Baja California

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Mexico

$28.99

Shop Book

Getty Images/Gallo Images

Overview

Baja, the earth’s second-longest peninsula, offers over 1200km of the mystical, ethereal, majestic and untamed. Those lucky enough to make the full Tijuana to Los Cabos trip will find that the Carretera Transpeninsular (Hwy 1) offers stunning vistas at every turn. The middle of nowhere is more beautiful than you ever imagined, and people are friendly, relaxed and helpful – even in the border towns. Side roads pass through tiny villages and wind drunkenly along the sides of mountains. Condors carve circles into an unblemished blue sky. Some people simply sip drinks, eat fish tacos and watch the sun disappear into the Pacific. Some choose to feel the rush of adrenaline as they surf that perfect wave. Others walk through sherbet-colored canyons or stare up at the night’s canopy of scattered-diamond stars. Whichever way you choose to take it, you’ll discover some of Baja’s many joys.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Land’s End

Cabo San Lucas

Land’s End is the most impressive attraction in Cabo. Hop on a panga (skiff), kayak or stand-up paddleboard and head to El Arco (the Arch), a jagged…
Bahía Concepción

Mulegé

One of the most stunningly beautiful stretches of coast in Baja for its blue-green waters, white sandy coves and lack of construction. Great for kayaking…
Laguna San Ignacio

Southern Baja

Along with Laguna Ojo de Liebre and Bahía Magdalena, Laguna San Ignacio is one of the Pacific coast’s major winter whale-watching sites. The Mexican…
Espíritu Santo

La Paz

A treasure trove of shallow azure inlets and sorbet-pink cliffs, Espíritu Santo is one of La Paz’s gems. It’s part of a Unesco World Heritage site…
Iglesia Santa Bárbara

Southern Baja

Designed and erected for Paris’ 1889 World’s Fair, then disassembled and stored in Brussels for shipping to West Africa, Gustave Eiffel’s (yes, of Eiffel…
Parque de la Amistad

Tijuana

For a glimpse at what a wall between neighbors really looks like, find your way to binational Friendship Park. On the Mexico side of the wall in Playas de…
Riviera del Pacífico

Ensenada

Opened in the 1930s as Hotel Playa Ensenada, the extravagant Riviera del Pacífico, a Spanish-style former casino, is rumored to have been a haunt of Al…
Parque Marine Nacional Bahía de Loreto

Loreto

This park makes Loreto a world-class destination for all types of outdoor activities; a number of outfitters offer everything from kayaking and diving to…