Baja California’s Best Outdoor Activities: Your Top 5

Baja California, a long, slender peninsula south of California, that is really bursting with landscapes. So too, it’s almost an outdoor enthusiast’s wonderland. Think striking deserts meeting dramatic coastlines. Also throw in rugged mountains that, arguably, are really inviting adventures. Then, Baja delivers in pretty much all directions. We actually looked for experiences that go past the usual tourist stuff. What we ended up finding were the true heart of what makes Baja California rather memorable.

1. Kayaking Espiritu Santo Island

Okay, so you may have heard about Baja’s stunning marine life. So, let’s explore Espiritu Santo Island! Basically, this is more than only an average kayaking spot. In some respects, it might be a total sanctuary within a UNESCO protected location. What this means, is that, very beautiful turquoise waters meet volcanic rock formations that almost make you believe you’re on another planet. Usually you see colorful fish swimming directly below. As a matter of fact, you might also catch playful sea lions, too, that, at the end of the day, are actually really curious.

It really depends on the time of year of course. Often guided tours, those seem rather helpful, right? Actually these tours generally will bring some interesting stories. Clearly, the guides tend to discuss local ecosystems. On the other hand, you might discover a few of the island’s history as a pearl harvesting center. Or, I should probably say, where there were pearl harvesters ages ago. I mean, seriously, try to paddle that, actually.

What to bring: Bring plenty of water and sunscreen because, at the end of the day, the sun can be really intense. You know what would be totally helpful? Something you can cover your arms and shoulders with! Usually rash guards come in handy in this environment.

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2. Hiking in Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park

Think of Baja, and your mind probably goes straight to deserts. Right? Well, actually, let’s not overlook its mountains! Okay, so the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park provides that welcome difference to what people picture when they think of Baja. I mean this destination features pine forests. And so, that’s definitely unlike anything you would find near the coast. That makes a big difference to folks when it comes to choosing how to enjoy the beautiful scenery!

Sierra de San Pedro Mártir’s highlight, arguably, has to be Picacho del Diablo, I suppose. This is, arguably, the highest point within the whole peninsula. I mean it delivers panoramic views. When you’re looking at the landscape stretching out below, you see that this destination gives hikers various trails from really light day strolls to pretty difficult multi day treks. Apparently the higher you get in elevation, the cooler the temperature gets. I guess you could say it’s like it is in all the other mountain destinations across our planet.

By the way, the park comes with one thing you likely did not think was possible: That destination hosts the Observatorio Astronómico Nacional. Basically, this is definitely a place to view the stars. With virtually no light there, the area allows professionals to see into distant parts of outer space. Pretty much, there is virtually little atmospheric disturbance here, too.

Did you know? Mountain lions are quite numerous here so be attentive. Or should I actually state, really attentive!

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3. Surfing Todos Santos

So, Baja is truly rather well-known for surfing! Clearly Todos Santos adds an extreme challenge. So there is the big waves here. But the place offers the usual mellow vibes for smaller time visitors, too. However you need a boat to reach Isla Todos Santos. At any rate, that’s just off the coast.

Very experienced surfers usually check out this place because they understand how huge the waves become, arguably even some that rate amongst the globe’s largest. You hear legends of Cortes Bank nearby, don’t you? Very, very crazy that they take their boards and test the surf here at Todos Santos. Just try to do the same in a place like Nazaré!

If you just sort of want to explore surf schools, you could easily check out spots to grab gear. On the other hand, you might check out shops for surf related rentals and guidance in that region as well, by the way. At any rate you can often view some rather beautiful places up and down the Pacific highway! Honestly that seems really beneficial when considering the more quieter seasons, generally.

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4. Whale Watching in Magdalena Bay

Now, have you always wanted to see whales up close? Basically, Magdalena Bay is like a must see. Typically it turns into a place on the migration path of gray whales! Right, the grays show up from the arctic waters every winter. Just a little, you could actually have mothers come near your boat with their calves, too.

You usually have to schedule tours leaving from Puerto San Carlos and Lopez Mateos to get to them of course! The fishermen understand how these giants interact out there. That becomes quite an adventure on a small boat with a small tour group. So you’ll not only watch for the blows but you will likely pay attention for other things on the water.

Of course keep an eye out above the water, naturally, for the pelicans. Or, pretty much the gulls as well. You could watch wildlife with some tours also mixing that in to add to your experiences, I suggest.

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5. Mountain Biking in La Paz

So, perhaps you are wondering what place on this peninsula you could ride your bikes? Well, La Paz provides varied trail setups which, apparently, really handle any skill grade. At any rate the area blends hard trails with ocean scenes plus desert flats!

For instance, close to the city center, clearly you might seek singletrack trails. You could consider Cactus trails because their landscapes vary just a little from most other spots. What occurs around that city shows visitors many possibilities regarding technical levels!

In fact, the trails nearby allow visits across long distances. Also it looks as if certified firms can provide visitors transports as required. Honestly one gets an adventurous vibe from using any bicycle here I feel.

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