Article updated on 09.22.22

Baja Norte - Mexico

After two and a half months at USA, we decide that it is time for us to go down to visit the Baja California peninsula in Mexico.

Crossing the border in Tijuana by van

Early wake up in the parking lot of a fitness center in downtown San Diego to get ready to cross the border.

The “to do list” is not very long, but we are a bit apprehensive. All the American people we meet tell us that we are crazy to go to Mexico and pass through the city of Tijuana… even if we try not to listen to them, we are still a little stressed.

The gas tank is filled up, the dollars are changed into pesos, the new insurance for the car in Mexico is done, the photocopies of the important documents are printed, the fridge is emptied, the gas bottles and the water tank are filled, we are ready!

Barely 1 hour after our departure, we arrive at the border of Tijuana. We managed to get a visa for 6 months in Mexico, which is a very good news because we will not have to hurry in this big country. The customs officers searched the Camper and the pick-up, without any problem.

We go to buy a SIM card and do some shopping. We were not allowed to cross the border with fresh products, fruits and vegetables.

Ready to cross the border in Tijuana

First night in Baja at campsite K58

For our first nights in Mexico, we decide to stop at a well-known campsite for travelers. We meet a young American couple, Ash and Joe who are traveling with their dog and a future little traveler 👶 and a retired American couple, Shannon and Dave who live in Mexico. They give us suggestions of places to visit in Baja. We are very happy because organized as we are, we have almost no plan.

For a first night, we are rather well with very nice neighbors and the view on the ocean. We see our first dolphins jumping in front of the sunset… wow! The next day, we try to surf but without much success, the beautiful waves are not there.

The first camp at K58

The sunsets

Shannon and Dave

Cueva Del Pirata

After a few days, we absolutely have to find a place to empty our dirty water and toilets. We notice quickly that it is not so simple here. We find a small campground which offers the possibility to do it and so we spend one night there.

First wilderness camping in Baja

Thanks to the application we use “IOverlander” ( see our article on the 10 tips for a roadtrip in the USA ) we found a place that looked very nice and safe. An old campsite with a view on the ocean and on the dolphins, just perfect! A German couple, Pia and Kristian that we contacted via social networks, joined us in this place. They are also doing the panamerican but plan to go down to South America in 1 year. We share our adventures met along the trip around good beers. It’s good to see that we are not the only ones with the same problems 😅.

Surf in Punta Baja

Shannon and Dave, that we met in the first campsite, recommended us Punta Baja, a superb surf spot. We listen to the advice of our elders 😉 and go to this mysterious fishing village.

This place reminds us of Imsouane, a village in Morocco with one of the longest waves in Africa. Between fishermen and surfers, a very relaxed atmosphere is there. The waves break on a dam, a perfect spot to surf all along the bay.

We find a nice little spot with ocean view to park the camper for the next days. The first day, we admire the pro and amateur surfers dancing on these beautiful waves and the following days we throw ourselves in the water.
The water is freezing, even with our wetsuits we are cold. So we do small sessions. The locals tell us that we should not think about the shark, that there is almost never any. So we don’t think about it and we enjoy the waves between dolphins and pelicans.

Driving between the cactus

After these beautiful days of surfing, we decide to take the road in direction of the sea of Cortés. While passing from the Pacific coast to the East coast, the temperature changes of more than 20 degrees.

We drive long distances surrounded by a forest of cactus of several meters. It is very impressive! We had planned to spend the night between these cactus, but the temperatures are much too high. So we decide to continue the road in direction of Bahia de Los Angeles.

Bahia de Los Angeles

When we were in Punta Baja, an American we met in the waves advised us to eat and sleep in the eco-friendly Archelon campground. We followed his suggestions and slept there.

When we arrived, we discovered this beautiful bay and its heat… the Camper barely parked, we dived in the water to try to cool down. The water is very very warm, about 34 degrees. But the high temperatures will not take away the beauty of this place. We stay two nights in this place and enjoy the air conditioning of the café/restaurant during the day. This allows us to work on our personal projects. At the end of the day, we take a walk in the surroundings to admire this bay.

Direction Santa Rosaliita

We decide to go back to the Pacific side to find more pleasant temperatures between 20 and 28 degrees. We arrive in a small fishing village and continue to a deserted beach. According to the swell, this place is famous for surfing, but when we are there the water is similar to the Mediterranean, that is to say very calm. We stayed two nights and enjoyed the beauty of the deserted beach.

We are surprised in good of this North part of Baja because we had heard many negative notices. It is true that the north is less touristic than the south, but it is worth taking the time to visit this region.