Four Day Road Trip in Baja California Sur

Baja California Sur is a sun-soaked peninsula that hangs off of the western coast of Mexico like a wayward thumb. The skinny Mexican state, occupying the southern half of the Baja California Peninsula, is known for its dramatic landscapes where desert the meets sea. From the cactus-speckled Sierra de la Laguna mountains to the crystal-clear waters of the Sea of Cortez, it boasts beautiful rugged scenery, windswept beaches and secluded bays.

Baja Sur’s capital, La Paz, offers a laid-back vibe and an oceanfront malecón that shows off breathtaking sunsets. At its southern tip, Cabo San Lucas buzzes with nightlife and luxury resorts. And in between, you’ll see everything from artsy pueblos magicos to timeshare-filled resort strips.

 

Four Day Itinerary for Baja Sur

I’ve visited Baja California on two separate trips, each focusing on the southern tip of the peninsula. The first trip consisted of a weekend in Cabo San Lucas with Dan’s family. While spending two days in Cabo San Lucas only allowed us to explore the tip of the iceberg (or peninsula in this case), it gave us a taste of the area’s vibrant atmosphere, its sun-kissed beaches, and its surrounding scenery.

The second trip to Baja entailed a relaxing getaway in San Jose del Cabo with some friends from college. At guests at their timeshare, we tagged along and followed their lead with a chilled-out week of pool-lounging and margarita-sipping. For two days after our stay with them, we rented a car and explored the area around La Paz and Todos Santos.

As active travelers who typically choose to fill our itineraries with a mix of leisure and sightseeing, our recommended four day Baja California Sur itinerary takes in a combination of the region’s natural landmarks and vibrant cities.

 

Day 1: Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas, once a sleepy fishing village at the tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, is a booming resort town known for its all-inclusive accommodations, its raging parties and its stunning natural beauty. It is a place that attracts both luxury vacationers and rowdy spring breakers.

And, as a result, it is exactly the type of place that Dan and I generally try to avoid when planning our travels.

But Cabo is about more than just a resort-filled party destination with overpriced margaritas There are beautiful beaches and rock formations around town that are worth visiting during your trip to Baja Sur.

 

• Lover’s Beach

Lover’s Beach (and the adjacent Divorce Beach) are picturesque stretches of sand nestled between two prominent granite rock formations at Land’s End. A swimmable beach on the Sea of Cortez side of the rock outcroppings, its waters are crystal-clear and ideal for snorkeling.

Just a short walk away is Divorce Beach, known for its powerful waves and striking contrast to the calm waters of Lover’s Beach.

To reach the beaches, you can take a water taxi from the Cabo San Lucas Marina or Médano Beach.

We visited Lover’s Beach by water taxi, early in the morning. Since the beach inaccessible on foot, we were able to enjoy some solitude on the beach before boatloads of hungover tourists descended on its shores.

We admired the towering rock sculptures, the azure ocean and the group of whales spouting water in the distance.

Alone on the beach, it was almost easy to forget that we were a stone’s throw from one of Mexico’s top resort destinations.

 

• Land’s End

Land’s End is where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez. The scenery there is dramatic, wild and in sharp contrast to the meticulously manicured waterfront at Medano Beach. Its most famous feature is a El Arco—a natural rock arch that has become the de facto symbol of Cabo San Lucas.

The rugged rock sculptures of Lands End are a testament to the forces of tidal and wind erosion that have shaped the area.

Lovers and Divorce Beach lie among the rock spires and arches of Land’s End.

We booked a forty-five minute boat trip from Playa Medano that brought us past sunbathing seals, towering rock spires and Cabo’s famous natural sea arch. As we cruised around the area, we kept a lookout for whales.

You can either visit the Land’s End formations by kayak, or as part of a motorboat tour.

Boat tours depart from the Cabo San Lucas Marina and provide up-close views of El Arco, rock spires, and sea lion colonies. Some tours include whale-watching, while others provide access to Lover’s Beach and the opportunity to snorkel.

 

• Playa Médano

The warm waters of Playa Médano offer a perfect environment for swimming, beach-lounging and water sports.

Stretching over two miles along the Sea of Cortez, the popular beach in Cabo San Lucas boasts soft golden sand and clean clear water.

Filled with sunbathing tourists, eyesore hotels and vendors selling tacky souvenirs, Playa Médano is a prototypical resort beach. Every few minutes, we encountered vendors trying to sell anything from bracelets, to T-shirts, to photo opportunities with sombrero-wearing iguanas.

Though we tend to stray away from crowded beaches that are lined with hotels and high-rises, we enjoyed cooling off in the water of Playa Médano and soaking up a bit of Vitamin D. Especially when we ventured to the less-developed eastern reaches of Playa Médano.

 

Day 2: San José del Cabo

San José del Cabo, located about 40 minutes northeast of Cabo San Lucas, offers a more laid-back and traditional experience compared to its lively neighbor. It acts as a popular base for exploring the attractions of Baja California Sur.

While farther removed from the iconic attractions at Land’s End, the city is a good mix of quaint architecture, sweeping beaches, and wildlife retreats.

 

• Downtown San José del Cabo

The historic center of San José del Cabo boasts cobblestone streets and Spanish colonial architecture. Its streets are chock-full of  art galleries, boutiques, restaurants, and cozy cafés.

Mission San José del Cabo Church, the central feature of lively Plaza Mijares,  dates back to the 18th century.

San José del Cabo is also known for its thriving art scene, particularly during the Art Walk—a weekly event held from November to June, where galleries open their doors in the evening for visitors to enjoy local art, music, and culture.

 

• Estero San José

Had I not been staying at my friend’s timeshare that was practically adjacent to the San José Estuary, I probably would have never even known it existed. The estuary sits right up against the hotel zone in San José del Cabo, and is only a short walk from the city’s downtown.

The estuary’s wetlands provide an ecosystem that is unlike any other in Baja Sur. It serves as an important stop along the the Pacific Flyway, hosting an array of migratory birds that travel between their breeding grounds in North America and their wintering grounds in Central and South America.

The estuary is formed by the confluence of freshwater from the Sierra de la Laguna mountains and the salty waters of the Sea of Cortez. More than 250 species of birds, including the endemic Belding’s yellowthroat, have been recorded in the area.

The estuary was declared a Natural Protected Area in 1994. It faces growing environmental challenges due to the unfettered urban development of the area. Hurricanes, too, have wreaked recent havoc on the ecosystem. Conservation efforts are ongoing to protect and restore the wetland, with local organizations seeking to strike a balance between tourism and ecological preservation.

While it is among the most important birding destinations in Baja, the estuary feels like an afterthought. Of the thousands of people who stay at the massive eyesore hotels on the strip, I wager that only a tiny fraction make their way to the freshwater oasis.

 

• Whale Watching

Spouting whales are a common sight in the sparkling Sea of Cortez.

Every year, from December to April, majestic humpback and gray whales migrate from the cold waters of the Arctic to the warm, sheltered breeding grounds of the Baja California Peninsula.

During my stay on the San José del Cabo strip, I saw whales nearly every time I looked out toward the horizon.

On multiple occasions, I could spot them breaching and spouting in the distance.

The whales seemed much more active than those that I had spotted during my trips to Juneau, South Georgia and Antarctica. I later learned that you are much more likely to see the whales actively breeching in warmer waters.

You can join whale watching tours from San José del Cabo for up-close encounters with the majestic sea creatures. Whale watching tours are also popular excursions from Cabo San Lucas or La Paz if that better fits your Baja itinerary.

 

Day 3: Todos Santos

Todos Santos is a Pueblo Mágico nestled among the cactus-dotted mountains of Baja California Sur.

The drive gave us the opportunity to see Baja’s sun-kissed mountains and admire the surrounding landscape’s tapestry of earthy colors. Everywhere we looked, saguaro cactuses sprouted out of the ground, speckling the mountainsides. It was a perfect opportunity to escape the sardine-like beaches of Cabo San Lucas and get a taste of the Baja California’s countryside.

 

• Todos Santos

Todos Santos is a a small community that houses a mix of fishermen, surfers and expat hippies. The dusty streets of its little downtown boast a clutch of sophisticated galleries, colonial buildings and upscale boutiques.

In this picturesque and artsy community, it is easy to forget that Cabo San Lucas–with its cruise ships and partying tourists–sits only 50 kilometers to the south. For Todos Santos has resisted the cookie-cutter developments that plague the landscapes nearby.

I don’t expect Todos Santos to escape the wave of development indefinitely, however. Resorts and condos are already springing up in the area, and encroaching on the miles and miles of windswept Pacific coastline.

 

• Playa Punta Lobos

 

• Playa Cerritos

Just a short drive up the Transpeninsular Highway from Todos Santos, sits Playa Cerritos. According to Dan’s cousin who lived in Baja a few years back, this beach was once a remote outpost, accessible only by a potholed, dusty road. Today, while the beach still offers a long and uninterrupted stretch of sand, developments have mushroomed up along its northern end.

We spent the afternoon walking along the shores of Playa Cerritos and marveling at its untouched golden shores. I tried to imprint the image in my memory, knowing that if I were to return, the place would likely be unrecognizable.

Playa Cerritos is far less developed than the stretches of sand near Cabo San Lucas. It reminded me of some of the golden sandy beaches near Sayulita, in Mexico’s Nayarit.

 

Day 4: La Paz and Around

• Playa Balandra

• La Paz Boardwalk

 

Where To Stay in Cabo San Lucas

 

Though Cabo San Lucas caters to resort-goers, its varied hotel and guesthouse options ensure that the city has something suitable for everyone—from families traveling to Cabo with kids, to longterm travelers backpacking Mexico and Central America.

During our two days in Cabo, Dan and I stayed at the Estancia Real Los Cabos. The accommodation was a step down from the luxurious El Dorado Condominiums that the rest of our group had chosen, but—with its central location, its air conditioning and its unbeatable price— it proved to be the good option for a quick trip to Mexico on a budget .

Had we been a little more willing to spend a few extra extra dollars, I believe we would have loved staying at the Cabo Vista Hotel. The hotel’s clean and centrally located rooms make it one of the top Cabo accommodations for those traveling on a budget.

If you’re looking for a quieter all-inclusive escape away from the bustle of Cabo San Lucas, then you might want to consider the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, one of the best all-inclusive resorts in Mexico.

 

Getting Around Cabo San Lucas

Since Cabo San Lucas caters to all-inclusive vacationers, it can be a pricy place to get around. Dan and I were shocked to learn that taxis to and from the airport cost upwards of $80.

We realized that the steep price of traveling by taxi would be inhibitive for much of the local population, so we figured there must be an alternative. Finally, after a bit of digging, we learned of the $5 Ruta del Desierto Bus that runs between Cabo and the airport’s Terminal 2. The bus is a great alternative for travelers who want to avoid paying $17 per person for a shuttle or $80 for a taxi.

Four our day trip to Todos Santos, Dan and I rented a car and traveled with his family. Renting a car gave us the option to explore Cerritos Beach and other places on the Baja Peninsula.

If renting a car is not an option, however, ABC Bus travels between Cabo San Lucas and Todos Santos a few times a day.

 

****

Most people come to Cabo San Lucas for the parties, but Dan and I were happy to find solitude at the southernmost tip of the Baja Peninsula.

Our trips to Baja are proof that, despite Cabo’s association with oversized resorts and tourists throwing back tequila shots, one doesn’t have to travel far to come face to face with pristine, untouched nature.

 

________________________________________

Did You Enjoy this Guide to Visiting Cabo San Lucas on a Budget? Pin It!