Southern Baja

Cardón cacti, boojum trees, ocotillo, cholla and other desert marvels thrive in this beautiful desert area that sometimes doesn’t receive any rain for a decade. Look out for crumbling missions, date palms, coconuts and mangrove swamps as you meander southward.

The 25,000-sq-km Reserva de la Biosfera El Vizcaíno is one of Latin America’s largest protected areas. It sprawls from the Península Vizcaíno across to the Sea of Cortez and includes the major gray-whale calving areas of Laguna San Ignacio and Laguna Ojo de Liebre, and the Sierra de San Francisco with its stunning pre-Hispanic rock art.

The southernmost part of the peninsula contains the cosmopolitan city of La Paz, small seaside towns and villages, and the popular resorts of San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, aka ‘Los Cabos.’ After the quiet isolation of the state's north, Los Cabos will either be a jarring shock or a welcome relief.