activities
wild adventures with a pinch of Baja magic
on day trip from Los Cabos
You’ve been to the beaches, watched the whales, strolled the historical centre and still can’t get enough? No worries, there’s more! How about diving in a National Park with the only coral reef in the Gulf of California? Or would you prefer chasing some waterfalls and soaking in natural hot springs? Or you’d rather fancy a stroll around a Pueblo Magico, with beautiful colonial style buildings? Just a day trip away from Whale Tales Hostel and you’ll enjoy hidden pools in the sierra, snorkel above coral reefs and hike to hidden bays.
Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve
The Sierra de la Laguna has it all: hot springs, an oasis, waterfalls, ranchos, an old mining town, hidden pools, pine-oak forests and plenty of cacti, you choose. For a perfect day trip, we recommend you to hike up to the waterfall in Cañón de la Zorra, head over to Santa Rita afterwards for a picnic and a thermal bath and finish the day with the BEST ice cream of Baja California Sur on your way back.
Todos Santos
One of the three Pueblos Magicos in Baja California Sur, the title is well-deserved. Todos Santos is not only home to a colorful historic centre with plenty of restaurants and shops, but also houses some world class surf at Playa Cerritos. If surfing is not your thing, head over to Playa Punta Lobos for a hike to a hidden bay or release some baby turtles on Playa La Cachora. Finish the day with some delicious tacos de camarones and you’ll have had the perfect day trip!
Cabo Pulmo
The National Park closest to Los Cabos and a true divers’ paradise: massive schools of tuna, humpback whales, sharks, turtles, dolphins, sea lions, different types of fish and even the occasional whale shark. Plan your dive or snorkel session in advance and make the most of your day. Or grab your snorkel and set off from one of the beaches, you’ll find plenty of marine life just a short swim away.
good for two days or more
Your day trip away from los Cabos could easily become an overnight stay or a multi-day trip. One of those places that lure you in and won’t let you go, is La Paz. Capital to the state of Baja California Sur with a small city feeling, picture perfect views from the malecon, the most beautiful beach of Mexico, if not the world, and more activities than you could choose from. Or La Ventana, kitesurf capital with hot spring beaches & sea safaris. While still a smaller town, it attracts a very international crowd and you could easily enjoy a couple of days amongst the kitesurfing community.
La Paz
By far our favorite city in Baja California Sur, the list of things to do in la Paz is endless. How about swimming with whale sharks or snorkeling with baby sea lions? Visiting Balandra Beach or taking a boat trip to Isla Espiritu Santo? Maybe go kayaking, snorkeling, diving, mountain biking or sandboarding? Even on the malecon you’ll have to choose: am I going to stroll around or rent a bike or go rollerskating? An evening walk or a morning run? Visit the Whale Museum, the Art Museum or the Museum of Natural History of Baja California Sur? Even if you’re short on time, La Paz is definitely worth an overnight stay.
La Ventana
While La Paz has a delightful mixture of cultural history and natural beauty, La Ventana is one big adventure. Dig your own jacuzzi at Playa Agua Caliente and watch the sunset while sipping home made cocktails in a hot bath on the beach. Go on a sea safari and check out the marine life between La Ventana and Isla Cerralvo, or better, add a hike up to some ancient rock paintings. Hop on a kite and learn how to kite surf, doze at the beach or go for a snorkel at Ensenada de Muertos. Hike through a cacti forest or over cliffs along the beach. Enough adventures to easily fill a couple of days.
full on Baja road trip
Arriving at Los Cabos Airport is just the beginning. You're planning a complete Baja adventure, bussing or driving the 1541 KM all the way up to Tijuana. Or grabbing your bike to cycle around the peninsula. Or you’re not going all the way up, but want to see all that the state of B.C.S. has to offer: here are our top stops for a trip crossing Baja California Sur, beyond the capital of La Paz:
Loreto
Our favorite Pueblo Magico in Baja California Sur is Loreto, with its colorful colonial centre, lively malecón and the home to the first Jesuit Mission on the Baja peninsula. The highlight however is the National Park Bahía de Loreto, which consists of 5 islands and is a true paradise for marine life, with plenty of snorkel opportunities and dive sites to discover. More even: Loreto is THE best place to spot the biggest mammal on earth, the blue whale! For those who prefer to stay with both feet on the ground, you can check out the Sierra Gorda mountain range, with plenty of hikes in hidden canyons or a visit to the San Javier Mission and the oldest olive trees of the peninsula.
Mulegé
A little bit before you enter the town of Mulegé, you’ll encounter some of the most beautiful beaches on the Baja peninsula in Bahía Concepción, ideal for some wild camping. Waking up with turquoise blue waters before a background full of mountains is a sight you won’t forget. Just like some of the oldest cave paintings on the American continent, 7000 years old, which you’ll find on a daytrip from Mulegé to the San Borjitas cave, deep in the sierra. You might also go check out the oasis with its Mission overlooking a picture perfect view or go for a visit to the newest Pueblo Magico of the State, Santa Rosalia.
La Purísima
Ah, La Purísima. Besides two campgrounds and a small neighbourhood shop, there’s no services and La Purisima feels deliciously off the beaten path. Once a stop on the only route down to Los Cabos, but since the new highway arrived, it’s a bit of a forgotten corner on an old road. Crumbling buildings that have known better times, but also a spectacular landscape with views of El Pilón towering over the oasis. Different adventures are waiting for you around town: birdwatching, kayaking, hiking and checking out basalt rocks and ancient petroglyphs.
Bahia Magdalena
There’s one thing Bahia Magdalena is known for: whale watching. Every year, gray whales migrate down to the warm ocean in front of the Baja peninsula to calve and nurse their young until they’re strong enough to make the long trip back up to arctic waters. They particularly like to hang out in Magdalena Bay, making it the ideal spot to go whale watching in winter. Small pangas go out daily to watch the whales and you can count on a very close encounter with one of the most magnificent animals on earth.
San Ignacio & Guerrero Negro
Besides Bahia Magdalena, also Ojo de Liebre and Guerrero Negro are known to be an ideal whale watching spot during the migration season. Not only that: as a part of the El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, with 25.000 square kilometers of protected land, it’s also a true haven for endangered and migratory species such as bighorn sheep and mule deer, more than 300 types of birds, sea turtles and of course, the gray whale. Desert plains, coastal lagoons, the Tres Virgenes volcanoes, the Mission in San Ignacio and the mountains of the Sierra de San Francisco: the views are endless. Deep in the Sierra de San Francisco, you’ll find the most famous rock art of México, painted thousands of years ago by the native Cochimí people. Adventures guaranteed.
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