Baja California
Sur
Posted by SurfMexico Editor
Translated from article by Marisol Méndez Cervantes
Dear reader, on this occasion we will discuss the state of Baja California South, situated in the north-west of Mexico in the southern part of the peninsula with the same name. To the north, this entity borders the state of Baja California, to the east is the sea of Cortez, to the south and west is the Pacific ocean; it contains 5 municipalities which are, from north to south, Mulegé, Loreto, Comondú, La Paz and Los Cabos.
With 2,230 Kms. of coasts, Baja California South holds 17% of the country's coastline, which represents an enormous potential for tourist resources. There are attractive waters such as those of Mulegé, San Carlos and López Mateos and that of San José del Cabo.
Lovely bays both in the Gulf and on the Pacific, lagoons such as those at Ojo de Liebre and Juan Juan Ignacio, and the paradisical and solitary islands of the Gulf are of great econlogical value.
Existen tres zonas consideradas como reservas ecológicas: la Sierra de la Laguna, que se caracteriza por su flora y su fauna peculiares; la Reserva de la Biosfera Viscaíno, la más grande de América Latina con una extensión de 2,546,790 hectáreas, donde, además de ballena gris, se encuentra lince, puma, pelícano blanco, halcón cola roja, águila pescadora, entre otros; y los arrecifes coralinos de Capo Palma.
Baja California Sur possesses the greater part of those attractions important to tourism: a benign climate with a mean temperature of 23 degrees Celsius, sport fihsing and watersports, historical sites such as its Jesuit missions, arqueological zones, cave paintings, petroglyphs, fossilized deposits of shells and, perhaps most important, the hospitality and kindess of it's people.
LA PAZ
The Capital of the state, founded on May 3, 1535 by Hernan Cortez, is located on the beautiful Bay of La Paz. It is characterised by its marvellous sunsets. It offers fabulous beaches of white, soft sand such as Caromuel, El Caimancito, El Tesoro, Eréndira, Pichilingue, Balandra and El Tecolote; on most of them you can find services such as restaurants, bars, palapas, etc.
Exploring the city, one finds the Cathedral of Our Lady Peace and the town Theatre, with modern installations that house art galleries and the library. In the gardens surrounding the theatre is the Circle of the Notables and the four windmills, symbol of the La Paz of old. In addition, don't miss the Government and Legislative Palaces, the Museum of Anthropology and History and the Library of the Californias. It is a must to take a walk along the malecón (harbor walk) and through the downtown area.
An excursion to the Islands of Cerralvo and Espíritu Santo - both ecological paradises - or to Isla Partida, sanctuary of the sea wolves, is an unforgetable experience, especially for those who like to dive, row or simply sunbathe and swim in the transparent waters of their coves.
CABO SAN LUCAS
241 kms from La Paz lies this tourist port, known internationally for its monumental rock arch marking the end of the land and under which the waters of the Pacific unite with those of the Sea of Cortez. Its inhabitants are a gentle and very courteous people. The town sits upon a hilly formation which is part of the mountain range that runs down the peninsula, ending at the famous arch and in beautiful Cabo San Lucas Bay.
A romantic tour is to the arch in a glass-bottomed boat and a visit to the old lighthouse, a monument more than 100 years old. Cabo San Lucas offers spectacular sand cascades and coral reefs. The beauty of the Amor, Médano and Hacienda beaches will draw you in to swim and above all the fishing tournaments will captivate you.
The major attractions of Los Cabos are:
Fishing (marlin, sailfish, swordfish and mahi mahi); Diving (at the famous sand cascades and black coral). Its white-sanded beaches and blue waters against a desert landscape. The famous arch of Cabo San Lucas.
SAN JOSE DEL CABO
This lovely and historic city, founded on April 8, 1730 by the Jesuit priest Nicolás Tamaral, is located 183 km south of La Paz. There starts the great tourist corredor, 33 kms in length, that ends in Cabo San Lucas. Among the attractions of this city are the inlets and backwaters, with a varied and dense vegetation, as well as endless species of animals which inhabit them.
San José also has beautiful beaches such as Costa Azul, Santa María and Punta Palmilla, the latter ideal for windsurfing.
Going through town one can visit the Church of San José, the House of Culture, the Municipal Palace, the Arts Garden and of course the downtown area with its shops and bazaars where one can purchase items made from the black coral in the area.
BAHIAS DE LORETO
The municipality of Loreto has, all in all, the most numerous and loveliest bays in the state, converting it in a favorite place for ecological groups, boating fans and campers.
Agua Verde, a set of large and beautiful rocky beaches divided by a cape, is accessed through a dirt road which is part of the Ciudad Insurgentes highway.
MULEGE
One of the prettiest town in Baja California South, Mulege is located 134 km north of Loreto. Perched on the banks of a river that runs into the Mulegé inlet, where it remains almost hidden in the vegetation and palms, is Santa Rosalía de Mulegé Mission founded 1705 by the Jesuit priest Juan María de Basaldúa. The Mission has an interesting church, a building that was once the state penitenciary, famous for lacking bars and now converted into a museum, as well as various zones where important cave paintings and petroglyphs are to be found.
GUERRERO NEGRO
Situated 143 km from San Ignacio, between the desert and the Pacific Ocean. It is characterised by its enormous salt flats, considered the largest in the world and which are the origin and life of this area. Few kilometers away is the Reserva de la Biosfera de Vizcaíno (Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve), to which the lagoon belongs.
Ojo de Liebre is the natural refuge of the grey whale which, year after year since time immemorial, returns here to reproduce, a circumstance which has made Guerrero Negro internationally famous for the tourist. From here,too, can be taken excursions to the primitive paintings of the San Francisco mountains.