“Oh, Mexico, it sounds so simple I just got to go. The sun’s so hot I forgot to go home…”
Anyone up for a driving holiday? Then check out the route from Tijuana along the beautiful Baja Peninsula to Cabo San Lucas on the peninsula’s southern tip…
Many visitors arrive in Tijuana via the border from San Diego. The world’s busiest international border crossing, the border area is also home to Avenida Revolucion, a ten block area of retail paradise, selling knock-off sunglasses, traditional Mexican handwoven rugs and tasty roadside food.
Tijuana is the biggest city in the Mexican state of Baja California, bursting with two million inhabitants. It boasts a thriving arts and music scene alongside a character-filled old town, which begins on Revolution Avenue and offers a true taste of 1950s Mexico.
Away from the charming old town, Tijuana has its fair share of seediness. Brothels, illegal cross-border business and tourist-tat pushers jostle along the red-dandy roads. It also has a legitimate thriving business face to it, stoked by assembly factories for industry giants including Sony and Samsung. It’s hot, it’s crowded, but it’s brilliant fun for a night or two.
Driving out of Tijuana towards Cabo San Lucas, you’ll head through a seemingly endless land of coastline, wild desert and – you guessed it – millions of cacti. The 1050 miles between the two also boasts four major mountain ranges- the Sierra Juarez, Sierra de San Pedro Martir, Sierra de la Giganta and Sierra de la Laguna – colonial ghost towns and dormant volcanoes.
The epic 25 hour drive will need to be broken down into manageable chunks, so planning where you want to stop could be a good idea. Ensenada, which lies an hour and a half south from Tijuana, offers beautiful views across Todos Santos Bay. Check out the date palms and pastel-hued buildings in San Ignacio or have a swim in the cool blue Sea of Cortés waters at Bahia de los Angeles.
Try out some whale-watching at Magdalena Bay between October and March each year and see the 300 species of living coral at western North America’s only living coral reef at Cabo Pulmo. All along the Baja’ – as it is known to locals – there is a host of fabulous surfing opportunities, along with deep sea fishing and sailing on offer. Remember, it’s all about the journey…
Cabo San Lucas is a celebrity favourite and a holiday paradise, boasting white beaches, clear waters, an impressive string of championship golf courses and handfuls of sport fishing and scuba diving opportunities. Oh, and did I mention the 360 days of sunshine each year? Check out www.allaboutcabo.com to read more about the area.
(Image: Wonderlane)
