Guide To Baja California

ART GALLERIES
The bohemian town of Todos Santos, 60km north of Los Cabos, is home to a growing expat community of Americans and Canadians, and numerous art galleries and studios selling oil paintings, contemporary art, sculptures, pottery and jewellery. Wander the pretty bougainvillea-lined streets of the historic centre and discover bookshops, cafés and restaurants set in restored colonial buildings.

BEACHES AND WATERSPORTS
Surrounded on all sides by crystal-clear seas, Baja California Sur is a mecca for enthusiasts of all watersports. Bahia Santa Maria, a turquoise bay backed by cliffs lined by a wide beach is a great place for snorkelling with shoals of fish darting in and out of white coral and golden sea fans. Playa Costa Azul’s 3km beach is a surfer’s paradise, while the best diving and excellent kayaking can be found around the Isla Espiritu Santo and at Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, the only living coral reef in Baja. For sunbathing and swimming, head to Las Palmas (also known as Playa San Pedro), a small stretch of beach bordere by a lagoon and palm groves.

FISHING
The waters east of San José del Cabo along the Sea of Cortez are known as the ‘Marlin Capital of the World’, rich in game fishing including tuna, dorado, sailfish and grouper. Book a place on a chartered fishing trip and choose from a panga, a local fishing boat, to a fully equipped cruiser with captain and guide.

GOLF
Due to its ever reliable weather, Los Cabos has become one of the world’s finest golf destinations offering an interesting variety of championship courses, designed by the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Robert Trent Jones Jr, to challenge golfers of all levels. Amongst the most famous are the courses at Palmilla, Cabo del Sol, Cabo Real and El Dorado, where as expected, greens fees are high.

WILDLIFE
Every year, thousands of grey whales complete a 5,000-mile migration from the freezing waters of Alaska’s Bering Sea to the warm waters of the Baja Peninsula to breed. Whale-watching tours can be arranged from most major towns and ports. The best spots are the protected waters of San Ignacio Lagoon, Scammon’s Lagoon and Magdalena Bay where whales and calves will swim right up to the tour boats. But you don’t even have to take to the water to see the graceful creatures. From December to April, it’s possible to see the migrating whales blowing or breeching from the shore. It is also possible to see dolphins, sea lions, hammerhead sharks and giant mantas. The sea of Cortez was after all described the ‘aquarium of the world’ by the late Jacques Cousteau.