Overview & Highlights
Explore the raw desert scenery of Baja Peninsula, its palm-sheltered oases, small colonial mission towns and secret white-sand beaches with the freedom guaranteed by a self-drive hire car.
The skeletal Baja Peninsula, separated from the Mexican mainland by the narrow Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) consists of the bare bones of crinkled mountains sliced through by parched canyons. This pitiless landscape, infused with an ethereal beauty, has always been a challenge to human settlement, from the indian hunters of millennia ago to the Jesuit colonists of the Spanish era. Farmers still scratch a living in miniscule oases and fishermen scour the seas off the bays and cliffs of the craggy coast.
In modern times development has centred on the southern coast which attracts millions of visitors every year lured by the luxury resorts of Cabo. However, away from the fleshpots, you can explore the real Baja, its exquisite, other-worldly interior, its quiet colonial towns, the uninhabited flour-white beaches and aquamarine bays. What better way than in by self-drive car-hire: travel the trans-peninsula Highway 1, completed only in 1973, and discover along it or within easy reach the lesser-known delights of Baja. You’ll find prehistoric cave paintings, abandoned missions and national parks – home to a surprisingly robust wildlife. Stop off at the slow-paced towns San Ignacio and Loreto, both recalling the style and elegance of the Spanish era and from where, January to April, you can view whales and dolphins up close.
- Explore the highlights of Mexico City
- Discover the unique landscapes and remote environments of Baja California
- Go whale watching along the Pacific coast and relax on its beaches
THE UK’S NO. 1 SPECIALIST IN TRAVEL TO LATIN AMERICA
Paul Winrow-Giffin
Travel Expert
Outline itinerary
Day 1
Arrive Mexico City, transfer to hotel in historic core.
Day 2
Guided tour of Mexico City and Teotihuacan Pyramids.
Day 3
Fly to La Paz, collect car, self-drive to Loreto.
Day 4
At leisure in Loreto, blue-whale watching (late Jan-early April).
Day 5
Self-drive from Loreto to San Ignacio.
Day 6
Grey whale-watching (mid-Jan to mid-Apr)
Day 7
Day at leisure, optional visits to cave paintings and El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve.
Day 8
Self-drive back to Loreto.
Day 9
Self-drive to La Paz.
Day 10
Day at leisure to enjoy beach club.
Day 11
Optional kayaking or visit to Todos Santos.
Day 12
Drop off car at La Paz airport
Things to do
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Accommodation
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Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.
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