Baja California

Understand

Geography Baja California encompasses a territory which exhibits diverse geography for a relatively small area. The Peninsular ranges of the California cordillera run down the geographic center of the state. The most notable ranges of these mountains are the Sierra de Juarez and the Sierra de San Pedro Martir. These ranges are the location of forests reminiscent of Southern California's San Gabriel Mountains. Picacho del Diablo is the highest peak in the whole peninsula. Valleys between the mountain ranges are located within a climate zone that are suitable for agriculture. Such valleys included the Valle de Guadalupe and the Valle de Ojos Negros, areas that produce citrus fruits and grapes. The mineral-rich mountain range extends southwards to the Gulf of California, where the western slope becomes wider, forming the Llanos del Berrendo in the border with Baja California Sur. The mountain ranges located in the center and southern part of the state include the Sierra de La Asamblea, Sierra de Calamajué, Sierra de San Luis and the Sierra de San Borja. To the east, the Sonoran Desert enters the state from both California and Sonora. Some of the highest temperatures in Mexico are recorded in or nearby the Mexicali Valley. However, with irrigation from the Colorado River, this area has become truly an agricultural center. The Cerro Prieto geothermal province is near Mexicali as well (this area is geologically part of a large pull apart basin); producing about 80% of the electricity consumed in the state and enough more to export to California. Laguna Salada, a saline lake below sea level lying between the rugged Sierra de Juarez and the Sierra de los Cucapah, is also in the vicinity of Mexicali. The highest mountain in the Sierra de los Cucapah is the Cerro del Centinela or Mount Signal. The Cucapah are the primary indigenous people of that area and up into the Yuma, Arizona area. There are numerous islands on the Pacific shore. Guadalupe Island is located in the extr

Getting there

There are several border crossings in the north with the state of California. Most of these are the continuations of U.S. Interstate Highways, such as the Interstate 5 (I-5).

By plane 1 General Abelardo L. Rodríguez Airport ((TIJ IATA) Tijuana International Airport). Non-stop air service is available from all regions of Mexico including flights from San Jose del Cabo, La Paz and Loreto Bay in the Baja California Peninsula. Alternatively, you can fly to San Diego (SAN IATA) and take a taxi or bus to the I-5 (San Ysidro) border crossing.

Getting around

By car & Mexican Federal Highways 1 & 1D are the main north-south highways in Baja California. Kilometer markers track the distance along Fed 1 through Baja California in four separate improved segments The first of these is the 109-km (68 mi) length from Tijuana to Ensenada, which is known informally as Mex 1 Libre to distinguish it from Fed 1D, the parallel toll road. The second portion of signed road runs 196 km (122 mi) from Ensenada to San Quintín. The third segment comprises 128 km (80 mi) from San Quintín to the Parador Punta Prieta junction. A final segment stretches 128 km (80 mi) from Punta Prieta to the border of the state of Baja California Sur near Guerrero Negro. The total route of Fed 1 in Baja California is 713 km (443 mi). Mexican Federal Highway (Hwy) 1D is a 4 lane highway ('freeway-like') serving as the main toll highway between Tijuana and Ensenada while Hwy 1 straddles along side serving as a 'libre' road with access to multiple local side streets.

Mexican Federal Highway 5 begins in the border city of Mexicali at the western border crossing. It has four lanes from there for about km 80. At this point it becomes a two-lane highway (with little or no shoulder in most areas) until km 160, about 18 km (11 mi) south of the junction with Mexico Federal Highway 3, and about 40 km (24 mi) north of San Felipe. From there, the highway is a broad, divided, four-lane highway with a median and ample shoulders, until it ends in San Felipe. from Mexican Federal Highway 2 serves as the main east-west road along the US/Mexican border from the Mexican side. It connects Tijuana to Hwy 15 in Santa Ana, Sonora (110 km south of the border in Nogales) through Tecate, Mexicali, San Luis Rio Colorado and Sonoyta. Mexican Federal Highway 3 from Tecate to Ensenada is the main route through Mexico's wine country of the Guadalupe Valley, it is also an important alternate route from the US/Mexican border, connecting to Mexican federal highway 1 to points south of

Eat

Baja California is famous for its myriad seafood restaurants owing to the long stretch of Pacific Ocean on its western side and the long stretch of beaches along the Sea of Cortez on its eastern side. Fish tacos are an iconic dish throughout Baja, particularly in the city of Ensenada. In the early 21st century, Baja's wine industry has exploded with dozens of very highly regarded wineries in the Valle de Guadalupe, just north of Ensenada. Chefs in that area tweaked traditional Baja regional cooking, combining it with the fresh vegetables that grow in the area, and the flavors of olives and tomatoes that characterize Mediterranean cuisine. They call this new style of cooking Baja Med, and it's become a magnet for foodies who crave the flavors of warm sunshine and fresh seafood. In their first-ever list of recommended restaurants in Mexico, the famed Michelin Guide listed 32 restaurants in Baja California (most in Valle de Guadalupe) with 11 being awarded stars. It's fair to say that the Michelin editors found Baja food to be "stellar".

Drink & nightlife

While Mexico is not usually seen as a wine-drinking country, wine-making has been increasing both in quality and in quantity since the 1980s, and the Baja California area produces 90% of Mexico’s wine. The “Ruta del Vino” (Wine Route) connects the wine producing areas of the municipality of Ensenada, such as the Valley of Guadalupe, the Valley of Llano Colorado, Valley of Santo Tomás and the Valley of San Vicente with the port city of Ensenada and the border cities of Tijuana and Tecate. The Route connects over fifty wineries, along with upscale restaurants, hotels, museums and other attractions of this part of Baja California state. The route is marked by “Ruta del Vino” signs on the roads and highways to promote the area for enotourism, especially from the U.S. border. Another major tourism draw is the Fiesta de la Vendimia (Vintage Festival), which takes place in Ensenada and the Valley of Guadalupe every year in August. The festivals include wine tasting and contests, winery tours, fishing tournaments, cook-offs, gourmet food and concerts. These events are sponsored and/or organized by the area’s wineries. Since the event occurs in the summer, afternoon temperatures can hover around 38 °C (100 °F). Some of the events include “Noche de Cofradia en Ensenada”, which features wine and food tasting from about thirty wineries and restaurants, matching local wines with local culinary s