You Must Be Trippin'

Baja Adventures

November 29 2008 by Neal Mueller

Nothing screams adventure like a holiday weekend. This past Labor Day I weekend warrior'd the Baja. In this blog post I'll disclose two secret campsites, two primo snorkeling holes, and two great local eateries.

Two secret seaside campsites.
Camp VII. This a secret with an expiration date. Soon this isolated camp spot will be cliff-side golf course filled with men in bad pants chasing small, white, dimpled balls. Thankfully, this site is yet undeveloped and has untouched seaside cliffs, panoramic vistas, and gorgeous snorkeling. Ask Dale at La Bufadora Dive Shop how to get to "Camp VII". It's up the road from him about 10 minutes. Turn-left at the bright yellow house. The gate attendant at the turn-off will charge you either $3 or a Tecate for parking (your choice).<

Camp Kennedy. After the above campsite is developed into a golf course there will still be Camp Kennedy, which is located south across of La Bufadora. Currently this campsite is only accessible by vehicles with tall clearance, but it is well worth the bumpy ride. To access this campsite and its private beaches take a left at the last speed-bump on the road into La Bufadora.

Need a tent?
REI rents them for $10/day, and that excludes the day you rent it and the day you pick it up.

Two primo snorkeling spots.
La Bufadora. If you have ever wanted to snorkel through kelp beds then you will enjoy La Bufadora. This shallow bay is home to a kelp habitat that is accessible right from the beach. Dale's La Bufadora Dive Shop can tell you where to go and knows spots outside the bay if you want to ad-venture out with him. The best part of snorkeling/diving here is that the coastal waters here are virtually unexplored. We visited during the busiest weekend of the year (Labor Day) and were the ONLY snorkelers. Water clarity was 20 feet at 30 feet deep. The downside is that the water is 56F, so pack a wetsuit and a cap and you'll be fine.

Three Sisters. This area is named after the three large rock formations that stand guard like maiden sentinels. It's located east along the cliffs from Camp VII. While snorkeling here we saw dolphins, hundreds of fish varietals, brightly colored urchins, starfish and toaster-sized anemones. The water is so rich with nutrients that local fisherman have floating nets to house and fatten up tuna.

Need for speed?
If snorkeling is not your bailiwick then check out this next activity... jet skiing in Estero Beach ($50/hour). In one hour we managed to go 60+ on a jet ski, do about a hundred high velocity spins, ride the ocean surf and collect shells at the sand dune peninsula. There's something in this adventure for everyone. As for me, something about a plastic accelerator handle and 750 cubic inches of torque makes me feel like a kid again.

Two great local eateries.
Seviche lunch: I have two words for you: *Clam* *Seviche*. For $4!!! Our man Jorche shucked the clam, cut the onion and tomato, wasn't shy with the key lime and served it on the half-shell in under 2-minutes. This amazing lunch shack is on Jose Maria Morelos Street.

Tortillas and margaritas: I prefer to eat where the locals eat, such as Hacienda del Charro (Lopez Mateos 454). Here we are enjoyed freshly caught fish tacos ($6), open spit roasted chicken fajitas ($7) and helmet-sized margaritas ($4). As if this cuisine symphony wasn't enough the locals at the table next to us hired a Mariachi band to serenade the entire restaurant. If you overindulge on margaritas during dinner you can sleep it off at the nearby Best Western El Cid where the manager Patricia Canbuzo greets visitors at the door.

Don't get plundered.
A final note before you ad-venture into the Baja. Unfortunately some, certainly not all, Mexican Police (aka Federales) have been known to fabricate infractions of the law in order to solicit bribes from Yankees. I recommend that you carry money in your wallet to satisfy them ($30) but not so much that you break your travel budget. Hide your real money clip somewhere other than your wallet. Full disclosure: every single police officer that I saw had a smile on their face and was awesomely helpful.

Email This Comments (0)

Categories : Are We There Yet?

0 Comments

Leave a comment

Name
Email Address
	Remember personal info?

Your comment may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.

Comments (You may use HTML tags for style)

Captcha:

Type the characters you see in the picture above.

I certify that I am the author or sole owner of all content I am submitting in my comment. I have read, understand and agree to the Terms and Conditions of this Site.