Fish tacos, a few beers, and sunburns, that is often what Baja Mexico gets its name for, but that isn’t all this 1000 mile peninsula has to offer. The golden beaches often have surf-able waves, the mountains contain waterfalls, and the salty-waters are home to one of the most diverse aquatic biospheres. When you come down to Baja for vacation, you could sit on the beach, or you could make memories that will last you a lifetime when you step a little outside of your comfort zone and head out on an epic adventure.
The best vacation adventures in Baja Sur are:
Learn to Surf at Cerritos Beach
Kiteboard in La Ventana
Hike the Abandoned Sugar Mill
Spearfish in El Canejo
Road Trip the East Cape
Snorkle at Cabo Pulmo
Ocean Fishing in a Panga
Release Turtles in Todos Santos
Camp on the Beach
Read on to discover how much these adventures cost, how to get there, what to expect, and so much more!
Enjoying the sunset view from the top of the Old Port hike in Todos Santos. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Learn to Surf at Cerritos Beach
The warm waters of Cerritos Beach, the sand bottom, and consistent waves makes Playa los Cerritos a perfect surf spot. With three distinct areas to surf, Cerritos Beach has a break for every level of surfer. Pack a long board or short board, or rent one once at the beach, for there is an area to surf every style at Playa los Cerritos. Almost everyday, there will be ridable waves and friendly faces. So, if you are looking to surf in while in Baja, come to Cerritos Beach to catch waves for yourself.
How much does Learning to surf cost?
Learning to surf at Cerritos Beach ranges from $100-200 depending on the skill level, number of lessons, group lesson vs private lesson, and board rental costs.
If you want to learn how to surf at Cerritos Beach, I suggest going to CRT and ask for Juan or Carlos. They are great surf instructors, offer fair prices, and have been around the longest. Additionally, if you tell them “DALTON sent me” they will most likely give you a discount on lessons or board rentals.
Where is Cerritos Beach?
If you are staying at one of the many AirBnB’s or VRBO’s in Cerritos Beach, getting there from the Cabo airport will take about an hour and half if you take the toll road. However, since Cerritos Beach has fewer amenities than Cabo San Lucas or San Jose del Cabo, many visitors stop to grocery shop along the way, making the trip about a 2.5 hour journey.
Drive time Los Cabo airport to Cerritos Beach via toll road, without stops, is about an hour and 30 minutes
Drive time Los Cabo airport to Cerritos Beach via toll road, with stops, is about two hours and 30 minutes
Wait! Before you move on, are you interested in learning more about surfing at Cerritos Beach? If so, I wrote a full article with everything you need to know about surfing Cerritos Beach, check it out here.
Kiteboard in La Ventana
La Ventana is a special place for kiteboarding. The large island seen off-shore, Isla La Ventana, creates a wind channel making for the most consistent kiteboarding in all of Baja. The nice part about La Ventana is that the community is built around kiteboarding and everyone is willing to help each other out. Additionally, there are several areas you can kiteboard that provide a varitey of different styles of kiteboarding.
How much does it cost to learn how to kiteboard?
In La Ventana kiteboarding lessons range from $100-150 per lesson based on a skill level and gear rental. If you are a beginner, you will need more hands on instruction and will need to practice flying a kite on the beach with a trainer kite. Until you are proficient with flying a kite on the beach, you should not enter the water.
Where is la ventana?
La Ventana is located on the east cape close to La Paz. From La Paz, you will head south along BCS 268 for 40 kilometers, then take a left turn into the town.
Click here for driving directions to La Ventana
Hike the Abandoned Sugar Mill
If you are looking for a good leg stretcher while traveling in Baja, Mexico with views of the Pacific Ocean, hiking to the abandoned Sugar Port is a must! This hike takes you to a “secluded” beach, which is growing in popularity. If you arrive around low tide, you can lay on the beach without any worries. However, if the tide is rising, make sure to NOT leave your things on the beach, as the tide might consume them.
How much does it cost?
The beautiful part of hiking the abandoned sugar mill is that it is free to hike and free to park.
Old Port of Todos Santos Hike Overview:
Distance: 4.6 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 900 feet
Are dogs allowed? Yes, dogs are allowed and welcomed on the Old Port hike
Where is the Abandoned Sugar Port hike in Baja?
If you are looking for a good hike along the beach while you are in Baja Sur make your way to Todos Santos and hike to the abandoned sugar port. Parking for this 5 mile hike is near the Hotel San Cristobal at Punto Lobos.
Spearfishing in the tidal zone of El Canejo in Baja Sur. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Spearfish in El Canejo
If you have spearfishing gear while traveling in Baja Mexico, you should suit up and hit the waters. While I say Canejo is the spot to go, you can honestly catch your dinner in most spots along the coastline. Fish are ample and as long as you are not in a preserve, you can catch as much as you would like. Have a fish fry, make ceviche, make some sushi, heck… do it all! It’ll taste better in a taco, I promise.
How much does it cost?
El Canejo does not offer much, if anything, it terms of goods and services, but this means it is still free to visit El Canejo. The beach camping is free and there are no amenities. I have heard there is a toilet being built, but I can not confirm.
Where is el canejo?
El Canejo is an hour and a half drive north from La Paz. After driving 75 kilometers you will turn left and head down a dirt road to the beach. The turn off can be hard to find, so keep an eye out for a gap in the roadside shrubs and a small sign with lots of stickers. As you drive down the dirt road, you will eventually make it to the beach. Find a spot the suits you!
Click here for driving directions to El Canejo
Additional Places to Spearfish in Baja Sur:
La Ventana
The Cabo Area
The greater La Paz area
San Juanico
Interested in spearfishing in Baja? I wrote up a full article on where to spearfish, the fish you can catch, and so much more here in this article!
Road Trip the East Cape
The East Cape Road is where I learned how to dive. My Dad took me out there when I was roughly 12 years old, plopped me in the front seat of his Ford 250, and asked if I could reach the pedals. The East Cape is littered with beach camping and its development has been slow. With that said, several ex-pat communities have popped up and on a recent trip up this road, I noticed several UTVs in use. The roads out here are dirt, often washboarded out, but well worth the tour. I would not recommend an RV take this road, but my 2-wheel drive van made it no problem—we only got stuck in the sand once.
WHY SHOULD I VISIT EAST CAPE ROAD?
Access to the Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park
A sense of adventure and untouched land
The pace is slower and people rely on each other
Wildlife is around, keep an eye out
Access to great surfing
Beach Camping
How much does it cost?
Depending on if you have a car, or not, will determine the cost of the trip. Overall, a road trip through the East Cape can be as short as a day and one tank of gas which would cost $250-300, including car rental. However, several people are interested in doing this trip over 2 or 3 days, which substantially increases the costs.
Where is the east cape in Baja?
When you are looking at a map of Baja the East Cape is found at the very bottom of the peninsula and is considered the stretch of road that travels from San Jose del Cabo to La Paz along the coastal road. Much of this road is not paved.
Snorkle at Cabo Pulmo
Cabo Pulmo is a national marine sanctuary that is home to one of the most diverse and flourishing aquatic-life zones in the world. Controversial at first, Cabo Pulmo’s protection has now become a hot spot for tourism, focused on SCUBA and snorkeling trips. The warm and clear waters of the Sea of Cortez are create an ideal breeding ground for the fish in this area. Also, throughout the year a migration pattern with larger fish has made it so tourist return several times to see different life.
How much does it cost?
Snorkeling trips Cabo Pulmo cost between $75-150/person, however, if you can snorkel for free if you have a mask and swim from shore. The cost of snorkeling trips is mainly for the boat.
Where is cabo pulmo?
Cabo Pulmo is located 167 kilometers from La Paz and 98 kilometers from San Jose del Cabo. Regardless of where you are coming from, Cabo Pulmo is a must see aquatic oasis.
The captain showing off the days catch while ocean fishing in a panga in Baja Sur. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Ocean Fishing in a Panga
There is nothing more exciting than loading up a panga (which is a small fiberglass boat) and heading out into the open ocean with a local fisherman. When I was younger, I would immediately fall asleep as we headed out to sea and would wake up to 360 degrees of ocean, that was always a bit frightening. In recent years, I have enjoyed watching the fisherman set up their boats, take down notes, and talking with them about fishing (most speak some English, but it is better if you can speak Spanish).
How much does it cost?
As fishing becomes a popular tourist attraction, the cost has substantial increased. Growing up, we used to leave San Jose for around $50/person. Now, the cost can run $300-600/person. These prices change based on the number of people you going, but note this is not a inexpensive trip. The good news, however, is that I always come home with a freezer full of fish!
Where is to go ocean fishing in a panga?
There are several places to go fishing in a panga, as well as several fishing charters you can hire. I have enjoyed my time fishing with a variety of fisherman leaving from these three spots:
Punta Lobos in Todos Santos
San Jose del Cabo
San Juanico
Release Turtles in Todos Santos
Park your van on the beach and halt your road trip through Baja for a couple of days at Tortugueros Las Playitas just outside of Todos Santos. While this beach might not be the friendliest to swim in or play in, the beach itself is home to the a turtle sanctuary. What feels like daily occurrences throughout the winter, turtles are released at sunset. If you are sleeping at this beach, or just here for an outing, I suggest taking a picnic. You can eat your food, laugh with friends, and hang out while you wait for the turtles to be released. Once the sun sets, the night will get cold, so go crawl back into your van.
How much does it cost?
There is no cost to release turtles in Todos Santos, however there is an option to donate to the turtle rescue to keep the turtle conservation going.
WHERE CAN YOU RELEASE TURTLES IN TODOS SANTOS?
Just north of the town of Todos Santos you will find a long stretch of beaches that are unpopulated. It is here that Tortugueros Las Playitas has its conservation center with turtle releases.
Directions to Tortugueros Las Playitas
Camp on the Beach
Beach camping in Baja, Mexico is dreamlike. Where else can you; wake up to the sound of waves crashing, making a cup of coffee, and taking it out to your chair planted in the sand to watch the sunrise for free? Yes, using “dreamlike” is over-done, but it fits, I promise. After 7 years of living on the road, I’ve realized there isn’t much out there which compares to Baja. More specifically, Baja Sur. While several beaches have become over-populated in recent years, Baja’s coastline is still relatively unpopulated. The beaches that are crowded are often close to a main road with easy access. My guess, if you just go a few turns north, or south, you will find something similar, if not better, without anyone.
How much does it cost to camp on the beach?
The cost of camping on the beaches in Baja will depending on the area. Most of the beach camping in Baja is free, however as some of these spots grow up and gain amenities, a small fee of $3-10 a night is becoming the norm. Also, as the coastline in popular place, like Cerritos Beach, gets developed RV and vanlife parks are becoming the new home. I have found these parks to be in the $10-20 a night range.
Which beaches can i camp on in baja?
At the end of the day, the beaches of Baja are open to all by federal law. The access can be restricted, but the beach itself is public land. With that said, here are my favorite beaches to camp at:
Along the East Cape road, ideally near Cabo Pulmo or a surf break
Planning to camp on the beaches in Baja? I wrote a helpful article about what to expect when beach camping, read it by clicking here.
A surfer takes in an extraordinary sunset while surfing at Cerritos Beach in Baja Sur. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Now that you have discovered how much these adventures cost, how to get there, and what to expect when embarking on these adventures in Baja Sur it is your turn to get outside and explore for yourself. If you have any additional information that would be helpful for others in this community please drop a comment below.
