South Baja California - Mexico

The Baja California peninsula is a beautiful area to travel. It is very safe part of Mexico and is frequented by Americans and Canadians. On the east side is the Sea of Cortez which was named the aquarium of the sea by Jacques Cousteau. The west side is the Pacific Ocean.

You can easily fly to the Sourthern Baja from Canada and land at San Jose del Cabo or Loreto. Cars can be rented from both airports and dropped off at the other airport. We rented from FOX rental car and decided to purchase the Mexican Insurance so we would have no problems when it was time to leave. It is important to purchase Mexican insurance even if you think you are covered on your own policy.  Don't purchase insurance online before arriving as you may not be covered. We have heard stories that people are not allowed to leave Mexico if they have an accident until it is solved or the vehicles are repaired when you don't have local insurance.

When traveling in Mexico you will be constantly approached about going to a time share presentation. Be aware that you get nothing for free without giving up your time and a very successful marketing presentation. Buyer Beware!

There are a variety of accommodations available in Cabo San Lucas and Jan Jose del Cabo. You can choose all inclusive, partial inclusive and hotels or hostels without meals. Bus transportation is available but remember that the drivers speak Spanish.


Driving from Cabo to La Paz the capital of Baja Sur is an easy drive. Part of the road is a divided highway the remaining is two lanes without shoulders. When we drove there was very little traffic and took about two and a half hours. There are mountains on the left called the Sierra de la Laguna.

We choose to stay downtown at the HBlue Hotel. The hotel is located downtown which allows you to easily walk to restaurants and the Malacon. The top of the hotel has a pool and a lounge area. This is a great spot to watch the sunset. La Paz faces west which provides for beautiful sunsets along the east side of Baja California.

We went to La Paz to have the opportunity to snorkel with the Whale Sharks. We choose to go with VIP Tours as their reviews are excellent.

We had an excellent trip and the opportunity to snorkel with the sea lion pups.

Snorkel Trip

From La Paz we continued to drive north on Highway 1 to Loreto. The highway after La Paz changes to a two lane road with no shoulders. Traffic drives fast on the highway and there were no police the whole trip. When you enter a town watch out for the toupees or bumps in the road to slow the traffic. The drive is easy and  will take about three and half hours. The desert was beautiful to drive through as the rainy season had just ended and the plants were still green. You pass through the Sierra de la Giganta Mountains.