With warm weather, beautiful beaches, and top-notch resorts, Baja California, Mexico is the perfect vacation destination for west coast residents.
While most people spend a few days in Cabo or Ensenada, we decided to travel the entire peninsula and all of its best points of interest over 3 weeks.
With over 55,000 square miles in Baja California, it can be tough to choose where to go and the best places to visit in this area.
To make it easier for any first-time visitors like us, or returning Baja travelers, we compiled a list of the 15 top places to visit in Baja California, Mexico from our trip through the peninsula.
15 Top places to visit in Baja California, Mexico:
Baja California Map With Top Things To See & Do:
1. Valle De Guadalupe
Located just a 20-minute drive outside of Ensenada in Baja California Norte, Valle De Guadalupe is the new cool spot to visit.
With infinity pools overlooking the wine valley below, modern $300/night eco-resorts, and wine tasting tours, Valle De Guadalupe is quickly rising as the desired weekend destination for American millennials.
Valle De Guadalupe produces 90% of the wine from Mexico and for around $5-$15 USD it’s easy to find a great bottle to take home with you.
The valley attracts visitors with beautifully landscaped wineries complemented with great restaurants, all at a cheaper cost than the Napa, Sonoma or Temecula competitors in the US.
The wine tour guides are well versed in wine pairings and offer tours of the local wineries, all in Spanish or English. If you are a wine lover, Valle De Guadalupe is a great place to spend the weekend, especially if you want to experience something a bit different than the well-known wine regions of the US.
Read More: 10 Best Places To Stay In Valle De Guadalupe, Mexico
2. Bahia De Los Angeles
Bahia De Los Angeles is a great place to get away for a few lazy days on the beach, take a whale-watching tour, or go kayaking in the ocean. At Campo Archelon, visitors can rent a palapa (beach hut made out of leaves) right on the waterfront, camp on the beach, and enjoy life “off the grid”.
It’s a friendly vacation spot where it’s easy to meet your camping neighbors, hang out around a fire pit at night and play some beach volleyball during the day.
3. Ojo de Liebre Lagoon
A popular place to go whale watching in Baja California is the Ojo de Liebre whale breeding area. The bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which means visitors can’t swim in the water, but there are plenty of other things to enjoy in this bay area like palapa-style camping, a walk on a pier for sunset, and a casual restaurant located by the beach.
Located away from any city life, this bay is a nice quiet spot to relax after a whale-watching tour and star gaze at night.
4. Mulege
Mulege is a small town nestled in between the mountains of Baja California Sur. Although most of the Baja landscape is desert-like and dry, Mulege is a little oasis with palm tree groves and a river passing through.
One of the highlights of Mulege is the mission located on top of a hill overlooking the city below. The town of Mulege is quiet, filled with narrow cobblestone streets and local stores, appealing to passing travelers as a fun day stop and a place to hang out for a few hours before heading on.
5. Bahia Conception
If you’re on a mission to find the perfect beach in the Baja California Sur area, nothing will get you more excited than seeing the turquoise blue waters of Bahia Conception peeking through the mountains on Highway 1 as you approach the bay.
Bahia Conception is a cluster of secluded beaches and all of them are equally amazing with clear blue water and plenty of sea life to observe. Santispac beach in this bay is a great place to camp for a few days, go kayaking, snorkeling, watch sunsets or just lay out on the beach.
These beaches are so great that some people come for a few days and end up staying for a few months. With nearby stores and restaurants, it really feels like you could stay there forever.
6. Loreto
Loreto is one of the cutest small towns in Baja California Sur with colorful restaurants, beautiful Spanish-style hotels, and an adorable downtown. The highlight of the downtown area is its plaza, a popular tourist spot for lunch and dinner.
While Loreto plaza has many amazing restaurants to choose from, it also offers something you don’t find often in Mexico – a local brewery serving cheeseburgers and IPA beers. If you are craving a taste of the US, stop by the El Zopilote brewery to fulfill that craving for a juicy cheeseburger and a hoppy IPA.
7. Todos Santos
Todos Santos is one of the most up-and-coming yet under-the-radar vacation cities in Baja California. Full of outdoor brunch spots, coffee roasters, juice bars, and yoga studios, it is a blissful city with a laid-back, upscale vibe.
The local restaurants are filled with green tropical decorations creating a jungle-like feeling and the menu options are plentiful. The downtown area is known for its art galleries and beautiful hotels. If there is one place you should add to your “must visit” place in Baja California, Todos Santos belongs on top of that list.
8. Tortugueros Las Playitas
Tortugueros Las Playitas is a beach on the outskirts of Todos Santos and it’s a known area for rescuing and releasing endangered sea turtles into the ocean. Local volunteers comb the beaches daily for new turtle nests, transport them to a sanctuary for monitoring and release them into the ocean upon hatching.
We drove to Tortugueros Las Playitas to watch the popular turtle release at sunset but little did we expect to actually participate in the rescue efforts the next morning. The volunteers at the turtle rescue are super friendly, will gladly explain more about the process and if you are lucky like us, even let you participate in the rescue process.
9. Cerritos Surf Town
If you are looking for a different type of experience, a unique vacation spot in Baja California Sur is Cerritos Surf Town. Filled with unique hotels like the Eco Bungalows and beachfront resorts, this area is a fun place to get away from the busy city life and enjoy a relaxing weekend on the laid-back beach strip.
Surfing schools are located along the beach for those who want to give surfing a shot, but other fun options are also available like beach-front restaurants and swim-up bars in pools at the local resorts. Day passes to some resorts are available for those who want to come to hang out in this area for the day.
10. Arch of Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas attracts many tourists with its beautiful beaches and fun party scene. But while most people head to Cabo to enjoy a margarita on the beach or go out dancing at night, there are some amazing natural attractions located in Cabo as well.
Check out our drone footage of the Cabo San Lucas Arch on our YouTube Channel Here!
A clear-boat tour out to the Arch is one of the most popular tourist activities to do in Cabo and costs around $10 USD per person. For travelers that are looking for a fun budget activity, a great hike is located through Mt Solomar that leads to both Divorce and Lovers Beaches right around the corner from El Arco. The panoramic views of Cabo bay from this hike are hard to beat and are also free to enjoy for everyone.
11. San Jose Del Cabo
San Jose Del Cabo is a fun resort area along the Baja California Sur coast with white sand beaches and perfect blue water.
While most of the beachfront in this area is lined with mega-resorts like Hyatt Ziva and Royal Solaris, San Jose Del Cabo also has a very cute downtown area with amazing restaurants and fun bars.
The downtown area is best explored by foot since many hotels and restaurants can’t be spotted from car but will stand out to by-walkers with their inviting entrances and colorful Spanish interiors.
12. Cabo Pulmo Marine National Park
Cabo Pulmo is a National Park located on the southeast corner of Baja California Sur and is home to the oldest coral reef in North America.
While the roads leading out to Cabo Pulmo are pretty rough and out of the way from the main highways, it’s a great area to spend a few days camping on the beach and enjoying snorkeling through the Cabo Pulmo marine park.
One of the most popular beach destinations in Cabo Pulmo is Playa Los Arbolitos. Many visitors are known to spot turtles swimming in the ocean along with a variety of fish, crabs, and birds hanging around in the bay. Snorkeling gear is available for rent for those who wish to go snorkeling through the reef.
13. Los Barriles
Los Barriles is a popular winter getaway community in Baja California that’s known for its windsurfing and kitesurfing activities. Although La Ventana is another up-and-coming windsurfing area, the more experienced windsurfers prefer Los Barriles with its faster winds and challenging waves.
Los Barriles is a town where many people head to retire and enjoy a casual beach lifestyle. Compared to the simpler town of La Ventana, Los Barriles is more upscale and filled with beautiful beachfront rentals.
14. El Mogote Peninsula
El Mogote is a long, narrow, and sandy peninsula located across the bay from La Paz that is known for frequent whale shark sightings. Within minutes, we spotted a few whale sharks hanging out in the Sea of Cortez side of the peninsula.
El Mogote is basically one giant sand dune so a 4WD vehicle is recommended to explore this area. Whale Shark snorkeling tours are also available from La Paz for a once-in-a-lifetime experience to go swimming with these peaceful whale sharks.
15. Balandra Beach
Balandra in La Paz is known as one of the most beautiful beaches in Baja California. With clear blue water and mountains as the backdrop, Balandra is the perfect place to spend an afternoon kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, or hanging out under a palapa.
The water in Balandra is so clear that sea life can be spotted through its pristine water. The bay area doesn’t get too deep and at low tide, beachgoers can walk across the entire bay on foot.
For those who stay until sunset the best place to watch the sunset is from the top of a hill overlooking the bay as the fading sun colors the sky. Visiting the beautiful Balandra beach is as close as it gets to a tropical paradise and one of the top things to do in Baja California.
Book Balandra kayaking, snorkeling and hiking tour here!
Before heading to Baja California we had our doubts and concerns about this area. Traveling through Mexico has an undeservedly bad reputation in the US but after the first few days in Baja, we quickly realized that we don’t have much to worry about and that safety was not an issue in this area.
Instead of wondering what areas to avoid, our only concern was “How much can we see in this short time?” With a laid-back beach lifestyle and amazing food, my only warning to you is that you may not want to leave.
Related Articles:
- 10 Best Places To Stay In Valle De Guadalupe
- Guide To Visiting Valle De Guadalupe Wine Region
- Top Things To Do In La Huasteca Potosina, Mexico
- 25 Unforgettable Things To See & Do In Guanajuato
- 22 Essential Travel Tips To Know Before Visiting Mexico
Where is the detail about the stairway to no where
Hi there!
The stairway to nowhere is located in a different area than Baja so I didn’t include it in this article but I will try to incorporate into another one. It’s called Edward James Surrealist Garden or also known as Las Pozas in Xilitla, Mexico.
Cheers, Laura
I love this post! Thank you for sharing your Baja experiences 🙂 The San Jose del Cabo restaurant picture… that’s from Mi Casa right?! We ate there a few weeks ago and it was delicious! We’ll be in Punta Abreojos staying at our friends in about a month, it would have been great to meet you while you were there! Enjoy your travels!
Hi Randee,
Yes, the photo is from Mi Casa restaurant in San Jose del Cabo! I just loved all the colorful interiors of the restaurants, so lively! I hope you have a great stay in Punta Abreojos! Enjoy your trip : )
Cheers,
Laura
Hi Laura, thanks for the great info! We are considering a similar 3 week trip in our camper van over the holidays. I have a couple questions:
1. It sounds like the Baja is really safe. Did you feel like your van was secure? Did you ever worry about it being broken into when you were off doing something fun?
2. What was cell service like? Did you have much of signal for surfing the web (i.e. to research trip ideas) on the go?
First world worries, I know 🙂
Thanks!
Julia
Hi Julia,
We didn’t have any issues with safety on our trip and thankfully our van never got broken into. As long as you avoid driving at night and stay away from major cities, you should be fine. We typically looked for camping spots near beaches or in nature and avoided staying in big cities. We used this app called iOverlander to find camping spots that has awesome suggestions for free or cheap camp spots in all of Baja.
The cell service in Baja was pretty spotty and most restaurants and cafes don’t offer WIFI. I would suggest bringing along a paper map to use for planning routes when cell service doesn’t work. The app I mentioned iOverlander works offline as well which helped a lot to plan our camp spots and route.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Laura
Thanks Laura! This is awesome! Hope you’re enjoying Colombia!
wow, all of this looks like so much fun! I just booked a trip to Baja California, looking forward to diving sites such as Cabo Pulmo. I can’t wait to explore all those gorgeous places, your photos make me even more excited and eager!
Glad you enjoyed the post! Hope you have a blast on your trip! : )
Laura
hi there folks; luv the info u share. my hubby n i r going to discover La Paz in a few days. i noticed it is not on your 15 favorites. what can u tell me about it? i am actually hoping to find a job somewhere in that ares.
thanx so much,
Terri
Hey Terri,
The last two spots that we cover in this blog post (El Mogote Peninsula and Balandra Beach) are by La Paz. We didn’t spend too much time in La Paz city itself but this area has some of the most beautiful beaches that we visited in Baja California, especially Balandra beach.
I highly recommend spending a day relaxing at the Balandra beach. The water there is so blue and crystal clear! You can also rent a kayak, arrange a whale watching tour or take a boat out to Isla Espirito from this area.
Hope you enjoy your trip and good luck with the job hunt!
Laura
Hi There. May I ask which hotel is featured in your Loreto photo? I need to book a night there and it looks like a nice place.
Hi Melanie,
It’s the Hotel Posada De Las Flores Loreto next to the town plaza.
Cheers,
Laura
Hi!! What’s the name of the Beach at Baja for Glamping near Balandra ?
We personally haven’t stayed there yet, but there are beautiful glamping tents called Marea Glamping in La Paz near Balandra.
Family is thinking of taking our 24ft RV down for this trip. Is 2 weeks enough to do this in? Also should we bring our rzr to get around or is a 2 wheel drive vehicle sufficient. Do you think our RV will make it to most of these places for camping near the beaches?
We spent about three weeks in Baja, two weeks should be fine if you don’t linger for too long or you don’t go all the way to La Paz. Or better yet, drive quickly through some of the northern stuff and get to the middle/south part quicker because that’s the best part of Baja. We did it in 2wd without issue, there are definitely places to go off roading but only if you want to, most places are easy to get to with 2wd. RV’s are everywhere out there, no issues whatsoever.
Howdy,
Great info thx. We still kind of ruff it (tent camp)w a kick ass baja type 4X4. Would we be miserable w out a camper of some sort? We love a good hotel when needed. Would love to do a 3-4 week road trip.
We saw plenty of people in tents so you’d be alright. Just bring something that has good air circulation because it can get pretty warm
Was wondering about fuel for my van. Not sure if yours is gas or diesel? Looks like from what I’ve read that low sulphur diesel can only be found in the north? Would hate to ruin my engine with bad gas! It’s a diesel sprinter. Thanks
We have a gas van so we weren’t looking out for ULSD too much, but I know there were plenty of newer diesel vans and trucks all over southern Baja. My guess is either that information is outdated and there is now ULSD throughout Baja, people were fueling up before heading south and hoping to make it back north, or maybe 1-2 tanks of regular diesel doesn’t hurt? I know some people have made it all the way to South America in Sprinters using regular diesel and they say it just uses more DEF than normal.
Great blog, thanks for sharing!
I followed some of your tips, and I loved it! Thanks for sharing.
Great tips! Baja really is an incredible peninsula… there is so much to see and so much diversity between the different coasts. Sea of Cortez has a totally different ecosystem to the pacific coast, its quite unique… almost feels like an island!
Baja is a truly beautiful location in Mexico, like no other place in the world! The ocean here is spectacular, and we are always happy to visit when we have the chance! Great article with some wonderful tips.