Going to Baja

[Aldo_9edc04]

Anyone here go down to Baja CA recently? It's been a dream of mine to drive down the peninsula and fish/surf.
Would love any first person experience and suggestions.

-Aldo

 

[MMc]

I was there last week and go about every 6 or 8 weeks. my trips are mostly 10 to 16 days, my first trip was 55+ years ago. I would like to know more about what you expect:
When do you plan to go?
How long is you planed for.
How much time off road do you want?
How much party time?
Do you want to fish from shore or boat? Are you taking a boat?
How good a surfer are you?
Do you want to snorkel?
Are you interested in missions and/or history?

The drive to Cabo 20 to 25 hours of drive time most do it in 2 or 3 days. You need to stop at at boarder and pick up a FMM. FFM is your permit good for 180 days and cost about 30 to 35 dollars (depends on the exchange rate). Nobody is going to make you do this, but it is the law. Auto ins from a Mexican approved insurance co. is a must. Baja Bound or Ride Baja are both good and will help you if you need it. talkbaja.com has a very complete first time driving instructions. Facebook sites are Talk Baja, Baja Overlanders. Most of the info. being posted is by folks that have done the drive a couple of times and think they are experts. They drive the highway and camp right off the highway. Surf sports are mostly off road an are well known. Baja isn't like Hawaii or into that always has surf, it mostly like So Cal. you can very often be waiting for it. I you want surf go the week before or the week after I go. I don't let other peoples fears determine what I do. I find Baja to be very safe and the locals are very caring and warm. DO NOT DO DRUGS IN MEXICO OR PLAY WITH PEOPLE THAT DO! Do not drive at night if possible, critters tend to stand on the road at night, a black cow in the middle road is hard to spot in the dark. Do not drive at night on Saturdays, it is a payday and many are drunk.
Baja isn't this hard core you might die kind of place. Van lifers and RV roll up and down it everyday! There is plenty of fuel and travelers are a big part of the economy. I know women that solo it in a Prius, VW vans and Subarus and have a great time, you will to.

I can send you down Baja 1000 roads, to beaches you'll be all by yourself, missions that older than any CA missions, great fishing spots and cool out of the ways places. Just give me some more info.

 

[Aldo_9edc04]

I was there last week and go about every 6 or 8 weeks. my trips are mostly 10 to 16 days, my first trip was 55+ years ago. I would like to know more about what you expect:
When do you plan to go?
How long is you planed for.
How much time off road do you want?
How much party time?
Do you want to fish from shore or boat? Are you taking a boat?
How good a surfer are you?
Do you want to snorkel?
Are you interested in missions and/or history?

The drive to Cabo 20 to 25 hours of drive time most do it in 2 or 3 days. You need to stop at at boarder and pick up a FMM. FFM is your permit good for 180 days and cost about 30 to 35 dollars (depends on the exchange rate). Nobody is going to make you do this, but it is the law. Auto ins from a Mexican approved insurance co. is a must. Baja Bound or Ride Baja are both good and will help you if you need it. talkbaja.com has a very complete first time driving instructions. Facebook sites are Talk Baja, Baja Overlanders. Most of the info. being posted is by folks that have done the drive a couple of times and think they are experts. They drive the highway and camp right off the highway. Surf sports are mostly off road an are well known. Baja isn't like Hawaii or into that always has surf, it mostly like So Cal. you can very often be waiting for it. I you want surf go the week before or the week after I go. I don't let other peoples fears determine what I do. I find Baja to be very safe and the locals are very caring and warm. DO NOT DO DRUGS IN MEXICO OR PLAY WITH PEOPLE THAT DO! Do not drive at night if possible, critters tend to stand on the road at night, a black cow in the middle road is hard to spot in the dark. Do not drive at night on Saturdays, it is a payday and many are drunk.
Baja isn't this hard core you might die kind of place. Van lifers and RV roll up and down it everyday! There is plenty of fuel and travelers are a big part of the economy. I know women that solo it in a Prius, VW vans and Subarus and have a great time, you will to.

I can send you down Baja 1000 roads, to beaches you'll be all by yourself, missions that older than any CA missions, great fishing spots and cool out of the ways places. Just give me some more info.

Thank you for responding! You seem like the right person to talk to. I am in the pre-pre-planning stage.
I would probably like to try August of 2024 (its when biz is slow for me). I might consider a very short trip this year to get a feel for it.

I've never surfed, but want to learn. I would fish from the sand (unless I get a kayak set up).

For my eventual ideal trip, I think a week of camping/driving in baja would be my plan. I don't necessarily need to get to Cabo. I've been there a few times already. Any other beach towns, missions, and unique sites would be ideal. I would be ground tent camping as well.

Besides prep and gear, I am also concerned about safety and crime. My family in and outside Mexico don't recommend driving in, but they also don't live in Baja.

Thanks again!

 

[WesternExplorer]

I’m interested in taking 7-10 days from the Mexicali side and down to San Felipe and then down from there. Like to fish from the beach and camp along the way both in camp grounds and non camp ground sites. Would like to meet up and do this trip with a couple other rigs..where can I find others interested in doing this trip?

 

[MMc]

Thank you for responding! You seem like the right person to talk to. I am in the pre-pre-planning stage.
I would probably like to try August of 2024 (its when biz is slow for me). I might consider a very short trip this year to get a feel for it.

I've never surfed, but want to learn. I would fish from the sand (unless I get a kayak set up).

For my eventual ideal trip, I think a week of camping/driving in baja would be my plan. I don't necessarily need to get to Cabo. I've been there a few times already. Any other beach towns, missions, and unique sites would be ideal. I would be ground tent camping as well.

Besides prep and gear, I am also concerned about safety and crime. My family in and outside Mexico don't recommend driving in, but they also don't live in Baja.

Thanks again!

I will glad to provide more info. as you need.
If you want to learn to surf, start now surf schools are going at full swing right now, it takes quite a while to become proficient.
Fishing from the shore can be really fun also.
There are plenty of Missions and rock art to see, depending on what you want I can give you some ideas. I would start with a 3 or 4 day trip just for fun. The pacific side south of Ensenada is get in the summer. you should check it out.
Safety: I feel safe floting around Baja, I don't do drugs and stay away from people that do. For most part my camp is secure when I am not around. I don't want to encourage opportunity thefts, that drugies are looking for an easy score. The drug Cartels don't care you unless you get in their way, so stay out of their way. Be vigilant and you be fine. There are thousands of people traveling and touristing everyday in Baja, van lifers, RV's, surfers, and packs of overland packs are all enjoying themselves. I do not let other peoples fears determine how I live and travel.

 

[MMc]

I’m interested in taking 7-10 days from the Mexicali side and down to San Felipe and then down from there. Like to fish from the beach and camp along the way both in camp grounds and non camp ground sites. Would like to meet up and do this trip with a couple other rigs..where can I find others interested in doing this trip?

Good trip, It will be very HOT durning the summer, from Mexicali to San Felipe is boring south, services are very limited. I would consider going to the Pacific side in the summer. There are groups on the internet that are set up to hook like folks that want to travel to Baja, I am not familiar with them as I go with a girlfriend 1 other Rig. There are also guys that offer pay to play trips. If you want some ideas as to places both sides PM me or search the archives here.

 

[DosTacos]

I’m interested in taking 7-10 days from the Mexicali side and down to San Felipe and then down from there. Like to fish from the beach and camp along the way both in camp grounds and non camp ground sites. Would like to meet up and do this trip with a couple other rigs..where can I find others interested in doing this trip?

I'm looking at something similar. I would probably want to go in the late winter/early-spring time frame though. Drive down from Mexicali to San Felipe and then further to Bahia Concepcion/Mulege or Loreto. I just want to fish, camp on the beach, eat fish tacos and essentially bum around for about 10 days. I've watched a lot of YT videos, read a ton of blogs, and follow most of the pages MMc listed above and feel confident this would be a great trip, I just need to commit. If I end up putting serious dates on the calendar, I'll let you know.

 

[MMc]

I'm looking at something similar. I would probably want to go in the late winter/early-spring time frame though. Drive down from Mexicali to San Felipe and then further to Bahia Concepcion/Mulege or Loreto. I just want to fish, camp on the beach, eat fish tacos and essentially bum around for about 10 days. I've watched a lot of YT videos, read a ton of blogs, and follow most of the pages MMc listed above and feel confident this would be a great trip, I just need to commit. If I end up putting serious dates on the calendar, I'll let you know.

The YT videos and blogs are pretty funny to me. Most come from LOOK! at what I discovered, see how cool I am traveling to the wilds of Baja. Baja is so much easier now. In the 80's Ice and being able to let family know you were good were tasks that could be trying. At many towns the generators would shut down about 10:00 or 11:00 , start back up about 6:00. It is getting hard to call traveling in Baja an adventure, I don't think many YT or bloggers would fair very well back then. Surfers were crawling all over in what ever they drove and would only share spots around a campfire. Baja just keeps getting smaller and easier, great for the locals. I still love it and go as much as I can.