Just off the East Cape of Baja California Sur, Cabo Pulmo National Park protects a 70-sq-km area within the Sea of Cortez, famously described by French explorer Jaques Cousteau as the "World's Aquarium". What may seem like hyperbole is actually the most fitting description available for Cabo Pulmo National Park— a hidden gem whose marine diversity truly rivals that of the Galapagos, southern Thailand, and even the[...]
Coming fresh from a year of vanlife in the American West, we were convinced that Baja would present a big change to our usual boondocking and free camping— we expected mostly paid campgrounds and crowded RV Parks, and even fretted about how we'd find clean drinking water or fuel in between towns. In reality, camping couldn't be easier in Baja, and we spent a measly $24USD on camping for our entire 6 weeks on t[...]
Only 50 miles out of Mexicali but a world away from the city bustle of 1 million people lies one of Baja's most incredible hidden gems, a natural hot spring nestled into a palm-fringed granite canyon where it's possible to soak in private rock pools as the sun descends over the mountains. And as enchanting as that description or even photos may seem, just know that the magic out here is far beyond what can be captur[...]
Baja is one of the best destinations in the world for vanlife— whether it's road-tripping down the peninsula in a converted van or just posting up for months at a beautiful beach in an RV, thousands of yearly travellers make Baja their home away from home. And yet, so few of these travellers ever make the jaunt across to mainland Mexico! Although it may lack some of Baja's ease and unspoilt ruggedness, the[...]
For our last week in Baja, we drove north from Cabo along the wild Pacific Coast to explore Todos Santos, which ended up being one of our favourite destinations on the peninsula. It was genuinely difficult to tear ourselves away from the beaches, whales, and sea turtles— but we had a ferry to catch onwards to mainland Mexico for the next leg of this epic adventure! What we've been up to this week Todos Santo[...]
Enjoying our time in Cabo Pulmo National Park so much last week (and missing it the moment we drove away), we ended up driving right back up to Baja’s East Cape at the start of this week and sacrificing time in the busy resort centres of San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. It was the best decision we could have made and a great farewell to the Sea of Cortez, which has been our playground for the last month.[...]
For all the fascinating marine life and incredible creatures who inhabit the Sea of Cortez, perhaps none is more impressive than the whale shark (tiburón ballena, en español), a plankton-feeding carpet shark whose calm grace and striking beauty belie its almost incomprehensible size. Reaching an average 40ft and 20 tons, these are not only the largest sharks in the ocean, but one of the largest animals al[...]
Starting off with a visit to the only place I’d ever been in Baja before (and a big part of why I pushed so hard to bring the van down here in the first place— charming little La Ventana), this was an incredibly full week of kayaking and snorkelling in Cabo Pulmo National Park on the East Cape. If we were impressed by the marine life in Baja before, we were simply blown away by what we discovered in Cabo Pulmo,[...]
Travelling deeper into the heart of Baja California Sur, we discovered several of the peninsula’s best beaches and experienced some true magic in between. From kayaking right out of our van door into the crystal-clear Bahía Concepción to swimming alongside enormous whale sharks in the Bay of La Paz, this was a truly spectacular week on the road and really proved that we can be as active in Baja as anywhere[...]
Our first full week in Baja was every bit as magical as we might have hoped, and perhaps even more so— it was an incredible blend of secluded beaches whose quiet bays teemed with marine life, vibrant cactus gardens extending all the way to the water’s edge, ancient cobbled towns, and palm-fringed emerald lagoons. We can hardly wait to explore more! What we've been up to this week Bahía de Los Ángeles, Ba[...]
Bordering the southern USA for a whopping 2,000 miles, Mexico presents one of the best (and easiest) opportunities for Americans and Canadians to experience international vanlife— and yet so many travellers are intimidated by the permit process, the border crossing, and the perceived difficulty of driving their van through a foreign country. There are definitely a few challenges, but almost all of these a[...]
As a condition of driving your vehicle into Mexico (the Baja Peninsula OR mainland), you are required to obtain a Mexican auto insurance policy that, at minimum, covers third-party liability. When that vehicle is a valuable van or camper (and especially your home), it's even more vital to have a comprehensive policy that protects against life's many calamities! We were pretty concerned about this (given how hard[...]
After weeks of intensive preparation, we crossed the border into Mexico this week and spent a magical few days exploring the northern section of Baja California, slowly heading south from Mexicali to San Felipe. It’s safe to say we’ve been suitably impressed by the wild beauty of the peninsula, the abundance of scenic camping, and (of course) the tacos— Baja may just be our grandest adventure yet. We cr[...]