OCLA's Lindsey shares her photo diary from a recent trip to Baja!
Baja California, Mexico is one of my favorite places to visit, and driving 12 hours south of the border for the first time made me fall in love with its rugged landscape even more. Unlike the tropical beaches in mainland Mexico, Baja has a terrain all of its own––dry, arid desert that reaches across to the ocean on both sides. We drove for miles on windy mountain roads with thousands of giant Saguaro cacti dotting the landscape. Every once in a while, we'd pass a group of turkey vultures spreading their wings out in the hot desert sun.
After passing through tiny Mexican villages and even more desert, we finally reached our destination: San Ignacio. San Ignacio is an actual oasis—the town is surrounded by a fresh water spring that fills the river and brings life to thousands of date palm trees. In the middle of the town square is a beautiful white-stuccoed mission that dates back to the 1700s. Little shops and taco stands line the cobble-stone streets. I found a small hidden gallery with a beautiful garden that sells local artist pieces and also doubles as a library for travelers passing through. We stayed in yurts right outside San Ignacio. A lagoon was right outside my door, so I got to fall asleep to a view of palm trees above me and the sound of the water. Each morning I was greeted with a fresh homemade breakfast by the hosts, and then it was off to exploring the unknown land of Baja.
Each year during February and March, gray whales stop there to rest and mate during their 12,000-mile trip from the Arctic Ocean. The lagoon at San Ignacio is famous for this special time of year when hundreds of gray whales (as well as the newly born babies) swim around and are willing to put on a show for watchers, which I was lucky enough to experience first-hand. The rush of emotions that came over me the first time I touched a baby gray whale was a lot to handle. Both a mother and her baby (weighing about one ton) hung around our boat and rubbed their noses up to be petted! It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I hope everyone can have.
On our last day in Baja, we drove to the Sea of Cortez. We found a beach that was completely empty and calm. Jagged rocks surrounded the cove that we swam and kayaked in, and bright blue-green water made for perfect snorkeling conditions along the cliffs. After a long swim, we had freshly caught fish in the beach town of Mulege, and it was one of the best meals I've ever had. Baja is the perfect place for the adventurous traveler who wants to go off the grid and cut ties with reality for a while.![]()
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View from our yurt
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Artisanal Mexican crafts
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View of the lagoon
Baja California, Mexico is one of my favorite places to visit, and driving 12 hours south of the border for the first time made me fall in love with its rugged landscape even more. Unlike the tropical beaches in mainland Mexico, Baja has a terrain all of its own––dry, arid desert that reaches across to the ocean on both sides. We drove for miles on windy mountain roads with thousands of giant Saguaro cacti dotting the landscape. Every once in a while, we'd pass a group of turkey vultures spreading their wings out in the hot desert sun.
After passing through tiny Mexican villages and even more desert, we finally reached our destination: San Ignacio. San Ignacio is an actual oasis—the town is surrounded by a fresh water spring that fills the river and brings life to thousands of date palm trees. In the middle of the town square is a beautiful white-stuccoed mission that dates back to the 1700s. Little shops and taco stands line the cobble-stone streets. I found a small hidden gallery with a beautiful garden that sells local artist pieces and also doubles as a library for travelers passing through. We stayed in yurts right outside San Ignacio. A lagoon was right outside my door, so I got to fall asleep to a view of palm trees above me and the sound of the water. Each morning I was greeted with a fresh homemade breakfast by the hosts, and then it was off to exploring the unknown land of Baja.
Each year during February and March, gray whales stop there to rest and mate during their 12,000-mile trip from the Arctic Ocean. The lagoon at San Ignacio is famous for this special time of year when hundreds of gray whales (as well as the newly born babies) swim around and are willing to put on a show for watchers, which I was lucky enough to experience first-hand. The rush of emotions that came over me the first time I touched a baby gray whale was a lot to handle. Both a mother and her baby (weighing about one ton) hung around our boat and rubbed their noses up to be petted! It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I hope everyone can have.
On our last day in Baja, we drove to the Sea of Cortez. We found a beach that was completely empty and calm. Jagged rocks surrounded the cove that we swam and kayaked in, and bright blue-green water made for perfect snorkeling conditions along the cliffs. After a long swim, we had freshly caught fish in the beach town of Mulege, and it was one of the best meals I've ever had. Baja is the perfect place for the adventurous traveler who wants to go off the grid and cut ties with reality for a while.
View from our yurt
Artisanal Mexican crafts
View of the lagoon