Though sometimes overshadowed by Los Cabos, the rest of Baja California Sur has so much more to explore and discover. It might well take a literary genius to be able to capture the raw beauty of Baja in mere words—but thankfully, we have John Steinbeck and his 1952 book The Log from the Sea of Cortez in which he details his journey around the peninsula on a fishing boat. As he traveled, Steinbeck stopped at each of these following locations, all three of which are popular destinations today, either as short trips from Cabo or as vacations in their own right.
CABO PULMO
“The complexity of the life pattern on Pulmo Reef -clinging to the coral, growing on it, burrowing into it, was a teeming fauna. Every piece of the soft material broken off, skittered and pulsed with life, little crabs and worms and snails. One small piece of coral might conceal 30 or 40 species, and the colors on the reef were electric.”
On the east side of the Baja peninsula, about 60 miles from Cabo San Lucas, is the federally protected National Park of Cabo Pulmo. In the “town” of Cabo Pulmo there’s really very little: a couple of dive shops, a few cottages to rent, a small grocery store, and that’s about it—and that’s a very good thing. A few years ago hotel and resort developers had their eye on it but a concerted community effort from the people of the area and from Los Cabos helped stop them.
The highlight here is not the desert scrub landscape, striking though it may be. It’s what’s under the water that people come to see: the coral reef, one of only three in North America. Though overfished in years past the reef is now active once more with multitudes of brilliantly colored fish and sea creatures, including manta rays and sea lions.
Snorkeling and diving packages, with or without accommodation, are available.
TODOS SANTOS
“A dream hangs over the whole region, a brooding kind of hallucination.”
Todos Santos, 45 miles north of Cabo San Lucas and perched directly on the Tropic Cancer, is one of Mexico’s Magical Towns, places that are of significant historical and cultural relevance, and which offer visitors a “magical” experience. The quaint streets and architecture of Todos Santos certainly qualify it as magical and it has become a popular tourist destination for those seeking a slower, less “touristy” locale. Nestled on the coast among the Sierra de la Laguna mountains, it offers world-class surfing and several music and film festivals throughout the year. It’s home to several spas and is all-in-all a more relaxing, some might even say spiritual retreat. There’s a large ex-pat community of over 1000 Americans and Canadians, a local theatre that doubles as a film school and the gorgeous mission church Misión de Nuestra Maria del Pilar, founded in 1723.
It’s also the home of the Hotel California, rumored to be (though often denied) the hotel from the Eagles’ 1976 classic, Hotel California. The original 1950 structure has been renovated inside creating 11 rooms/suites as well as a restaurant and gift shop.
Another hotel choice in Todos Santos is the pet-friendly, 14-room Hotel Guaycura, named for the indigenous people of the region and which also shares the name with a local liquor, renowned for its aphrodisiac effects (ask to see the bottle). The structure was built in the 18th century however the interior now has a boutique hotel atmosphere, fitting since the Guaycura is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels group. There’s a spa, rooftop bar with pool, several restaurants, and a beach club five minutes away.
LA PAZ
“We wondered why so much of the Gulf was familiar to us, why this town had a ‘home’ feeling. We had never seen a town which even looked like La Paz, and yet coming to it was like returning rather than visiting. Some quality there is in the whole Gulf that trips a trigger of recognition so that in fantastic and exotic scenery one finds oneself nodding and saying inwardly, ‘Yes, I know.’”
La Paz is the capital of the state of Baja California Sur and at more than 215,000 people its largest city, though Cabo San Lucas is creeping very close population-wise. While not as “quaint” as the smaller towns found along the coast, La Paz has a definite charm and the maturity and services of an established city. The boardwalk, or malecón, right at the heart of the city, is perfect for an evening stroll with an ice cream from perennial favorite la Fuente.
Located within the Marina CostaBaja development, which holds a Certificate of Environmental Excellence by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency in Mexico (PROFEPA) for its green practices throughout our community, is the 115 room Costa Baja Resort & Spa. It has a golf course and beach club, two pools, and two restaurants, including Steinbeck’s Steakhouse whose head chef previously worked at world-famous Pujol in Mexico City.
ISLA ESPIRITU SANCTO
Just off the coast of La Paz lies the 23,000 acre desert island and UNESCO protected biosphere, Espiritu Sanctu. Steinbeck anchored just offshore over seventy years ago and very little has changed. The largest sea lion colony in the world lives on its coastline and popular daytrips include the option of swimming, snorkeling and diving with them. There is also the recent addition of luxury camping (or glamping) on the island where one can stay in safari-style tents with electricity and showers. Whether you stay for an afternoon or a week, Isla Espiritu Sancto is not to be missed.
Baja California Sur, www.explorebajasur.com