadio Tacos, Gorditas El Cacheton, Tacos Perrones, and El Paisa.

• Water actions, like kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing, and crusing. The calm waters of the bay make it a super place for rookies to strive these actions.

2. Puerto Magdalena (Magdalena Bay)

Magdalena Bay is a big bay on the western coast of Baja California Sur. This bay is famend for its ecotourism which permits guests to expertise shut encounters with numerous marine ecosystems and wildlife.

It’s a chosen reserve, which displays the efforts to guard and preserve its numerous ecosystems and wildlife. It’s certainly one of my favourite locations to go to on the Southern Baja Peninsula.

Here’s an summary of the highest issues to do in Magdalena Bay:

• Whale Watching: One of the primary sights of Magdalena Bay is its significance as a calving and breeding floor for grey whales. From January to March, grey whales migrate 1000’s of miles from their feeding grounds within the Arctic to the nice and cozy waters of Baja California to offer delivery to their calves. Visitors can take a guided whale-watching tour to watch these magnificent creatures from an in depth distance.

• Birdwatching: The bay’s numerous ecosystems make it a haven for birdwatchers. The intensive mangrove forests, mudflats, and dunes present habitats for numerous fowl species, together with pelicans, herons, egrets, and extra.

• Mangrove Ecosystems: Magdalena Bay is dwelling to intensive mangrove forests, which function breeding and nursery grounds for numerous marine species. The mangroves additionally contribute to the bay’s ecological steadiness by filtering water and offering shelter for marine life.

3. Loreto

Loreto is a hidden gem of Baja California Sur on the jap coast of the peninsula. One of the oldest settlements in Baja California Sur, this city was based in 1697 by Jesuit missionaries. 

It’s considerably off the overwhelmed path, which implies it’s comparatively uncrowded in comparison with in style locations down south like Cabo San Lucas, Todos Santos, and even La Paz. Whatever exercise you select to do, it is possible for you to to benefit from the spectacular surroundings with out having to battle the crowds.

Here’s a number of of the most effective issues to do in Loreto:

• Downtown Loreto is effectively well worth the cease with colonial-style structure, cobblestone streets, and a tranquil ambiance.
• The Mission of Our Lady of Loreto is likely one of the most essential landmarks on the town constructed by the Jesuit missionaries. This mission was the primary of its sort on the Baja California Peninsula and performed a major function in changing indigenous folks into Catholicism.  The mission served as a middle for changing the native indigenous populations to Christianity and Spanish methods of life.

• The Jesuit Missions of Loreto Museum situated proper close to the church is the place you may get a glimpse into the area’s wealthy historical past. 

• The city is surrounded by pure magnificence, with the Sea of Cortez to the east and the Sierra de la Giganta mountain vary to the west. This mixture of sea and mountains is a playground for outside actions like mountaineering, horseback driving, fishing, and ATV driving.

• Like Magdalena Bay, Loreto can also be a spot for informal whale watching. The waters round Loreto are frequented by a number of whale species, nevertheless, the density of whales isn’t as nice, so should you’re actually making an attempt to see whales, head to Magdalena.

• Just off the coast of Loreto sits Loreto Bay National Park (Parque Nacional Bahía de Loreto), one of the spectacular locations to go to in Mexico the place you possibly can get pleasure from pristine seashores, spot marine wildlife, and get pleasure from a scenic boat trip.

• Scuba diving: Some of the most well-liked islands round Loreto are Isla Coronado, Isla Carmen, and Isla Danzante.

4. Mulege

While it may not be as well-known as a few of the different finest locations to go to in Baja California Sur, Mulege is a should in your Baja California itinerary. It’s a gateway to a few of the finest seashores in Mexico like Playa Burro, Playa El Coyote, and Playa Requesón within the Bahia de Concepcion.

The city’s residents are recognized for his or her heat hospitality and welcoming nature, and you may simply join with the local people should you be taught some fundamental Spanish.

Here’s a number of of the most effective issues to do in Mulege:

• The Santa Rosalía de Mulegé Mission, a historic Spanish colonial mission relationship again to the 18th century is the spotlight of Mulege. The mission’s structure and historical past present perception into the area’s previous. Follow the path behind the church and you will discover among the best views in Mulege which gives a panorama of the river with many palm bushes that had been planted by Spanish Jesuits who introduced their horses and mules right here. 

• The Sierra de San Francisco is dwelling to historic cave work created by indigenous folks. These work provide a glimpse into the prehistoric cultures of the area and are a UNESCO World Heritage web site.  

• The surrounding space is nice for exploring on foot, by bike, or by boat. You can hike by way of desert trails, discover the riverside, and uncover hidden gems.

• Finally, the clear darkish skies over Mulege provide top-notch alternatives for stargazing since there’s little to no gentle air pollution within the space. 

5. Todos Santos

Todos Santos is likely one of the finest locations to go to in Baja California Sur as a day journey from Cabo San Lucas, with many vacationers coming right here to get pleasure from a quiet way of life and discover seashores that provide alternatives for browsing and swimming.

Aside from its tranquil setting and beautiful seashores, Todos Santos boasts some fascinating historical past. In the 18th century, Spanish missionaries who arrived within the space established a Misión Santa Rosa de las Palmas to transform the native indigenous populations to Christianity. The mission advanced included a church and residing quarters for the missionaries.

After Mexico gained independence from Spain within the early nineteenth century, the mission system was dismantled, and the city transitioned to a secular group. Todos Santos continued to be a middle for agricultural actions, notably sugar cane manufacturing, which was a major business within the area.

In the mid-Twentieth century, the city started to draw consideration from artists and vacationers involved in its picturesque landscapes and historic appeal. The city’s colonial structure, laid-back ambiance, and proximity to the Pacific Ocean and the Sierra de la Laguna mountains made it an interesting vacation spot.

In current a long time, Todos Santos has turn out to be recognized for its creative, bohemian, and cultural character. It’s a chosen “Pueblo Mágico,” a designation given by the Mexican authorities to cities which have cultural, historic, or pure significance. 

Here’s a number of of my favourite issues to do in Todos Santos. For extra concepts, see this put up about spend your time in Todos Santos.

• Hike to Punta Lobos – One of the most effective issues to do in Todos Santos is hike Punta Lobos, a scenic path that results in among the best overlooks within the space. It’s a steep however rewarding hike that boasts 360-degree views of the Pacific and even gives a chance to see whales splashing within the azure waters of the ocean. Wear good mountaineering boots and produce loads of snacks as a result of it is a demanding hike with somewhat shadow and a few steep elements.

• Take a guided artwork tour to be taught in regards to the native artist group and ongoing cultural actions.

• Go buying – Tourists come to Todos Santos for its galleries, craft retailers, and tranquil setting. The city’s inventive and relaxed ambiance, mixed with its gorgeous pure environment, make it a novel and engaging vacation spot for vacationers searching for a mix of historical past, tradition, and creativity.

• Go browsing – Located alongside the Pacific Coast of Mexico (in contrast to lots of the different locations on this checklist), Todos Santos is dwelling to many seashores which can be appropriate for all ranges of browsing. Cerritos is the most well-liked for rookies to intermediates and you may guide a lesson or leases proper on the seaside.

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Which Baja California Sur locations are in your bucket checklist or have you ever visited? Let us know within the feedback!

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