Article updated on 12.02.22
Baja Sur - Mexico
After visiting Baja California Norte, we were eager to discover southern Baja, which has been sold to us many times.
Travelling during the low season, we have the advantage of always finding beautiful heavenly spots to sleep without a cat. On the other hand, the disadvantage is that we don’t meet many vanlifers because nobody wants to travel to Baja during the summer, it’s way too hot! We sleep some nights at more than 34 degrees and with our tiny fan, it’s not very pleasant… This heat is mostly present on the Sea of Cortez coast so spoiler alert, we spent most of our time on the Pacific coast. This part of Baja is a surfer’s paradise and that’s exactly what we were looking for
On the road of Baja
In Baja, there is only one main road that goes from the Pacific side to the Sea of Cortez side. The advantage of this arrangement is that we can visit all the main places on the peninsula. On this road we stopped in the small village of San Ignacio which has a beautiful little church.
Baja's favourite: Punta Abreojos
This little village is a very nice surprise, a very undeveloped oceanfront, very natural with the view from the Camper on the point break. The waves are perfect for longboards. The few locals and tourists are all very friendly. Our days are punctuated by surfing, reading, good food, a little sport and beautiful sunsets. We arrived here thinking we would stay 1 night, we stayed 5 nights because we had no water and our dirty water was full of water. We could have stayed several more days as this place is a little paradise.
The only problem with Punta Abreojos is the sting rays. Some days there were thirty of them in the water. The problem with these stingrays is that if you step on them, they sting you and the pain is terrible. One lady we met told us that she has given birth to three children and the pain of a sting ray sting is worse than giving birth… not very tempting 😅 To avoid getting stung, you always have to drag your feet in the sand to make movement as they stay on the ground. If they feel the ground moving, they leave and so no stinging. We have adopted this procedure to the letter!
A touch of Hawaii in Baja
Baja is a peninsula that is very deserted so when we arrived in Mulegé, we were immersed in another world. We slept in a campsite between mango and banana trees, it was magical!
Camping in the fruit trees
Our first snorkeling trip
In Mulegé we bought a snorkeling kit and the salesman recommended a beach that has the best spot to swim with the fish. Playa La Escondida is a little paradise a few kilometres from Mulegé. We were glad to have a 4×4 as the road was pretty bad but it was worth it! We arrived at a small beach paradise with palapas (palm tree umbrellas) and turquoise water. We found a nice spot with the camper on the sand. The only negative point is the heat. During the night, the temperature hardly goes down (about 34 degrees) so unfortunately the next morning we go back to our next destination.
Seul au monde sur cette plage
The little Pueblo Loreto
We arrive in the small town of Loreto which is quite charming with its colourful village. We take the luxury of a campsite so that we can plug in to the electricity to use our air conditioning. We spend two quiet nights here, wandering the streets and enjoying the network to plan the rest of our trip.
Playa Conejo
On the iOverlander application we use (see our article on our 10 tips for a roadtrip), we see a spot to land and surf. To get to this beach, we had to drive 20 km on a 4×4 road between cactus, sand and holes… after 45 minutes, we see a nice beach. Unfortunately, we can’t surf because it’s too windy but we’re glad we stopped here.
The hippy chic village of Baja: Todos Santos
This village of Todos Santos, we have been waiting for a while. Indeed, everyone talks about it and we say that it would be the most beautiful village of Baja. We are not disappointed when we discover the colourful streets, the vegetation and the nice shops.
The plus of this place is that there is a beach at the end of the village to surf and where you can sleep for free, La Pastora. Two very positive points for us, sleeping for free and being able to surf, what more could we ask for? We settle down for a few days. Unfortunately, the surf is not there. The season starts in autumn. But that doesn’t stop us from enjoying this place!
Our sleeping spot on the beach
El Pescadero and its San Pedritos beach
The village of El Pescadero, a few kilometres to the south, is less touristy and has just as much charm. We spend several days on the beautiful San Pedritos beach. The spot is right on the beach and free. Again, we are not in the right period to surf so we will enjoy the beach itself.
Alone in the world on this beach
A beach with dolphins and lion seals
Just a few kilometres south, we arrive at a beach, Playa Bonita, which is beautiful. It is more pleasant to swim quietly without being swept away by big waves. In the distance we see dolphins, seals and flying rays. An incredible sight!
The dream surf spot in Baja
Just south of Baja, just before Cabo Pulmo National Park, we discover two incredible surf spots. La Fortuna and Nine Palms. La Fortuna is a surf spot for more advanced surfers. Audrey stays on the beach to take pictures of Benji because the waves are too big and break on the reef. But Nine Palms is a spot suitable for all levels. We both enjoy it as much as each other.
The Camper has never been so close to the water, barely 2 meters separate the door and the water 😁
These two spots are our second favourite after Punta Abreojos.
Nine Palms spot
La Fortuna spot
Unfortunately we had to leave Baja in a hurry to catch the ferry to Mazatlan as a big hurricane was coming our way. We would have liked to spend more time discovering the beaches for snorkeling on the side of the Sea of Cortez towards La Paz but Mother Nature decided otherwise.