TRAIL MAINTENANCE: MOSTLY UNMAINTAINED DIRT TRAILS, AND MAINTAINED PAVED ROADS (WE WERE EXPECTING THE PAVED ROADS TO BE IN MUCH WORSE CONDITION AND WERE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY THE LACK OF GIANT POTHOLES WE ENCOUNTERED.)

 

NAVIGATION: MOST COMMON ROUTES ARE EASILY NAVIGABLE, BUT SOME OF THE MORE REMOTE, LESS VISITED PLACES HAVE SOME ROUTE FINDING CHALLENGES. (WE ADDED A LOT OF PINSTRIPES TO THE RIG BECAUSE OF THIS.)

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CROWDS: THERE ARE SOME PLACES IN BAJA THAT ARE VERY POPULAR (MANY WITH GOOD REASON) AND TEND TO BE CROWDED. THIS IS TRUE PARTICULARLY IN THE WINTER MONTHS WHEN SNOWBIRDS FLOCK DOWN FROM CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES. BUT BAJA IS A PLACE WHERE IT IS POSSIBLE TO GET AWAY FROM THE CROWDS IF YOU JUST GET OFF THE BEATEN PATH A LITTLE.

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KEY COORDINATES:

• STARTING POINT- U.S.-MEXICO BORDER AT OTAY MESA: 32.550216, -116.938381 

• FAVORITE CAMPS:

  • GUADALUPE CANYON OASIS HOT SPRINGS: 32.153716, -115.789147 (THERE IS A SECOND CAMP IN THE SAME AREA CALLED GUADALUPE CANYON HOT SPRINGS, WHICH WE HAVE NOT STAYED AT, THAT ALSO HAS SITES WITH ACCESS TO THE HOT SPRINGS)

  • SHELL ISLAND, PERCEBU: 30.79283, -114.69993

  • RANCHO GRANDE, BAHÍA SAN LUIS GONZAGA: 29.79229, -114.39641

  • PLAYA ESCONDIDA, BAHÍA CONCEPCIÓN: 26.74508, -111.89561

  • LOS PETATES, SAN IGNACIO: 27.29686, -112.89813

• NOTEWORTHY POINTS:

  • GENERAL'S VILLA: 31.908129, -115.672140

  • PUERTECITOS HOT SPRINGS: 30.34653, -114.63599

  • COCO'S CORNER: 29.51708, -114.29118 (COCO TOLD US HE WAS PLANNING ON MOVING CLOSER TOWARDS THE MAIN ROAD, SO THIS MAY NO LONGER BE THE COORDINATES FOR HIS RESIDENCE IF HE HAS MOVED.)

  • DUNAS DE SOLEDAD (SAND DUNES): 28.042706, -114.025243

  • CATAVIÑA: 29.761861, -114.757496

  • PLAYA SOCORRO: 30.347189, -115.839525 

• FAVORITE TACO JOINTS:

  • NO NAME (THAT WE KNOW OF) ON CALZADA CHETUMAL AT CORNER OF MAR MUERTO IN SAN FELIPE: 31.026604, -114.845763

  • CHINA'S PLACE IN BAHÍA DE LOS ÁNGELES: 28.954081, -113.559513

  • NO NAME (THAT WE KNOW OF)ON ÁLVARO OBREGON BETWEEN BANAMEX AND PANADERIA EL BOLEO IN SANTA ROSALÍA: 27.336408, -112.269646 (SO THIS ONE ISN'T A TACO SPOT, BUT THEIR MACHACA BURRITOS ARE WORTH STOPPING FOR.)

• ENDING POINT-  U.S.-MEXICO BORDER AT OTAY MESA: 32.550216, -116.938381

 

LOGISTICS AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: THERE ARE A FEW LOGISTICAL ITEMS TO NOTE AND THINGS TO BE AWARE OF BEFORE GOING TO BAJA:

• MEXICAN TOURIST VISA (FMM): VISITORS ARE REQUIRED TO GET MEXICAN TOURIST VISAS, WHICH COST ABOUT $30.00. YOU CAN GET AN FMM ONLINE BEFORE GOING TO MEXICO OR AT THE IMMIGRATION OFFICE AT THE BORDER. EVEN IF YOU GET YOUR FMM ONLINE AHEAD OF TIME, YOU MUST STILL STOP BY THE IMMIGRATION OFFICE TO GET THE OFFICIAL STAMP ON IT. WE PURCHASE OUR FMM BEFORE A TRIP AND IT HAS TAKEN US NO MORE THAN 5 MINUTES TO GET OUR STAMPS FROM THE IMMIGRATION OFFICE AT THE BORDER WHEN WE CROSS IN THE EARLY MORNING.

• CAR INSURANCE: YOU MUST HAVE MEXICAN CAR INSURANCE WHEN TRAVELING THROUGH BAJA. WE HAVE USED BAJA BOUND INSURANCE AND HAD NO ISSUES. LUCKILY, WE HAVEN'T HAD TO USE OUR INSURANCE, BUT BAJA BOUND MAKES THE PROCESS OF GETTING INSURANCE A BREEZE AND ARE VERY HELPFUL IN ANSWERING QUESTIONS WE HAD.

• CELL SERVICE AND INTERNET: CELL SERVICE AND INTERNET CAN BE CHARACTERIZED AS SPOTTY AT BEST FOR MOST OF THE PLACES WE HAVE TRAVELED AROUND IN BAJA. THERE ARE CERTAINLY A LOT OF RESTAURANTS THAT HAVE WI-FI AND CELL SERVICE IS NO PROBLEM IN MOST LARGER TOWNS, BUT VERY FEW OF THE PLACES WE CAMPED OR DIRT ROADS WE TRAVERSED IN BAJA HAD ANY KIND OF CELL SERVICE OR INTERNET. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE MAPS DOWNLOADED IN ADVANCE AND WE RECOMMEND BRINGING A COMMUNICATION DEVICE LIKE A GARMIN INREACH EXPLORER+ OR INREACH MINI IN CASE OF EMERGENCY OR TO JUST CHECK IN WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY BACK HOME.

• MILITARY CHECK POINTS: YOU WILL LIKELY CROSS THROUGH SEVERAL MILITARY CHECK POINTS WHILE DRIVING THROUGH BAJA. THERE IS NO REASON TO BE FREAKED OUT BY THE MEN HOLDING MACHINE GUNS AT THESE CHECK POINTS. WHEN YOU GET TO A CHECK POINT, SIMPLY ROLL DOWN ALL OF YOUR WINDOWS SO THAT THE MEN CAN SEE INSIDE YOUR VEHICLE. IF THEY CAN SEE THAT YOU ARE NOT TRYING TO HIDE ANYTHING, THEY USUALLY JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE COMING FROM AND WHERE YOU ARE GOING. THEY MAY ASK IF THEY CAN LOOK INSIDE THE VEHICLE, BUT THEY ARE LESS LIKELY TO DO THIS IF YOU ALREADY HAVE YOUR WINDOWS DOWN SO THEY CAN SEE INSIDE. WE'VE ONLY BEEN SENT TO SECONDARY INSPECTION ON ONE OCCASION, AND IT WAS MUCH OF THE SAME THING PLUS A FEW ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. 

• SAFETY: THERE IS A LOT OF HYPE ABOUT HOW DANGEROUS MEXICO IS. OF COURSE THERE ARE AREAS THAT PRESENT A GREATER RISK BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE OF DRUG CARTELS AND POVERTY, BUT OUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT ON THE WHOLE BAJA CALIFORNIA IS A PRETTY SAFE PLACE. THERE ARE PLACES IT IS PROBABLY BEST TO AVOID (PARTICULARLY SOME NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE LARGER BORDER TOWNS), BUT THE SAME CAN BE SAID OF CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS IN LOS ANGELES OR CHICAGO. IF YOU REMAIN AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS AND DON'T TAKE UNNECESSARY RISKS, YOUR SHOULDN'T BE IN ANY MORE DANGER IN BAJA THAN YOU ARE AT HOME.

 

OUR TAKE: IT IS SAID THAT ONCE YOU GO TO BAJA CALIFORNIA, YOU CAN'T STOP GOING BACK. WE COULDN'T AGREE MORE. WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OF OUR FIRST TRIP, WE WERE ALREADY BACK AGAIN EXPLORING SOME NEW AREAS. WE HAVE A RUNNING LIST OF PLACES IN BAJA THAT WE WANT TO GO ON FUTURE VISITS THAT KEEPS GROWING LONGER, SO WE EXPECT A LOT MORE TRIPS TO BAJA IN OUR FUTURE. 

 

BAJA OFFERS GORGEOUS SCENERY, DELICIOUS FOOD, WARM PEOPLE, FUN ROADS, BEAUTIFUL CAMPSITES, AFFORDABILITY, AND A SENSE OF ADVENTURE THAT IS ADDICTING. IT HAS ALL THE INGREDIENTS FOR AN EPIC OVERLANDING JOURNEY. THE POSSIBILITIES FOR GRAND ADVENTURE ARE LIMITLESS IN BAJA.