Favorite Baja Places

FAVORITE BAJA PLACES Favorite Baja Places

I would like to take a little "poetic license" and tell you about my favorite places in Baja. They may not be yours as our tastes will vary, but to me they are very special and capture the real flavor of Baja.

They are a mix of towns, places, hotels and resturants and are presented in no particular order.

TODOS SANTOS

Todos Santos means " All Saints" in Spanish and I am sure it would please all the saints. This little town is about sixty miles north of busy, touristy Cabo San Lucas on the Pacific side of Highway 1, the old Highway 19. It is most famous for being the home of the Hotel California. The song the Eagles rock group made popular. The Hotel California is still there and opens and closes with new owners from time to time. It used to be off the beaten track but now is a tourist attraction on Highway 1. Go see it if you must, but it is not what Todos Santos is about.

Todos Santos is what I remember Cabo San Lucas to be about thirty years ago. The old town square is there, with the village church at one end. Clusters of old store fronts surround the square with art galleries and real estate office being the primary business. Never very crowded, Todos Santos was discovered years ago by surfers from California, who claimed it for the very own. Surf shops are here and there among the old houses and you still see the occasional beach buggy with boards on the roof heading for anyone of the many wonderful beaches. Now there are a few B and B's or "Botique" hotels in Todos Santos. Most have web sites and two to four rooms. To find them, put "Todos Santos" into any search engine. (don't forget the quotation marks). No TV, no phones but wonderful tranquility. One of the best is Hotel La Poza. A new four room hotel on the beach front. Its a mile down a bumpy dirt road but worth the ride. New modern rooms and a beautiful beach right in front of the hotel make this the only "on the beach" hotel in Todos Santos.They also have a wonderful resturant. Visit them at www.lapoza.com.

The best resturant in Baja is in this little town.

Its on the town square and is identified by a small plaque by the front door. "Cafe Santa Fe". Santa Fe in Spanish means Holy place and the Cafe Santa Fe is one of those once in a lifetime finds. Open for lunch and dinner, the cusine is Northern Italian, or maybe a little of Baja but regardless of what you call it, it's fantastic. Prices are the same as in the US but fortunaly they take credit cards. The cafe also has an excellent wine celler. The ambiance of the garden setting, the fantastic food, wonderful service make this little piece of heaven a absolute stop for me if I am within a hundred miles.

Todos Santos has some of the best, undiscovered beaches in Baja. North of town the beach runs for miles and miles. Just take the road at the end of the town square, turn left and you will have more virgin beach that anyone could ever imagine. The coast to the south has headlands every few miles and lot of beautiful beaches. My favorite is called San Pedro, (Saint Peter) or Playa Las Palmas, (Palm Beach).

No matter what you call it, its beautiful. It is nestled between two rocky headlands about a mile apart and guarded on the shore side by a lagoon with a thousand palm trees. I have never seen San Pedro with more than ten people enjoying the surf and sand. Depending on the tide the beach is about two hundred feet wide. Thats a lot of sand. There is a makeshift palapa (palm hut) on the sand dune between the beach and the lagoon. First come first served. If your offended by nudity this may be the wrong beach for you as bathing suits may be missing from some folks. The Europeans find this beach and drive up from Cabo, so many ladies go topless. The beach is so big and wide and beautiful that the sun bathers are of minor interest. The water is warm and the surf gentle most of the year. No lifeguards so use good judgement and don't go in the water when the wind is howling and the surf is up. There are no services so you need to bring everything you will want to use on the beach.

If your driving up from Cabo you can buy a cheap foam cooler at any Super Mercado and load up your picnic supplies. Bring a towel, swimsuits and a smile. Oh! I guess I should tell you how to find it. It is about three miles south of Todos Santos and about a mile down a dirt road. Your rental car will make it just fine. Go slow and watch for oncoming traffic. If your driving north from Cabo you will go through the small fishing town of El Pescador before you get to Todos Santos. There is a house with a sign saying Baja Surf Shop on your right, the turn off is on your left and there is a sign in Spanish. The key words your looking for is San Pedro. Exit off the road slowly and carefully. Watch for wet spots (mud) or soft spots (sand). Drive around them and when you get to the palm grove you will see other cars parked so pick a spot on hard ground. If your not sure, stop, get out and walk around.

If you driving south from Todos Santos, look at your milage as you leave Todos Santos go about two and one half miles and look for the San Pedro sign just off the road on your right. Be sure to pack up your trash when you leave. If you like beaches you will ove this place.

SAN IGNACIO

Everyone who has driven Baja falls in love with San Ignacio. This small desert oasis is not hard to find but those who stay on Highway 1, will only see the PeMex gas station as they hurry East to the Sea of Cortez, or West heading for the border. San Ignacio is about 39 miles West of Santa Rosealia and the Sea of Cortez. It is at about 3500 feet elevation. Its a beautiful oasis with thousands of palm trees, an original Mission church, real old Baja town square, lake, and La Pinta Hotel. Plan you trip around a stay here. You will need reservations for the hotel as it sells out in season with Eco-tourists visiting the giant pictographs in the desert and the whales in the Lagoons. You can make reservations at La Pinta Hotels from the US at 1-800-262-4500.

ENSENADA CORAL HOTEL AND MARINA

I have probably suffered every hotel in Ensenada at one time or another over the last 40 years but it was only until a few years ago that Ensenada build a real live full service international class hotel. The Coral looks like a big office building from Highway one.Don't let the highway side fool you. The signage is poor and it's easy to drive by. As highway one splits just outside of Ensenada take the turn to the right and pull off the road immeditly. Your there. All the rooms are great. The Coral offers big discounts Monday through Thursday bring the rent down to $80US per night. Two outdoor pools, an indoor pool, weight room, good resturant, nice bar, direct dial telephones to the US, cable TV that works and even room service. The marina is full of boats. Some going north or south. Others avoiding some California sales tax by taking a short 90 day Mexican cruse. I always make this hotel a stop.

CARNIVAL IN LA PAZ

They talk about Carnival in Rio, but the Carnival celebration in La Paz is "El Fiesta Mejor de Baja". In other words the best party in Baja. The party starts five days before Ash Wednesday. There is a parade on the Malicon (seawall) every night about dark. The resturants and cafes put chairs and tables out on the sidewalks so you can have a lesiurely dinner and drinks as you watch the parade. My favorite spot for parade watching is any one of several second story resturants. Sitting on the balconys, watching the action and not having to fight the crowds. Every farmer, rancher and tourist within a hundred miles is in town. It's real Mexico so have a ball and enjoy yourself. Five days may be a long party for us NorteAmericanos, but La Paz is a great City and worth a several day visit. (WORK IN PROGRESS 04-02)