Travel the Roads of Baja Sur

Photo by McClatchy-Tribune

BAJA CALIFORNIA, Mexico - Some roads are worth driving solely for the sake of driving them.

Baja California’s Mexican Federal Highway 1 is such a road. Dubbed the Carretera Transpeninsular (Transpeninsular Highway), it spans the entire length of Mexico’s left leg.

Essentially, it’s just two lanes of rough asphalt running through the desert. But along its length, little dirt roads reach out to the water - the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Sea of Cortes to the east, and pretty bays along the way - inspiring side trips to prime whale-watching lookouts, booming sea lion colonies, crystal-clear snorkeling, unparalleled surfing coves and mouthwatering Mexican seafood.

I had planned to explore the northern section, or Baja Norte, beginning in Tijuana. But a recent surge in violent crimes against tourists there convinced me to look southward to Baja California Sur. I would begin in San Jose del Cabo, on the southern tip, and drive a 350-mile loop around Baja Sur, weaving through small, arty towns and cactus-laden landscapes with idyllic seaside views.

DAY 1: SAN JOSE DEL CABO

With my photographer sister riding shotgun in our rented Jeep, we started our journey in this historic town. San Jose’s dusty, narrow streets reflect its intrinsic colonial vibe; building facades on the sidewalks hide gorgeous, palm-shaded atriums. Hotels and shops line Plaza Mijares, while on side streets, tequila bars and galleries mix with residences and restaurants.

We wandered around all day and stumbled upon La Panga, just off the plaza, by chance - its facade giving away nothing of its historic hacienda structure and the lush, graduated terraces within. The prix-fixe lunch here wasn’t cheap (we paid about $25 each), but it was worth it. We lingered for hours and no one complained. Such is Mexico: There is never, ever a hurry.

DAY 2: THE EASTERN CAPE

Fitting, then, that our day trip to Cabo Pulmo, a tiny fishing village on the Eastern Cape, took about 2 hours longer than expected. This was our one off-road diversion from Highway 1, and we paid for it - three hours of bumping across the desert, trying to keep a view of the ocean on our right.

Cabo Pulmo could have been worth it, too - a bare-bones diving resort adjacent to a 25,000-year-old state-protected coral reef is rumored to offer the best snorkeling in North America.

But late winter winds made for choppy conditions, and the snorkeling shops had closed up for the day. Instead, we ate a simple lunch at Los Caballeros, one of the three restaurants in town, and took the longer but faster paved Highway 1 route home.

We felt a little defeated, but the night’s lodgings, at the Cabo Surf Hotel, more than made up for it. It’s a boutique resort situated on a beautiful curve of Los Cabos Corridor, the flawless oceanfront stretch of Highway 1 between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Steps lead from the restaurant down to the sand, and the pool’s deep end meets the ocean’s horizon with a perfect vista for impromptu whale-watching. (I spotted three.)

Members of the staff here have the laid-back attitude of surfers, which isn’t surprising: Los Cabos Corridor is rumored to be the best surf spot in Baja, so I booked a lesson for first thing in the morning.

DAY 3: LOS CABOS CORRIDOR & THE CENTRAL CAPE

Those who have surfed know how thrilling it is; if you haven’t, do it as soon as possible - ideally in Baja Sur, where the water is (relatively) warm, the waves are big and beautiful, and you can hire a dude named Jose to show you the ropes.

Jose taught me, in broken surfer English, how to pop up on the board and stay standing once I’d caught a wave. And it totally worked: I was up for a while (well, 6 seconds, but still . . .) on my first try. It’s my fondest memory of the trip.

We returned to Highway 1 for the four-hour drive to Baja California Sur’s capital, La Paz, located in the crook of its eastern inlet.

The course was rocky. And slow. We drove through Santiago, a small town surrounded by orange groves, and San Antonio and then El Triunfo, dusty little villages whose decrepit, abandoned bars and cafes sit right up on the highway.

In La Paz, a sprawling city of 300,000, we found an easy-going vibe and, best as we could tell, few tourists. In their place are street vendors and a bustling night life. Most of the restaurants are set up patio-style facing the marina, so the adjacent promenade along Paseo Obregon functions with the see-and-be-seen air of a catwalk.

DAY 4: LA PAZ

We had hoped to snorkel in La Paz - its Isla Espiritu Santo tempts explorers with sea lion colonies and snorkeling caves - but we couldn’t find the two or more companions we needed to fill out a boat.

Instead, we went to lunch. In fact, we ate the best meal of the trip at a crowded local favorite called Bismark-cito. We ordered two rounds of fish tacos and, while we waited, nibbled on a brimming heap of warm, perfectly salted homemade tortilla chips and a sauce that tasted like Mexican bliss - a delectable blend of queso, sour cream, salsa and guacamole. It was heaven.

Other La Paz highlights: a variety of shopping and a handful of museums, including DAYS 5-6: TODOS SANTOS

After a peaceful night’s rest at the charming Posado de las Flores on the east side of the La Paz marina, we filled up the Jeep and hit the road. Highway 1 leads inland here, so we picked up Highway 19 and headed southwest toward the dusty artists’ colony of Todos Santos, nestled against the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains.

Todos Santos is an oasis, named a Pueblo Magico (magical town) a few years back by the folks who run the country’s board of tourism.

Our hotel, The Hotelito, was run by a British expatriate named Jenny. We arrived at the uber-modern quartet of cottages just as Jenny was sashaying off to see the whales at Playa La Cachora, the beach down the road. “It’s absolutely magical,” she crooned, her giant straw hat flapping in the wind.

We decided to head to the beach to see for ourselves. And it truly was magical: During the winter months the migrating whales are so close, you can (almost) see their eyes.

Todos Santos has it all, including a rich cultural center, fine art galleries and a half-dozen fantastic restaurants.

We spent our second night at Todos Santos Inn, the gorgeous historic home of a former sugar baron that’s since been converted into suites furnished with oil paintings, princess-style four-poster king beds and deep soaking tubs. There’s even a little wine bar serving a handful of regional wines, as well as West Coast and European imports.

DAY 7: CABO SAN LUCAS

By the end of our stay in Todos Santos, we wanted to move there. But Highway 1 (and the flight home) was calling, an hour south in Cabo San Lucas. Everything written about Cabo warned me it was loud, obnoxious and crowded with spring breakers and honeymooners - a scene we had just spent the past week avoiding.

We arrived in the evening and booked a room at the quaint Bungalows Hotel, which was nestled in a quiet residential neighborhood. We passed on Cabo’s booming night life and opted for a nice authentic dinner spot - El Meson de Zapata, an understated, friendly restaurant in the thick of Cabo’s downtown hoopla. There we found the best flan in the world - or, at least Baja Sur.

True, one might find comparable delicacies in Baja Norte, but Baja Sur proved to be worth the drive.

If you go . . .

GETTING THERE: Two main airports serve Baja California Sur: Aeropuerto Internacional Los Cabos (SJD), just outside of San Jose del Cabo; and Aeropuerto General Manuel Marquez de Leon (LAP), serving La Paz. Another option is to buy one nonstop domestic ticket to San Diego International Airport and a connecting international ticket from there to SJD, as Mexican flights from San Diego are fairly frequent and less expensive.

ROAD TRIPPING: Most major rental car companies are represented at SJD, and a few keep satellite offices in major towns such as Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Get some kind of all-terrain vehicle, and wear your seatbelts - the C.T. is paved and in passable condition but smaller roads and side streets are often unpaved or in very poor repair.

STAYING THERE: Large-scale beachside resorts are common in Cabo San Lucas and Los Cabos Corridor, but most lodging in Baja Sur consists of boutique hotels and small inns, many of which include a large traditional breakfast. A few recommendations:

In San Jose del Cabo: Casa Natalia (from $230; 888-277-3814; casanatalia.com) is gorgeous and boasts one of the best restaurants in town.

Los Cabos Corridor: Cabo Surf Hotel (from $265; 858-964-5117; cabosurfhotel.com) is a full-service boutique resort and spa, and operates a surf shack with lessons.

In La Paz: Posada de las Flores (from $150; 619-378-0103; posadadelasflores.com) is wonderfully intimate and right on the marina.

In Todos Santos: The Hotelito (from $85; 011-52-612-145-0099, thehotelito.com) is a modern oasis with British hospitality; Todos Santos Inn (from $125; 011-52-612-145-0040; todossantosinn.com) meshes historic architectural details with a lush landscape and traditional suites.

In Cabo San Lucas: The Bungalows Inn (from $115; 888-424-CABO; cabobungalows.com) features simple rooms and warm hospitality.