We live out of our custom built Dodge camper van, which allows us to chase misadventures and endless summer at all times. So it seems only natural for us to wind up in Baja. The wild dirt roads and diverse terrain hold endless opportunity to get a little lost. When it comes to adding a little adventure to your vacation our number one tip is to be your own tour guide! Obviously this is a sure fire way to put yourself out of your comfort zone really quickly. Sometimes you want to see the popular sights but without the cheesy tour guide yelling into his megaphone. You’ll likely end up with a better story, photos and overall experience in the end.
We felt like our Baja trip would be incomplete without a trip to Cabo San Lucas. We wanted to paddle out to The Lands End Arch and maybe even venture out for a little party night. We thought sure we’d just blow up the boards, paddle out there real quickly and be back for lunch. We probably could have accomplished this goal had we not participated in the typical Cabo party scene the night before. We weren’t exactly in tiptop paddle shape and maybe should have opted to spend the day on the beach with coconuts in hand. But that’s not really our style.
RELATED: Baja Gear Guide – Necessities for a Different Kind of Adventure
Instead we pumped up the boards and headed to the beach where Clark instantly spotted a man selling sombreros with NFL logos hand painted on them. Before I could get the words “don’t you dare” out of my mouth he was sporting a blue and orange Broncos sombrero like he’d just won the Superbowl himself. Now that we were appropriately dressed for our self guided Cabo adventure we headed out into the bay.
We fought our way through the tour boat traffic and managed to score some really great views and photos of the beautiful arch. Plus a much better adventure and story than the tourists packed like sardines into the water taxis. If you opt for the self guided version of the Lands End Arch tour maybe save the party night until after.
Another one of our favorite adventures south of the border is mountain biking. Biking in Baja, say what? Now you know this place is paradise. I really don’t think life can get better than single track leading right to the Sea of Cortez. Yeah you read that right. I don’t mean flat sandy trails that Grandma can enjoy either. I’m talking actual buff single track through saguaro cactus and volcanic rock that provides amazing flow and different levels of technicality.
It exists, and as much as I want to keep the secret all to myself, I just cant! For some of the best single track in Baja head to Cabo Pulmo, La Ventana and Punta San Carlos. We mostly explored the trail system in La Ventana, riding our hearts out when the weather turned too windy to paddle. There are local outfitters equipped to rent bikes and gear so there’s no excuse to get out there and check it out. You wont be disappointed!
If you’re searching for some more time on the water then jet on over to Pescadero to catch a few waves and see the grey whales during their annual migration. This sleepy little beach town is just south of Todos Santos and has two great surf breaks. Cerritos, a sandy bottom point break that is perfect for beginners to intermediate, and Pedrito, a rocky break if you’ve already got some experience under your belt. As a couple of born and raised Colorado kids we obviously opted to hang out at Cerritos with our soft top foam boards. Surfboard rentals are 20 bucks for the entire day and the beach is hardly ever crowded.
When the swell was down we paddled out to explore the coastline on our Hobie kayak and SUP. Our only warning is be prepared for some rougher water over on the pacific side. We had an easy enough time paddling out but by the time we were coming back in the surf had gone up quite a bit. We now had the opportunity to test out our surf capabilities on the kayak and SUP board, which was probably some good entertainment for the beach crowd as the first breaking wave caught us and the yard sale ensued. And if all that surfing worked up your appetite, a local fisherman by the name Enrique comes in around 3 PM with his catch of the day. We scored a nice sized Grouper, or Cabrilla in Spanish, for 100 pesos ($5) that he cleaned up for us right there so we could throw it on the grill for dinner that night. Perfect ending to a day spent getting trundled by some waves.
I don’t believe there’s ever enough time spent on the beach, but if you are ready for a change in scenery there are some hidden gems tucked away in the mountains of Baja. One of these gems is hiking to a hot spring oasis and waterfalls above the little town of Santiago. When we say just above we actually mean a 45-minute jaunt on a pretty gnarly washboard road. But that’s Baja, just make sure your rental car agreement doesn’t rule out the dirt road drives and you’ll be fine. Once you make it you’ll find a campground that surrounds a damned river with natural mineral hot springs flowing into it.
It was a nice change of pace and scenery to mix in with all the beach time. But we do have to give you fair warning, there are tiny fish in the pools that have a habit of munching on your feet. This kind of makes it tough to relax especially if you’re as ticklish as I am. A local told us that nibbling fish are an actual spa treatment people pay money for in Asia. I wasn’t paying for it so we decided to hike further up the canyon instead. We were rewarded with huge beautiful freshwater pools in between the towering granite walls of the canyon. They had sandy bottoms and were perfect for swimming, sans the skin munching fish!
Any guide to Baja, Mexico that doesn’t mention the food is likely just holding out on the goods. We cant blame them for not wanting to blow up their secret taco joints but we are the type of people that when we find a taco worth mentioning we find it hard not to share. The formula for finding the best place is simple and has yet to fail us. Just look for a concrete building with a handwritten menu, a few folding tables and chairs surrounding a big smoky grill, and a nice piece of pork rotating al carbon style. Tacos are usually a dollar and taste like someone rolled up a piece of heaven into a freshly pressed flour or corn tortilla. And don’t forget that you might need to pack in your own cervezas or batch of margaritas, which is one of our favorite parts! A few of our favorite spots include La Lupita in San Jose Del Cabo, Super Burro in Loreto, and Taco Fish in La Paz.
If you are craving adventures of a different kind or maybe just craving some tasty tacos we highly suggest checking out Baja, Mexico. There are endless ways to get off the beaten path in this desert adventure oasis. With this quick destination guide we hope to have inspired you to shake up your next vacation with a little do it yourself adventure!
For more of our misadventures and questionable advice be sure to check out misadventuretheory.com and the Misadventure Theory YouTube page. Because everyone needs a little help getting lost at first, and we’re more than qualified in that area.
