The notes below outline our bike route in southern Baja, Mexico during January and February 2014.
Why you should cycle tour in Baja:
1) Catch of the Day – if you love seafood, you’ll love feasting in Baja.
2) Safety – Southern Baja is among one of the safest places to tour in Mexico. Not once during our 4 week trip did we feel uneasy about our personal safety.
3) Beach camping – The coastline of Baja offers plenty of opportunities to sleep with the sound of crashing waves.
4) Courteous drivers – although large sections of the main highway in Baja do not have an adequate shoulder, we found most of the Mexican drivers gave us plenty of room. The same could not always be said for the gringo tourists.
To guide our way, we used the Moon Baja guidebook along with the excellent National Geographic Baja South map. Also, when in Baja keep an eye out for the excellent regional Got Baja maps (gotbaja.mx).
This link will take you to another excellent Baja cycling trip log from Tim Tower who we met at our Warmshowers host in La Paz.
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=13553&v=12Z
This trip report provides an honest overview of cycling Baja that we found useful in planning our trip.
http://www.bajainsider.com/baja-california-travel/baja-adventures/bicycling/bicyclingbaja.html
If you have any specific questions about traveling in southern Baja feel free to contact me.
Why you should cycle tour in Baja:
1) Catch of the Day – if you love seafood, you’ll love feasting in Baja.
2) Safety – Southern Baja is among one of the safest places to tour in Mexico. Not once during our 4 week trip did we feel uneasy about our personal safety.
3) Beach camping – The coastline of Baja offers plenty of opportunities to sleep with the sound of crashing waves.
4) Courteous drivers – although large sections of the main highway in Baja do not have an adequate shoulder, we found most of the Mexican drivers gave us plenty of room. The same could not always be said for the gringo tourists.
To guide our way, we used the Moon Baja guidebook along with the excellent National Geographic Baja South map. Also, when in Baja keep an eye out for the excellent regional Got Baja maps (gotbaja.mx).
This link will take you to another excellent Baja cycling trip log from Tim Tower who we met at our Warmshowers host in La Paz.
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=13553&v=12Z
This trip report provides an honest overview of cycling Baja that we found useful in planning our trip.
http://www.bajainsider.com/baja-california-travel/baja-adventures/bicycling/bicyclingbaja.html
If you have any specific questions about traveling in southern Baja feel free to contact me.
Upon landing at the international airport in San Jose del Cabo, we took an overpriced airport shuttle to our accommodation in the small village of Pueblo La Playa called El Delfin Blanco (www.eldelfinblanco.net). We thought it would be nice to start our trip away from the hustle of San Jose. Owner and Swedish born Osa Franzen has a few nice bungalows that are a short walk from the beach. She is also a never ending source of information and gossip regarding life in southern Baja.
The best restaurant in town is the Drunken Sailor. They have a reasonable priced menu full of praise-worthy dishes such as a range of ceviches and a tasty avocado chocolate cake.
The best restaurant in town is the Drunken Sailor. They have a reasonable priced menu full of praise-worthy dishes such as a range of ceviches and a tasty avocado chocolate cake.
Ride: San Jose del Cabo to Los Frailes
Distance: 60 kilometers
What a way to start a trip. From Playa Playita you have about 20 kilometers of pavement until the fun begins. About 8 kilometers from Playa Playita you’ll come to an area of the road that is chained off, but the guard will have no problem letting you through. The next 12 kilometers are on really nice rolling road with almost no traffic. But then the pavement ends and its basically riding on sand and washboard. Pretty brutal! With our skinny touring tires and loaded bikes, we had to do a lot of pushing under the hot sun. Be sure to bring along plenty of water.
Our plan was to make it to Cabo Plumo on the first day, but the sun was already setting when we rolled into the beach camping site at Los Frailes. After 40 kilometers of negotiating our bikes through sand and over washboard, we barely had the energy to feed ourselves dinner. This is a beautiful part of the Baja coastline, but not really suited to typical touring set-ups. It would, however, be awesome on a fat bike.
Our plan was to make it to Cabo Plumo on the first day, but the sun was already setting when we rolled into the beach camping site at Los Frailes. After 40 kilometers of negotiating our bikes through sand and over washboard, we barely had the energy to feed ourselves dinner. This is a beautiful part of the Baja coastline, but not really suited to typical touring set-ups. It would, however, be awesome on a fat bike.
Ride: Los Frailes to Los Barriles
Distance: 65 kilometers
The day started with more of the same: sand and even more washboard. Mercifully, the pavement starts again after about 20 kilometers. Unfortunately, it starts again in the midst of an uphill. But the awesome fish tacos in La Ribera made everything instantly better.
The traffic is pretty light up until you enter Los Barriles, but we did have a tiring headwind on Highway 1. There is a big gringo presence in Los Barriles and a nice enough beach. We camped at the East Cape RV resort and I believe we were the only ones sleeping on the ground. Even though it was fairly sterile, everyone was nice enough.
The traffic is pretty light up until you enter Los Barriles, but we did have a tiring headwind on Highway 1. There is a big gringo presence in Los Barriles and a nice enough beach. We camped at the East Cape RV resort and I believe we were the only ones sleeping on the ground. Even though it was fairly sterile, everyone was nice enough.
Ride: Los Barriles to La Ventenna
Distance: 86 kilometers
We were very curious about the costal road that goes from Los Barriles to Hwy 286, but after the hardship that the East Cape road unleashed on us, we decided not to take the risk and stuck with Highway 1. There is a good amount of climbing during the first 30 kilometers on Highway 1 until you reach the turnoff at San Antonio. At about 35 kilometers from Los Barriles there is a RV park called Rancho Verde. It looked like an interesting in-the-middle-of-nowhere type of place. We found that the traffic on Hwy 1 was fairly light.
At the bustling city of San Antonio (kidding!), you can take a sideroad due north towards Hwy 286. Hardly any traffic but a stiff headwind did pick up. After a short ride west on Hwy 286 you then make the turn for La Ventenna. It was a brutal headwind for the 15 kilometers into La Ventenna. The good news is that there was a little food cart as we entered into town that had world class ceviche for 20 pesos.
In La Ventenna, we camped at the main RV site where all the kiteboarders and windsurfers stay for the winter. It actually turned out to be a lot of fun as everyone was really relaxed and friendly. I guess that what happens when you spend a winter playing in the water and soaking up the rays. A big thanks to Doug and Dwayne who let us pitch our tent on their site. The restaurant across from the RV camp was uninspiring to say the least. There are likely better options.
At the bustling city of San Antonio (kidding!), you can take a sideroad due north towards Hwy 286. Hardly any traffic but a stiff headwind did pick up. After a short ride west on Hwy 286 you then make the turn for La Ventenna. It was a brutal headwind for the 15 kilometers into La Ventenna. The good news is that there was a little food cart as we entered into town that had world class ceviche for 20 pesos.
In La Ventenna, we camped at the main RV site where all the kiteboarders and windsurfers stay for the winter. It actually turned out to be a lot of fun as everyone was really relaxed and friendly. I guess that what happens when you spend a winter playing in the water and soaking up the rays. A big thanks to Doug and Dwayne who let us pitch our tent on their site. The restaurant across from the RV camp was uninspiring to say the least. There are likely better options.
Ride: La Ventana to La Paz
Distance: 58 kilometers
Distance: 58 kilometers
Before our ride we were able to pick up some goodies like cinnamon buns from a small farmers’ market that was taking place near the campground.
The ride back to highway 286 is easy, but it’s a long, straight climb for an hour or so once on the road to La Paz. We were pretty elated to finally see a curve in the road. I guess the small things in life can be special. Thank heavens there was no headwind. After the climb it is generally downhill on good pavement to La Paz. Traffic on highway 286 seemed to be pretty light.
Our hosts Doug and Dwayne in La Ventana had told us about a great fish taco place in La Paz so we went directly there. On the La Paz Got Baja map it is on the corner of M. de Leon and Heroes Ind. Indeed, the portions were cycle tourist friendly and there were plenty of salsa, sauces etc. that you could adorn your fish with.
We decided to stay with a Warmshowers host for our first night in La Paz. Glenda and her family are awesome. She plays host to many cycling tourists. In addition to us, there was an Australian couple, a German couple and an American staying at her home. I guess you can say its more along the lines of a cycling hostel. The only down side is that she is fairly far away from central La Paz and it can be a bit tricky to find her home. On the way to Glenda’s, we stopped in a small store to ask for directions and the man behind the desk pulled up Google maps on his computer for us. Gotta love that Baja helping hand.
The ride back to highway 286 is easy, but it’s a long, straight climb for an hour or so once on the road to La Paz. We were pretty elated to finally see a curve in the road. I guess the small things in life can be special. Thank heavens there was no headwind. After the climb it is generally downhill on good pavement to La Paz. Traffic on highway 286 seemed to be pretty light.
Our hosts Doug and Dwayne in La Ventana had told us about a great fish taco place in La Paz so we went directly there. On the La Paz Got Baja map it is on the corner of M. de Leon and Heroes Ind. Indeed, the portions were cycle tourist friendly and there were plenty of salsa, sauces etc. that you could adorn your fish with.
We decided to stay with a Warmshowers host for our first night in La Paz. Glenda and her family are awesome. She plays host to many cycling tourists. In addition to us, there was an Australian couple, a German couple and an American staying at her home. I guess you can say its more along the lines of a cycling hostel. The only down side is that she is fairly far away from central La Paz and it can be a bit tricky to find her home. On the way to Glenda’s, we stopped in a small store to ask for directions and the man behind the desk pulled up Google maps on his computer for us. Gotta love that Baja helping hand.
Ride: La Paz to Playa Tecolote
Distance: 30 kilometers
We decided to make a short excursion from La Paz to go sleep on the beach at Playa Tecolote You can ride along the malecon for several kilometres, but when that ends we noticed that the truck traffic was fairly heavy until you reach the port in Pichilingue. After that, there is very little traffic and a beautiful ride all the way to the beach on very good pavement. Along the route, there are an enough hills to keep a rider honest.
Pitching a tent on Tecolote is a great way to spend an evening. The beach is pleasant enough and there are a couple of restaurants which serve monster sized margaritas. Tabi enjoyed her birthday beverage. Way freekin’ better than shovelling snow back home.
When you enter Tecolote, you can either camp on the right or left side of the beach. We decided on the left as there were fewer RV’s. There have been some rumours of theft, so I would not leave valuables unattended in your tent. Or just decorate your tent with dirty cycling clothing and that should keep the bandits away.
Pitching a tent on Tecolote is a great way to spend an evening. The beach is pleasant enough and there are a couple of restaurants which serve monster sized margaritas. Tabi enjoyed her birthday beverage. Way freekin’ better than shovelling snow back home.
When you enter Tecolote, you can either camp on the right or left side of the beach. We decided on the left as there were fewer RV’s. There have been some rumours of theft, so I would not leave valuables unattended in your tent. Or just decorate your tent with dirty cycling clothing and that should keep the bandits away.
Bus Ride: La Paz to Mulege
After riding back to La Paz we decided to take a bus to Mulege so we could take advantage of the predominant south blowing winds on the ride back to San Jose.
Because our bus was leaving so early the next morning, we took a hotel room in central La Paz instead of staying with Glenda further out of town. We decided on Hotel Lorimar which is located on Bravo street about a block up from the malecon (right beside the Casa Tuscany on the Got Baja La Paz map). It was fairly basic, but a good value at 400 pesos and clean enough. A short walk up Bravo street is La Fonda restaurant. This place will rock your taste buds. Their chicken mole is good enough to give a foodie a wet dream. The sopa de tortilla ain’t half bad either.
Albeit a lot more expensive than a chicken bus, the modern Aguila buses were nice and comfy. As a bonus, there was plenty of room to toss the bikes into the luggage compartments. And no extra cost!
In Mulege (you’re probably pronouncing it wrong), we highly recommend the Hotel Las Casitas. Everyone on staff is welcoming and it has a wonderful courtyard. Close to the hotel is a bakery/café that is a hang out for a number of the gringos living on the beaches further south. Great place to chill with a baked good and coffee and then another baked good.
We found Mulege to far exceed our expectations. It has a very relaxing and welcoming atmosphere. Totally low-key. Basically everything that Cabo isn’t. If you fancy a trip to the rocky beach nearby, there is a restaurant that sells excellent fish tacos.
Because our bus was leaving so early the next morning, we took a hotel room in central La Paz instead of staying with Glenda further out of town. We decided on Hotel Lorimar which is located on Bravo street about a block up from the malecon (right beside the Casa Tuscany on the Got Baja La Paz map). It was fairly basic, but a good value at 400 pesos and clean enough. A short walk up Bravo street is La Fonda restaurant. This place will rock your taste buds. Their chicken mole is good enough to give a foodie a wet dream. The sopa de tortilla ain’t half bad either.
Albeit a lot more expensive than a chicken bus, the modern Aguila buses were nice and comfy. As a bonus, there was plenty of room to toss the bikes into the luggage compartments. And no extra cost!
In Mulege (you’re probably pronouncing it wrong), we highly recommend the Hotel Las Casitas. Everyone on staff is welcoming and it has a wonderful courtyard. Close to the hotel is a bakery/café that is a hang out for a number of the gringos living on the beaches further south. Great place to chill with a baked good and coffee and then another baked good.
We found Mulege to far exceed our expectations. It has a very relaxing and welcoming atmosphere. Totally low-key. Basically everything that Cabo isn’t. If you fancy a trip to the rocky beach nearby, there is a restaurant that sells excellent fish tacos.
Ride: Mulege to Playa Cayote
Distance: 30 kilometers
While enjoying some tasty bake goods at the bakery in Mulege, we met up with a fellow cyclist from Oregon named Gary who was living at Playa Cayote on Bahia Conception. He invited us to come on down and camp at his RV site all the while singing the praises of the beauty of the beach.
With just some rather pleasant ups and downs, the ride to Playa Cayote was anything but epic. However, the whole ride along Bahia Conception is marvellous. Every turn seemed to reveal a new postcard-worthy beach view. Most of the beaches are populated by Americans and Canadians who have set up semi-permanent RV residences.
Gary was absolutely right! Playa Cayote was a stellar place to pitch a tent for the night. One of the really cool things about the beach is that there is a micro-community where people come by with all sorts of stuff like baked goods and even pizza. A hungry cyclist can be well-fed here. An ice-cream truck even made an appearance. We also enjoyed watching the bird life and stargazing.
With just some rather pleasant ups and downs, the ride to Playa Cayote was anything but epic. However, the whole ride along Bahia Conception is marvellous. Every turn seemed to reveal a new postcard-worthy beach view. Most of the beaches are populated by Americans and Canadians who have set up semi-permanent RV residences.
Gary was absolutely right! Playa Cayote was a stellar place to pitch a tent for the night. One of the really cool things about the beach is that there is a micro-community where people come by with all sorts of stuff like baked goods and even pizza. A hungry cyclist can be well-fed here. An ice-cream truck even made an appearance. We also enjoyed watching the bird life and stargazing.
Ride: Playa Cayote to Loreto
Distance: 110 kilometers
We very reluctantly packed up our gear and left Playa Cayote for the big push to Loreto. The first part of the ride is the most challenging as there is a noticeable amount of climbing. The cliff scenery made much of the ride very enjoyable and traffic was pretty light until reaching Loreto.
There aren’t really any services for the last 60 kilometers, so be sure to have all the water and food you need. It can get pretty toasty out there.
In Loreto, we stayed at the Hotel Junipero for about 400 pesos. Unfortunately, we got the room across the street from the main plaza with the church. The rooms facing the plaza are probably much nicer and quitter.
It seems like Loreto is waiting for the tourist boom that may never come. Almost every restaurant was empty with staff just thumbing away on their smart phones.
If needed, there is a bike shop in Loreto. On the Got Baja Loreto map, it is located between H. de Independencia and Padre Kino on a laneway that comes out onto Ayuntamiento.
There are some cheap taco stands at the corner of Idependencia and H. de Independencia. And the El Gavilan shop across from the big grocery store on Salvatierra has some really good bulk foods like nuts and dried fruit.
There aren’t really any services for the last 60 kilometers, so be sure to have all the water and food you need. It can get pretty toasty out there.
In Loreto, we stayed at the Hotel Junipero for about 400 pesos. Unfortunately, we got the room across the street from the main plaza with the church. The rooms facing the plaza are probably much nicer and quitter.
It seems like Loreto is waiting for the tourist boom that may never come. Almost every restaurant was empty with staff just thumbing away on their smart phones.
If needed, there is a bike shop in Loreto. On the Got Baja Loreto map, it is located between H. de Independencia and Padre Kino on a laneway that comes out onto Ayuntamiento.
There are some cheap taco stands at the corner of Idependencia and H. de Independencia. And the El Gavilan shop across from the big grocery store on Salvatierra has some really good bulk foods like nuts and dried fruit.
Ride: Loreto to San Javier
Distance: 40 kilometers
This is a very worthwhile side-trip. The mountain scenery of the Sierra de la Giganta is spectacular. However, there are some killer climbs that make you thankful to possess a granny gear. By far it was the hardest climbing we experienced in the Baja. Also, the road was in disrepair in certain sections but road workers were busy fixing things up. Keep in mind the saying: “the best things in life are worth working for.”
And if the ride wasn’t awesome enough, the San Javier mission is truly lovely and surrounded by various citrus trees. There is even a decent restaurant next to the mission and a little store to buy some drinks.
We were granted permission to camp on the grounds of the mission but instead decided to stay in the cabana that was operated by the man who supervises the mission during the day. The rooms are pretty basic, but the family is very friendly and they’ll cook you meals if requested.
And if the ride wasn’t awesome enough, the San Javier mission is truly lovely and surrounded by various citrus trees. There is even a decent restaurant next to the mission and a little store to buy some drinks.
We were granted permission to camp on the grounds of the mission but instead decided to stay in the cabana that was operated by the man who supervises the mission during the day. The rooms are pretty basic, but the family is very friendly and they’ll cook you meals if requested.
Ride: San Javier to Juncalito
Distance: 64 kilometers
After a nice breakfast with our hosts and taking some more photos of the mission basking in the flattering morning light, we made our way down out of the mountains. It was exciting to see the scenery from the other direction. After a small detour back to Loreto to grab some lunch we rode south to Juncalito. There are some punchy climbs and a fair amount of traffic in spots, particularly around the gringo community of Nopolo.
Juncalito is a very small community flanked by beautiful mountain scenery. We were extremely lucky to be taken in by Warmshowers hosts Brenda and Don Beck. They could have not been better hosts. We were put up in a very comfortable trailer and stuffed silly at a community dinner party. There were definitely some colourful individuals among the crowd.
Juncalito is a very small community flanked by beautiful mountain scenery. We were extremely lucky to be taken in by Warmshowers hosts Brenda and Don Beck. They could have not been better hosts. We were put up in a very comfortable trailer and stuffed silly at a community dinner party. There were definitely some colourful individuals among the crowd.
Ride: Juncalito to Ciudad Constitucion
Distance: 127 Km
After fueling up on a satisfying breakfast of granola and fruit provided by Brenda and Don (really, they are way too hospitable!), it was time to tackle a really big day in the saddle.
From Juncalito it is fairly easy going to Puerto Escondido and onto the small community of Ligui. There is a small store in Ligui where you’ll want to load up on food for the ride as there are no supplies until Ciudad Insurgentes.
After Ligui, the road snakes its way uphill as your soar among the Sierra La Giganta mountain range. It’s a really fun climb if you’re into that sort of thing. You are then up on a plateau for a while before descending towards the Pacific side of the peninsula. Road crews where in the midst of paving the road to Agua Verde, so more development might be slated for this once remote location. Once paved, it could make for a worthwhile excursion as the scenery is apparently lovely along that route.
It’s a flat push into Ciudad Insurgentes, where we had a late lunch and grabbed some groceries before riding onto Ciudad Constitucion. We we’re pretty petered out by the time we rolled into the Misiones RV trailer park. It’s located on the way into town along Hwy 1. There was only one other couple at the campground, so besides some traffic noise it was fairly peaceful with a few friendly resident dogs to keep us company.
From Juncalito it is fairly easy going to Puerto Escondido and onto the small community of Ligui. There is a small store in Ligui where you’ll want to load up on food for the ride as there are no supplies until Ciudad Insurgentes.
After Ligui, the road snakes its way uphill as your soar among the Sierra La Giganta mountain range. It’s a really fun climb if you’re into that sort of thing. You are then up on a plateau for a while before descending towards the Pacific side of the peninsula. Road crews where in the midst of paving the road to Agua Verde, so more development might be slated for this once remote location. Once paved, it could make for a worthwhile excursion as the scenery is apparently lovely along that route.
It’s a flat push into Ciudad Insurgentes, where we had a late lunch and grabbed some groceries before riding onto Ciudad Constitucion. We we’re pretty petered out by the time we rolled into the Misiones RV trailer park. It’s located on the way into town along Hwy 1. There was only one other couple at the campground, so besides some traffic noise it was fairly peaceful with a few friendly resident dogs to keep us company.
Ride: Ciudad Constitucion to San Carlos
Distance: 59 Km
Tabi and I decided to make a side trip to San Carlos to see the whales. On paper, it should have been a lightening fast flat ride but Mother Nature had other plans for us. We battled a pretty solid head wind the whole way to San Carlos that left me completely knackered by the time we rolled into town. I think the wind blows this way regularly. One saving grace was the abundance of Osprey nests along the route. They are majestic birds, indeed.
There are not a lot of accommodation options in San Carlos and they tend to be on the expensive side. We took a room at Hotel Brennan for 700 pesos. It was unspectacular, but clean and adequate.
For the whale watching, we booked a tour with Magdalena Bay Whales (www. Magdalenabaywhales.com). It was an awesome experience as the Gray whales put on a great show for us and often swam directly under the boat. For lunch, our boat driver took us to a small fishing community where we had a big plate of scallop ceviche that was truly delicious. That could easily be my choice for death row final meal.
Unless you plan on going whale watching, a trip to San Carlos is probably not worth the exertion as the town itself is fairly drab. With that said, there is a little seafood restaurant about 500 meters from the Hotel Brennan that is a stunning example of how to do local food right. We ordered the chocolate clams (named for the chocolaty color of their shells) in both raw and cooked form. The latter was prepared in a velvety cream tomato sauce. Both were a marvel. It was clear that the chef took great pride in preparing his gifts from the sea with respect. We can only imagine how delightful his other dishes would be. Alas, for another trip.
There are not a lot of accommodation options in San Carlos and they tend to be on the expensive side. We took a room at Hotel Brennan for 700 pesos. It was unspectacular, but clean and adequate.
For the whale watching, we booked a tour with Magdalena Bay Whales (www. Magdalenabaywhales.com). It was an awesome experience as the Gray whales put on a great show for us and often swam directly under the boat. For lunch, our boat driver took us to a small fishing community where we had a big plate of scallop ceviche that was truly delicious. That could easily be my choice for death row final meal.
Unless you plan on going whale watching, a trip to San Carlos is probably not worth the exertion as the town itself is fairly drab. With that said, there is a little seafood restaurant about 500 meters from the Hotel Brennan that is a stunning example of how to do local food right. We ordered the chocolate clams (named for the chocolaty color of their shells) in both raw and cooked form. The latter was prepared in a velvety cream tomato sauce. Both were a marvel. It was clear that the chef took great pride in preparing his gifts from the sea with respect. We can only imagine how delightful his other dishes would be. Alas, for another trip.
Ride: San Carlos to Ciudad Constitucion
Distance: 59 kilometers
The ride to Constitucion was much easier than going the opposite direction. Not much traffic and generally the absence of a headwind. We decided to lay low for the afternoon in Constitucion as we knew the next day would be a long one in the saddle. Feeling too lazy to head back to the RV park and set up our tents, we took a room at the Hotel Oasis which was very clean and spacious. They did not seem to mind us hanging our washed clothes around their premises.
Ride: Ciudad Constitucion to San Agustin
Distance: 138 Km
This is a long day in the saddle, but the terrain is generally flat with a prevailing tailwind so it’s not a monumental undertaking. We made it to Santa Rita fairly quickly in the morning and noticed that the road to coastal village of Puerto Charley has recently been paved. We hummed and hawed about breaking from our travel plans and heading down this road as we were told that Puerto Charley is a friendly fishing village. Alas, I’m not very good at doing things on a whim so we decided it’s a side trip that will have to wait until another Baja adventure.
Many cyclists camp in the community of El Cien, but we arrived earlier than planned so took a look at the map and decided to make a push for the next settlement called San Agustin. Well, it turns out that San Agustin is basically just a restaurant owned by the family that lives on the land. Luckily, they were more than happy to let us camp behind their compound. We felt very safe there.
Many cyclists camp in the community of El Cien, but we arrived earlier than planned so took a look at the map and decided to make a push for the next settlement called San Agustin. Well, it turns out that San Agustin is basically just a restaurant owned by the family that lives on the land. Luckily, they were more than happy to let us camp behind their compound. We felt very safe there.
Ride: San Agustin to La Paz
Distance: 78 kilometers
What should have been a straightforward ride with a few punchy climbs to keep turned into a suffer-fest courtesy a menacing cross-headwind. It also seemed like the traffic was sketchier for stretches of the ride than we had experienced previously in the trip. Once we first caught a glimpse of La Paz it seemed like a slow torture until we eventually made into the center of town.
We decide to take a room at a Hotel Lorimar again, and then make a desperately needed trip to Super Tacos de Baja located beside the blue painted budget hotel Pension California. This taco stand offers super tasty (and cheap!) ceviche and fish tacos. Perfect grub to feed the belly of a hungry cyclist.
If you are in La Paz on a Saturday, be sure not to miss out on the farmers’ market. Lots of great local produce and tasty baked goods. Plus some made-with-love tamales.
We decide to take a room at a Hotel Lorimar again, and then make a desperately needed trip to Super Tacos de Baja located beside the blue painted budget hotel Pension California. This taco stand offers super tasty (and cheap!) ceviche and fish tacos. Perfect grub to feed the belly of a hungry cyclist.
If you are in La Paz on a Saturday, be sure not to miss out on the farmers’ market. Lots of great local produce and tasty baked goods. Plus some made-with-love tamales.
Ride: La Paz to Todos Santos
Distance: 85 kilometers
After cycling out of La Paz which was not an overly pleasurable experience, the rest of the ride was really easy with a predominant tailwind. Best off all, there is a wide shoulder for the majority of the trip on Hwy 1 and Hwy 19. It would be so nice to have that luxury all along Hwy 1 down the Baja.
We pulled in Todos Santos shortly after lunch and found a room at the Maria Bonita Hotel. At 450 pesos, the hotel is a great bargain. The rooms are spacious and clean with a friendly staff. It seemed like much of the other accommodation in Todos was on the pricey side. We then spent the afternoon walking around to the plethora of galleries in town. Most definitely a gringo vibe here.
The next day, Tabi and I decided to ride down to Playa San Pedro. This is a stunning beach that is flanked by towering hills on either end. And there were only a handful of other people populating the beach. It felt like a million miles from the frenzy of Cabo. The road to the beach leaves Hwy 19 at the 57 Km marker and is unpaved for the 2 kilometer journey. It can be sandy in places, but nothing too arduous.
Deciding we needed a little more beach time (after all, soon we would be returning to the depths of a Canadian winter), the next day took us to the beaches north of Todos. Again, miles of sand with hardly anyone around. From the center of town, you basically take Topete road and keep going until you find a side-road that you would like to take down to the beach.
We pulled in Todos Santos shortly after lunch and found a room at the Maria Bonita Hotel. At 450 pesos, the hotel is a great bargain. The rooms are spacious and clean with a friendly staff. It seemed like much of the other accommodation in Todos was on the pricey side. We then spent the afternoon walking around to the plethora of galleries in town. Most definitely a gringo vibe here.
The next day, Tabi and I decided to ride down to Playa San Pedro. This is a stunning beach that is flanked by towering hills on either end. And there were only a handful of other people populating the beach. It felt like a million miles from the frenzy of Cabo. The road to the beach leaves Hwy 19 at the 57 Km marker and is unpaved for the 2 kilometer journey. It can be sandy in places, but nothing too arduous.
Deciding we needed a little more beach time (after all, soon we would be returning to the depths of a Canadian winter), the next day took us to the beaches north of Todos. Again, miles of sand with hardly anyone around. From the center of town, you basically take Topete road and keep going until you find a side-road that you would like to take down to the beach.
Ride: Todos Santos to Playa Migrino
Distance: 56 kilometers
This was a totally casual ride for us. Along the way we visited Baja Beans in El Pescadaro and Playa Los Cerritos. There is a main turnoff to Los Cerritos at the Km 65 marker and it’s about 2.5 km of fairly bumpy and sandy road to the beach. However, if you travel a bit further down the main road, you’ll come to turnoffs to the beach that require a shorter ride to the water. Los Cerritos is fairly busy with not a lot of great camping spots left. It is one of the main surf beaches in Baja. A short ways along the dirt road at the Km 65 marker turnoff is a wonderful family run restaurant. It’s likely that restaurants down at the beach are more expensive with food of questionable quality.
Between Los Cerritos and Playa Migrino is fairly easy going but not a lot of services. At the Km 97 marker you’ll come to a main turnoff for the beach. However, if you go about 200 meters further along highway 19 you’ll come to another dirt road down to the beach that is much better for cyclists. Most of it is rideable with only some pushing required at the end to get onto the beach. It is less than 1 km to the beach from the main road.
Playa Migrino is amazing. We had this entire beach to ourselves and were treated to a show put on by some Grey whales that were jumping around a short ways offshore. This was definitely one of the major highlights of our Baja trip.
If you plan on camping at this beach, make sure to bring enough water and food. It’s a good idea to stock up in Todos or Pescadaro. A short distance south of the beach on highway 19 are some ATV tour companies that would likely provide you water if needed.
Between Los Cerritos and Playa Migrino is fairly easy going but not a lot of services. At the Km 97 marker you’ll come to a main turnoff for the beach. However, if you go about 200 meters further along highway 19 you’ll come to another dirt road down to the beach that is much better for cyclists. Most of it is rideable with only some pushing required at the end to get onto the beach. It is less than 1 km to the beach from the main road.
Playa Migrino is amazing. We had this entire beach to ourselves and were treated to a show put on by some Grey whales that were jumping around a short ways offshore. This was definitely one of the major highlights of our Baja trip.
If you plan on camping at this beach, make sure to bring enough water and food. It’s a good idea to stock up in Todos or Pescadaro. A short distance south of the beach on highway 19 are some ATV tour companies that would likely provide you water if needed.
Ride: Playa Migrino to San Jose del Cabo
Distance: 68 kilometers
As we packed up our gear in the morning, the whales offshore decided to continue putting on a show as they flung their massive bodies out of the water. It goes without saying that we very reluctantly departed this slice of paradise.
The ride started with a few stiff climbs that got our hearts pumping strong. As predicted the ride into and out of Cabo San Lucas was a little chaotic, but nothing to nerve shattering. We did not have any desire to spend much time in this tourist trap so quickly departed the city and made the push for San Jose. There is a wide shoulder for most of the ride between Cabo and San Jose, which considering the amount of traffic is very much needed for a cyclist. At one time, this would have been an absolutely stunning part of the Baja coastline, but now it’s saturated with soulless resorts.
Instead of going all the way back to our start point in Playa Playita, we decided to get a hotel room near the art district of San Jose so we could take part in the weekly art walk. We found a room at the Posada Yucca Inn (www.yucainn.com.mx), which was very good value with a great location near all the action. In the main square after the sun goes down, a family run food cart offers up amazing tamales. Their sweet rice pudding ain’t half bad either.
The next day we made the short trip back to El Delfin Blanco in Playa Playita to pack up our bikes for the trip back to ice cold Canada.
The ride started with a few stiff climbs that got our hearts pumping strong. As predicted the ride into and out of Cabo San Lucas was a little chaotic, but nothing to nerve shattering. We did not have any desire to spend much time in this tourist trap so quickly departed the city and made the push for San Jose. There is a wide shoulder for most of the ride between Cabo and San Jose, which considering the amount of traffic is very much needed for a cyclist. At one time, this would have been an absolutely stunning part of the Baja coastline, but now it’s saturated with soulless resorts.
Instead of going all the way back to our start point in Playa Playita, we decided to get a hotel room near the art district of San Jose so we could take part in the weekly art walk. We found a room at the Posada Yucca Inn (www.yucainn.com.mx), which was very good value with a great location near all the action. In the main square after the sun goes down, a family run food cart offers up amazing tamales. Their sweet rice pudding ain’t half bad either.
The next day we made the short trip back to El Delfin Blanco in Playa Playita to pack up our bikes for the trip back to ice cold Canada.
