Baja Overview 
Related Links: East Cape, Pacific Coast, Baja Report
                                                         
Mike Godsey has compiled a very accurate and detailed Baja Guide which can be found on the iwindsurf website. If you are heading down, give it a read as well.

Mexico is a foreign country. Please respect the land and its people, and be sure to have the necessary documentation, preparations and attitude for traveling there. 

Baja, Mexico. You’ve heard the stories and seen the pictures. It is a truly remarkable place. The diversity of the peninsula leaves no shortage of things to do, only a shortage of time to do them in. There is a regular contingent that head south each year, some of them for months at a time. Since this is a windsurfing site, discussion will be centered around windsurfing, though that is certainly NOT all there is to do in Baja. There is a tremendous amount of information on Baja available in books and magazines, but as with many things the internet is the easiest and fastest way to access it. That said, here is a rudimentary overview of Baja, what to know, where to go and when, and a few tips to keep you your trip muy bien.

Baja is a popular destination for many reasons, but its size and diversity of attractions spread out the crowds providing solitude for anyone willing to go looking for it. The scenery of the peninsula is simply breathtaking. Several different climates are found along its 1,100 mile length, deserts to tropical, mountains to beaches. The seasons follow those of the mainland United States, only warmer.

East cape: The Sea of Cortez 
The Sea of Cortez is affected by local and El Norte winds more than ocean swells from the South, though south swells can travel up the sea providing rare but good surfing. El Norte winds produce rolling swells up to mast high in the windy winter season, making on-shore to side shore sailing conditions that are steadily gaining notoriety. The water is comparatively warm all year, with a 3/2 full suit being the warmest suit most people need for windsurfing.
            
Late fall and winter is the prime time for windsurfing on the Sea of Cortez. The return of the El Norte wind is usually in October sometime, and brings with it cooler nights and blows away the dreaded BoBos, a no-see-um type mosquito of Mexican origin that can make life without screens tough on campers. Regular, consistent, and strong winds blow down the length of the sea beginning in Novermber, hot spots being Los Barriles and more recently La Ventana. These are the most popular and offer most amenities but are certainly not the only places to sail. There is a real community in the campgrounds at these spots with people returning year after year to the same place. As spring rolls around the sailing can still be really good and less crowded though less consistent.
           
Pacific Side (western coastline)  
Pacific ocean swells roll in year round, but the best and most consistent action is from long period south swells in the summer and fall. Large north and west swells of spring, fall and winter will hit the coastline as well, though many of the bet break are south facing, particularly in southern Baja. The more northerly the swell, the larger it needs to be to get all the way down the peninsula, so research your destination to see if it works with the swells of the season. There is wind along the pacific coast year round, the best seasons being spring, summer and into fall. The southern coast can have great wave sailing on the same days that the Sea of Cortez is dead, so a little luck and extra driving can keep you in the water most days.
            
By now everyone has heard of Punta San Carlos. Regular side-offshore winds and a long forgiving wave has made the place a legend. Less primitive than it used to be, it is still very popular with windsurfers from spring through fall every year. While the days (when sunny) are usually warm, the nights are cool to downright cold, so pack accordingly. 

THINGS TO KNOW
Currency: The “Peso” is the Mexican currency, and for some time now the conversion to US Dollars has been around 2-1, making on the spot conversions simple. American dollars are accepted everywhere, though you won't do as well on the exchange rate in a small town as you will in a bank. Once away form the main tourist areas (like Cabo san Lucas and Tijuana) prices are very low for goods and services. And a big smile is usually thrown in for free.

Local Customs: Mexico is not America. It is a different country and culture, and that very fact is part of why it is embraced so fondly. Mexicans are for the most part incredibly kind, helpful and even more resourceful. There are rotten apples in any barrel, but most people tend to ignore the “horror stories’ that float around and speak only of good times.

 Driving: Driving in Mexico is different. For starters, the road (Mex 1)  is only 18 feet wide while 2 lane roads in the US are 22 feet. And there is rarely a shoulder, rather 10 inches of pavement and a steep embankment. And there are the “Topes”. Topes are speed bumps placed at the ends of almost every town for speed control and to help out the local automotive service economy. Sometimes there are 3 or 4 of them and are often unmarked so be VERY cautious when approaching and departing from towns. Topes can and have severely damaged vehicles and trailers when hit at too high a speed. A bigger vehicle does not exclude you from this. There are reports of whole axles coming off so treat them with respect and cross over them at a snails pace. Plus, you’re on vacation.
            
Driving in Mexico is safe if you heed a few warnings and take it slowly. The drive is beautiful. Entire valleys of cactus forests, rugged mountain ranges, agricultural pastures, empty deserts and breathtaking ocean views are all part of the experience. Mexico 1 runs the length of the Baja peninsula. It is paved and usually in good enough shape for passenger cars to travel safely. During hurricane season sections of the road can wash out or become extremely potholed. “Vados” can be the size of a cubicle, so approach them carefully and slowly. There are not a whole lot of bridges on Mexico 1. Instead the road is built across the floor of arroyos, seasonal riverbeds that carry excess runoff. During rains the water is often deep and powerful enough to wash cars off the roadway and severely damage the road surface. If you must cross a flooded arroyo, don’t be the first, and GO SLOWLY. It is best to let someone else be the guinea pig, and if they make it then think about giving it a go. Of course, if they went through in a F350 4x4 with huge tires and a winch you may want to wait a while longer. Speaking of waiting, things in Mexico happen slowly. If you do get pulled over, it will take 45 minutes to 2 hours to clear things up. That is just the way it is.  If you happen along a stretch of impassable road, be prepared with water, food and a cribbage board to wait it out a while.  Sometimes the closure is measured in days, not hours as much of the roadwork is done by hand and shovel.       

Along Mexico 1 there are military checkpoints stationed every few hundred miles or so. Expect to see between 4 and 7 of them between Tijuana and Cabo. The checkpoints are stationed mostly with young men stuck in the middle of nowhere wearing heavy, starched uniforms. Be honest and courteous and you should pass with no problems. They will want to look in your vehicle, and you must let them, but rarely does a full search take place. Some travelers with dogs avoid the searches, but dogs can also have the opposite affect, so use your judgment. It is still true that a box of  old magazines inside the back door of your van can expedite your time at a checkpoint.
             
If you get off the main road it will be dirt, sand, stone, clay, mud, or any combination thereof. Rain makes driving off road hazardous to you and your vehicle. Muddy, slippery and impassible roads, bogs, puddles and moving water should all be waited out. Give it time and it will dry up and you can move on. Often there is more than one route to your destination. This is because when one route becomes too tough, another is created. Follow someone who knows or look for the freshest tracks and most recent signs of traffic and you’ll get there eventually, since there just aren’t enough towns and camps for you to end up at the wrong place.   

There are a few general rules for driving in Baja, the following are a few of them.
1. Do not drive at night. This is the most important one as Mex 1 has little in common with its' US counterpart, Hwy 1. The road is usually in pretty good shape with intermittent rough sections that are rarely marked. Livestock are everywhere and the whole peninsula seems to be an open range with cattle sleeping on the warm blacktop at night. The truckers tend to drive with their headlights off at night. The reasons for this are for their benefit, not ours.   
2. Do not test rule number one. 
3. Drive slowly. 
3. Caravan with other vehicles and use CB radio if possible. If you have a vehicle problem, a second or third vehicle and it's occupants can be a real help. If you do break down the Mexicans are usually eager to help you out and are in credibly creative at fixing things. All for a price so low that your mechanic would cringe. 
4. Leave early so if there is a problem there is time and daylight to deal with it.
5. Carry spares. If you break down you might be on your own. There are the “Green Angels” that patrol the highway but their knowledge is limited and they are not a traveling auto parts store.
6.  Don't camp on the side of the road as there are the very rare “banditos” who can make life interesting if you choose to do so. Plus, most of our mothers have already covered this one, and they were right. Find a campground for the night. If that doesn’t work for you, ask local businesses or residents if you can park on their property under lights, or in front of their house. Many will oblige you of this for a small fee. 
7. Fill up as often as possible. Along some stretches of Mexico 1 gas stations can be as much as 150 miles apart. The stations don’t always have gas, so get it when you can. If you are in an area that has no gas there is usually a rancher or townsperson who has some for sale  at a slightly inflated price. 
TIP: Many gas stations are full service in Mexico. A once common scam was to not zero the pump after a fill up, so you wind up paying for gas you didn’t get. Have a locking gas cap and watch the guy pumping. Maybe even learn some Spanish. There are also kids competing to clean your windows, and if you let them they will expect a few pesettas.

TIPS
You are a guest in a foreign country, and should act accordingly. Some have said to ”keep your eyes open, mouth shut and your hands in your pockets and you’ll be fine”. True, but not very experiential. Most travelers find nothing but helpful, kind and polite people in their travels down south, so a combination of "When in Rome ......" and "The Golden Rule" usually keeps everything as it should be.
           
If possible, hit the border at about 5:40am with Pesos and all your papers and Mexican driving insurance taken care of. The border guard rotates shifts at 6am so if you get there at the end of their shift they are less likely to hassle you as they just want to go home. The paperwork and currency exchanges can soak up lots of time so do it all in the U.S. If that isn't possible drive through Tijuana and do it in Ensenada.

OTHER THINGS TO DO
What to do depends on where you are and what you enjoy, but chances are you can do it in Baja. The peninsula is host to world class attractions of every type except snow sports, though it does snow there. Windsurfing, surfing, fishing, kayaking, cycling, hiking, camping, exploring, four-wheeling, boating, relaxing; it’s all there. There are books and articles that highlight the more popular places and attractions but there is adventure at every turn, and most of the peninsula is un-crowded and accessible without four-wheel-drive.

OTHER RESOURCES
Just the word “baja” typed into a search engine will give you lots of places to get your research started. There are lots of books and a huge number of websites dedicated to travel in Baja, so dig in and get yourself started. This is just a preliminary guide. There is much more to learn about Baja and about traveling there so go get started planning out your trip.