Looking for travel ideas in Baja, Mexico? Well, you are in the correct place. I have traveled through Baja, Mexico over 30 times in search of adventures. Throughout the experiences, there have been many take aways, but the most important is to be open. Traveling in Baja is much slower than the US, the people are friendlier, and the landscape is uninhabited in comparison. While you do not need to know Spanish, if you know the basics, you’ll be happier. Below you will find a bucket list of adventure travel ideas for your travels to Baja, Mexico.
If you are building out a bucket list for Baja, Mexico, look no further. Here are the best adventures of Baja Mexico:
Surf in Baja Sur
Snorkel, or SCUBA dive, in the Sea of Cortez
Fish with the locals of San Juanico
Hike to the abandoned Sugar Port in todos santos
Spearfish in Canejo
Eat Pan Dulce from the oldest bakery in Baja
Release turtles in Todos Santos
Paraglide in La Ventana
Soak in Hot Springs on the Beach
Surf in baja sur
Okay, surfing everywhere might be an exaggeration as the Sierra de la Lagunas don’t have much water, but if you are along the coast, you should be able to find a place to surf… eventually. While traveling throughout along dirt roads you’ll find there are still secret surf spots all throughout Baja. But, there are also a ton on Surfline so, if if it is your first visit, start with Surfline. As you become more familiar with the language and places, you’ll find some epic surf, maybe even find your own breaks!
Want to discover more surfing in Baja? I wrote a full article on the best surf spots of Northern and Southern Baja, click here to check out the article.
Snorkeling in Baja, Mexico while road tripping along the Sea of Cortez. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Snorkel, or SCUBA dive, in the Sea of Cortez
When you are road tripping along the Baja Peninsula, some essential gear is a snorkel mask and fins. Why? Well, Jacques Cousteau, the famous French Naval Officer and early SCUBA pioneer called the Sea of Cortez, “the next great barrier reef”, because of the diversity in life swimming in the Sea of Cortez. If he put a stamp of approval on this body of water, it must be good. If that isn’t good enough for you, go check out Blue Planet’s episode on the Oceans, they feature a good amount of the Sea of Cortez.
Fishing with locals in San Junaico, Baja Sur while on a road trip through the Baja Peninsula. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Fish with the locals of San Juanico
One of my favorite opportunities while traveling in Baja has been to fish with the locals. While this sleepy surf/fishing village is known for endless barrels at thirds peak, the locals live on fishing. If you stay in San Juanico, sleeping in your van, you will find out that the surfers are also fisherman. At some point, chat them up or head down to the marina. As you learn names and faces in the surf line-up, you’ll recognize most of them loading their boats in the morning. If you are lucky, you can ask one of them to take you out. If that opportunity arrises, do it!
Wondering how you get to San Juanico?
San Juanico can feel like a tricky town to get to for a vacation because it is 3 hours from the closest airport, but visiting San Juanico is worth it. Below are some of your options for getting to San Juanico:
Click here for driving directions to San Juanico in Baja Mexico
Fly into La Paz airport, drive or take a shuttle from there
Fly into San Jose del Cabo, drive or take a shuttle from there
Want to learn more about what is at San Junaico? I wrote a full article about this amazing fishing town and what it offers, check it out here.
Hiking to the abandoned Sugar Port while road tripping in Baja, Mexico. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Hike to the abandoned Sugar Port in todos santos
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.
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 Surgar 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.
How long does it take to hike to the old port in Todos Santos Take?
If you are looking to hike out and back, without stopping for a swim, the hike will take you 60-90 minutes. However many hikers will bring a towel and swim in the ocean at the secluded bay. You can also jump off the old dock into the water when the tide is high enough.
Can you swim at the old port of Todos Santos?
When you hike into the Old Sugar Port of Todos Santos, you will find the secluded bay to be welcoming. There is a sand beach that you can walk directly into the water and start to swim. Please note, high tide can sweep away your belongings on the beach, so keep an eye on your stuff. If you decide to explore the old port, you will find there are places you can jump into the water! This makes for a really fun break from your hike.
Spearfishing in Canejo, Baja Sur to catch dinner. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Spearfish in 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.
El Canejo has crystal clear, blue water with a flourishing fish community, perfect for spearfishing. The fish diversity ranges drastically, but you will be able to find a fish of your choice if you look long enough. The ocean around El Canejo is exposed to the Pacific Ocean so there can be a strong swell on occasion, making it difficult to reach the deeper water where the fish congregate. There are some local octopus and lobster fisherman, so please do not take from their income.
Other places to spearfish in Baja:
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!
Note: Do NOT take any lobsters, this is the local money maker. Also, Gringos are not legally allowed to take lobster!
Releasing turtles in Todos Santos, Mexico. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
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.
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
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST to release turtles in todos santos?
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.
Learn more about the conservation efforts of turtles in Todos Santos by clicking here.
Ordering Pan Dulce for the road from Baja’s oldest bakery, El Boleo, in Santa Rosalia, Baja Sur. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Eat Pan Dulce from the oldest bakery in Baja
Okay, I know this isn’t an adventure for-say, but it is a cultural adventure. Walk around the industrial city of Santa Rosalía and make sure to stop at El Boleo. El Boleo is the oldest bakery in Baja, founded in 1901 with the boom of mining. This bakery was founded by the French and still maintains 2 of the 4 original stoves. Kinda Crazy right?! In an ideal world, you would grab some goodies and then head to Conception Bay for a few days to paddle board on the calm water. If you are lucky enough, there will be a red tide and you’ll get to see bioluminescence.
Paragliding in La Ventana, Baja Sur while traveling in a van. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Paraglide in La Ventana
If you are into kiteboarding, La Ventana is on your radar. However, what you didn’t know is that with the right wind direction, you can go soaring along the cliffs of La Ventana. Yup, that is correct, you can paraglide in La Ventana. Now, the opportunities are few and far between, but if you hang out long enough, you will have the right conditions for a few hours! So, maybe put this on your ideas list, pack your wing, and just hope that along your Baja Mexico travels you will be able to fly.
Side note, there are several spots throughout Baja to fly. If you are into it, I suggest packing your wings!
What else can you do in La Ventana?
La Ventana is a hot spot for action sports in Baja Sur with several guide services that can teach you just about anything. Here are some of the incredible activities you can do in Todos Santos:
Kiteboard
Foilboard
Surf
SCUBA dive
Snorkel
Hike
Trail Run
Beach Camp
Off-road into the mountains
Sea Kayak
The best star gazing while road tripping Baja was in Catavina. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Sleep under the stars in Cataviña
While driving through the Baja peninsula, you’ll come across a gap, without gas stations, of about 200 miles. Now, this place isn’t great to break down, run out of water or gas, etc. BUT, Cataviña is a wonderful place to take photographs of the stars, watch the Baja 1000, and escape the world. There is NO cell service and the light pollution is minimal. Additionally, there is a bunch of wildlife that lives among the variety of cactus in this remote part of Baja. If you can, I suggest stopping for a night, or two, to take in a landscape as pristine (once you are away from the graffitied rocks and trash from the highway) as Cataviña.
Where is Catavina?
Catavina is a small town in the middle of Baja Norte most known for being a gap, of roughly 200 miles, without fuel. This wild and rugged landscape is the perfect spot to stop for a few days and recharge without cell service. The closest towns are El Rosario to the north and El Rosalito to the south.
What is there to do in Catavina?
At first site, Catavina seems like a desolate place with nothing to do, but that is not the case. When you visit Catavina you will find:
Tons of wildlife to photograph
Bouldering
Epic Landscapes
Dirtbike/OHV trails to explore
An oasis that is tucked into a valley
A clear night sky (perfect for taking star photographs | click here to learn how to snap milky way photographs)
Is camping free in Catavina?
Camping in Catavina is free and wild. When I say wild I mean pull off the highway and find yourself a spot to set up wild. For the most part, there is nothing in Catavina and you can camp where ever you would like. With this privilege comes responsibility however. In recent years, Catavina has increased in popularity and campers have started to leave trash behind, let’s not allow this.
If you stop to camp in Catavina, let us leave the place better than we found it and pick up some of the trash that is beginning to accrue. This will help preserve this wild place for others and the wildlife who inhabit the Dr. Suess like landscape.
Soaking in the beach hot springs of La Ventana, Baja Sur. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Soak in Hot Springs on the Beach
Yup, you read that correctly. There are hot springs on the beach north of La Ventana. If you time the tide correctly, you’ll get to soak in warm water as the waves gentle move in and out of the pools. This beach is called Hot Springs Beach. If you arrive and there are not hot springs, you might have to wait for low tide to expose the pools. If you are there and the pools are covered, pull out your shovel and start digging!
Common questions about Traveling Baja, Mexico:
Where is Baja, Mexico?
Baja is a peninsula just below California.
Do I need to know Spanish to go to Baja?
No. However, if you know the language, the experience will be better!
Driving dirt roads in Baja Mexico. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Is driving in Baja Mexico safe?
I have spent six months driving around the Baja Peninsula and the roads are safe. Just level set your expectations for a two lane highway without a center divider that has pot holes and a limited shoulder.
Do I need a passport to travel to Baja Mexico?
Yes, Passports are required to enter unless you are a Mexican citizen.
Are the police are corrupt in Baja?
Police are on your side, but bring a few photocopies of your license just in case you find a bad apple. Often, if you are pulled over, you broke a law that you didn’t know existed.
Looking at the days catch from fishing with locals in Todos Santos. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
how much should I expect to spend per day in baja mexico?
If you plan to eat out and drink daily, I would budget $20-40 per person. Common prices for a hotel room are $100-200 per night. The prices in Mexico are increasing, so the sooner you go the better!
How are the road conditions when driving?
Once off the Highways, expect dirt roads
Is baja mexico safe to travel?
For your safety, if you do not go looking for trouble, your typically won’t find it… much like the gangs in the United States.
