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BAJ A G OOD LI FE G U I DE
BAJ A G OOD LI FE CLU B'S G U I D E TO L I VI N G , WORKI N G AN D PLAYI N G I N BAJ A CALI FORN I A M EXI CO
2013 Baja Good Life Guide www.bglclub.com BAJA CALIFORNIA MEXICO Publishers and Editors John & Rachel Pack Managing Editor Aura Catalina Raducan Maps by John Pack Page Layout by Lía Rodríguez Romero Ad Sales by Rachel Pack, Susan Godwin, Lisa Maine Copyright © 2013 by Baja Good Life Club Some Rights Reserved. Wikipedia content credited in the bibliography is published under Creative Commons (CC) licensing and may be used under the CC guidelines. Printed and bound in the United States Printed Edition 2.0 BAJA GOOD LIFE CLUB PO Box 9019-460 Calexico, CA 92232 books@bglclub.com
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Rocky mountains and cactus near Laguna Chapala. The photo was taken during the Baja Walk. By Rachel Pack.
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This book is made possible by:
The Baja Good Life Club Baja’s Premiere Social and Discount Club for Full and Part-Time Residents of Baja California Mexico. www.bglclub.com
Club Membership & Services US Toll Free 1-877-LUV-MEX1 (877-588-6391)
Mexican Home & Condo 1-877-588-6391 Extension 2
Mexican Medical and Evacuation
1-877-588-6391 Extension 2
California, USA 760-618-CLUB (760-618-2730)
Baja Directory www.bajagoodlife.com
San Felipe, Baja California 686-230-9933
Member Services memberservices@bglclub.com
Club Insurance Mexican Auto, RV, & Motorcycle
Book Contact book@bglcclub.com
1-877-588-6391 Extension 3
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Table of Contents WELCOME SECTION Foreward ........................................... 9 Preface ............................................. 11 Welcome to Baja .............................. 13 Peninsula Map ................................. 14 Country and State Info .................. 17 Brief History ................................... 26 Political Parties .............................. 29 What is Needed to Travel ............... 32 Is My Car Legal? ............................. 33 CITY SECTION Baja Highways ................................ Driving in Baja ................................ Baja Ferry ........................................ RV Travel Tips ................................ Driving Distances ...........................
Loreto Mission .............................. 123 San Javier Mission ....................... 125 Ciudad Constitucion ..................... 128 Ciudad Insurgentes ...................... 129 La Purisima ................................... 129 San Juanico ................................... 131 La Paz Beaches ............................. 132 La Paz ............................................. 135 Los Barriles ................................... 147 Wind Sports ................................... 149 Santiago ......................................... 151 Miraflores ...................................... 153 San Jose del Cabo ......................... 155 Cabo San Lucas ............................. 157
36 38 39 42 44
FEDERAL HIGHWAY 19 .............. 163 Todos Santos ................................. 165 El Pescadero .................................. 166
FEDERAL HIGHWAY 1 ................... 45 Tijuana ............................................. 47 Rosarito Beach ................................ 59 Ensenada ......................................... 71 La Bufadora ..................................... 82 San Quintin ...................................... 89 El Rosario ........................................ 91 Catavina ........................................... 92 Bahia de Los Angeles ..................... 93 Guerrero Negro ............................... 97 Vizcaino ........................................... 99 San Ignacio .................................... 100 Santa Rosalia ................................ 103 Mulege ............................................ 105 Bahia Concepcion ......................... 110 Loreto Marine Park ...................... 112 Loreto ............................................. 115
FEDERAL HIGHWAY 5 ................. 167 Mexicali .......................................... 169 San Felipe ...................................... 179 Puertecitos Hot Springs .............. 193 San Luis Gonzaga ......................... 194 FEDERAL HIGHWAY 2 ................. 195 Tecate ............................................. 197 Los Algodones ............................... 199 FEDERAL HIGHWAY 3 ................. 200 Valle de Guadalupe ....................... 201 BAJA LIVING SECTION Member Discounts - 204 Best of Baja 2012 - 208
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Why Retire in Baja ........................ 213 Living Cheaply in Baja ................. 216 Why & How to Move to Baja ........ 218 Baja Pets ........................................ 221 US Absentee Voting ...................... 225 Buying Real Estate ....................... 226 Building .......................................... 227 Building Materials ........................ 229 Immigration Update ..................... 230 Becoming a Citizen ....................... 231 Property Ownership ..................... 233 Importing Your Vehicle ................ 234 RV Travel Tips ............................... 224 Working in Baja ............................. 237 Baja Communications .................. 238 Mexican Postal Service ............... 244 Establish a Business .................... 245 Ten Tips to Start a Business ....... 249 Mexican Labor Laws .................... 251 Money and Banking ...................... 252 US IRA and Mexico ....................... 254 New Tax Regulations ................... 254 Property Tax Law ......................... 256 Tax and Values .............................. 256 Energy Overview .......................... 258 Pemex ............................................. 258 ULSD Diesel ................................... 260 Mexico Finds Oil ........................... 261 Wind Power .................................... 261 Baja Goes Green ............................ 263 Healthcare South of the Border... 264 Medical Tourism in Mexico ......... 268 Mexican Social Security .............. 269 The US is Lying ............................. 270
Mexican Wills ................................ 275 Transporting a Deceased Love One .... ......................................................... 276 Mexican Cuisine .......................... 278 Brews in Baja ................................ 279 Eating Tacos .................................. 282 Mexican Margarita ....................... 282 Mexican Vineyards ...................... 284 Baja Whales ................................... 286 Endemic Species of Baja .............. 287 Baja Jellyfish ................................ 289 Baja Coyote .................................... 290 Baja Snakes ................................... 291 Baja Scorpions .............................. 292 The Baja Windscorpion ................ 293 Bad Bugs of Baja ........................... 294 The Baja Condors .......................... 295 Gone Fishing ................................. 297 Mexican Fishing Licenses ........... 298 Deep-Sea Fishing .......................... 300 Baja Boating .................................. 301 BAJA RESOURCES SECTION Learning Spanish ......................... 305 Common Road Signs ..................... 314 Baja Airports ................................. 316 Baja Temperatures and Rainfall ......... ......................................................... 317 Hurricane Preparedness ............ 318 Weight and Measure Conversions ...... ......................................................... 319 Embassies and Consulates ......... 320 Author Credits................................321
THIS IS YOUR GUIDEBOOK This book is not possible without the interest and support of the community. We encourage everyone living in Baja to participate in the accuracy and information being provided. We need you to provide us with new information and updates on Baja. We want to know if you find an error, or have something to contribute. This is your book and you are welcome to be a part of it. To provide contributions, comments or corrections, please email book@bglclub.com.
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Venustiano Carranza one of the 3 heads in Ensenada. Photo by Rachel Pack.
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Foreward Like many of you, I am a curious creature. My life has been a continuous journey of wonder and discovery that has led me to this beautiful place in the world – Baja California, Mexico. As a gregarious social animal, I’ve met many wonderful people along the way, all on similar searches of amazing adventure. As a retired American living in a foreign country, one learns the benefits of knowing and befriending like-minded souls that cushion the uncertainties of the venture. Two of those kindred spirits are Rachel and John Pack, the authors of this highly informative guide to living life to the fullest in Baja California. I was fortunate enough to meet John and Rachel when they first arrived in San Felipe in 2006 when they hit town like a whirlwind selling their fact-filled guide to visiting, living, and promoting San Felipe, Baja California. Their enthusiasm for the Baja Good Life was obvious and contagious. They used all of their communication, marketing and publishing skills to help those of us already here and those that were considering visiting or living here make those important decisions. The Baja guides that they have published over the years have helped local business’ and merchants reach out to potential visitors from all over the world and assist those visitors to find the pot of gold that is the beauty of Baja. In a technical world filled with such an abundance of available information, you like me, may find it difficult to sort and sift through it all to find the right facts to fill in the blanks for you. Fortunately, this guide cuts through all the chaff to present the rich kernels of information that may help you find just the answers that you are searching for regarding visiting, retiring, investing, or just feeling safe and comfortable in Baja California. This guide is produced and published with a vast compilation of intimate knowledge of Baja California, and is filled with facts and valuable information gathered from those that actually live, work and invest here real people living in the magical and mystical world of Mexico, like John and Rachel, me and perhaps even you. Hal “Paco” Clark San Felipe, Baja California, México June 2011
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A Ponga Ride to Lands End Los Arcos in Cabo. Photo by Rachel Pack.
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Preface In February 2007, Rachel and I began publishing a free, full-color, bimonthly magazine to highlight the wonders of Baja and provide answers and information to foreign visitors. Today, after John & Rachel Pack, owners many transitions of the Baja Good Life Club. the magazine is appropriately entitled “Baja California” and is the member quarterly magazine of the Baja Good Life Club (BGLC). BGLC is a travel and retirement club for Baja California, which provides its members with discounts and savings on the products and services they need in Baja, including exclusive discounts on Mexican auto insurance, medical, dining, lodging, groceries and more. This book is one in a series of Baja
community guides that cover all the standard guide topics, like places to stay and eat, and things to see and do, but also a guide to living in Baja, part-time or full-time. In Baja, things can change rapidly, so we decided to publish these guides annually. We’re sure there will be information that will change between publishing and we know that not all topics are covered. We would like to encourage you to participate in the development of these guides. If you would like a topic covered or you think you’ve found an error, please email us at books@bglclub.com. We hope this Baja Good Life Club community guide becomes your companion in your search for the Baja Good Life in San Felipe. These guides come from a deep-rooted, lifelong passion for Baja California and the accumulation of years of travel, research, writing, and publishing. Thank for the support, John & Rachel Pack
Dedication Richard & Joyce Lawrence, without their unconditional love and support, there is no telling where life would have taken us. Gene Jensen, for always being there and always being a friend, you are and always will be special to us. Christine Wood and Lorraine Fisher, you’re kindred spirits and being with you inspires us and encourages us to live our dream. We love you all very much. John & Rachel 11 Book_09.indd 11
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www.bglclub.com
Payments mailed to John Pack PO Box 9019 PMB-460 Calexico CA 92232 (checks made to John B. Pack).
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Welcome to Baja
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Welcome to Baja
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A Gigante Cactus in the Valley of the Giants, San Felipe BC. By CW Fish.
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Welcome to Baja
Welcome to Baja The Country of Mexico
Mexico, officially known as the United Mexican States is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Covering almost 2 million square kilometres (over 760,000 sq mi), Mexico is the fifth-largest country in the Americas by total area and the 14th largest independent nation in the world. With an estimated population of 111 million, it is the 11th most populous country and the most populous Hispanophone country on Earth. Mexico is a federation comprising thirtyone states and a Federal District, the capital city. In Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica many cultures matured into advanced civilizations such as the Olmec, the Toltec, the Teotihuacan, the Zapotec, the Maya and the Aztec before the first contact with Europeans. In 1521, Spain conquered and colonized the territory, which was administered as the Viceroyalty of New Spain. This territory would eventually become Mexico as the colony independence was recognized in 1821. The post-independence period was characterized by economic instability, the Mexican–American War and territorial cession to the US, a civil war, two empires and a domestic dictatorship. The latter led to the Mexican Revolution in 1910, which culminated with the promulgation of the 1917 Constitution and the emergence of the country’s current political system. Elections held in July 2000 marked the first time that an opposition party won the presidency from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (Spanish: Partido Revolucionario Institucional, PRI). After rapid economic, social and technological growth beginning in the 1990s, Mexico is now both one of the world’s largest economies and one of the fastest growing economies in the world, with a stable growth rate of 7.6%. As a regional power, and since 1994 the first Latin American member of the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mexico was firmly established as an upper middle-income country, and in 2009 Mexico surpassed the world bank’s high income economic threshold to become a high income country. Mexico is considered a newly industrialized country and an emerging power. It has the 13th largest nominal GDP and the 11th largest by purchasing power parity. The economy is strongly linked to those of its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners, especially the United States, as well as tourism, being the world’s tenth most visited country with over 21.4 million international arrivals. Mexico boasts a long tradition in the arts, renowned cuisine, and culture, and it ranks fifth in the world and first in the Americas on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites with 31.
The State of Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California (English: Free and Sovereign State of Baja California) is one of the 31 states which with the Federal District comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North Territory of Baja California. It has an area of 70,113 km2 (27,071 sq mi), or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico and comprises the northern half of the Baja California peninsula, north of the 28th parallel. The state is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the east by Sonora, the U.S. State of Arizona, and the Gulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortez), and on the south by Baja California Sur. Its northern limit is the U.S. state of California. The state has a population of 2,844,469 (2005 census), and estimated 3,165,776 (June 2009) much more than the sparsely populated Baja California Sur to the south, and similar to San Diego County on its north. Over 75% of the population lives in the capital city, Mexicali, Ensenada, or in Tijuana. Other important cities include San Felipe, Playas de Rosarito and
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Central Desert in Catavina.
Tecate. The population of the state is composed of Mestizos, mostly immigrants from other parts of Mexico, and, as with most northern Mexican states, a large population of Mexicans of European ancestry, and also a large minority group of East Asian, Middle Eastern and indigenous descent. Additionally, there is a large immigrant population from the United States due to its proximity to San Diego and the cheaper cost of living compared to San Diego. There is also a significant population from Central America. Many immigrants moved to Baja California for a better quality of life and the number of higher paying jobs in comparison to the rest of Mexico and Latin America. Baja California is the twelfth largest state by area in Mexico. Its geography ranges from beaches to forests and deserts. The backbone of the state is the Sierra de Baja California, where the Picacho del Diablo, the highest point of the peninsula, is located. This mountain range effectively divides the weather patterns in the state. In the northwest, the weather is semi-dry and mediterranean. In the narrow center, the weather changes to be more humid due to altitude. It is in this area where a few valleys can be found, such as the Valle de Guadalupe, the major wine producer area in Mexico. To the east of the mountain range, the Sonoran Desert dominates the landscape.
In the south, the weather becomes drier and gives place to the Vizcaino Desert. The state is also home to numerous islands off both of its shores. In fact, the westernmost point in Mexico, the Guadalupe Island, is part of Baja California. The Coronado, Todos Santos and Cedros Islands are also on the Pacific Shore. On the Gulf of California, the biggest island is the Angel de la Guarda, separated from the peninsula by the deep and narrow Canal de Ballenas.
A Deeper History
The first people came to the peninsula at least 11,000 years ago. At that time two main native groups are thought to be present on the peninsula. In the south were the Cochimí. In the north were several groups belonging to the Yuman linguistic family, including the Kiliwa, Paipai, Kumeyaay, Cocopa, and Quechan. These peoples were diverse in their adaptations to the region. The Cochimí of the peninsula’s Central Desert were generalized huntergatherers who moved frequently; however, the Cochimí on Cedros Island off the west coast had developed a strongly maritime economy. The Kiliwa, Paipai, and Kumeyaay in the betterwatered northwest were also hunter-gatherers, but that region supported denser populations and more sedentary lifeways. The Cocopa
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Welcome to Baja and Quechan of northeastern Baja California practiced agriculture in the floodplain of the lower Colorado River. Europeans reached the present state of Baja California in 1539, when Francisco de Ulloa reconnoitered its east coast on the Gulf of California and explored the peninsula’s west coast at least as far north as Cedros Island. Hernando de Alarcón returned to the east coast and ascended the lower Colorado River in 1540, and Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo or Joan Rodrigues Cabrilho completed the reconnaissance of the west coast in 1542. Sebastián Vizcaíno again surveyed the west coast in 1602, but outside visitors during the following century were few. The Jesuits founded a permanent mission colony on the peninsula at Loreto in 1697. During the following decades, they gradually extended their sway throughout the present state of Baja California Sur. In 1751–1753, the Croatian Jesuit mission-explorer Ferdinand Konščak made overland explorations northward into the state of Baja California. Jesuit missions were subsequently established among the Cochimí at Santa Gertrudis (1752), San Borja (1762), and Santa María (1767). After the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1768, the short-lived Franciscan administration (1768–1773) resulted in one new mission at San Fernando Velicatá. More importantly, the 1769 expedition to settle Alta California under Gaspar de Portolà and Junípero Serra resulted in the first overland exploration of the northwestern portion of the state. The Dominicans took over management of the Baja California missions from the Franciscans in 1773. They established a chain of new missions among the northern Cochimí and western Yumans, first on the coast and subsequently inland, extending from El Rosario (1774) to Descanso (1817), just south of Tijuana.
Nineteenth and twentieth centuries •
1804: The Spanish colony of California was divided into Alta (“Upper”) and Baja (“Lower”) California at the line separating the Franciscan missions in the north from the Dominican missions in the south.
The colonial governors were: • 1804–1805 José Joaquín de Arillaga (s.a.) • 1806–1814 Felipe de Goycoechea • 1814 – 11 April 1822 José Darío Argüello • 1848: Alta California is annexed by the United States. • 1853: Soldier of fortune William Walker captures La Paz, declaring himself President of the Republic of Lower California. The Mexican government forces his retreat after several months. • 1884: Luis Huller and George H. Sisson obtain a concession covering much of the present state, in return for promises to develop the area. • 1905: The Magonista revolution, an anarchist movement based on the writings of Ricardo Flores Magón and Enrique Flores Magón, begins. • 1911: Mexicali and Tijuana are captured by the Mexican Liberal Party (Partido Liberal Mexicano, PLM), but soon surrender to Federal forces. • 1930: Baja California is further divided into Northern and Southern territories. • 1952: The North Territory of Baja California becomes the 29th state of Mexico, Baja California. The southern portion, below 28°N, remains a federally administered territory. • 1974: The South Territory of Baja California becomes the 31st state, Baja California Sur. • 1989: Ernesto Ruffo Appel of the PAN becomes the first non-PRI governor of Baja California and the first opposition governor of any state since the Revolution.
Geography
Even though the state is not large in area, its geography is very diverse. The Sierra de Baja California (also known as the Peninsular Ranges) runs in the middle of the state with different denominations. The two most important are the Sierra de Juarez and the Sierra de San Pedro Martir. These ranges are home to forests similar to those in Southern California.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide The Picacho del Diablo is the highest peak in the whole peninsula, offering spectacular views of the Gulf of California. Lying in between these mountain ranges, there are some valleys that are suitable for agriculture such as the Valle de Guadalupe and the Valle de Ojos Negros. The mild weather makes this area excellent for the production of citrus fruits and grapes. This area is also rich in minerals. The mountain range gets closer to the Gulf of California towards the south of the state and 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. The cool winds from the Pacific Ocean and the cold California Current make the climate along the northwestern coast pleasant year round. The coastal city of Ensenada have one of the nicest weather patterns in the whole Mexico. But due to the California current, rains from the north barely reach the peninsula and this makes the weather drier towards the south. The area becomes a desert south of El Rosario River. This desert, however, is rich in succulents such as the Cardon, Boojum tree, Ocotillo and others. These plants can flourish in part due to the coastal fog. 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 geothermical province is nearby 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 the sea level lying in between the rugged Sierra de Juarez and the Sierra de los Cucapah, is also in the vicinity of Mexicali. The state government has recently been considering plans to revive Laguna Salada. 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 AZ area. There are numerous islands on the Pacific
shore. Guadalupe Island is the remote outpost to the west and it is home to big colonies of sea lions. In Cedros Island there is a small community living mostly on fishing. The Todos Santos Islands, in front of Ensenada, are popular with surfers offering some of the highest waves worldwide. The state is also blessed with numerous beaches on its east coast. Fishing and touristic towns such as San Felipe and Bahia de los Angeles are a major attraction for people in search of adventure, nice beaches and fresh fish. The area south of San Felipe is basically undeveloped and pristine beaches can be found in many bays. All of the islands in the Gulf of California, on the Baja California side, belong to the municipality of Mexicali. The main source of water in the state are the Tijuana River, serving the cities of Mexicali, Tecate, and Tijuana and the Colorado River, and its tributary the Hardy River which empty into the Gulf of California, (but now barely reach the Gulf). The rest of the state depends mostly on wells and a few dams. Tijuana also purchases water from San Diego County’s Otay Water District. Potable water is the largest natural resource issue of the state.
Flora and Fauna Common trees are the Jeffrey Pine, Sugar Pine and Pinon Pine. Understory species include Manzanita. Fauna include a variety of reptiles including the Western fence lizard, which is at the southern extent of its range. The name of the fish genus Bajacalifornia is derived from the Baja California peninsula.
Municipalities Baja California is subdivided into five municipios (municipalities). Also see Destinations Section. • Ensenada • Mexicali • Tecate • Tijuana • Playas de Rosarito
Earthquakes At 3:40:41 pm PDT on Easter Sunday, 4 April 2010 a 7.2 magnitude northwest trending
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Welcome to Baja
Picacho del Diablo in Sierra San Pedro Mártir, Baja California, Mexico. Highest point in Baja, measuring 3078m, as seen from the Mexican National Astronomical Observatory. By Jaime Sanchez Diaz.
strike-slip earthquake hit the Mexicali Valley, with its epicenter 26 km southwest of the city Guadalupe Victoria, Baja California, Mexico. The main shock was felt as far as the Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas; in Yuma, Arizona, was felt with a 7.2 magnitude, in Ensenada was felt a 6.9 magnitude, in Tijuana 6.4 and San Luis Rio Colorado with 7.2. At least a half-dozen aftershocks with magnitudes between 5.0 and 5.4 were reported, including a 5.1-magnitude shaker at 4:14 am. that was centered near El Centro. As of 6:31AM PDT, 5 April 2010, two people have been confirmed dead.
Demographics
The racial make-up of the state is approximately 40% White/European (mostly but not limited to people of descent), 36% Mestizo (Mixed Amerindian and European), 9% east Asian, the remaining 15% is Native American (of Mexican and Central American origins). Historically, the state had sizable east Asian immigration, esp. Mexicali has a large Chinese community, as well many Filipinos from the Philippines arrived to the state during the eras of Spanish and later American rule (1898– 1946) in much of the 19th and 20th centuries. Tijuana and Ensenada was a major port of entry for east Asians entering the U.S. ever since the first Asian-Americans were present in California.
Also a significant number of Middle Eastern immigrants such as Lebanese and Armenians settle near the U.S. border, and small waves of settlers in the early 20th century, usually members of the Molokan sect of the Russian Orthodox church fled the Russian Revolution of 1917 when the Soviet Union took power, had established a few villages along the Pacific coast south of Ensenada. Since 1960, large numbers of migrants from southern Mexican states have arrived to work in agriculture (esp. the Mexicali Valley and nearby Imperial Valley, California, US) and manufacturing. The cities of Ensenada, Tijuana and Mexicali grew as a result of migrants, primarily those who sought US citizenship and those temporary residents awaiting their entry into the United States are called Flotillas, which is derived from the Spanish word “flota,” meaning “fleet.” There is also a sizable immigrant community from Central and South America, and from the United States and Canada. An estimated 200,000+ American expatriates live in the state, especially in coastal resort town such as Ensenada, known for affordable homes purchased by retirees who continue to hold US citizenship. San Felipe, Ensenada and Tijuana also has a large American population (second largest in Mexico next to Mexico City), particularly for its cheaper housing and proximity to San Diego.
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Playa de Cabo Pulmo, by John Markos O’Neill.
About 92% of Baja California’s population is Christian, 81% of them are Catholics.
Education
Also see: Baja Universities and Colleges in the Almanac Section Baja California has one of the best educational programs in the country, with first places in schooling and achievement. The State Government provides education and qualification courses to increase the workforce standards, such as SchoolEnterprise linkage programs which helps the development of labor force according to the needs of the industry. 91.60% of the population from six to fourteen years of age attend elementary school. 61.95% of the population over fifteen years of age attend or have already graduated from high school. Public School is available in all levels, from kindergarten to university. The state has 32 universities offering 103 professional degrees. These universities have 19 Research and Development centers for basic and applied investigation in advanced projects of Biotechnology, Physics, Oceanography, Digital Geothermal Technology, Astronomy, Aerospace, Electrical Engineering and Clean Energy, among others. At this educational level supply is steadily growing. Baja California has developed a need to be self-sufficient in matters of technological and scientific innovation and to
be less dependent on foreign countries. Current businesses demand new production processes as well as technology for the incubation of companies. The number of various graduate degrees offered, including Ph.D. programs, is 121. The state has 53 graduate schools.
Economy
As of 2005, Baja California’s economy represents 3.3% of Mexico’s gross domestic product or 21,996 million USD. Baja California’s economy has a strong focus on tariff-free export oriented manufacturing (maquiladora). As of 2005, 284,255 people are employed in the manufacturing sector. There are a more than 900 companies operating under the federal Prosec program in Baja California. The average wage for a maquiladora employee in Baja California is in the range of 2 to 3 US Dollars per hour.
Real Estate
The Foreign Investment Law of 1973 allows foreigners to purchase land within the borders and coasts of Mexico by way of a trust, handled through a Mexican bank (Fideicomiso). This trust assures to the buyer all the rights and privileges of ownership, and it can be sold, inherited, leased, or transferred at any time. Since 1994, the Foreign Investment Law stipulates that the Fideicomiso must be to a 50 year term, with the option to petition for a
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Welcome to Baja 50 year renewal at any time. Any Mexican citizen buying a bank trust property has the option to either remain within the Trust or opt out of it and request the title in “Escritura”. Mexico’s early history involved foreign invasions and the loss of vast amounts of land; in fear of history being repeated, the Mexican constitution established the concept of the “Restricted Zone”. In 1973, in order to bring in more foreign tourist investment, the Bank Trust of Fideicomiso was created, thus allowing nonMexicans to own land without any constitutional amendment necessary. Since the law went into effect, it has undergone many modifications in order to make purchasing land in Mexico a safer investment.
The State of Baja California Sur Baja California Sur officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California Sur (English: Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur), (literally: South Lower California), is one of 31 states with the Federal District comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state on October 8, 1974, the area was known as the South Territory of Baja California. It has an area of 73,475 km2 (28,369 sq mi), or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico and comprises the southern half of the Baja California peninsula, south of the 28th parallel. It is bordered to the north by the state of Baja California, to the west by the Pacific Ocean, and to the east by the Gulf of California, also known as the “Sea of Cortés.” Also, the state has maritime borders with Sonora and Sinaloa to the east across the Gulf of California. As of 2005, the population was 512,170. The state is home to the tourist resorts of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. Its largest city and capital is La Paz, a tourist resort and historic landmark. It includes Loreto, the historic first capital of all three Californias (Baja California Sur, Baja California, and California), the town of Santa Rosalía which is the site of a historic church designed by Gustave Eiffel.
History Pre-Columbian period The first inhabitants are thought to have
arrived to the peninsula at least 11,000 years ago, to judge by the archaeological discovery of several Clovis points in the northern part of the state. The possibility of an even earlier occupation has been raised by radiocarbon dates from a site on Isla Espíritu Santo, but this interpretation still remains controversial. Before phases of the state’s prehistory are manifested in several archaeological complexes: • The Las Palmas Complex in the Cape Region and on nearby islands in the Gulf of California is primarily a mortuary pattern. Hallmarks include caves or rock shelters containing secondary burials of human bones painted with red ochre. • The Comondú Complex represents late prehistoric occupation throughout the central portion of the peninsula, perhaps dating between about A.D. 500 and 1700. It is recognized, in particular, by small, triangular projectile points that attest to the introduction of the bow and arrow into the region. • The Great Mural Rock Art is the bestknown archaeological phenomenon in northern Baja California Sur. In the Sierra de Guadalupe and Sierra de San Francisco, many rockshelters contain larger-than-life paintings of humans, deer and other animals. Four distinct ethnolinguistic groups were encountered in Baja California Sur by the early explorers and missionaries: the Pericú in the south, between Cabo San Lucas and La Paz, and on several of the islands in the Gulf; the Guaycura from La Paz to south of Loreto; the Monqui, in the area around Loreto; and the Cochimí, in extensive areas throughout the middle of the peninsula.
Colonial period The European discovery of Baja California Sur is credited to Fortún Ximénez, a mutineer on an expedition dispatched by the conqueror of central Mexico, Hernán Cortés in early 1533. Cortés himself led an expedition to the “Island of California” 1535, but he soon abandoned the fruitless enterprise. In 1539– 1542, both coasts of Baja California Sur were
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide reconnoitered by Francisco de Ulloa and Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo. Over the next century and a half, a variety of explorers and pearl hunters (including Sebastián Vizcaíno) visited the peninsula’s shores but seem to have had little lasting impact. The Jesuits began their involvement in 1683– 1685 when Eusebio Francisco Kino, along with the admiral Isidro de Atondo y Antillón, made two major but ultimately unsuccessful efforts at colonization, at La Paz and then at San Bruno, north of Loreto. In 1697 the Jesuit missionary Juan María de Salvatierra established Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó, the first permanent mission in Baja California Sur. Jesuit control over the peninsula was gradually extended, first in the region around Loreto, then to the south in the Cape region, and finally toward the north across the northern boundary of Baja California Sur. The Jesuits were expelled from the peninsula in 1768 and replaced by the Franciscans under Junípero Serra. In 1773, the Franciscans in turn ceded control of the Baja California missions to the Dominicans. The native population of Baja California Sur steadily diminished during the colonial period, primarily under the impacts of Old World diseases but also in occasional violent conflicts. While the Jesuits had striven to limit lay Spanish or Mexican settlement on the peninsula, fearful of corrupting influences and competing power centers, the missions under the Franciscans and Dominicans had to accept a growing lay presence and increased control from central New Spain. The peninsula was divided into two separate entities in 1804, with the southern one having the seat of government established in the port of Loreto. The colonial governors were: • 1804–1805 Claytoné de Allín (s.a.) • 1806–1814 Ritchié de Níko • 1814 - 11 April 1822 José Darío Argüello
Post-independence period After the Mexican War of Independence, President Guadalupe Victoria named Lt. Col. José María Echeandía governor of Baja California Sur and divided it in four municipios (municipalities). In 1830, the capital was moved
to La Paz after Loreto was partially destroyed by heavy rains. On October 2, 1847 the army of the United States was defeated near the town of Mulegé by Captain Manuel Pineda, as part of the Mexican-American War. As a consequence of this battle, the U.S. army was forced to withdraw from the peninsula and could not lay claim to it as part of the new territories acquired through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848. In 1853, a group of 45, led by journalist William Walker, without the authorization of the United States Government, captured the city of La Paz, before the Mexican Army forced the 45 to retreat back to the United States. The Territory of Baja California was created in 1888 under the government of President Porfirio Díaz. In 1930, Baja California was again divided into North and South parties, renamed later as North and South districts, then, into North and South territories. In 1952, the North Territory of Baja California became the 29th state of Mexico, Baja California. The southern portion, below 28°N, remained a federally administered territory until 1974, when the South Territory of Baja California became the 31st state, Baja California Sur, along with the state of Quintana Roo.
Geography and ecology
Baja California Sur is characterized by deserts, mountains and coastal flatlands. The climate is desert-like in most parts of the state. Plants such as cardon, mezquite and wildlettuce, mountain lions, and other plants and wildlife characteristic of this ecosystem, are found in the Central and Vizcaino Deserts of Baja California Sur. Parallel to the coast lies the Sierra de la Giganta, with pine and oak forests. To the west, the coastline flatlands form beautiful plains like the Llanos Santa Clara, Magdalena and Hiray, just to name a few. The Biosphere Natural Reserve of El Vizcaíno, with its 2.5 million hectares, is the largest natural reserve in Latin America. It is located in the Mulegé municipality and extends from the west end of the Vizcaíno Peninsula and the San Ignacio and Ojo de Liebre lakes, passing over the San Francisco Sierra, to the shores of
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Welcome to Baja the Sea of Cortez and the islands in the Gulf of California. The state is known for its natural features. The Vizcaíno Desert and small coastal lakes San Ignacio and Ojo de Liebre in the north are protected by the federal government. The state includes the Pacific islands of Natividad, Magdalena, and Santa Margarita, as well as the islands of San Marcos, Coronados, Carmen, Montserrat, Santa Catalina, Santa Cruz, San Diego, San José, San Francisco, Partida, Espíritu Santo, and Cerralvo, which are located in the Gulf of California. Rocas Alijos are a group of tiny, steep and barren volcanic islets found offshore. Numerous flora and fauna are found in Baja California Sur. Notable among the tree species is the Elephant tree, Bursera microphylla, which species exhibits a contorted multi-furcate architecture.
Demography
The 2005 Population and Housing Census registered 512,170 inhabitants. According to the number of inhabitants per state, Baja California South ranks last in the country at 32nd place. It also has the lowest population density: only 6 persons per km2. The state population is very young- more than half of it is under 29 years old. Only 2% of the population speaks an indigenous language, mixteco, náhuatl and zapoteco being the main ones.
Education
Baja California Sur enjoys the lowest illiteracy levels of the country (3.6%). Institutions of higher education includes: • Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS) • Instituto Tecnológico de La Paz (ITLP) • Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR) • Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR) • Universidad Pedagógica Nacional (UPN) • Universidad Internacional de la Paz (UNIPAZ) • Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Ciudad Constitución (ITSCC)
Municipalities
Baja California Sur is subdivided into five municipalities (municipios). Also see the Destinations Section
Major communities • • • • • • • • •
Cabo San Lucas Ciudad Constitución Ciudad Insurgentes Guerrero Negro La Paz Loreto El Pescadero San José del Cabo Santa Rosalía
Etymology Origin of the name California California is currently a place used by three North American entities—in the United States, by the state of California; and in Mexico, by the states of Baja California (“Lower California”) and Baja California Sur (“South Lower California”) (collectively, these three areas constitute the region formerly referred to as Las Californias)—and shared by many other places in other parts of the world whose names derive from these. Several origins have been suggested for the word “California”, including Spanish, Latin, South Asian, and Aboriginal American origins. All of these are disputed. The following paragraphs illustrate some of the extant claims. California, called the Las Californias Province of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, originally referred to the entire region composed of the Baja California peninsula now known as Mexican Baja California and Baja California Sur, and upper mainland now known as the U.S. states of California and parts of Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Wyoming. After Mexico’s independence from Spain, the upper territory became the Alta California province. In even earlier times, the boundaries of the Sea of Cortés and the Pacific Ocean coastlines were only partially explored and California was shown on early maps as an island, ‘Califa.’ The Sea of Cortés is also known as the Gulf of California.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Brief History of Mexico Mexico, officially known as the United Mexican States is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Covering almost 2 million square kilometres (over 760,000 sq mi), Mexico is the fifthlargest country in the Americas by total area and the 14th largest independent nation in the world. With an estimated population of 111 million, it is the 11th most populous country and the most populous Hispanophone country on Earth. Mexico is a federation comprising thirty-one states and a Federal District, the capital city. In Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica many cultures matured into advanced civilizations such as the Olmec, the Toltec, the Teotihuacan, the Zapotec, the Maya and the Aztec before the
first contact with Europeans. In 1521, Spain conquered and colonized the territory, which was administered as the Viceroyalty of New Spain. This territory would eventually become Mexico as the colony independence was recognized in 1821. The post-independence period was characterized by economic instability, the Mexican–American War and territorial cession to the US, a civil war, two empires and a domestic dictatorship. The latter led to the Mexican Revolution in 1910, which culminated with the promulgation of the 1917 Constitution and the emergence of the country’s current political system. Elections held in July 2000 marked the first time that an opposition party won the presidency from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (Spanish: Partido Revolucionario Institucional, PRI). After rapid economic, social and technological growth beginning in the 1990s, Mexico is now both one of the world’s largest
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Welcome to Baja economies and one of the fastest growing economies in the world, with a stable growth rate of 7.6%. As a regional power, and since 1994 the first Latin American member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mexico was firmly established as an upper middle-income country, and in 2009 Mexico surpassed the world bank’s high income economic threshold to become a high income country. Mexico is considered a newly industrialized country and an emerging power. It has the 13th largest nominal GDP and the 11th largest by purchasing power parity. The economy is strongly linked to those of its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners, especially the United States, as well as tourism, being the world’s tenth most visited country with over 21.4 million international arrivals. Mexico boasts a long tradition in the arts, renowned cuisine, and culture, and it ranks fifth in the world and first in the Americas on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites with 31.
Mexican Independence Day
The struggle of the Mexican colony to gain independence dates back to the 18th century, but the rebel who set the mechanism of war in motion was priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. The main purpose of his rebellion was to put an end to the privileges of the colonists. With the support of the parishioners from his hometown Dolores, on September 10, 1810, he proclaimed independence from the crown through the famous Grito de Dolores (“Cry of Dolores”). The Grito de Dolores would plunge the country into a decade long war. The revolutionary army led by Hidalgo marched towards Guanajuato, a mining center dominated by the Spanish. The rebels captured and killed all the leaders of the community. At the end of October, the revolutionary army won the Battle of Monte de las Cruces against the Spanish, but lost the confrontation they had in Mexico City. Hidalgo and his army were vanquished during the Battle of the Bridge of Calderón. Hidalgo himself was tried and executed shortly after the defeat. Hidalgo was dead, but the revolution was
not. José María Morelos came out as the leader of the uprising while managing to occupy Oaxaca and Acapulco by 1813. He quickly convened the National Constituent Congress of Chilpancingo which created the first document of independence called The Solemn Act of Northern America’s Declaration of Independence. Two years later, Morelos was captured and executed by the Spanish authorities. After 1815, the cause of the revolution was sustained mostly by guerrilla bands led by two other remarkable leaders: Guadalupe Victoria in Puebla and Vicente Guerrero in Oaxaca. In December 1820, the Spanish government sent Colonel Agustín de Iturbide to defeat Vicente Guerrero and disband the rest of the rebels. The mission of Iturbide unfolded simultaneously with a military coup against the monarchy of Ferdinand VI. Iturbide was appalled at the liberal character of this coup, and he thought this would be a great moment for Mexico to emerge as a conservative, independent country. Iturbide quickly switched sides and invited Vicente Guerrero for negotiations. In the town of Iguala, the colonel laid out the basic principles (or guarantees) of Mexican independence: the new country would be led by a Bourbon or other conservative prince, there would be equal rights between criollos* and peninsulares**, and the Catholic Church would preserve all its privileges and lands. The Army of the Three Guarantees emerged under the leadership of Iturbide who was now supported by all rebel forces across Mexico. On August 24, 1821, the colonel and the Spanish government signed the Treaty of Córdoba which proclaimed the independence of Mexico. On May 18, 1822, Iturbide was declared emperor and he ruled for a short period together with a sympathetic junta. Due to his role in the start of the long process that would lead to independence, Miguel Hidalgo is unanimously considered the Father of the Mexican Nation and Liberator of Mexico. In his honor, the Mexican government changed the name of Hidalgo’s hometown to Dolores Hidalgo. Since the moment of independence, Mexicans all across the world have celebrated their national day on September 16. Since this
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide is a public holiday, many people show up for the day’s festivities. Participants enjoy snacks, candies, punch based on seasonal fruit, and mariachi music. Some foods are considered representative of the Independence Day: pozole (hominy and pork), and chile en nogada (poblano chiles, meat, dried fruit, walnut sauce, pomegranate seeds, and parsley). Festivities are organized in all towns and communities, big or small. The largest festivity takes place in city square Zocalo, Mexico City. Starting with September 1st, the square is vividly decorated in red, white, and green – the colors of the Mexican flag. Every year, at 11:00 PM on September 15, the President climbs to the balcony of the National Palace, rings the same bell that Hidalgo rang in 1886, and he recites the Grito de Dolores while the crowd responds with “¡Viva!”. Next, the fireworks begin and the crowd sings the anthem. *people born in Mexico from Spanish parents **people born in Spain
Timeline
1532: Hernán Cortés sends three ships north along the coast of Mexico in search of the Island of California. The three ships disappear without a trace. 1533: Cortés sends a follow-up mission to search for the lost ships. Pilot Fortún Ximénez leads a mutiny and founds a settlement in the Bay of La Paz before being killed. 1539: Francisco de Ulloa explores both coasts. 1690s– first decade of the 18th century: Spanish settlement and colonization in lower Las Californias (Baja peninsula), the Spanish missions in Baja California established. 1773: The Spanish province of Las Californias is divided into Alta (“Upper”) and Baja (“Lower”) California. 1810-1821: Mexican War of Independence 1821: First Mexican Empire, Baja California peninsula becomes a Mexican territory. 1847:The Battle of La Paz and the Siege of La Paz occurs, as well as several other engagements. 1848: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo cedes Alta California to the United States. As a U.S. territory it receives the California Gold Rush, causing increased maritime traffic along the peninsula.
1850: California admitted to U.S. statehood. 1853: William Walker, with 45 men, captures the capital city of La Paz and declares himself President of the Republic of Lower California. Mexico forces him to retreat a few months later. 1930-31: The Territory of Baja California is further divided into Northern and Southern territories (North Territory of Baja California & South Territory of Baja California). 1952: The North Territory of Baja California becomes the 29th State of Mexico, Baja California. The southern portion, below 28°N, remains a federally administered territory. 1973: The 1700 km (1060 miles) long TransPeninsular Highway (Mexican Federal Highway 1), is finished. It is the first paved road that spans the entire peninsula. The highway was built by the Mexican government to improve Baja’s economy and increase tourism. 1974: The South Territory of Baja California becomes the 31st state, Baja California Sur. 1989: Baja California elects Ernesto Ruffo Appel the first non PRI governor since 1929.
History of Baja
The narrow slice of heaven on Earth known as the Mexican state of Baja was not always an area everyone dreamt of visiting in their lifetime. While world travel and access to information has shown the masses the unique treasures and landscapes that Baja has to offer, there was a time in the not so distant past where Baja was virtually uninhabited and unexplored. The first known outside explorer to venture into Baja seeking fabled riches was Hernan Cortes in the 1530’s. The peninsula was only home to small native communities until Cortes arrived seeking gold, pearls, and proof of the existence of fierce Amazon women. Cortes and his followers left after finding none of what they sought. Another explorer, Sebastian Vizcaino also set foot on the paradise looking to acquire massive amounts of pearls in the late 1500’s. He too left empty handed and unappreciative of the natural riches of this unique landscape. During this time and for centuries afterwards, tales of pirates and sea fearer stops to hide treasure and goods began to emerge and give the area a sort of mythical status. However, Baja was still only inhabited by a small population of
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Welcome to Baja natives who lived a very simple existence. Once Spain set its sights on the land and made it their mission to convert the natives to Christianity, the land of Baja began to change forever. Spain wanted to claim the land and transform the religious beliefs of the locals in order to prevent any other country from claiming its shores. The natives resisted and over time, other sects tried to set up permanent establishments in Baja. While these settlements came and went, none truly stayed in Baja for the long haul. Even during the Mexican American War, the Americans marched on La Paz and San Jose del Cabo, only to see Baja as a desolate and useless land. They too turned around and left Baja to the native populations. With no overflowing treasure chests of gold and pearls, many explorers and cultures simply touched Baja as they passed through on their way to something they saw as more grand or significant. It was not until the 1940’s when plane travel became more prevalent that the world took a fresh look at Baja. It was then that access by air and sea proved easy and worthwhile to those who could afford it. The world also looked at the natural landscape of Baja with fresh appreciative eyes. Thoughts of gold and treasure turned to a deep appreciation for the true gold of the beautiful sunsets and undeniable treasure of the mountains, beaches and desert scenery. Those who could afford the short jaunt by air and sea were the newly rich and glamorous Hollywood sect. They saw Baja’s potential as a playground and ultimate vacation paradise. The first hotel opened in 1948, partly funded by some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. The fishing opportunities, untouched beaches, best weather on Earth, and seclusion from the outside world all made Baja the most exclusive destination in the world. The opening of the highway in 1974 gave the not-so-rich and famous the opportunity to bask in the natural luxury and wonder of Baja. Communities, such as Loreto, who had only utilized electricity and running water for just over a decade, suddenly found themselves the premier destination of anyone seeking paradise on Earth. The resorts, restaurants, golf courses, vacation homes, and year round homesteads that have cropped up since then
have made Baja the most sought after locale for solitude, natural wonder, luxury, and that feeling of having found heaven on earth. Despite the success and growth of the tourist industry in Baja, this unique area manages to still hold onto its desolate rustic roots and sense of wild wonder that drew the legendary explorers of centuries past.
The President
Enrique Peña Nieto came out victorious during the July 2012 general elections in Mexico. He will take office on December 1st replacing President Felipe Calderón. Nieto has been a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) since 1984. His political career started in the early 90s, but he obtained his first prominent position in 2005 when he became Governor of the State of Mexico. His activity as a governor offered him enough political capital to help him obtain on November 27, 2011 the nomination as the PRI candidate for the next presidential elections. The final election count declared Nieto a winner, with 38.21 % of the votes, 6.62 % more than the votes obtained by candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The latter challenged the result and accused PRI of electoral fraud. In September, the Federal Electoral Tribunal declared the elections valid and Enrique Pena Nieto became the new president-elect of Mexico. The political campaign of Nieto focused around his security and energy policies. Regarding the security policy, the new president thinks the main concern should be the reduction of violence, and not the direct confrontation with the drug lords. A part of his security policy would be the creation of a 40,000- member national police called “gendarmerie”. He also claimed that he will centralize the sub-federal police forces and put them under one command. The energy policy of Enrique Peña Nieto revolves around Pemex and the necessity of opening the company to joint ventures or even private investment. Though he committed himself to achieving this goal, the process is expected to be extremely difficult, if not downright impossible.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide President Nieto has been hailed as the new face of a recently reformed Institutional Revolutionary Party. While some people claim that this portrayal is misleading, Nieto will have a six year term to confirm or disprove this criticism.
The Parties Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional – PRI) The PRI was the ruling party in Mexico for the best part of the 20th century since its foundation in 1929 up until year 2000. Over the decades, the party changed its name twice, and it has adopted a center-left political stance. The undisputed hegemonic position of PRI started to get challenged during the mid 80s by both right and left-wing parties. Accusations of corruption against party members combined with the immoderation of López Portillo term led to a gradual delegitimization of PRI. In 2000, the PRI candidate Francisco Labastida Ochoa lost the general elections to Vicente Fox – the National Action Party candidate. After 12 years in opposition, the PRI is back at the helm with Enrique Peña Nieto as president. National Action Party (National Action Party – PAN) PAN was founded in 1939 as a way to find a peaceful manner of changing the country in the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution. The platform of the party is on the right-wing side of the political spectrum. PAN functioned as an opposition party until 1992 when it managed to win the governorship in some states. Year 2000 marked the success of PAN presidential candidate Vicente Fox against PRI candidate Francisco Labastida. In 2006, Felipe Calderón brought a second victory to his party by getting slightly more votes than his rival Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The dissatisfaction of the general public with the PAN years created the perfect opportunity for PRI to come back to power in 2012. Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolución Democrática – PRD) PRD was founded in 1989 by ex-PRI party members and other left-wing politicians. At its beginnings, PRD incorporated many small
left-wing parties: the Mexican Communist Party, the Unified Socialist Party of Mexico, the Socialist Mexican Party, and the Unified Socialist Party of Mexico. During the 2000 general elections, the PRD participated under the leadership of Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas who obtained 16.6% of the votes. In 2006, Andrés Manuel López Obrador lost the elections after obtaining 0.58% less votes than Felipe Calderón. Obrador’s party accused their rivals of electoral fraud, but the results were eventually validated by the Federal Electoral Tribunal. During the 2012 elections, Andrés Manuel López Obrador lost again, this time getting 6.62 % less votes than Nieto. Labor Party (Partido del Trabajo – PT) This left-wing party was founded in 1990, but it failed to become a national party in the 1991 federal elections because it did not obtain more than 1.5% of the votes. Later on, in 1998, the PT became affiliated with the PRD and was a part of the 2000 “Alliance for the Good of All”. In 2006 and 2012, PT supported Andrés Manuel López Obrador and consequently landed on the losing side. Ecologist Green Party of Mexico (Partido Verde Ecologista de México – PVE) The only major green party in Mexico was founded in 1993 with a center-right platform. PVE participated in the 2000 elections alongside with the National Action Party and the “Alliance for Change”. The alliance with PAN broke down in 2003, so PVE allied with PRI for the 2006 and 2012 elections. The party’s campaigning in favor of the introduction of the death penalty in Mexico led to its repudiation by the European Green Party. Citizens’ Movement (Movimiento Ciudadano – MC) Initially known under the name of “Convergence for Democracy”, the Citizens’ Movement is a center-left party founded in 1998. In 2000, MC was part of the unsuccessful PRD “Alliance for Mexico”, and in 2006, it allied with the second unsuccessful PRD coalition called “Alliance for the Good of All”.
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Welcome to Baja New Alliance Party (Partido Nueva Alianza – PNA) The party was created in 2005 by the National Union of Education Workers under the leadership of Elba Esther Gordillo – a former PRI member. Though small, this right-wing party participated independently in both 2006 and 2012 general elections and obtained a modest number of votes.
The issues Security Since the struggle initiated by Calderón against organized crime has left may citizens dissatisfied, 2012 candidates try to come up with alternative strategies. Enrique Peña Nieto is the first contender who proposed a practical solution: the formation of national gendarmerie made up of 40,000 individuals. Josefina Vázquez Mota recently put forward a similar proposal, but now she tries to distance herself from current approaches and focus more on the victims of organized crimes. With Calderon and his administration having been accused of ignoring the victims, Mota wants to give her security policy a more humane face.
Economy In the eyes of Mexican voters, the issue of economic progress is as important as the one of security. Andrés Manuel López Obrador claims that he will maintain the current macroeconomic policies. In addition, he intends to reduce poverty and fight against the corruption. Enrique Peña Nieto’s campaign is focused on implementing energy and tax reform. The tax reform is necessary because it will boost tax collection and reduce the dependence of Mexico on oil income. If they win the elections, PRI will encourage competition in the business sector and flexibility on the labor market.
Energy and the Environment While all candidates are against privatization, there is one topic that causes disagreement: Pemex. Enrique Peña Nieto is concerned with the decreasing production and the outdated technology. In his point of view, the only solution to the deadlock is to make an ever
stronger relationship between Pemex and the private sector. Josefina Vázquez Mota also sees the private sector as the driving force behind the modernization of Pemex. The government needs to carry out this modernization; otherwise the energy demands of Mexico will not be met. Mota thinks that another priority for the future government is to invest into renewable energy facilities for a green future. Andrés Manuel López Obrador disagrees and he claims that privatization would compromise economic growth. Privatization would result in a considerable increase in fuel prices, which will put pressure on small businesses. So according to Obrador, Pemex will increase its efficiency only if it remains state-owned.
The voters Though candidates have their say every day, the voters will have the last word. The most recent developments in voters’ preferences are provided by a poll produced by Reforma newspaper. According to the results, Enrique Peña Nieto is on the first place with 42%. This is a slight decrease as compared with March (45%). Vázquez Mota went down with 3% in the last month and she reached 29%. The decrease can be put down to the less auspicious start of her campaign. Andrés Manuel López Obrador seems to have taken over the voters lost by Nieto and Mota, and he reached 27%, 5% more than what he had in March. Enrique Peña Nieto is unquestionably the strongest candidate, but two months before the elections, the gap between him and the other two main contenders seems to be gradually narrowing. The Reforma poll also showed that roughly 15% of the population has not yet decided, so the actual results might take everybody by surprise. To stay up to date with most recent developments in Mexican elections, visit http:// mexicoinstituteonelections.wordpress.com/ , a complete guide provided by the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Baja California Highway by Travis Farr.
What’s Needed to Travel in Baja, Mexico? Before you start your trip to the Baja Peninsula, you first have to get informed about the requirements that must fulfilled by a foreigner at the border or on Mexican land. This article will provide you with everything you have to know in order for everything to run smoothly.
At the border The first essential item you need to bring along is your passport, otherwise you will not be allowed to cross the border. If you plan to stay in the border zone – roughly 20 to 30 km. from the border – for less than 72 hours, you will be able to travel with the passport only. However, if you intend to travel beyond the border zone or stay more than 72 hours, you must request a tourist card from the immigration office at the ports of entry into Mexico. The tourist card allows you to stay in Mexico for a maximum of 180 days. The card comes along with a tourism visa and a fee of around $20 payable at a bank representative that exists at every port of entry. If you want to stay for less than 7 days, you do not have to pay the fee anymore.
Driving to Baja
One of the easiest ways to get to Baja is by driving. To take your car or RV into Mexico, you will have to obtain a temporary importation permit. There are several ways to obtain the permit: • Mexican consulates • Banjército offices located at the border • Online via website http://www. banjercito.com.mx/ • Irrespective of the method you choose, the following documents are necessary: • Proof of citizenship • Title for the vehicle • Vehicle registration certificate • Driver’s license • A document that proves the return of a previously imported vehicle, if it applies You will be required to pay a fee before you obtain the permit. The amount of the fee differs depending on the application method: $32 plus taxes at the border, $40 plus taxes at the Mexican consulates, and $48 plus taxes, shipping included, via http://www.banjercito. com.mx/ website. The fee has to be paid with an international
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Welcome to Baja card issued on the name of the applicant. Those who do not have an international card will have to place a deposit between $200 and $400, depending on the year and model of the vehicle. The deposit will be returned at the Banjército office at the border once the applicant comes back to US. For online application, you may request your permit 7 to 60 days prior to travelling to Mexico. Once you complete the application process on the website, Banjército will send you the permit within 7 business days. After the permit arrives, it is mandatory to send the documents mentioned above by email (itvnet@banjercito. com.mx.), mail (Av. Industria Militar 1055, Col. Lomas de Sotelo, Del. Miguel Hidalgo, México, D.F., CP. 11200), or to bring them to any Banjército office. The permit will be valid for the same period as the migratory status. Any tourist who brings their car into Mexico will have to purchase auto insurance. The Baja Good Life Club offers annual or 90 day policies at an excellent price for both non-members and members of the club. Click here to read more about the auto insurance policies.
Boating to Baja To bring your boat into Mexico, you first have to obtain a boat permit. Depending on whether you bring the boat by land or sea, you will need: • Proof of citizenship • Vessel ownership title • Registration title for the vehicle (if the entry is by land)
•
Departure clearance from the departure point (if the entry is by sea) The instructions provided previously for vehicle importation apply similarly to boat importation, and the procedure can easily be completed on http://www.banjercito.com.mx/ website or at the border.
Flying to Baja
If you travel by plane, you will have the fee for the tourist card already included in the price of the plane ticket. Right before landing, you will be requested to fill out a tourist card. Once you reach the immigration officer, you will be asked to provide your passport and the tourist card. The immigration officer will stamp the passport with a tourist visa and take half of the tourist card. Keep the second half of the card as you will have to turn it in to the airline when you come back. In order not to have any problems at the customs, avoid bringing plants, fruit or seeds. Also, no firearms without the necessary permits for hunting are allowed, and of course, no drugs. If you carry more than 20 packs of cigarettes per person or more than 2 liquor bottles, you may have to pay duty. Once you get all your documents in order, the last item on the list is the Baja Good Life Club membership card. The card allows all members of the club to enjoy discounts up to 75% for numerous businesses in Baja. If you don’t have a Baja Good Life Club membership card, get one today.
Is My Car Legal In Mexico? Is My Car Legal In Mexico? Within the Border Zone (usually 20 kilometers south of the border) or the Free Trade Zone (includes the entire Baja peninsula and the Sonora Free Trade Zone), the answer is yes. However, you should acquire Mexican driver insurance, because Mexico does not recognized policies written in the U.S., even if they have Mexico coverage clauses. If you are in an accident and
do not have Mexican insurance, your car will be confiscated, and you could go to jail until the authorities decide how to handle the situation. There are also strict regulations regarding just who can drive a vehicle not registered in Mexico. The registered owner, of course, and his or her spouse or adult children who have the same immigration status are eligible drivers. If the owner is in the vehicle, persons
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide other than those just mentioned may also drive. If an unauthorized person is caught driving your vehicle, it will be confiscated and good luck getting it back. What I have found out, the hard way, is that if you follow the rules, you can pretty much remain trouble free in Mexico. Ignorance of the law is no defense. I have tried that one to no avail. If you plan to travel outside of the “exempt areas”, you must temporarily import your vehicle. There is a specific process involved and it will cost you some money, but fail to do it and you expose yourself to some major headaches. Here are some of the things you will need: Proof of citizenship (passport or birth certificate); proof of immigration status, i.e. visa such as FMM, FM2, FM3; proof of vehicle ownership, such as pink slip, current registration, lease agreement or rental agreement if it is a rented vehicle. Yes, even a rental car must be temporarily imported if it is driven outside the exempt areas. These documents must all
be in the name of the person importing the vehicle. If it is a company car, you must have documentation that certifies you work for the company and you have permission to use the vehicle in Mexico. You’ll need a valid driver’s license issued outside Mexico. You must acquire a permit from the Mexican customs office at the border crossing. They will charge you a US$27.00 certificate fee (non-refundable) and you must post a bond deposit of up to $400.00, depending on the model year of your vehicle. Your bond deposit will be returned to you when you return the certificate to Mexican customs. You may get the permit from certain designated Consulates of Mexico for an additional fee of around US$35.00. The permit is valid for a period of up to 180 days (6 months). Always carry the importation document with you. Do not leave it in the vehicle. It will be invaluable if something happens to your vehicle.
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City Sections
City Sections
Baja cactus by Uhhhlaine.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
A common view from a Baja Highway.
The Baja Highways If no one has ever said, “it’s a good thing Baja is beautiful, the weather perfect, and the people so welcoming, because it makes the trials of driving there all worth it”, they should have. Along with breathtaking mountains juxtaposed against ocean vistas and desert scenery, delightful yarns of life by the sea, fiestas, cantinas and friendly residents, there are tales of surviving the drive along Baja’s highways. So prevalent are harrowing “road” stories that websites on Baja travel routinely carry sections devoted to driving advice. Tourists and residents often post accounts of “roadway adventures”, warning others to drive slowly and carefully, to carry food and water (or beer) for long stopovers awaiting assistance or repairs, and to refrain from driving at night. Federal Highway One (La Carretera Transpeninsular) opened up the length of Baja to drivers and tourists in 1973. Running over one thousand miles from the U.S. border at Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas, Highway One offers magnificent scenery to tourists who want more of this picturesque region than a quick flight into Cabo can provide. Highway One follows the Pacific coast southward to Guerrero Negro, where it begins a leisurely eastward crossing toward the Sea of Cortez and Santa Rosalia. From there, the highway hugs the eastern coast, providing
spectacular views of the mountains on the west, moves inland and down to the tip of the peninsula, ending at Cabo San Lucas. Federal Highway 5, connecting San Felipe with Mexicali, has an even older, more picturesque history. Begun in 1946, it promised new avenues for commerce, local growth, and faster travel in this sparsely-settled region. In those days, it was easier and faster to go by boat between San Felipe and coastal towns to the south. Everything that came in from outside the small communities—from manufactured goods to building supplies to foodstuffs— came at a heavy price. Construction on Highway 5 began at Reforma Avenue in Mexicali near the old Farmers and Fishermen’s Monument. Local crews moved with each completed stage across the desert landscape toward San Felipe. The road, the camps, and the men experienced the many faces of Baja as they moved from agricultural colonies in the valleys, to the mountainous home of the Cucapa peoples, to stretches of empty desert, and more than four years later, to the Sea of Cortez coast and the small fishing village of San Felipe. The most difficult portion was about 62 km from Mexicali, by the mountains, where they had to use dynamite. For four months it was hard to notice any progress, the work went so slowly. It was also a study in loneliness and isolation.
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City Sections After trucks dumped the last load of building material near the beach at San Felipe where El Malecon is today, the workers went home or on to other jobs. Today, for Americans and Canadians accustomed to superhighway systems, Mexican highways today can be a shock. They often resemble two-lane rural roads in “Grapes of Wrath” America: narrow, idiosyncratically marked, unlit at night, and occasionally obstructed by slow-moving equipment, construction and repairs, and wandering livestock. Road improvements and construction appear disorganized with notification of road hazards either ambiguous, difficult to see, or absent. Potholes loom large and seemingly every few feet. They are masterfully efficient destroyers of even the most well constructed tire. Ambiguity is common among Baja drivers. They start out warning others not to attempt the trip but pepper their stories with such exciting adventures along the way that, by the end, everyone is convinced that the hearty, wellstocked traveler, armed with the right attitude, can not only make the trip but find it enjoyable. These same personal accounts routinely contain an important and encouraging message: help is usually as close as the next vehicle, with friendly locals much more eager to help stranded motorists than in the U.S. A rescue squad run by the Ministry of Tourism, the “Green Angels” are a radio-dispatched fleet of trucks that operate along Baja’s highways ready to arrange towing, tire repair, or other services as needed. That they operate daily from dawn until sunset is a tribute to both Mexican hospitality and a realistic understanding of Baja’s roads. Military checkpoints, while not designed to aid drivers, offer some security and contact with “official” Mexico. Several checkpoints are sprinkled across the Baja highways to control gun and drug trafficking. Disconcerting at first glance to Americans unaccustomed to gun-toting, uniformed young men manning checkpoints, seasoned Baja travelers agree there is nothing to worry about for those who observe Mexican laws. Cooperation and courtesy avoids checkpoint problems. Driving in Baja also means drivers should
learn unspoken “rules of the road”. For example, a flashing left turn signal may mean a driver is turning left, but it may also mean that it is safe to pass. A driver doesn’t want to mistake one intention for the other. Flashing lights from an approaching vehicle indicate that a particularly narrow area is coming up, where one vehicle will have to pull aside in order for the other to have enough room to pass. Local custom dictates that the first vehicle to signal with flashing lights proceeds first. The Mexican government has been hard at work on their comprehensive road improvement plan (see “Paving the Way for Growth and Tourism”) to make travelling from the U.S. border through Baja easier, faster, and more convenient. With over 1.7 billion pesos (170 million dollars) allocated, the Mexican government has ambitious plans to improve, extend, and repair the roads throughout Baja. Planned commercial truck routes will streamline border crossings, by-pass city traffic, and simplify commercial transport which is the supply line to residents and industries of Baja. The Mexican government has pledged millions of dollars for the improvement of infrastructure, including expansion of the airport and marina. Work has begun to turn Federal Highway 5 into a four-lane highway and at the time of this writing, is completed between the Ensenada exchange and San Felipe and continues south past Puertecitos to within 8 miles of Gonzaga Bay. The road was projected to be completed in 2011, but looks like at least 2013 before it reaches Highway 1, forever joining in an ever-growing network of modern highways throughout Baja. The Fondo Nacional de Fomento Al Turismo (FONATUR), the government agency responsible for the development of tourism, and the Secretary of Tourism (SECTUR), foresee with the new highways that many communities bordering the Sea of Cortez will be goldmines for tourism related to fishing, boating, nature study, and water sports. Like the old Bob Hope and Bing Crosby “Road To…” movies, exciting adventures await those with the spirit to hit the road in Baja.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Driving in Baja Driving outside the US in Mexico and through Latin America might feel daunting at first, but with the right attitude, it can be an unforgettable experience. When it comes driving in Baja California, it all comes down to mastering the do’s and don’ts. The Transpeninsular Highway or Highway 1 is the main road of Baja California, and it covers a distance of 1,059 miles connecting Tijuana with Cabo San Lucas. It passes through most important cities, but also through small communities. Even though there are other routes available, people who drive through Baja are very likely to take the Highway 1 route. If you are venturing into Baja California with a car for the first time, take the time to plan everything in advance. This guide will provide the most useful information related to driving in Baja.
Before you leave Registration and driver’s license must be valid. • Make a copy of your vehicle registration and keep with you at all times. • Purchase Mexican Insurance – even though American insurance might cover travel to Mexico, the Mexican authorities are not likely to accept the coverage. Check out the Auto Insurance provided by the Baja Good Life Club with a great discount for members. • Keep a copy of the Mexican Insurance with you. • Make sure you have all the necessary documentation, such as passport or tourist card if you plan to go farther south than Ensenada for more than three days. • Get your gas tank full or an extra can of gas – keep in mind that gas prices are considerably lower on the Mexican side of the border. • Make sure your vehicle is in good working condition. • If you want to use debit/credit cards during the trip, call your bank and let them know.
On the road • Speed limits are provided in Km. (1 mile = 1.6 km.).
• The yellow light means you have to stop, not just to slow down. • The fast lane works most of the time as a passing lane; get back to the slow lane once you have passed someone. • Look out for construction sites as they come up quite suddenly. • Talking on the phone while driving is a law violation. • Be careful not to hit animals wandering on the street. • Don’t drive at night or drive slowly if there’s no way to avoid this. • Slow down when unsure of what the speed limit is.
The Green Angels
When incidents occur during a trip, motorists may seek assistance from the “Green Angels”. This is a government sponsored group of mechanics that drive on toll roads in order to help people who have mechanical problems. They usually carry gasoline or spare parts, and they service is free. The parts, however, will have to be paid by the driver, and a small tip is greatly appreciated.
Military checkpoints
The checkpoints have the purpose of limiting the traffic of drugs or weapons. The procedure is brief, and it is carried out by young men in military uniforms. As you approach the military checkpoint, one of the soldiers will probably signal you to stop. Once you pull over, they will ask (most probably in Spanish) where you come from and what your destination is. They may also ask you to step out of the vehicle for a routine verification. Typically, the soldiers will search the glove compartment, the seats, the trunk, and some of your bags. Be as friendly and quick as possible, and most importantly, don’t carry any firearms or any other items related to firearms, such as bullets. Carrying a firearm in Mexico is illegal unless you go hunting and have all necessary documentation related to this activity.
What to do about bribes
When it comes to driving in Baja, bribe
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City Sections (mordida in Spanish) is perceived as a major issue, though some people claim they have not been requested to pay any. Regardless of other people’s experiences, there is a chance you may be stopped in traffic by a Mexican policeman for a fictitious offence which may result in you paying a bribe. One noteworthy aspect of bribe in Mexico is that both parties involved break the law. Although this approach acknowledges that both individuals are part of the problem, you must not complain to the authorities if you already paid the bribe. So what is the best way to handle these uncomfortable situations? • Don’t encourage the practice. Many policemen stop foreign plated cars because they see this as an opportunity to increase their rather small income. Instead of paying the money to the policeman, ask to be taken to the police station and pay the actual fine. This way your money will go to the community instead of the policeman’s pocket. • Be as polite as possible. Being confrontational might cause the situation to go out of hand, and this is the last thing you need while you travel in a foreign country. • Take it easy and don’t seem in a hurry. If you are on a vacation, don’t forget that time is on your side while the policeman is on the clock. • Get local plates. This is efficient especially if you live in Baja. Policemen will usually
stop foreign plated cars and leave the other ones pass mostly undisturbed. • Carry a small amount of money in the wallet. If you are in a hurry and don’t have time for the hassle at the police station, don’t keep a large sum in the wallet so as to reduce the value of the bribe as much as possible. • Be particularly careful when you pass through Ciudad Constitucíon. Highway 1 passes right through it, and the road is littered with traffic signals and stop signs. The only way to avoid being pulled over to drive as carefully as possible and stop at every sign, though remember that some of them are difficult to see.
The mandatory liability insurance in Baja California
Starting with January 2012, Baja California Norte introduced a new mandatory liability insurance. Up until 2012, it was enough to have Mexican insurance, but now you may receive a ticket unless you provide proof of liability insurance.The Baja Good Life Club policies contain this mandatory liability feature. (not sure about this). Now you are ready to get behind the wheel and embark on the journey through Baja California. Keep your camera close because you will come across scenes worth taking with you home. Find out more useful tips about driving in Baja by joining the Facebook group “On the Road in Mexico”.
Baja Ferry Ferry service between the Baja Peninsula and the mainland was minimal and even discontinued up until 1999 when Baja Ferry, a private company, took the initiative and set up a route between Santa Rosalia and Guaymas. The route between these towns is considerably less significant and reliable than the other ferry system which connects La Paz to the mainland. The ferry that departs from Santa Rosalia provides transportation for both people and vehicles. The trip is comfortable, and it lasts
between 7 and 9 hours, depending on the weather conditions. People who intend to take their vehicle on the main land will have to own a vehicle permit and auto insurance. The best moment to obtain these documents is when you cross the border to Mexico. The schedule of the ferry from Santa Rosalia changes frequently, so the best option is to visit the website http://www. ferrysantarosalia.com or contact the company by phone 800-505-5018 and email ventas@
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide ferrysantarosalia.com. Here is the current schedule for the Santa Rosalia – Guaymas ferry. The tickets can be purchased by phone, from a travel agency, or from the ferry office in Santa Rosalia and Guaymas. Toll Free: 800-505-5018 Santa Rosalia: Transpeninsular Highway, Km. 196, Exterior Transportation Terminal, No. 3, Port Precinct, Departure from Guaymas
Santa Rosalia, Baja California Sur, 23920. 615-152-1264, 615-152-1486 Guaymas: Ferry Terminal, Port Precinct, s/n, Punta Arena Colony, Guaymas, Sonora 85400. 622-222-0204, 622-222-8486 The prices are subject to change without notice, so here is the most recent list of prices for both people and vehicles.
Arrival to Sta. Rosalia
Departure from Sta. Rosalia
Arrival to Guaymas
Monday
08:00 PM
-
-
-
Tuesday
08:00 PM
07:00 AM
09:00 AM
06:00 PM
Wednesday
-
07:00 AM
09:00 AM
06:00 PM
Thursday
08:00 PM
-
-
-
Friday
08:00 PM
07:00 AM
09:00 AM
06:00 PM
Saturday
08:00 PM
07:00 AM
09:00 AM
06:00 PM
Sunday
-
07:00 AM
09:00 AM
-
Monday
-
-
-
06:00 PM
One Way Trip
Roundtrip
Adults
$60
$110
Children under 11
$30
$55
Adults
$70
$125
Children under 11
$35
$65
Motorcycles
$105
$205
Cars up to 5.4 Mts.
$235
$425
Pick-up ups up to 7 Mts.
$405
$770
The original prices are in pesos. The exchange rate used is $1 = 13.61 pesos. Mt. = Metric Ton = 1000 kg. The ferries that connect La Paz with Mazatlan and Topolobampo are comfortable, and provide various amenities. Travelers can enjoy spending time in the restaurant and the bar. For additional comfort, there are several cabins available for rent. The cabins can accommodate up to 4 passengers, and they come with a private bath. With its speed of 22-23 knots, the ferry gets to Mazatlan in 12 hours and to Topolobampo in just 6 hours. The schedule for these two routes is quite reliable, but it is always useful to have a look at the website http://www.bajaferries. com/ before arranging any trip. Here is the schedule for both Topolobampo and Mazatlan:
Saloon
Cabins
Trailers between 15 and 18 Mts.
$850
$1525
Departs From
Arrives To
Departure
Arrival
Day of Departure
Mazatlán
La Paz
04:00 PM
08:00 AM
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
La Paz
Mazatlán
06:00 PM
10:00 AM
Tuesday, Thursday
La Paz
Mazatlán
05: 00 PM
09:00 AM
Sunday
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City Sections At this moment, travelers will need to pay the following prices for the La Paz – Topolobampo and La Paz – Mazatlan routes: Topolobampo
Mazatlan
Adult
$60
$65
Children between 3 and 11
$30
$35
Private Cabin
$55
$55 or $35
Cars up to 5.4 Mts.
$80
$165
Pick-up, Van
$140
$230
Bus
$550
$785
Recreational Van
$565
$1105
Motorcycle
$60
$140
The price for the private cabin comes in addition to the fare that each passenger has to pay. The original prices are in pesos. The exchange rate used is $1 = 13.61 pesos. Mt. = Metric Ton = 1000 kg. People who are located in San Jose del
Cabo and want to use the ferry will have to make a two hour trip to La Paz. Purchases can be made with a debit/credit card by contacting Baja Ferries Call Center or directly from the ferry terminals. According to your location, choose one of the following phone numbers and addresses: Toll Free - 800-337 7437 (only for Mexico) La Paz Ignacio Allende No. 1025, Col. Centro, C.P. 23000, La Paz, B.C.S. 612-123-6600 Topolobampo Instalaciones API y Muelle de Contenedores, C.P. 81370 668-862-1003 Mazatlan Ave. Emilio Barragán y Prolongación Carnaval S/N, Fracc. Playa Sur, C.P. 82040, Instalaciones API 669-985-0470 San Jose del Cabo Plaza Guaymitas, Carr. Transpeninsular (San José-La Paz), Local # 6. 624-142-4610
Baja Ferry in La Paz BY unknown.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Enjoy RV and camping in Loreto at Rivera del Mar RV park by Rachel Pack.
RV Travel – Top 10 Do’s Traveling to Baja in an RV is the way to go! Here our Top 10 things to help to stay safe during your travels, it’s all common since and should be use when you are traveling any where in the world. 1. Chart your trip – Search of RV parks on the club directory (www.bajagoodlifeclub.com) and get your maps out to chart your course. Share your trip plans with your friends and family and blog your adventures (or keep a diary), so all can be apart of your fun. 2. Buy a basic Spanish phrase book, a copy of the Club Spanish book, or the back of this book and start learning how to say important phrases that will help you through your travels. Like: where is the gas station?/¿Dónde está la gasolinera?; where is the bathroom?/¿Dónde está el baño?; how far is the next town?/¿Hasta qué punto es el próximo pueblo?. There are many others…just write down a few phases and practice. 3. Camp with others - camping solo on a deserted beach can set you up to be a victim, there is safety and fun in numbers.
4. Lock up and draw your curtains – keeping your valuables safe by locking all your doors and windows; and drop your blinds or curtains when you go out to explore. You do not want to draw attention to your items. 5. Keep your valuables in a safe place – a locked box or stash box that is not in a visible location to keep extra money, jewelry, personal documents. Make copies of your passports, driver license and visa documents and anything you would like to keep safe. If you are directed into secondary inspection by U.S. Customs officers, you should declare the existence of your secret box and show the contents. 6. Stop in cities or small towns - you will find the coolest things and see the most interesting sites in the small towns/pueblos and cities/ciudades along your travels. Stop at the churches, museums, graveyards, taco stands or local fruit stands and experience all of Baja. 7. Don’t drive at night – Semi trucks travel mostly at night and if you drive during the day you’ll have fewer to deal with on narrow or blind corners. If you happen to be stuck driving
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City Sections in the dark, because you didn’t make your next planned destination, you should consider stopping off the highway next to a house or market. Introduce yourself and your traveling party to the business owner or resident and explain that you would like to park for the night…Spanish: Tenemos que descansar hasta mañana. ¿Se puede aparcar aquí? The Mexican people are very welcoming and will normally help you in any way they can. 8. Always be aware of livestock – in Baja livestock are normally left to roam wherever they can find food and this is sometimes near a well traveled road which creates a large problem around the highways. Drive carefully when you see a group of livestock use your emergeny flashers to let the other travelers on the road to “take caustion” when driving. 9. Buy Mexican Auto Insurance - Mexican auto insurance is a must. If you have an accident Mexican authorities will not accept foreign auto insurance policies. www.bajagoodlifeclub. com for club member insurance discount information. 10. Pack an emergency road kit – jumper cables, tow chain, small shovel, 12vot air pump, caution cones, oil, and funnel. If you think of other things you might need, then place them in an old milk crate so you have easy access when needed. Get out there and see Baja now! The Baja today will not be the same Baja in a few years. See all the places that have not been touched by progress. Just be smart through your travels and you will have a great time. Get to exploring and see what Baja California has to offer!
inhale the ingredients when you are working with them. When you need to add some holding tank deodorizer to your holding tank just put in two cups of the mixture in the holding tank.
RV Holding Tank (Gray & Black) Deodorizer
Baja “Shot Glass” Bug Repellent/ Shooter
Need a simply homemade deodorizer for your holding tanks, consider this simple mixture of items you can get almost anywhere. Step 1- Mix 1 cup color safe bleach,1/2 cup of Pinesol type cleaner and 3 tablespoons of household ammonia and put them into a gallon container. Step 2 - Fill the remainder of the gallon container with hot water. Step 3 - Put a lid on the container and set it aside, until needed. Be sure that you do not
Fly Trap Attractant Recipe: Looking for a simple way to attract away from you and then kill flies? Try this simply solution. Allow a couple of days for the mixture to really take effect. The more flies attracted and killed, the more flies it attracts. Step 1 - Mix 3 cups of water, 1/3 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of white vinegar Mix all ingredients together until the sugar is completely dissolved. Step 2 - Make you trap. You can use recycle many different things to make your trap; an empty coffee can with a plastic lid, or a glass jar and with lid. You will also need a small piece of plastic wrap. Cut a 2-3” hole in the lip of your container. Now place the plastic wrap over the container opening and then screw your lid into place. You should now have a sealed container with a 2-3” plastic area in the center. Step 3 - Just poke some holes in the plastic wrap that appears in the 2-3” inch area. Make the holes large enough that the flies can crawl in. Now just place your new trap outside in the sun, where flies are a problem. The flies will crawl into your trap and either drown in the mixture or they can’t find their way out.
If you’re more interested in keeping the flies at bay, then you are in killing them, then try this simple homemade bug repellent. Step 1 - Mix 1 shot of anti-bacterial soap (any Fabuloso scent will work), 1 shot liquid cooking oil, 1 shot vinegar, and 1 shot alcohol. Step 2 - Pour the ingredients into a recycled/ standard spray bottle with water; shake and start shooting some bugs.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
San Vicente- San Quintin ....................... 64 Miles San Quintin - El Rosario .........................37 Miles El Rosario - Catavina ............................. 76 Miles Catavina - Punta Prieta .......................... 65 Miles Punta Prieta - Bahia De Los Angeles ...... 43 Miles Bahia De los Angeles - Guerrero Negro ....124 mi. Guerrero Negro - San Ignacio ................ 90 Miles San ignacio - Santa Rosalia ................... 46 Miles Santa Rosalia - Mulege .......................... 39 Miles Mulege - Loreto ..................................... 85 Miles Loreto - La Paz .................................... 223 Miles La Paz - Todos Santos ........................... 48 Miles Todos Santos - Cabo San Lucas ............ 48 Miles La Paz - Los Barilles .............................. 65 Miles Los Barilles - San Jose .......................... 48 Miles San Jose - Cabo San Lucas ...................20 Miles
Rosarito ................................................. 12 Miles Ensenada ............................................... 68 Miles San Vicente .......................................... 120 Miles San Quintin ...........................................184 Miles El Rosario .............................................221 Miles Catavina ............................................... 297 Miles Punta Prieta ..........................................362 Miles Bahia De Los Angeles ...........................405 Miles Guerrero Negro .....................................443 miles San Ignacio .......................................... 533 Miles Santa Rosalia ....................................... 579 Miles Mulege ................................................. 618 Miles Loreto .................................................. 703 Miles La Paz .................................................. 926 Miles Todos Santos ....................................... 974 Miles Los Barilles .......................................... 991 Miles San Jose ............................................ 1039 Miles Cabo San Lucas ................................. 1059 Miles
Tijuana - Tecate ..................................... 33 Miles Tecate - Mexicali ....................................90 Miles Ensenada - Tecate ................................. 72 Miles Mexicali - San Felipe ............................121 Miles Ensenada - San Felipe ......................... 152 Miles
Tijuana - Rosarito .................................. 12 Miles Rosarito - Ensenada .............................. 56 Miles Ensenada - San Vicente ......................... 52 Miles
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Highway 1 - Baja Norte
Mexican Federal Highway 1 Mexican Federal Highway (carretera federal) No. 1 follows the length of the Baja California Peninsula from Cabo San Lucas (BCS), at the southern end to Tijuana (BC) in the north. The road turns into Interstate 5 at the international border with the United States south of San Ysidro, California. Highway 1 is often called the Carretera Transpeninsular or Transpeninsular Highway and runs a length of 1,711 km (1,063 mi) from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas. Most of its length is two lanes. Construction was completed in 1973.
Route description The road begins in the border city of Tijuana. It is bypassed from here to Ensenada by Mexican Federal Highway 1D, a toll road. Then, the road continues south past Maneadero. Much of it follows or passes near the route of Portola’s march from Loreto to San Diego during the foundation of Spanish missions in Baja California. Federal highways in Mexico are generally designated with even numbers for east–west routes and odd numbers for north–south routes. Numerical designations usually ascend southward away from the U.S. border for east– west routes, and usually ascend eastward away from the Pacific Ocean for North-South routes. Therefore, Federal Highway 1, due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, has the lowest possible odd number designation, and intersecting East-West federal routes usually conform to this pattern. Kilometer markers track the distance along Mex 1 through Baja California Norte in four segments. The first of these is the 109 km length from Tijuana to Ensenada, which is known informally as Mex 1 Libre to distinguish it from the parallel toll road. The second portion of signed road runs 196 km from Ensenada to San Quintín. The third segment comprises 128 km from San Quintín to Bahía de los Ángeles. A final segment stretches 128 km from Bahía de
los Ángeles to the border of Baja California Sur. The total length of Mexican Federal Highway 1 in Baja California Norte is 713 km (443 mi). Continuing into the southern of the two Mexican states that comprise the Baja California peninsula, Guerrero Negro is the nearest community to the point where Mex 1 meets the 28th parallel north. Afterward Mex 1 leaves the western coast and crosses to the eastern coast at Santa Rosalía. The route continues southward past Puerto Escondido and gains altitude at Sierra de la Giganta, then veers southwest and through agricultural lands and Ciudad Constitución. After crossing a desert the route encounters La Paz on the eastern coast. The route continues along the gulf side of the peninsula through San José del Cabo to its terminus at Cabo San Lucas. After crossing state lines the kilometer markers progress in the opposite direction. Baja California Norte markers count from north to south, but Baja California Sur markers count from south to north. So in opposite order from the road signage, a progressive route southward would span 221 km from Guerrero Negro to Santa Rosalía, 197 km from Santa Rosalía to Loreto, 120 km from Loreto to Ciudad Insurgentes, 240 km from Ciudad Insurgentes to La Paz, and 224 km from La Paz to Cabo San Lucas.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Tijuana City.
Tijuana Central Zone.
Tijuana Playas.
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Tijuana
A “Tijuana Zebra” - a donkey that has been painted with stripes so that it looks like a zebra. By Subsven.
Tijuana Latitude 32°31’18.03”N Longitude 117° 0’43.72”W Tijuana (/tiːəˈwɑːnə/ tee-ə-wah-nə or / tiːˈwɑːnə/; Spanish: [tiˈxwana]) is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics. As the city has become a leading center in the country, so has the surrounding metropolitan area, a major industrial and paramount metropolis in northwestern Mexico. Currently one of the fastest growing cities in Mexico, Tijuana maintains global city status. On the Gold Coast of Baja California, Tijuana is the municipal seat, cultural, and
commercial center of Tijuana Municipality. A dominant manufacturing center of the North American continent, the city maintains facilities of numerous multinational conglomerate companies. The 2000s (decade) saw Tijuana become the medical device manufacturing capital of North America. Also a growing cultural center, Tijuana has been recognized as one of most important new cultural meccas. The city is the most visited border city in the globe; sharing an approximate 24-kilometrelong border (15 mi) with its sister city San Diego, over fifty million people annually cross the border between these two cities. This metropolitan crossing makes the San Ysidro Port of Entry the busiest land-border crossing in the world. It is estimated that the two border crossing stations between the cities proper of San Diego and Tijuana account for 300,000 daily border crossings alone.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide Tijuana is the 42nd largest city in the Americas and is the westernmost city in Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the Tijuana metropolitan area was the fifth-largest in Mexico, with a population of 1,784,034. The international metropolitan region was estimated to be just over five million in 2009 and approximately 5,105,769 in 2010, making it the third largest metropolitan area in the Californias, 19th largest metropolitan area in the Americas, and the largest bi-national conurbation that is shared between US and Mexico. Tijuana traces its modern history to the arrival of Spanish explorers in the 16th century who were mapping the coast of the Californias. As the American conquest of northern Mexico ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Tijuana’s new international position on the border gave rise to a new economic and political structure. The city was founded in July 11, 1889 as urban development began. Often known by its initials, “T.J.”, and nicknamed Gateway to Mexico, the city has historically served as a tourist center dating back to the 1880s.
History
The land where the city of Tijuana would be built was originally inhabited by the Kumeyaay, a tribe of Yuman-speaking hunter-gatherers. Europeans arrived in 1542, when the explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo toured the coastline of the area, which was later mapped in 1602 by Sebastián Vizcaíno. In 1769, Juan Crespí documented more detailed information about the area that would be called the Valley of Tijuana. Junípero Serra founded the first mission of Alta California in nearby San Diego. More settlement of the area took place near the end of the mission era when José María de Echeandía, governor of the Baja California and Alta California, awarded a large land grant to Santiago Argüello in 1829. This large cattle ranch, Rancho Tía Juana (“Aunt Jane Ranch”), covered 100 km2 (40 sq mi). In 1848, as a result of the Mexican-American War with the United States, Mexico lost all of Alta California. The majority of the 1,000 Hispanic families living in Alta California stayed
there, though some moved south to remain inside Mexico. Because of this Tijuana gained a different purpose on the international border. The area had been populated by ranchers, but Tijuana developed a new social economic structure. These were farming and livestock grazing, plus as a transit area for prospectors. Urban settlement began in 1889, when descendants of Santiago Argüello and Augustín Olvera entered an agreement to begin developing the city of Tijuana. The date of the agreement, July 11, 1889, is recognized as the founding of the city. Tijuana saw its future in tourism from the beginning. From the late 19th century to the first few decades of the 20th century, the city attracted large numbers of Californians coming for trade and entertainment. The California land boom of the 1880s led to the first big wave of tourists, who were called “excursionists” and came looking for echoes of the famous novel “Ramona” by Helen Hunt Jackson. In 1911, during the Mexican Revolution, revolutionaries claiming loyalty to Ricardo Flores Magón took over the city for shortly over a month. Federal troops then arrived. Assisted by local loyal militia known as the “defensores de Tijuana”, they routed the rebels, who fled north and were promptly arrested by the United States Army. This event is a source of local controversy, and the “rebels” are almost universally reviled in Tijuana as “filibusteros” (mercenaries). The Panama-California Exposition of 1915 brought many visitors to the nearby California city of San Diego. Tijuana attracted these tourists with a Feria Típica Mexicana - Typical Mexican Fair. This included curio shops, regional food, thermal baths, horse racing and boxing. The first professional race track opened in January 1916, just south of the border gate. It was almost immediately destroyed by the great “Hatfield rainmaker” flood of 1916. Rebuilt in the general area, it ran horse races until the new Agua Caliente track opened in 1929, several miles south and across the river on higher ground. Legal drinking and gambling attracted U.S nationals in the 1920s during Prohibition. The Avenida Revolución area became the city’s
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Tijuana tourist center, with casinos and the Hotel Caesar’s, birthplace of the Caesar Salad. In 1928, the Agua Caliente Touristic Complex was opened, including hotel, spa, dog-track, private airport, golf course and gambling casino. A year later, the new Agua Caliente Racetrack joined the complex. During the eight years it operated, the Agua Caliente hotel, casino and spa achieved a near mythical status, with Hollywood stars and gangsters flying in and playing. Rita Hayworth was discovered there. Musical nightclub productions were broadcast over the radio. A singer known as “la Faraona” got shot in a love-triangle and gave birth to the myth of a beautiful lady ghost. Remnants of the Agua Caliente casino can be seen in the outdoor swimming pool and the “minarete” (actually a former incinerator chimney) nearby the southern end of Avenida Sanchez Taboada, on the grounds of what is now the Lazaro Cardenas educational complex. In 1935, President Cárdenas decreed an end to gambling and casinos in Baja California, and the Agua Caliente complex faltered, then closed. In 1939, it was reopened as a Junior High School (now, Preparatoria Lázaro Cárdenas). The buildings themselves were torn down in the 1970s and replaced by modern scholastic architecture. In 1925, the city attempted to shed its negative image of hedonism and lawlessness created by American mob empresarios by renaming itself Zaragoza, but its name soon reverted to Tijuana. With increased tourism and the large number of Mexican citizens relocating to Tijuana, the city’s population grew from 21,971 to 65,364 between 1940 and 1950. With the decline of nightlife and tourism in the 1950s, the city restructured its tourist industry, by promoting a more family-oriented scene. Tijuana developed a greater variety of attractions and activities to offer its visitors. In 1994, PRI presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio was assassinated in Tijuana while making an appearance in the plaza of Lomas Taurinas, a neighborhood nestled in a valley near Centro. The shooter was caught and imprisoned, but doubts remain about who the mastermind might have been.
Geography
Tijuana is the western-most city in Mexico, and consequently in Latin America, and the 3rd largest city of northern Mexico. Located approximately 210 kilometres (130 mi) west of the state-capital, Mexicali, the city is bordered to the north by the cities of Imperial Beach, San Diego, and unincorporated territory of western San Diego County. To the southwest of the city is Rosarito Beach, while to the south is unincorporated territory of Tijuana Municipality. The city is nestled among hills, canyons, and gullies. The central part of the city lies in a valley through which flows the channeled Tijuana River. Housing development in the Tijuana Hills has led to eradication of many seasonal mountain streams. This lack of natural drainage makes places within the city vulnerable to landslides during the rainy season. The varied terrain of Tijuana gives the city elevation extremes that range from 0 metres (0 ft) to 790 metres (2,590 ft). Tijuana is noted for its rough terrain, which includes many canyons, steep hills, and mesas. Among noted canyons in Tijuana are Canyon K and Canyon Johnson. Large Tijuana hills include Red Hill (Cerro Colorado) and Hill of the Bees (Cerro de las Abejas) in the eastern part of the city. The city is located near the terminus of the Tijuana River and within the Tijuana River Basin. The Tijuana River is an intermittent river, 195 km (121 mi) long, on the Pacific coast of northern Baja California in Mexico and Southern California in the United States. It drains an arid area along the California–Baja California border, flowing through Mexico for most of its course and then crossing the border for the last 8 km (5 mi) of its course where it forms an estuary that empties into the ocean. The river’s lower reaches harbor the last undeveloped coastal wetlands in San Diego County, and some of the last in Southern California, amidst a highly urbanized environment at the southern city limits of Imperial Beach. As Downtown Tijuana was built at the bottom of the river valley, the district is subject to seasonal flooding created by drain-off from the Tijuana Hills. During this time, east-bound portions of the Via Rapida (east-west highway)
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide may be blocked off by the Tijuana Police due to hazardous conditions.
Districts • • • • • • • • • • • •
Zona Centro — including Avenida Revolución Zona Rio — Downtown (Business district) Playas - Beaches and hills West of downtown Zona Norte - red light district Zona Libertad - Bedroom zone east of River Zona Otay - Bedroom zone behind (east) of Airport ‘Zona Universitaria Technologica urban zone Zona Camionera - Zone near bus station Zona San Francisco - sprawling suburban zone on perimeter of city. Zona Santa Fe - canyon to rosarito Zona CUT - hills west of downtown Zona Diaz Ordaz - busy main throughfare zone south of Zona Rio.
Getting to Know Tijuana
Tijuana is by far the largest urban center of Northwestern Mexico, but also its westernmost city. Along with its U.S. neighbor San Diego form the largest metropolitan area on the U.S.Mexican Border with a population of 4.5 million. There is a high amount of cultural exchange between the two areas. Economically, Tijuana is bordered by the wealthiest and most populated section of the United States along which Mexico has a border, and also the more agreeable climate of the Pacific Ocean. It is home to not only manufacturers taking advantage of NAFTA, but also a sizeable middle class with disposable income. Despite a hit on tourism from the drug trade from 2008-2011, the city has managed to develop a vibrant culture, and its sheer vastness has shielded large parts of the city from the crime ridden areas. This characteristic that allowed the city to attract many national and international businesses which had largely shunned the city before. Tijuana is home to every class of people, from working class to
the wealthy, from junkies to businessmen, but notably a large presence of fashion and trends from chicanos of the United States, including its own use of Spanglish. Tijuana is a major transit point for undocumented immigration into the United States, as well as a common destination for any illegal Mexican immigrants deported from the West Coast of the United States. As such, some areas are swollen with poor people with no roots in the city, who inhabit illegal but albeit tolerated shantytowns. In sharp contrast to these shantytowns lie housing estates for the upwardly mobile, from maquiladora families, university students, to high class businessmen, Tijuana is one of the wealthiest cities in Mexico. Some (mainly residential) areas of the city reflect the significant number of wealthy people who inhabit the city. Tijuana has a growing cosmopolitan character, but far from the scale and diversity seen in Mexico City. The city is home to many people who have migrated from within the same country, as well as some native Mexican Indians, but it boasts an important amount of Asian residents, predominantly Chinese diaspora families, Korean and Japanese factory managers, as well as many US citizens (predominantly Mexican-Americans including “cholos” and ex-cholos, with a sprinkle of retired American folk, though Rosarito is attracting more retirees in the past decade, cheaper life seekers, and Americans escaping law enforcement), and South Americans from Argentina and Uruguay, among others. Frequent English-speaking visitors to Tijuana use the term “gringo-friendly” for a shop, bar, or restaurant in which a non-Spanish speaking customer will be at ease. A place is gringofriendly if the staff here is accustomed to dealing with American tourists, if they speak English and have English-language menus. Places that are not gringo-friendly may require use of Spanish, and patience. Just because a place is not gringo-friendly does not imply that the people there will not be friendly or that tourists will not be welcome. While the Mexican peso is the legal currency, US dollars are widely used and accepted, even by locals. Tijuana observes daylight savings time (DST) the same way as the USA does. Money changers on the US side may offer
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Tijuana better rates when buying pesos and worse rates when selling pesos.
Getting there
Most tourists enter Tijuana through the border crossing at San Ysidro, which is reportedly the busiest border crossing in the world. The crossing can be made by car, bus, or on foot. Every visitor who plans to return to the United States must have a passport. A passport card will work too for U.S. citizens. Although technically illegal, American citizens can visit Tijuana and re-enter the United States with just a driver’s license with little hassle from immigration officials.
By Plane From the Tijuana International Airport Tijuana-General Abelardo L. Rodtríguez International Airport (IATA: TIJ, ICAO: MMTJ) is served by the two Mexican legacy carriers, Aeroméxico and Mexicana, and also serves as a hub for the growing low-cost airline market in Mexico. Carriers such as Volaris and Interjet offer low-cost products similar to U.S.-style low cost carriers. Previously international services were very limited until 2007, when Aeroméxico begin services to East Asia adding Tijuana as a stop on its Mexico CityTijuana-Tokyo (Narita) flagship route. In 2008, this route was augmented by a Mexico City– Tijuana–Shanghai (Pudong) flight. The flights serve as routes not only as flights between four of the world’s most populous cities, but also as the link for the significant East AsianMexican community in the northwestern areas of Mexico. The airport is located parallel to the USAMexico border line, only a few miles east of downtown Tijuana and the San Ysidro International Border Crossing, and one mile west of Otay International Border Crossing. The airport is used as a transit point for travelers wishing to visit San Diego and L.A. as well. You can take an authorized taxi cab, sedan or van, at the Airport. Buy a ticket in one of the booths at the exit of the airport. They have fixed and official rates; It will cost you about $200 Pesos to Zona Rio (15 min ride), or $250 Pesos
to Zona Centro (25 min ride), or $300 pesos to the Grand Hotel (30 min ride). US Dollars will be accepted. You can take also public transportation from the Tijuana airport all the way to city downtown and it will cost you $ 8.5 Pesos, less than 1 US Dollar. Go outside the airport and take the blue and white bus, heading west. It has the legend: “Centro” or “Plaza Rio”. US Dollars will be accepted. The airport has international coach transportation to San Diego or the major destinations in south California and transfer to the Greyhound, Some airlines provide their own coaches to/from major San Diego destinations, including Lindbergh San Diego Airport. -- Please note that even though the Mexican Peso is the official currency in Mexico, US Dollar will be accepted every where in Tijuana and the whole Baja California State, despite the fact MXP/USD interchange rate changes daily.
From the San Diego Airport San Diego International Airport (IATA: SAN) is 15 miles north of the international border and can be used as a transit point for travelers wishing to visit Tijuana. You can take public transportation from the San Diego airport all the way to downtown Tijuana and it will only cost you $10. Go outside the airport and take the airport express bus, which is route 992. Buy a $5 day pass from the bus driver, which will also cover the trolley. Take this bus to the first stop on Broadway. From here, you should see the American Plaza Trolley station. Walk over to the west side, and you will catch the Blue Line to San Ysidro. The day pass you bought from the bus driver will work on the train, which could help you to catch a train that’s just arriving at the American Plaza Trolley station. The San Ysidro exit is the last stop on the Blue Line. Everyone will get off the train. Follow everyone across the bridge to the right of the trains. You cross the freeway on the pedestrian bridge by going up, across and back down. Go through a one-way gate, and if it’s your first time, go straight, and cross through another one-way gate. This will take you to the more expensive yellow taxis driven by taxi drivers in yellow shirts. The fare for these taxis is $5 USD to revolution avenue. Sometimes a taxi driver
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide will ask you to pay $6, but you can always get these taxis for $5. If you’ve been to Tijuana a few times before, then go to the right after the first one-way gate. This will take you to a small market and here you can catch the lower-priced taxis which are usually green and white and called either “Taxi Libre” or “Taxi Economico.” These cost $3 USD to get downtown and the prices are all listed on various boards. If it’s during the day then you could walk to downtown. Follow the signs that say to Centro. You’ll walk across a long bridge, and generally head toward the Revolution Arch.
By Car While in the San Diego area, take I-5 or I-805 to south. Either park at the border and continue on foot or drive into Mexico. Driving from the US to Mexico often requires no stopping, but inspections driving south have become more frequent as authorities attempt to stop firearms trafficking into Mexico, resulting in long wait times during periods of heavy traffic. However, driving from Mexico to the United States will result in a long wait, even more so during evening rush hour or on holiday weekends. If you are driving to Mexico, obtaining Mexican insurance with legal defense coverage is highly recommended, and can be bought immediately before crossing the border, or even online before your trip. When coming into the US, the Otay Mesa and Tecate border crossings, also nearby, may sometimes be less congested. To get to the Otay crossing can be a little scary (not good for Gringos at night) and the border agents here don’t seem as pleasant as the ones at the San Ysidro crossing. If the pedestrian line returning to the US is long, it may be faster (in some cases) to take advantage of the numerous van and bus lines that cross the border. You will undoubtedly encounter agents for these services when approaching the pedestrian line back to the U.S., who will ask for $5 to $10 per person to let you board the vehicles which are already in line. Generally, the closer the vehicle is to the front of the line, the more they will charge.
Border Wait Times Driving or walking, 1/2 - 2 hours. If you are driving and stay at a fancy hotel or eat at a fancy restaurant, ask them for a “Fast Pass”. If you find the fast pass lane you will save a lot of time (driving). The Fast Pass has worked well. Businesses in Tijuana buy them to give to their customers. Mostly used for medical tourists, hence it mostly functions as a medical line. Make sure and take a taxi to figure out the driving route first. Tell him you want to see and learn the route to the fast pass gate. Get the drive down before you attempt it yourself. There is only one Fast-Pass entry and it’s on a one way street. It is always wonderful to legally “cut the line” at the border You can also use the Ready-Lanes. These are entered from the right side of the Port of Entry and are used for those Returnees that have an RFID enabled entry card (various cards exist). Then the regular lanes. Let’s just say, keep that empty Starbucks cup handy. It’s a long wait.
By Foot Many people drive to the border, park on the US side, and walk across. There are many lots available for this, which charge $4-$9 a day. While there are many taxis waiting to take you to Avenida Revolucion, it’s only about a fifteen minute walk; follow the other tourists. The San Ysidro border crossing is being upgraded therefore the pedestrian route may change quickly. If you’ve crossed before, read about the crossing elsewhere, or have mapped your route on Google Maps, you will find the reality quite different. Basically, look for the McDonald’s at the end of the Trolley Line. The walkway to Mexico is on the right hand side of the McDonald’s.
By Bus Mexicoach buses leave from the parking lots on the US side, cross into Mexico, and drop you off at the bus station on Revolucion Avenue in the middle of the downtown tourist district. These buses run during the day, every day, and costs $5 one way or $8 roundtrip. The parking lot at Mexicoach is about $7/day. The central de camiones for destinations in Mexico
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Tijuana is reached by bus from Calle 3 or by taxi from the city centre and has direct coaches to most major cities in Mexico.
Getting Around
Cabs are abundant throughout the city. If you are walking into Tijuana via the San Ysidro border crossing, you will be immediately confronted with a massive array of yellow cabs waiting to take you into downtown. This group of cab drivers are conveniently located, but be sure to negotiate a price before jumping into a cab. You should pay no more than $5 in normal traffic to get from the border to the downtown area. If you exit the border area by taking a right instead of going straight ahead to the taxi stand, then walk toward town after crossing the street, you will encounter the Taxi Libre taxi stand, which will generally cost half as much as a yellow cab would charge. Throughout the city, cab drivers stand on the sidewalks and solicit customers. It is almost impossible to avoid them, so finding a cab should never be a problem. Yellow cabs do not have meters, so agree with your driver in advance what the cost will be. Taxi Libre, white with red stripe, cabs have meters and are cheaper than yellow cabs, though you might have to remind the driver to use the meter. Be aware that when taking a Yellow Cab to a specific location, the drivers may tell you that the restaurant or bar you asked for is closed, and conveniently offer an alternative. This is almost always untrue, and the taxi driver is attempting to divert you to a business where he will receive a commission for delivering passengers. The driver may alternately tell you that “company rules” say that all rides to a given area can only take passengers to certain businesses, to achieve the same result. Taxi Libre drivers do not engage in this practice, as they are independent contractors, and do not have the commission structure that Yellow Cabs do.
Things See
Tijuana Cultural Center (CECUT) Bullfights - Tijuana has one bullring, which is open during the summer months, and has bullfights most Sundays. It is located in the Playas de Tijuana, adjacent to the US border.
It is the only seaside bullring in the world. The older and more historic bullring near the city center has been partially demolished by the owner of the property in the past year, citing failed business practices of the bullring. However, there is a strong movement within the city to designate this site a historical monument, rebuild the bullring and have it serve as a municipal arena.
Things to Do
Tijuana is on the ocean, but is not known for its beaches, for boating, or as a seaside resort, mostly because its strip of ocean is foggy all year round, very similar to San Francisco in weather. However, it is in cabbing distance of Rosarito - the trip will cost $20, while Mexicoach will bus you there for around $10. Ensenada is further down the coast but easily accessible by car or bus. Visitors to Rosarito and Ensenada should note that the main road is a toll road, with small sedans and trucks being tolled at 27-30 Mexican Pesos or $2.18 - $2.41 USD. Either currency is accepted generally. Visit the historical centers such as the Preparatoria Federal Lazaro Cardenas which is famous for being the central base of liquor contraband during the Al Capone days. Visit the world famous Zona Norte “Red Light District”. Tourists, American Military, and locals alike have been venturing to this area for decades. Be aware that this is a dangerous area, relatively speaking, but perhaps one of the safest areas in the city due to a large police presence. Visitors should take caution just as they would visiting any high-crime area of a major city.
Shopping
Tijuana has many souvenir and trinket shops near the border and on Revolucion, there is not much in the way of discounted items in comparison with US. Silver and leather products are allegedly cheaper than in the US. Many of the items sold in the souvenir shops are actually purchased in the San Diegan swap meets and brought into Mexico and resold to tourists. • Alcohol sold in Mexico (of non-US origin) is considerably cheaper than in USA as Mexico has much lower taxes.
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•
•
• •
•
•
Examples are rum, tequila, and vodka from Mexico and the Carribbean of local reputable brand names, at prices similar to or even less than the headacheinducing unknown and dubious quality brands in the US. There is a 1 liter duty free allowance to take back to USA. Cuban cigars are mostly fake, with the majority being of Mexican origin with a “Cohiba” or “Montecristo” brand name added. However, La Casa Del Habano on Avenida Revolucion is a licensed dealer that sells genuine Cubans. Silver bracelets and necklaces are common, but may be fake. Don’t pay more than than four dollars for fake jewelry. Vanilla is a bargain. Good place to buy is in plaza on revolucion Spanish music cassettes for only about fifty cents available in plaza on Revolucion . Mexican groceries try stores like Calimax or Comercial Mexicana and see numerous Mexican products not found in other places or Mexicanized version of American products. Traditional Medicine and herbalism of Mexico, which has roots thousands of years old, is not well studied, known, or respected in the USA. However, it is still practiced in Mexico and can be found in markets. It is looked down upon as “inferior” to Western medicine, however this view is due to Western ignorance and Spanish imposed perceptions of inferiority of the indigenous people.
Place to Eat
Apart from the abundant, over-priced tourist traps, local cuisine ranges from world-class restaurants to locals-only eateries and street vendors selling tacos. Travelers’ diarrhea is more of a risk at the cheaper establishments, but will probably not be a concern. Some streetside taco stalls do not wash their radishes well, they may have dirt on them, check before you eat. In many sit down restaurants, musicians will wander in and play for tip. A
good price for a song is $1 USD per musician per song, but most musicians will try to charge $2 USD per musician per song. For example, if there are five musicians in a band then a good price is $5 USD. Many non-mariachi musicians are untalented and some work with pickpockets, so keep an eye out. If cuisine is an important factor in your visit to Mexico, be sure to check out the more locals filled taco shops, where you will be able to enjoy the best carne asada tacos in the world and for better price. Also delicious are Churros made by street vendors, and the “hot dog” imitations sold as well. Be sure to avoid vendors that are not being patronized by locals. However, American establishments such as McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, and Carl’s Jr. (As Carl’s Jr., not Hardee’s) are in many parts of the city. However there are some local chains, such as Cafe Sanborns, that prove to be more popular and interesting than the American ones. There are many great restaurants in the city, ranging from mexican to asian food. The city is also full of sushi bars, something that has caught on in recent years. Another favorite is chinese food, and thanks to a large chinese population in Baja, the locals tend to say that it’s the best chinese food in México or the region.
Place to Drink
Beer drinkers are well-advised to visit the “Cerveceria Tijuana,” the Tijuana Brewery, and its brewpub. It is on Blvd. Fundadores, a few minutes by taxi south of the Ave. Revolucion shopping district. Not only do they brew and serve six different Eastern European-style lager beers, but they also have a reasonably-priced food menu. The brewpub is especially impressive because it is designed to look just like a European pub, with dark wood paneling, stained glass, and hardwood floors. One area even has a large window looking into the brewery floor, where you can see the workers busy at their brewing. Be aware that flagging down a taxi in this area is often difficult, especially at night, so for your return trip consider arranging transportation ahead of time or having the phone numbers of taxi services available to call when you finish your meal.
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Tijuana Of course, beers, margaritas and tequila are also available at numerous establishments.
Places to Stay
Although travel guides and taxi drivers insist that there is no cheap accommodation to be had in Tijuana, there is if you know where to look. Most of Tijuanas budget haunts are located in 2nd and 3rd Street, while the more outlying ones are probably less safe and certainly more difficult to reach. If you are interested in splurging, then the Grand Hotel Tijuana is a great choice. The Grand Hotel Tijuana is one of the most prominent feature in Tijuana’s skyline, having 2 33 story twin towers. It features several bars and restaurants, and an in house shopping mall. Adjacent to the hotel is the Club Campestre de Tijuana, Tijuana’s oldest and most prestigious country club, which features an 18 hole golf course in very good shape designed by Allister McKenzie, who also designed Augusta National Golf Club (site of the masters professional championship).
Stay safe
Tijuana has a reputation for crime, though reputations do not reflect real conditions. Opportunism in the form of cons or misrepresentations can be found anywhere in the city, but from 2007-2011, drug violence had erupted and then waned in Tijuana due to intense crackdown by the Mexican government and Mexican drug cartels turning on each other. However, joint action between the government and the police severely weakened the Tijuana cartel, and now all that’s left is the remnants of an uncontrolled group of renegades. The vast east side of Tijuana is particularly dangerous and prone to drug violence, though this also varies on exact neighborhood, there are many gated and planned communities which are isolated from it. Zona Norte can also be very dangerous if you are walking alone. Much of Tijuana’s drug violence happens in these two parts of the city. Most of the drug violence is not targeted at tourists, but rather at competing drug cartels as well as Mexican police. However, it is possible for tourists to get caught in the crossfire, so like anywhere it is best to stay alert, though
as of 2012 there is little a casual tourist will see in the way of drug violence unless one specifically seeks it out. Most tourist sections (for the most part) are generally safe, such as heavily patrolled Avenida Revolucion, Playas de Tijuana, Zona Rio, and Tijuana’s red light district in Zona Norte. As with any large city, use common-sense and street smarts when walking the street; especially in the red light district of the “Zona Norte” (North Zone), as streets get more isolated they become more prone to opportunists. Due to mexican drug violence, you still want to pay extra attention in any place with illegal housing and/or vice. It is advisable to be very careful of buying anything that would alert suspicion from Mexican police, this would include any type of prescription medicine (with potential for abuse, or perhaps low overdose/extreme side effects), pornography, and weapons. The police are generally protective of tourists and the business they bring, but will not hesitate to act on their suspicions if they do stop you, so the less they have to go on the better. Laws differ from those in the USA. Park in well-marked parking lots with security guards. Police enforce the laws on foreigners who commit crimes such as pedophilia or buying illegal drugs, including pharmaceuticals without prescription. Corruption still exists among the Tijuana Police Department as it does in many Mexican cities (the Mexican Federal Police on the other hand is trustworthy), so beware. But this is usually done when you are alone after a night on the town, are slightly intoxicated, and your actions make you a potential victim. When speaking to an officer, stay calm and respectful. Typically, if you have done nothing wrong, stand your ground and they will eventually let you go. You can insist on seeing a judge, and explain what happened. If you do this, most likely the officer will try and save face, and give you a warning and send you on your way. Never offend or belittle the officer or the country of Mexico, as agitating the officer will never work. For traffic infractions, you are entitled to a written ticket, and you can pay the fine by mail. In any case, these made-up charges are usually only a small fine, most likely less than the bribe you would offer; you do not go to
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Tijuana jail. Remember that you are not immune from Mexican laws, if an officer pulls you over for speeding because you were speeding, it’s not corruption. Illegal drugs and drunk driving are taken seriously in Mexico, as they are elsewhere. Theft - Pickpockets can be found in certain heavy tourist areas. You are generally safe in areas such as the Zona Río, Playas de Tijuana, El Hipódromo, and many others, just make sure to always be cautious when visiting alone. The best targets for theft are those who speak no Spanish, wander alone (specially at night), are intoxicated, and travel to the Avenida Revolución. If you find yourself being swarmed by small children who want to sell you something, be aware that they could be trying to pick your pockets. Drug-dealer informants - In many bars and on the street, it is common to be offered illegal narcotic drugs for sale. Some of these peddlers work with the police. They sell someone the drugs, then tell the police that person is carrying. The police shake the person down for cash, and confiscate the drugs, which they presumably return to the original peddler, who goes looking for another victim. Strip clubs - There are a numerous clubs on Revolucion that offer nude dance shows. As you walk down the street, barkers will try to entice you to come in; if you are not interested, simply smile and walk on. If you do walk into one, most likely you will soon be approached by one or several ladies who will ask you to buy them a drink. Keep in mind that their “mixed drinks” are often nothing but soda or juice, but you will be expected to pay a ladies’ drink price, whether they ask for beer, real mixed drinks, or non-alcoholic drinks. These drinks will typically cost you between $8 and $10, and the ladies get a commission for each drink you purchase for them. Prescription drugs - Though your prescription drugs may be much cheaper here, carrying large quantities or carrying them without your prescription can land you many “years” in a Mexican prison. Some foreign prescriptions may not be valid in Mexico, if in doubt simply get a Mexican prescription, doctor visit is dirt cheap. If you break the law, you will be dealt with accordingly. However, this does not include medications which often
change in status in the USA from prescription to over-the-counter (e.g. Allegra, Claritin, Zyrtec, Pepcid AC, etc.) Such medications are readily available without a prescription in Mexico. Police are mainly concerned about prescription drugs which have the potential to be abused. Use common sense, you cannot buy drugs without a prescription back home, it requires one in Mexico too. Food and Alcohol Imports - Note when stopped at the border, U.S. Customs will confiscate any fruits, vegetables, and live or raw meat products in an effort to combat certain diseases or bugs from entering the U.S. food supply. Meat products confiscated can include pork rinds. Alcohol can be brought across the border if for ‘personal use’ with a limit of 1L duty and tax free. Importing more than 1L for personal use can be challenging the amount you are allowed to import depends on whether not you live in California and if you are crossing on foot, in a private vehicle, or on a bus. For details, refer to the California ABC - and don’t forget to declare your alcohol to Customs. Another note is the importation of abalone or conch meat, which are endangered species and not for sale in the US. Contraband items - Can be confiscated by U.S. Customs, they include weapons, drugs (illegal or without prescription), Cuban cigars, and live animals.
Getting Out Tijuana offers several Bus routes into Mexico. Updated Tijuana Bus routes are available online. From Tijuana you can easily go to Rosarito, Puerto Nuevo, Ensenada, or further south to Guerrero Negro, which is a very popular destination for whale watching. It is a 12 hour bus ride to Guerrero Negro but well worth it. Other bus routes locations include La Paz, San Juan del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas at the tip of Baja. Taxis from Ave. Revolucion to the Central Camionera cost about 60 pesos, or less by bus. Tijuana -> Guerrero Negro: $945 Tijuana -> Mexicali $250 (3 hours) Tijuana -> Tecate $55 Tijuana -> Mexico City $1600+ (depends on class, 36 hours) Tijuana -> Hermosillo $600 (12 hours)
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Rosarito Beach North.
Rosarito Beach Central.
Rosarito Beach South.
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Rosarito Beach
Rosarito Beach Pier by Tony Ahumada.
Rosarito Beach Latitude: 32 ̊ 21’ N Longitude: 117̊ 03 ‘ W Rosarito Beach (Playas de Rosarito in Spanish; also known as Rosarito) is a city in the Mexican state of Baja California located approximately 35 minutes south of the U.S. border at Tijuana. Its beaches and dance clubs are a popular destination for young people from the United States during the Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. Rosarito Beach is the seat of the municipality of Playas de Rosarito. Remember the Pet Rocks fad of 1975? It was conceived in Los Gatos, California by advertising executive Gary Dahl and although the fad only lasted the year, most people can still remember them. The stones were imported from Rosarito Beach, then swaddled in packing material (usually hay or straw for the rock’s “comfort”) and nestled in a small cardboard box (with air holes for the rock to “breathe”), similar to a pet carrier. The Pet Rock made Dahl a millionaire. With the proceeds, he opened the ironically named “Carrie Nation’s” bar in downtown Los Gatos, California. Rosarito Beach has grown to become a major tourist’s draw for good reason. The area basically offers up all of the best Baja has to offer, all within a half hour drive south
of San Diego. It was just a quiet budding haven for weary travelers and those looking for seclusions, until the main highway was built in the 1920’s. Ever since the highway made Rosarito Beach so easy to get to, it has grown in culture, luxury and fun for families, couples and groups of day travelers. Shopping in Rosarito Beach is a must. You can find plenty of Mexican goods such as leather, silver pieces and pottery around every corner in town. Between Highway 1 and the beach, Boulevard Jaurez is four miles of shops and galleries. There are over 500 stores offering everything from religious artifacts, hand crafted furniture, folk art and many unusual gifts. American stores also pepper Rosarito Beach. You can find all the American necessities you may have forgotten at Walmart, Home Depot or Office Depot. For a taste of American food, Applebees, McDonalds, Subways, and other American fast food establishments can also be found easily. The accommodations available in Rosarito Beach range from the highly sophisticated resorts to beach cottages and RV parks. Luxury and sophistication has been a part of the Rosarito landscape for decades. Long before many of the shops cropped up, Hollywood stars would quietly whisk away across the
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Horses by Life Super Charger, Mariachi by David Dennis, Cyclists by Keith Rock, Beach Panga by Jackie Alameda.
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Rosarito Beach border and vacationed in Rosarito. Stars like Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner, Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy all spent time enjoying the shores and seclusion of Rosarito Beach over the hustle and bustle and popularity of Tijuana. Orson Wells even spent time here enjoying legendary hunting trips. The aura of movie magic and stars of a bygone era still exist in Rosarito Beach. James Cameron filmed part of the epic “Titantic” here. Now the Fox Studios used for the movie house an attraction of sorts for the public. XPloration is a movie park where visitors can take part in movie making while touring the studio. You can see film set props, exhibits and costumes from Titanic and other movies. Since the studio opened, eight other movies have been filmed in the area. Pearl Harbor, Deep Blue Sea and The Far Side of The World were all filmed in part in Rosarito Beach. Some of the more popular outdoor activities to enjoy while the sun shines down on the beach include hang gliding, surfing, fishing and horseback riding along the beach. Twice a year, the beach hosts the third largest bike ride and there is no shortage of charter fishing trips for visitors. As for nightlife, Rosarito Beach has many options whether you are looking to enjoy margaritas and dance all night or a quiet romantic drink away from the club scene. You can learn to ride a mechanical bull at a Rosarito bar or play beach volleyball all night long also. Rosarito Beach and the outer village of Puerto Nuevo attract culinary enthusiasts from all over the world. Puerto Nuevo is especially known for having what some consider as the world’s best lobster. Along with seafood, Rosarito has a massive selection of international restaurants to satisfy any appetite. Whether you are looking to stay a while or are taking a day trip chartered from San Diego, Rosarito Beach never disappoints. The mixture of old and new, along with perhaps the friendliest and most inviting residents, makes it comfortable, serene, and exciting all at the same time.
How to get to Rosarito Beach
One of the easiest routes to Rosarito Beach
is via automobile, although you can also take a shuttle or bus from the United States. If you are not driving, consider the San Diego Trolley operated by the Metropolitan Transit System. It’s an easy way to get to and from Tijuana (San Ysidro station), without having to worry about US parking. It runs from early morning to midnight weekdays and until 2:00 a.m. on Saturdays.
By Car San Ysidro /Tijuana Border Crossing San Ysidro is located at the southernmost part of San Diego County, where U.S. Interstate 5 crosses into Mexico at Tijuana and is home to the world’s busiest land border crossing, but don’t let that scare you, because it’s really easy. From San Diego, take Interstate Highway 5 or Interstate 805 south to the San Ysidro/ Tijuana border crossing. If you’re going to walk across the border, take the exit marked “Last U.S. Exit”, otherwise continue driving and the freeway takes you directly into Baja. There are two routes to Rosarito Beach; a toll road (cuota) and a free (libre) road. The toll road is the route we’re going to provide here, because it’s the fastest, the most beautiful, is very well maintained, and patrolled by the “Green Angels,” a mobile mechanic that will assist you with mechanical and or road problems, and has solar powered call boxes located every couple of miles with bilingual operators available to provide assistance. To get to the toll road after crossing the border, get to the right immediately after entering Baja, you’ll see the sign ROSARITO ENSENADA SCENIC ROAD, take this exit, it will take you to the road Avenida Internacional, which runs along the international border fence on the right. Stay to your right, as to avoid missing the exit marked “Playas de Tijuana/ Rosarito”. Take this right turn-off, and move into the left lane for the road going west marked “Ensenada Quota” and the toll booths. A toll fee of approximately $2.35 US dollars will take you 17-miles to Rosarito Beach. The route offers of northern Baja’s most beautiful scenery of the Pacific and breath-taking coastline. At Rosarito Beach, there are four exits off the toll road. The first exit will take you
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide directly to the northern end of Benito Juarez Boulevard, Rosarito’s main street.
By Bus Tijuana Bus Station: Central Camionera de Tijuana (664) 621-2982 Blvd. Lázaro Cárdenas and Río Alamar S/N, La Mesa, Fracc. Murua San Diego has shuttle service to the border, where you can either walk or take a taxi to the Tijuana bus station ($15 max.). Rosarito Beach Bus Station: Mar Caribe South 686-577-1516
Getting Around Rosarito Beach
The Malecón (waterfront) is the center of Rosarito Beach. Many of the bars and restaurants are situated here and are within walking distance of each other. Free, ample parking is usually available. Many of the beachfront campos and “vacation villages” are a couple miles north of town, or northern downtown, near the baseball fields. You will need a car to get into town. There are currently no car rental services in Rosarito Beach. Driving on the beach is an excellent way to be stuck shoveling sand for a few hours. While fourwheel drive vehicles are better at driving on the beach, they too will get stuck at particularly soft spots. Every weekend someone will lose their truck to the sea.
first of two, three-year terms as Mayor. The area surrounding Rosarito Beach became the fifth municipality of the State of Baja California. The geographic city limits of Rosarito Beach Municipality are quite large, abutting the Tijuana city limits to the north, and Ensenada to the south along the coast and inland. The impact of cityhood on modern Rosarito Beach cannot be understated. Prior to incorporation, all tax revenue was filtered through Tijuana. Post incorporation has marked major improvements in infrastructure. On the site of the city fairgrounds in North Rosarito, a new “Rosarito Pabellion” (Pavilion) shopping center was built in late 2007 and it includes major retailers Home Depot, WalMart, Coppell, Ashley’s Furniture, a Cineopolis multi-plex theaters, and chain restaurants such as Burger King, Subway, Applebee’s and VIPs.
AREA CODES Rosarito (661) Tijuana (664) Ensenada (646)
HOW TO CALL Dial to USA & Canada: 001 + area code + phone number dial within Mexico: 01 + area code + phone number To Call U.S. 800 Numbers from Mexico *Some charges may apply 800 numbers: Dial 001-880-then the number 866 numbers: Dial 001-883-then the number 877 numbers: Dial 001-882-then the number 888 numbers: Dial 001-881-then the number
Emergency Numbers
Population Rosarito Beach is a municipality in the northwestern part of the Mexican state of Baja California comprising part of the Tijuana metropolitan area. It lies just south of the city of Tijuana. Its municipal seat is the city of Rosarito. According to the 2010 census, the municipality had a population of 90,668 inhabitants. Its area is 513.32 km² (198.19 sq mi).
City Government
On December 1, 1995, Rosarito became an independent city, seceding from a suburb of Tijuana. Hugo Torres Chabert, owner of the Rosarito Beach Hotel, led the incorporation drive. He was subsequently appointed to his
911.................................................................... 066 CESPT (Water Department................................. 073 CFE (Federal Electricity....................................... 071 Fire Department................................ 661-613-1145 Legal Assistance................................................ 061 Red Cross - Ambulance......... 132 or 661-612-0414 Tourist Assistance (Green Angels....................... 078 POLICE Federal Police..................................................... 060 Local Police...................................... 661-613-0612
OTHER USEFUL NUMBERS DIF (Family Services......................... 661-612-6082 City Hall ........................................... 661-614-9600 Convention & Visitors Bureau ........... 661-612-0396 Immigration...................................... 661-612-7262
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Rosarito Beach ACCOUNTANT US Taxes in Mexico...... Mexico 376-765-5273 or US Vonage 720-226-0561 ATTORNEY Jorge Cuadros (bill pay services) ..... 661-612-1295 FOREIGN RESIDENTS SERVICES Foreign Residents Attention............... 661-614-9697 US Consulate...................... 664-622-7400 (Tijuana) Canadian Consulate............ 664-684-0461 (Tijuana) IMMIGRATIONS SERVICES Immigration Office ............................ 661-612-7262 INSURANCE Baja Good Life Auto Insurance.. 877-LUVMEX1 Ex. 3 or www.bglclub.com Baja Good Life Home/Condo Insurance ................... ............... 877-LUVMEX1 Ex. 2 or www.bglclub.com MUNICIPAL Airport “Rodriguez” ......................... 664-607-8200 Immigration .................................... 661-612-7262 TRANSPORTATION ABC Bus................664-621-2424 or 800-025-0222 Yellow taxi cabs................................ 661-612-6168 Green and white taxi cabs................. 661-612-7373 UTILITIES Electric Company.............................. 661-612-1946 CALIGAS............................................612-142 0122 CFE..................................................................... 61 TELMEX ........................................... 612-142 0001 CESPT - Water Company ................. 661-613-0176
Tourist Information Tourist Offices: COTUCO (?612 0396), in the Oceana Plaza, at Juárez and Roble. Open M-F 9am-7pm, Sa-Su 9am-4pm; reduced winter hours. SECTUR (?612 0200), the state tourist office, is on km 28 on Mex. 1, inconveniently located at the very southern end of town. Open M-F 8am-8pm, Sa-Su 8am-1pm. Currency Exchange: Banamex (?612 1556), on Juárez at René Ortiz. Exchanges cash and checks. 24hr. ATM. Open M-Sa 9am4pm. Casas de cambio on Juárez have better rates, though most visitors stick with US$. Laundromat: Lavamática Estrella, on Juárez near Acacias. Wash and dry 30 pesos. Open M-Tu and Th-Su 8:30am-8:30pm. Emergency: ?060.
Police: (?613 3414; tourist hotline 078), at Juárez and Acacias, next to the post office. Red Cross: (?613 1120), on Juárez at René Ortiz, around the corner from the police. 24hr. Pharmacy: Farmacia Roma (?612 3500), set back from Juárez at Roble in a small shopping strip. Internet Access: El Tunel.com, Juárez 208 (?613 1297), near Cárdenas, on the 2nd fl. above a restaurant. US$1.50 per hr. US$1 per 30min. Open M-Sa 9am-9pm. Post Office: (?612 1355), on Juárez near Acacias. Open M-F 8am-3pm. Postal Code: 22711.
Place to Eat and Drink
Rosarito is the gourmet’s paradise and boasts over 100 quality restaurants to satisfy any culinary craving. Rosarito is famous worldwide for the “Puerto Nuevo-style” lobster, which is deep fried and served over a million times a year. Whether it is lobster or any other variety of seafood, you can find it in Rosarito, from traditional Mexican seafood to sushi. If you are interested in Mexican cuisine, or upscale, you can’t go wrong. In Rosarito you can find everything from the casual cafes to gourmet, steak or international cuisine.
Places to Stay
In terms of accommodation, Rosarito offers remarkably diverse choices. From luxurious hotels to trailer parks, it’s all here. Tourists may decide which of these options suit their needs and expectations, in order to enjoy a fabulous vacation in Mexico.
Places to Shop
In the 30s, Rosarito was nothing like it is today. The town was small and did not draw many tourists. The locals led a simple lifestyle, subsisting on the dayly catch. Just like today, lobster cooked in the Puerto Nuevo style was highly appreciated among residents and the occasional visitor. In this atmosphere of peacefulness, a significant change ame about. The curios brought from southern Mexico were extremely valued by the few tourists, and many shops
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide selling them sprang into existence. A curio is a fascinating and unusual collectible piece, expressive of Mexican culture. One thing led to another, and the descendants of these first manufacturers established profitable businesses. In addition to the simple and small handmade items, locals began to create pieces of furniture and ironwork of impressive intricacy. Simultaneously, a thriving artistic communiti was born. Most of these decorative objects and fine art were specific to Mexico, and they brought more and more tourists to the region. Today, Rosarito is a significant manufacturing and artistic center of Baja California, with hundreds of thriving businesses. Tourists can have objects custom-made to their specifications, and their purchased items shipped to their homes. The large majority of shops in Rosarito sell furniture, ironwork, ceramics, and fine art items.
Things to See Rosarito takes its entertainment seriously. Visitors are fortunate to be able to experience the numerous options. But Rosarito has more to offer besides clubs, sun, waves, and sand. Rosarito also has an intriguing history full of iconic figures. Its artistic community is particularly vibrant, and seeks to manifest its identity as originally as possible. Here are a few of our favorites.
Culture Baja Film Studios GPS: 32°17’10.94”N, 117° 2’8.56”W Almost everyone is familiar with the story of the Titanic, but not many people know that the epic movie was filmed at the Baja Studios. The studios, which were specifically created for shooting Titanic, are perfect for water-related activities. Other famous movies, such as Pearl Harbor and Tomorrow Never Dies, were also filmed on these premises. The facility is equipped with tanks which have a combined volume of around 20 million gallons of water. The filtration plant filters sea water at an incredible speed of 9,000 gallons per minute. As well as these vast stages and
filming tanks, the Baja Film Studios has various other facilities, such as offices, dressing rooms, and scenery shops.
Art Galleries GPS: 32°18’59.69”N, 117° 2’50.36”W Located up and down the free road south of Rosarito. In the last 10 years, Rosarito has seen continuing growth of its artistic community. Numerous artists have established themselves in the region, inspired by the wonderful surroundings. People interested in learning more about the the local artistic life can take a walk along the Art Route. Rosarito has several art centers, such as the State Culture and Arts Institute and the Municipal Art Center, where many workshops and exhibitions take place on a regular basis. These establishments and events provide a remarkably varied display of all types of art: folk art, fine art, photography, Mexican popular art, and mosaic art. There is an abundance of artisan shops where you can see and buy wonderfully crafted items, all intended to beautify your home.
Social Life Art Route of Benito Juarez Boulevard GPS: 32°22’23.06”N, 117° 3’35.29”W On south Benito Juarez Boulevard, the main street of Rosarito, you can do some shopping and meet the people who live in the region. There are a wide variety of objects for sale, but you will probably find the souvenir shops particularly appealing. Most of the art and sculpture is made locally. The doors of workshops are open to those who are curious about how these wonderful pieces of art come into existence. A large number of restaurants provide a place where tourists can sit, have a meal, and enjoy some refreshment.
Hospitality The Rosarito Beach Hotel GPS: 32°20’9.19”N, 117° 3’17.59”W The hotel, which is one of the most famous landmarks of Rosarito, was erected by Manuel
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Rosarito Beach surprise that Puerto Nuevo has become the Lobster Capital of Baja. This is no mean feat, since every year a million lobsters are cooked and served on the tables of restaurants in the Rosarito coastal region. With its unique recipes, Puerto Nuevo attracts a large number of customers from San Diego, who can reach the location in under an hour. On arrival, the visitor can enjoy excellent lobster, while admiring the marvelous scenery.
The Rosarito Beach Hotel in 2006 before the two new towers were built, by TJ Scene.
Spirituality
Barbachano. The mansion was the home of Barbachano and his family until 1925, when it was opened to the public. The building was expanded a couple of years later, and 50 more rooms were built, together with a spectacular foyer. Without this building, Rosarito would be far different from what it is today. Since its 1925 opening, public figures, politicians, royal families, movie stars, and music stars have crossed its threshold. Right above the entrance, there is a memorable sign which reads “Through this door pass the most beautiful women in the world.” This fame among the rich and famous would turn Rosarito, a virtually unknown Mexican town, into a top tourist destination. Today, the Rosarito Beach Hotel has 500 rooms, several restaurants, and numerous possibilities for entertainment.
Culinary Delicacies
Missions Misión El Descanso GPS:32°12’12.26”N,116°54’25.45”W
San Miguel Arcangel de la Frontera (La Misión) GPS: 32° 5’51.00”N, 116°51’16.20”W
Picture of San Miguel Arcangel de la Frontera showing the three remaining walls. by Ejido Mike.
Puerto Nuevo – Lobster Village GPS: 32°14’35.29”N, 116°56’0.28”W With over 30 restaurants specializing in cooking and serving lobsters, it comes as no
Photo by Eric Molina.
The history of Mission of San Miguel Arcangel de la Frontera goes back to 1787, when it was created by Fray Luis Sales in the San Juan Bautista Valley. The Mission is located in Ensenada, but you can easily get there from Rosarito. The Dominican Mission of El Descanso de San Miguelito was founded a bit later in 1814, by Fray Tomas Ahumada. It is located 14 miles south of Rosarito. Right in front of the Mission, you can see the Fort and Presidium of El Descanso, the oldest cemetery in the northern part of Baja California. Mission San Miguel la Nueva was built in 1817, by the same Fray Tomas Ahumada. The ruins can be visited by people who find inspiration in these old manifestations of the Christian faith.
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Rosarito Beach The Statue of Christ GPS: 32°15’54.43”N,116°59’42.45”W The old community of El Morro is the home of an impressive statue of Jesus Christ, built at the initiative of Antonio Pequeno Guerrero. The statue is made of 40 tons of steel and fiberglass, and bears the name “Cristo del Sagrado Corazon” (Christ of the Sacred Heart). It dominates the surroundings and the spiritual lives of the residents.
the creek of Rosarito. The Guadalupe-Hidalgo Treaty, signed on February 2, 1848, brought the Mexican-American War to an end and created the new San Diego–Tijuana boundary, which has been preserved to this very day.
Things to Do Rosarito – A Horizon of Possibilities Rosarito is a delightful destination which can accommodate all tastes. If you want to party all night with your friends, there are many nightclubs where you can have the time of your life. If you enjoy outdoor activities, you have several options, such as motocross, horseback riding, fishing, and golf. Do not worry if you are a beginner; professionals are available to help you learn.
Outdoor activities in Rosarito Golfing A 75 feet tall Jesus watches over southern Rosarito. The 40 ton statue is made of steel and fiberglass and was commissioned by Antonio Pequeño Guerrero 10 years ago. Photo by Erin Pettigrew.
History The Machado Family House GPS: 32°12’17.03”N, 116°54’17.07”W The beginnings of Rosarito are closely linked with this old house, located near the Mission of El Descanso. The early history of the region was marked by ranching. One of the ranchers was Don Jose Manuel Machado, who lived at the beginning of the 19th century. His son, Don Joaquin Machado, asked for title to the land from President Porfirio Diaz. He was granted title on May 14, 1885. Every year on this date, Rosarito Foundation Day is celebrated with great enthusiasm.
The Boundary of Palou GPS: 32°13’53.18”N, 116°53’47.41”W An approximate location in Primo Tapia. This group of large rocks is linked with the tumultuous history of the most disputed border of the US. In 1778, this place became the border that separated the two parts of California – Alta California and Baja California. The border was moved in 1778, from the Boundary of Palou to
Whether you are a professional or an aspiring golfer, you can pursue your passion in Rosarito. You can choose between Real Del Mar Golf Resort located on the north side of the town, and the Bajamar Ocean Front Resort on the south side. Inaugurated in 1992, Real Del Mar Golf Resort is built around three canyons and offers breathtaking views of the Coronado Islands and the Pacific Ocean. The Resort offers classes for golfers of all ages. Golf tournaments are regularly organized, and everything is included, from meals for the participants to awards. The resort also includes a luxurious 76-room Marriott hotel. You can relax in the health club and spa, or you can enjoy riding horses in the equestrian center. The resort charges $45US for an 18-hole game from Monday through Thursday and $55US from Friday through Sunday. Twilight rates (which start at 2 PM) are lower than regular rates, and there are discounts for senior citizens. The Bajamar Ocean Front Golf Resort offers a 27-hole golf course, with three combinations of play: Lagos/Vista par 71, Vista/Oceano par 72, and Oceano/Lagos par 71. The first two, opened in 1970, were substantially improved in 1991. The last one came into existence in 1996. An 18-hole game is $78US from Monday through Thursday, and $103US from Friday
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide through Sunday. Late and twilight rates are lower. Besides the golf course, the resort also includes a tennis court, hotel, bar, restaurant, Jacuzzi, and swimming pool.
Surfing Rosarito has several surfing sites which have grown increasingly popular over time. The best options are Baja Malibu, Calafia, Salsipuedes, San Miguel, and K-38. These sites are appropriate for both experienced and beginning surfers. If you are just starting to get the hang of surfing, you might want to find a more experienced companion. To ensure you stay warm, we suggest wearing a wetsuit. Surfing in Rosarito is remarkably safe, with few sharks or other dangers. The Century Hotel is a wonderful choice if you also need accommodation.
Horseback Riding Regardless of your skill level, you will be able to enjoy a horseback trip. Western or English saddles, guided or unguided, there are several options available all across the Rosarito area. Pick the one that suits your needs and interests.
Photo by Keith Rock.
in the Finish Line Fiesta, where they can enjoy music, drink exquisite beverages, and admire a spectacular sunset. The official website of the event is www. RosaritoEnsenada.com. If you would like to contribute to a good cause, you might be interested in the Baja Love Ride, which takes place in November. All the profits from this biking event are donated to deprived children who reside in local orphanages. You can visit www.bajaloveride. com for additional information. Baja Love Ride - Rosarito to San Felipe is held traditionally the first weekend in November. The Baja Love Ride is a series of fundraising cycling events held in 4 communities of Baja California, Mexico to benefit children’s charitable organizations. www.bajaloveride.com
Swimming Rosarito has vast beaches, and swimming has become tremendously popular, despite the cool waters around the shores. Given the relatively low temperature of the water, you should wear a wetsuit when swimming. Photo by Life Super Charger.
Leisure in Rosarito Shopping
Bike Rides For those who enjoy biking, the RosaritoEnsenada 50-Mile Bicycle Ride is a must. The history of the event goes back to 1979, and now takes place twice a year, in April and September. Participants dressed in costumes race with each other in an attempt to win the competition and beat the official record. If you are not in the mood for the competition, you can ride at your own pace and enjoy the atmosphere. Both participants and spectators can take part
Rosarito’s main street, Boulevard Benito Juarez, is where you should begin your shopping. It is an exciting place where you can find authentic handcrafted objects. Items such as artwork, leathers, furniture, fountains, pottery, and ponchos can be found, to mention just a few. You can pay with cash (US dollars are accepted) or by debit/credit card. All the goods are produced locally. There is a large market nearby, with almost a hundred stalls, as well as a second market full of souvenirs. With such
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Rosarito Beach engage in various outdoor activities; bike riding, horseback riding, and motocross are available. You can either bring your own equipment or rent it in Rosarito. There are numerous motocross and racing events every year.
Rosarito Wa-Kuatay Historical Museum Photo by Jackie Alemeda.
diverse offerings, you will find it hard to decide what gifts you will take home to your friends and family. Have no worries, there are plenty of free parking spaces for both locals and tourists.
Clubbing Rosarito offers a wide variety of places where you can spend a night out, from spectacular nightclubs to small cantinas. Since the drinking age in Mexico is 18, it is no wonder the clubs are so popular among younger tourists. Though they are slightly more expensive, Papas and Beer and Iggy’s are the most popular. If you want to keep your expenses within reasonable limits and still have plenty of fun, you can spend your time in Tequila’s Club. Other nightclubs you can visit are Rock and Roll Taco and Senor Frog’s. Maya Club is also on the expensive side, but it is remarkably stylish.
Theater If clubbing is not your cup of tea, you can always go to the theater. The Rosarito Theater Guild has been the main venue for thespians in Baja California for 21 years. Since its establishment in 1990, the Rosarito Theater Guild has delighted audiences with brilliant performances and shows. The nonprofit theater group recently moved to a new location, with a significantly improved theater house. If you decide to visit, you will leave with an indelible memory of Rosarito.
Landmarks in Rosarito Rosarito Canyon Rosarito Canyon is a vast desert region surrounded by mountains, where you can
The museum displays Pre-Hispanic and Mesoamerican items, which date from 2300 B.C. to 300 A.D. You can catch a glimpse of the customs of the local Kumiai tribe, and learn more about the early history of Rosarito. You can even see a mammoth tusk found in Ensenada, together with pictures taken on site. This small museum does not have an entry fee, but greatly appreciates small donations.
Tequila Museum The Tequila Museum is nothing like an actual museum. With close to 300 kinds of tequila available, you will have a hard time deciding which ones you wish to try. Rattlesnake Tequila, a unique beverage, should be among your first shots. As you are sampling their wares, the bartenders will entertain you with their fascinating magic tricks.
Rincon Tropical An excellent rural club, Rincon Tropical combines exceptional service with competitive prices. The club has various facilities suited for all ages. Children can have a fabulous time at the mini zoo or in the game room, while adults can relax at the pool or in the Jacuzzi. Accommodation includes rustic cabins located on the side of a hill, and comfortable rooms scattered around the estate. Rincon Tropical is quite secluded, so make sure you call them for directions. Rosarito is an excellent choice if you are looking for an experience you will remember for the rest of your life. We have only offered you a mere snapshot of the region. It has many other secrets for you to unravel. Whether you go with your family or friends, Rosarito has it all, from clubs to museums. With so many options, Rosarito has always been, and will always remain, A Horizon of Possibilities.
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Ensenada North.
Ensenada Downtown.
Ensenada South.
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Ensenada
By Jorge Dominguez Marenco (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons.
Ensenada Latitude: 31°51’49.00”N Longitude: 116°36’0.16”W Ensenada is the third-largest city in the Mexican state of Baja California. It is located 116 km (about 70 miles) south of the San Diego/Tijuana border crossing. The city had a 2005 census population of 260,075. Ensenada is also the municipal seat of Ensenada Municipality, one of the five into which the state is divided. The city is home to immigrants from other parts of Mexico and around the world. Located in the Bahía de Todos Santos — an inlet of the Pacific Ocean — Ensenada is a leading commercial and fishing port as well as a cruise ship visit. There is also a navy base, a military base and a military airfield. The military airfield functions as an airport of entry into Mexico. The city is backed by small mountain ranges. Due to its location on the Pacific Ocean and Mediterranean latitude, the weather tends to be mild year-round. The winter rain season is short, and the area is prone to prolonged droughts. This climate created in Ensenada excellent conditions for what would become
the best vineyards in Mexico and the Americas. It is said that the first vitis vinifera made it to the peninsula (specifically to the San Ignacio Mission) in 1703 when Jesuit Padre Juan de Ugarte planted the first vineyards there. Ensenada is the only deep-water port in the state of Baja California. Numerous shipping routes connect Ensenada with other Mexican cities (La Paz, Manzanillo, Mazatlán, Acapulco, and Lázaro Cárdenas), US (San Diego, Long Beach, and Los Angeles), Guatemala (Puerto Quetzal), Chile (Valparaíso), Japan (Yokohama), and China (Hong Kong).
Climate
Ensenada boasts a remarkably pleasant weather with the sea bringing cold air in hot days and not much cold during winter. It is also rather fickle, and you are advised to bring a sweater and pants along with your shorts and shirts.
Getting to Ensenada
Getting to Ensenada has never been easier or faster than it is today. A US driver license is valid in Mexico, so you can drive your own car or a rental car. Mexican auto insurance is required
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Ensenada by law if you drive in Mexico. Driving gives you the freedom to explore and discover Ensenada.
Driving Drivers can cross the border to Baja through San Ysidro. Once in Tijuana, follow the signs to Rosarito and Ensenada on route 1. There will be three toll stops in route to Ensenada. These tolls cost $2.35 each or 26.00 Pesos. You can pay with US dollars or pesos, but they will not accept mixed currency. The road is well maintained and is an enjoyable ride along the beautiful Baja coastline. If you go in spring and early summer, the wildflowers on the hillsides are gorgeous. The ride from Tijuana to Ensenada takes approximately 1-1.5 hours. Stop in Puerto Nuevo for some Mexican lobster dinners. There are many rest areas and vista points along the way.
Taking the bus If you are interested in visiting Ensenada, but not doing any driving, you can contact Eaton International Tours and Passenger Services. They offer San Diego pick and return. The service is fast and secure. Phone numbers: 619-479-1536 / 646-108-8538. Another option is to take the San Diego Trolley to San Ysidro, then walk across the border to the small Plaza Viva bus station. ABC (Autotransportes Baja California) buses depart for Ensenada every half hour from 6AM until 9:30PM. ABC buses arrive at the Ensenada Central Terminal. The fare is approximately $6.50 one-way. Phone number: 664-683-5681. Greyhound Lines will take you to Tijuana’s Central Bus Terminal (Central Camionera) from anywhere in the US and connect to any major Mexican bus line, including ABC. US toll free phone number: 800-231-2222.
entertaining. If you arrive by ship to the Ensenada port terminal, do some shopping near the piers. Most cruise tourists arrive on the three and four night cruises from Los Angeles by Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas and Carnival Paradise from Long Beach or Carnival Elation from San Diego. Expect to pay about $2 for the five-minute ride to downtown shopping.
Getting around town Walking The healthiest and most enjoyable way to become familiar with Ensenada is by walking. Finding your way is easy in Ensenada with all numbered streets running north and south and celebrity named streets running east and west. Most of the shops are at sea level, and many downtown tourist attractions can be accessed by foot. Others, like the Bufadora and the wineries, are too far away to walk to, but tours will take you there for a fee.
Bus If you are on a budget, or look for an exciting sightseeing opportunity, take the bus. Fare is 7 pesos ($0.65). Buses are called “micro” instead of “bus” or Autobuse. Bus Terminal 646-121-2982 at the corner of 87 Calzada Lazaro Cardenas & Rio Alamar La Mesa.
Taxi Radio taxis are available and will take you anywhere. Route Taxis serve mostly suburban routes and are not very useful for tourists, although they are extremely cheap ($0.75 USD). Taxis Amarillos (Yellow Taxi) is available 24 hours with local and unlimited service available. Ave. Lopez Mateos & Miramar. English spoken. Phone number: 646-178-3475.
Bicycle
Airport The Ensenada Airport is located three miles south of town. The runway length is 5,271 FT, and it is destined exclusively for private and military flights. Commercial flights are not allowed.
Cruise Ships Ensenada has become a regular stop for several lines of cruise ships since the 80’s. Although this is certainly the most expensive means to travel to Ensenada, it is highly
Most of the Boulevard Costero and the scenic highway can be traveled by bike. Take precautions for the scenic highway north of Costero because this is a freeway where trucks and cars travel at high speed. Ensenada’s South is not very bike friendly.
Car The city is extremely easy to navigate by car, and parking is free and available everywhere.
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By Matt.H.Wade., Gabriel Flores Romero, Cesar Bojorquez , Tomรกs Castelazo, & 08OceanBeach, via Wikimedia Commons.
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Ensenada Please remind that, on highways, the left lane is just for passing and local drivers will tailgate you if you coast on the left lane.
Car rental If you want to get out and explore on your own, then consider renting a car. Fiesta RentA-Car (646-176-3344) is located at 1442 Blvd. Lazaro Cardenas and Renta-Car Ensenada (646176-3344) is located at 582 Lopez Mateos.
Dining out
Ensenada offers a wide variety of dining opportunities for any taste and budget, from fast-food brand names to world-class fine dining. Some of these eating-places are among the top ten restaurants of the world. Visit the Dining Guide section for a directory and dining suggestions.
Lodging and accommodation
Ensenada has accommodations that can meet any expectations in terms of level of comfort or amenities. Prices range from $30 to $250+ depending on the level of luxury and the time of the year. The best hotels in Ensenada are located to the north and south of town along the beach and are not within walking distance from downtown shopping and attractions. Taxi and shuttles are available in some locations.
About Ensenada Baja California Timeline of historical events 1542, September 17 – Portuguese explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, sailing under the Spanish flag, discovered Ensenada and named the area San Mateo. 1602 – Spanish captain and explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno rediscovered the area and renamed it Ensenada de Todos Los Santos 1821 – Mexico won its independence from Spain. 1848 – Following the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico sold a large portion of its northern territory for fifteen million dollars, including California, to the United States. As a result, Baja California turned into the northernmost frontier of the Mexico. 1882 May 15th – Ensenada became the capital of the Northern Territory. 1892 – Hussong’s Cantina is opened. 1973 – Mexico 1000 Rally sanctioning is handed over by Baja California governor Milton Castellanos
to non-profit Mexican organization Baja Sports Committee (BSC). BSC renamed the event “Baja Mil” (Baja 1000) and moved it from Tijuana to Ensenada. 1975 – SCORE takes over operation of the Baja 1000. 1990s – The tuna embargo imposed on Mexico caused much of the fishing fleet to relocate to the ports of Guaymas, Sonora, and Mazatlán. 2005 – The census estimated the population to be approximately 260,075.
Wineries
Although the winter rain season is short and the area is prone to prolonged droughts, Ensenada sits in the heart of a wine country that is widely regarded as the best in Mexico. It is said that the first vitis vinifera made it to the peninsula in 1703, when Jesuit Padre Juan de Ugarte established the San Ignacio Mission and planted the first vineyards. Baja California Wine Country is blessed with an ideal Mediterranean climate for grape growing. Nearly ninety percent of all Mexican wine grapes are grown in Baja California within 120 miles of the west coast, in three wine producing areas: San Antonio de Las Minas (which includes the Valleys of Guadalupe and Calafia), San Vincente Valley, and Santo Tomás Valley. Only one hour from San Diego (50 miles), and you are in Mexican wine country. Consider a day trip to the beach and wineries. There are extremely few microclimates in Mexico that combine the unique characteristics of elevation, soil, season, and temperature. California wine connoisseurs make regular trips to this region to enjoy wine tasting sessions. Baja California produces wines of the same quality and consistency as some of its northern neighbors.
Ensenada Annual Events January: Grey Whale watching February: Carnival – 2008 90th Anniversary of Carnival in Ensenada. 250,000 people attend the week-long festival. August: Fiestas de la Vendimia - A must see during the summer is the vintage festival, which is fun for both locals and tourists alike. April 25: Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race May: Tecate/Score Baja 500 September: Rosarito Ensenada Bike Race
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide November: Tecate/Score Baja 1000
For additional, up-to-date information on Ensenada contact: ENSENADA TOURISM TRUST Blvd. Lazaro Cardenas 609 - 5 Ensenada, B.C. Mexico 22800 Toll Free U.S.A :1 (800) 310-9687 Toll Free Mexico: 01(800) 025-3991 Phone/Fax: (01152646) 178-8588 Phone: (01152646) 178-8578 Email: fideicoens@prodigy.net.mx
Have you always wanted to visit a place where the mountains meet the sea? Here you have it in Ensenada. In addition to its proximity to both mountains and sea, Ensenada offers access to welltravelled deserts. Every year, in these deserts, international racing events take place, including the Baja 1000 and Baja 500. There is something to do in all of the Ensenada environments, and no space in Ensenada goes wasted.
Natural Wonders
Ensenada, Baja California: It Never Turns Midnight for This Cinderella
Ensenada (also known as Ensenada De Todos Santos) is not a small resort town, like many of its Baja neighbors. Ensenada is the third-largest city in Baja, California, boasting a population that pushes 500,000 residents and attracting thousands of tourists each year. With thriving nightlife, buzzing seaport, desert adventures, and annual events, Ensenada residents and visitors can enjoy many entertaining activities. Ensenada locals refer to their town as the Cinderella of the Pacific (La Bella Cenicienta del Pacifico) due, in part, to its daytime and nighttime beauty. The city itself is located in the northernmost part of the Baja Peninsula in the Bahia de Todos Santos inlet of the Pacific Ocean. Its location turned Ensenada into a central point for fishing, and it serves as a port for cruise ships. Sounds appealing already? There is: Located in the California Heartland Ensenada is a city like no other. It borders the sea, making commercial and sport fishing popular, and it is placed in the center of one of Mexico’s finest wine countries. From mining to agriculture, fishing to commerce, Ensenada has a thriving and diverse business environment that appeals to people from all walks of life.
Best of All Worlds
Ensenada is positioned at the base of several small mountain ranges that include the Sierra San Pedro Martir. Even though the mountain range is positioned at about 200 miles east of Ensenada, it is still in the Ensenada municipality.
If natural wonders are your thing, there are plenty to observe in Ensenada. La Bufadora, a marine geyser, is located on the Punta Banda Peninsula about 20 miles south of Ensenada. La Bufadora is the second largest marine “blowhole” in the world, and it shoots water up to 80 feet above the sea.
World-Class Surfing Ensenada is known for its surfing sports, which include California Trailer Park, Tres Emes, San Miguel Beach, and Stacks. About two hours off the coast of Ensenada is Todos Santos Island, which is known by surfers around the world for providing regular 60-foot waves. Billabong made Todo Santos Island even more famous by winning the XXL surfing contest several times on this location.
Cruise Ship Destination Ships bring each week throngs of tourists who are eager to bathe in the waters near Ensenada beaches, go shopping, and take road trips along the magnificent Pacific Coast. La Primera is a popular street for tourists due to its curios shops, restaurants, and clubs. Just a few blocks away, visitors can escape the always-busy La Primera traffic to stroll down the Ventana al Mar boardwalk and seawall. Ventana al Mar means “Window Upon Sea.” Come to Ensenada for the surfing, stay for the off-road racing, and take time to enjoy the natural splendor of all that Ensenada has to offer. You are sure to return home with ample stories of new adventures and a mound of photographs that you will cherish for a lifetime.
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Ensenada HOW TO CALL
Local Police...................................... 661-613-0612
Dial to USA & Canada: 001 + area code + phone number dial within Mexico: 01 + area code + phone number To Call U.S. 800 Numbers from Mexico *Some chargeS may apply 800 numbers: Dial 001-880-then the number 866 numbers: Dial 001-883-then the number 877 numbers: Dial 001-882-then the number 888 numbers: Dial 001-881-then the number
Emergency Numbers Bi-National Crises Line.......................................075 Federal Electricity Commission...........................071 Fire Department.................................................068 Legal Assistance................................................061 Police Department..............................................060 Red Cross - Ambulance.....................................132 Red Cross..........................................................066 Tourist Assistance (Green Angels.......................078 Water Department (CESPE.................................073
OTHER USEFUL NUMBERS DIF (Family Services......................... 661-612-6082 City Hall ........................................... 661-614-9600 Convention & Visitors Bureau ........... 661-612-0396 Immigration...................................... 661-612-7262 HOSPITALS Hospital Velmar................................. 646-173-4500 HOTELS Posada el Rey Sol Hotel.................... 646-178-1601 San Nicolas Hotel & Casino............... 646-218-6125 IMMIGRATIONS SERVICES Immigration...................................... 646-174-0164 MUNICIPAL Customs........................................... 646-174-0897 State’s Department of Tourism.......... 646-172-3022 Immigration...................................... 646-174-0164 UTILITIES CFE....................................................................071 ZETA Gas.......................................... 646-174-0923
POLICE Federal Police.....................................................060
John & Cia Fishing at Cantu Cove in San Felipe. Photo by Rachel Pack.
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John Pack a nd crew getting ready for the Long beach to Enseada race by Rachel Pack.
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Ensenada
Things to See
National Park Sierra de San Pedro Martir
Natural Attractions Isla Todos Santos On the west of Ensenada lies the Todos Santos Island. The island can easily be reached by boat from Bufadora or Ensenada. It should be visited at all costs by tourists interested in surfing because waves are frequently over 60 feet high. The waves create ideal conditions for the surfing competitions which take place on a regular basis.
La Bufadora The unique and spectacular marine geyser from Punta Banda bears the name of La Bufadora or “The Blowhole” in English. The phenomenon occurs when the ocean water fills an underwater cave and when it surges high into the air at considerable speed. La Bufadora is one of the highest marine geysers in the world. To reach La Bufadora, drive on the Transpeninsular Highway towards Maneadero.
Punta Banda The Peninsula of Punta Bada is placed southwest of Ensenada, and it is famous for its pristine waters. Apart from La Bufadora, the peninsula has several hot springs, and it is an excellent place for various outdoor activities such as kayaking and scuba diving.
El Mirador Located on the Colinas of Chapultepec, the residential neighborhood called EL Mirador provides a clear view of the entire Ensenada and Bahia de Todos Santos. The best way to get there is to drive on Aleman Street up until the hills.
Catavina Cave Paitings The cave contains rupestral paintings made by the Yumano and Cochimi Indians one thousand years ago. There are several other attractions right next to the cave: Santa Maria de los Angeles Mission, a concentration of blue palm trees and a natural reservoir surrounded by towering granite rocks. The Transpeninsular Highway is the fastest way to get there.
This is one of the largest national parks in Baja California, and it is located near the Mexican National Observatory. This area is virtually untouched by civilization, and it is an excellent place for hiking and camping. It is positioned at an 80 mile distance on the Transpeninsular Highway.
Laguna Hanson The main interest point of this national park is the picturesque lake placed in the middle of a pine forest. The entry fee is small, but the campsites are basic. There are, however, several cabins to rent. The best way to get there is by driving on Highway 3 towards Ojos Negros village.
Museums Ensenada History Museum This very old building of Baja California was used over the years for military headquarters, government offices and jail. Today, visitors can come to see the six showrooms of the museum and admire the exhibitions which recreate various periods in the region’s history. Lopez Mateo Street and Gastelum Street, 646-178-2531
Caracol Science Museum of Ensenada This is the most prestigious science museum of Ensenada, and it contains various exhibitions related to mathematics, astronomy and ecology. Apart from this, the museum organizes environment education courses and science workshops. 660-3A Reforma Street and 10th Street, 646-177-0897, director@ caracol.org.mx, http://www.caracol.org.mx
Museum of History Ensenada is rich in museums, and this one is located in the Riviera del Pacifico. The museum exhibitions are focused on presenting the indigenous people who resided in Baja California and the impact of early European explorers and missionaries. Costero Blvd., 646-177-0594
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide The National Anthropology and History Museum Previously known under the name of Aduana Maritima of Ensenada, this Museum contains a small but a wide-ranging collection of artifacts. It pieces together the historical evolution of the region from the earliest times. The establishment was built in 1886 which makes it the oldest building in Ensenada. 99 Reyson Street, 646-178-2531
Estero Beach Museum The museum is located near Hotel Estero, and it illustrates the early history of the region which later on became known under the name of Ensenada. The exhibition rooms contain artifacts belonging to the old tribes of Mexico: the Aztecs, the Olmecs and the Mayans. In addition, the museum has a collection of fossils found in Baja California. Inside Estero Beach Hotel/Resort, 646-176-6225
City Landmarks Las Cañadas This is an entertainment complex situated at a 30 minutes distance from Ensenada. The complex offers numerous recreation possibilities such as eco tours, biking, camping, fishing, water games and swimming pools. Km. 31.5 Interstate Highway 1, from Ensenada to La Paz, 800-027-3828 (toll free), info@ lascanadas.com, http://www.lascanadas.com
Riviera del Pacifico Previously a hotel and casino, Riviera del Pacifico was visited by wealthy Americans during the Prohibition. When the Prohibition came to an end, the location became the social and cultural center of Ensenada. Today, the building incorporates the History Museum and the Galeria de la Cuidad. Costero Blvd., 646177-0594
Hussong’s Cantina A visit to Hussong’s Cantina will be like a trip back into the past. The establishment was created in 1892 by Johan Hussong, and the decorations are reminiscent of the Old Mexico. Over its long history, Hussong’s Cantina
has become the oldest and one of the most appreciated bars in the region. 13N Ruiz Street. 526-178-3210
The Mercado de Mariscos This is the largest seafood market of Ensenada and it sells fresh fish caught in the region by locals. The place is extremely colorful and the smell will be difficult to forget. Tourists can have their meal prepared with the seafood they purchased or buy something from the numerous taquerias. Located between Malecon Street and Costero Blvd.
Plaza Civica This beautiful park of Ensenada is locally known under the name of the “Three Heads Park” because it contains the golden heads of three prominent Mexican personalities: Benito Juarez, Miguel Hidalgo and Vebustiano Carranza. Apart from this, the park offers a magnificent view of Ensenada. Costero and Macheros Blvd.
Vineyards and wineries Valle de Guadalupe This valley is located just 14 miles north of Ensenada, and it provides 90% of the wines produced in Mexico. The valley is perfect for cultivating grapes because of the favorable weather. The Valle of Guadalupe is of particular interest for tourists, and there are many tours and wine tasting trips organized on a regular basis.
Bodegas de Santo Tomas The winery was established in 1888, and it is one of the oldest in Mexico. Tourists can make a tour of the building and enjoy a wine tasting session which includes 26 kinds of wine served with bread and cheese. The old installations of the winery located 44 km. outside Ensenada can also be visited. 666 Miramar Street, 646178-3333, www.santo-tomas.com
Cavas Valmar This award-winning winery was created in 1983. The wines are made from the 40 year old vines located in the Valle of San Vincente near Ensenada. Tourists can enjoy wine tasting
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Ensenada or arrange a tour of the winery. 1950 Riveroll Street, 646-174-0836, valmar@telnor.net
155-2094, karla@adobeguadalupe.com, www. adobeguadalupe.com
L.A. Cetto Botique
Missions
Don Angelo Cetto founded this winery in 1982, and after three generations, L.A. Cetto Boutique has become highly appreciated in Mexico and abroad. Tourists can visit the vineyards and the establishment or they can do some wine tasting without any appointment. Km.73.5 Tecate-El Sauzal Highway, 646155-2264, Ensenada@gpocetto.com, www. cettowines.com
Adobe Guadalupe The Persian style architecture makes Adobe Guadalupe stand out in the landscape of Ensenada. Apart from the usual wine tasting session, visitors can admire the exhibitions of the two museums located on the premises: the Guadalupe Valley Historical Museum and the Guadalupe Valley Community Museum. The museums provide a snapshot of the Valley of Guadalupe intriguing history. Parcel A-1 s/n, Valley of Guadalupe, 646-
Santo Tomas de Aquino Mission This mission was created by Dominicans back in 1791. Santo Tomas de Aquino can be found in the Santo Tomas Valley at a 30 minute drive on the Transpeninsular Highway.
San Francisco De Borja Adac Mission This Jesuit Mission was built in 1762, and it has been remarkably well preserved over the centuries. The best way to reach the location is to drive on the dirt road off the Transpeninsular Highway, east of Rosarito.
Santa Gertrudis La Magna Mission Santa Gertrudis, another Jesuit mission, has barely changed since its construction in 1752. It is located at Km. 154 on the dirt road off the Transpeninsular Highway.
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The blow hole can spray 80 feet into the air. La Bufadora by Kieth Rock.
The Ensenada Blowhole La Bufadora Offers the Second Largest Waterspout in the World La Bufadora is a marine geyser, or blowhole, located on the Punta Banda Peninsula in Baja California, Mexico. The name belongs to both the geyser and the small town where the blowhole is found. The name comes from the Spanish verb bufar, which means to snort or spit. The literal translation would be “The Snorter,” although I would perfer “The Spitter” if that were a real word, because this blowhole can spit high into the air and spray the spectator. The second largest blowhole in the world, La Bufadora can shoot upwards as high as 80 feet above sea level. This is an Ensenada tourist trap, but an absolute must-see for every Ensenada visitor. The spout of marine water occurs every minute and blows at various intensity into the air and onto the rocky cliff. The geyser is created when ocean waves
and air are drawn into an underwater cave located in the cliffside, and the trapped air and water then explode upwards. This interaction not only creates the upward-shooting spout, but a thunderous noise as well. La Bufadora regularly draws tourists visiting Ensenada, the thrid largest city in the Mexican state of Baja California. The area features various restaurants, souvenir shops, a complete dive shop and a museum. When you visit La Bufadora, whether with a local tour group or on your own, be prepared to pass the gauntlet of vendors that line the length of a city block between the parking and the blowhole. Some of the vendors can be aggressive, but are harmless. So, have fun with it and always bargain, never take the first “deal,” or even the third of fourth. Bring pesos, and definitely bargain. Get the price you’re willing to pay; if they’re willing to sell, you’ll both win and have fun doing it. If you’re in a hurry to reach the blowhole, just tell the vendors “no, gracias” (no, thank
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Ensenada you), keep walking and they’ll not bother you. But if you’re interested in searching for the the treasure you didn’t know you needed, take some time to browse the various vendors. You’ll be able to find many of the usual trinkets like a bracelet with your name woven into it, or a grain of rice with your name on it, a poncho, T-shirts, pharmaceuticals and the ubiquitous Chiclets. You’ll also find quality leather goods, some handmade jewelry, home and yard decor, cigars, any many other Mexican crafts. The restaurants offers an excellent selection of seafood and Mexican cuisine and FREE clean bathrooms. The public bathroom is 50 cents. Don’t forget to try the famous “churros,” which is a flour stick deep-fried and rolled in sugar. La Bufadora cove also offers great diving and kayaking, and the peninsula offers great hiking, bike riding and exploring. Be sure to take
a camera and comfortable shoes. In the winter bring warm clothing. La Bufadora is located approximately 20 miles south of Ensenada. To get there, take the Transpeninsular highway 1 to Maneadero. Watch for the large green highway sign and follow the smaller road west all the way to La Bufadora, at the end of the Punta Banda Peninsula. Along the way farmers grow garlic, tomatoes, chiles and other table crops. The road is paved and curves around Ensenada’s enormous bay and provides a beautiful panoramic view of the Ensenada Bay and Todos Santos Island. Along the side of the road people sell jars of green olives, olive oil, pickled vegetables, imported coconuts and homemade tamales. This is definitely something to see when visiting Ensenada.
Visitors gather for the next blast. La Bufadora by ProveIt.
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Things to Do Fishing
There is a wide variety of fish available in Ensenada: bass, barracuda and yellowtail, to mention just a few. By far, the best fishing spot in the region is the waters of Punta Banda Peninsula. In this region there is a lot of plankton which attracts all sorts of fish starting with June up until September. There are many entertainment opportunities related to fishing in Ensenada.
Sergio’s Sportfishing Fishermen can turn to Sergio’s Sportfishing for fishing trips or parties organized on board of a vessel. The prices listed for the trips include the fishing gear, but the fishing license is paid separately. The San Miguel reef, Punta Banda peninsula, and Todos Santos Island are the favorite destinations. Lazaro Cardenas Blvd., Pesca Deportiva Lote 6, 619-3997224, reservations@sergiofishing.com, www. sergiofishing.com
Gordo’s Sport Fishing Gordo’s is the oldest sport fishing company in Ensenada. The company has several vessels of various dimensions and offers a small menu of beverages and snacks. The company accepts payment by credit card and PayPal. Costero Blvd. and Macheros Street, 949-6781187, http://www.gordossportfishing.com
Kayak fishing tournament The fishing sport club from Ensenada PesKayak, organizes fishing tournaments every year. Participants need to be able to handle a kayak to be allowed into the competition. 664314-8981, peskayak@hotmail.com, http:// www.peskayak.com.mx
Golfing
There are two golf courses in Ensenada, both of them located at a 70 mile distance from the US. The golf courses are challenging, and the views of the mountains and ocean are incredible. The courses contain various amenities like shops and snack bars.
Bajamar Golf Resort This golf course covers a surface of almost
seven thousand yards, and it contains twentyseven holes. The resort is made up of three courses: Oceano, Lagos and Vista. Oceano has several holes which are remarkably close to the Pacific Ocean. Lagos counts nine holes placed in desert and ocean setting. Vista is only desert and it is the most challenging of all. Km. 77.5 Toll Road Tijuana-Ensenada, 646155-0035, Bajamar@golfbajamar.com, http:// www.golfbajamar.com
Baja Country Club
This eighteen hole golf course spans over a surface of almost seven thousand yards, and it is almost entirely surrounded by mountains. The landscape has lush vegetation and twelve acres of tranquil lakes. On the premises, visitors can spend time in the clubhouse, bar or in the vast recreational areas. Francisco I. Madero S/N, Cañon San Carlos, 866-5990631, info@bajacountryclub.com, http:// www.bajacountryclub.com
Wine Tasting
All the famous vines in Baja California are located on the valleys of San Vincente, Santo Tomas and Guadalupe. These valleys are part of the Ensenada municipality, and they produce over 90% of Mexico’s wines. The wine is made for local consumption, but also for export to United States, Europe and Canada. Baja California has a dry semi-desert climate, but the marine current in Ensenada creates optimal conditions for growing grapes. There are two wineries inside the boundaries of Ensenada city: Bodegas de Santo Tomas and Cavas Valamar.
Cavas Valmar Since 1983, the winery has been awarded numerous distinctions for the quality of their wines. The grapes are grown on the Valley of San Vincente near Ensenada, and the vines are no less than forty years old. Tourists can come to see the winery or enjoy wine tasting. 1950 Riveroll Street, 646-174-0836, valmar@telnor.net
Bodegas de Santo Tomas This particularly old winery of Mexico was established in 1888. The wine tasting session offers 26 kinds of wines served together with
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Ensenada
Medal Sculptures Photo by Rachel Pack.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide bread and cheese. 666 Miramar Street, 646178-3333, www.santo-tomas.com Winneries outside the boundaries of Ensenada city: • Adobe Guadalupe (www.adobeguadalupe.com) • Baron Balche (www.baronbalche.com) • Casa de Piedra (www.vinoscasadepiedra.com) • Chateau Camou (www.chateau-camou.com.mx) • Cofradia del Vino DE Baja California (www. cofradiadelvino.com) • Domecq (www.domecq.com.mx) • La Cetto (www.cettowines.com) • Monte Xanic (www.montexanic.com.mx) • Sinergi-VT (www.sinergi-vt.com) • Vinistera (www.vinisterra.com) • Viño de Licega (www.vinosliceaga.com)
Ensenada Wine Festival This festival takes place during the first weeks of August on the occasion of the harvest. Numerous events occur during the ten days of restless activity. Various contests are organized such as the wine competition, Paella competition and golf tournaments. Every year there are lobster dinners, a jazz festival, and seminars in viticulture.
Boating and sailing
the Pacific coast and continues through rural scenery. On the finish line, competitors are greeted with food, beverages, and music. The party usually continues until sunset. 984 Sixth Street, 646-174-0033, Andres@RosaritoEnsenada.mx, www.rosaritoensenada.org
Ensenada Paragliding Open A more unusual but highly appealing event is the Ensenada Paragliding Open. The competition allows 150 participants, and the flying site is La Salina ridge. Km. 105.5 Tijuana Ensenada Toll Road, 800-838-3054, info@ ensenadaopen.com, www.ensenadaopen.com
Tecate Score Baja 1000 This is one of the most anticipated competitions of Baja which starts in Ensenada and ends in La Paz. The desert race is more than one thousand miles long, and it usually attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators. The contest contains several classes: motorcycle, ATV, car and truck. 818-2258402, info@score-international.com, www. score-international.com
Water activities Surfing
Boat tours Ensenada offers various destinations for boat trips, most notably Punta Banda Peninsula and Todos Santos Islands. The Todos Santos Islands can be reached in one hour by boat, and they are located right on the route of the great grey whales. Punta Banda is a barren land but what attracts tourists lies under the water because the place is famous for diving and fishing.
Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race The race starts from the Newport Beach, the Balboa Pier. The race first took place 65 years ago and since then it has been organized annually. The first vessel which reaches Ensenada is declared the winner. The registration is made online every year in December. www.nosa.org
Outdoor Competitions Ensenada Rosarito Race This cycling competition was first organized in 1979 and it is 50 miles long. The ride starts along
The best surfing spot in the entire Baja is San Miguel which is located at a 10 minute distance from Ensenada. In San Miguel it is best to wear booties because of the urchins. Todos Santos Islands are another excellent surfing spot, and many surfing competitions are organized on these surroundings. The waves can be higher than forty feet so this is not the best options for beginners. There are many companies in Ensenada which offer various surfing related services. Surf Ensenada offers both one-on-one and group surfing lessons for people of all ages. The company provides all the necessary equipment. (646) 102-9608, info@SurfEnsenada.com, www.surfensenada.com
Diving and Snorkeling Apart from Punta Banda and Todos Santos Island, La Bufadora has also a lot to give in terms of diving and snorkeling. La Bufadora has an underwater canyon which resulted in the creation of a spectacular reef. La Punta
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Ensenada Banda is more appropriate for beginner and intermediate divers, and most diving places can be reached by boat. Many companies offer the possibility of enjoying these activities in the safest way possible.
Baja Pro Scuba Divers This company organizes diving and snorkeling trips in various parts of Baja California, Ensenada included. Tourists can buy or rent the equipment, or they can have it repaired, if necessary. They provide transportation from the hotel to the diving spot. Those without experience will be initiated by an instructor to this incredible experience. 188 Aldama Street, 646-175-7527, valendiver@ hotmail.com, www.bajaproscubadivers.com
Baja Blue Diver The company provides all the necessary equipment, and English speaking staff will train the rookies. They offer better rates for
groups of four people or more. The tours are typically four to six hours long, and tourists will enjoy a snack in town at the end. Reservations can be made online and credit cards/PayPal are accepted. 273 14 Norte Street, Playas Chapultepec, 646-120-3040, bajabluediver@ gmail.com, www.bajabluediver.com
Whale Watching The whale watching season starts in December and lasts up until April. The gray whales migrate at a speed of 80 miles per day from the Bering Sea to the warm waters of Baja Mexico. When they reach their destination, the whales have the chance to settle down and give birth. In Ensenada, the whales are usually spotted starting with mid-December until early January. There are many whale watching tours available during this period and nobody should miss the opportunity.
John and Rachel Pack posing at the Tropic of Cancer marker on Highway 1, south of Los Barriles, by Rachel Pack.
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San Quintin.
Vicente Guerrero (San Quintin North).
San Quintin South-
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San Quintín
Entrance in San Quintin by BAJA CALIFORNIA STATE TOURISM SECRETARIAT.
San Quintín Latitude: 30°27’6.17”N Longitude: 115°54’21.22”W San Quintín is a coastal town on the west coast of the Mexican state of Baja California, in the municipio of Ensenada. San Quintín has beautiful beaches and several places for tourists to stay. Tourists can enjoy fishing, camping, bird watching, surfing, and clam digging. It is also in the middle of an important agricultural area, especially for growing strawberries and tomatoes. The coast is also home to many sand dunes and a popular place for off-road vehicles. The town is on the west coast of the central Baja California Peninsula, near the Bahía de San Quintín, 300 km (187 mi) south of the San Ysidro–Tijuana international border along Federal Highway 1. The Misión Santo Domingo de la Frontera lies 20 km north of San Quintín.
History
In the 1880s, a British land company with plans for a wheat empire purchased much of the San Quintin area from the U.S. – based International Land Company; at the time, ILC owned most of northern Baja. In response to promises of agricultural wealth, around
a hundred English colonists purchased subdivided land tracts from the parent company, planted wheat, and constructed a gristmill. For flour transportation, the English built a pier on inner Bahiá San Quintin and began constructing a railway to link up with the Southern Pacific tracks in California. Thirty km of track were laid - including a rail causeway from the west bank of inner Bahiá San Quintin – before the colony failed. A 17-ton, six-wheeled locomotive still lies underwater at the mouth of the bay, the remains of a loading accident for the aborted railway. A drought devastated one of the first wheat harvests, and by 1900 all colonists had abandoned San Quintin. Although individual farmers were economically ruined, the U.S. and British land companies walked away all the richer, a pattern that would recur several times in northern Baja. Remains of the gristmill, railroad causeway, pier, and English cemetery still stand along the perimeter of the inner bay. The English names on the cemetery’s heavily weathered wooden crosses have faded from sight, and more recent Mexican graves are beginning to crowd out their neglected English counterparts.
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Climate
The temperatures tend to run warmer in summer and cooler in winter than San Diego but out along the Pacific Ocean coastline about 10 miles west of San Quintin it is virtually identical to San Diego weather year round.
Sports
Inside and along the San Quintin Bay there are many options for activities including kayaking, boating, fishing, camping, hiking and enjoying off-road activities on the long sand dunes that surround the volcano field west of town. El Molino Viejo (The Old Mill) is the historic bay launch point for anglers for many decades. Navigating outside the bay, the San Quintin Pacific Ocean coastline offers world class sport fishing to anglers who come from points world wide to experience the famous tuna fishing season each year. San Martin Island, just five
miles offshore is a diving paradise with crystal clear water along the kelp beds growing on the volcanic island’s east shore. Between the island and shoreline the prevalent NW winds keep sails full for sailboats making the day trip down from Ensenada. The vast farmlands and fields outside town as well as the hills to the east are considered some of the best in the Baja California state for hunters. The Punta San Carlos surfing, windsurfing and kiteboarding area is located 100 miles south. Off Road Races are very popular in San Quintin.
Medical Care The hospital El Buen Pastor provides quality medical service. The Flying Samaritans from Central California provide free medical there care one Saturday per month throughout the year, supporting the on-site medical staff.
Greg Krupa camping on the beach in San Quintin.
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El Rosario
El Rosario Economy
Latitude: 30° 3’31.35”N Longitude: 115°43’33.10”W El Rosario is a small town on the west coast of the state of Baja California on Highway 1, 61 km south of San Quintín and 119 km north of Cataviña. The census of 2010 reported a population of 1,704 inhabitants. It is part of the Municipio of Ensenada.
El Rosario Missions Misión de El Rosario de Arriba Misión de El Rosario de Abajo Misión Dominica de Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario de Viñadaco
The town is primarily agricultural, with the major crop being onions. There are several nearby fishing camps.
Shopping There are several markets in El Rosario ranging from mini markets and meat markets to traditional markets & Liquor stores.
Things to See Bocana Beach is located approximately 5 miles west of El Rosario through the Arroyo and over the dunes.
Mama Espinoza’s, opened its doors in 1930, having as main task to provide to all customers and visitors with service of quality, honesty and respect.
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Mexican Giant Cactus (Pachycereus pringlei), Taken at the Cataviña region, Baja California, Mexico.
Cataviña Latitude: 29°43’40.78”N Longitude: 114°43’6.76”W Cataviña, Baja California is a small town on Highway 1 in the Mexican state of Baja California. It is located 118 km (74 mi) south of El Rosario and 106 km (66 mi) north of the junction with the road toBahía de los Ángeles. The local economy is dependent on tourism, ranching (Rancho Santa Inés, on the outskirts of the town, is an ejido held in common by the residents), and a couple of private vendors
selling gasoline from 55 gallon barrels. Cataviña has a first-rate hotel developed by the National Fund for the Promotion of Tourism in the Mexican government. Nearby are some cave paintings and a field of giant rocks, mixed with desert vegetation, which make the area a place visited for lovers of ecotourism.
Cataviña Missions Misión San Fernando Rey de España de Velicatá Misión Santa María de los Ángeles
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Cataviña / Bahía de los Ángeles
The Patio at Costa del Sol Hotel.
Bahía de Los Ángeles Latitude: 28°57’17.30”N Longitude: 113°33’26.57”W Bahía de los Ángeles (“Bay of the Angels”) is a coastal bay on the Sea of Cortez, located along the eastern shore of the Baja California Peninsula in the state of Baja California, Mexico. The town of the same name is located at the east end of Federal Highway 12 about 42 miles (68 km) from the Parador Punta Prieta junction on Federal Highway 1.
History
The area was known as Adac to the Cochimí people, the aboriginal inhabitants of the central part of the Baja California peninsula. In the early 1600s there were approximately 3000 Cochimi enhabiting the area. In 1539 Francisco de Ulloa was the first European to discover the Bahía de los Ángeles in what was the last expedition financed by Hernán Cortés. The area was explored again in 1746 by the Jesuit missionary Fernando Consag during his attempt to investigate the disputed question of whether or not Baja California was an island. Consag is credited with giving the area its name. In 1752 a loading
dock was built to explore Mission San Borja, and the entire Baja California Peninsula. After the departure of the Jesuits from the Baja Missions, the surrounding settlements, known at the time as visitas (“visiting chapels”), were gradually taken over by the locals, Bahia being one of them. By 1880 the interest in precious metals had spread to the Bahia region. In 1900 a loading dock was built to export gold and silver obtained from the mines of Sierra San Borja, San Juan, and Santa Martha. The San Juan silver mine at Las Flores became the largest producing mine in all of Baja. The mine was connected to the Bahia by an eight mile narrow-gauge rail-road allowing the ore to be transferred to the port there. The value of the silver produced by the mine is estimated to be 2 million U.S. dollars. In the mid 20th century Señor Antero “Papa” Diaz (1914-1989) was the leading citizen of the pueblo known as Bahía de los Ángeles. Diaz and his wife, Cruz Rosas Ortiz “Mama” Diaz, originated in Mexico City and came to the bahia to work the mine at Las Flores. Diaz was Delagado and built the first school house and the first church in Bahia. He was instrumental in
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide establishing the town as a sport fishing resort by building a hotel and an airstrip. This allowed fishermen to reach the bahia by air without making the 3 day drive from Ensenada. The original “Casa Diaz” hotel consisted of Mama’s restaurant and 6 cabins with primitive showers. In his book, The Log from the Sea of Cortez, author John Steinbeck wrote of his stay in Bahía de los Ángeles, the last stop on the peninsula before rounding Isla Ángel de la Guarda. Bahia is also the home of the “Museo de Naturaleza y Cultura”, established in 1988, by an American named Carolina Shepard and built by volunteers. It is a simple building decorated with reproductions of local cave paintings and located near the town square and municipal offices. It houses an eclectic collection of artifacts ranging from mining equipment and Indian artifacts to examples of local marine life and photographs of notable historical citizens. A 30 foot-long skeleton of a juvenile gray whale, assembled by students from Ensenada, hangs from the ceiling. Of the 600 species of shells in the Sea of Cortés, the museum’s collection contains 500. There is even a photograph of Mama Diaz next to Charles Lindbergh. Lindbergh had stopped in 1965 during his flight to Laguna San Ignacio to see the gray whales.
west are the Sierra de San Borja responsible for the occasional hot, dry winds known locally as “Westies” which can go from zero to over 50 knots in a matter of minutes. There is a lighthouse located on Isla Cabeza de Caballo, an island in the center of the channel into the town. A second lighthouse is located at the entrance to the harbor on Punta Areanas, a sand spit partially sheltering the waterfront of Bahía. Bahia is notable as an anchorage and safe harbor. The nearby Don Juan Cove is another ideal safe harbor.
Biosphere Reserve
In 2007 Mexican President Felipe Calderón in cooperation with the nongovernmental organization Pronatura Noroeste, Mexico’s National Commission for Protected Areas, the Global Conservation Fund (GCF) and others established the Bahía de los Ángeles Biosphere Reserve to protect the unique ecology of the region. It covers an area of almost 1500 square miles (387,956 hectares) and includes a portion of the Baja coastline, all 16 islands, numerous smaller islands and islets and the Canal de Salsipuedes and Canal de las Ballenas. The reserve protects a diverse marine population including many endangered species including whale sharks, fin whales, California sea lions and five species of sea turtle.
Environment
The area has a desert climate. At the north end of the bay lies Punta la Gringa and to the south is Playa Rincon. There are 16 islands off the coast. On the eastern horizon lies Isla Ángel de la Guarda separated from the other islands by the Canal de las Ballenas. To the
Economy
Overfishing of the region has made it increasingly difficult for residents to support themselves. The local economy is shifting from
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Bahía de los Ángeles commercial fishing to guided sports fishing and other forms of tourism. Bahia is home to perhaps a dozen pangueros who specialize in sport fishing. Before the highway into the area was paved, the town was known as a transit point for drugs on the on the way to the U.S.A. In 2007, power lines from Guerrero Negro were finished, ending reliance on diesel generators. There is internet access via satellite. Every other year the Baja 1000 passes through town. The Bahía de los Ángeles Airport is just north of the town.
Tourism
Conservation Marine biologist Antonio Resendiz ran a sea turtle research facility north of town. The area around Bahia de los Angeles provides nesting grounds for many species of sea turtles. Beginning in 1979 the officially named “Centro Regional de Investigacion Pesquera (CRIP)” had conducted sea turtle research and conservation. Antonio, who studied marine biology at the University of Ensenada, established the research station first with the help of the Mexican Instituto de Pesca and later through the help of American biochemist Dr. Grant Bartlett. Antonio made news in 1995 when one of his turtles, a 213 pound loggerhead named Rosita, was discovered off the coast of Japan by local fishermen. The discovery established the migration path of loggerheads for the first time.
Bay of LA is popular for activities such as kayaking, wind surfing, and tourism in addition to being a sports fisherman’s paradise. Bahia is famous for its fabulous fishing. The most common game fish being Yellowtail (Jurel), a type of sport fish that lives off the shore of California and Mexico. Yellowtail from this region can grow up to 5 feet long and can weigh up to 100 pounds. Other sport fish from this region include Seabass (Cabrilla), Snapper (Pargo), Grouper, Sierra, Bonito and the occasional Dorado. Nonsport fish like Triggerfish, Barracuda and others exist in abundance. There are colonies of sea lions near Isla Coronado known locally as “Smith Island”, and another South of Punta Animas. The bay is also famous for its Whale Sharks with 20 to 30 visiting the area each summer. About 15 – 20 miles west of town are the prehistoric rock paintings of Montevideo, part of the Great Mural region considered to be one of the most important archaeological sites in Baja California. Known officially as Pinturas Rupestres de Valle Montevideo they are estimated by some to be The Bahia de Los Angeles Monument as you enter into town. 10,000 years old.
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Guerrero Negro North.
Guerrero Negro South.
John Pack fills up on drinking water during the Baja Walk. By Rachel Pack.
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Guerrero Negro
Guerrero Negro Latitude: 27°57’57.02”N Longitude: 114° 2’10.39”W Guerrero Negro is the largest town located in the municipality of Mulegé in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur (BCS). It had a population of 13,054 in the 2010 census. Guerrero Negro is served by Guerrero Negro Airport. The town is on Federal Highway 1.
Whale Festival
The town has a celebration each year to hail the annual arrival of the gray whale to calve in the lagoons of BCS. This festival occurs during the first half of February. Another town in BCS, the port of San Blas, has a similar festival on February 24 and 25.
Saltworks operation
Guerrero Negro was born in 1957 when Daniel Ludwig—who also constructed the hotel Acapulco Princess in the port of Acapulco, Guerrero—built a salt works there to supply the demand of salt in the western United States. The salt mine was established around the Ojo de Liebre coastal lagoon taking advantage of the heavy salinity, without realizing that eventually this company, called Exportadora de Sal, S.A., of C.V. (“Salt Exporters, Inc.”), would become the greatest salt mine in the world, with a production of seven million tons of salt per annum, exported to the main centers of consumption in the Pacific basin, especially Japan, Korea, the United States, Canada, Taiwan and New Zealand. In 1973, Daniel Ludwig sold the company to the Mexican government and the corporation Mitsubishi, 51% and 49% respectively. The company is distinguished not only by its growth and its yield, but also by the progress which has reached more than a thousand employees, their community and its ecological surroundings: The salt works, located in a site of extraordinary beauty, within a reserve of the biosphere, has been pivotal in the development of the region, where each winter whales gather,
Guerrero Negro was born in 1957 when Daniel Ludwig built a salt works there to supply the demand of salt in the western United States. By Rachel Pack
many species of resident and migratory birds stay, visiting birds originating mainly in the United States and Europe.
Community
Guerrero Negro is the Spanish translation of the name “Black Warrior”, a U.S. American whaling ship from Duxbury, Massachusetts near Boston that grounded near the coast in the 1850s. It was during this era that Captain Charles Melville Scammon discovered a prolific gray whale breeding lagoon which became a choice hunting ground for American and European whalers. Although locally known as “Laguna Ojo de Liebre” (“eye of the jackrabbit”), this lagoon is better known to boaters from around the world as “Scammon’s”. Now, instead of whaling, a whale-watching industry has developed around the whales in the lagoon. The whales in the lagoon are particularly known for their willingness to approach the whalewatching boats and sometimes (especially the newborns) allow themselves to be petted.
Getting to Guerrero Negro
The easiest and more comfortable way is by plane: there is a company that flies from
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide Ensenada to Guerrero Negro on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 11:30, it makes a stop at Isla de Cedros. The company is Aeroservicios Guerrero, and the phone number is +52 (615) 157 01 37. To get to Ensenada you may fly to San Diego and take the bus at the station that is just across the border in Tijuana. There is also a bus that leaves from the airport in Tijuana each hour since 8:30 am and it arrives to Ensenada two hours later. Other way is to rent a car in Tijuana and make the 12 hour drive, it is a long drive but it is worth the trip, and it is cheaper if you are two or more people. The last way is to take a bus from Tijuana Central Station to Guerrero Negro it leaves at 12:15, 16:00 and 18:00 hrs and it takes about 12 hours to get to Guerrero. You can also fly to Los Cabos and to rent a car there or to take a bus to La Paz and from La Paz to Guerrero Negro (12 hours from La Paz) and it leaves at 10:00 am, 4:00 pm and 11:00 pm.
Things to See
Guerrero Negro is the place with the highest concentration of grey whales in the world. The whale watching tours in this area are almost mandatory, Also, visit the largest salt works in the world, bird watching in winter, giant sand dunes and one of the largest concentrations of Ospreys in the world (they hatch by the end of February), Malarrimo Restaurant have a little museum on the bar side with a nice collection of flotsam recovered from Malarrimo Beach. There were sand blasted bottles, fishing floats from japan, pieces of ships, wooden oars, round army containers about three feet long and eight inches in diameter, lots of construction helmets and a wooden ships wheel, etc. The lagunary complex of Ojo de Liebre has been recognized as a wetland of international importance by the Ramsar Convention and as a Hemispheric Importance Site for shore birds conservation so bird watching is a must. There are guided visits to the largest open salt company and to the rock paintings at San Francisco and Santa Marta Sierras as well as the much unknown paintings of Mesa del Carmen, north from Guerrero Negro.
Things to Do Eco-Tours Malarrimo was the first private operator permitted by the Mexican government to conduct tours in the area; still today, Malarrimo Ecotours is the most popular whale watching tour in town. They were also the first to offer cave painting tours, bird watching, salt tours, and have been filmed by CNN, Animal Planet, TBS Japan, Globo Brasil, Televisa, TV Azteca, ABC, and have been in three movies and TV commercials. Tours leave at 8am and 11am and cost US$50 or MX$650. (as of Feb 2012) Mario’s Tours offers a wide variety of tours including whale watching tours, bird watching, rock paintings and more whale watching in nearby Scammon’s Lagoon (Laguna Ojo de Liebre).
Place to Eat Malarrimo restaurant, Blvd. Emiliano Zapata s/n (On Blvd. Emiliano Zapata at entrance into tow), (615)157 0100,www.malarrimo.com, info@malarrimo.com. Daily from 7:30am. The favorite place in Guerrero Negro to visit by locals, Baja travelers and tourists since 1973, with seafood, Mexican & international specialties. Full bar service, banquet facilities. Tourist information & assistance. Tacos El Muelle. Fish tacos Eat at Mario’s, the biggest palapa in Baja California, with a very unique ambience and very nice local seafood specialties.
Places to Drink Malarrimo restaurant, Blvd. Emiliano Zapata s/n (On Blvd. Emiliano Zapata at entrance into tow), (615)157 0100,. Daily from 7:30am. A favorite with visiting tourists since 1973, with seafood, Mexican & international specialties. Full bar service, banquet facilities.
Places to Stay Realize that all accommodations are very basic. Halfway Inn hotel. Basic, but clean. Next door to the Army base, which provides the “alarm clock” in the AM. Malarrimo Motel and RV parking, also has a restaurant. Hotel Los Caracoles Don Pedro, also has a restaurant.
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Vizcaino
Vizcaino Latitude: 27°38’37.40”N Longitude: 113°22’59.68”W The El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, created in 1988, is located in Mulegé Municipality in northern Baja California Sur, at the center of the Baja California Peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez (or Gulf of California). With a landmass of over 55,555 square-mile (143,600 square km) it is the largest wildlife refuge in all of Latin America and certainly the most diverse.
First inhabitants
The Cochimi first inhabited this region over eleven thousand years ago, nomads who came from the north of the American continent. These nomadic wanderers lived in the protection of caves in the Sierra San Francisco mountain range. Travelers making the trek into this mountainous region can still see their cave art.
Unique only to Baja
The animals and plants of this territory have adapted themselves to the region’s extreme desert conditions with little rainfall, intense winds and an ecosystem which has produced thousands of endemic species of plants and animal life found nowhere else in the world.
Fauna
Animals that have adapted to these extreme conditions include a variety of nocturnals such as coyotes, rodents, and hares; others have adapted to only ingesting water from succulents. Outstanding among the mammals is the Baja California Pronghorn (Antilocapra
americana peninsularis), an endemic subspecies of the Pronghorn, which is one of the swiftest mammals on Earth. The last populations of this subspecies can be found in the region. The Vizcaíno is also the habitat of the Desert Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni), Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus peninsulae), and dozens of resident and migratory birds. Of special importance: the ospreys, cormorants, herons, and gulls—and four species of sea turtles. On the coastline and islets there are many marine mammals, such as Northern Elephant Seals (Mirounga angustirostris), California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus), dolphins, and Gray Whales (Eschrichtius robustus).
Sebastián Vizcaíno Bay Bahía Sebastián Vizcaíno, bay of the Pacific Ocean, western Baja California peninsula, Mexico. The bay is approximately 80 miles (130 km) long from northwest to southeast and 60 miles (100 km) wide from east to west; it has several islands, the largest of which is Cedros, known for its large colony of elephant seals. The northeastern and eastern shores, lying in the state of Baja California Norte, are generally sandy and have a number of small bays. The southern shores, in Baja California Sur state, are marked by swamps in the east and by sharply rising hills in the west. Point Eugenia is the southwestern extremity. The bay is of economic importance for the sharks and other fishes in its waters and for the saltworks on its shores. The bay is also part of the El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve.
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San Ignacio North.
San Ignacio Downtown.
San Ignacio Natural history
Latitude: 27°17’29.67”N Longitude: 112°53’43.50”W San Ignacio is a palm oasis town in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, located between Guerrero Negro and Santa Rosalía. The town had a 2010 census population of 667 ]inhabitants and grew at the site of the Cochimí settlement of Kadakaamán and the Jesuit Mission San Ignacio founded in 1728 by Juan Bautista Luyando. At San Ignacio, Baja California’s arid Central Desert terrain gives way to a large grove of lush green date palms. A large spring-fed pond and small river on the outskirts of town feeds into the central plaza and village next to the eighteenthcentury Jesuit mission. San Ignacio serves as the gateway to San Ignacio Lagoon, the winter time sanctuary of the Pacific Gray Whale.
The locale has certain basaltic soils, providing clues as to the volcanic history of this region. There are a variety of desert flora and fauna in the vicinity of San Ignacio, notably including the Elephant tree, Bursera microphylla.
Location
San Ignacio is located approximately 856 km (532 mi) from the San Diego/Tijuana border crossing, a 10-12 hour drive. Driving only during daylight hours is recommended, due to livestock that frequently cross the road at night. Mexican Federal Highway 1 is a wellmaintained four-lane highway from Tijuana to Ensenada. South of Ensenada, the highway becomes a narrow (but well-maintained) twolane highway. There are numerous towns in which to purchase fuel, although none between El Rosario and Guerrero Negro, 305 km (190 mi) further south.
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San Ignacio
Places to Stay The Ignacio Springs Bed & Breakfast Terry and Gary Marcer love adventure, and they love to meet the many adventurous and interesting people who call ‘The Ignacio Springs Bed & Breakfast’ home. The expatriate Canadian couple have owned and personally run this unique destination since 2001. They have since created a literal oasis for those who enjoy nature and tranquility and breakfast is to die for! Contact them at mail@ignaciosprings.com. From outside of Mexico +52-615-154-0333
Things to See San Ignacio Lagoon (Laguna San Ignacio) is a lagoon located Mulegé Municipality in the Mexican province of Baja California Sur, 59 kilometres (37 mi) from San Ignacio, Mexico and Highway 1. It is one of the winter sanctuaries of the eastern Pacific gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus).
History San Ignacio Lagoon was originally discovered by whaling captain Jared Poole, brother-in-law to captain Charles Melville Scammon. The first whaling expedition to San Ignacio Lagoon occurred in 1860 led by Scammon and six whaling vessels. Although many whaling captains would not risk losing their ships to the treacherous sand bar shoals and narrow shallow water passage into the lagoon, enough bold whaling captains did and the beginning of the near extinction of the Pacific gray whale. The lagoon is now one of the primary destinations of the Gray Whale migration.
the lower lagoon. At the lower lagoon, you find the majority of the cetaceans and this is where most of the social behavior occurs. Here, males and females congregate looking for mates. In addition, the newborn calves with their mothers travel the length of the lower lagoon preparing themselves for the long journey north to their summer feeding grounds in the Arctic.
San Ignacio Lagoon’s significance to the world community In 1988 Mexico established the El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve to include San Ignacio Lagoon, which is Latin America’s largest wildlife sanctuary. Not only is San Ignacio lagoon a gray whale sanctuary, but it is the last and only undeveloped nursery and breeding ground in the world of the Pacific gray whale. San Ignacio lagoon is also the critical habitat for the near extinct Berrendo or prong-horned antelope and an important feeding habitat for four of the world’s seven species of sea turtles: leatherbacks, hawksbills, green turtles and Olive Ridleys (all endangered). In 1993 the United Nations declared San Ignacio lagoon a World Heritage site because of its importance to the world community.
Facts about San Ignacio Lagoon With a local community of less than one hundred inhabitants, the lagoon residents depend upon fishing and now whale watching as their primary means of support. The lagoon stretches sixteen miles into the desert and has a maximum width of five miles. The lagoon is divided into three sections. The upper lagoon is the shallowest part and is known as the birthing area where pregnant females travel to in order to bear their young. At the middle lagoon, you find mothers traveling with their newborns, getting them ready to join the majority of the whales at
Mission San Ignacio Kadakaamán, by Rachel Pack.
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Santa Rosalia North.
Santa Rosalia Downtown.
Santa Rosalia South.
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Santa Rosalia
Santa Rosalia, by Gregg M. Erickson.
Santa Rosalia Latitude: 27°20’26.71”N Longitude: 112°16’0.83”W Santa Rosalía is a city located on the Baja California peninsula, in the northern part of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. It was named after Saint Rosalia, although the reason for the name is not quite clear since the Misión de Santa Rosalía is not located by the town, but rather in Mulegé, about 100 km (62 mi) south, and the local parish is devoted to Santa Bárbara. (See: Spanish missions in California.) Santa Rosalía is a port city, and a regular ferry connects with Guaymas, Sonora, on the other side of the Gulf of California. At the Palo Verde Airport daily flights are available from Guaymas and twice a week from Hermosillo, Sonora. This town boasts French influence, particularly in its architecture. The French company El Boleo founded the town in 1884 and exploited copper mines there until they closed in 1954. They built houses and installed a metallic church building (The Santa Barbara parish) which is argued to have been designed by Gustave Eiffel. Unlike many other mining sites, the industrial facilities which are located in the very middle of
the town, were never dismantled. Of particular interest are the reverberatory furnace and themetallurgical converter, although they are currently not accessible by the public due to safety concerns. Old locomotives, mining equipment and machinery are visible everywhere. The main mining company offices (La dirección) have been converted into an industrial museum. The 2010 census showed a population of 11,765 persons. The city is the seat of the municipality of Mulegé.
Boleo Copper Mine Boleite (dark blue) and atacamite (bluegreen) in clay, a high-grade ore specimen from Boleo. The Boleo Mine is an unusual sedimenthosted copper-cobalt-zinc-manganese ore deposit. Seven large manto ore deposits have been identified. El Boleo was mined by a French company from 1885 until 1954. To prevent the economic collapse of Santa Rosalia and surrounding communities, a Mexican state-owned company (CMSRSA) assumed control and reopened the works using basically the same (rather
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide archaic) equipment and process used by the French. The government funded operation was never profitable, and the mine was finally closed in the 1980s, when lower-grade ore and old technology made continued operation impractical. Baja Mining, a Canadian firm, has been intermittently exploring and attempting to reopen the Boleo Mine since 2004. Baja Mining estimates their property contains a resource of 534 million tons of ore, containing 0.59% Cu, 0.051% Co, and 0.63% Zn. Baja also hopes to produce byproduct manganese. Baja Mining, in partnership with a Korean Consortium are currently developing the $1.4 Billion project. Copper production is scheduled for 2013.
Facts and controversy on the metal church One of the main attractions at the town is undoubtedly the metal church. Originally built entirely of stamped steel sheet squares, it is supported by a formidable steel structure in a sober and austere style. It has been brutally modified in favor of functionality (its former lateral corridors were turned into habitable space using crude masonry), and stripped of several of its original stained glasses. Despite these modifications, it still preserves some of the original 1800s spirit. Tradition credited its design to architect Gustave Eiffel and that it was shown in the 1889 Universal Exposition of Paris, France, along with the tower, and that it was awarded a prize. Originally destined for construction in Africa, the French company director Charles La Forgue found
it disassembled in Belgium and bought it in 1894, probably to alleviate the nostalgia of the French community who missed the lifestyle and glamour of the European architecture. In the early 1990s Angela Gardner, an American architectural student who visited Santa RosalĂa and examined the church, came to a hypothesis that the church design was from a different architect, belonging to the House of Duclo rather than Eiffel’s firm, to the dismay of the locals, who believe this would diminish the appreciation of the building. As no historical record or blueprint has appeared, neither version could be confirmed. The recent disclosure of the historical archives to the public by the INAH (Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History) has not provided additional information.
Iglesia Santa Barbara de Santa Rosalia. Designed in 1884 by Gustave Eiffel, built in 1887 Exhibited in Paris in 1889 along with the Eiffel Tower. Was kept dismanteled in Brussels, Belgica and moved to Santa Rosalia and installed 1896-1897. By Wonderlane.
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Mulege
Mulege Downtown.
Mulege East.
Mulege Latitude: 26°53’30’’N Longitude: 111°58’51’’W Area Code: 615 Postal Code: 23900 Mulege is located 38 miles south of Santa Rosalia in the Valley of Mulege River. The area was discovered by Juan Maria de Salvatierra, a Jesuit missionary. In 1705, Santa Rosalia de Mulege Mission was founded by two Jesuits: Juan Maria Basaldúa and Juan de Ugart. Though the city is known under the name of Mulege, it is officially called Heroica Mulege. The city received this name as a result of the events which took place during the Mexican-
American wars between 1846 and 1848. The main attractions of the city are the Bahia de Conception and the Santa Rosalia Mission. Bahia de Conception is located several kilometers away from Mulege, and it attracts numerous tourists with its beautiful, pristine beaches. The Santa Rosalia Mission is an outstanding landmark of Mulege which resisted in time against all odds.
Climate Just like the entire Baja California Peninsula, Mulege is characterized by extremely low precipitation rates. The highest precipitation level is registered between the months of August-October. During this period, Mulege is
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide sometimes affected by hurricanes. Rains are not frequent in Baja, but when it does rain, the precipitations are abundant.
Getting there By Plane The closest airports to Mulege are the Loreto Airport (85 miles) and Los Cabos Airport (300 miles). There are several airlines which have flights to Loreto Airport: Aeroméxico (www. aeromexico.com), Alaska Airlines (www. alaskaair.com), and Delta (www.delta.com). From Loreto, the best option is to take a cab or rent a car for the one hour and a half trip. The most popular airlines that fly to Los Cabos are Continental Airlines (www.continental.com), Air Canada (www.aircanada.com), and United Airlines (www.united.com).
By Car From Tijuana border crossing, drive 618 miles (12 hours).
By Bus In Mulege, the bus station is located on the highway, next to the arches, on the northern entrance into the town. The buses have regular rides around Baja, and they provide various levels of comfort.
Getting around
Since Mulege is such a small town, the best way to get around is walking. The houses are not numbered, but orientation is not difficult. Bus service is not available, but there are taxis waiting in the central plaza.
Timeline of historical events
1705 – Juan de Basaldúa founds Santa Rosalia de Mulege Mission. 1754 – Francisco Escalante begins the construction of the church mission which would be completed in 1766. 1847 – During the armed conflict with the US, Mulege protects its independence under the leadership of Manuel Pineda. This feat resulted in changing the name of the town from Mulege to Heroica Mulege. The name is being used to this day.
1916 – Governor Enrique Moreno issued a decree that led to the foundation of Santa Rosalia Municipality. 1973 – The sea route Santa Rosalia – Guaymas is opened; this encouraged trade and tourism in the area. 1974 – The inauguration of Transpeninsular Highway introduced a new age for the people of Baja California.
Visitor Information
Mulege does not have a dedicated visitor information office. Those who need tourist information can visit Hotel Las Casitas which is located in the center of the town on Francisco Madero Street (615-153-0019)
About Mulege, Baja California Sur
Since the opening of the Transpeninsular Highway, tourism has been the main source of income in Mulege. The town is located in a region dominated by the Mulege River, and its history started in 1705 once the Santa Rosalia Mission was created. The mission is L shaped, and it is made of stone. Even though the establishment went through numerous restorations in the past centuries, its appearance and structure have not been altered significantly. But the mission is not the only attraction of Mulege. Bahia de Conception is considered one of the most beautiful places in Baja California, and this reputation has been rightfully earned. The bay covers a surface of 43 Km., and it is located near the Sea of Cortez. Those who want to camp on the beach will need to pay a fee. Water activities are extremely popular here, and the conditions are optimal for snorkeling, kayaking, diving, fishing, water skiing, windsurfing, sailing and others. The best time to enjoy the colorful and fascinating Bahia de Conception is during spring and fall. Rupestrian art is another attraction of Mulege. Tourists can admire this outstanding art in Sierra de San Borjita and La Trinidad. The 7500 years old paintings depict both human and animal figures. To catch a glimpse of the region’s ancient history, visit Mulege Community Museum that exhibits a collection of fossils and artifacts.
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Mulege The establishment was built in 1910, and it served for many years as a jail without bars. In Mulege, there are many hotels for all budgets, RV Parks restaurants, and shops. In addition, many local companies organize tours and activities that allow visitors become familiar with the spectacular surroundings.
potential of the vacant building and created a museum together with a couple of volunteers. The small museum presents a collection of local artifacts and the desk belonging to writer Erle Stanley Gardner. Those who want to pay a visit should announce the curator, because the museum is open only occasionally.
Business Directory
Mision Santa Rosalia de Mulege
Municipal Health Center / Issste....................... 615-153-0298 Judicial Police.................................. 615-153-0049 Mexican Red Cross.......................... 615-153-0280 Municipal Delegation........................ 615-153-0049 State Tourism................................... 615-124-0199 Taxi Service..................................... 615-153-0420 Traffic Department........................... 615-153-0049 Bomberos........................................ 615 153-0666 Immigration (Santa Rosalia)............. 615 152-0313
Things to See in Mulege Regional Museum of History This establishment sheltered a prison between 1907 and 1975. Recently, a historian saw the
The mission was founded in 1706, and after a thorough restoration, it has een used as a Catholic Church. The church is not accessible outside service hours, but the beautiful and clear view of the town has turned the Mission into an important attraction for tourists.
Mulege Bahia Conception The virtually untouched Bahia Conception provides spectacular beaches for camping, and it can easily be reached with a 20 minute drive. The beaches are called Santispac, Concepcion, and La Escondida. The waters near these beaches are still, so they are excellent for snorkeling and diving. Locals will rent kayaks and other equipment necessary for these water activities.
Christine Wood cooking up a bite to eat in her beach palapa on Playa Coyote, Mulege by Raine Fisher.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide San Borjitas Cave Paintings The cave paintings from San Borjitas contain around 50 human figures, many petroglyphs (rock carvings), and several other representations. The newest road in the area will take travelers to a one mile distance from the caves. Visitors can park their car at Rancho San Baltasar and continue the trip by foot. A guide is recommended to visit the paintings. Salvador Castro Drew is a local guide and he has signs all over town, but Las Casitas is the best way to contact him (or ask any taxi driver... he drives taxi also).
La Trinidad Cave Paintings The 4 mile trek to La Trinidad caves is more challenging than the previous one, and tourists will need to cross three rivers by swimming. The most notable representations are the deer silhouettes which are sometimes referred to as the “Trinidad deer”. Additionally, there are many humanoid representations which are known under the name of “cardón man” because they are similar with the cardón cacti.
Things to Do in Mulege Water activities Mulege provides excellent opportunities for practicing all sorts of water activities. However, it is not advisable to swim close to town, the best spots for snorkeling and diving are by far the areas surrounding Bahía Concepción, Punta Chivato and the small islands of Santa Inez and San Marcos. The most appropriate time for diving and snorkeling is between August and November when the visibility is excellent and the waters are warm. The best way to explore the coves scattered along the shoreline is with a kayak. A popular spot for kayaking is Bahía Concepción. The water is remarkably calm and the sandy beaches near the cove are inviting. The kayak is the best means of transportation for those who want to observe the fauna of the region. The whale-watching season starts in January and lasts up until March. San Ignacio Lagoon is the temporary home for many gray whales that are particularly friendly with the occasional visitors. Although not in Mulege, it is only an 85-mile drive across the peninsula to
the Pacific. Whales can be spotted near Mulege throughout the year, but most people prefer to come during the gray whale season. Located south of Mulege, Bahía Concepción attracts people who are passionate about windsurfing and kiteboarding. Even though Bahía Concepción is not as popular as Buenavista or La Ventana, the windy afternoons, make it a convenient spot for both windsurfing and kiteboarding. In this small town, many hotels offer tourists the opportunity to enjoy these water related activities. They arrange the trip and provide the necessary equipment. Mulege Tours (615153-0232, http://www.mulegetours.com/) organizes a large variety of outdoor activities, including whale watching and kayaking.
Fishing The most frequently encountered species of fish near Mulege are the leopard grouper and the yellowtail, especially during the wintertime. In the summer, the waters near Mulege become populated by many other species, such as the dorado, barracuda, billfish, ladyfish, tuna, and several kinds of snappers. The mangrove area is the home for some of biggest snooks in the world, and they are notoriously powerful and difficult to catch. Sportfishing trips can be arranged with the help of Capitan’s Sportfishing (615-153-0179), Los Frailes Sportfishing (615-152-0373), and Mulege Sportfishing (615-153-0244). Every year, two fishing tournaments take place, one dedicated to the dorado and another one to the yellowtail. On the event website, potential participants can review the tournament regulations and the dates of coming events. All proceeds go to several local non-profit groups: the Firefighters of Mulege, the Rotary Dental/Eye Clinic, and PAW Animal Clinic. A part of these funds will be used to rehabilitate various public facilities. Email address: info@mulegefishingtournament.com Website: http://mulegefishingtournament.com
Cave Paintings Explorations The cave paintings in Sierra de Guadalupe, which have been declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO, are famous for their size and
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Mulege complexity. La Trinidad is 18 miles away from Mulege, and it contains the most popular caves of all. The almost 4 mile long trek is made difficult by several rivers that need to be crossed by swimming. San Borjitas is another spot where cave art can be admired. People can make the trip to San Borjitas by foot or with a mule. The mural paintings represent deer and the
so called “cardón man” which bears a striking resemblance to the cardoon cactus. All these trips need to be made together with a licensed guide. One of these guides in Mulege is Salvador Castro who runs Mulege Tours (615153-0232). Javier Aguiar Zuniga, who is the owner of Las Casitas Hotel (615-152-3023), will also accept to organize a trip.
Raine Fisher, Canada Bob’s, and friends enjoy a bite to eat on Playa Coyote, Mulege by Christine Wood.
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The gangs all in Mulege on the beach.
Camping in Bahía Concepción Bahía Concepción is located near the sea of Cortez just 20 south of Mulegé, and it is one of the biggest bays in Baja California. Apart from the almost unearthly beautiful scenery, Bahía Concepción is famous for its vast stretches of serene beaches. From north to south, here are the beaches of Bahía Concepción: Los Naranjos, Punta Arena, Santispac, Escondida, Los Cocos, El Coyote, Buenaventure, El Requeson, and Armenta. The most popular activities in the area are sailing and kayaking. The wind is light, so a beginner will handle the kayak with great ease. Sailors will find the numerous anchorages a real blessing. The waters near the bay used to be full of scallops, oysters, and clams, but excessive fishing has taken a dramatic toll on the marine life. As a result, fishing in Bahía Concepción might not be the best option in terms of entertainment. Most people who come to visit Bahía Concepción prefer to camp right on a beach because this enables them to feel as close as possible to the nature. There are many campgrounds in the bay, and the prices vary depending on the facilities provided. While some of the campgrounds are extremely basic,
others offer complete services. Here is a list of campgrounds in Bahía Concepción, from north to south.
Punta Arena
The campground offers 50 sites, which are arranged in such a way to ensure easy access. Travelers should watch out for soft spots, and it is advisable to boot the vehicle on the road to eliminate the risk of getting stuck. No facilities. Directions: Drive on Highway 1 south of Mulegé. On reaching Km. 118, go east until you reach a Y. Turn left and drive 1.8 miles.
Playa Santispac on Bahía Concepción
Many people who travel to the area stop here on Playa Santispac. This is the largest beach of all, and it always attracts the biggest crowd, partly due to its location. The campground is appropriate for both RV’s and tents, and it gets extremely busy during peak season. Facilities: toilets, showers, palapas, café, restaurant Directions: On Santispac Cove, 13 miles away from Mulegé on Highway 1 and then one quarter of a mile away from Highway 1.
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Mulege
Punta Chivato Campground
People who choose to stay at Punta Chivato Campground can have fishing trips organized for them. No facilities. Directions: 13 miles away from Mulegé on Highway 1, then turn on a graded dirt road and drive 14 more miles.
Posada Conception
This medium-sized beach is positioned close to several offshore islands. The campground is divided between a tent area and an RV area with 13 spots. The beach is appropriate for launching boats and kayaks. Posada Conception is located close to Playa Santispac that has a restaurant. Facilities: full hook-ups, toilets, showers, tennis, spa, tennis Directions: 14 miles away from Mulegé, at Km. 112
Playa El Burro
This is a small beach, but it is so beautiful that it is difficult to find a vacant place. The facilities are minimal, but the prices are extremely inexpensive. Facilities: palapas, toilets, boat launching over sand Directions: Drive 16 miles south of Mulegé on Highway 1. The beach is located at Km. 109 off the Baja Highway.
Bahia El Coyote
This is a remarkably popular campground, and this is why most campers and RV owners return here all the time. The best places are located under the palm trees or on the considerably more private south end. There is a small island not far away from the beach. Facilities: toilets, cabanas Directions: 17 miles away from Mulegé on Highway 1. Once you reach the beach sign, go south for another half a mile.
Playa Buenaventura
Due to the hotel near-by, there is not too much space left for camping on Playa Buenaventura. However, there are several palapas on the beach that provide the perfect
opportunity to enjoy the quiet atmosphere. Facilities: hot showers for a small fee, free toilets Directions: Off the Baja Blacktop at Km.94.5.
Playa Fiesta
This secluded beach is located just a short distance from Playa Requeson. The camping space is small but able to accommodate a couple of people. No facilities. Directions: Off the Baja Blacktop at Km. 92.5
Playa Requeson
The beach is big enough for a large group, even though it is not even close to Playa Santispac in terms of size. Apart from the picturesque beauty, the beach provides some exploration opportunities when the tide is out and it becomes connected with a small island. No facilities. Directions: Drive 27 miles south of Mulegé on Highway 1 until you reach Km. 93.5
Playa La Perla
Visitors can choose the camping spot that is closer to the water, but there is also a slightly raised area that provides an incredible view of the Sea of Cortez. Almost no facilities, but the prices are extremely low. Facilities: palapas Directions: Km. 92, off the Baja Highway.
Playa Armenta
This 200-yard long beach is good enough for RVs, but it is advisable to drive slowly on the dirt road that leads to it. The water near the beach is shallow, and the south end is a good snorkeling spot. Facilities: palapas, pit toilets Directions: Km. 91.5, below Baja Highway 1
Playa Pardida
Most people who come to Bahía Concepción don’t reach that far, but those who make the additional effort are never disappointed. The beach is remarkably little populated, but there are no facilities for campers. Directions: Km. 87, off the Baja blacktop.
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National Marine Park
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Loreto
Loreto North.
Loreto South.
Loreto Bay.
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www.bglclub.com bajagoodlifeclub@gmail.com Mex cell 686-230-9933 US 1-760-618-2582 US 1-877-LUV-MEX1 (1-877-588-6391) MX 1-882-LUV-MEX1 (1-882-588-6391)
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Loreto
Loreto City Hall photo by Wikipedia, via Wikimedia Commons.
Loreto Latitude: 26°00’46”N Longitude: 111°20’36”W Loreto is located 700 miles south of the United States-Mexico border, on the Sea of Cortez. This town of 13,000 is the oldest settlement in Baja California Sur. It was the very first capital city of upper and lower California for 132 years. This included southern Baja all the way to San Francisco.
The first mission in Loreto was built in 1697 and named Nuestra Señora de Loreto. There is now a mission museum on the site. After an 1829 hurricane nearly destroyed the settlement, the capital was moved to La Paz. This left Loreto and its 250 km. coastline virtually untouched until the 1970s. Since then, the area has seen remarkable development and draws in many visitors and part-time residents to enjoy the natural beauty that still looks as beautiful as it did when the first mission was built.
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Climate
Highway 1 will take you straight to Loreto.
Loreto’s climate is dominated by high temperature and humidity. The temperature is particularly hot between June and October. During autumn and winter, the weather is usually windy. The wettest months are August and September. During the Pacific Hurricane Season, from June 1 to November 30, the weather is occasionally marked by abundant rainfall, which sometimes causes floods.
By bus
Getting There By plane Loreto International Airport (IATA: LTO) is 15 minutes from downtown Loreto. It is currently only served by carrier Alaska Airlines (http://www.alaskaair.com/) from Los Angeles arriving 4 days a week (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays) using a 76 passenger turbo prop plane. Aereo Calafia (http://www.aereocalafia.com. mx ) started offering flights from San Jose del Cabo (IATA: SJD) to Loreto. Flights are on Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons with and reverse flights from Loreto to San Jose on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. Travelers can make most of the International arrival and departure connections in San Jose del Cabo, which provides them with lower priced options for flights to Cabo.
By car The distance from San Diego to Loreto is approximately 700 miles, and it can be covered in around 16 hours of driving. The trip on the Federal Highway 1 is thrilling due to the beautiful desert and mountain views. It is advisable to refill at every gas station because there are large distances where you will not be given the chance to stop for a refill. The highway is constantly being checked by the “Green Angels”, a group of mechanics who provide assistance for free to those who have problems with the car. Once you cross the border at San Ysidro, look for the signs, which say “Rosarito Beach, Ensenada Scenic Route” The route, runs parallel to the US-Mexico border. Next, follow the sign Rosarito-Ensenada Cuota (Toll Road). After you pass through the three toll booths, Mexico
Autotransportes de la Baja California (ABC) and Autotransportes Aguila have a station in the town, on Salvatierra Street. These lines operate services between Loreto and other destinations in Baja California and Baja California Sur (Mexicali, Tijuana, La Paz and Cabo San Lucas). From the US, the services are via Tijuana, where Greyhound has a station (the service involves bus change to the ones of ABC or Aguila lines).
By boat Cruise services are available from San Diego, which include dinner cruises, gambling cruises and ‘party excursions’. Private boats use the port facilities of Puerto Escondido (“Hidden Port”), a safe natural harbor surrounded by hills, located 30 minutes from downtown. This is the base for the Hidden Port Yacht Club.
Getting around
The best place in Loreto for having a long walk is El Malecon. This is a water front walk which distinguishes itself with its serenity and calmness. The Malecon together with the adjacent streets are riddled with restaurants, shops, galleries, bars, and various other tourist attractions. The town is small, so you can cover virtually any distance by foot. There are no buses in Loreto, so the alternative to walking is to take a taxi or drive a personal car. The taxi service is extremely cheap, and most taxis wait on Salvatierra Street. Since the majority of addresses in Loreto do not have numbers, people take the main square, the perpendicular streets, or the missions as reference points.
Timeline of historical events
1697 – Juan Maria de Salvatierra, a Jesuit missionary, founded the Loreto Mission. Loreto became the center of all the missions in the region. 1769 – California is divided into Old California and New California, which would later become known on under as Baja California and Alta California.
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Loreto 1777 – The Spanish crown decides that the capital of the two Californias will be moved from Loreto to Monterrey, Alta California. 1804 – Loreto is turned into the capital of Baja California 1828 – After 131 years, the capital of the region is moved from Loreto to San Jose, and a year later to La Paz. 1879 – Loreto is struck by powerful earthquakes, which took place intermittently between 19 and 29 May. 1917 – The Mexican Revolution begins. 1931 – By decree, Baja California is divided between Baja California Norte and Baja California Sur. 1948 – After 250 years, a complex project of reconstruction begins with the purpose of rehabilitating the Loreto Mission. 1973 – The inauguration of Transpeninsular Highway opens a new era for Baja California Sur and Loreto. 1974 – The international airport of Loreto is opened to the public. 1992 – In response to public demand, the government turns Loreto into a municipality.
Loreto Annual Events
May • Governor’s Cup – fishing tournament July • Fishing for the Mission – fishing charity tournament • Loreto Dorado International Fishing Tournament September • Our Lady of Loreto Festivities – religious, cultural and civic events. • Loreto 400 – off road racing event • Dorado Tournament Cup – state tournament October • Loreto Foundation Festivities – one of the most anticipated cultural events of Loreto December • San Javier Festivities – many pilgrims in the area come to Loreto during these festivities. • Loreto 300 miles – off road racing event The General Tourist Information Office is
located near the Palacio de Gobierno Building. Contact information: 613-135-0036 and 613135-0411.
About Loreto
Loreto has an international airport with 90-minute flights from Los Angeles. There are tons of seashells on the beaches of Loreto. Nopolo, Juncalito, Ensenada Blanca, Aqua Verde and San Bruno are all public beaches that are sure to impress even the most seasoned beach bum. You can take a boat tour of the area’s islands if you want to venture from the mainland. The main islands of Isla Danzante, Isla Carmen, Isla Coronado, Isla Catalina and Isla Monserrate are all part of the Loreto National Marine Park. The islands, beaches, and sea life are of particular interest for those who enjoy ecotourism. One eco-tourist draw the Loreto area has over other coastal towns of the world is the unique opportunity to see gray whales. You can take a boat trip out to sea to watch the whales during peak season. Under the clean ocean waters, there is an abundance of sea life to observe besides the migrating whales. Snorkeling and scuba diving are main attractions in Loreto. The water is always a soothing, warm temperature, and there is always plenty to see. The sea life found in the waters off Loreto is not just for observing. Sportfishing is one of the major attractions of this area. This industry just happens to be the largest employer of the people of Loreto. In the summer, dorado, Atlantic blue marlin, black marlin, striped bass and sailfish are plentiful. In the winter, yellowtail can be found in the waters. All year fishing enthusiasts can fish for snapper and sea bass. There are also major fishing tournaments in the area, drawing in huge crowds. There is plenty of culture and authentic Baja shops and galleries to enjoy in town. The Malecon, a waterfront walkway, is a mustsee part of any visit to Loreto. The walkway is peppered with coffee shops, traditional restaurants, galleries and specialty stores. The Malecon has many beautiful benches along the way to rest and enjoy the scenery. If you are staying in Loreto and want to venture outside of town for some sights and
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide fun, you do not have to go far. The resort community of Nopolo is less than 30km south of Loreto. There are beautiful beaches to explore, including Nopolo Beach and tourist shops. In addition, Nopolo is home to the 18hole Championship Golf Course. This golf course gives you views of the Sea of Cortez and La Gigante Mountain Range. The Sierra de la Gigante Mountain Range is also a fun adventure spot near Loreto. It is the tallest mountain range in Baja. The mountain is famous for canyons that have astonishing ancient cave paintings. Anyone who has ever enjoyed hiking will find the Sierra la Gigante to be one of the most beautiful spots on Earth for climbing. Because it gently lies along the coast and at the foot of a spectacular mountain range, Loreto is perfect for almost everyone in one way or another. The up-and-coming sense of luxury and sophistication along with wellpreserved authentic Baja heritage turns it into a perfect mix of old and new. The airport makes it a truly easy-to-get-to destination, yet it holds onto its out-of-the-way feel.
HOTEL / RENTALS El Tiburon Casitas..............US 805-755-5828 or MX 613-111-1614
Business Directory
Isla Santa Catalina
HOW TO CALL Dial to USA & Canada: 001 + area code + phone number Dial within Mexico: 01 + area code + phone number To Call U.S. 800 Numbers from Mexico *Some charges may apply 800 numbers: Dial 001-880-then the number 866 numbers: Dial 001-883-then the number 877 numbers: Dial 001-882-then the number 888 numbers: Dial 001-881-then the number
Emergency Numbers Bi-National Crises Line.......................................075 Federal Electricity Commission...........................071 Green Angels (Emergency Highway Road Service)... ........................................ 078 and (613) 133-0794 Fire Department............................... 613-135-1566 Legal Assistance................................................061 Red Cross - Ambulance................613-135-0035 or 613-135-1111 Red Cross..... 066 or 613-135-1111 – Tels. 078 and (613) 133-0794 Water Department (CESPE.................................073 Green Angels (Emergency Highway Road Service)... ........................................ 078 and (613) 133-0794
POLICE Federal Police.................................................... 060 Loreto Police.................................... 613-135-0035 IMMIGRATIONS SERVICES Loreto solutions............................... 613-135-1986 TRANSPORTATION ABC Bus.......................................... 613-135-0500
Things to See Natural attractions Coronado Island This volcanic island is part of the Islas del Golfo de California, and it is a protected region of the National Maritime Park. The waters of this island are home to numerous marine life species: sea urchins, dolphins, killer whales, starfish, fan coral, and many others. While the south side of the island is popular for snorkeling, the north part is highly appreciated by divers. Santa Catalina stands out among its sister islands with a series of fauna and flora species that are unique to these surroundings. As a result, this island is preferred by those who have a passion for nature and science. Many people come here for exceptional snorkeling and scuba diving.
Isla del Carmen This island is a lot bigger as compared to the other four, which belong to the Islas del Golfo de California. It is positioned 8 miles away from Loreto, and it beckons tourists with its extended beaches. With so much space to explore, no wonder Isla del Carmen is the most popular of all islands near Loreto.
Isla Danzante On this island, the soft sand beaches are replaced by a rough, rocky terrain. The flora is predominated by various species of cacti, and the sea is populated by octopuses and moray eels. This place is frequented by both divers and kayakers.
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Loreto
Isla Montserrat
Historical Attractions
This island is positioned on the road towards Carmen and Danzante Islands. Lobsters thrive in the waters near Isla Montserrat, and this attracts many tourists, particularly kayakers and divers. Hikers visit the island regularly to explore the existing trails.
Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó
The Bay of Loreto National Marine Park The park came into existence as a result of a presidential decree issued in 1996, and it protects over 2000 square kilometers of sea and five islands. Commercial fishing is strictly forbidden in this area and this interdiction resulted into the emergence of a thriving ecosystem of about 800 marine life species. Sport fishing is allowed, but only with a fishing permit.
Sierra Gigante Mountain Range This mountainous area covers the distance between the south of Loreto and the Sea of Cortez. These mountains are exceedingly popular among hikers and bikers who seek to learn more about the surroundings. Apart from the adventure itself, what attracts tourists are the ten thousand years old cave paintings.
City Landmarks El Malecon The Malecon (boardwalk) runs parallel with beach and has a large number of stores, restaurants, bars, and cafés. Every day, but especially during weekends, many locals and tourists spend time on the beach in front of El Malecon and admire the sunset or the yachts near the shore. In the early morning, the Malecon is active with people walking, running and cycling the nearly perfect 1-mile loop.
The Topiary Tunnel Even though it is not considered a significant attraction, the topiary tunnel definitely draws the attention of everybody. The trees located on two parallel streets have been made to grow in such a way that their branches merge and form something similar with a tunnel. The benches and the shade turn the Topiary Tunnel into an excellent place to have a stroll during a hot day.
This mission enjoys the status of the oldest such establishment in the whole Upper and Lower California. It was founded by the Jesuit missionary called Juan María de Salvatierra on October 25, 1697. Loreto developed around the mission, so today the building is right in the center of the city. Right next to it, there is the Museo de las Misiones.
Misión San Francisco Javier The second oldest mission in California is located at a 25 km. distance from Loreto. It was founded in 1699 by Jesuit missionary Francisco María Piccolo. Over the years, the establishment has been transformed into one of the most beautiful mission churches of Baja California, and today it is taken care of by the National Institute of Anthropology and History.
El Museo de los Misiones This building came into being during the 18th century. Since then, it has been rebuilt, and it has been used in many purposes. In chronological order, it served as a penitentiary, a police station, jailhouse, school, and nowadays it is the municipal museum of Loreto. The exhibitions piece together the colonial times of Baja and the impact of the Jesuits priests on the indigenous community. The museum is located right next to Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto. Address: Salvatierra Street. Phone number: 613-135-0441
Bay of Loreto National Marine Park
In July 1996, President Ernesto Zedillo made a historic decision for Loreto when he issued a decree according to which the Bay of Loreto National Marine Park (Parque National Bahia de Loreto) was to be protected by law. The initiative came from Loretanos and Grupo Ecologista Antares, a local conservation organization. From then on, the Bay of Loreto National Marine Park became one of the three protected areas in the Gulf of California, together with Colorado Biosphere Reserve and Cabo Pulmo. The park covers a surface of 1,283 miles in
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Loreto the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California), and it incorporates islands Coronado, Carmen, Danzante, Montserrat, and Santa Catalina. The new status granted to Loreto Bay had an immediate impact on industrial fishing companies that were not allowed to fish in the park anymore. In the past, industrial fishing boats were extremely frequent, and excessive fishing resulted in a dramatic depletion of the fauna near the islands. The locals of Loreto suffered as well because many of them relied on fishing for their daily livelihood. Today, citizens lead a lifestyle that does not bring any damage to the biologic diversity of the bay. The Bay of Loreto holds the national record for the highest number of marine mammal species. In the bay live no less than 29 species of such animals. There are 15 species of whales, 17 types of marine birds and 5 species of turtles. One of the species of turtle that live here is the elusive rare black turtle. Due to the abundance of marine life, many divers and snorkelers travel here just to explore the waters surrounding the islands of Loreto Bay. Coronado Island came into existence
because of volcanic activity. The island is located one mile away from the shore. The south side is appropriate for less skilled snorkelers, while the north side is popular among scuba divers. Coronado Island is almost unanimously considered the best spot for exploration in the whole Loreto Bay. Del Carmen Island is the biggest island of the group, and it is located eight miles away from the shore; a distance that can be covered in 35 minutes with a boat. Apart from the marine life, the water hides other attractions: a sunken freighter and the wreck of a small plane. Danzante Island is the smallest island, but it presents outstanding geological formations. If the water conditions are favorable, the island can be reached in 45 minutes. With the help of an instructor, tourists can explore vertical walls, canyons, coves, and crevices that have formed around the island. Those who are trained for deep-water diving can go to Los Candeleros that has a depth of around 200 feet. On the southern side of the park, Santa Catalina and Montserrat Islands offer some excellent diving spots as well. Go to the north of Monserrat
A typical afternoon at Augie’s Bar & Bait shop, one of Loreto most popular hang outs for fun, food and fishing lies by Rachel Pack.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide Island to venture into deep water diving. There are some rules that divers need to follow during the exploration. The diver is not allowed to touch or disturb the marine life, and observation of larger animals such as sharks, manta rays, dolphins, and whales should be made from a 5-meter (16 feet) distance. In addition, divers are not allowed to touch the corals or the rocks. Sportfishing is permitted, but under strict regulations. The boat and all the people travelling with it will need a Mexican fishing license, even those who do not fish. The practice “catch and release� is encouraged and anglers can catch as many fish as they want, if they release them back into the water. Those who want to take the fish with them will need to consult the back of the fishing license to find out what the restrictions are. Underwater fishing is allowed, but within the limit of five fish for each person in a single day. An important fact about fishing in Loreto Bay is that anglers are not allowed to catch any other animal that is not a finfish, for example,
mollusks, starfish, or crustaceans. The fish can be filleted only on the coast, and the fish scraps must be dumped in the designated spot. During their stay on the islands, tourists should do their best to limit their impact on the environment. They are encouraged to use only authorized areas for camping. Tourists should not leave behind any trash and any other organic or inorganic objects. The Loreto Bay is a vulnerable ecosystem, so everybody should take care not to introduce new fauna and flora on the islands. Mexican authorities and conservation organizations are struggling to preserve the bay as much as possible, so that future generations will have the possibility to enjoy its beauty. In recent years, several public beaches have been closed in order to allow monitoring of activities. The multiple strategies implemented by specialists in the area have considerably diminished the impact of tourism on the environment. Another priority is to educate the Loretanos so that they all become aware of the beauty that exists right next to them.
65 N. Calle Davis, Loreto www.eltiburoncasitas.com US 805-755-5828 Mex 044-613-111-1614 lizinloreto@gmail.com
Near the beach, marina, and Central Mission district. Easy walking distance from the four spacious and tastefully decorated Casitas that surround a sparkling pool and palapa/BBQ area. Comfortable Casitas with Queen or King beds.
full kitchens, filtered water, tiled showers, AC, ceiling fans, DVD/VHS players, Free WiFi, Bicycles, movie/book library, & secure parking within the quiet gated compound.
MC and VISA accepted. Long term rates available. 122 Book_09.indd 122
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Loreto
Loreto Mission, by El Quemuer del Amano.
Loreto Mission The small village of Loreto is considered the birthplace of the Californias, and this remarkable status is connected with the creation of the Loreto Mission. The full name of the mission is “Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó”. The first settlement on the vast territory of the Californias was Loreto, and in Loreto, the first building was the mission. The Loreto Mission came into existence in 1697, and it opened the road for the colonization process. To make sure that this achievement is handed down to posterity, the founders inscribed above the entrance to the mission “Cabeza y Madre de las Misiones de Baja y Alta California”, this is translated to “Head and Mother of the Missions of Lower and Upper California”. Life in Loreto is slow paced, but most residents know that their little sleepy village is unique in the whole of Baja. Loreto was not the first attempt to create a settlement in the Californias. In 1535, Hernán Cortés tried to found a colony in Bay of Santa Cruz, which would later become the Bay of La
Paz. Missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino also tested his luck in San Bruno, just 20 km. north of Loreto, but he failed to achieve his goal. Due to these failures, the Spanish government was reluctant to finance another endeavor, but this did not prevent Jesuit missionary Juan Maria Salvatierra from heading for California. His determination came to fruition on October 19, 1697. On the location, the new arrivals set up a modest structure with a wooden cross at the entrance. The building process of the church was started in 1699, and it lasted up until 1704. By the time the construction was finished, the Jesuits already managed to baptize around 200 Cochimi Indians. Due to the increasing number of people who attended the sermons, the building was enlarged during the early 1740s. In 1742, the reconstruction works offered the mission the appearance it has today. Subsequent reconstructions would preserve this centuries-old architecture. In 1768, after seven decades of activity, the Jesuit missionaries were banished from the Californias by Charles III of Spain. He took this
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide drastic measure due to multiple accusations leveled against the Jesuits for excessive wealth accumulation, smuggling, and mistreatment of natives. The Jesuits were replaced by the Franciscans led by Father Junipero Serra, and in 1773, the mission was taken over by the Dominican Order. Once the Mexican people obtained independence in 1821, the mission gradually started to fall into oblivion. In addition, the native people of the Californias disappeared due to new diseases introduced by the colonists. The 19th century came with a hurricane in 1829 and with a powerful earthquake in 1877. Against all odds, the building remained standing. Up until that moment, Loreto had been the capital of both Upper and Baja California for 100 years. Due to the hurricane, the capital was moved to La Paz, and Loreto progressively lost its importance. The church underwent several restorations during the following two centuries and the most significant improvement was the bell tower built in the mid-20th century. This major restoration is linked with the anecdotic story of Padre Don Modesto Sanchez Mayon. He arrived to Loreto in 1950 and took an instant interest in the mission. He wanted to rebuild it, but he was short of money. One intriguing fact about Padre Modesto was that he occasionally played the
lottery. Whether it was divine intervention or sheer luck, the Padre won 500,000 pesos in the National Lottery of Mexico. Just as he promised during his prayers, he used the money to refurbish the mission. Loretanos celebrate their most cherished symbol on the Festival of Our Lady of Loreto in September. Nineteen ninety-seven was a momentous year because it marked the 300th birthday of the mission. Every year, the fiesta starts in Loreto, but it goes well beyond its boundaries to the neighboring cities. Loreto Mission is usually in the limelight during the Jesuits Mission Festival in October. Today, the mission is located on Salvatierra Street, corner with Pino Suárez. In the church, there is the Virgen de Loreto, which has remained the same ever since the place was built. Another inheritance from the old times is a gilded altar. Next to the church, there is a museum. The exhibitions reconstruct the hardships endured by the indigenous communities, but they also praise the numerous achievements of the Spanish missionaries and settlers. Note: the story with the lucky Padre was taken from a terrific book, entitled “Baja Legends – the historic characters, events, and locations that put Baja California on the map” by Greg Niemann.
Loreto Mission Courtyard by Rachel Pack.
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Loreto
San Javier by Michael McCullough.
Mission of San Javier One of the Best Preserved Missions in Existence A Jesuit priest named Juan María de Salvatierra establish the first permanent Spanish settlement, the Misión Nuestra Senora de Loreto Conchó. Founded, on October 19, 1697, the Mission went on to become the religious and administrative capital of Baja California. From there, other Jesuits went out to establish other settlements throughout the peninsula, founding a total of 18 missions along the initial segment of El Camino Real over the next seven decades. One of the 18 missions is the Mission of San Javier, which was built by Spanish Jesuit Miguel del Barco in 1744, and it is generally claimed to be the most beautiful and one of the best-preserved missions in existence. Jesuit Father Francisco María Píccolo visited the place on May 11, 1699, two years after the founding of Loreto, and started the construction of a chapel in October of the same year. Father
Juan María de Salvatierra dedicated it to All Saints on November 1. The site was abandoned in 1701 because of a threatened Indian revolt. Father Juan de Ugarte, one of the most esteemed missionaries of the conquest, reestablished the mission in 1702. A few years later it was moved to the better-watered present location of the community of San Javier, Baja California Sur. The energetic Ugarte constructed dams, aqueducts and stone buildings. He introduced cattle breeding, big and small species, developed agriculture and taught the locals to thread and knit wool, not only for themselves, but also for the missionary project in general. In 1744, a few years after Ugarte’s death, Father Miguel del Barco (1706–1790) began to build the present mission church, which took 14 years to complete. The three magnificent gilded baroque retablos (altarpieces) came from Tepotzotlán, just north of Mexico City, and were brought here on the backs of mules, along with oil paintings and other religious paraphernalia. Miguel del Barco was responsible for building
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Loreto what has been called “the jewel of the Baja California mission churches.” Due to the ravages of European diseases, the native population declined steadily through the Jesuit period (1699–1768) and then more steeply after the missionaries of that order were expelled from Baja California. By 1817, the mission was deserted. The church has been restored and is now maintained by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History. Remarkably, the church really hasn’t changed much over the last 250 years.
How To Get There
The mission of San Javier is located in the Sierra la Giganta, the mountain range to the west. The junction is 7 km south of Loreto at Km 118. As of August 2009, half of the 36-kilometer mountain road to San Javier is paved. The drive to the San Javier will take around two hours. You’ll want to stop and see Cuevas Pintas, one of the most easily accessible locations in all of Baja to see cave paintings. Abstract figures, thought to be the visions experienced by a shaman during a trance adorn a protected rock overhang. The area sits in a small canyon oasis with a cascading stream flowing over large boulders and between the tall swaying palms. As you climb the mountains, you can look back and see a magnificent view of the Sea of Cortez and Isla de Carmen. You’ll marvel at the desert countryside, with its unique flora and fauna. You’ll also want to visit to the olive orchards planted by the Jesuits, a stopover visit to Las Parras Ranch, with a charming orchard at the bottom of a canyon, a natural spring and fruit trees, remnants of the Jesuit presence in the area, an irrigation systems introduced by the Jesuits that is still in use today, a more than 200-year-old chapel. This route is a winding mountain road, rocky in places, with some steep sections and occasional mud from the mountain rains. Once you reach the top of the range, you’ll cross the high Chaparral and several large ranches. The village of San Javier is an oasis in a semi-arid mountain wilderness with about 60 inhabitants, which live in small houses that run up and down the few narrow, clean,
cobblestone streets. The community sits center a small valley surrounded on all sides by tall mountains with a stream running through. It offers very limited tourist services, but does include a small store, restaurant, motel and police station. Any trip to Loreto should include a side trip to San Javier. This is not only one of the most amazing missions in the Californias, but a very beautiful drive and a look back at the history of the region and Baja California Sur. On your way back down the mountain, just a kilometer before reaching the Highway 1 junction is Del Barracho Saloon. This is a “must do” addition to the San Javier trip. Stop for a game of pool, awesome burger, or cold beverage; this is one of the few locations with actual draft beer, including dark. Excursion Length: 6 Hours What You Need: Comfortable shirt and pants or shorts Bottled water for the drive to and from the Mission Windbreaker or sweater Sunscreen Your camera Who Should Take This Tour: Anyone interested in Mexican history Anyone interested in the history of the Missions in the New World Anyone who’d like to learn some of the history and lore of Baja California Anyone looking for a low impact excursion Resources: Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org Mexconnect, www.mexconnect.com Viva Travel Guides, Vivatravelguides.com Escapist, www.escapist.com Cruise Port Insider, www.cruiseportinsider.com Answers.com Additional Reading: Baja California Sur http://www.bcs.gob.mx/varios/ruta_de_ las_misiones/misiones/san_fco_javier_ viggebiaundo_eng.htm
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Ciudad Constitución Latitude: 25° 1’32.38”N Longitude: 111°39’35.92”W Ciudad Constitución is a city in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. It is the seat of the municipality of Comondú and is located 210 kilometers north of La Paz, Baja California Sur, and 147 kilometers south of Loreto, Baja California Sur. Ciudad Constitución’s population was 40,935 inhabitants at the 2010 census. It is the fifth-largest community in the state (behind La Paz, San José del Cabo, Cabo San Lucas, and Colonia del Sol). Ciudad Constitución is a small city which serves as a gateway to Magdalena Bay. It is also close to the Baja 1000 course. The colonization of Valle de Santo Domingo (Valley of Santo Domingo) originated around 1940. A ranch called El Crucero (The Crossroad) was settled in a crossroad. Because of this, people started to gather around it and the population started to grow. It quickly became a commercial hub and an obligatory travel stop for all the inhabitants of Valle de Santo Domingo, as well as for people going north or south on the peninsula. Then, it became known as Villa Constitución, and later, Ciudad Constitución. Even today, many locals still call it “El Crucero”. Every 5th of February the city becomes the state’s capital for one day. Since 1996, the Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Ciudad Constitución serves as a higher education institution. Ciudad Constitución’s mainstay is the cultivation of wheat, chickpea, cotton, asparagus, citrics, vegetables, among others crops. The city also has a dairy products processing plant (pasteurized milk, yogurt, fruit
City view of Ciudad Constitución.
beverages): “Unión de Ejidos 20 de Noviembre”. Ciudad Constitución has a few small hotels (Hotel El Conquistador, Hotel Conchita, Hotel Maribel, Hotel Ryal), supermarkets (Super Ley, Super Murillo), gas stations, travel agencies (Viajes Pedrín), etc. In Ciudad Constitución and nearby areas mobile phone service is provided by Telcel (AMPS/TDMA 800) and Movistar (AMPS 800), both carriers also operate newer GSM 1900 networks. The Mexican long distance area code for the municipalities of Comondú and Loreto is 613. Internet access is possible in cybercafes through the city’s downtown, as well as by dial-up access from regular landlines. Communication with remote areas of Valle de Santo Domingo, nearby islands, and other remote regions of the municipality of Comondú is mainly possible by means of a local AM radio station (XEVSD 1440 kHz).
Transportation For air travel, the city is served by the Ciudad Constitución Airport, which is a small airfield where two regional airlines provide service to Los Mochis and Ciudad Obregón. The airport also handles air taxi service. The city’s nearest major airports are located in Loreto (Loreto International Airport), La Paz (Manuel Márquez de León International Airport) and San José del Cabo (Los Cabos International Airport). Small aircraft make use of local dirt runaways. Autotransportes Águila is a bus line which covers all the length of the Baja California Peninsula, mainly along Mexican Federal Highway 1 (also known as “Carretera Transpeninsular”), and has an office in Ciudad Constitución.
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Ciudad Constitución / Ciudad Insurgentes / La Purísima
Ciudad Insurgentes Latitude: 25°15’6.64”N Longitude: 111°45’54.97”W Ciudad Insurgentes is a city in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. It is the secondlargest community in the municipality of Comondú and is located 250 kilometers north of La Paz, Baja California Sur, and 177 kilometers south of Loreto, Baja California Sur, where Highway 1, and Highway 53 meet. Ciudad Insurgentes’s population was 8,741 inhabitants at the 2010 census. The community lies at an average height of 90ft./ 30 mt. above sea level. Population in Ciudad Insurgentes: The total population of Ciudad Insurgentes is of 8,741 people, of which there is almost a 50/50 male to female ratio. Approx. one half are adult, a quarter are minors and nearly 600 are over 60 years.
Economic:
In Ciudad Insurgentes exist about 1797 households. Of these 1783 households, 222
are without floor and about 112 consist of one room. 1737 of the normal households have sanitary installations, 1751 are connected to the public water supply, 1733 have access to electricity. The economic situation allows 252 households to own a computer, 1202 own a washing machine and 1711 have televisions. Warning: Ciudad Insurgentes is a traffic trap. The local police have a reputation of stopping foreign travelers to extort money for false traffic infractions. Drive carefully, slowly and obey all traffic signs. If you are stopped, do not offer money and do not pay money. If there is a ticket, then request you go to the police station to pay the fine. One suggestion is to make a laminated color photocopy of your driver license, and when asked to provide your license, provide the copy instead of the original. The if you are told you need to go to the police station the following day to pick it up, you can agree and then just leave without needing to pick up your copied license. .
La Purísima Latitude: 26°11’4.04”N Longitude: 112° 4’35.91”W La Purísima is a small village located in the north part of Comondú, around 70 miles away from Ciudad Insurgentes. The easiest way to get to La Purisima is to take the road from Ciudad Insurgentes. A second route is the one that departs from Mexico 1 at a turnoff south of Bahía Concepción (Km. 60). The community was established in 1720 by the Jesuit missionary Nicolás Tamaral. The missionaries chose this location because
of the underground springs appropriate for cattle-raising and agriculture. The village got abandoned in 1822, but at the end of the 19th century, some Mexican farmers settled in the area. Today, the ruins of the mission still exist in the north side of the town. La Purísima has some basic services, such as a mini market, post office, and pharmacy. This is a nice place for picnicking, fishing and swimming. The village is located close to San Juanico and Laguna San Ignacio, two big attractions of Baja California Sur.
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San Juanico
San Juanico - Scorpion Bay.
San Juanico Latitude: 26°15’27.07”N Longitude: 112°28’44.55”W San Juanico, also known as the Scorpion Bay, is a small fishing village of 647 people according to 2010 census, and is located approximately 100 miles north of Ciudad Insurgentes and 100 miles south of San Ignacio, in the municipality of Comondú. The closest town to San Juanico is La Purísima. This little village is currently in full transition, as it attracts an increasing number of foreigners who come here to surf or relax. There are four different ways to get to San Juanico, and none of them are simple, one of charms of this community and also why it has remained an unspoiled gem. Of the four routes, the longest route passes through Santa Rosalia, Mulegé, Loreto, Ciudad Insurgentes and the outskirts of La Purísima; a total of 889 miles from Tijuana. This is the longest and the easiest route. A shorter route goes through Santa Rosalia, Mulegé and San Isidro/ La Purísima; a total of 684 miles from Tijuana. This route is shorter, but it is more appropriate for four wheel drive vehicles or trucks because it has 69 miles of dirt road. The third route goes through Abreojos, south of San Ignacio, San Angel, Cuarenta, San Jose de Gracia, Raymundo, and Cadajé; a total of 650 miles from Tijuana. This is the shortest, but the most difficult route, with 105 miles of dirt road. The last option and first choice of many, it from San
Ignacio to San Ignacio Lagoon, south through the salt flats past El Datil and Cadeje; a total of 630 miles from Tijuana, with 100 miles of dirt road and salt flats. The biggest tourist attraction in San Juanico is surfing. The Scorpion Bay offers waves appropriate for surfers of all levels. The bay has 8 points, but only 4 points that break to the right, however each of them have their own features, and are able to offer a world-class surfing experience. Local fishermen are willing to hire their boats and take tourists on a halfday fishing trip. Shore fishing is also great, especially south of town at the rivermouth. This little town has a couple of restaurants, taco stands, and hotels. The most popular accommodation option in San Juanico is camping. The Scorpion Bay Cantina has the best camping services in town at the point, but beach camping is also common. There are almost 20 miles of beaches south of San Juanico, while Playa Juan y Juan and Playa Pescador are closest to town. Even though the local services are not extremely diverse, new businesses are created frequently to meet the increasing demands of tourists. The little town is powered by generators. However, spinning to the northwest of town are dozens of windmills, and although they could produce power and still spin as if they did, they unfortunately do not have any operating batteries attached to them, and are useless.
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Map illustration by John Pack.
La Paz - Beach map
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La Paz
La Paz Downtown South.
La Paz Downtown Central.
La Paz Downtown North.
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The Bay of La Paz with sculpture in the foreground. Photo by Rachel Pack.
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La Paz
La Paz Cathedral, built in 1720, this church has both historical and architectural importance for the city. Photo by Rachel Pack.
La Paz Latitude: 24°08’32’N Longitude: 110°18’39’W The city is located between the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Gulf of California to the east, in the bay which has the same name. La Paz is the capital of Baja California Sur, and it has a population of 215,178 persons according to the 2010 census. In recent years, the population has increased dramatically, mainly because the standard of living in La Paz is considerably higher than the one in the rest of the country. The first people who inhabited the area lived more than 12,000 years ago, and they left plenty of traces which certify their existence. The place was discovered in 1535 by Hernán Cortés, but he failed to create a colony. Later on, in 1596, Sebastián Vizcaíno arrived to finish what Cortes started and named the new settlement “La Paz”. Today, La Paz attracts numerous tourists
who come here to enjoy the beautiful beaches, outstanding sunsets, and colonial architecture. The coast of La Paz is the largest in Mexico, and it measures 2,230 miles. As a result, it does not come as a surprise that water related activities are extremely popular. As if the natural wonders were not enough, La Paz also has a particularly rich history and culture.
Climate As it is usually the case in Baja California Sur, the climate in La Paz is arid, warm and, there are around 300 sunny days a year. Rain is not frequent, though heavy downpours occur occasionally. The coldest days are during December, January and February with temperature as low as 15° Celsius (59° Fahrenheit). The La Paz Bay is extremely significant because it keeps the temperature mild and it protects the city from the storms which are formed in the Sea of Cortez. What makes the
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Simon Loftus I 612-159-3060 Cell I simon@amistadrealtors.com
Real Estate
Property Management
At Amistad Real Estate we are on hand to guide you through a search of La Paz and once you have selected the properties which you wish to investigate in more detail we are there to show you each and every one of them.
Amistad Real Estate provides a Property Management service for owners here in La Paz. We take all the hassle and worry about owning a home, giving you the confidence that you will be returning to paradise in La paz just as you left it.
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La Paz weather in La Paz so pleasing as compared with the almost oppressive heat in other towns is the Coromuel wind. This wind is unique to La Paz, and it manifests as a cooling breeze which diminishes the effects of high temperatures.
Getting There By Plane The airport of La Paz is called General Manuel Márquez De León International Airport and it is located 11 miles away from the town. The best companies which have flights to La Paz are Alaska Airlines (www.alaskaair.com), Delta (www.delta.com), and Aeroméxico (www.aeromexico.com). At the airport, there are several options to get to the town: airport colectivos, shuttles, taxi service, and car rental.
By Bus Greyhound can take you from San Diego or Los Angeles to Tijuana. From Tijuana to San Jose del Cabo, you can choose one of the following three main bus companies: Autotransportes de Baja California (ABC - http://www.transportes-abc.com/), Tres Estrelles de Oro (http://www.estrelladeoro. com.mx/), and Transportes Aquila. From San Jose del Cabo, there are two possible routes to La Paz. For reservations and schedule, call 011-52 -664-626-7101, the Tijuana terminal.
Beach, Ensenada Scenic Route”. This road goes along the Mexico-U.S. border. Afterwards, follow the sign which says Rosarito/Ensenada/ Ensenada Cuota (toll road). On this road, there will be three toll booths. Once you pass the three toll booths, take the Mexico Highway 1 which will lead you straight to La Paz.
Getting Around Most tourist attractions can be found on El Malecon or a few blocks away from the waterfront, which means that walking is an excellent way to get around La Paz. Since 2011, La Paz has a new bicycle lane on El Malecon in an effort to make everyone safer. A public bus is available, but the routes do not cover all the beaches north of town. To see all the areas of La Paz, use the taxi or rent a car.
Timeline of historical events
Baja Ferries (http://www.bajaferries.com/) connects La Paz with Topolobambo and Mazatlan. The tickets can be purchased from the Baja Ferry offices in La Paz or any Banamex Bank in Mexico. Passengers can book a cabin with four beds and a bathroom, a junior suite or a master suite. The ferry has a restaurant, a café, and a bar. The fare includes a free meal. To see a list with the schedule and fees, visit the company’s website.
1535 – The conquistador Hernán Cortés reaches the Peninsula and calls it Santa Cruz Bay. 1596 – Admiral Sebastian Vizcaino changes its name to La Paz. 1683 – Admiral Isidro de Atondo y Antillón takes over and establishes a port called Puerto de Nuestra Señora de La Paz 1720 – La Paz Mission is founded by Jesuit missionaries Juan de Ugarte y Jaime Bravo. 1830 – The capital of the Californias is transferred to La Paz under the leadership of Manuel Victorio. 1853 – The filibuster Wílliam Walker attacks La Paz and establishes a republic. Faced with vehement protests, Walker leaves La Paz. 1912 – The vice president Pino Suarez visits La Paz and he is received with great sympathy. 1972 – The first municipal council in La Paz is created. 1975 – La Paz becomes the capital of the state. 1981 – The municipality of La Paz is divided and Los Cabos comes into existence.
By Car
Annual Events
Any foreigner who wants to drive a personal car into Mexico will need to buy a Mexican Insurance. La Paz is located 926 away from San Diego, and this requires around 22 hours of driving. Once you cross the border at San Ysidro, follow the signs which say “Rosarito
JANUARY – La Ventana Classic and Kite Surfing Expo – windsurfing and kite-boarding competition FEBRUARY – La Paz Carnaval – 6 days full of festivities MARCH – Annual La Paz Festival D’Arte
By Ferry
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide – features tens of booths selling unique handcrafted objects Baja Love Ride – charitable cycling event MAY – Fiesta de la Paz – the celebration of La Paz founding Governor’s Cup – prestigious fishing event taking place in several Baja cities JUNE – Marearte Festival – event focused on art inspired by the ocean Coyote 300 – one of the many racing events taking place in La Paz JULY – Volks Baja Fest – an event entirely dedicated to Volkswagen cars AUGUST – La Paz Bay Fishing Tournament – fishing competition for all categories of ages SEPTEMBER – La Paz Gold Cup Fishing Tournament –competition dedicated to marlin fishing OCTOBER – Predators International Freestyle Motocross – acrobatics event involving bikes NOVEMBER – Baja 1000 – during this challenging competition, participants will have to race from Ensenada to La Paz. DECEMBER – Extreme challenge Sierra de La Laguna Race – the route takes participants through the beautiful scenery of the Sierra de La Laguna For useful information about La Paz, go to the visitor center located on Alvaro Obregon corner with Nicolas Bravo. They can be contacted by phone at 612-122-5939 or via email address turismo@gbcs.gob.mx.
About La Paz
La Paz (translation - peace) is a place which fully deserves its name. What makes this place so peaceful is the incredible scenery created by the beaches, tranquil waters, and desert landscapes. Though La Paz is the municipality of Baja California Sur and a highly appreciated vacation destination, it has managed over the years to preserve its slow-paced character. With such beautiful scenery, you should spend as much time as possible outdoors. In La Paz, there are plenty of activities available: hiking, climbing, fishing, sea kayaking, fishing, and golf, to name just a few. Also, there is a wide variety of tours organized by touring companies. Once in La Paz, any tourist should find time to visit some remarkable places. One of them
is the Serpentarium which is located close to the downtown area. The purpose of the establishment is to allow people interact with various species of reptiles and show them how valuable reptiles are for the environment. The Cactus Sanctuary is another memorable place that showcases the vast variety of cacti dotting the desert landscape. However, visitors find out that the desert is not only about cacti and that there are many other plants and animals which develop in these rather unfriendly conditions. Espiritu Santo Island is located 25 km. away from La Paz, and it is a true wonder of nature. The island has an extremely diverse fauna that includes around 30 species of reptiles and almost 100 species of birds. The diversity of marine life along the coastline turns Espiritu Santo into a favorite place for divers. Other notable attractions are El Malecon, a waterfront walk which is the perfect place to admire the sunset, Bahia de la Ventana, especially appreciated by windsurfers, and the Regional Museum of History and Anthropology that reconstructs the prehistoric and colonial history of Baja California Sur. La Paz offers everything from small shops to large department stores. Most shops in La Paz are located on El Malecon and in “El Centro” – the heart of the town. Apart from Mexican crafts, tourists can shop for various internationally famous brands, or groceries. Depending on the budget, tourists can choose from numerous accommodation possibilities, from luxurious resorts to youth hostels. Depending on the level of comfort and location, most prices range between $50 and $125, but the rates tend to be lower than the ones Los Cabos. Usually, it is easy to find a place without prior reservation, except during the highly popular event Baja 1000. La Paz has become a real culinary destination with restaurants able to satisfy the most discriminating customer. There are many chefs who try to change the perception of the Mexican cuisine and prepare dishes which are a far cry from the Mexican food known by most people. Given the easy access of La Paz restaurants to fresh seafood, this cuisine is extremely sought after. In terms of international cuisine, Italian, American and
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La Paz Chinese restaurants are numerous. La Paz is the scene for many entertaining events. One of these events is Baja 1000, an off-road race organized by SCORE International. The founding of the city is celebrated on May 3 it is known under the name of Fiestas de La Paz. However, the most famous celebration of La Paz is unquestionably the Carnaval, a sixday long festival.
Business Directory HOW TO CALL USA to Mx cell: 011 + 52 + 1 + area code + tel. phone USA to Mx landline: 011 + 52 + area code + tel. phone Mexico to USA & Canada: 001 + area code + tel. phone Mexico cel to Mexico landline: 045 or 044 + area code + tel. phone To Call US 800 Numbers from Mexico *Some chargeS may apply 800 numbers.......Dial 001-880-then the number 866 numbers.......Dial 001-883-then the number 877 numbers.......Dial 001-882-then the number 888 numbers.......Dial 001-881-then the number
Important Phone Numbers in La Paz MX 411 (Spanish ONLY..................................... 040 Bi-National Crises Line...................................... 075 Federal Electricity Commission.......................... 071
Fire................................................................... 068 Immigration..................................... 612-124-6349 Legal Assistance................................................061 Police Emergency..............................................060 Tourism Department...............078 or 612-124-0278 Water Department (CESPE.................................073
Emergency Numbers Cruz Roja.............................. 065 or 612-122-1222 Federal Police.................................................... 060 Fire Department................................................ 068 AIRPORT Loreto International Airport............... 613-135-0565 GOVERNMENT SEMATUR.............. (612) 125-8899 Baja California Sur State Government. 612-124-0199 Port Captain..................................... 612-122-0243 Baja California Sur State Government. 612-124-0199 La Paz office - 612-124-0199 - Fax: 612-124-0722 * E-mail: dcortez@gbcs.gob.mx - Web: www.gbcs. gob.mx HOSPITAL ISSSTE Hospital............................... 612-122-2789 IMSS Hospital.................................. 612-122-7377 Salvatierra Hospital.612-122-1496 & 612-122-1596 IMMIGRATIONS SERVICES Immigration..................................... 612-124-6349 MEDICAL
The sculptures are lively and fun. Photo by Rachel Pack.
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w w w . p o s a d a l u n a s o l . c o m
Oct. 1-May 31: 1-800-355-7140 or 406-522-7596 & Jun. 1-Sept. 30: 011-52-612-122-7039
Posada LunaSol (the Sun and Moon Inn) is a quaint Mexican Inn,
reasonably priced and located in a safe, quiet neighborhood just a half block from the tranquil waters of La Paz Bay. Just a short walk to the Malec贸n where restaurants, bars and shops.
info@haciendaspaloverde.com www.haciendaspaloverde.com La Paz, BCS Mexico Haciendas Palo Verde is dedicated to the creation of a traditional spanish colonial style neighborhood with an emphasis on community living with beautiful ocean views in a gated community. Haciendas Palo Verde delivers inspirational homes with exceptional value. Our standard offerings include: Move-in Ready Homes La Paz Bay Views Expansive, 1/3 Acre + Properties Gated Entry with Private Streets Tasteful Landscaping Low Environmental Impact
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La Paz Cruz Roja.............................. 065 or 612-122-1222 ISSSTE Hospital............................... 612-122-2789 IMSS Hospital.................................. 612-122-7377 Salvatierra Hospital.612-122-1496 & 612-122-1596 MUNICIPAL Fire Department............................... 612-122-0054 La Paz Tourism Office....................... 612-124-0278 Tourism Information & Assistance Malecon at Avenida de Septiembre Port Captain..................................... 612-122-0243 MUSEUM Museum of Anthropology................. 612-122-0162
POST OFFICE The Post Office in La Paz is located between Revolucion and Constitucion, a block Northeast of the Cathedral. Monday – Friday: 8am – 1pm and 3pm – 5pm PACKAGE DELIVERY Baja Pack................................. MX 1800-732-9507
POLICE City Police........................................ 612-122-4692 Green Angels................................... 612-125-9677 Fed Judicial Police............................ 612-125-2665 Highway Patrol...... 612-12203-69 & 612-122-5735 State Jud Police.... 612-122-6610 & 612-122-1399 TRANSPORTATION ABC Bus............................ Located on 5 de febrero La Paz International Airport.............. 613-012-2959 UTILITIES CFE........................ Located on Carretera Pichilingue LP Gas...... Located 4 miles southon highway 1 & 19
Catedral de Nuestra Senora de la Paz The cathedral is located in the Plaza Constitution, and it was built in 1871 on the foundations of a former Jesuit mission. Due to its striking architecture, the cathedral, which is being used even today by the locals, is of particular interest to tourists. Intersection between Revolución de 1910 Street and 5 de Mayo Street
Constitution Square Also known under the name of Jardín Velasco, the Constitution Square is one of the best places where people can take a walk. Right at the entrance there is a beautiful gazebo bandstand. This symbol of La Paz becomes extremely busy particularly in the evening.
El Teatro de la Ciudad This establishment contains a theatre and an art gallery. Both of them draw inspiration from folk art. Guests can purchase various folk art items or attend folk and music shows performed by local or visiting artists. 700 Navarro Street, 612/125-0486
The Dove of Peace This monument is located at the entrance of La Paz, coming from the southern gateway. The monument represents two doves, but from a distance, it resembles a whale’s tail. The Dove of Peace is an important symbol of La Paz, and it is used frequently in pieces of jewelry and various decorations.
Museums
Things to See in La Paz City landmarks
Regional Museum of Anthropology and History
El Malecón This 5 kilometer walkway stretches along the Alvaro Obregon Street, and it is the best place in La Paz where people can have a stroll and admire the sunset. The promenade is decorated with cobblestone paving, iron benches, and several pieces of artwork created by the famous Mexican artist Octavio González. The water near El Malecon is suitable for swimming, and there is a wide variety of restaurants and shops.
This is a large and well organized museum in La Paz. The numerous exhibitions show artifacts which reconstruct the history of the region from the earliest times to our day. The museum is open for visits every day starting with 9 AM, except on Sunday when it is closed. Intersection between 5 de Mayo Street and Altamirano Street, 612-122-01-62
Whale Community Museum This museum is a place where visitors can learn a lot about this outstanding creature of
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Rachel and Cai make another safe beach landing. Photo by John Pack.
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La Paz
Pick a palapa and enjoy a day of relaxation. Photo by Rachel Pack.
the region. Tourists and locals alike can admire various exhibitions which depict the life of this animal, and they will have the opportunity to attend workshops on environmental education. Navarro Street s/n between Altamirano and Gomez Farias, 612-122-3451, museoballenerobcs@hotmail.com, http:// museodelaballena.blogspot.com/
Anthropology Museums The Anthropology Museum pieces together the history of La Paz and Baja Sur. Guests can see pictures which illustrate the prehistoric cave paintings found in Baja. In addition, the establishment features exhibitions related to fossils, missions, and the colonial history of the region. Most of this information is presented in the Spanish language and there is no entry fee. Intersection of Altamirano and Cinco de Mayo, 612/122-0162
Las Californias Aquarium This tourist attraction can be found on one of the most beautiful beaches of La Paz: El Caimancito. The purpose of the establishment is to show people the incredible diversity of Baja Peninsula marine life. The exhibition of flora and fauna contains around 400 specimens. The aquarium can be visited from Monday to
Saturday between 9 AM and 2 PM. Playa El Caimancito
Natural attractions La Paz Serpentarium This location has the purpose of making visitors understand how important reptiles are for the ecosystem. There are various kinds of reptiles on display: snakes, turtles, iguanas and even crocodiles. Brecha California Street and La Posada Street, 559-431-7300
The Cactus Sanctuary This sanctuary located in Ejido El Rosario presents the ecosystem which is typical of La Paz desert area. It covers a surface of 50 hectares, and it contains not only cacti, but many other types of plants and animals. The ecosystem is highly vulnerable so tourists are not allowed to camp and smoke in the sanctuary or to take any animal or plant with them. The best way to get there is by driving on Highway 1 towards El Triunfo town and then drive 10 more minutes on a dirt road.
The Mushroom rock This highly intriguing rock formation is located 11 miles away from downtown La Paz on Playa Balandra. Also known locally under the name of “El Hongo�, the rock has appeared
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La Paz for many years on postcards and it has become a symbol which illustrates the beauty of La Paz.
clear, and there is a coral reef on the south side of the bay which is suitable for snorkeling.
Sierra de la Laguna This is a mountain range of Baja California which extends on a surface of 135 Km. The mountains are covered with a forest which shelters more than 200 species of plants and an impressive variety of reptiles and amphibians. Sierra de Laguna has been declared global biosphere reserve by UNESCO. Highway 1 connects La Paz with the region of the mountains.
Islands
Playa El Tecolote The Isla Espiritu Santo can be admired from Playa El Tecolote. There are two restaurants on this beach: El Tecolote and Palala Azul. These restaurants serve seafood, and they rent various useful objects for a day at the beach. Due to the breezes which come from the San Lorenzo Canal, there are hardly any insects on the beach which means that camping is excellent.
Isla Espiritu Santo
Playa Caimancito
This island is considerably larger than other islands in the region, and it is 3 miles away from La Paz. This protected area contains immense biological diversity, and what is striking about it is that it has remained virtually untouched by the influence of the civilized world. Isla Espiritu Santo is the home for some species which cannot be found in other parts of the world, and it comes as no surprise that it is so popular among divers and kayakers.
The locals named the beach “Caimancito� due to a nearby rock formation which resembles an alligator (caiman in Spanish). The beach is very close to the city, but in spite of this, there is a high number of tropical fish which can be admired during a snorkeling session.
Isla Cerralvo
El Triunfo is a small town where there was a lot of mining back in the 19th century. El Progresso Mining Company started to operate the gold and silver mines in 1878, and this led to a meteoric increase in population. Today, tourists can visit the town and see the ruins of the Mining Company and other buildings with old architecture. El Triunfo is located at a 45 km distance from La Paz, and it can be reached by driving on Highway 1.
This uninhabited island is considered one of the best fishing spots in the world. The waters are rich in many types of fish such as the Marlin, the Sailfish, the Grouper, the Broadbill Swordfish and others. In the north side of the island, there is a coral reef which is hugely appreciated by divers.
Isla Partida The island is immensely popular among divers partly due to some wrecks which can be explored. Near the island, there are numerous species of whales, sharks and other marine animals.
Beaches Playa Balandra The beach is located near the bay of Puerto Balandra. The beach is usually quite secluded, with the exception of some weekends when it attracts a large crowd. The water is remarkably
Settlements The Mining Town El Triunfo
Bahia de la Ventana This fishing village located close to the city of La Paz is inhabited by around 1000 people, but the population is usually much higher due to the large number of tourists. Apart from fishing, visitors can get engaged in surfing, diving, snorkeling, kayaking, and kitesurfing. La Ventana lies on the shore of the Sea of Cortez, 35 minutes southeast of La Paz.
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Spa Services Star Gazing Nights Art and Yoga Retreats Healthy Cooking Adventures Traditional Ranch Life Experiences
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Los Barriles
Los Barriles Latitude: 23°40’43.85”N Longitude: 109°41’58.70”W Los Barriles is located in the municipality of La Paz, Baja California Sur, around 44 miles away from the Los Cabos International Airport. To reach Los Barriles from the airport, follow the signs towards La Paz until you reach Highway 1, drive past Miraflores, Santiago, La Ribera and Buena Vista and you’ll be at Los Barriles, just as the highway makes a sharp left. The history of the town is closely linked with fishing, and the number of fishermen gradually increased since the 1950s. The completion of the Highway 1 removed Los Barriles from its isolation and contributed to the emergence of one of the most appreciated tourist destinations in Baja California Sur. The main attractions of Los Barriles are related to the Sea of Cortez. People visit the place especially for windsurfing, fishing, kayaking, snorkeling, and diving. Out of these, windsurfing and fishing are by far the most popular activities. The windsurfing and kiteboarding season starts in November and lasts until March. During this season the beach, and RV parks are packed and the skies are filled with the many vibrant colors of kites. The
most common fish species near Los Barriles are tuna, marlin, dorado, wahoo, sailfish, and roosterfish. People who love diving and snorkeling can make a trip to the Cabo Pulmo reef, a national marine park on the east coast of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, Pulmo Point to Los Frailes Cape, approximately 60 miles (100km) north of Cabo San Lucas. Bahía Pulmo is the location of the oldest of only three coral reefs on the west coast of North America. The reef, estimated to be 20,000 years old, is the northernmost coral reef in the eastern Pacific. The reef has a number of fingers of hard coral occurring in progressively deeper water offshore. The accommodation options in Los Barriles are extremely diverse, ranging from high-end resorts to camping facilities and RV parks. The town offers an incredibly diverse dining experience with its many seafood, Mexican, Italian, and American restaurants.
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Los Barriles
Baja offers the world’s best wind and kite surfing locations, anonymous submission.
Wind surfing and kite boarding in Baja California Sur Wind surfing and kite boarding are extremely different, but one common aspect they share is their reliance on wind. Wind surfing is a combination of surfing and sailing. The wind surfing equipment is made of a board and a free rotating rig. The rig consists of a mast, wishbone boom, and sail. The board comes in various dimensions, but it generally measures between 2 and 4 meters (6-12 feet). Even though wind surfing emerged from the sailing world; the wind surfer can complete moves which would be completely impossible with a sailboat. Kite boarding (or kite surfing) is a sport that combines elements from wind surfing, paragliding, gymnastics, surfing, and wakeboarding. The equipment of a kite boarder is made of one board that might come with or without foot straps, and a large kite that allows the kite boarder to move on the surface of the
water through the power of the wind. Though kite boarding is considered an extreme sport, its safety level has been improved in recent years making it accessible to more people. To become convinced that Baja California is the real capital of wind surfing, choose either Los Barriles or La Ventana. Los Barriles is located only 45 minutes away from Los Cabos International Airport, and it has become extremely popular in recent years. This popularity is due to the consistent wind that is perfect for wind surfing and kite boarding. The season starts in November and lasts up until April. During this time, the El Norte wind blows over Los Barriles at a constant speed of around 18-22 knots. The windiest days are between December and February. The highest water temperature is between 80 and 90 degrees during the month of November. Those who would like to learn the ropes of
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide wind surfing and kite boarding can turn to the courses provided by local companies. The Vela Windsurf Resort (http://www.velawindsurf. com) teaches novices everything they need to know about wind surfing. In addition, they provide equipment and accommodation. ExotiKite (http://www.exotikite.com/) specializes in offering kite boarding lessons in Los Barriles and they are a 2011 Best of Baja winner. Experts in wind surfing and kite boarding can participate in the annual competition “Lord of the Wind Showdown�. In 2012, the event took place between 12 and 16 January. Visit http://www.lordofthewindbaja.com to learn more about the competition. Another annual event, which took place in January, is Kite4Kids (www.kite4kids.com). Participants gather during this contest with the purpose of raising money for charitable causes. La Ventana, which used to be a quiet village just like Los Barriles, is located south of La Paz, and was discovered by wind surfers during the 90s. Between the months of November and March, the El Norte wind blows through Canal de Cerralvo at a speed of 15-20 knots. The L-shaped beach enhances the surfing conditions. During the winter months, the water temperature is around 70 degrees, but the wind makes a wetsuit necessary. To learn these entertaining sports, choose one of the local businesses that organize lessons. La Ventana Windsports (http:// www.ventanawindsports.com) provides wind surfing lessons and equipment rental. Learn kite boarding from Edge Kiteboarding School
(http://www.edgekiteboarding.com/), Elevation Kiteboarding (http://elevationkiteboarding. com/), and Kitemasters (http://www. kitemasters.com/). Reservation is advisable during peak season. Ventana Bay Resort (http://www.ventanabay. com) offers wind surfing and kite boarding travel packages. The packages include accommodation for seven days at the resort, breakfast and lunch, and unrestricted access to equipment, including sports equipment (bikes, kayaks, and snorkeling gear). January is the month of competitions in La Ventana as well. La Ventana Classic contest takes place between 19 and 22 January. All proceeds gathered from the event go to several schools from La Ventana and El Sargento, a nearby village. Any changes regarding the schedule should be monitored on the website http://laventanaclassic.com. Due to the high number of tourists coming each year in Los Barriles and La Ventana, the accommodation and dining opportunities are numerous and diverse. Even though non-windy days are rare during the season, when such a day occurs, tourists will have many other alternatives in terms of entertainment such as snorkeling, scuba diving, and sportfishing. In recent years, the two villages have witnessed a remarkable expansion in real estate, and an increasing number of foreigners move to the area. In spite of the deep changes brought about by the popularity of water sports, Los Barriles and La Ventana have succeeded in preserving their authentic Mexican atmosphere.
Bahia de La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico; Playa la concha, by Miguel Angel Castro Berber.
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Santiago
The Santiago Zoo. The only zoo is BCS. Photo by Rachel Pack.
Santiago Latitude: 23°22’8.85”N Longitude: 109°46’47.83”W Santiago, on the Tropic of Cancer, was the site of some of Baja’s bloodiest Indian uprisings, resulting in virtual abandonment of the mission there by the end of the 1800’s. Today the town is a thriving farming community, and home to the only zoo in Baja south of Mexicali. Santiago’s “zoological gardens” house such native animals as coyotes, bobcats, and a pit full of rattlesnakes, along with a bear, a tiger, and some ducks and sad-looking monkeys. Cages are tiny and life rather bleak for residents here. Animal lovers might want to avoid the zoo, or consider making donations to improve conditions for its residents. Founded in 1721 in the limits of the municipality of Los Cabos, under the name of Mission Santiago de los Coras, where there are orchards of mangoes, oranges and grapefruits and other agricultural products. It preserves the altar in the temple’s original mission and the former has the only zoo in Baja California Sur. It has a giant fossil museum, enriched with marine vestiges (mollusc, whale bones and others) which were found at the top of the mountain, which shows that millions of years ago formed part of the sea. It has artifacts from the colonial era. In gastronomy we can find regional dishes in some restaurants.
Approximately 8 kilometres south of springs are hot springs. The specific points are Agua Caliente also known as The Springs, El Chorro and Santa Rita. The Rancho San Dionisio is located north of Santiago through a bumpy road, 24 miles, which is characterized by its cannon bearing the same name, ideal for camping and hiking outdoors
About the Santiago Zoo 23 ° 28,747 ‘N ~ 109 ° 42,748’ W For those traveling Highway 1, it can be easy to pass by the small rural town of Santiago unless you are looking to find it. If you head south on Highway 1 from Los Barriles 15 miles (24km), then veer west (right) just about a half mile (2 km.), you will find yourself rolling right into the town square area of this quaint, if not frozen in time, village. Like Todos Santos on the Pacific side, Santiago is almost directly on top of the Tropic of Cancer. If you park your vehicle in the town square, you can explore the town, which seems to have an oasis feel as it is set somewhat in the middle of nowhere. Santiago was founded in 1721 by Italian Jesuit Ignacio María Nápoli and was known as the Mission Santiago de los Coras. The mission took part of its name from the “Coras,” the native
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide people of the region. Because it was the scene of fierce Indian wars and fighting, Santiago lay virtually abandoned until the 1800s. Now the town economy and survival revolves primarily around agriculture. The lush gardens and crops of citrus, mango, aloe vera, eucalyptus, pear, plum, avocado and other native plants are what keeps this small town afloat. Aside from the rich and delicious natural crops and gardens that are sure to entice the senses, there are other sights to take in if you find yourself in Santiago. The Santiago Zoo is a nice place to relax and explore. It just so happens to be the only zoo in Baja California Sur. The zoo is free and open to the public. Since there are very few forms of entertainment for children living in Santiago, you will notice much of the actual caretaking and work at the zoo is done by the children who live in Santiago. While the actual environment and conditions under which the animals are kept may be rudimentary and unsatisfactory for some, the community’s heart is in the right place. The zoo just suffers from lack of adequate resources and funding to give the animals a better life and atmosphere than they currently have. Those who care for the animals hope more visitors
who appreciate the idea and opportunity to see the animals will donate money to provide what is so badly needed. Donations are the only source of funding for the zoo. Despite the less than ideal conditions, there are quite a few impressive animals for visitors to observe. One draw is the rattlesnake pit. There are a few monkeys, mountain lions, deer, coyotes, leopards, a tiger and even a lion. There are also plenty of local specimens such as possums, rabbits, raccoons, geckos, iguanas, salamanders and ground hogs. Those who appreciate exotic birds will enjoy observing the spectacular peacocks, parrots, ostriches, eagles, falcons and hawks at the zoo. After a visit to the zoo, an 8 km journey south will take travelers to the hot springs. Just outside of Santiago, there is also a fossil museum. Visitors are often surprised to see the whale bone fossils and other sea life fossils at the top of the mountain, proving the area was once under the sea millions of years ago. They are open to the public and work off donations. Coordinates: 23 ° 28,747 ‘N ~ 109 ° 42,748’ W
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Miraflores
The Catholic Church at the entrance to Miraflores. By Rachel Pack.
Miraflores Miraflores is a small town located in the municipality of Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, just 30 miles north of the San Jose Airport. The history of Miraflores goes back to a couple of centuries ago when a group of Englishmen arrived in a whaling ship. The traces of the English inhabitants are present in the cemetery. The community does not depend on tourism,
as most people work in San Jose del Cabo. Miraflores became famous for the leather and furniture craftsmanship of the locals. The most important landmark of the town is the church located near a small plaza. People who like to spend time in nature can explore the mountains, creeks, canyons, and waterfalls located near Miraflores.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
San Jose del Cabo North.
San Jose del Cabo Northeast.
San Jose del Cabo Central.
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San Jose del Cabo
The fountains in downtown San Jose plaza.
San Jose del Cabo Latitude: 23° 2’52.90”N Longitude: 109°42’21.78”W
to the Spanish as a source of fresh water for galleons traveling to and from the Philippines.
San José del Cabo is located in Baja California Sur and is the seat of the municipality of Los Cabos at the south end of the Baja California peninsula. In the 2010 census, it had a population of 69,788. Together with neighboring Cabo San Lucas, it forms a major tourist destination for travelers, with over 900,000 hotel guests in 2011. The two cities are served by Los Cabos International Airport. San José del Cabo offers you tranquility and old world charm, wonderful gift shops showcasing the art of Mexico, fabulous restaurants, fishing, golf, surfing and all the nighttime entertainment you seek. Or you can just relax on one of our many pristine white sand beaches. For nature lovers, a beautiful protected estuary with a variety of fish, turtles, dolphins, exotic marine animals and over 100 species of birds is located on the southeast edge of the city. And the historic artist colony of Todos Santos is an easy one-hour drive to the north, along the scenic Pacific Ocean. Local residents take pride in restoring the town’s 18th century architecture and preserving its quiet, laid-back ambiance. The Mission San José del Cabo was founded in 1730; the nearby Río San José was useful
Climate
San José del Cabo, like almost all of Baja California, has an arid climate (Köppen BWh) although it does receive more rainfall than most areas further north due to tropical cyclones occasionally coming in from the south and bringing very heavy falls such as 340 millimetres (13.4 in) on the first of September 1998 and 316 millimetres (12.4 in) on 3 November 1993. Overall, however, rainfall is some of the most erratic anywhere in the world due to this influence, and many years pass by without significant falls at all. The sea temperature of San José del Cabo is always noticeably warmer than the neighboring city Cabo San Lucas, due to being less exposed to the cold waters from the California current. The waters experiences lows of 68–72 °F (20– 22 °C) in winter, and highs of 75–82 °F (24–28 °C) during the summer months.
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Cabo San Lucas.
Cabo San Lucas North.
Cabo San Lucas Tourist Zone.
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Cabo San Lucas
Lover’s Beach in Cabo San Lucas, by Oscar 12.
Cabo San Lucas History
Latitude: 22°53’3.72”N Longitude: 109°54’39.57”W Cabo San Lucas (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkaβo san ˈlukas], Cape Saint Luke), commonly called Cabo, is a city at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. As of the 2010 Censo General de Población y Vivienda, the population was 68,463. It is the third-largest city in Baja California Sur after La Paz and San José del Cabo (although it is only slightly less populous than San José del Cabo). It has experienced very rapid growth and development, often withadverse environmental impact. Cabo San Lucas together with San José Del Cabo is known as Los Cabos. Cabo is known for its sandy beaches, worldclass scuba diving locations, balnearios, the distinctive sea arch El Arco de Cabo San Lucas, and abundant marine life. The Los Cabos Corridor has become a heavily-trafficked holiday destination with numerous resorts and timeshares along the coast between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo.
Archaeological excavations have shown evidence of continual human habitation in the area for at least ten thousand years. When the first Europeans arrived, they encountered the Pericú people, who survived on a subsistence diet based on hunting and the gathering of seeds, roots, shellfish, and other marine resources. They called the location Yenecamú. According to the narrative of a Japanese castaway by the name of Hatsutaro, which is contained in the book Kaigai Ibun (as written by David Waldner), when he arrived at Cabo San Lucas in May 1842 there were only two houses and about twenty inhabitants. However, American authors such as Henry Edwards and J. Ross Browne claim that Cabo San Lucas’s founder was an Englishman named Thomas “Old Tom” Ritchie. J. Ross Browne says Ritchie arrived there about 1828, while Edwards says that he died in October 1874. A fishing village began growing in the area when in 1917, an American company built a floating platform to catch tuna and ten years later founded Compañía de Productos Marinos S.A. The plant lasted several years in operation.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide Experts in the area say that this tuna plant was the beginning of development at Cabo San Lucas.
Development
The warmth of the waters at Cabo San Lucas, the beauty of its beaches, the abundance of sport fish, and nearby surfing motivated a great number of both foreign and Mexican vacationers to spend their vacations in large-scale tourist developments there, starting in 1974 when the Mexican government created the infrastructure to turn Cabo San Lucas into a major center for tourism in Mexico. Upon completion of the Transpeninsular Highway, tourist developments in Los Cabos often proceeded relatively unchecked. However, the rapid loss of vast stretches of desert and marine habitat has made the development of Cabo San Lucas controversial. Until recently, Mexico’s unique and fragile environmental treasures were on their own and subjected to the predation of developers acting in concert with government agencies interested only in low-end tourist bonanzas. There is, however, a growing collection of activists and attorneys now involved in preserving many of Baja’s desert habitats, marine mammals, and pristine stretches of coastline. A number of agencies including The Gulf of California Conservation Fund and The Center for Environmental Law in La Paz are challenging the despoliation of wetlands and other ecosystems from Los Cabos to Ensenada. In the face of a growing international public demand for corporate-driven ecological stewardship, higher-end resorts in the Los Cabos area are increasingly sensitive to their environmental impact and are taking initial steps to institute sustainable practices like reducing water usage and non-recyclable trash output.
tournament in the world. In the winter, pods of whales can be observed in the area. They bear their calves in the warm waters of the Sea of Cortez after completing their six-thousand-mile migration from Alaska and Siberia.
Getting there
Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo are served by Los Cabos International Airport. The town is also a popular port of call for many cruise ships. Cabo San Lucas has a small international airfield, which handles air traffic for general aviation flights and air taxi service.
Nightlife and activities
In 1990, rock musician Sammy Hagar of Van Halen opened a nightclub and restaurant, the Cabo Wabo Cantina, with the three other members of Van Halen. In the mid-nineties, he bought out his bandmates and assumed complete ownership of the club. He is known to play live at the club at least once a year with his band, the Wabos, on his birthday, October 13, and shows often include many famous guests and friends from the music industry. Other clubs in Cabo include Pink Kitty Nightclub,
Tourism
Cabo San Lucas has become an important vacation and spa destination, with a great variety of sites of interest and timeshares that have been built on the coast between San Lucas and San José del Cabo. It is sometimes considered the “Fort Lauderdale of Mexico.” The distinctive El Arco de Cabo San Lucas is a local landmark. Cabo San Lucas has the largest marlin
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Cabo San Lucas Mandala, El Squid Roe, No Worrys Bar & Grill, Giggling Marlin, Nowhere Bar, Tiki Bar, the Usual Suspects and the Jungle Bar. Tourists may also ride horses through the desert and parasail on the beach. The English language newspaper for Cabo San Lucas, the biweekly Gringo Gazette, has news on tourist activities in Cabo San Lucas, San Jose, Todos Santos, La Paz, and the East Cape Baja.
The Corridor
Cabo San Lucas’s raucous party atmosphere and San José’s laid-back colonial style are bridged by a golf course and resortstudded tourist corridor that stretches between the twin towns along twenty miles of pristine beaches and craggy coves. Also known as the corredor del oro (Golden Corridor), the Corridor is where most tourists congregate and where new residents settle down into retirement. Exclusive hotels and gated residential communities, attracting a wide clientele of the rich and famous, are found in the Corridor. Many of the properties have become havens to Hollywood stars, Fortune 500 CEOs, and even the US President during the 2002 AsiaPacific Economic Conference (APEC). Highend resorts in the Corridor include Palmilla, Esperanza, and Las Ventanas. Chileno Beach, located in the Chileno Bay, is one of the most frequented beaches in the Corridor. Its nearby coral reefs attract snorkelers to view the abundant tropical fish of the area.
Migration within Mexico
The continued economic growth within Los Cabos has accelerated since 2000 thanks to national and international hotel chains establishing themselves in the corridor. People from all parts of Mexico have emigrated to the area in the hope of better opportunities, which has resulted in steady neighborhood growth in west and northwest of Cabo San Lucas.
Climate
Cabo San Lucas has a tropical desert climate. During summer, Cabo San Lucas is cooler than San José del Cabo by about 3 °F to 5 °F. Sometimes during the summer, when winds blow from the Pacific Ocean instead
of the Gulf of California, the differences in temperatures between San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas are higher. Cabo San Lucas is less rainy than San José del Cabo, although hurricanes can bring heavy rain for long periods. Because of the position of the city and orography, the local summer thunderstorms do not get near enough to bring rain to the town. Due to the coastline being entirely exposed to the Pacific Ocean, the water temperature never reaches the same highs as in the state capital La Paz. The sea temperature experiences lows of 70 °F (18–20 °C) in winter, and highs of 80 °F (24–26 °C) during the summer months.
Getting to Cabo San Lucas
Flight is the preferred means of traveling to Cabo. The regional airport, Los Cabos International Airport (IATA: SJD), (624) 1465111, is located outside of San Jose del Cabo and will take approximately 30-45 minutes to travel to Cabo San Lucas. For General Aviation or Private Jets, Terminal 2 is used. It has 14 gates: 7-20. Air taxi and air charter companies such as Jetset Charter fly a variety of private charter aircraft and jets, from charter luxury Gulfstream’s down to economical piston twins for small groups and individuals. All the major American airlines fly to the airport, as well as, Aereo Calafia, Aeromexico, Alaska Airlines, Delta, Frontier Airlines, Interjet, Mexicana, Volaris and the Canadian Air Transat & WestJet. If you plan on arriving to Cabo via plane, a transfer bus is the cheapest method to get to your hotel if you do not plan on renting a car. A reservation for a transfer can be made before arrival and is significantly cheaper than a taxi. There are buses at the airport charging per person for a ride to the resorts of Cabo which can be had without prior reservation. TRANSLOBO Private Airport Transportation http://translobo.blogspot.com Provides private airport transfers in current model SUV’s to ensure your comfort Cabo San Lucas/San Jose del Cabo/La Paz/Todos Santos/East Cape Mobile from US +52 6241380495 SKYPE loboincabo e-mail translobo@gmail.com Amstar DMC [2] - Deluxe Private from $91
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide USD One Way, Shared Transfer from $24 USD RoundTrip, Contact Amstar for a special quote. Transbaja, SJD Airport, 01-800-822-5424 MEX 1-877-BAJA123 USA & CAN. 9am-6pm daily. Shuttles between the airport and the city. $17/person each way. The average yearly rainfall is 9.63 inches or 244.7mm.
Getting around
Taxis are readily available and rates are negotiable. One of the best and most exciting ways to travel around Cabo is to rent a BMW motorcycle. Cabo BMW Rentals rents BMW motorcycles as well as scooters and they will provide helmets. You can ride north out of the tropics to Los Barriles which is a great stop for a bite to eat or walk on the beach. It’s called the “Cabo Loop” which consists of a 200 mile paved ride, starting in Cabo San Lucas and going through the larger cities of San José del Cabo, Los Barriles, Todos Santos and returns to Cabo San Lucas. There are many car rental agencies in Los Cabos, most of which have names familiar to travelers in the Americas. If you are staying in a villa or plan on many day-trips that are not covered by a resort or timeshare shuttle, then a rental will likely be the most cost effective.
Things to See
Filled with natural landmarks and a number of prominent monuments, the city of Cabo San Lucas has plenty of character, particularly around its coastline. From January to March, a must see is the whales, they come to Cabo during this period of time and many boats can take you out to sea to watch them. In early March, they are particularly abundant. Land’s End— Known for its exceptional views and photo taking opportunities, this area is comprised of a large cluster of rock formations that were carved into fantastic shapes by wind and sea. During low tide, many visitors like to walk here along Playa del Amante (Lover’s Beach) because it allows for a better view of an eroded passageway called the Arch of Poseidon. You can also observe Los Frailes, two rock islets that are frequented by sea lions. Church of San Lucas (Iglesia de San Lucas).
Boasting many original features, this church, almost 300 years old and has been well maintained. Cultural Center (Casa de la Cultura). Features a tall mirador tower and is surrounded by beautiful gardens and overlooks all of Cabo.
Things to Do
Scuba Diving & Watersports - Scuba diving Is especially good in Cabo, because you can watch the sandfalls under the water. It is an amazing spectacle provided by nature. If you are looking for something more relaxed perhaps you want to go to Lover’s Beach or to one of the multiple romantic restaurants in Cabo. Cabo is also a good surfing destination, since many of the beaches on the east cape road pick up the southern swells. The beaches are accessible through the coastal road on the way to cabo pulmo. Particularly, shipwrecks beach is a favorite spot during the summer months. Cabo Submarine - This is an easy way to see the fish and aquarium world without getting wet. The office is in the marina, and they have special pricing for contacting them directly from the website. The Semi Submersible is 60 feet long and air conditioned.
Fishing
Cabo is known around the world as a top fishing destination. The meeting of the waters of the Pacific ocean and the Sea of Cortez creates a nutrient rich environment where sport fish thrive. Marlin, sailfish, tuna, dorado and wahoo are the most commonly targeted species. Cabo boasts one of the largest sport fishing charter fleets in Mexico. Charters range from pangas, open “semi-dorry” type skiffs, to 60 foot+ luxury sport fishing yachts. Prices for a day of fishing start around $175 for 5 hour panga trips, from $450 for 8 hour trips on 2630 footers and into the $1,000 to $5,000 per day for boats from 34-60 feet.
www.panchos.com Cabo San Lucas BCS 01152 (624) 143-2891 bragg@panchos.com
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Cabo San Lucas
Shopping
With boutiques as easy to come by in Cabo as restaurants, its a shoppers delight. The plazas of Puerto Paraiso Shopping and Entertainment Plaza and the adjacent Marina Cabo San Lucas offer a variety of shops and goods with an affable ambiance. Shoppes At Palmilla offer a selection of high-end boutiques. The stores here include day spas, art galleries, fine restaurants, coffee shops, an amazing bakery, homemade crafts, and much more.
Getting out
The main beach of Cabo is located near the marina in the bay. On the beach there are some great places to eat and drink including The Office, along with many others most of the places have outdoor tables on the beach. The beach overlooks Lands End. You can also take a ride to Lands End by boat and also Lover’s Beach one of the best beaches in the world. Explore small towns surrounding Cabo: Todos Santos and La Paz are rich with history and make a great excursion. The nearby town of Todos Santos is a perfect side trip from Cabo. Todos Santos is a small community with
approximately 4000 people. The town is filled with art and culture. The town is a tribute to the Eagles ‘Hotel California’, with its old colonial architecture and centuries old monastery one is transported back through time to a land of mystery and adventure. Stop at Elias Calles on your way home and pick a basket of organic strawberries. La Paz (Mexico) is an old Mexican port with an ‘old Baja’ feel. It features in John Steinbeck’s novel The Pearl based on a Mexican folktale about the areas most valuable natural resource. Its anthropology museum offers insights into the first inhabitants of the Island 10,000 years ago. You can also see rock paintings dating back to these early settlers.
HOW TO CALL USA to Mx cell: 011 + 52 + 1 + area code + tel. phone USA to Mx landline: 011 + 52 + area code + tel. phone Mexico to USA & Canada: 001 + area code + tel. phone Mexico cel to Mexico landline: 045 or 044 + area code + tel. phone
John & Rachel Pack, with Cynthia Wickerink, Executive Director, Liga M.A.C. in San Jose del Cabo and Sabrina Lear, Cabo Mil 96.3 FM in Los Cabos during an interview for the Baja Walk.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide To Call US 800 Numbers from Mexico *Some charges may apply 800 numbers.......Dial 001-880-then number 866 numbers.......Dial 001-883-then number 877 numbers.......Dial 001-882-then number 888 numbers.......Dial 001-881-then number
624-143-0085
EMERGENY NUMBERS
Hard Rock Cafe......................(Cabo) 624-143-3779
Ambulances...... Cabo) 642-143-4020 (San Jose del Cabo) 642-142-2770 Federal Police.........................(Cabo) 642-143-1210 Highway Patrol.. ....(Cabo) 642-143-3977 (San Jose del Cabo) 642-146-0573 Municipal Police... .(Cabo) 642-143-4066 (San Jose del Cabo) 642-142-0361 Traffic Police....(Cabo) 642-143-3977 (San Jose del Cabo) 642-142-0361 Tourist Police - bilingual.........(Cabo) 642-143-3977 Fire Department... .(Cabo) 642-143-3577 (San Jose del Cabo) 642-142-2466 Gas Leakage....(Cabo) 642-143-1292 (San Jose del Cabo) 642-142-0122 Health Center/CENTRO DE SALUD................. (Cabo) 642-143-0102 (San Jose del Cabo) 642-142-0241 Red Cross - CRUZ ROJA.(Cabo) 642-143-3300 (San Jose del Cabo) 642-142-0316
Pancho´s Restaurant & Tequila Bar..........................
CONSTRUCTION Tropic Sun Construction and Remodelling (Cabo)..... 624-147-7190
THEATER
IMMIGRATION Immigration...........................(Cabo) 642-146-5229
Airport - AEROPUERTO.............(San Jose del Cabo)
OTHER SERVICES Capture Cabo Media Services.. ..(San Jose del Cabo) 624-156-6156 Enviromass............................(Cabo) 624-196-1846 Los Cabos In Style-private concierge, spa, chef & transport........................................... 800-658-7599 Stimulator Prodcutions...........(Cabo) 624-108-2095
TOURS
PRINTING SERVICES Capture Capo.........................(Cabo) 624-156-6156
612-105-2938
REAL ESTATE Cape Realty Associates..........(Cabo) 624-147-5516 Baja Selections Real Estate, Rentals......................... .............................................(Cabo) 624-143-5957 Los Cabos Estates Vacation Rentals......................... .............................................(Cabo) 760-494-6456 Tropic Sun Property Management.................. (Cabo)
Your Cabo Connection Cindy Stanford Real Estate at Snell......................................(Cabo) 624-157-1855 RESTAURANTS Bahia Hotel & Beach Club/Bar Esquine..................... .............................................(Cabo) 624-143-1889
.............................................(Cabo) 624-144-4485 Shooters Sports Bar..................(San Jose del Cabo) 624-146-9900 SCHOOL Greengate School...................(Cabo) 624-168-6939 SHOPPING Baja Baby Gear...................... (Cabo) 855-369-baby Baja Books and Maps...............(San Jose del Cabo) 624-142-5596 La Paloma Boutique...............(Cabo) 619-793-4815 TAXES Taxes in Mexico Marian Wellman...............(Chapala) 376-765-5273
Teatro Luna Azul....... (Todos Santos) 612 104-7082 TRANPORTATION 642-145-6214
Exotikite Kiteboarding.. (Los Barriles) 624-245-0064 Cabo Adventures....................(Cabo) 624-173-9500 High Tide Sea Expeditions......(Cabo) 624-142-0424 WINERY Sierra Laguna Vineyards................... (Todos Santos)
UTILITIES Drinking Water.. ....(Cabo) 624-143-0228 (San Jose del Cabo) 142-1392 Electric Power Co. - CFE.(Cabo) 624-143-0064 (San Jose del Cabo) 142-0237 TELMEX...........(Cabo) 624-143-0001 (San Jose del Cabo) 142-0001
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Highway 19
Todos Santos, by Rachel Pack.
Highway 19 Mexican federal highway (carretera federal) No. 19 runs along the Pacific coast of Baja California Peninsula from Cabo San Lucas up to Todos Santos where it turns inland and eventually joins Mexican Federal Highway 1 a few miles south of San Pedro, Baja California Sur. The highway is 131.00 km / 81.40 miles long.
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Todos Santos North.
Todos Santos Central.
Todos Santos South.
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Todos Santos
Todos Santos beach by Rachel Pack.
Todos Santos Latitude: 23°26’44.20”N Longitude: 110°13’41.73”W Todos Santos is a small coastal town at the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains, on the Pacific coast side of the Baja California Peninsula, about an hour’s drive north of Cabo San Lucas on Highway 19 and an hour’s drive southwest from La Paz. Todos Santos is located very near the Tropic of Cancer in the municipality of La Paz. The population was 5,148 at the census of 2010. It is the secondlargest town in the municipality. During the 19th century Todos Santos thrived as the Baja sugarcane capital, which is still evident by the ruins of sugar mills. Now the rich farmlands have been re-worked & the town prospers from an abundance of vegetable & chili farming, avocado, papaya & mango orchards, fishing & ranching. The mission Nuestra Señora del Pilar de La Paz was founded by father Jaime Bravo in 1723. It is located across the street to the southwest from the small town plaza. This mission contains the statue of the Virgin of Pilar, which is the focus of Todos Santos main festival in October. More recently, there has been a gradual increase in tourist activity and a boom in real estate development. Handicraft shops, owneroperated art galleries featuring landscape paintings of local scenes (some artists from Guadalajara and other parts of Mexico also exhibit works in Todos Santos,) upscale restaurants, boutique hotels and restored colonial buildings have contributed to the gentrification and redevelopment of the town.
The Hotel California is a favorite stop here because of the name association with the song made famous by “The Eagles.” There are many beautiful beaches within a 15 minute drive of Todos Santos. However, some of the area’s beaches, with riptides, undertows, and fairly steep drop offs that are close to shore, are not considered safe for swimming. Playa Las Palmas and Playa Los Cerritos are great beaches for swimming and shell collecting. San Pedrito Point, Los Cerritos and other local surf breaks attract surfers from around the world. There are many accommodations both at San Pedrito and at Cerritos beach. Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, was named a “Pueblo Mágico” in 2006.
Getting to Todos Santos
Flying, the best choice is arriving into La Paz - less hectic than San Jose del Cabo (1.5 hours from Todos Santos) - and closer at 60 minutes. More American carriers are flying into La Paz since last year - Delta, Alaskan, as well as some of the Mexican carriers. Stopping in La Paz for a visit is also a nice enter into Baja Sur.
Places to Stay
The oldest hotel in Todos Santos is the Todos Santos Inn. Located in the heart of the historic district this former home of a sugar baron, built in 1870, has been carefully restored. There are 4 garden suites with private patios and separate living rooms, the junior suites and terrace rooms open up to a large patio with views of the lush gardens below. The heated pool is surrounded by greenery. With the addition of the new La Copa Bar, this hotel the place to stay for the most sophisticated traveler.
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El Pescadero Latitude: 23°21’35.81”N Longitude: 110°10’17.28”W Pescadero is a small village in the municipality of La Paz in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. It is located at km 64 on Federal Highway 19 on the Pacific Ocean about 8 kilometers South of Todos Santos which is about a one hour drive north of Cabo San Lucas. The Mexican census of 2010 reported a population of 2,338 inhabitants. The climate in Pescadero is one of the finest of all of Baja California Sur. It is heavily influenced by the Pacific Ocean which moderates the temperatures year round. In the summer, the ocean breezes keep the heat at manageable levels. Winter, generally the months of March through May, is marked by warm days and cooler temperatures at night. Pescadero is much like an oasis in the desert. The pueblo (village) is bordered by the Sierra de la Laguna mountains to the East and the Pacific Ocean to the West. In the huerta area of Pescadero (the farm land area,) palmlined roads and farms co-exist with low-density private residences. A common sight in the huerta are the cherry tomato and basil fields. Most of these crops are grown for exportation and end up in specialty markets and gourmet grocery stores in the United States. Fortunately, some of the produce finds its way into the road-side produce stands. Commercial farming in Pescadero flourishes because of an ample supply of underground
water funneled down from the mountains. Air from the Pacific Ocean is pushed up the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range and is met with hotter air from the Sea of Cortez. This results in frequent mountain rain storms that persist through the summer and fall. Consequently, these storms release great deal of rainfall that fills underground rivers and aquifers throughout the Todos Santos and Pescadero basin. It is a common held belief among many of the locals that there is more water in Pescadero and Todos Santos than Cabo San Lucas where desalination plants are being developed in order to keep up with the demand of the booming tourist mecca. Surf breaks punctuate the length of the peninsula’s Pacific coast. Two of the best are located in Pescadero. Los Cerritos and San Pedrito. Both beaches have right breaks. Los Cerritos is one of the best for beginner and intermediate surfers. San Pedrito is considered an advanced surfer’s break because of its rocky bottom and strong currents. The village proper has a few accommodations, restaurants and bars, several grocery stores and gas station. The huerta or beach area has one hotel plus a scattering of bungalows and casitas that can be rented by the night. There is a surf camp in km64 which contains accommodation (casitas) and a pool. This is perfect if you are just stopping off. Los Cerritos, while it is known as a good beach for beginners, the rip towards the rock has killed a few people, so watch out.
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Highway 5
Rachel Pack, Coco, John Pack, & Raine Fisher at Coco’s Conner By Christine Wood.
Highway 5 Mexican Federal Highway (carretera federal) 5 follows the northeast length of the state of Baja California from the US-Mexico border in Mexicali at the northern end to San Felipe in the south. The highway is entirely inside the municipality of Mexicali. However, a state highway from San Felipe to Puertecitos (municipality of Ensenada) is usually considered part of the federal highway. From San Felipe to the south, the road follows the seacoast of the Gulf of California.
Route description The road begins in the border city of Mexicali at the western border crossing. It has four lanes from there to 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 Mexican 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. The new highway segments being constructed from San Felipe to the north and Mexicali to the south are raised, with drainage culverts passing underneath the highway. These have replaced the dips, or fords (vados) that formerly provided drainage across the highway. The resulting highway is a much higher quality road. The interchange with highway three has been completed, so that no turns across traffic are required.
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Mexicali City.
Mexicali Border Region.
Mexicali South.
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Mexicali
Chinese pagoda was built in 1995 commemorating a 1991 friendship agreement of intimacy between Mexicali and Nanjing, China. By Toni Smith.
Mexicali Latitude: 32°38’27.79”N Longitude: 115°26’46.16”W Mexicali (Spanish: [mexiˈkali]) is the capital of the Mexican state of Baja California, seat of the Municipality of Mexicali, and 2nd largest city in Baja California. The City of Mexicali has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the population of the entire metropolitan area (as well the municipality) reaches 936,826. The city maintains a highly educated and skilled populace. Its standard of living is one of the highest in Mexico. As the city has modernized and become a cosmopolitan and international center in a desert region, it has maintained a sizable middle class and an even larger upper class In Mexico, it is recognized for its substantial investment in education as well as its low unemployment levels. Mexicali’s economy was historically based on agricultural products, and to this day it remains a large sector of the economy. As time has progressed however, its economy has gradually gone from being agriculturally based to industrially based. Companies such as Mitsubishi, Honeywell, Nestle, Coca Cola and Goodrich Corporation have built plants in the
city and its metropolitan area. Silicon Border is located here as well; a large industrial park that is a high tech manufacturing area. Its goal is to become a global center for semiconductor manufacturing. Mexicali’s proximity to the United States has made the city a popular tourist destination with Americans from Arizona, California, and Nevada. The city is a well known sports city with many ball sports being popular in the region. Founded on March 14, 1903, Mexicali is situated on the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to its sister city Calexico, California with which it forms a metropolitan region, Calexico-Mexicali. Mexicali also has the distinction of being the northernmost city in Latin America.
History
The Spanish arrived in the area after crossing the Sonora Desert’s “Camino del Diablo” or Devil’s Road. This led to the evangelization of the area and also the population reduction of the native peoples. Today, indigenous Cocopah people still inhabit a small governmentprotected corner of the delta near the junction of the Hardy and Colorado rivers. These people mostly work on agricultural ejidos or fish the rivers, although many have migrated to Mexicali.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide The early European presence in this area was limited to the Jesuits, who left in the 1780s. After this, the Spanish and later the Mexicans had little to do with the northeastern corner of the Baja California peninsula, perceiving it as an untamable, flood-prone desert delta.
19th century In the mid-19th century, a geologist working for the Southern Pacific Railroad came to the delta area, discovering what the native Yumans had known for centuries: that the thick river sediment deposits made the area prime farming land. These sediments extended far to the west of the river itself, accumulating in a shallow basin below the Sierra de Cucapá. However, from this time period until the 1880s, the area was almost completely unpopulated, mostly due to its climate. In 1888, the federal government granted a large part of northern Baja state, including Mexicali, to Guillermo Andrade, with the purpose of colonizing the area on the recently-created border with the United States. However, around 1900, the only area with any real population, aside from the Cocopah, were concentrated in Los Algodones, to the east of Mexicali.
20th century In 1900, the U.S.-based California Development Company received permission from the Díaz government to cut a canal through the delta’s Arroyo Alamo, to link the dry basin with the Colorado River. To attract farmers to the area, the developers named it “The Imperial Valley”. In 1903, the first 500 farmers arrived; by late 1904, 405 km² (100,000 acres) of valley were irrigated, with 10,000 people settled on the land harvesting cotton, fruits, and vegetables. The concentration of small housing units that straddled the border was called Calexico on the U.S. side, Mexicali on the Mexican side. The Mexican side was named Mexicali (a portmanteau composed of “Mexico” and “California”) by Coronel Agustín Sanginéz. Initially the area belonged to the municipality of Ensenada. The town of Mexicali was officially created on 14 March 1903 when Manuel Vizcarra was named as the town’s first
authority and assistant judge (juez auxiliar). Mayor Baltazar Aviléz declared the municipality of Mexicali on November 4, 1914 and called for elections to create the first ayuntamiento or district council, which was then headed by Francisco L. Montejano. Another U.S. land development company set out to do the same with the nearby Valley of Mexicali. Led by Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler, the company controlled 800,000 hectares of land in northern Baja California by 1905 and began to construct the irrigation system for this valley. However, instead of using Mexican labor to dig the ditches, Chandler brought in thousands of Chinese laborers. Mexicali became culturally more Chinese than Mexican. In the 20th century, the Colorado Riverland Company was dedicated to renting land here to farmers; however, these farmers were almost always foreigners, such as Chinese, East Indians and Japanese. The Mexicans were employed only as seasonal labor. This situation led to the agrarian conflict known as the “Asalto a las Tierras” (Assault on the Lands) in 1937. Agricultural production continued to increase during the 20th century. Cotton became the most important crop and with it developed the textile industry. In the early 1950s, the Mexicali Valley became the biggest cotton-producing zone in the whole country and in the 1960s, production reached more than half a million parcels a year. Currently, the valley still is one of Mexico’s most productive agricultural regions, mostly producing wheat, cotton and vegetables. The city of Mexicali is one of Mexico’s most important exporter of asparagus, broccoli, carrots, green onions, lettuce, peas, peppers, radishes and tomatoes to the world. The government of the municipality was reorganized when the Baja California territory became the 29th state in 1953
21st century Today Mexicali is an important center for industrial production in the automotive, aerospace, telecommunications, metallurgical, and health services as well as manufacturing and exporting products to various countries. The 2010 Baja California earthquake was an earthquake occurred at 15:40:40 local time
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Mexicali (UTC-8), Sunday, April 4, 2010, which reached a magnitude of 7.2. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the epicenter of the quake struck 60 km south-southeast of Mexicali. The quake was felt strongly in the northern regions of Baja California and the United States-Mexico border, and was also felt in western cities such as Tijuana, San Diego, Los Angeles and parts of Arizona.
Geography
The Mexicali Valley is one of the largest and most fertile valleys in Mexico. The Valley has over fifty different crops and is similar to the Imperial Valley in its agricultural production. National and international industries have invested in Mexicali and surrounding cities to take advantage of its fiscal opportunities. The Valley’s resources puts the region above other similar areas as its abundance of natural resources are the largest in North America. The Mexicali Valley is a primary source of water for the region, having the largest irrigation district in Mexico.
Getting to Know Mexicali
Economically, a growing middle class disposable income has fueled Mexicali’s transformation into a modern city with a vibrant culture, a characteristic that has attracted many national and international businesses which had largely ignored the city before and had turned to Tijuana. Aside from the middle class, in Mexicali you can expect to find areas filled with very rich people. Mexicali is considered among the most prosperous cities in Mexico, although US tourists can observe the level of poverty in rural villages surrounding the modern, uppermiddle class enclave of Mexicali proper. The North American Free Trade Agreement of 1994 that eliminated most trade restrictions between the two nations offers Mexicali an economic boom in the next decade. Mexicali is a transit point for illegal immigration into the United States, as well as a common destination for any illegal Mexican immigrants deported from the West Coast of the United States. As such, some areas are swollen with poor people with no roots in the city, who inhabit shantytowns, mainly in the outskirts of the city. Apart from
these poor migrants, Mexicali is one of the wealthiest cities in Mexico. Some areas of the city reflect the significant number of wealthy people who inhabit the city, in areas such as San Pedro, Villafontana, and Col Nueva. Mexicali’s growing reputation as a cosmopolitan city is justified. Not only is the city home to many people who have migrated from within the same country, as well as some native Mexican Indians, but it boasts an important amount of Asian residents (especially Chinese), as well as Americans, Europeans, and South Americans. Informally, Mexicali natives are known as “Cachanillas” (similar demonyms include “Chilango” for those from Mexico City). Mexicali is known mainly as a business and industry town, but has an excellent reputation for hospitality and tourism in the country. Mexicali is known as “the city that captured the sun”. Its residents frequently joke regarding its extreme heat during the summer, reaching record desert temperatures. Mexicali’s primary newspapers are La Voz de la Frontera and La Cronica de Baja California. It is served by three television stations (Televisa [with 4 analog and 2 digital signals], TV Azteca [2 analog and 2 digital signals] and Canal Once) along with the television stations in the United States in the Imperial County market (NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC, CW, MNTV, Univision, Telemundo, and Telefutura). While the Mexican peso is the legal currency, US dollars are widely accepted. Mexicali observes daylight savings time (DST) and is in the Pacific Time Zone the same way as the USA.
Chinese community
Mexicali has one of the largest Chinese communities in Mexico. Historically, it has been a predominantly Chinese town and has even hosted the North American headquarters of the Kuomintang (KMT) at one point. Many old-time Chinese-Mexican natives of Mexicali have since intermarried with the local mestizos or emigrated to the United States. Tijuana, Ensenada, San Luis Rio Colorado, Culiacán, Ciudad Juárez, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Tapachula also have sizable Chinese communities. Although Mexicali has had a
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide history of Chinese immigration for about 100 years, the restaurant workers tend to be recent immigrants from Guangdong, mainland China, who are multilingual in Taishanese (a distinct dialect of the Cantonese language), Mandarin, and Spanish. Nearly all of them are from just two cities in Guangdong, namely Taishan and Kaiping, with a small minority from neighboring Enping, Zhongshan, and Hong Kong. The historic Chinese neighborhood is known as La Chinesca, centered on Avenida Benito Juárez, about several hundred feet to the south of the Calexico point of entry.
Getting There By Car Mexicali is accessible from the United States through Calexico on Highway 111 (from El Centro and points north) and Highway 98 East (Yuma) and West (San Diego) via I-8. Either park at the border and continue on foot or you drive into Mexico. Driving from the US to Mexico usually requires no stopping. Driving across the border from Mexico to the US may involve a long wait, especially during evening rush hour or on holiday weekends. Mexican insurance is required, which should be bought before your trip. Mexicali has two border crossings, Mexicali East (Newer) and Mexicali West (Traditional), both of which have a SENTRI lane. Mexicali is the northern terminus for Mexican Highway 5 to San Felipe. Mexicali can also be reached from Tijuana and Tecate on Mex-2. Though much of this highway is a toll road (the “Libramiento” aka Autopista), it is more scenic but will take longer than I-8 and is considered more hazardous, especially the “Rumorosa Grade”. The toll either to or from Tijuana is around $14.
By Foot Many people drive to the border, park on the US side, and walk across. There are many lots available for this, which charge $4-$9 a day. While there are many taxis waiting to take you across, it’s only about a five minute walk; follow the signs across.
By Air Mexicali’s International Airport, “General
Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada”, is located 20 km east of the city and offers services to all types of flights, private and commercial. There are daily flights out of the Airport to other major cities in México. In addition, Mexicali has access to the Imperial Valley Airport, 15 miles North across the border from Mexicali which operates commercial flights to different cities in the United States.
Getting Around Public Transportation Taxis are abundant in the city. You may either call for a site taxi (taxi de sitio) which are called beforehand and they can take you where you ask, or route taxis (taxi de ruta), which, like buses, have specific routes which they take. There are also multiple public buses, which can range from old school refurbished school buses with no air circulation to brand new metro buses with air conditioning and television screens, which are more expensive.
Things to See Historic sites The Asociacón China de Mexicali, located on Avenida Benito Juárez near the intersection with Altamirano, is one of Mexicali’s primary and oldest Chinese associations. Upstairs, there are portraits of dozens of Chinese immigrants who have lived in Mexicali. There are also murals celebrating Mexicali’s Chinese heritage, dragon costumes for use during festivals, and numerous classrooms. It is often locked and closed during weekdays, but usually open on weekend mornings. Catedral de Ntra. Sra. de Guadalupe on Bulevar Morelos is Mexicali’s oldest cathedral. Museums Museo Interactivo Sol del Niño - Scientific and Interactive Museum fun for children and adults. Interactive Science, Technology, Arts and Environment Center. Plaza de Toros Calafia - Bullring with frequent bullfights with toreros from around Latin America and Spain. Bosque y Zoologico de la Ciudad - Mexicali’s biggest park along with its city zoo. Parque Vicente Guerrero - Mexicali’s second biggest park with lake.
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Mexicali Centro Estatal de las Artes - State Art Center: see art exhibitions, musical concertos and recitals among other things. Instituto Municipal de Arte y Cultura - City Art Center: see art exhibitions, musical concertos and recitals among other things. Teatro del Estado - The states theater with many shows throughout the year. UABC Museo - The University of Baja California’s Museum with exhibits throughout the year. Casa de la Cultura - Mexicali’s Culture House, with interactive art workshops and exhibitions. Salon de la Fama - Mexicali’s Hall of Fame, with notable figures from throughout the city and state. Bellas Artes - Where Mexicali’s fine arts groups are located. Juventud 2000 Sport Center - Mexicali’s newest and most modern park.
Others Centro Cívico - Home to Baja California’s state legislature, governor’s palace, and state supreme court, as well as the Mexicali city hall (ayuntamiento). Brief tours of the Baja California legislature’s chambers are available upon request (ask for the public/media relations spokesperson to give you a tour). Morelos Dam You can admire the town and its surroundings from this beautiful natural setting. The dam was inaugurated on September 23, 1950 and has a capacity of 230 cubic meters/sec and has a height of 42.10 meters and covers 175,000 acres. Sierra de Juarez Cañón Tajo, crowned by the “Trono Blanco”—the highest monolith in Mexico with a height of 1970 feet - provides majestic panoramic views and is visited by premiere mountaineers from around the world. It is ideal for rock-climbing, hiking, rappelling, canoeing, and panoramic photography. There are also the Laguna Hanson and the Cañón de Llanos, sites that offer a place for a variety of activities including kayaking, hiking, camping, mountain biking, rock climbing, and spelunking. Vallecitos Here the past meets the present in an extensive display of prehistoric rock carvings and cave paintings, such as the famous “Diablito” (Winter Solstice). This place
is also excellent for hiking, a photography expedition, and spotting a variety of flora and fauna. Hardy River Everything necessary for freshwater fishing and small game hunting, as well as being the ideal site for kayaking in tranquil waters, hiking, panoramic photography, and birdwatching. Ideal for families, groups or individuals who enjoy the scenic outdoors. Arroyo Hondo Pool, kiddy pool, sand volleyball court, basketball court, soccer field, children’s playground, barbeque pits. Restaurant- bar with billiards, karaoke, space for events; bathrooms with showers. Lifeguard, security. Capacity for 1,500 persons. Open year round. Sand Dunes Beautiful sand dunes that are the ideal place for riding motorcycles, ATVS, and sand buggy’s. Laguna Salada and La Rumorosa The highway coming down into the Mexicali Valley is an impressive drive. It is a steep 3000 ft drop on a new and well-designed highway. Two places unique in all the world that offer spectacular panoramas of natural beauty. Besides being ideal places for flying on a delta winged or a hang glider, cycling and off-road racing are also popular here. San Felipe San Felipe is the closet beach to Mexicali, offering access to other beaches like Puertecitos and sites of extraordinary beauty, including the unique Valley of the Giants, where huge and imposing Sahuaro (saguaro) cactus greet all visitors and it has shops, restaurants, and bars. Algodones During the winter season (October thru March), this picturesque small town (population 14,000) greets a considerable number of visitors known as “Snow birds”, who come from the northern United States and Canada. Los Algodones is known for its ample variety of shops, Mexican folk art, laboratories and excellent medical and dental services which constitute the town’s main attraction.
Things to Do Nightlife Nightclubs in Mexicali tend to open and close throughout the year due to them becoming duds. Therefore, this list may not be the most
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide updated of the best light life clubs. Boom Boom Blu Red Lion Uni Irish Pub La Salita Los Barriles Velvet The following venues are located around the intersection of México & Reforma, near the main cathedral. La Conga - Live norteño bands playing mostly narcocorridos Miau Miau - Table dancing Porkys
Other entertainment Bol Bol Boliche - 21st century bowling with a club feel. Caliente Sport Book Cinepolis Movie Theaters (Centro Civico, San Pedro, Galerias, Nuevo Mexicali) Cinemark Movie Theater Cinemastar Movie Theater IMAX Theater Live Mexican music (norteño and mariachi) can be requested from bands for hire at the Plaza Mariachi on Avenida Zuazua, located in the southern part of the La Chinesca area. Norteño bands (2-4 people, consisting of at least an accordion and bajo sexto) generally charge 50 pesos per song. Most of the musicians are recent migrants from Los Mochis and Culiacán in the north-central coastal state of Sinaloa. A banda sinaloense group can be found at the intersection of Zuazua & Altamirano during most evenings. All of the groups can play narcocorridos (drug ballads) as well as famous rancheras by Ramón Ayala. Musicales y Joyeria “Iris” - José Gerardo Zamora. Av. Reforma #406 Zona Centro Mexicali B.C. Tel. (686) 552-6895. Banda de Música Regional de Guamúchil Sinaloa - Victor Cervantes. Zuazua y Altamirano #586. Tel. (686) 553-4584.
Outdoor Aguilas de Mexicali Go and see Mexicali’s own baseball team in the Estadio Casas Geo. Soles de Mexicali Come and see Mexicali’s renowned basketball team.
Golf Club de Golf Campestre has an 18hole course that features huge fairways, adorned by water hazards and sand traps that lead to excellent, quick greens, themselves often surrounded by more water and sand traps. During the year, major tournaments are held here, such as the Cotton Tournament in March, the City of Mexicali and Maquiladora Tournament’s in April, the Father and Son Tournament in June, as well as the Bishops’s and IAMSA Tournament’s in November. Racing Adrenaline junkies wont want to miss the tremendously entertaining off-road ATV races. Displaying their skills, experienced drivers race their machines at high speeds, roaring across the terrain, offering a grand spectacle for the crowds. Hunting An extensive variety of birds and mammals such as the White Winged Dove, Huilota Dove, Cerceta, Black Branta, Goose, Pheasant, Duck, Quail, Black Tail Hare, Rabbit, Coyote, Wild Cat and Puma will put the skill of any hunter to the test. In the Valle de Mexicali, the season begins at the end of August and ends in February. Fishing Freshwater: The municipality offers exciting places for fishing adventures. In addition to 1550 miles of canals, there are prime spots like Laguna Bogard, Rio Hardy, El Caimán, la Ciénega de Santa Clara, and el Bosque de la Ciudad, where you can participate in important tournaments all year long. A few of the species you will find while fishing are Lobina, Bagre, Carpa, and Tilapia. Saltwater: The coastline of San Felipe and spots like Roca Consag, Barco Hundido, Los Carros, Punta Estrella and Percebú, are well known fishig areas in addition to fishing out on the open sea. Catch-and-release tournaments allow fishing for shallow-water species as well as trophy-fish like Pez Vela, Marlin Dorado, and Jurel, among others.
Shop This list is only a very small compilation of the major shopping centers in the city. Plaza la Cachanilla Shops such as boutiques, hair salons, jewelry stores, Chinese-themed stores, food court, Coppel Stores, Ley Stores, Sears Department Stores, etc. Plaza Nuevo Mexicali Shops such as clothing,
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Mexicali boutiques, cellular phones, furnishings, and food court. Plaza Fiesta Restaurants, jewelry stores and flagship store Sanborns. Plaza Juventud 2000”’ Plaza San Pedro Plaza Centenario Centro Comercial Lienzo Plaza Cataviña Galerias del Valle Plaza Mundo Divertido ABSA - A Chinese store offering Chinese groceries, utensils, and newspapers. Located on Bulevar Mateos near the intersection with Avenida Benito Juárez (look for Chinese-style architecture and green roofs). Mexicali hosts most major national store chains such as: Soriana, Comercial Mexicana, FAMSA, Milano, Bodega Aurrera, among others. Mexicali also hosts international stores and shops like: Wal-Mart (3 Locations), Costco Wholesale, Blockbuster, Office Depot, The Home Depot, Sears, Gymboree, among others.
Expos/Shows Fiestas del Sol Known as the biggest fair in the region, the Fiestas del Sol run from the end of September through mid-October. Practically all of Mexicali gathers during this time for music and celebration, participating in popular dances while enjoying commercial, agricultural, and industrial expositions, carnival rides, regional food, and shows from national and international artists. Baja Prog An international festival of progressive rock that brings together the most famous groups of this musical genre during the month of March. Agrobaja Considered the largest and most important agricultural exposition on the northern Mexican border, held in March.
Learn UABC Mexicali is the largest and oldest campus of Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC). It hosts The Asociacón China de Mexicali offers Mandarin Chinese lessons for both adults and children. Weekly Saturday morning classes are held for local Chinese children, who are taught Mandarin Chinese instead of the Spanish and
Cantonese that they normally speak among themselves.
Places to Eat
The selection of cuisine in Mexicali is very diverse. The Chinese contributed greatly to Mexicali cuisine with a very ample variety of dishes. Their food is as traditional to Mexicali as carne asada and it’s Chinese food is labeled as the best on the country, on par with that of San Francisco, and many tourists come to taste it. Good beer is another Mexicali tradition. World class beers have been produced in Mexicali since the early history. Today, there are small breweries that offer great varieties in terms of taste and characteristics. However, Mexicali is not just about Chinese food, carne asada tacos, and beer. There is a wide selection of specialty restaurants-national and international. One sample the finest wines that are produced in the Mediterranean climate within Baja California. Mexicali has a large Chinese immigrant population, with many excellent choices. Mexicali is also host to numerous international chains such as: Applebees, Starbucks Coffee, McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, Carl’s Jr, Thrifty Ice Cream, Little Caesars, Dominos Pizza, Dairy Queen, etc.
Places to Drink
Visitors returning to the United States are allowed to bring back a limited quantity of alcohol, around 1 liter per adult (check regulations). Most foreign liquor is priced as in the US, but Mexican liquors such as Tequila, Mescal, and Kaluha, as well as Mexican beers can be great bargains.
Places to Stay High End Hotels Hotel Lucerna, 2151 Blvd. Benito Juarez Crowne Plaza , Blvd. Lopez Mateos and Av. De Los Heroes 201 Araiza Hotel and Convention Center, Blvd. Benito Juarez 2220 Calafia Hotel and Convention Center”, Calzada Justo Sierra 1495 Fiesta Inn Calz. Adolfo López Mateos No. 1029 City Express Blvd. Benito Juárez No. 1342 Hotel Colonial Blvd. Lopez Mateos 1048
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Stay safe
Hotel Siesta Real Calz. Justo Sierra 899
Mid Range Hotels Hotel Azteca de Oro, Calle de la Industria 600 Hotel Cosmos Posada, Calz. Justo Sierra #1943 “Hotel Del Norte’, Ave. Madero 205 Hotel Hacienda del Rio, Blvd. Lopez Mateos Y Fresnillo # 101 Hotel Posada del Sol, Calle Calafia 400 Hotel Posada Inn, Blvd. Lopez Mateos y Torneros # 939 Hotel Regis, Blvd. Benito Juarez 2150
Low End/Economic Hotels Hotel La Chinesca, Avenida Benito Juárez, between Mateos and Altamirano. Located in the historic La Chinesca area in downtown. Rate: 250 pesos / night for 1 bed. 50 peso deposit required. The hotel is owned by Dr. Enrique Auyon Tam, a Chinese-Mexican physician who runs a clinic next to the hotel. Hotel Samil, Blvd. Lázaro Cárdenas #1486 Hotel Villa del Sol, Blvd. López Mateos y Fuerza Aérea #133 Motel Aeropuerto, Carretera Mexicali Ledón km. 7.5 Motel Alves, Carretera Mexicali - Tijuana km. 1 Motel El Moro, Blvd. Aeropuerto 3598 Motel Liz, Carretera a San Felipe km. 1.5 Hotel Kennedy Calle Morelos 415-Altos Hotel Mexico Av. Lerdo 476, Zona Centro
Contact
The country code for Mexico is +52, and the area code for the Mexicali Metropolitan area is 686. Phone numbers have 7 digits (XXXXX-XX) and cellular phone numbers are dialed using access code 044, the area code, and the number (044-686-XXX-XXXX). Your mobile carrier will work if they have an agreement with either Telcel, Illusacel, Telefonica (Movistar), or Nextel. They may also work in the areas close to the international border with American carriers such as Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. Most hotels (all of the High-end) have highspeed internet access and are wi-fi enabled. This is the same for shopping malls and coffee shops. You may also find hot-spots at college and university campuses throughout the city.
While Mexicali has saved itself from the severity and degree of violence along the USMexico border and the insecurity is not as big as that of Tijuana, there is still potential for it to become dangerous, along with the violence that a regular metro city has such as petty theft, violence, and gang related incidents. The emergency number is 066. Avoid giving out money to beggars and homeless people standing in the street or along sidewalks and avoid buying things off the street to avoid trouble later. Do not buy illegal drugs to avoid becoming part of the ongoing violence. Overstocking yourself with prescription drugs will also warrant getting checked. While partying and clubbing in Mexico is all in good fun and allright, keep in mind that you will not get away with it because it is Mexico. You probably will get caught and kept a special eye on because you are an American, even if you look Latino. If you do anything unlawful, even if you are underage, you will spend time in prison. You do not get preferential treatment because you are an American citizen. While there is no need to have to hide the fact that you are an American, the flamboyant and flagrant exposition of self-thought superiority is not welcome, in good taste, or tolerated, like anywhere else in the world. Keep in mind that Mexico uses kilometers and not miles, and speed limits are much slower than in the United States. Please do not try to bribe the Mexican police officers, even if they are hinting at it. If you try to bribe, you will go to prison. Driving while using a cellphone or a radio without a handsfree device is illegal in the state of Baja California and it will get you ticketed. Trying to bargain prices will sometimes help, but in most places in Mexicali today it is not practiced and such behavior will be ignored. Do not be caught with any type of weapon in Mexico. This can include a small pocket knife, or even ammunition or bullet casings. American motorists have been jailed for driving into Mexico with spent ammunition casings in their car trunk. In the unlikely event of a major earthquake, duck and cover and stay where you are during the shaking, then go outside once the shaking
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Mexicali
Nuestra SeĂąora de Guadalupe Cathedral in the city center. By Thelma Datter.
stops. Buildings and other structures are unlikely to collapse. Your largest threats come from breaking windows and falling objects such as ceiling tiles and bookshelves. Try to get under a table, desk, or doorjam to reduce your exposure to these threats. You are more likely to be injured if you try to run during the shaking.
Stay healthy While the city’s restaurants are registered by the Health Department and clean water is available city-wide, eating at roadside taco shops and drinking tap water is discouraged because one that is not used to this will probably get food poisoning. Avoid any foods you are not used to. Bottled water, gasified and pure, is available widely and you are encouraged to drink of it. If you need emergency medical treatment, it is preferred that you attend a private hospital and call 066, attending a public hospital or a Seguro Social hospital will be futile, as they are
only for registered Mexican citizens and have problems getting medical attention there. There are drugstores and private medical and dental clinics throughout the city. A prescription from a licensed doctor in Mexico is needed to fill prescription drugs in any pharmacy in Baja California. These can be acquired at some pharmacies through their onlocation doctor.
Get out Guadalupe Canyon Hot Springs offers a running stream and a variety of primitive (hosefed from local springs) hot baths and camping; the area is popular with Mexicali locals; it is located 30 miles down a rough dirt road, some 20 miles west of town on the road to Tijuana. The area also contains a significant number of petroglyphs in nearby canyons accessible by foot. San Felipe is located 120 miles south on Highway 5.
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San Felipe
Bow of a panga heading towards the San Felipe Malecon. By John Pack.
San Felipe Latitude: 31° 1’32.24”N Longitude: 114°50’27.01”W Just 125 miles south of the international border is a virtual paradise on Earth. If you take Mexico’s Federal Highway 5, you will end up in San Felipe, right along the Sea of Cortez. Founded in 1916, San Felipe began as a fishing port and now attracts tourists and retirees from all around the world. The natural beauty, unique arid landscape and endless outdoor opportunities for fun make San Felipe a mustsee destination. One trip and it is easy to see why so many people return to make San Felipe their home, adding to the population of roughly 25,000. The beaches of San Felipe are amongst the most pristine and natural in the world. The clean, smooth sand and the fact that San Felipe is the second sunniest place on Earth make it perfect for anyone who enjoys lounging on the beach, beach combing for one-of-a-kind sea treasures, or swimming in the warm waters. You can camp or sleep on the beaches for the
ultimate beach bum experience or romantic night away from the ordinary. When the tide is low, the northern beaches can extend nearly half a mile out, opening up the possibilities of finding more unique beach treasures. It can also provide entertainment, because nearly every weekend someone in their shining new 4-wheel drive will bury themselves to the axle, many taken as another sacrifice to the sea. The desert dunes and valleys can give visitors more than just a great photo opportunity. Offroad racing in the San Felipe area is also unlike any other area in the world and plays host to world-renowned races that attract many racing enthusiasts. You can rent ATVs or dune buggies, or you can go on a guided tour. If you are a beginner, rental companies provide instruction and lessons before you head out into the dunes. Rental companies are available throughout downtown San Felipe. Fishing is so ingrained in the culture and history of San Felipe that many regard this town as the home of the fish taco and just about anything made with the San Felipe blue
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide SAN FELIPE, BAJA CALIFORNIA
the novice. If you fish off the shores of San shrimp is exclusive to thetoarea. There are Felipe,thatyou can expect catch sierra, corvina, grouper, bass and in a few other a few charter fishingseacompanies the area San Felipe contains an thatspecies. cater toThe bothbay theofexperts and the novice. artificial reef, If you fish off thewhich shoresmakes of Sanfinding Felipe,the youfish cana little toeasier. the local charter expect catch Many sierra, of corvina, grouper, sea companies take you forThe 4–8 bass and a fewcan other species. bayhours of Sanof fishing. Felipe contains an artificial reef, which makes AstheSan grown, havelocal the finding fishFelipe a littlehas easier. Manyso of the amenities in this coastal town. Exclusive charter companies can take you for 4–8 hours resorts and luxury retirement homes, along of fishing. withSan small beach led tothea As Felipe has villas, grown,have so have burgeoning area north of town with many amenities in this coastal town. Exclusive resorts competing restaurants, grocery stores and and luxury retirement homes, along with small bars. The largest of these resort beach villas, have led to a burgeoning area north developments is El Dorado Ranch, which of town with many competing restaurants, has brought thousands of new residents to grocery stores andover bars.theThe of these the community lastlargest decade. Many resort developments is El Dorado would say, including myself, that El Ranch, Dorado which has brought residents Ranch and itsthousands owner of PatnewButler are to responsible the community the lastofdecade. ManyIt the growth San Felipe. for over would say,home including El Dorado is also to themyself, largestthat solar-powered Ranch and its owner Pat Butler are responsible community in North America (3000+ home forsites), the growthwith of Sancompletely Felipe. It is also home to off-the-grid theneighborhoods largest solar-powered community Northa within the private in ranch, America (3000+(120 home sites), with completely 30,000-acre km2) development; same off-the-grid within the private size as theneighborhoods city of San Francisco. downtown (120 area km2) features galleries, ranch,The a 30,000-acre development; craftsizeshops, pottery and same as the clothing city of Sanstores, Francisco. jewelry stores,area which all galleries, make forcraft an The downtown features experience. is also eclectic shopping shops, clothing stores, pottery There and jewelry an active for anlocals andshopping tourists stores, which nightlife all make for eclectic alike. experience. There is also an active nightlife for San Felipe localsThe and tourists alike. area has that rare combination of sophisticated and The San Felipe area has that rareamenities combination natural wonders galore.and It natural is a very active of sophisticated amenities wonders community withactive manycommunity annual festivals and galore. It is a very with many
events, including the annual Shrimp Festival annual festivalsBlues and &events, including the in November, Arts Fiesta in March, Cominata Contra Cancer Walk in Blues March, annual Shrimp Festival in November, & SCORE Felipe 250 in March, Baja Love Arts FiestaSan in March, Cominata Contra Cancer Ridein March, in November swap250 meet every Walk SCOREand San aFelipe in March, weekend, October through May. Baja Love Ride in November and a swap meet every weekend, October through May.
How to get to San Felipe
Onetoofget the easiest routes to San Felipe is How to San Felipe
via although canFelipe fly into Oneautomobile, of the easiest routesyou to San is the via small San although Felipe International automobile, you can flyAirport. into the small San Felipe International Airport.
By Car
If you are coming from California into By Car
Baja Mexico, there are two simple routes, If you are coming from California into Baja from Arizona there is one main crossing at Mexico, there are two simple routes, from Los Algodones. Arizona there is one main crossing at Los Algodones.
San Ysidro /Tijuana Border Crossing San Ysidro /Tijuana Border Crossing
SanYsidro Ysidroisislocated locatedatat the the southernmost San part of Diego San Diego where U.S. part of San County,County, where U.S. Interstate 5 crosses into Mexico 5 Interstate crosses into Mexico at Tijuana andatisTijuana home is home to the toand the world’s busiest landworld's border busiest crossing.land border crossing. Take the Mexican Highway 1 toll road the Mexican toll road southTake to Ensenada, and Highway then take 1Mexican 3 south to to Ensenada, and 5, then take Mexican southeast the Mexican then south on the3 southeast theFelipe. Mexican then takes southyou on Mexican 5 totoSan This5,route the Mexican 5 to San Felipe. This route directly across the Baja Peninsula. You will takes you directly across the Baja pass two or sometimes three Mexican Army Peninsula. You will pass two or sometimes checkpoints, where you will be greeted and three Mexican Army checkpoints, where searched by soldiers. you will be greeted and searched by soldiers.
Calexico/Mexicali Border Crossing
Calexico is located at the southernmost part
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San Felipe of Imperial County, where State Route 111 (SR 111) crosses into Mexico at Mexicali. Take Mexican Highway 5 south all the way to San Felipe. The majority of this route will take you through desert terrain. You will pass one or sometimes two Mexican Army checkpoints, where you will be greeted and possibly have your vehicle searched by soldiers.
Mexicali Bus Station: Av. Mexico No. 343...........1-800-025-0222 Esq. Calz. A. Lopez Mateos, Zona Centro The Mexicali ABC bus station is only about a half mile from the Calexico border crossing, close enough to walk. The station is large and modern, with food kiosks and travel services.
San Felipe Bus Station:
Yuma/Los Algodones Crossing Yuma is located at the southwest corner of Arizona, directly across the border from the Baja California town of Los Algodones, a small town made up primarily of dental and optical clinics, pharmacies and other medical services.
Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point) Puerto Peñasco, or Rocky Point as it is known by most Arizonians and gringos, is located at the northwest corner of the Mexican state of Sonora. Puerto Peñasco is 73 miles across the Sea of Cortez from San Felipe, and is considered the beach of Arizona. The shortest driving route is through El Golfo on the new highway. From San Felipe, take highway 5 to highway 4 east (where highway 5 becomes four lanes, north of Mexicali). At El Golfo, continue east on the new highway. Beautiful drive.
By Bus Taking the bus to San Felipe is easy, affordable and very comfortable. There are two routes to San Felipe, either by way of Ensenada or Mexicali; both will require a bus change to San Felipe. For information about bus schedules and fares, in Tijuana call 01664-621-2424 or 1-800-025-0222. http:// mr.mardecortez.net:8124/home.html, email abc@abc.com.mx.
Tijuana Bus Station: Central Camionera de Tijuana (664) 6212982 Blvd. Lázaro Cárdenas and Río Alamar S/N, La Mesa, Fracc. Murua San Diego has shuttle service to the border, where you can either walk or take a taxi to the Tijuana bus station ($15 max.).
Mar Caribe South...................686-577-1516
By Plane 30°55’49’ N / 114°48’59’ W San Felipe International Airport (IATA: SFH, ICAO: MMSF) is an international airport, located six miles south of town with no scheduled commercial airlines. The airport is a port of entry into Mexico for general aviation. The airport is operated by Patronato para la Administración del Aeropuerto de San Felipe, a company owned by the state of Baja California. Private planes can land there, either to visit San Felipe or to check in on their way south. The runway is 5000 feet long by 100 feet wide with an orientation of 13-31, and the control tower frequency is 118.5 MHz, Elevation AMSL 32 ft. / 10 m. 686-577-1368.
Getting Around San Felipe The Malecón (waterfront) is the center of San Felipe. Many of the bars and restaurants are situated here and are within walking distance of each other. Free, ample parking is usually available. Many of the beachfront campos and “vacation villages” are a couple miles north of town, or in northern downtown, near the baseball fields. You will need a car to get into town. There are currently no car rental services in San Felipe. Driving on the beach is an excellent way to be stuck shoveling sand for a few hours. While four-wheel drive vehicles are better at driving on the beach, they, too, will get stuck at particularly soft spots. Every weekend someone will lose their truck to the sea.
The Land The geography of northern Baja is very diverse, primarily because of the Sierra de San Pedro Martir range that runs down the middle
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide of the state north to south, dividing the state and isolating the eastern side from the western. The Picacho del Diablo is the highest peak in the whole peninsula and is a spectacular sight, rising majestically behind San Felipe. The area is rich in succulents such as the Cardon and Ocotillo, and trees such as Palo Verde, Elephant tree and others. The San Felipe area is also blessed with numerous beaches and great fishing, and is a major attraction for people in search of adventure, nice beaches and fresh fish. The area south of San Felipe is undeveloped, and pristine beaches can be found in many bays. All of the islands in the Gulf of California, on the Baja California side, belong to the municipality of Mexicali.
Climate
San Felipe has an extremely arid environment because it is in a valley surrounded by mountains, the Sierra de los Cucapah to the north and the massive Sierra de San Pedro Martir to the west. The Sierra de San Pedro Martir range produces a rain shadow on its eastern or lee side, and blocks the passage of rain-producing weather systems, casting a “shadow” of dryness behind them. The warm moist air is “pulled” by the prevailing winds over a mountain. Then it condenses and precipitates, and the dry air moves forward leaving a rain shadow behind the mountain. The Sonoran Desert, which comes in from California and Sonora, experiences hot summers and nearly frostless mild winters. The Mexicali Valley (which is below the sea level) a hundred miles to the north of San Felipe, experiences the highest temperatures in Mexico frequently surpassing 47 °C (116.6 °F) in midsummer, and have exceeding 50 °C (122 °F) on some occasions. However, temperatures in San Felipe average approximately 75°F year-round. San Felipe is located in a unique ecosystem, where the desert meets the sea. Temperatures range from a nocturnal winter low of 40°F to 114°F in the shade during July and August. The Bay of San Felipe is 10 feet above sea level. At low tide, the water can recede a mile. San Felipe experiences one of the largest tidal bores in the
world, as much as 23 feet, due in part to the Colorado River delta to the north.
History of San Felipe
The history of San Felipe began later with the expeditions of Francisco de Ulloa, one of Cortés’ captains who navigated the bay in September 1535. In 1536, Hernando de Alarcón and Domingo Castillo explored the region and made the first detailed map of the peninsula, giving San Felipe its original name, Santa Catalina. After the first expeditions were long forgotten, Father Eusebio Kino rediscovered the Baja California peninsula in 1701. Juan de Ugarte later built the first ship in Baja California and explored the area, arriving in San Felipe on July 5, 1721. Twenty-five years later, Father Ferdinand Konščak arrived and christened the bay San Felipe de Jesús. In 1766, Wenceslaus Linck was the first person to reach San Felipe by land, and in 1772, the Lt. Governor of the Californias, José Joaquín de Arrillaga, began to use it as a port in 1794. He also established the land route between San Felipe and Ensenada through Valle de la Trinidad. It was not until 1925, during the administration of territorial governor General Abelardo L. Rodríguez, that San Felipe began to incorporate, when the first fishing camps were established and the government organized the first subdelegation and school. Octavio Vega Ruiz was appointed sub-delegate and the basis for the growth and development of San Felipe were established during his administration from 1926 to 1942. The sea transportation of both people and cargo also contributed to the integration of San Felipe as a township. Among the most celebrated ships of the era were José Ascolani’s Trieste, and Pacita and Río Colorado, owned by Arnulfo Liera. By the end of the 1920s, San Felipe had nearly 100 permanent inhabitants, and in 1940 appeared for the first time in the census with 287 inhabitants. By 1947, the Compañía Industrial del Golfo de Cortés, owned by José María Rodríguez Luján, bought the land from Guillermo Andrade’s estate to build an international tourist center. The Mexicali-San Felipe highway began
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San Felipe paving in 1948 and was completed in 1951. At the same time, the 15-room Hotel Augies (later the Villa del Mar, Trucha Vagabunda and Las Palmas Inn) opened. In 1959, the motel El Cortés was opened to the public. Many new hotels were established in the 1960s, including Hotel Riviera, El Pescador, Arnold’s del Mar and Arco Iris, and the tourist camps of Costa Azul, Las Arenas, Miramar, Playa Bonita, Playa de Laura, and Rubén’s. The port had electricity by 1963, and piped drinking water by 1967. The 1970s saw the establishment of the government building, restaurants, bars, gas stations, a small boat anchorage, airport, sea walk, main boulevard and sewage system, as well as the first fourstar hotel, the Playas de San Felipe, followed by the Fiesta Hotel. The La Hacienda opened in the 1980s; the Marina Resort and Spa in 1993.
Things to See:
Population
The population of San Felipe was 16,702 at the 2010 census, and can increase by up toThe 5,000San due to the presence Felipe Tide of Canadian and U.S.The part-time and vacation Sea ofresidents Cortez (retirees has incredible tide homeowners), San Felipe changes. The who Bay travel of Santo Felipe is 10during feet the snowbird season from to May, above sea level. At low tide,October the water can recede as much holidays, as 1.2 miles. Felipe and on American springSan break and has one Day. of the largest tidal bores on earth, Memorial primarily due to the Colorado River delta to the north. The 23-foot tides can expose a City Government half mile of ocean floor. Walk out and see Mexicali theBe municipality Santhough, Felipe. the ocean is bed. wary of thefortide According to the 2010 census, it had as the tide can take you and your cara population 936,826 inhabitants, and quickly if youofpark on the beach. according to the 2000 census, it had 764,602 inhabitants, which means an increase of Konsag 22.5%. The Island municipality has an area of 31° 7' 0 N (5,300 / 114° 28' 13,700 km² sq.60" mi.)W This includes Only 22 miles out of San Felipe Bay and many smaller outlying communities as well reachable by boat in 45 minutes, this as the city of Mexicali. Also, the islands of clearly visible island looks like a giant sail Baja California located in the Gulf of California at first glance. Often Konsag Island appears are part of the municipality, among them the to move, and looks at times like it is mudflat islands at the mouth of the Colorado floating above the sea. River (the largest one being Montague Island), Often referred to as the "Konsag Rock", Isla Ángel de la Guarda and the islands the island is named after Ferdinand ofKonščak the San LorenzoalsoMarine Archipelago (variously Fernando Consag, National Park. Mexicali is the northernmost Konsag, Konschak, etc.), a Jesuit municipality Latin America. missionary,ofexplorer, and cartographer who The city of Mexicali was founded in 1903, lived from December 2, 1703, to and its name is a combination of Mexico September 10, 1759.
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and California, as is the name of Calexico, California across the border. This is an unusual pair of border cities in that Mexicali, on the Mexican side, is far larger than Calexico, on the U.S. side. Things to See Apart from the municipal seat of Mexicali, the municipality of Mexicali is administratively subdivided into 14 boroughs (delegations).
Things to See The San Felipe Tide The Sea of Cortez has incredible tide changes. The Bay of San Felipe is 10 feet above sea level. At low tide, the water can recede as much as 1.2 miles. San Felipe has one of the largest tidal bores on earth, primarily due to the Colorado River delta to the north. The 23-foot tides can expose a half mile of ocean floor. Walk out and see the ocean bed. Be wary of the tide though, as the tide can take you and your car quickly if you park on the beach.
Konsag Island 31° 7’ 0 Nin/ 114° 28’ 60” California, order to W investigate the Only 22 miles out of San Baja FelipeCalifornia Bay and disputed question of whether reachable by boat 45 minutes, this ofclearly was an island. Fromin 1732 to the end his life, heisland livedlooks at Mission He visible like a giantSan sail Ignacio. at first glance. directed and oversaw the building of new Often Konsag Island appears to move, and missions, looks at times aqueducts, like it is floatingembankments, above the sea. drainage silver mines. Often channels, referred toand asthe thefirst “Konsag Rock”, He at San Ignacioafter in 1759. the died island is named Ferdinand Konščak Today, Konsag Island Consag, offers a Konsag, large (variously also Fernando many population of sea lions, missionary, seals, and explorer, Konschak, etc.), a Jesuit species of marine who birds.lived Thefrom fishing near the2, and cartographer December island and the many other submerged and 1703, to September 10, 1759. partially submerged rocks, make for some
of the best fishing in the area. The local In 1729, Konščak left for North America183 "pangeros", or panga fisherman will know by way of Spain, where he was active as a the rocks; if you are own your own, be missionary on New Spain's Baja California careful, and go slow when near the island. peninsula. In June and July 1746, he was 10:26:16 p.m. This island has an elevation of07/01/2013 286 feet sent by sea to the head of the Gulf of above the sea.
2013 Baja Good Life Guide SAN FELIPE, BAJA CALIFORNIA
city Konščak of Mexicali wasNorth founded in InThe1729, left for America 1903, and its name is a combination of by way of Spain, where he was active as a Mexico andonCalifornia, as is Baja the name of missionary New Spain’s California Calexico, California across the border. This peninsula. In June and July 1746, he was sent is sea an unusual pair of of the border in that by to the head Gulfcities of California, Mexicali, on the Mexican side, is far larger in order to investigate the disputed question than Calexico, on the U.S. side. of whether Baja California was an island. Apart from the municipal seat of Mexicali, From 1732 to the end of his life, he lived at the municipality of Mexicali is Mission San Ignacio. He directed and oversaw subdivided into 14 administratively the building of new missions, aqueducts, boroughs (delegations). embankments, drainage channels, and the first silver mines. He died at San Ignacio in 1759. The Mexican Today, Konsag Government Island offers a large The politics of Mexico take place in a population of sea lions, seals, and many framework of birds. a federal presidential species of marine The fishing near the representative whose island and the democratic many other republic submerged and government is based on a congressional partially submerged rocks, make for some whereby the inpresident of Mexico is ofsystem, the best fishing the area. The local both head oforstate and head of government, “pangeros”, panga fisherman will know the and ofif ayoumulti-party system. rocks; are own your own,The be federal careful, government represents the United Mexican and go slow when near the island. This island States and is divided has an elevation of 286into feetthree abovebranches: the sea. executive, legislative and judicial, as established by the Political Constitution of Virgin of Guadalupe the United Mexican States, published in 31° 1’34.09”N / 114°49’47.07”W 1917. The constituent states of the Built in honor of the Virgin Mary, the shrine is
federation must also have a republican a powerful religious symbol and a cultural icon form of government based on a ofcongressional Mexican identity. The shrine can be found system, as established by rising above theconstitutions. north end of the San Felipe their respective Bay.The Theexecutive various power vistas isfrom the shrine exercised by theare amazing looking south and to downtown San executive branch, which is headed by the Felipe and the Malecón and bay, or north past de Jesús the lighthouse to Punta ElFelipe Macharro. Calderón Hinojosa; born August 18, Lighthouse 1962) is the current President of Mexico. 31° 1’36.58”N / 114°49’45.27”W office The lighthouse is by far He theassumed most recognizable on December 1, landmark in San Felipe;2006, theandlighthouse is was located north of the downtown Malecón elected for a singlearea. termbut this is The construction date is six-year unknown, through 2012. He is one of the most accessible major lighthouses a member of the National of Baja California. Focal plane 35m (115 ft.); Action Party (PAN), one of the three major white flashpolitical everyparties. 6s. 22m (72 ft.) cylindrical Mexican
white concrete tower with four buttresses, adjoining keeper’s President,a one-story and advised by a house. cabinetIt is of a functioning lighthouse that is used by local secretaries that are independent of the fishermen guide them power home. is vested in legislature.to Legislative the Congress of the Union, a two-chamber legislature comprising the Senate and the Malecón Chamber of Deputies. Judicial power is 31° 1’23.19”N / 114°49’58.40”W exercised the judiciary, of theof The SanbyFelipe Malecón consisting is four blocks
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San Felipe breakwater, beach, retail, and restaurants in downtown on San Felipe. The area has gone through many changes in the last decade, with the most recent upgrades to the public restrooms at the south end. The area can become very active and during holidays and long weekends, it is where you will find tourists walking along or sitting on the breakwater wall, or at one of the many fresh shrimp and fish taco stands or restaurants. The Malecón is a wonderful place to walk, relax, and enjoy the Sea of Cortez.
Road Trips Valle de los Gigantes 30°52’56.64”N / 114°45’31.28”W Valle de los Gigantes, or Valley of the Giants, is home to the largest Cardon cacti in the world. The shadows alone cast by these larger-thanlife plants can extend as long as a few football fields. This natural wonder draws many photographers and naturalists all year long. The natural reserve of the thousand-yearold Cardon Cactus has become a major attraction after the transport of one of these giant specimens to Seville, Spain, for Seville Expo ‘92. Local environmentalists are lobbying for the protection of the valley in the form of a Nature Reserve. Located 15 Km south of downtown San Felipe, just south of campo Punta Estrella, Valle de los Gigantes is a must-see site.
The Rob’s Ranch Waterfalls 30°51’238”N / W115°14’.137 There are several watersfalls in the mountains above San Felipe, but a favorite is what many refer to as Rob’s Ranch. The ranch is not much more than an old cattle shoot next to an area for parking. The falls are approximately 300 yards upstream of this point. Spring time is the best time to visit the area, when wild purple and yellow flowers blanket the desert floor and all the desert and mountain flora are blossoming and beautiful. Do not expect water during the summer months. The stream that provides the falls also provides water to several ranchos in the valley. The pipes used to carry the water are visible
beside the stream and road. The falls are 25.2 miles southwest of San Felipe. From the top of Saltito Rd. (El Dorado Ranch) turn West (right), travel 8.7 miles to the cow’s hide fork in the road, stay on the left fork towards Valle Chico (small sign), continue 6.7 miles, turn right onto dirt road and continue 9.8 miles to Rob’s Ranch.
Puertecitos 30°20’44.23”N / 114°38’24.71”W Just 90 kilometers south of San Felipe is the little town of Puertecitos. Settled in 1949, this little fishing village has not changed much. The road to Puertecitos is paved, and is a beautiful coastal drive. By the time you reach Puertecitos the landscape becomes nearly absent of any vegetation. Puertecitos has a few establishments, basic supplies for sale, a small airstrip, a machine shop, and only a handful of families who live there full time. Those who do call it home are always helpful and gracious to the occasional traveler. The Cowpatty Cantina is a must when you visit Puertecitos. The funky little cantina is a local hangout and a favorite watering hole for travelers. It is on the west side of the highway before you reach town. Many tourists find the natural hot springs of Puertecitos to be its top draw. These springs are so intensely boiling hot, you must wait for high tide to roll in to cool the waters down enough to soak without burning. Many find soaking a necessity after the journey there, especially if you plan to continue the drive further south to Gonzaga Bay.
Gonzaga Bay 29°47’48.42”N / 114°24’3.99”W Bahia San Luis Gonzaga, better known as Gonzaga Bay, is one of the most beautiful and pristine destinations in Baja. Just 100 miles south of San Felipe, Gonzaga Bay has remained a remote and isolated place. Paving of the road from San Felipe to Puertecitos was finished in 2009. As of this writing, the road has continued 18 miles south of Puertecitos, leaving only 27 rough and bumpy miles of dirt road to Gonzaga Bay. Gonzaga Bay is a dream destination for many. In addition to the breathtaking beauty
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Things to See:
Things to See
The San Felipe tide recedes leaving this panga fishing boat on the wet sand. Photo by John Carleton.
of the area, the bay also includes over 70 oceanfront homes, an airstrip for the planes of The San Felipe Tide restaurant and owners and guests, Alfonsina’s Sea Grande of Cortez has and incredible hotel,The Rancho market, a Pemex.tide changes. Bayand of San Felipe is of10these feet The raw The beauty remoteness above sea level.cannot At lowbetide, the water can two settlements replicated or even recede as much as 1.2 miles. San Felipe described. It is as far from civilization as most has one the to largest tidalbut bores on the earth, people everofcare venture, worth trip duebeauty to thealone Colorado forprimarily the natural and itsRiver “youdelta have to to theit north. Theit”23-foot see to believe factor. tides can expose a half mile of ocean floor. Walk out and see the ocean bed. Be wary of the tide though, Things to Do as the tide can take you and your car Some ifwould Sanbeach. Felipe’s favorite quickly you parksay on the activity would be eating and drinking, and they might be correct. It should be apparent from the Konsag Island previous pages, that village has 31° 7' 0 N / 114°this 28'little 60" fishing W moreOnly festivals and fiestas than most this 22 miles out of San Felipetowns Bay and size. Nevertheless, the real of San Felipe reachable by boat in appeal 45 minutes, this isclearly its endless, and there visibleundeveloped island looksbeaches; like a giant sail isatalways something do at theIsland beach. first glance. Oftento Konsag appears to move, and looks at times like it is floating above the sea. Boating Oftenboat referred to as the Most enthusiasts are"Konsag unawareRock", how the it island is with named Ferdinand easy is to travel a boatafter to Baja. Not by Konščak (variously alsoI mean Fernando Consag, boat, but with boat! Yes, hitching your Konsag, Konschak, etc.), a Jesuit favorite floating friend to your truck or SUV and missionary, explorer, and cartographer who hauling it across the Mexican border to the lived from December 2, 1703, to beautiful Sea of Cortez. September 10, 1759. Crossing the border with a boat is not as In 1729, Konščak left for North America difficult as one may think. In fact, quite the by way of Spain, where he was active as a opposite is true; it is aSpain's relatively task. missionary on New Bajasimple California Topeninsula. all those gringos who imagine they will lose In June and July 1746, he was their boat, wreck their boat or encounter sent by sea to the head of the Gulf foul of play if they cross the border and sail on the Sea
of Cortez, we have outlined the skinny on how to cross the border with the boat and what to do with it once you arrive in Baja. Checklist for in the order to investigate the aCalifornia, boat to cross border: disputed question of whether • Current boat registration Baja California was an island. From 1732 to the end of his • Title to the trailer life,• Owner’s he livedpassport at Mission San Ignacio. He directed and oversaw the building of same new When arriving at the border, stay in the missions, aqueducts, embankments, lanes as any other vehicle. If you see the Green drainage channels, and the first silver mines. Light at the border, that means keep going nice He died at San Ignacio in 1759. and slow. If you receive the Red Light, there Today, Konsag Island offers a large is room to pull over and they may ask you to population of sea lions, seals, and many pull the cover off the boat, and show the boat species of marine birds. The fishing near the registration trailer title.submerged Very simpleand and island and and the the many other quick as long as you have your paperwork, partially submerged rocks, make for some proper ID, and are prepared. Numerous marinas exist in Baja; typically, larger towns have more than one marina where you can launch, dry dock, and rent a slip by the day, weekend, or year. Additionally, most marinas will flush the boat out for around $5 and wash the boat for a small fee. This will clean the saltwater out and get your boat ready to return to the States. San Felipe has a marina with available slips, water, power, showers, fuel docks, and boat launch. Depending on your boating adventure and the type of boat - speedboat, sailboat, or cruiser - will determine how far you can travel. The weather, time of the year and your of the bestlevel fishing in the area. The experience will also determine whatlocal type "pangeros", panga on. fisherman will know of journey youorembark theRegardless, rocks; if you are you ownfind your own, on bea whether yourself careful, and goadventure slow when the day island. long overnight or near a short trip, This island hascalming an elevation floating on the waters of with286 thefeet sun above the sea. in the sky and the clear blue water below you
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San Felipe should be on the top of your not- to-be-missed list. One way to cross the Sea of Cortez is to travel from San Felipe to Puerto Peñasco, either direction 73 nautical miles across, with full-service marinas in both ports. The speed of your boat will determine how long it takes you to cross the sea. My experience tells me with a cruiser or a sailboat plan on 6–8 hours across. If you have a speedboat and flat seas, you are looking at 2–3 hours. From either Puerto Peñasco or San Felipe, you can head south and explore the Sea of Cortez. In my opinion, the worst part about boating is getting off the boat. Leaving the crystal blue waters of the Sea of Cortez is the hardest part, not because of crossing the border with your boat, but merely due to the outrageously perfect weather you just boated in for the weekend, and now have to leave. Actually, besides the heartache that the vacation is over, crossing the border to reenter the USA is very simple. Follow your standard rules of crossing and be prepared for a few questions from the U.S. border, such as: • Who owns the boat? • How long have you owned the boat? • Did you sleep on the boat? • Where did you go in the boat? Pretty simple. Therefore, if you have a fishing, cruising, or fun-loving boat you have been hauling around to the lakes, try something new, and enjoy the gorgeous waters of the Sea of Cortez with dolphins, sea lions, and flying fish. This marine jewel, teeming with life, is a beautiful ocean with plenty of room for everyone.
Boat Ramp San Felipe is fortunate to a have a marina and municipal boat launch south of downtown, which is unique in Baja for a town as small as San Felipe. The ramp area offers limited parking for your vehicles and trailers. The San Felipe tides can create a very long and precarious ramp at low tide, so check the tide calendar in the back of this book for good launch and hauling times. There are no haul-out facilities available in the San Felipe. Ramps are also available at Club de Pesca and the El Cortez Hotel for guests. Check with them for any nonguest launch fees.
Play Golf Las Caras de Mexico Golf Course is an 18hole course on the Sea of Cortez. Located on the Beach and Golf Resort of La Ventana del Mar in San Felipe, this course offers unparalleled views of the Sea of Cortez and the San Pedro Mártir mountains. The course is named “Las Caras de Mexico” (Faces of Mexico) to give it an archaeological, historical, and social Mexican character. At every hole, you will encounter one of the great men and women who have helped mold Mexico into the beautiful country it is today. Las Caras de Mexico Golf Course is San Felipe’s first and only golf course. It opened to the public in 2005. It will eventually become a private course when the additional 18 holes are added on the West side of Highway 5. Only residents and hotel guests will play the seaside course when the mountain course is completed.
Golf Shop From the US & Canada: 1-800-404-2599 + 9 + 4417 From Mexico: 686-576-0517
Rent an ATV If you are looking for some excitement, then rent an ATV and tour the San Felipe desert, coastline, or dunes. ATV rentals are located downtown on Mar de Cortez, across the from El Cortez Hotel, and at many other locations throughout town, or tow your own. People are injured and killed in San Felipe every year while riding ATV’s, so it is important to consider a few safety tips: • Check your ATV over carefully before riding it and look for damage or broken parts and point them out. • Check the ATV fluids: brake, oil and gas. • Always wear helmet and goggles. • Always wear sunscreen. • Stay alert and aware at all times. • Check your surroundings and always watch for other ATVs and vehicles.
Sport Fishing Fishing for sport rather than food remains a lucrative enterprise in San Felipe. Corvina
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide is the most abundant local fish, but white and black sea bass, squid, red snapper, mackerel, and triggerfish also flourish, along with halibut and catfish - yes even catfish - making sport fishing a popular addition to the local scene. Fishing tours that begin in San Felipe and travel the coast south over several days and nights take sportsmen into the hallowed depths of “big game” fish like marlin and tuna, with an occasional whale sighting to complete the adventure. The sport fishing season runs from March through November, and anyone who has fished the Sea of Cortez knows that a day’s fishing runs from “excellent” to “good”.
Places to Eat
If you are looking for a place to eat in San Felipe, you should have no trouble. San Felipe is abundant with places to eat and drink, from the Malecón to El Dorado Ranch. It’s been said that San Felipe is the birthplace of the fish taco and it may very well be; nearly every restaurant serves them, but San Felipe also offers Japanese, Italian, Chinese, American and just about anything your appetite desires. Some of San Felipe’s more popular bars and clubs are along the Malecón, including San Felipe’s oldest watering hole, Club Bar Miramar. Most restaurants in town serve beer and some wine, and several have a full bar.
Places to Stay
San Felipe has approx. 700 registered hotel rooms in town, and those rooms may vary from sparse with limited amenities, to luxurious with the complete spa treatment; the choice is yours. In addition, San Felipe has a huge selection of vacation rental opportunities, from condominiums on the golf course or beachfront villas, to private homes and casitas. San Felipe also has some of Baja’s best beach camping, with long empty beaches, warm waters, and great shore fishing. Many beach campgrounds (“campos” or “playas”) are located near the baseball field in north downtown or a few miles north of town, off Highway 5. The most popular is Pete’s Camp, with its friendly residents, great beach and popular bar. Most campos offer a parking place, palapas, bathrooms and some have showers.
Places to Shop
San Felipe, like many tourist destinations in Baja, sells many of the same souvenirs like jewerlry, t-shirts, “Cuban” cigars, ceramics, and so on. However, there are some real treasures to be found in San Felipe, whether it’s fine art, specialized apparel, housewares, or whatever. Typically, shopping will happen on a need basis -- “oh, I forgot to bring sunglasses; I’d better buy some”, or else on a whim -- “that’s a nice-looking ...”. In addition to the actual stores, there are often peddlers walking around on the streets or beaches selling wares of some kind, usually personal accessories. Often, these people are associated with a store. Almost without exception, vendors in San Felipe accept the U.S. dollar.
Groceries
Anyone planning to stay in San Felipe longer than a week is going to need to do some grocery shopping, and like anywhere else, you have to know where to go. San Felipe offers many types of grocers, from the smaller neighborhood abarrote to the large supermercado, and everything in between, including farmers’ market “style” shopping on Tuesday along Chetumal downtown and at the Cachanilla Swap Meet at El Dorado Ranch every Saturday between October and May. This year San Felipe got a new Calimax Grocery Store and a WalMart Bodega, which is a small version of the popular discount store. You’ll find that many of the stores, no matter the size, will carry many of the same products, usually with limited options. However in the last few years, many grocers have begun carrying products specifically geared towards drawing a “gringo” clientele.
HOW TO CALL USA to Mx cell: 011 + 52 + 1 + area code + tel. phone USA to Mx landline: 011 + 52 + area code + tel. phone Mexico to USA & Canada: 001 + area code + tel. phone Mexico cel to Mexico landline: 045 or 044 + area code + tel. phone
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San Felipe
• SELLER FINANCE AVAILABLE • WHITE SANDY BEACH • 24/7 GUARDED GATED COMMUNITY • YOU OWN THE LAND FIDIECOMISSIO • FIRST AMERICAN TITLE INSURANCE ON EVERY LOT. • BUY NOW BUILD NOW!! • 2 POOLS • JACUZZI • RESTAURANT/BAR • STORE • LAUNDRY • COMMERCIAL CENTER • 2 HOURS FROM THE US BORDER • QUALITY MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE
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Things to Do
Panga fishing in San Felipe is fun and affordable. Richard Lawrence and Hal “Paco” Clark enjoy a day on the bay. Photo by John Pack.
Things to Do
To Call US 800 Numbers from Mexico *Some charges may apply Some would say San Felipe’s favorite 800 numbers.......Dial 001-880-then number activity would be eating and drinking, and 866 001-883-then theynumbers.......Dial might be correct. It shouldnumber be apparent 877 numbers.......Dial 001-882-then number from the previous pages, that this little 888 numbers.......Dial number fishing village has 001-881-then more festivals and fiestas
than most towns this size. Nevertheless, the
MUNICIPAL real appeal of San Felipe is its endless, Civil Protection Unit .......................... 686-577-1433 undeveloped beaches; and there is always Chamber of Commerce..................... 686-577-1104 something to do at the beach. Fire Dept/Ambulance......................... 686-577-1182 Federal Preventive Police................... 686-577-1045 Immigration Office............................. 686-577-1083 boat enthusiasts are unaware how PortMost Captain. ..................................... 686-577-1577 easy it is to travel with a boat to Baja. Not by State Judicial Police.......................... 686-577-1203 boat, but with boat! Yes, I mean hitching Tourism Department.......................... 686-577-1155
Boating
your favorite floating friend to your truck or
SUV and hauling it across the Mexican ATTORNEYS borderNunez.................................. to the beautiful Sea of Cortez. Caman 686- 234-3320 Crossing the border with a boat is not as
BAKERY difficult as one may think. In fact, quite the Blue Gecko is Bakery. opposite true;........................... it is a relatively686-209-6771 simple task.
To all those gringos who imagine they will
BUILDING MATERIALS lose their boat, wreck their boat or La Competencia.... 686-577-2700 or 686-576-0676
encounter foul play if they cross the border
and sail on the Sea of Cortez, we have BRAKES & SUSPENSION outlined skinnyRallo’s. on how cross the Brakes and the Suspension ......... to 686-946-7465 border with the boat and what to do with it
CITY onceSERVICES you arrive in Baja. Checklist for a boat District Attorney................................ 686-577-1110 to cross the border: Mayor’s Office.................................. • Current boat registration 686-577-1021
• Title to the trailer
COMPUTER SERVICES • Owner’s passport CSI–Computer & Satellite.................. 686-577-2928 The Computer Guy............................ 686-134-6183
FILM DEVELOPMENT Fotografia Alvarez.............................. 686-577-1144
When arriving at the border, stay in the
FISHING same lanes as any other vehicle. If you see Pablo’s Sport Light Fishing........................ the Green at the border,686-117-6974 that means
keep going nice and slow. If you receive the HEALTH & MEDICAL Red Light, there is room to pull over and Baja Acupuncture.............................. 686-576-9656 they may ask you to pull the cover off the
HOME boat, FURNISHINGS and show the boat registration and the The Home Store of San Felipe. ........... 686 trailer title. Very simple and quick as576-0646 long as
you have your paperwork, proper ID, and
HOME REPAIR / IMPROVMENT are prepared. Numerous marinas exist in Baja Home Improvment Service........ 686-222-4705 Baja; typically, larger towns have more than Handy Man Gene Jensen................... 686-256-7752
one marina where you can launch, dry dock, and rent a slip by the day, weekend, or year. Additionally, most marinas will flush the boat out for around $5 and wash the boat for a small fee. This will clean the saltwater out and get your boat ready to return to the States. San Felipe has a marina with available slips, water, power, showers, fuel docks, and boat launch. Depending on your boating adventure and the type of boat - speedboat, sailboat, or cruiser - will determine how far you can travel. The weather, time of the year and your experience level will also determine what type of journey you embark on. Regardless, whether you find yourself on a long overnight adventure or a short day trip, floating on the calming waters with the sun in the sky and the clear blue water below you should be on the top of your not-
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San Felipe HOUSE KEEPER Baja House Cleaner........................... 686-121-1684
SATELLITE TV & INTERNET CSI - Computer & Satellite................. 686-577-2928
IMMIGRATION SERVICES Immigration Office............................. 686-577-1083
SHOPPING Baja Glitz.............Vickie Silva vicirae99@gmail.com Jimmy Fin Beach Furniture................ 686-134-0202
LANDSCAPING Versoleil............................................ 686-576-0664 MARKET Pelicano Market................................ 686-577-0743 MOVING SERVICES San Felipe Moving & Storage............. 686-576-0432 PET SITTING Puppies and Pearls............................ 686-168-3397 POLICE Federal Preventive Police................... 686-577-1045 Police............................................... 686-577-1134 POSTAL SERVICES Yet Mail............................................. 686-577-1255 PRINTERS Papeleria Copicentro......................... 686-577-1402 The Print Supplier........... .US toll free 800-576-0919 REFRIGERATION Samisa Refrigeration............686-577-1984
SOLAR EnergĂca........686.577.6228 STORAGE San Felipe Moving & Storage............. 686-576-0432 TATTOOING Baja Ink Spot..................................... 686-189-0502 TRANSPORTATION Airport.................................686-577-1368 Taxi Service...................................... 686-577-1293 ABC Bus Station................................ 686-577-1516 UTILITIES Electric (CFE)........ 686-577-1060 or 686-577-5602 Propane Gas..................................... 686-577-2373 State Com of Services Public............ 686-556-1383 Telnor Phone Co................................ 686-577-1000 Water Company................................ 686-577-1022 WASTE MANAGEMENT San Felipe Disposal........................... 686-121-1004
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Puertecitos
Rachel and Cai posing in front of CowPatty, by John Pack.
Puertecitos Sulfer Hot Springs Puertecitos is located 90 kilometers or 52 miles south of San Felipe, down the newlyimproved San Felipe-Puertecitos road. This seaside campo, which currently consists mostly of abandoned trailers and seaside bungalows, was founded in 1949 by Rafael Orozco and is one of the main attractions of this part of northern Baja due to it being host to one of the most beautiful natural hot springs that we have visited. Puertecitos is not big on amenities, so we suggest bringing what you’ll be consuming with you. Just before the entrance, there is a Pemex gas station, which was nearly completed a few years back and may never be open, a small general store (Abarrotes Las Palmas), and a drinking water outlet. The Cow Patty is a creatively decorated bar located about a mile north of the campo on the west side of the road, if you want to enjoy a drink with the locals. In addition to the hot springs, the campo of Puertecitos offers palapa camping, a sandy beach, toilets and a restaurant. It also has a dirt airstrip for adventurous pilots. We spoke to two pilots from Colorado who had landed their small planes in Puertecitos to enjoy the springs on their aeronautical trip further south. A gatekeeper usually collects $10 per car at the entrance, but if he’s not there, he usually catches up with you later at the springs if you drive in. The hot springs are located a short drive from the campo entrance on a medium-quality dirt
road. Go past the camping area to its left, toward the residential area, and once in the residential area, generally stay to the right at just about every fork in the dirt road except when you see the marked entrance to the springs on the left. When arriving at the springs for the first time, all you can see are rocks leading to the sea, but on closer examination, you will discern several pools nestled among the rocks. They have varying degrees of temperature, depending on the tidal level and the pool’s proximity to the springs and the sea. Be very careful to test the water before you enter since at low tide the pools are hot enough to burn. We also recommend consulting a tide calendar (see page 9), since the best time for using these natural springs is about mid-tide in order for the thermal and sea water to mix for a comfortable soak. For example, when high tide was at 1:30 p.m., the springs were too hot at 11 a.m. and perfect at noon. At high tide, the tubs are submerged, and are not much warmer than the sea. The combination of sea water and geothermal sulfur spring water make these springs especially unique, and people have told us that the water has therapeutic properties for them. One elder gentleman testified that he had made a special trip to Puertecitos from Washington state because the healing waters relieved his arthritis and allowed him much greater movement in his hands.
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John and Rachel Pack head out into Gonzaga Bay for some exploring on Hotel Alfonsina’s barely seaworthy kayak without life jackets, something they discourage. Photo by Gene Jensen.
San Luis Gonzaga Latitude: 29°47’27.06”N Longitude: 114°24’50.23”W Bahia San Luis Gonzaga is an incredibly beautiful bay and considered one of Baja’s real treasures. Over the years as other communities grow, Bahia de Gonzaga has remained serene and relaxed simply because it is so difficult to reach. Bahia de Gonzaga is approximately 90 miles south of San Felipe and about 50 miles south of Puertecitos. The road south from Puertecitos once had a reputation for being one of the worst roads in Baja, but today it is one of the best; paved and or graded to only 8
kilometers short of Bahia de Gonzaga. Bahia San Luis Gonzaga is always worth a visit, especially if you like warm water, empty beaches, and the incredible beauty of the sea and desert. Bahia San Luis Gonzaga has one hotel, two campgrounds, two airstrips, a Pemex station, three restaurants and a newly expanded grocery store. The hotel Alfonsina’s has 15 rooms, a beautiful beachfront, a restaurant with terrific fish tacos, and a very nice staff. Don’t expect too much more than a clean room, friendly smile and cold beer.
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Highway 2
Federal Highway 2 runs West to East along the US and Mexican Border. Photo by Annoymous.
Highway 2 Federal Highway 2 (Carretera Federal 2) runs along the Mexico – United States border. The highway is divided into two discontinuous segments. The western segment begins in Tijuana, Baja California, and terminates at El Porvenir, Chihuahua, near Ciudad Juárez. The eastern segment begins at Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, and continues to the Gulf of Mexico at Playa Lauro Villar, Tamaulipas, near Matamoros. Between Tijuana and Mexicali in Baja California, and again between Reynosa and Matamoros in Tamaulipas, the route is bypassed by Mexican Federal Highway 2D, a four lane controlled access toll road referred to in Mexico as an autopista. It is advised that you use pesos when paying tolls as fair currency exchange is not always given for the US dollar. Highway 2 is considered to be part of Pacific Coastal Highway from Tijuana to Highway 15 in the State of Sonora. The highway passes through the border states of Baja California,Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. The highway also has connecting access to every official port of entry into the United States
with the exception of the international bridge between Ojinaga, Chihuahua, and Presidio, Texas, which is within the gap between the two highway segments. These ports of entry allow access from the highway to all four United States border states: California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. As a result, customs inspection stations are common along some sections of the highway. Even if the highway were to be extended to join the two segments, the gap between the two is more directly crossed by traveling along Interstate 10 and U.S. Highway 90 in the United States because of the course of the Rio Grande (Río Bravo del Norte) around the Big Bend region of Texas. Federal highways in Mexico are generally designated with even numbers for east-west routes and odd numbers for north-south routes. Numerical designations usually ascend southward away from the U.S. border for eastwest routes, and usually ascend eastward away from the Pacific Ocean for north-south routes. Therefore, Federal Highway 2, due to its proximity to the border, has the lowest possible even number designation, and intersecting north-south federal routes conform to this pattern.
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Tecate North.
Tecate Downtown.
Tecate South.
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Tecate
The Tecate Brewery in downtown Tecate.
Tecate Geography
Latitude: 32°33’56.60”N Longitude: 116°38’4.10”W Tecate is a small city in Baja California, Mexico and the municipal seat of Tecate Municipality. It is located on the border with Tecate, California, United States in the San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. There is a small port of entry between the sister cities that serves as a calmer alternative to the bustling port of Tijuana. Although the city is only 64 kilometres (40 mi) from San Diego, the road to the border crossing traverses mountainous terrain making Tecate a non-viable alternative to the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Tecate is best known outside of metropolitan San Diego–Tijuana for Tecate beer and being the home of author Daniel Reveles. Tecate beer is one of the most popular beers in Mexico and California and is typically drunk pouring lime and salt on top of a can of the product.
Tecate’s altitude of approximately 1,775 feet (541 m) above sea level and its proximity to the ocean contribute to the temperate climate. It rains enough in the area for a thick ground cover of shrubs to grow; the change from maritime to desert climates is at a higher altitude a couple hours’ drive further east. Tecate is also the name of a small river that courses through the city, and of a hamlet on the Alta California (US side) of the border, affectionately known as “Tecatito” (population around 100; zip code 91980).
Demographics
Tecate, which reported a population of 64,764 in the 2010 census, serves as the administrative centre for the Tecate Municipality.
Economy
Tecate is the site of the first brewery of Tecate Beer. Industrial companies from across
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Transportation
Tecate is on a spur of Mexican Federal Highway 2 that connects Tijuana with Mexicali via the central Sierra mountains. It is on the older, two-lane, east-west road which is toll-free. A train from Campo, California, called the Tecate Ticket, travels to Tecate on a monthly basis (currently suspended due to a tunnel fire along the route). The train is run by the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum. The city is the location of the Tecate Airport, which no longer operates due to low traffic. Instead, Tecate residents are served by nearby Tijuana International Airport (TIJ), with flights to most major Mexican cities and Shanghai and Tokyo. TIJ is closer to Tecate than Mexicali International Airport and thus used more frequently by Tecate residents. Tourism and recreation In May, the annual Tecate-to-Ensenada bicycle race takes place, with thousands of cyclists from both sides of the border participating. July is the time for a two-week celebration in Los Encinos Park, featuring dance groups, crafts, food concessions, and exhibits. The pamplonada, or running of the bulls, was ordinarily held in August in the 1980s and early 1990s along one of the main streets, but it was canceled because of a series of accidents and violence. Tecate has a stadium, Manuel Ceceña, which is home to the local baseball team, the Cerveceros.
Getting to Tecate Tecate’s border crossing is probably the easiest in California. You can pay a few dollars to park at one of the lots on the US side and walk across the border. It can also be an alternative border crossing to get back into the US; it’s less crowded than the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa border crossings (to get back into the US). It will be a long drive from Tijuana, but it will save you some time. • From San Diego, take Highway 94 east. • From Tijuana, Take the toll road
•
(“cuota”) that parallels Mexico Highway 2, 30 miles east. Highway 2 then leads east about 80 miles to Mexicali by way of the notorious “Rumorosa Grade”. From Ensenada take Mexico Highway 3 east. The highway is two lanes and is about a 75 minute drive to the border crossing.
Things to Do •
• •
Rancho La Puerta health spa. The Golden Door is another Spa that was later established by Deborah Szekely, a co-founder of Rancho La Puerta. The yearly Tecate-Ensenada bike ride. California Motorsport Adventours Based in San Diego. Off road adventure tours for people of all riding abilities. Everyone welcome: families, couples, friends, single riders, bachelor and corporate groups. Full day excursions or longer tours available also. Ride in the dunes and then enjoy a guided adventure into the surrounding mountain trails. Our trips out to Tecate are 2 to 4 days long. Contact the office for reservations and inquiries.
Shopping
Tecate has a central shopping plaza, but those crossing the border and looking for souvenirs will be disappointed.
Places to Drink
Tecate is home to the namesake Tecate Brewery, which offers tours.
Getting out • •
•
The Vinicola L.A. Cetto winery, along Highway 3, offers tours. California Motorsport Adventours Off road adventure tours to the LA Cetto WInery. Begin the San Diego or Puerto Nuevo Baja. Minimum 4 riders. Contact the office for reservations. Guadelupe Canyon hot springs, with nearby hiking and petroglyphs, is located 30 miles down a dirt road east of La Rumorosa.
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Los Algodones
The Los Algodones border crossing.
Los Algodones Latitude: 32°42’49.95”N Longitude: 114°43’56.74”W Los Algodones, Baja California, is a small Mexican town located on the extreme northeastern tip of the municipality of Mexicali, approximately 16 km (9.9 mi) west of Yuma, Arizona, USA. Its official name is Vicente Guerrero, although most people use Algodones when referring to it. It reported a population of 5,474 as of the 2010 Mexican census. It also serves as a borough seat of its surrounding area. Los Algodones is the northernmost town in Mexico, and at its northeastern tip is the northernmost point in Mexico. Another interesting geographical distinction is that if someone were to travel in any of the four cardinal directions from anywhere in Algodones (due north, due east, due south, or due west), they would cross a U.S. border. Situated near the borders of both southeastern California and southwestern Arizona, Los Algodones has become a popular tourist attraction in recent years due in part to inexpensive shopping and restaurants as well as inexpensive medical care and prescription medicines. The warm, dry climate of the area attracts a number of older tourists from across the United States and Canada who settle during the winter in the nearby towns of Yuma,
Arizona and Winterhaven, California. Organized day trips from the Coachella Valley are popular among seniors as well. From the US side, Los Algodones is most easily reached via Interstate 8 and south a short distance (3.33 Km / 2.07 mi) along State Route 186/Andrade Road to the international border at Andrade, California. From Andrade, visitors can elect to park their vehicles for a small fee and walk across the border or to drive across. The popularity of both inexpensive prescriptions and medical care catering to Canadian and US senior citizens have prompted a virtual explosion of pharmacies and dental offices which have largely displaced a great deal of the open-air shops and restaurants immediately across the border and have effectively shifted the town’s focus from tourism to medicine. Nevertheless, a number of shops and restaurants remain and Los Algodones capitalizes on the tourist trade with frequent fiestas throughout the year, most notably around the Christmas season. The exact geographical location is 32°42′55″N 114°43′44″W at an elevation of 110 feet/33.5 m above mean sea level. The Spanish-language name Los Algodones translates into English as “The Cottons (referring to the plants, not the fiber).”
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Mexico Federal Highway 3 by commons.wikimedia.
Highway 3 Mexican Federal Highway 3 (Carretera Federal 3) is a Federal Highway of Mexico. One segment connects Tecate (and California State Route 188 on the US-Mexico border) to Ensenada in Baja California. This segment ends at its junction with Mexican Federal Highway 1 at El Sauzal Rodriguez, just a little north of Ensenada. This segment of the highway is 112 kilometers (70 mi) long. This segment of the highway is important because it shortens the distance between the Baja California peninsula and the interior of the country by providing a link with Mexican Federal Highway 2 without having to through Tijuana. It also connects to the people in Valle de Guadalupe, San Antonio de las Minas and Valle de Las Palmas. A second segment of the highway, 196
kilometres (122 mi), begins at highway 1 in Ensenada and links Ensenada with Mexican Federal Highway 5 near the east coast of the Baja California peninsula. Their junction in the town of El Chinero is 55 kilometres (34 mi) north of San Felipe, Baja California. There is a military inspection station just south of the junction, where all passing vehicles in both directions are subject to search.
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Highway 3 / Valle de Guadalupe
A group of club members on tour at the wineries. Photo by Rachel Pack.
Valle de Guadalupe Latitude: 32° 5’43.06”N Longitude: 116°34’17.01”W Valle de Guadalupe (Valley of Guadalupe), or Francisco Zarco is a village located in the municipio of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, 20 km (14 mi) north of the city of Ensenada. The census of 2010 reported a population of 2,664 inhabitants.
History
The community was founded in 1834 by Dominican missionary Félix Caballero as Misión de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del Norte, making it the last mission established in the Californias. Caballero had to abandon the mission in 1840, under attacks from the indigenous peoples. One of the most important activities in the mission was wine production but in 1857, when the Mexican government stripped the Catholic Church of its land holdings the small
wineries formerly tended to by missionaries were eventually abandoned. In 1888 the government sold the former lands of the nearby Santo Tomás Mission to a private group, which established the first large-scale winery in Mexico. In 1904, the region received an influx of Russian Molokan immigrants, a religious group which opposed war and fled Russia so its men would not be drafted by the Czarist army. In Mexico they found freedom of creed and acquired about 0.4 km² (100 acres) of land to harvest grapes for wine.
Tourism Since the 1990s the association of winemakers of Baja California holds the Grape Harvest Fiestas in the Valley of Guadalupe and the town of Ensenada every year in August. The celebration includes wine tasting sessions, concerts and soirées, and samplings of regional cuisine and Mexican wines.
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Living in Baja
Baja Living
Playa Coyote in Mulege on Bahia de Comcepcion. Photo by Lorraine “Raine” Fisher.
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Baja Good Life Discounts ENTIRE BAJA
Las Rocas Resort & Spa Lodging Member Discount: 10% Discount at Las Rocas Spa Phone: 661-614-9850
Baja Amigos RV Caravans Member Discount: $100 dlls Off Phone: 1-866-999-2252
ENSENADA
BGL Auto Insurance Mexican Insurance Member Discount: Annual policies starting at: $132.34 877-588-6391 EXT 3 BGL Home / Condo Insurance Mexican Insurance Member Discount: Discount is Custom - Get a Quote! Phone: (818) 788-5353 US ask for Jason Wagner BGL Medical Insurance Mexican Insurance Member Discount: 10% discount Phone: (818) 788-5353 ask for Jason Wagner
Poco Cielo Restaurants Member Discount: 15% off Restaurant or Hotel, not to include alcohol or room service. Phone: 760-670-3336
Binational Emergency Medical Care Committee Health and Medical, Professional Services Member Discount: 11% off Annual Membership Phone: 619-425-5080
Posada Don Diego R.V. Park-Motel-Restaurant-Bar Lodging, Restaurants Member Discount: 10% Discount on RV Spaces
Quick-Speed Net Internet Member Discount: 50% discount off the installation fee Phone: US (619) 955-6798 or Mex 646-155-4277
ROSARITO BEACH Bobby’s Baja by the Sea Lodging Member Discount: Stay 2 nights get the 3rd night FREE Phone: 661-613-2494 Cisco-Sat Home and Garden Member Discount: 50% discount on any job Baja Produce Deli Place Shopping Member Discount: 10% off purchase Phone: 661-612-7476
Estero Beach Hotel Resort Lodging Member Discount: 20% Off Phone: 646-176-6225 Parque del Palmerito Things to Do Member Discount: 100 % discount for members = FREE Business Website Address: http://catavina.com/
Restaurant La Bufadora Restaurants Member Discount: 25% off Your Order excluding Thursdays Phone: 646 152 0003
SAN FELIPE Amor Property Real Estate Services Member Discount: 10% off all Fideicomisos and Bank Trusts Phone: 686-577-0611 Back to Life Physical Therapy Health and Medical Member Discount: 10% for physical therapy treatment Phone: 686-576-0339
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BGLC Discounts Baja Acupuncture Health and Medical Member Discount: $5.00 Discount Phone: 686-573-9656
Redwagon Property Services Lodging, Real Estate Services Member Discount: Stay 3 nights get 4th night free Phone: 619-578-4378
Baja Improvement Services Home and Garden Member Discount: 10% off window tinting Phone: 686-222-4507 or US 760-693-2995
Rumors Bar & Grill Restaurants Member Discount: 20% Off 2nd Entree Phone: 686-577-3168
Baja House Cleaners Professional Services Member Discount: 10% off cleaning services Phone: 686-236-7574 & 686-114-5337
San Felipe Disposal Professional Services Member Discount: 15% off on all new accounts Phone: 686-121-1004
Baja Ink Spot Professional Services Member Discount: 10% Discount on Tattoos Phone: 686-577-0746
Taller Rallo: Brakes and Suspension Professional Services Member Discount: 10% off services 2 doors behind Oxxo to the north of the Arches
Baja Solar Ovens Home and Garden Member Discount: FREE Oven Pan with oven purchase Phone: Band It Shopping and Gifts Member Discount: Save $2 on each order Phone: 686-123-5147
The Computer Guy Professional Services Member Discount: 25% off the first hour of labor Phone: 686-134-6183
California Dental Health and Medical Member Discount: 10% off cleaning, whitening, and X-rays Phone: 686-577-0708
La Competencia – Building Materials Home and Garden Member Discount: 5% discount on all in-store products
Pelicano Market Shopping Member Discount: 5% Off on Wednesdays
The Pavilion Restaurant Restaurants Member Discount: 20% off your meal
MULEGE
Consultorio Dental – Dr Jason Arias Corpus Health and Medical Member Discount: 30% off Dental Cleaning Phone: 686-577-6212
Medicorama Health and Medical Member Discount: 50% off all Generic Medications Phone: 686-577-6261
The La Palapa Bar and Grill Restaurants Member Discount: 20% OFF Phone: 686-577-0010
Whale Watching with Baja Eco Tours Member Discount: 10% OFF ANY San Ignacio Package Phone: 877-506-0557 Cuesta Real Hotel/RV & Camping Lodging Member Discount: 10% discount with 2 nights stay Phone: 615-153-0321
LORETO Dali Delikatessen & Gourmet Shopping Member Discount: 10% off Tuesdays and Thursdays Phone: 613 135 2477
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide Domingo’s Place Restaurants Member Discount: 10% discount Phone: 613-135-2445
Nichols Expeditions Things to Do Member Discount: 5% discount Phone: 800-648-8488 Rancho La Duna Lodging Member Discount: 10% discount Phone: 612-140-0948
El Tiburon Casitas Lodging Member Discount: 10% off rentals 2 days or more Phone: 613-135-2536 Galeria La Media Luna Shopping and Gifts Member Discount: 10% discount on Decorative Items & 15% discount on Furniture Phone: 613-135-0533 Hotel Santa Fe Lodging Member Discount: $71.00 Usd per Room Per Night (Includes Daily Breakfast Buffet – All taxes) Phone: 613-134-0400 Loreto Islas Restaurant Restaurants Member Discount: FREE drink with meal Phone: 613-135-2341 Loreto Playa Boutique Hotel Lodging Member Discount: BGLC Discount: 10% discount Phone: 011-52-613-135-1129
LA PAZ
Tailhunter Restaurant and FUBAR Cantina Restaurant Member Discount: 10% discount all food and beverage Phone: 612-125-3311 Taller Santana Steel Fabricating Shop Services Member Discount: 10% off Phone: 624-128-0046 The Cortez Club Things to Do Member Discount: 15% discount on all services Phone: 877-408-6769
LOS BARRILES Baja Weddings & Events & Casually Elegant Rentals Party Rentals Member Discount: 10% off Phone: 624-141-0539 US 828-483-7413
Amistad Real Estate Real Estate Services Member Discount: 10% on Vacation Rentals Phone: 612-159-3060
Baja’s Awesome Sportfishing Things To Do Member Discount: 10% Off Phone: 624-141-0231
Baja Expeditions Things to Do Member Discount: 5% discount Phone: 612 125 3828
Copper River Designs Shopping Member Discount: 10% Discount on Purchase Phone: 624 159 4780
CAN-AM-MEX Firma Jurídica / Legal Firm Real Estate Services Member Discount: 10% on our fees Phone: 612-348-9793
East Cape Legal Services Legal Services Member Discount: 10% off Phone: 624-128-4624
Mar Y Aventuras – Sea Kayaking Excursions Things to Do Member Discount: 10% off any of our tours Phone: 612-123-0559
Hotel Los Pescadores Lodging Member Discount: 12% discount Phone: 624-121-8786
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BGLC Discounts LOS CABOS
Los Barriles Property Services Real Estate Services Member Discount: 10% off income commission Phone: 624-124-8282
Baja Bungalows - San José del Cabo Lodging Member Discount: 10% off Email: info@bajabungalows.com
Plum Loco Shopping Member Discount: 10% off purchase Phone: 624-137-7721
Cabo Dog Hotel - Cabo Pet Lodging Member Discount: 15% Off Phone: 624-120-5452
Rancho La Venta Lodging / Winery Member Discount: 10% our casitas Phone: 612-156-8947
Cabo Mar Properties Real Estate Services Member Discount: General Construction 3% discount Phone: 624-143-9149
Smokey’s Restaurant Restaurants Phone: 624-141-0294
Castillo de Arena - San José del Cabo Real Estate Services Member Discount: 10% discount off lots 10% off sales commission (agent side) Phone: 624-147-0111
While In Paradise Day Spa Health & Medical Member Discount: 10% off Phone: 624-150-5608
TODOS SANTOS El Cardonal’s Hide-A-Way Lodging Member Discount: 10% off regular price for a suite on the beach or camping Phone: 612-348-9793 El Cardonal’s Gated Community Real Estate Services Member Discount: 10% on the purchase of a property Flora del Mar B&B Lodging Member Discount: 10% off Phone: 612-153-5354 La Alianza Lodging Member Discount: 10% off seasonal rates, excluding Holidays Phone: 612-118-3423 Pescadero Surf Camp Lodging Member Discount: 10% discount Phone: 612-134-0480
Hotel Mar de Cortez in Cabo San Lucas Lodging Member Discount: FREE Room Upgrade Phone: 800 347-8821 High Tide Los Cabos - Cabo Things To Do Member Discount: 10% off in Glass Bottom Kayak and Snorkel Tour to the Arch or 10% off in Glass Bottom Kayak and Snorkeling Two Bay (Santa María & Chileno Bay) Phone: (624)142 042 Siesta Suites Hotel - Cabo Lodging Member Discount: 10% rooms Phone: 624-143-2773 La Dolce Ristorante Italiano - Cabo Restaurants Member Discount: 10% off Phone: 624-142-6621 123enRed - San José del Cabo Business Services Member Discount: 20% off Phone: 624 1052316
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
The Best Of Baja 2012 The 6th Annual Best of Baja is a Baja Good Life Readers Poll of the very best that Baja has to offer. The Best of Baja poll gives you the chance to rally support for those special businesses, people and places that make the Baja experience that much better. After all, you the reader, know your Baja better than we do; you live, play and some of you even work in Baja and you know your community inside and out. Thank you for helping us to know what you think is the best of the best in Baja. The Best of Baja nominations begin each October 1st. We ask all readers to nominate their favorites, and this year we received 1250+ nominations. The become a candidate, the top three candidates in a category had to receive a minimum of 5 unsolicited nominations. To have a category as part of the voting, a minimum of two qualifying nominees had to be in that category. ALL VOTES ARE PROTECTED USING IP ADDRESS, which meant that people in a household of many computers and one internet access, may share a single IP, limiting that household to a single vote. Although this can create a problem for some, it does ensure the integrity of the votes.
BEST OF ROSARITO BEACH BEST ART GALLERY David Silva Gallery (46% of Votes) BEST BAKERY Panaderías la Espiga (64% of Votes) BEST BAR Splash (78% of Votes) BEST BARTENDER Nicolas Santos - Splash (76% of Votes) BEST BREAKFAST La Fonda (44% of Votes) BEST DENTIST Avila´s Dental Group (60% of Votes) BEST ENTERTAINMENT - KARAOKE Rosa & Rita (52% of Votes) BEST ENTERTAINMENT - PERFORMANCE Mariachi Festival (51% of Votes) BEST LODGING - HOTEL / MOTEL Rosarito Beach Hotel (62% of Votes) BEST PIZZA Ollies Pizza (72% of Votes)
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Living in Baja BEST RESTAURANT FOR MEXICAN Los Arcos (54% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR SEAFOOD Mariscos Bahia de Ensenada (69% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR NON-MEXICAN Applebees (73% of Votes)
BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT Max Katz (72% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR STEAK Tapanco (58% of Votes)
BEST THINGS TO SEE (self guided tours) Guadalupe Valle Wineries (75% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR SEAFOOD Splash Resaurant (78% of Votes)
BEST OF SAN FELIPE BEST ARTIST Steve Sherrod (51% of Votes)
BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT Jose Lopez (41% of Votes)
BEST BAKERY Panaderia Especial (43% of Votes)
BEST OF ENSENADA BEST ART GALLERY State Center of the Arts in Ensenada (91% of Votes) BEST ARTIST Anita Silvestri (56% of Votes)
BEST BAR Als Backstreet Bar (48% of Votes) BEST BARTENDER Kuko at Pete’s Camp (53% of Votes) BEST BREAKFAST Juanitos (downtown) (41% of Votes)
BEST BAKERY Hogaza Hogaza Bakery (51% of Votes)
BEST CHEAP EATS (good food for cheap) Playa Azul (48% of Votes)
BEST BAR Old Mission Brewery (46% of Votes)
BEST CONSTRUCTION (Residential) BJ Sweitzer (38% of Votes)
BEST BREAKFAST Mi Kaza (38% of Votes)
BEST DENTIST California Dental Spa (56% of Votes)
BEST COFFEEHOUSE Starbucks (58% of Votes)
BEST DEVELOPMENT El Dorado Ranch (64% of Votes)
BEST DENTIST Smile Ortho Center (33% of Votes)
BEST ENTERTAINMENT - KARAOKE Mac n Nan (66% of Votes)
BEST ENTERTAINMENT - MUSIC GROUP Mike & The Wetbacks (44% of Votes)
BEST ENTERTAINMENT - MUSIC GROUP Baja Boys & Lady Susan (54% of Votes)
BEST LODGING - HOTEL / MOTEL Hotel Coral (67% of Votes)
BEST ENTERTAINMENT - PERFORMANCE Denny Flannigan (58% of Votes)
BEST NIGHTCLUB Hussongs Cantina (86% of Votes)
BEST HAIRCUT / SALON Mychaels (60% of Votes)
BEST PIZZA Luiggi’s Pizza (56% of Votes)
BEST HARDWARE STORE Maderas San Felipe (56% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR MEXICAN Taqueria Mexico Lindo (64% of Votes)
BEST HOME FURNISHINGS The Home Store (74% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR NON-MEXICAN El Rey Sol Restaurant (73% of Votes)
BEST LANDSCAPER Yessica and Carmen (45% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR STEAK Sano’s Steak House (69% of Votes)
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide BEST LODGING - VACATION RENTAL San Felipe Beach Front Rentals (51% of Votes)
Hotel del Real (100% of Votes) BEST RESTAURANT FOR MEXICAN Playas Negras (51% of Votes)
BEST MAIL SERVICE Sunrunner (76% of Votes) BEST MARKET / GROCERY El Pelicano (41% of Votes)
BEST THINGS TO SEE (self guided tours) Museo Histórico Minero de Santa Rosalía (51% of Votes)
BEST PIZZA Sand Rail Pizza (59% of Votes)
BEST OF MULEGE BEST LODGING - HOTEL / MOTEL Hotel Las Casitas (60% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR NON-MEXICAN The China Inn (42% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR MEXICAN Los Equipales (75% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR MEXICAN Playa Azul (40% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR NON-MEXICAN Scotty’s Bar (100% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR SEAFOOD La Vaquita (80% of Votes) BEST RESTAURANT FOR STEAK El Nido (69% of Votes)
BEST THINGS TO SEE (self guided tours) Bahía Concepción (83% of Votes) BEST OF LORETO
BEST REAL ESTATE BROKER Amor Properties (43% of Votes)
BEST ARCHITECT HuQuMa Studio (63% of Votes)
BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT Darryl McDonough (46% of Votes)
BEST ARTIST Lizette Inzunza (91% of Votes)
BEST SWEETS AND DESERTS Baja Chocolate Lovers (65% of Votes)
BEST BAR Del Borracho Saloon & Grill (55% of Votes) BEST BREAKFAST el Cafe de Lolita (74% of Votes)
BEST OF SAN IGNACIO BEST BREAKFAST San Ignacio Springs (51% of Votes) BEST LODGING - HOTEL / MOTEL San Ignacio Springs (33% of Votes)
BEST LODGING - HOTEL / MOTEL La Mision Loreto (56% of Votes) BEST LODGING - VACATION RENTAL Coco Cabanas Loreto (57% of Votes)
BEST LODGING - VACATION RENTAL Casa Leree (100% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR MEXICAN Orlando’s Mexican Cocina (51% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR MEXICAN Palapa La Preza (50% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR NON-MEXICAN Del Borracho Saloon & Grill (51% of Votes)
BEST THINGS TO SEE (self guided tours) San Ignacio Lagoon Whales (67% of Votes) BEST OF SANTA ROSALIA
BEST RESTAURANT FOR SEAFOOD Loreto Islas (63% of Votes) BEST THINGS TO SEE (self guided tours) Loreto Bay National Marine Park (70% of Votes)
BEST LODGING - HOTEL / MOTEL
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Living in Baja BEST OF LA PAZ
BEST RESTAURANT FOR SEAFOOD Mariscos Los Laureles (41% of Votes)
BEST ART GALLERY The Regional Anthropology and History Museum (53% of Votes)
BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT Jim Donahoe (58% of Votes)
BEST BAKERY Pan D’Les (50% of Votes)
BEST REAL ESTATE BROKER Amistad Realtors (49% of Votes)
BEST BAR The Shack (52% of Votes)
BEST SWEETS AND DESERTS La Fuente (57% of Votes)
BEST BREAKFAST Rancho Viejo (50% of Votes)
BEST THINGS TO SEE (self guided tours) Isla Espiritu Santo (49% of Votes)
BEST CHEAP EATS (good food for cheap) Rancho Viejo (78% of Votes)
BEST OF LOS BARRILES BEST BAR Smokey’s Restaurant (77% of Votes)
BEST COFFEEHOUSE Cafe La Choya (51% of Votes)
BEST BAKERY RoadRunner (58% of Votes)
BEST DENTIST Dr. Lorenia Estrada Talamantes (60% of Votes)
BEST BREAKFAST El Viejo (51% of Votes)
BEST DEVELOPMENT (residential) Haciendas Palo Verde (60% of Votes)
BEST CONSTRUCTION (Residential) Los Barriles Design (51% of Votes) BEST DENTIST Dr. Renan Pier (60% of Votes)
BEST ENTERTAINMENT - MUSIC GROUP Bluz Explozion (46% of Votes) BEST LODGING - HOTEL / MOTEL CostaBaja Resort & Spa (52% of Votes)
BEST LODGING - HOTEL / MOTEL Hotel Pescadores (62% of Votes)
LODGING - VACATION RENTAL Amistad Realtors (65% of Votes) BEST HAIRCUT / SALON Rocio Garcia Sandford (74% of Votes)
HAIRCUT / SALON Baja Bonita Salon (50% of Votes) BEST RESTAURANT FOR MEXICAN Cafe Maria (67% of Votes)
BEST HOME FURNISHINGS Sears (39% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR NON-MEXICAN Otra Vez Restaurant & Cantina (60% of Votes)
BESt PIZZA Toscano Pizza Gourmet (39% of Votes)
BEST TOURS Captain-Baja Adventure Tours (71% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR MEXICAN Rancho Viejo (53% of Votes) BEST RESTAURANT FOR NON-MEXICAN The Shack (54% of Votes)
BEST OF TODOS SANTOS BEST ART GALLERY Galeria Logan (60% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR STEAK Estancia Uruguay (54% of Votes)
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide BEST BAKERY Caffé Todos Santos (83% of Votes)
BEST BAR Mango Cantina (52% of Votes)
BEST BAR Shut Up Frank’s (67% of Votes)
BEST BREAKFAST Habanero’s (40% of Votes)
BEST BREAKFAST Santa Fe Deli (100% of Votes)
BEST CHEAP EATS Gordon Lele Tacos (100% of Votes)
BEST CHEAP EATS (good food for cheap) Loncheria Karla (52% of Votes)
BEST COFFEEHOUSE Cabo Coffee Company (64% of Votes)
BEST COFFEEHOUSE Baja Beans (100% of Votes)
BEST DEVELOPMENT (residential) Pedregal de Cabo San Lucas (56% of Votes)
BEST CONSTRUCTION (Residential) AH & Assoc. - Sylvia St. Clair (75% of Votes) BEST LODGING - HOTEL / MOTEL Hotel California (67% of Votes)
BEST LODGING - HOTEL / MOTEL Welk Resorts Sirena Del Mar (45% of Votes) BEST LODGING - VACATION RENTAL Cabo Villas (86% of Votes)
BEST LODGING - VACATION RENTAL Rancho de las Olas (100% of Votes)
BEST PIZZA Wicked Pizza (55% of Votes)
BEST PIZZA Buena Vida Pizzeria (67% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR MEXICAN Los Tres Gallos (50% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR MEXICAN Restaurante el Zaguán (100% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR NON-MEXICAN Baja Brewing Company (67% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR NON-MEXICAN Rumi Garden Cafe (50% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR STEAK Ruth’s Chris Steak House (42% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR SEAFOOD Miguel’s Restaurant (67% of Votes)
BEST RESTAURANT FOR SEAFOOD Las Mariscadas (83% of Votes)
BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT Lisa Welsch (100% of Votes) BEST THINGS TO SEE (self guided tours) Misión Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Todos Santos (67% of Votes) BEST WINERY / WINE La Casita Tapas & Wine Bar (33% of Votes)
BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT Jennifer Powell (38% of Votes) BEST REAL ESTATE BROKER Snell Real Estate (67% of Votes) BEST SWEETS AND DESSERTS Sr. Sweets Bistro (92% of Votes)
BEST OF LOS CABOS
BEST THINGS TO SEE (self guided tours) El Arco de Cabo San Lucas (67% of Votes)
BEST ART GALLERY Arte de Origen (67% of Votes)
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Living in Baja
Couples Relaxing. Photo by Christina Papadopoullou.
Why Retire in Baja Though Baja California is particularly popular among vacationers and adventure seekers, the area has a lot to offer to retirees, as well. The peninsula stretches for over 800 miles, and as it unfolds, it greets visitors with numerous beaches, missions, mountains, and other fascinating attractions. Beauty alone is not enough for an area to become appropriate for retirement. Fortunately, Baja California comes with other advantages. The first advantage of Baja California over other retirement areas in Mexico, or world is the geographical location. This is especially critical for those who want to visit their relatives who still live in the US, or Canada. Another advantage of Baja California is that prices and the costs of living are considerably lower than in the US or Canada. Of course, one should not forget that the Mexican mainland comes with even lower prices, but Baja California remains the favorite destination in the
whole Mexico. The low prices are particularly welcome when it comes to medical services. The immediate consequence of the rising costs of health care in US has been an increase in medical tourism. Retirees in Baja will benefit from cheap but qualitative medical care all year around. Weather is a decisive factor that determines many people to move to Baja. Even though some cities go through periods of rather extreme temperatures, others enjoy exceptional weather year round. What is clear is that all residents of the Peninsulas can enjoy the sun almost every day of the year. The Baja California map includes both slowpaced, small villages and large cities with mega resorts and exclusive residential areas. Here is a short description of the preferred destinations for retirees in Baja California.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Rosarito
Ensenada
The city can be reached in about 30 minutes of driving from San Diego. This is a fairly large city with a population of around 80,000 individuals, out of whom at least 5,000 are North America, some estimations are as high as 14,000. The number of American residents has increased in recent years due to the liberalization of property ownership and flexible FM-3 residency. The best place to live in Rosarito is along the coastline, because the weather is moderate. The Mediterranean climate is kept pleasant by the ocean. However, a few miles inland, temperatures tend to become extreme. The Rosarito landscape is dominated by ranch-style buildings that form suburban neighborhoods. On the southern end of town, there are many stylish communities riddled along the ocean cliffs, which are populated predominantly by foreigners.
Located a bit more than an hour away from Tijuana, Ensenada benefits from the same weather, residency, and ownership conditions as Rosarito. The city has a generous offering of shopping malls, restaurants, hospitals, language schools and other facilities essential for a comfortable lifestyle. The accommodation options vary between elegant residential areas and rundown fishing camps. While it seems virtually impossible to estimate the number of North Americans in Ensenada, it is a fact that most of them live near the northern and southern beaches. Prices can get quite low in working-class neighborhoods, but those who prefer to live in an American community should expect to have considerably higher living costs.
San Felipe The city can easily be reached on a 120 mile long paved road that connects it to the border.
El Centenario Beach north of La Paz by Rachel Pack.
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Living in Baja The main attractions that turned San Felipe into a popular destination are the beautiful beaches and the fishing. The stream of visitors, especially RVers, who come here on a regular basis, has changed San Felipe dramatically. In parallel, many retirees settle here to benefit from the beautiful weather nearly all year, with July, August, and September reaching 100, with humidity. Fortunately, the Sea of Cortez can provide some relief with cooling sea breezes. Today, San Felipe is in the midst of a construction downturn, following the recent real estate frenzy. Retirement residences are numerous and they come in various styles. In addition, there are several banks, supermarkets, and many shops, restaurants, and other businesses to keep tourists and residents busy. Charitable activities are extremely popular, and those interested can become a member of the various local charitable clubs.
Loreto
The weather in Loreto tends to be exceedingly hot during the summer, with slightly lower temperatures near the coasts. Once winter comes, the temperatures drop, and it becomes almost perfect, with some occasional chill and wind. Loreto is an excellent retirement destination, especially among those who prefer to settle in a small town with lots of history. As in most cases, depending on the level of comfort, accommodation can be cheap or it can get exceedingly expensive. Staying in Loreto will never get boring with so many outdoor activities available to those who prefer to lead an active lifestyle, especially fishing.
La Paz
This “Pearl of the Baja� counts 250,000 people, out of whom 5,000 are full-time North American residents. The weather is brilliant due to the breezes coming from Bay of La Paz, and it becomes particularly pleasant during the winter months. Overall, the city is clean, modern, prosperous, safe, and extremely generous in terms of shops and restaurants. In La Paz, retirees seem to be tremendously eager to mix with the Mexican community. Most retirees live on the southern side of La
Paz together with Mexican families, so this offers the opportunity to be familiarized with the local culture and language. Living costs range from reasonable to outrageous. Retirees frequently become involved in the community through charitable actions, and these initiatives contribute considerably to the harmonious coexistence between the locals and North Americans.
Los Cabos The Los Cabos area is made up of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cab. These towns used to be significantly different in the past, but today they are becoming more and more similar. Not so long before, San Jose del Cabo was largely ignored by vacationers and retirees. Today, the town is nothing of what it used to be, and it constitutes a fearsome rival to Cabo San Lucas. The most notable change undergone by San Jose Del Cabo is that it tripled its size, mainly due to high-paced development and the San Jose del Cabo International Airport. Los Cabos area is attractive mostly for the amazing beauty of the area, balmy climate, abundant fish, accessible international airport, and first-class golf courses. Los Cabos is a bustling place, so it will probably not meet the expectations of those looking for small, quiet communities.
Todos Santos The quiet alternative to Los Cabos in Baja California Sur is Todos Santos. Up until 1986, the little village was totally separated from the surrounding cities. The paved highway built in the 80s took Todos Santos out of its isolation and put it on the tourist map. The highway allowed an increasing number of people to come here, and business soon understood that the village presents a potential for development. Right now, Todos Santos continues to be a quiet place, but momentous changes are in sight. Other reasons that contribute a great deal to its popularity are the mild climate, large number of artists, galleries, coffee shops, plus the endless supply of water coming from a nearby mountainous range.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Shopping by permanently scatterbrained.
Living Cheaply in Baja Baja is synonymous with paradise in the eyes of those who have never been there and rightfully in the eyes of those who have. For many outside of Baja, the thought of packing it all in and moving across the border to live along pristine shores and be adorned with world’s best weather is a fantasy. Transplants from the United States say living this dream is a lot cheaper than one may think. Living in paradise is not just for the rich and famous, but for almost anyone who musters up the courage to go to Baja and turn the key to their dream home. Owning a beautiful home or condo in Baja, right along the shore, is a bargain compared to buying any ocean view home in the United States. You can design a two-story home with custom cabinets, floors and fixtures for under
the median home price for most homes in the U.S. One sure savings when it comes to owning property in Baja is property taxes. While taxes can keep many U.S. residents from even thinking about buying in a certain community; they are a steal in Baja. Robin Waters of San Felipe says, “In January of each year you can pay your property taxes for the year and receive a large discount. – If you pay in Jan. you get 18% discount. Also regarding your property tax, unimproved land is much more expensive than with a completed structure. For instance our taxes on a vacant lot were $800 +/-, but when our home was completed, and registered as finished with the tax office they went down to $140.00 for the year.” That kind of deal and discount in the United States is unheard of.
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Living in Baja Discounts can also be found in Baja when it comes to the cost of utilities. Waters adds, “Also the water company gives a 15% discount if you pay annually (equivalent to your last year’s usage). – I believe that we pay about 700.00 pesos for the year, and have a huge garden with a drip watering system, plus an apartment and our home.” Joyce and Richard Lawrence have also found the general cost of living in Baja to be very doable on any budget. They say “We have lived here in San Felipe for about 20 months, we have calculated that not including living quarters but including electric, water etc (utilities) and food we spend about $500.00$600.00 per month. our electric bill is similar to our bills in the States but we were from Fresno California and the Electric was not extremely high, also here in Baja we get a credit of about one-third of our bill June through September, usually less than $100.00 per month even using air conditioning, the water is extremely reasonable usually under $10.00 per month, and we have flowers and a garden to water.” As for general services and goods, discounts and adjusting to the local ways has helped many live cheaply in Baja. On aspect a number of transplants seem to find once they have lived in Baja is that it is not a throw-away society like the U.S. has become. You quickly learn to save money by finding new uses for things rather than just throwing everything out. When shopping for goods, it is a good idea to get to know your local merchants. Joyce Lawrence says, “We bargain for most other items other than food, most of the merchants will give discounts if they know we live here full-time, and many get to know us more as time goes by, I have summer sundresses made to order from fabric I pick out for about $8.00.” Gene Jensen, who moved to Baja in 2004, has also found ways to save money in Baja. He says, “I belong to the San Felipe chapter of the Baja Good Life Club and I get 5% to 20% off of most restaurants, hardware stores and groceries that I buy.” As for goods that can be hard to find, most people who have developed friendships with other former stateside residents often take turns making the trek across the border to stock up on supplies. Neighbors will typically take a list and come back with enough of what is needed by the
neighborhood to last a few months. Food is one surprising source of savings for the Lawrence’s and others. They add, “We shop as our parents and grandparents did before us, usually every other day and buy fresh veggies from a roadside market, and most of our meat is cut as we order from a butcher. We are eating better and healthier since the availability of processed foods is scarce and expensive if found.” By eating as the locals do and giving up the dependence on ready-made and unhealthy fast food, they have quickly discovered a way to live better and save money at the same time. Even eating out at the local restaurants presents opportunities to save. Some fabulous dinner for two specials can be found for less than $20 USD. As for a real money-saving way to enjoy great food and great company in Baja, most who have lived in the region for any length of time advise people to look no further than their own neighborhoods and circle of friends for a fun night out. Having everyone bring a potluck style dish, a good bottle of wine and settle in for a night of conversation and listening to the waves is better than waiting in line at an overpriced restaurant. Entertainment is not in short supply in Baja. While it can be easy to spend a lot, there are also well-known ways to enjoy oneself and spend very little if anything. For people like Gene Jensen, remembering what Baja has to offer and why it was such an alluring destination is the key to making your own fun. Jensen says, “Stay Home and watch the ocean. Walk on the Beach. Hold hands with the one you love. Go for walks in the desert. Take pictures. Fall in love again with the one you have, or the new one that you might find. You can be at peace with yourself just to stay Home. Go visit a friend or have them over.... Bring a side dish, play volley ball, tennis, bocce ball and Horseshoes.” Jensen and others have found that by adopting a new way of life and learning to enjoy peace and solitude, living cheaply in Baja may actually be the best way to live life to the richest.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Rachel Pack in LaPaz during the Baja Walk 2012. Photo by John Pack.
Why Move to Baja Baja seems to be the answer for many Americans & Canadians that are asking, “How can we live better lives, without it costing a fortune?� Many Americans & Canadians are moving to Baja to find a healthier more relaxed way of life and many of them are finding out that it is cheaper than they ever would have imagined. Baja offers a relaxing attitude with beautiful scenery and great weather. You get all of this with an ocean view in most location. If you are looking to relocate there isn’t much more you could ask for. In the United States having a beautiful ocean front property is going to cost you a fortune, but this is a possibility in Baja for a fraction of the cost. Baja has so much more to offer than just beautiful scenery and great weather. The people are easygoing and very welcoming. They are always willing to lend a hand and share their knowledge of the history of the land that surrounds you. Baja is a land with rich natural wonders and fascinating history that comes
with many tales that the locals love to share. There are many small towns all along the coast of Baja. These towns all have a small town feel where people share what they have and work together to make their town a community. In many towns, small businesses, in some cases just carts on the corners, sell fresh fruits and vegetables. Small butcher stores will provide you with fresh meats cut to order. Many street vendors and small stores sell fresh sliced fruits and smoothies for healthy snacks throughout the day. With so much good food and the lack of handy fast foods present, at least in the smaller towns, it makes it simple to eat healthy without spending the extra it would normally cost to go to specialty markets to get all these healthy, fresh, unprocessed foods. Getting exercise is another benefit that is made simple and pain free. In many cases getting up in the morning and going for a walk outside on the beach to the sounds of waves, will be a treat and not the torture of hitting the gym and walking on the treadmill to the
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Living in Baja sounds of loud music. In many cases a night out includes playing Bocce ball or horseshoe with friends. Having dinner out can be at one of the local restaurants that offers fresh catch from the Pacific Ocean or the Sea of Cortez for a quarter of what you would pay in San Diego, or maybe just a pot luck get together on someone’s patio. Of course, if you are looking to get out on the town there is plenty of opportunities for nightlife within close distance. Many of these areas also cater to tourists, so if spending a lot of money is something you want to do, it won’t be hard to accomplish, if you try hard enough. Once you get the lay of the land, you will know where to go for the bargains and where to go for the big, special nights that money is no object. Housing in Baja can be found for a very reasonable amount. Whether you are looking to buy or rent you can find houses or condominiums in all different price ranges. You can find condominiums and houses for as cheap as $300.00 a month. It all depends on what you are looking for. You can live in a lavish home with a house cleaner on what we would consider a medium income in the states. If you are interested in buying a home, or buying land and building a home, both can be done, at almost any budget. It is all up to want you want. Building a custom home on land you purchase is an affordable way to get the home of your dreams, exactly the way you want it, even with an ocean view. There are rules to buying real estate on the beach in Baja, but with a bit of research you can find all the information you need on purchasing land in Baja. Be smart, do your research, speak with other owners in the area, even ask for opinions. Just don’t start giving someone your hard-earned money without properly doing your due diligence. If you own a home now, you know how tough property taxes can be to pay every year. This is another benefit to owning property in Baja. The property taxes are a fraction of what you pay in the U.S. It is even possible to get a discount. If you pay your taxes in January, you can pay 18% less. When is the last time you got a discount on your property taxes? Utilities are also cheaper. It is possible to keep your power bill very reasonable since you rarely need a heater or air conditioner, except for a
couple months a year, depending on where in Baja you live. For most part, Baja weather is nice year round. Water, gas, and other utilities are also very reasonable compared to what you are used to paying. If you enjoy television back in the States, no worries, with satellite you can get DISH, or DirecTV and get all the television you wish. Baja lends itself to a low stress, healthy, happy lifestyle that is like being on vacation every day. Eating healthy is easier and getting exercise is fun. With all of this, it is easy to see yourself living a longer happier life in Baja. Of course not everyone can just pack up their belongings, quit their jobs and head to Baja to live. If you are retired or have a job that is conducive to working online, then it is that much easier for you to make the move. Nevertheless, others find ways by saving up or even starting a new business wherever they decide to live. In whatever manner you go about making it possible to move to Baja, you will not regret it once you are there. When you feel the stress of your old life melt away and start to settle into the graciousness of your new life, you will thank yourself for making it happen every day as you walk on the beach and begin to live life to its fullest.
Moving to Baja - it’s a process Packing, Storing and Moving A common question overheard during the moving process is “when did we get so much stuff ?” It’s amazing how much a family can accumulate over the years and yet, all that “stuff ” is what makes a house a home. We have mapped out the typical moving process below to help in planning for the big day. Enjoy. Packing: The time it takes to pack is often underestimated, give yourself at least two weeks for an averaged sized home if you want to avoid serious headaches...or backaches... later. Here’s a few tips we have picked up along the way: • New boxes are strong and stack easily • Label, Label, Label • Keep packed boxes in one room • Clean as you go
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide Purge: Moving is a great time to get rid of the things you no longer use, there are many places that will give un-used items a new life. Consider donating to: • Charities • Religious Groups • Goodwill • Savers • or have a Yard Sale! Storage: The majority of Baja communities have available storage facilities. Here are some things to consider when comparing storage companies: • Location - chose a place close to your new home. • Climate Control - climate control will preserve your belongings. • Deposit - if a deposit is required make sure to ask how and when it will be refunded • Price - as always, to get a few different prices to compare • Unit Size - do not pay for space you will not use. • Access Hours - make sure the hours are convenient. • 24 Hr. On-site Management • Facility Layout - can you get a moving truck to your unit?
How to bring household item into Mexico It doesn’t have to be scary
Did you hear the story about the man who was bringing his household goods across the border, only to have the goods and his truck impounded by Mexican customs? How about the couple who hired a major US moving company to bring their household goods to Baja, but it took them two weeks to get across the border, and they had to abandon several thousand dollars’ worth of electrical goods because they didn’t have the right paperwork? Or a couple that brought new appliances to the border and had the appliances impounded for lack of the proper paperwork? These are all true stories, and the list goes on. These horror stories, and stories like them,
of people trying to move to Mexico, even with “professional help”, are endless. Some of them strain the bounds of credibility. Recently, Mexican customs officials announced a zero tolerance policy for people trying to move their belongings to Mexico. They will no longer allow anyone through the border without the proper paperwork. There is a very specific process required by Mexican law to bring your household goods into Mexico. If you follow the process to the letter, you have a one-time exemption from paying import duty on your possessions. However, many people have not complied with all the steps, and have had trouble at the border. An executive of Mayflower once said, when talking about Mexico, “It’s easier to move people to Australia.” To bring your household possessions with a combined value of $1000 or greater into Mexico, a customs broker is required along with the following: • Proof of residence in the USA (a US utility bill in your name). • Proof of residence in Mexico (a Mexican utility bill in your name). • FM-3. • An inventory of your goods in English and Spanish. • All items with a serial and model number must be listed. • It must be stamped by the Mexican consulate nearest your USA address. The requirements sometimes vary with individual consulates. • Import papers prepared by a licensed broker. • Import license. Any attempt to short circuit this process seriously risks having your shipment turned back, or even confiscated, at the border. There are many people and companies that offer to provide this service to Americans, promising to do it more cheaply. Be sure to check references carefully before doing business with them, because these are the people that customs officials are targeting. Be smart, do your homework, and speak to professionals. See the sidebar for specific rules on Mexican Border Customs.
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Living in Baja
Rachel & Her Dog Cai on Bret Currier in Loreto (July2009). Photo by Rachel Pack.
Baja People Love Their Pets For an orphaned, abandoned or stray dog or cat in Baja, life is not an easy journey. Nor is it a particularly long journey. With so many limited resources and a culture that once embraced indifference rather than compassion, homeless animals in Baja have long been subjected to abuse, neglect, disease and even group elimination referred to as “round ups�. These street animals can often pose a risk to humans also. They are likely to be infested with ticks, fleas, mange and can even pose a risk of rabies. Past options to deal with a staggering increase in street animals were cruel and senseless until compassionate and motivated individuals from Baja and across the border decided to do something. Together and with a lot of financial backing, several incredible and ambitious groups have cropped up along the peninsula over the past few decades; all with the goal of making life better for animals that deserve love and care. Battling against the ingrained cultural differences, these fearless and passionate volunteers take it
upon themselves to find the resources to fund spay and neutering projects, clean and care for mange and ill animals, find homes for the homeless, and give any animal in need the love and care they deserve. Against great odds, especially when it comes to financing and being overwhelmed by the sheer number of animals, these groups continue to persevere and make a real difference where it is desperately needed. With the generosity and compassion these groups and others provide, looking for nothing in return, the homeless, injured and hungry animals that were once discarded and forgotten are now being helped. While it may be impossible to give every animal a home, these groups work diligently to help one innocent creature at a time. Other groups throughout Baja have also helped pave the way for better treatment of stray or homeless animals. Each and every one of these organizations is in constant need of funds and volunteers. Visit your local shelter, bring food, money, give your time, foster an animal or adopt if you can.
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Bring Your Pet to Baja Most of us animal lovers would not dream of traveling or moving to Baja without the family pet. After all, it is a member of the family too! Bringing your pets to Baja with you is easy, and it is likely many of you do it all the time, or have at least once. It is very likely that you did it with none of the steps listed here. That being said, I think it is good that you are aware of the rules, because the rules are there to protect your pet. If you want to bring your pet to Baja, you are supposed to need two pieces of paper; a vaccination certificate to ensure your pet has been vaccinated against hepatitis, rabies, leptospirosis and as you’ll find listed frequently, PIP vacination, which is an acronym for “performance improvement projects”, which is not defined on either the United States or Mexican customs websites, so do you really need it? Having crossed the border numerous times with my dog, and having never been asked, I don’t think so. And lastly, you’ll need a vet’s health certificate, which must be issued within 72 hours before entering Baja. You can bring up to two large dogs or cats with you. Addition pets require additional permission from the Mexican consulate. You will need to contact the one nearest you; there is a list of consulates in the “Resource” section of this book. Stray dogs and cats are common in Baja
and they can carry disease, so to protect your dog or cat make sure they have the proper vaccinations. Always treat your pets with a flea and tick medicine.
Puffer Fish and Your Dog
Should you see your dog digging in the sand, you should check it out. There is a danger lurking on the beach: the puffer fish. This fish species belongs to the Tetraodontidae family. Unanimously considered one of the most poisonous vertebrates in the world, the liver and skin of this fish are highly toxic and extremely dangerous if eaten. Puffer fish live in the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, and are sometimes found lying on the beaches of Baja. The culprit behind puffer fish poisoning is a neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin (TTX), found in varying quantities in a number of species, including the bodies of puffer and porcupine fishes, the skin of Atelopid frogs, and the eggs of horseshoe crabs. Symptoms of puffer fish poisoning are easily recognized. Shortly after ingestion, the neurotoxin causes paresthesias, a tickling, pricking, and numbing sensation, described in everyday language as a feeling of pins and needles. It occurs in the lips, tongue, and face, and frequently in the arms and feet. If a person or animal has eaten puffer fish recently, they will experience persistent paresthesias together with excessive salivation, nausea, vomiting,
Rachel and Cia in Mulege By John Pack.
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Living in Baja diarrhea, and abdominal pain. These early symptoms quickly get significantly more serious. The victim displays impaired motor function, general weakness, and difficulties in breathing and speaking. After four hours, a rapidly ascending paralysis occurs, which can affect the respiratory muscles. If left untreated, as often happens with dogs, the neurotoxin can cause cardiac dysfunction, seizures, and coma. Death may occur after 4-6 hours, generally due to respiratory paralysis and failure. Quite unexpectedly, many people in Japan consider the flesh of the puffer fish a delicacy. In some restaurants, customers can enjoy dishes based on puffer fish, known locally as fugu. Highly skilled chefs prepare fugu in a manner meant to reduce its toxicity. In spite of this, many people fall ill every year due to puffer fish consumption. The best way to protect your pet from puffer fish poisoning is to watch them at all times. If the dog seems very attracted to something lying on the beach, make sure it is not a puffer fish. Should animals display any symptoms of puffer fish poisoning, get them to a veterinarian as soon as possible. One can reduce the effects of puffer fish poisoning by administering activated charcoal. This prevents the body from absorbing the toxin. However, since respiratory failure is a real danger, the person or animal affected by the neurotoxin should receive medical assistance until the effect of the poison disappears.
Help for Getting your Pets through the Trauma of Race Weekends!
With the Baja 250, 500, 1000 and many other off-road racing event each year, I thought it might be appropriate to discuss some of the problems local street dogs and pets face when it comes to extremely fast moving vehicles and loud noise. It’s no secret, of course, that dogs everywhere are scared to death of fireworks and other loud noises, such as race vehicles, ATVs and fireworks. You don’t need a Ph.D. in dog psych to know that one of the most stressful times for our animals down here is when the community
is overrun with race enthusiasts. I’m not all that crazy about it myself, but it’s far more unnerving for our furry friends. Several years ago, during one of the races, a wonderful female dog was run over by a race vehicle. Her owners thought that she was safe, because she was just hanging out as she always did in front of their house. But a fast moving vehicle ran her over, and fortunately the driver paid all medical expenses and she survived the accident. Quite a trauma though, for her and the owners. When a race is about to happen down here, it is so important to create a safe haven for your pets, and other animals that hang around your property. Please keep your pets close to home, and inside, if at all possible, Imagine what it’s like for them with all the sudden chaos. Fireworks often go with the weekend festivities, and the loud bangs are extremely traumatic for dogs and cats as well. This is a great time to really give extra attention to any animals in your life. No matter how hectic it gets, make time for your loyal companions. A sure way to lose your dog or cat is to leave them outside during loud weekends in Baja. Mark my words, as soon as the race is over, you’ll see the flyers posted around town, offering rewards for dogs that simply “freaked out” and took off, and are probably still running as I write. So, be smart and take precautions. Whenever you know that fireworks, loud noises, and pandemonium is about to be unleashed, protect your animals. Here’s a tip: If your animal is the type that gets overly anxious, don’t hesitate to try antianxiety products. Go ahead and sedate them if necessary—let them sleep through the whole weekend. Several sedatives are available over the counter, especially here in Mexico. If you’re going to administer some of your own drugs, remember, less is always better.
Beware: Insecticides and Plants can be Fatal to Pets.
During spring and summer, it’s all about your house and garden, and unfortunately, for those of you with small breed dogs and puppies, you should be aware there can be serious
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide health problems resulting from the ingestion of insecticides and various plants. A good friend of ours watched as her eight week old Pomeranian puppy died violently after the dog was exposed to pesticides sprayed at her house---even though the exterminator assured her the product was safe. Another friend had their seven pound Chihuahua mix exposed to insecticides on their property. The dog became very ill, began throwing up, became lethargic, and they thought they were going to lose her. Quick thinking took them to the vet, where she was put on an IV drip, so that she didn’t get too dehydrated; very quick, smart thinking. Had they not done that, she probably would have died. It was touch and go for five or six days, and during that period, no matter what they fed her, she threw it up. Now, this is a dog that has had all her shots, so we knew we weren’t dealing with Parvo or Distemper, which are usually fatal diseases in puppies and small dogs under four pounds. After lots of intravenous fluids, electrolytes and Nutri-Cal, a hicalorie, thick toothpaste type product that comes in a tube, she began to round the corner and survived. She is back to normal now, but I assure you, that this is the exception to the rule. Dogs, puppies and kittens that are most vulnerable, are often very small, with very tiny young immune systems that absolutely do not tolerate toxins, such as insecticides and some very popular, innocent looking plants. Be especially careful before you decide to spray your house, or hire an exterminator. Do some research, check the internet, find out what the active ingredients are in the product you or your exterminator is using. Your precious animals are extremely vulnerable, and I promise you, when living in another country
like Mexico, we need to do the due diligence, and be responsible for our choices, no matter what anyone tells you. Dr. Steven Hansen, veterinary toxicologist and ASPCA Senior Vice President, has done the research, and here is a list of plants that are the most common and potentially dangerous to your pets. Lilies, Sago Palm, Tulip/Narcissus bulbs, Azalea/Rhododendron, Oleander, Castor Bean, Cyclamen, Kalanchoe, Yew, Amaryllis, Autumn Crocus, Chrysanthemum, English Ivy, Peace Lily (AKA Mauna Loa Peace Lily), Pothos and Schefflera. This list might shed some light on why your small dogs experience gastric problems, diarrhea and vomiting from time to time, with no rhyme or reason. Although not fatal, these symptoms might very well be related to these plants and most importantly to dangerous insecticides. Remember, small breeds, and young puppies and kittens are especially vulnerable.
Rachel and Cia in Loreto By John Pack.
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Living in Baja
Voting By Prolife.
Baja Residents US Absentee Voting With less than two months left until the presidential elections, many American residents of Baja would still like to support their favorite candidate. This can be done easily via an absentee ballot. The first step in absentee voting is registration. Currently, most states require prior registration with a Federal Post Card Application. The easiest way to find out if registration is necessary or to initiate registration is with the help of the wizard provided by the Federal Assistance Voting Program (FAVP). The voter registration works as a ballot request, and it can be sent to your local election official. A full list of election officials is available here. Postage is free if the form is sent in an envelope printed with the postage-paid envelope template provided by the FAVP. One notable aspect in the whole process is the postmark. The postmark is used to determine if the request was sent before the deadline. Even though you may send the envelope in a specific day, the postal facility might postmark it later. To avoid this, you may ask an employee to make a hand stamp which should clearly show the date when the envelope was sent. Once the envelope is mailed, each state is expected to provide the ballots 45 days before the election. If the elections are due in 30 days
and the ballot has not arrived, you may contact the election official. If the ballot has still not arrived right before the election day, you may use a back-up Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot. The back-up Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot is available to people who fulfill these three conditions: • They are absent from the voting residence • They have applied early enough to allow the election official to send the ballot back in time • They have not received the ballot after following the regular procedure The Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot has to be mailed to the election official. If the regular ballot arrives late, it also has to be completed and returned to the election official who will make sure that only ballot is taken into consideration. The request for an absentee ballot is usually done in January. The main reason for this is that the same request can cover all elections that take place during the year. Since procedures can differ from state to state, make sure you read the comprehensive guide provided by FAPV.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Buying Real Estate in Mexico - from A to Sí Purchasing real estate in Mexico is a lot like buying it in the US or Canada – you find a property you like, enlist the help of some professionals, do your due diligence, arrange financing, sign some paperwork, and enjoy your new property. Mexico has become a popular place to retire to or to own a vacation home. And, yes, foreigners can own property in Mexico, even on the coasts. Hundreds of thousands of foreigners have successfully purchased real estate in Mexico. Mexican real estate can offer good value for your money, especially with favorable exchange rates. And the cost of living is substantially lower here. Three years ago, I bought a vacant lot in beautiful beachfront San Carlos and began building, and one year later I moved into my dream house. I fell in love with Mexico after enjoying several vacations here. The warm weather, friendly people, food, language, vibrant culture, the interesting and fun things to do – all drew me here. But the question was: where should I live within this huge enticing country? Many locations were appealing to me, but after one visit, I quickly decided on Baja. It’s beautiful here. And, if you like outdoor activities, you’ll never be bored. There are endless opportunities for snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking, biking, sailing, fishing, golfing. I also like that it’s an easy drive to many interesting vacation destinations. There are many factors you should consider when choosing a town, such as location, local infrastructure (roads, airport, water supply and electricity), and local amenities (medical services, mailing services, construction and rental services, churches, etc). There are several books available that discuss the pros and cons of numerous Mexican towns. When I was looking, I read “Live Better South of the Border in Mexico” by Mike Nelson and “Choose Mexico” by John Howells and Don Merwin. Both books are excellent resources, and I highly recommend them. At this point you will also have to decide whether to build on a vacant lot or to buy a finished house (the pros and cons of building from scratch are beyond
the scope of this article). A realtor can not only help you find a building lot or a house, but can also answer questions about amenities and help you get settled in your new community. When selecting a realtor, make sure that the agent is licensed and is a member of AMPI (the Mexican Association of Real Estate Professionals). Once you’ve found a property you like, you will enter into an agreement to buy, which will specify costs, closing date, etc. You will also pay a deposit, which is usually 5-10% of the purchase price. You and your realtor will now begin working with a notary public. All real estate transactions in Mexico require the involvement of a notary. The deed to the property must be prepared by a notary. The realtor and notary will begin preparing the necessary documents and performing the due diligence, such as: • Ensuring that the developer’s permits are in order, if you are buying from a developer. • Obtaining and reviewing the Land / Property Deed from the seller to make sure that the property has a ‘clean’ history. • Arranging for an official appraisal of the Land (Avaluo). • Ensuring that there are no liens on the land (e.g. an unpaid mortgage). Under Mexican Law, liens are passed on with title of the land -- buyer beware! Title insurance is not required when making a real estate purchase in Mexico, but if it interests you, it is now available. Title insurance protects you should the property you buy subsequently turn out to have liens on it. Ask your realtor about what title insurance is available in your area. • Checking that all land taxes and utilities (electric, gas, water and phone, HOA fees) have been paid. • Checking that structures have the required building permits. You will need to provide your realtor and notary public with certain official documents,
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Living in Baja including photo ID (such as a passport), birth certificate, marriage license (if applicable), and your visa (Tourist Visa, FM3). Mexican law provides for private ownership of land by foreigners. However, if your property is within the 100 km border zone or 50 km coastal zone, there are ownership restrictions. If your property is within these restricted zones, as mine is, you can own land through a fideicomiso (a trust) which is set up through a bank. Your realtor will work with the bank to establish your trust. Title to the property will be transferred to the trust. A Mexican bank of your choice will act as trustee and you, as purchaser, will be designated the beneficiary. The bank follows your instructions and acts only for your benefit. As beneficiary, you will have the use and control of the property and will make all decisions concerning the property. You will have all the rights of ownership, including the right to sell, rent, lease, mortgage and develop your property. You can also pass the property on to your heirs. The trust is renewable for an indefinite number of successive 50 year periods. The trust is formalized by the issuance of a permit from the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. And your rights as beneficiary will be recorded in the public record. The bank charges an initial fee for establishing the trust and an annual fee based on the value of the property.
Recently, a couple of Mexican Senators have argued that current international economic and political conditions favor removing ownership restrictions, and have introduced legislation to that effect. It remains to be seen whether restrictions on foreigners from directly acquiring property on Mexico’s coasts and the resulting requirement for a fideicomiso will be eliminated. At this point in the transaction, you should have your financing in order. Financing is now available in Mexico and several big name players from the US have entered the marketplace. These US-based mortgage companies offer US dollar denominated products. Mexican banks have also begun to offer mortgages, but a significant down payment is required and interest rates are higher than in the US or Canada. Your realtor should be able to help you connect with the financial institutions that are offering mortgage financing in your area. With your due diligence done, and your trust, financing and title insurance in place, you are now ready for the closing. This will take place at the notary public’s office, where you will sign the deed and make the final payment. This is also when you will pay the notary public’s fees and any other outstanding closing costs. With the documents signed and these payments made, all you now need to do is enjoy your new property and plan the Open House party!
Building Your Dream Home in Baja The Step-by-Step Process of Building a Home First step is to meet with your builder and solidify your dream house, how many bedrooms and baths you need, if you will be year-round residents, winter residents, or if the house is primarily a rental. This plays an important part in the construction budget. The style of architecture and quality of finishes, i.e. cabinetry, countertop surfaces, tile, plumbing fixtures, etc., are also important in figuring the cost of a home. It is important to discuss the property
location in relation to the water, where the front entrance will be, etc., to design the home with the environment in mind. You have to consider wind direction in relation to the seasons. For example, the strong winds in San Felipe are mainly from the north in the winter, with summer breezes from the southeast the rest of the year. This plays a part in figuring crossventilation and how to minimize the northern exposure to living areas during the winter. You then walk the property to see where the views are in relation to the house; where do you want your kitchen window to face? Topography is an important factor, as well as
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide the location of any natural washes that may be on the property. Next, you make a basic floor plan on a CAD program to give things dimension. It is easy to imagine a home, but having it on paper gives an idea of room size and functionality. It is important to consider your lifestyle to achieve the maximum architectural “bang for your buck”. This is the point where people’s dreams become reality, for size as well as budget. Now you can get an approximate construction budget because you have the information needed. Too many times, people are told they can have a house for $XX/sq. ft. but are not told about the quality of materials or construction. You cannot make an informed decision without knowing the real price. There should be a line-item breakdown of the cost, quantity, and quality of finish of cabinetry, doors, windows, plumbing, fixtures, lighting, and air conditioning, with specifications that you can understand. If you have a budget for fixtures, it gives you the ability to upgrade or reduce the costs of any items in question. Within the cost breakdown, you should be told how much is for the actual fixture and how much for the installation materials.
Pitfalls
The major pitfall for extranjeros / foreigners building in Mexico is the lack of specificity in contracts and specifications. In Mexico, to be admissible in court, all contracts must be in Spanish or translated to Spanish by a registered translator, which can be expensive. However, any business contract should be in both Spanish and English for your protection. The contract should include information on the company’s name, address, person of legal responsibility, and tax registration. It should also include the builder’s responsibility for paying the building permits and labor taxes, and that at the end of the project, the builder will deliver a “letter of liberation” from the Mexican government, showing that all of the labor taxes have been paid. If this is not specified and the builder does not pay the taxes, then you will be held ultimately responsible, with no way to collect from the builder. Never make the final payment until you see the letter. The contract should include a payment
schedule tied to the verifiable progress of construction, not a time schedule. It should also include a clause that the price of construction is finite, unless there are mutually agreed-upon changes to the signed building plans, documented in a signed change order as an addendum to the contract. The change order should show the cost of the change as well as the difference in the final price of the contract. This shows the rising costs incurred in the total contract. There should never be any changes made to the building without a change order being in place, to alleviate the possibility of a misunderstanding or miscommunication. It is easy to agree to a suggestion, until you learn how much it is going to cost. Some builders will say that rising costs of materials necessitate a rise in the contract cost. Unless it is specified in the contract, this is not an obligation.
Things to Look for
Most important in choosing a builder is to look at their time in business and references from past clients. You should look at not only completed projects to see the quality of the finish work, but also at homes in progress, to see how their insides are built. It is easy to cover up bad infrastructure with a good cosmetic finish, leaving problems that may not surface until the guarantee on the house is expired or the builder has moved to another area. If you do not know construction, then it is good to have a trustworthy, impartial person give an informed opinion on the infrastructure of the home. The look of the finish work is not a direct reflection of the attention to detail in the construction that you do not see. You also need to find out how many homes the builder is capable of doing at the same time. The quality of the construction is directly dependent upon proper supervision. If the builder is building numerous homes with minimal personnel, it is unlikely he can supervise the crews consistently or correctly. There are no governmental building inspectors in Mexico, so the architects and builders are responsible for ensuring that the construction is done as specified by the plans. It is necessary to have frequent inspections by a third party to help the day-to-day process conform to the
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Moving to Baja plans and specifications. Anyone can make a mistake; the important thing is to catch it before it is a problem.
Permits Needed, etc. “Permisos” needed are: The permit for IMSS or Mexican Social Security is an “AFIL-15”, showing the project is registered with Social Security, with specific workers named and the specific amount stated on the construction contract. The estimated salaries are then calculated by percentage, and the final cost
derived for the “Letter of Liberation”. The builder will submit plans and structural calculations, if needed, and obtain a permit from the Municipality’s Catastro, the building department. Structural calculations are required if the home is larger than 2000 sq. ft. under roof, including garages and porches. Some subdivisions require submittal of plans for HOA approval, which usually have fees attached. Building a dream home does not have to be a nightmare. Take the proper steps and you will ensure your dream becomes a reality.
Building Materials If you’re planning on living and building in Baja, then here is a brief outline of available building materials. On Building in Baja: Construction Materials. Baja contractors now offer custom home buyers many options for building materials. To help prospective new home owners narrow the choices, we’ve compiled this primer.
Adobe: One of the worlds’ oldest building materials, has recently been reintroduced to the Baja market. Adobe is praised for its ability to remain warm in winter and cool in summer. Adobe blocks are comprised of a combination of clay and sand. Due to its earthen composition, adobe is unique among building materials in its ability to passively cool. Thermal mass and natural evaporative cooling allow the interior of an adobe building to drop well below ambient temperatures on hot days (without additional mechanical cooling), while remaining warm during the cold days. These qualities make adobe well suited to solar homes and those who wish to reduce energy consumption with an environmentally friendly material. Homes built from adobe are highly fire and insect resistant and offer excellent sound absorption and acoustics.
Concrete Block: Also referred to as CMU (concrete masonry unit) is perhaps the most common building material in Baja today. These blocks are laid
up in a running bond with steel reinforcement and concrete poured into the blocks at predetermined intervals. CMU construction is popular because it is inexpensive and familiar to local builders. Alone, concrete is not very energy efficient, however, rigid foam insulation is often applied to the exterior to add insulation and increase the efficiency. Concrete block is also resistant to fire and insects, although acoustics are generally poor. Noise travels through concrete block walls quite easily.
Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs): A formwork system assembled much like a giant set of Legos. After stacking, the ICF foam blocks are filled with concrete and steel reinforcement. Visitors from the cooler parts of the U.S. may recognize ICFs as the material used to build basement walls and foundations. ICFs are sold under several brand names; Rastra, Nudura, and Ice Block are available in Baja. These products offer good insulation and are resistant to insects. After plastering, these products also provide adequate fire protection. Rastra offers additional fire protection by incorporating cement into the composition of its foam. ICFs buffer exterior noise well, although, interior spaces may echo due the “drum” effect of hard plaster over foam.
Insulated Concrete Panels (ICPs): Sold in Baja as Tri-D Panel. This product is a rigid foam panel with steel mesh on both sides. The mesh sheets are connected through the foam with steel wire. This assembly is
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide erected on site and plastered inside and out with cement. Insulation can be very good, but varies based on the thickness of the foam in the panel. ICPs can be used for walls and roofs. They are quick to erect and have good resistance to fire and insects.
Ladrillo Brick: A multicolor fired clay brick. They are used as in-fill between reinforced concrete columns called castillos. Ladrillo provides little energy efficiency, but can be insulated with rigid foam much like concrete blocks. These bricks are resistant to insects and fire while being inexpensive.
Strawbale: Construction uses bales of straw, an
agricultural waste material. The bales are stacked and pinned together, then plastered. Straw-bale homes have high insulation values, are resistant to insects and fire, and have pleasant acoustics. Recently, straw-bale home building in Baja has been in decline due to increasing costs of transporting the bales and the labor intensive nature of plastering the uneven surface. Deciding on a building material requires careful consideration of the benefits of each material. Ultimately, the best choice is the material that meets your unique needs. A consultation with your architect or designer may be the best way to determine the most appropriate material for your project.
Inmigration Changes 2013 The new immigration law contains a variety of changes, and some of them are particularly relevant for expats living in Mexico. President Felipe Calderon signed the law in May 2011, but its enforcement was postponed to 2012. The public has access to the immigration law, Ley de Migración, but the whole regulations and requirements leading to its implementation are still to be published. The most significant change of the Ley de Migración is related to the FMM’s system which is now obsolete. This FMM system is replaced with 9 immigration statues that fall into two categories: visitors and residents.
offered as a result of inter-institutional agreement between foreign entities Regional visitor • Citizens or residents from neighboring countries have the right to enter and exit Mexico whenever they wish if their stay does not exceed 3 days and if they do not get involved in remunerated activities Cross-Border Worker Visitor • A foreigner from neighboring countries has the right to reside and work in Mexico for up to one year Visitor for humanitarian reasons • An individual that has been injured as a result of a crime having taken place in Mexico • An unaccompanied child or adolescent • Political refugees Visitor that comes to Mexico for adoption • The visitor can stay in Mexico until all formalities for the adoption are fulfilled
Visitor status: Visitor without the right to carry out remunerated activities • Has the right to stay in Mexico for a maximum of 180 days Visitor with the right to carry out remunerated activities • Has the right to stay in Mexico for a maximum of 180 days • Has received an offer of employment in Mexico • Has an invitation from a Mexican institution • Has a seasonal job which was
Resident status: Temporary resident • Has the right to stay in Mexico for no more than 4 years • Has the right to carry out remunerated activities
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Moving to Baja •
Can bring along other members of the family: spouse, children, concubine, parents; the family members also have the right to stay in Mexico for 4 years and work. Temporary resident who comes to Mexico to study • Has the right to stay in Mexico over the duration of courses, studies, and other academic activities • Has the right to work in a field related to the subject of study • Has the right to bring along other family members Permanent resident • Has the right to stay in Mexico without any restrictions • Permanent resident status is granted to the following categories: • People seeking political asylum • Relatives of a permanent resident (spouse, child, parent, concubine, siblings) • Retired and pensioned people • Individuals who have stayed in Mexico for more than 4 years
• People who have children born in Mexico • Descendants of Mexicans • People who meet the requirements of the Point System The best part of the new law is that a foreigner can apply for permanent status after only 4 years of temporary residence. There are two shortcuts to the permanent resident status: marriage with a Mexican (two years required) and the Point System. This Point System will allow people to obtain this status earlier depending on their education, skills, work experience, and knowledge in specific areas of interest such as science and technology. If you already have an FM2 and FM3 visa, your visa will remain valid until its expiration day. After that, you will have to apply for a renewal according to the new law. It remains to be seen how the Mexican authorities will put these significant changes into practice. The procedure that people need to complete in order to obtain the visitor or resident status is also bound to change considerably.
Becoming a Mexican Citizen The process of obtaining Mexican citizenship is time consuming, and in some situations, hiring an immigration lawyer might be particularly useful. Before engaging in the process, there is one fundamental issue that needs to be addressed: dual citizenship. Dual citizenship describes the situation where a person has citizenship in two countries simultaneously. Some countries allow dual citizenship, some do not, while others do not have any provisions regarding this special status. While dual citizenship is considered advantageous, one should remember that it comes with additional duties such as paying taxes. Starting in 1998, the Mexican government began allowing people to have dual citizenship. However, the Mexican legislation is not the only one that matters. More precisely, American
applicants need to comply with the existing U.S. legislation with respect to dual citizenship. In the U.S., people who obtain citizenship in another country will not be able to keep their American citizenship. Americans can enjoy dual citizenship only if they are entitled to a second citizenship by birth. More precisely, Americans who have a Mexican parent or at least a Mexican grandparent can enjoy dual citizenship in U.S. and Mexico. Those who do not have Mexican relatives and want to become Mexican citizens will lose their American citizenship. The American government is not as permissive as other countries on the issue because, in their point of view, dual citizenship might create conflicts in some situations. The conflict occurs because people who have dual citizenship need to obey the laws of two countries simultaneously. These laws might be
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide incompatible, and this could cause problems to the dual national. From this point of view, Canadians are lucky because they do not lose their Canadian citizenship once they become citizens of another country. In fact, the whole process of renouncing Canadian citizenship is extremely complex. In Mexico, there are three types of naturalization certificates, and each of them comes with its own procedure: • Naturalization certificate for direct descendants of Mexican citizens • Naturalization certificate for individuals with children who are Mexican by birth • Naturalization certificate for those who reside in Mexico Here is the procedure that one needs to follow in order to obtain a nationalization certificate. 1. Naturalization certificate for direct descendants of Mexican citizens In order to obtain this certificate, the applicants need to demonstrate that they are the descendants of a Mexican. In addition, they need to have resided for two years in Mexico with an FM2 visa before submitting the application. Necessary documents: • DNN-3 application form printed and filled by hand in black ink. • The valid immigration document; original and two copies. The document has to prove that the applicant lived in Mexico for more than two years prior to the application. Also, the document has to be valid for at least 6 months starting from the moment of the application. • A sworn statement by the applicant that states the arrivals and departures to/from Mexico in the past 2-years. • The foreign passport or any travel document; original and two copies of all pages. • A certified copy of the birth certificate belonging to the applicant’s relative. • A recent passport-sized color photograph. • Proof of payment of the fee. 2. Naturalization certificate for individuals with children who are Mexican by birth In order to obtain this certificate, the applicants need to demonstrate that they have children who were born in Mexico. In addition, they need
to have resided for two years in Mexico with an FM2 visa before submittingthe application. Necessary documents: • DNN-3 application form printed and filled by hand in black ink. • The valid immigration document; original and two copies. The document has to prove that the applicant lived in Mexico for more than two years prior to the application. Also, the document has to be valid for at least 6 months starting from the moment of the application. • A sworn statement by the applicant that states the arrivals and departures to/from Mexico in the past 2-years. • The foreign passport or any travel document; original and two copies of all pages. • A certified copy of the birth certificate belonging to the child who was born on Mexican territory. • A recent passport-sized color photograph. • Proof of payment of the fee. 3. Naturalization Certificate for those who reside in Mexico In order to obtain this certificate, the applicants need to demonstrate that they have resided for five years in Mexico with an FM2 visa before submitting the application. Necessary documents: • DNN-3 application form printed and filled by hand in black ink. • he valid immigration document; original and two copies of all the pages. The document has to prove that the applicant lived in Mexico for more than two years prior to the application. Also, the document has to be valid for at least 6 months starting from the moment of the application. • A sworn statement by the applicant that states the arrivals and departures to/from Mexico in the past 2-years. • The foreign passport or any travel document; original and two copies of all pages. • A recent passport-sized color photograph. • Proof of payment of the fee. According to the Law of Nationality, those who apply for a naturalization certificate will
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Moving to Baja need to pass a test related to Mexican culture and history. The institution which handles the applications for naturalization certificates is “Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores”. The official website is http://www.sre.gob.mx/ english/. The DNN-3 application form can be downloaded from the website.
All the information regarding processing time and fees is published on the website only in Spanish. Sources: http://www.sre.gob.mx/ http://www.uscitizenship.info/ http://travel.state.gov
Foreign Property Ownership in Mexico The legal acquisition of Real Estate in Mexico through the Bank Trust system has been enjoyed by many thousands of non-Mexican individuals and corporations as a result of the Foreign Investment Law decreed by President Luis Echeverría in 1971 and codified by the Mexican Chamber of Deputies in February 1973. This decree recognized the importance of foreign investment to Mexico’s economic development, a recognition which has grown geometrically, especially over the years since then and continues to do so today. They key to Real Estate investment in Mexico for a non-Mexican, whether developer or individual purchaser, is the fideicomiso, or trust. The 1973 decree declared the fideicomiso to be the proper means for foreigners to obtain interest in Mexican lands. While Article 27 of the 1917 Mexican constitution banned foreign ownership of any land within 64 miles of the borders and 32 miles of any coastline the Foreign Investment Law decreed in 1973 specified different treatment for property within the Restricted Zone and outside the Restricted zone. Outside the Restricted Zone foreigners can obtain beneficial trust interests in land for a finite period of years. Under regulations of the law to ‘Promote Mexican Investment and Regulate Foreign Investment”, signed in May 1989, within 6 months to 1 year prior to the expiration of the original trust period, an extension can be obtained by simple application. The new Foreign Investment Law passed at the end of 1993, providing foreigners with the ability to acquire direct title to commercial real estate in the coastal and border areas through the establishment of a Mexican corporation. Furthermore, the acquisition of residential real
estate can now be accomplished through a 50-year bank trust, which renewal for another 50-year period is guaranteed by Article 20 of the May 1989 Regulations, giving additional security to the foreign investors. The key to the trust is any one of the privately held Mexican banks authorized to act as trustees. The bank holds title to the property – in trust, while the beneficiary – whether as an individual, jointly with a spouse, or other partner, or as a corporation, will be designated as the holder of the beneficial rights of the trust including those rights to sell, improve, will to heirs or do anything the holder of those beneficial rights legally wishes. As beneficiary, he has an ongoing equitable interest in the property which enjoys whatever market variations may occur over time. In fact, it has been suggested that the trust concept of property ownership has allowed the Mexican Government to effectively provide foreigners the beneficial rights to real estate, without ever having to go through the political minefield of having to amend its Constitution. In terms of an actual sale transaction, the foreign investor simply assigns his beneficial interest in the trust to the new buyer, should he be another non-Mexican or he may instruct the bank to endorse the title in favor of the buyer, should he be a Mexican National. Should the new owner wish to establish a new 50 year bank trust in his name, he would simply issue the appropriate instructions to the Mexican Notary Public in charge of the closing procedures. Unlike the USA or Canada, Mexican Notary Publics are highly qualified Attorneys-at Law appointed by the State Governor and enabled to give Public Faith to the legalities involving
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide Title Transfers, wills, etc. Before the actual title is signed by the parties the Mexican Notary Public obtains through a Certificate from the Public Registry of property, a 10 year search of the title to the subject real estate, to verify that there are no liens or encumbrances recorded. As well as a Certificate from the local City Hall to prove that the annual property taxes have been paid currently. The Public Deed (called “Esritura Publica” in Spanish) is then drawn up by the designated Notary Public (normally chosen by the buyer), including as well in said Deed the legal description of the prior title in order to establish an equivalent to the “title chain” researched by Title Companies in the USA. Either course of action takes place concurrent with receipt of proceeds, which generally will be in US funds, either by the way of a US Bank Cashiers Check, or by way of Bank-to-Bank Wire Transfer, anywhere in the World. There are no currency restrictions in Mexico. Closing costs, usually the responsibility of the buyer, are determined in accordance with the purchase price which becomes the basis for all taxes and fees related to the closing process. Legally, the seller is responsible for his ‘Capital Gains’ (Impuesto Sobre la Renta – I.S.R.) taxes which will run the lesser of 20% of the purchase price, or 35% of the difference between the purchase price recorded in the
prior title, indexed in accordance with the rate of inflation, and the new purchase prince of the property, less deductions for any improvements, any closing costs which he may have paid on purchase INCLUDING REAL ESTATE COMMISSION WITH RECEIPT. The seller is also responsible for the real estate fees when selling the property. The buyer will be responsible for the transfer tax which (2% of the purchase price) together with the costs of the establishment of the bank trust-if so required an not already in existence – notary fees, registration fees, tax appraisal fees, and trust permit fees. The total closing costs to the purchaser, excluding the capital gains tax of the seller and his real estate fee, will be in the area of 6 to 9 % of the purchase price, including all trust fees. The typical time frame from the acceptance of the Offer to Purchase to final closing, providing the title is in good order, is about 30 to 60 days. As in any transaction involving taxation each individual case warrants proper analysis. When you deal with our staff, you know that you are dealing with a full-time professional real estate attorney who is familiar with the legal and tax issues critical to the security of your purchase and sale of your property. Sergio Martin Del Campo Attorney at law// real estate advisor.
How to import your vehicle into Mexico Depending on your plans, you might need to import your car into Mexico. Whether it is permanent or temporary, the importation process has to follow the existing procedure implemented by the General Administration of Customs in Mexico (Aduana). Those who drive their vehicles within the border zone (roughly 12.50 miles/20 km. south of the border) will not have to worry about importation requirements. Similarly, people who reside or travel in the Free Trade Zone, which is all of Baja California and Sonora as far
south as San Carlos/Guaymas will be exempt from these procedures. However, foreigners who plan to go beyond these areas have to obtain an importation permit, temporary or permanent.
Temporary Importation
Any person who plans to visit Mexico or stay here for a longer period will first need to apply for a visa. Americans who own a Tourist Visa (FMM) can keep the imported vehicle in Mexico for a maximum of six months. The FM3
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Moving to Baja and FM2 visas allow extended residence on Mexican territory, over 6 months. Those who own this type of visa can apply for temporary importation and keep their car in Mexico until the visa expires. When the visa is renewed, the importation permit will automatically be renewed, as well. Apart from their visa, applicants will need to bring the following documents with them to the customs: • A document which proves American citizenship - passport, birth certificate, or voter registration card; • The vehicle title; • The vehicle registration; • The leasing contract, if the vehicle was leased or rented; • If the car belongs to a company, a documents which shows the relationship between the company and the applicant; • The driver’s license issued outside Mexico. Each person will need to provide the original documents together with copies. The copies have to be taken to a Banjercito Office available at every border crossing. Along with the documents, the applicant will be required to submit a declaration that stipulates that the vehicle will be taken out of Mexico once the permit expires. The procedure comes with a fee of around $50 for a regular car and a recreational vehicle. The payment can be made in cash or with an international credit card. In addition to the fee, each person must pay a guarantee deposit that varies between $200 and $400, depending on the age of the vehicle. Once the procedure is completed, you will receive an import permit and a hologram that goes on the windshield. The vehicle and the permit have to be returned, and on this occasion, the deposit will be refunded. The date when the permit is returned should not exceed the 6 months deadline. This process can be completed at the border, but you can also apply at Mexican consulates in US or online on the Banjercito website: h t t p : / / w w w. b a n j e r c i t o . c o m . m x / s i t e / siteBanjer/Bicentenario/iitv/instruccionesIITV. html For applications placed at the consulate,
the same documents will be required. During the online application, you will need to provide some additional information: date when you travel to Mexico, email address, physical address, and an international credit card. The applicant who chooses the online option will not be able to use the birth certificate as a proof of citizenship. Those who receive the permit by mail will need to take the documents used during the application process and show them at the border.
Permanent importation Permanent importation of vehicles means that you can keep the car for an indefinite period on Mexican territory. In addition, the imported car will be considered a Mexican vehicle, and it will have Mexican registration plates. Since the process is significantly more complicated as compared with the temporary importation procedure, the applicant will be required to hire a customs broker. The customs broker will gather all the required documentation and submit it for review. The expenses include the fees due to the customs broker and an import duty, which varies according to the type and age of the vehicle. Once the importation procedure is completed successfully, the owner of the vehicle will need to go to the Departamento de Registro de Control Vehicular and submit the proof of importation that bears the name of pedimento. This institution will issue the new license plates necessary for the vehicle. People who might find the whole process cumbersome can simply sell the car they have in the US and purchase another vehicle registered in Mexico. Many cars, both new and used, are available at extremely affordable prices. Irrespective of the circumstances or the duration of your travel to Mexico, it is advisable to purchase Mexican Auto Insurance. Even if you have an American policy, which states it covers the Mexican territory, the authorities from Mexico will refuse to accept it as valid.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
www.bglclub.com
Payments mailed to John Pack PO Box 9019 PMB-460 Calexico CA 92232 (checks made to John B. Pack).
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Moving to Baja
Rachel Pack Working in Los Barriles . Photo by John Pack.
Working in Baja Many people who visit Baja enjoy their stay so much that they decide to find a job and settle down here. The major industries where you can find a job are petroleum, agricultural processing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and electronics. For someone who is not already familiar with Spanish, a position as an English teacher would be a great start. Job-hunting is essential in finding the right job in Baja. Big companies will use recruitment agencies and contractors to find the perfect candidate. Adecco and Manpower are two global recruitment agencies that offer a wide variety of job opportunities. Also, search jobs in any area of Baja with online-based recruitment agencies such as OCC Mundial and Empleos Maquila. Your job-hunting strategy should include networking and getting familiar with the Mexican business sector. The government is usually reluctant to give to a foreigner a job that a Mexican can do. As a result, you are likely to get a job that requires extremely specialized skills. Anyone can work in Baja once all the legal requirements are fulfilled. The first step is to obtain a Residente Temporal visa that will allow you to stay in the country for at least 6 months, but no more than 4 years. To obtain the visa, you should apply at your local consulate in US,
and then you will have 180 days to move to Baja. Before you cross the border, make sure you also get a Visitante visa from the border. After you get to Baja, you have to visit the local immigration office to finalize the process. You will need the Visitante visa, passport (original and copy of the first page), three pictures (two front and one right side), proof of address, and two forms. Since you come to Baja to work, you will have to provide a letter in Spanish from your employer describing your job, what you salary will be, your visa number and the Tax ID of your employer. Depending on the nature of the job, you may have to provide evidence that you have the ability to perform those tasks, such as college degrees or certificates. Once you obtain the visa, you have to renew it 30 days before it expires. Shortly after starting your job, you will probably notice that the Mexican working environment is considerably different from the US environment. You may find it difficult to get accustomed to the bureaucracy or the uncertainty that comes along with any business activity. However, you will most definitely appreciate the diversity of the culture and the ability of Mexicans to enjoy life at all times.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Photo by Mihow.
Baja Communication Using a US Cell Phone In Baja It can be useful to carry a cell phone with you when you travel in Mexico. Whether you want to call ahead to book a room for the night, find yourself running late to meet friends, or lose your way while exploring a new city – it is convenient and reassuring to have easy access to information without having to search for a local payphone. That said, even seasoned adventurers in Baja California may have a few questions about which US carriers and networks are the best to use while in Mexico, how to roam efficiently, and how to dial back to the United States. If you’re using your cell phone in Baja, chances are that you have one of the four main US wireless services: T-Mobile, AT&T (Cingular), Sprint or Verizon. You may have an easier time calling throughout Mexico with T-Mobile or AT&T, since they cover a lot more territory. All of the major wireless networks will charge you extra to roam internationally, from as little as $0.59 to $1.49 per minute plus a monthly flat fee. More importantly, most plans require you to activate the international roaming service before you even leave the United States. To be safe, it is a good idea to check
with your own wireless carrier before you leave for Baja to make sure that your phone has been activated for international roaming. Once you are in Mexico with a successfully activated phone, you should have no trouble calling either locally or home to the United States.
T-Mobile World Class Service Requires Activation? Yes. Activate before you go, which you can do online if you like. You can activate it by calling 611 on your phone, or 1-800-937-8997 from any other phone International Activation: Dial “+” plus 1-505-998-3793 from your cell phone or landline to reach T-Mobile Customer Care internationally Dialing to Mexico from USA: Dial “+” plus (52)(1) (10 digit local number) Dialing Locally in Mexico: Dial “+” plus country code plus 10 digit local number. Dialing Long-Distance within Mexico: Dial “+” plus country code plus 10 digit local number. Dialing to USA from Mexico: Dial “+” plus country code plus 10 digit local number Dialing Internationally from Mexico: Dial “+” plus country code plus 10 digit local number.
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Working in Baja AT&T World Connect Mexico (Cingular) Requires Activation? Yes. Activate before you go by calling 1-800-331-0500. If you have trouble roaming while in Mexico, call + 1-916843-4685 International Activation: Dial “+” plus 1-916-843-4685 to reach AT&T International Customer Care. Dialing to Mexico from USA: Dial “+” or (011)(52)(1) (local number). Dialing Locally in Mexico: Land Line: Dial 011 52 (local number) Mobile: 011 52 1 (local number) Dialing Long-Distance within Mexico: Dial 011 52 (local number) If it is a land line. Mobile 011 52 1 (local number) Dialing to USA from Mexico: “+” plus country code… or 001 plus 10 digit local number Dialing Internationally from Mexico: Dial “+” (country code) ( ten digit local number) Verizon Requires Activation? Yes. Before you leave the USA, verify that your international roaming has been activated added by dialing *611 or (800) 922-0204. International Activation: Dial 001 (800) 711-8300 to reach the Verizon Global Support Team. Dialing to Mexico from USA: 011 52 1 (10 digit local number) Dialing Locally in Mexico: 7 or 8 digit number Dialing Long-Distance within Mexico: 01 + city code + 7 digit number Dialing to USA from Mexico: Dial 001 + area code + 7 digit number Dialing Internationally from Mexico: Access Code Sprint PCS International Roaming - Sprint Phone Requires Activation? Yes. Activate before you go by calling 1-888-226-7212. International Activation: Dial 001 (817) 698-4199 to reach Sprint International Customer Care Team Dialing to Mexico from USA: 011 52 1 (10 digit local number) Dialing Locally in Mexico: 011 52 1 (10
digit local number) Dialing Long-Distance within Mexico: Dial as if calling from a land line in Mexico Dialing to USA from Mexico: 00 1 (area code) (10 digit local number) Dialing Internationally from Mexico: Access Code plus Country Code plus 10 digit number Sprint PCS International Roaming - Nextel Requires Activation? Yes. Before leaving USA, call 1-888-226-7212. International Activation: From your Nextel phone dial “+” (817) 698-4199 to reach Sprint International Customer Care Team. Dialing to Mexico from USA: N/A Dialing Locally in Mexico: N/A Dialing Long-Distance within Mexico: Dial as if calling from a land line in Mexico. For Sprint-provided Nokia GSM phones, press the “+”key twice until a “+”appears on your phone’s screen. Dialing to USA from Mexico: Dial “+” key (this automatically dials Mexico’s access code) plus 1 (US country code) plus 10 digit phone number. Dialing Internationally from Mexico: Dial “+”key (this automatically dials Mexico’s access code) plus country code plus telephone number Notes on carriers: With most T-Mobile and AT&T phones, the “+”key will appear on screen if you press and hold down the “0”key. Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey phone numbers consist of a 2 digit area code plus an 8 digit local number If you don’t want to get an international data plan, or pay large roaming data fees, suspend your data while away or remove your SIM card from your cell phone. Call your service provider to find out the best way to avoid astronomical data charges. Verizon Wireless customers calling local wireless subscriber in Mexico: 044 + city code + 7 digit number Verizon Wireless now also offers a “Nationwide Plus Mexico” with unlimited long distance to the US and Mexico
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide AT&T (Cingular) customers: To check voicemail while roaming internationally: Press and hold voicemail retrieval key on your device (typically the “1” key) Interrupt your personal greeting by pressing “*” If requested, enter your voicemail password In some cases you may reach the main voicemail greeting. Just enter your 10 digit wireless number and then follow steps 2 and 3. International roaming charges apply. T-Mobile customers: To check voicemail while roaming internationally: 1. You can access voicemail anywhere in the world by dialing plus sign (“+”) followed by 1-805-MESSAGE. 2. Interrupt the message by pressing the * (star) key 3. If the star key does not work, hang up, redial and press # key 4. Enter your four digit password Unless you switch your device off or activate Unconditional Call Forwarding on your device, you will be billed for all calls delivered to your voice mail box while roaming internationally. Mobile to Mobile minutes are only available through your T-Mobile USA network, not when roaming internationally.
Using a Mexican Cell Phone In Baja If you’re going to be in Baja for any length of time, it would be a good idea to get a Mexican cell phone. It will save you on local calls and depending on the plan, could save you a lot of international calls. There are two major cell phone companie in Baja; Telcel and Movistar. Telcel is Mexico’s largest mobile phone carrier, owned by América Móvil. Founded in 1989 and based in Mexico City, Telcel is the leading provider of wireless communications services in Mexico. As of December 31, 2006, Telcel’s cellular network covered more than 63% of the geographical area of Mexico, including all major cities, and 90% of Mexico’s population. Telcel holds concessions to operate a wireless network in all nine geographic regions in Mexico using both the 850 megahertz and 1900 megahertz radio spectrums. As of December
31, 2007, Telcel had approximately over 57 million cellular subscribers and, according to Cofetel, as of July 2008, an approximately 77.2% share of the Mexican wireless market. Movistar is a major mobile phone operator owned by Telefónica Móviles. It operates in Spain and in many Latin American countries. Many Movistar networks were acquired from BellSouth. The Movistar name has been in use in Spain since the launch of GSM services in 1995. After purchasing BellSouth mobile operations branch in South America, the name became effective worldwide on April 5, 2005. It is the biggest carrier in Spain with 22 million customers (cellphone services only) and it also has the widest coverage in Spain. It offers GSM 900/1800 MHz (2G), UMTS 2100 MHz (3G) and HSDPA (3.5G) services. Its principal competitor in Latin America is America Movil, which is Telcel in Baja.
Telcel Plans Telcel offers voice services under a variety of rate plans to meet the needs of different market segments. The rate plans are either postpaid, where the customer is billed monthly for the previous month, or prepaid, marketed under the “Amigo” brand, where the customer pays in advance for a specified volume of use over a specified period. Telcel also offers several prepaid plans, none of which includes activation or monthly charges. Prepaid customers purchase a prepaid card for a specific amount of airtime and also receive additional services such as voicemail and caller ID. As part of its prepaid service offering.
Telephone Dialing Instructions
DIALING INSTRUCTIONS Mexico City: (011) 52-55, plus the 8-digit telephone number. Guadalajara: (011) 52-33, plus the 8-digit telephone number. Tijuana: (011) 52-664, plus the 7-digit telephone number. USA to MX Cell Phone: 011+52+1+Area Code+(Tel #)
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Working in Baja USA to MX Landline: 011+52+Area Code+(Tel #) MX to USA: 001+Area Code+(Tel #) MX Landline to MX Cell Phone: 045 or 044+Area Code+(Tel #) MX Cell Phone to MX Landline: Area Code+(Tel #) DIALING 800 NUMBER: Some charges may apply when call 800 numbers internationally, please check with the telephone carrier. 800 DIALING to the USA From MX (dial 001+) To Dial USA 800 dial 880 To Dial USA 866 dial 883 To Dial USA 877 dial 882 To Dial USA 888 dial 881 IMPORTANT NUMBERS: Emergency dial 132 free from any phone and Mexican cell phone carriers Red Cross 066 Police Dept. 060 Fire dept. 068 Electricity 071 Legal Assistance 061 Tourist Assistance 078 Tourism Department 078
Purchasing Credit for your Telcel Phone Below is a table of recharge costs. Along with your recharge of $150 pesos or more, you get bonus credit as well. Here’s a simple chart showing the bonus offered: Value of Included Air Time
Card Recharging
Electronic Recharging
$20
No
Yes
$20
$30
No
Yes
$30
$50
No
Yes
$50
$100
Yes
Yes
$100
$150
No
Yes
$170
$200
Yes
Yes
$260
$300
Yes
Yes
$450
$500
Yes
Yes
$900
Cost
Where can I recharge my account? Amigo credit can be purchased in a variety of ways. The most common is an electronic recharge at convenience stores (Oxxo, Extra, Walmart, Mega, Soriana) or authorized Telcel stores throughout the peninsula. You can now recharge via the internet, if you have an account with the following banks: Bancomer, Banorte, ScotiaBank.
Checking and updating your Telcel amigo account online An easy way to add credits or check the balance of any Telcel cellular phone is online. BabbleBug.com provides an easy to use website for checking your Amigo account balance and for credited directly to the Telcel number you provide. Any US dollar payment is converted to pesos. Please Note: You must have an account before making an online payment for Telcel Amigo. http://www.babblebug.com
How long does your credit last? Your credit is typically valid for 60 days. Purchasing more credit will extend expiration of all your credit. If you do not purchase more credit before it expires, you will not be able to make calls or send messages. Your phone will continue to work for receiving calls and/ or messages. Purchasing more credit will re-activate all previous unused credit - credit continues to rollover as long as you add new credit every 60 days. If you do not add more value to an expired number, Telcel will cancel the account and the unused credit will be lost.
Checking your Credit Balance The Amigo service number is *333. Dial that and follow the menu. Option #1 is to check your balance and Option #2 is for adding new credit by entering the number from the back of your Amigo phone card. An alternate way to check your balance is by entering *133# and pressing your call button. You will receive a text message with your balance and expiration date.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide Registering your Telcel phone number As of April 10, 2010, registration of your cell phone number is no longer optional. You can register your Telcel phone by calling *264 and providing registration information. Alternatively, you can visit the Telcel main offices located throughout Baja. Registering your phone (actually your SIM card) benefits you in two ways. First, you no longer hear the recording “Estamado usario...” each time you make a phone call and second, if you lose your phone, you can transfer all remaining credit from your account onto a new SIM card and keep the same phone number. These services can be performed at any main Telcel office.
Internet Service
MB / GB Included
Price VAT Included
Key
1 hr.
100 MB
$ 12.00
alto1h
1 day
150 MB
$ 49.00
alto1
2 days
300 MB
$ 79.00
alto2
7 days
1 GB
$ 169.00
alto7
15 days
1.5 GB
$ 249.00
alto15
30 days
3 GB
$ 399.00
alto30
Average consumption: Recommended to send and receive email, IM, Social Networks and moderate browsing websites.
Internet throughout Baja is readily available. Every city has it’s own Internet service providers and and Internet cafes are always nearby for a reasonable fee, some as low as $1 an hour. If you plan on staying in Baja a while, you can also get access through major provides such as Prodigy.net.mx, AOL.com and Telnor.net, or you can get high speed Internet access using Telcel 3G.
3G Technology Telcel officially launched its 3G (850Mhz Band) services on February 25, 2008 initially in the cities of: Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Mérida, León, Morelia, Monterrey, Tijuana, Puebla, Santiago de Querétaro and México D.F.. then expanded to other cities to finally become a national 3G network which will reaches more than 350 cities. Telcel’s 3G network is based on UMTS / HSDPA technology. With this technology, the company’s users now can have high speed internet, video calls, television and other media options in their phones including the postpaid and prepaid customers.
Validity
Validity
MB / GB Included
Price VAT Included
Key
1 hr.
30 MB
$ 9.00
medio1h
1 day
50 MB
$ 29.00
East1
2 days
100 MB
$ 59.00
East2
7 days
400 MB
$ 99.00
medio7
15 days
1 GB
$ 229.00
medio15
30 days
2 GB
$ 339.00
medio30
Low consumption: Recommended to send and receive email, IM and Social Networking moderate use.
Rates Consumption High: Recommended to send and receive emails, instant messaging, social networks and total Internet navigation.
Validity
MB / GB Included
Price VAT Included
Key
1 hr.
10 MB
$ 5.00
bajo1h
1 day
30 MB
$ 19.00
Low1
2 days
50 MB
$ 39.00
Bajo2
7 days
200 MB
$ 59.00
bajo7
15 days
600 MB
$ 199.00
bajo15
30 days
1 GB
$ 299.00
bajo30
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Working in Baja All SMS sent to 5050 dialing to request activation of the service are priced at $ 0.88 includes IEPS (3%) and VAT. Applies to Friend System users and hybrid schemes that do not have an Internet plan hired
Satellite Internet Many Baja residents are get connected to the Internet with HughesNet Satellite Internet systems. When properly installed, HughesNet systems can provide satisfactory performance, equivalent to a DSL or even broadband cable connection. HughesNet does not guarantee its service levels. They only advertise that their service levels can provide “up to” the following speeds and access can be limited if you exceed your “Fair Access Policy” (FAP) limit. Most likely, your actual speed will be 50% to 80% of the maximum at best, and can be much worse at times. Certain uses and applications like Voice Over IP (VoIP), audio or video streaming, downloading large files, or receiving updates through the Internet can seriously slow down a HughesNet system. HughesNet maintains a “Fair Access Policy” (also known as a FAP). This policy allows each user to download a certain amount of megabytes within a given period of time (For the Access 100 Plan, it’s 375 MB total within 24 hours). Once your downloads exceed your FAP threshold, your bandwidth will be throttled back to something around 56 Kbs, about the speed of a regular telephone dial up modem.
Internet Phone and Video VoIP is the ideal communication tool for international calling, staying in touch with family and friends and is easy and affordable. Internet access is Baja is available in every town and with Telcel 3G modems, you can stay connected just about anywhere including the beach.
Skype Anyone that spends anytime traveling is well aware of Skype. Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls over the Internet. Why just talk when you can see each other face-to-face?
Video call your family in New York, your friends in Spain or your colleagues in Japan, for free. Call people all over the world on their phone or mobile from just 1.2¢ per minute using Skype. Talk to anyone else on Skype, anywhere in the world, for free with a Skype-to-Skype call. Skype has also become popular for its additional features which include instant messaging, file transfer, and video conferencing. The network is operated by a company called Skype Limited, headquartered in Luxembourg and partly owned by eBay. Unlike other VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) services, the Skype company does not run servers, but makes use of background processing on computers running Skype software—the original name proposed for the project was “Sky peer-to-peer”, which was then abbreviated to “Skyper”. However, some of the domain names associated with “Skyper” were already taken. Dropping the final “r” left the current title “Skype”, for which domain names were available. www.skype.com
Google Talk It’s Google, what more needs to be said. Google Talk (GTalk) is a free Windows webbased application for instant messaging and voice over internet protocol (VOIP) client offered by Google, which is integrated with Gmail or available as a separate download. Windows users can download the Google Talk application, and Mac and Linux users can use many other instant messaging applications with their Google Talk accounts or message directly from Gmail. Google Talk also supports PC-to-PC voice calls. When Google Talk is used from within Gmail on either Mac or Windows, you can also use it for video chats. The downloaded client does not support video as of this writing. http://www.google.com/talk/
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Using Mexican Post Service If you are like most Americans living in the 21st century, walking to your mailbox to get or send mail, dropping a letter off in one of the many standard U.S. Post Office blue mail boxes, or perhaps stopping by a Mailboxes and More is hardly worth contemplating. “Snail mail” refers to the age old delivery system of hand delivered letters and packages through the Post Office, UPS or FedEx. In today’s electronic age, email is the quicker alternative to sending a letter. What would the Pony Express make of the Internet? Gone are the days of letter carrying on horses. It is mind boggling to think of all the men and women in history and the vigilant hard work and determination to deliver a single letter in days or months, which now can be transported in minutes. Yes, informational letters, contracts and books stretching across international borders in a push of a button. In 1997 a Kevin Costner movie, The Postman, depicted the roots of mail in a futuristic aspect. Although the film was set 16 years in the future in the year 2013 after an apocalyptic disaster, it really brought home the complexity of delivering mail and how it all began. The uniform and the mail jeep found by the characters symbolized the importance of tradition and universal symbolism. In the United States everyone has heard of the Pony Express and the courageous men and women who helped cross state borders to deliver sensitive news and urgent top secret instructions. In Mexico, a version of the Pony Express existed just as it did throughout the world creating a universal postal system. The word “Postal” is universal and used throughout the world much as the word “email” and “Internet” are universal. In Mexico mail can be traced back for centuries. In the Aztec times there were three types of messengers: “Painanis” were religious and ceremonial and more like messengers of God, the “Vciucatitlantis” brought urgent data, and “Tequihuatitlantlis” were known as messengers related to the army and reporting on war or battle. Until 1840, the receiver of the
mail actually paid for the letter, not the sender. In 1856 Mexico joined the worldwide postal reform. The first printing of Mexican postage stamps occurred in August 1856, during the office of President Ignacio Comonfort. These stamps portrayed Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla’s image. In September 2008, President Felipe Caldrón unveiled a Mexican post office makeover. The colors pink and lime green were painted in the post offices and new uniforms with the same hot pink and green replaced the old to help strengthen the Mexican Postal system. Changes to the logo “Corres De Mexico,” translated to “Mexican Mail,” branded a new logo of a white carrier pigeon holding a letter assisting the updating of the age old system and revamping the system. In some areas of Mexico, Internet access was added to post offices to replace outdated typewriters. Today, some Mexico post offices have moved to an online service replacing archaic typewriters or hand systems. Delivery times will depend on the size of the city and/or how far the letter is traveling. A standard letter or postcard may take one week to get to the U.S. or Canada, and twice as long to reach European countries. If you’re going to the post office, expect to show a Passport or FM2/FM3 to pick up mail. Living in smaller tourist areas in Mexico, you’ll find some condominium communities will receive the mail for the entire complex and then sort out the mail and hand it out to residents. When living in Puerto Peñsaco, my bank statements, important Immigration papers came directly to the guard gate at the condominium and the guard would sign for it and hold it for me. The size of the city will determine the efficiency of the mail in Mexico. Look for the post office to be near the city hall or city center (Centro). Look for the colors lime green and pink and “Corres De Mexico.” Today, a sender can track mail online and find out detailed information about your town mail services. Since the revamping in 2008, the Mexican
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Working in Baja postal service is becoming more efficient and worth looking into. To find out more about the Mexican post office in your city, visit www. sepomex.gob.mx.
Frequently asked questions about Mail in Mexico Are there post offices where one can mail a letter or package? Yes, in most towns look near city hall or the municipal office and city center. Look for the logo and “Corres De Mexico.� How much does it cost to send a general delivery letter? Similar to U.S., a general mail letter is about 400 to 500 pesos ( 40 to 50 cents). Are there Mexican stamps? Yes, more than 3,600 original postage stamps have been issued by the Mexican postal service depicting images in history. What is the general turnaround time for letters? Mailing a letter to the United States from Mexico may take up to a week, Europe,
Australia or Asia may take twice as long. Are there universal mailboxes? Yes, depending on the size of the city or town, look for red mail boxes. However, most go to the post office to send their mail. What other alternatives exist for mailing packages or receiving mail in Mexico? In northern Mexico, towns close to the border, some residents establish border town post office boxes where they travel to various times throughout the month to pick up and send mail through U.S. services. In some towns, community businesses offer mail services to the U.S. for pickup and delivery. Are there Mexican mail persons, mail trucks similar to the U.S.? In some areas of Mexico postal workers ride motorcycles and carry whistles so you can hear them coming to deliver your letters. If your mail is not hand delivered, you can pick up mail at the post office with proper ID. What is the website for Mexican mail? www. sepomex.gob.mx.
A guide to establish your business in Mexico To set up a business in Mexico, one will probably need to hire an attorney and/or accountant, who will be able to guide the company through the process and help to determine the best corporate accounting and tax structures for the company.
financial services, which previously have been reserved to Mexican investors, are now also available to foreign investors.
Ownership of equity
This is the most common type of business entity used in Mexico. The principle advantage of an S.A. is that the shareholders only are liable for an amount up to the value of their shares for the obligations and debts of the company. However, as in the U.S., the board members are personally responsible for the prudent management of the company. This company must have at least two, and can have up to an unlimited number of shareholders, whose shares are freely transferable by endorsement. The minimum fixed capital required to establish
Under the Foreign Investment Law of 1993 and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) most economic activities in Mexico, whether in manufacturing or services, are 100 percent open for participation by foreign investors. Only a few areas are completely restricted or limited to minority participation. Some areas which previously have been reserved to the government, especially in the infrastructure sectors, are now being opened to private investment. Also, certain areas such as
Common types of companies limited liability stock corporation (Sociedad AnĂłnima, S.A. de C.V.)
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide this type of company is $ 50,000 pesos (US $ 4 500) of which only 20 percent needs to be paid at the time of incorporation. This type of company is also required to have an examiner (usually an accounting firm) that is in charge of ensuring the proper and legal management of the company. Limited liability company (Sociedad de ResponsabilidadLimitada, S. de R.L.) This is similar to a closed corporation in the U.S. This type of company has the same limited liability as an S.A. The minimum capital is only $ 3,000 pesos (U.S $ 270) of which 50 percent needs to be paid at the time of incorporation. This company must have at least two partners and can have no more than 50. Further, a limited liability company is not forced to have an examiner, which can reduce costs associated with hiring an accounting firm. Unlike an S.A., the S. de R.L. does not have as many legally established corporate formalities. For both the S.A. and the S. de R.L. the option of variable capital (capital variable) can be established, thus permitting the increase or decrease of capital with minimized formalities.
Civil enterprise (Sociedad Civil, S.C.) Professional service providers, such as lawyers and accountants, use this form of corporation, which has no minimum capital requirements. There are no limits on the number of partners in a Civil Enterprise, but each one is jointly and personally liable for obligations and debts.
Branch sucursal Instead of incorporating an entity in Mexico, some companies choose to register their existing foreign company as a branch in Mexico. To register, the foreign company must obtain approval from the Foreign Investment Commission, which is under the Economy Ministry (Secretaría de Economía) and the Ministry of External Affairs (Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores). The branch must also be registered with the Public Registry of Commerce (Registro Público de Comercio). Once registered, the branch will be required to file taxes in Mexico for its Mexican-source income. The foreign company will also respond, with all its assets,
for any liabilities that it incurs in Mexico. For this reason, many larger foreign corporations choose to incorporate a separate entity in Mexico, as discussed above, so that the liability is limited to the assets of the Mexican company.
Subsidiary (Subsidiario) Unlike a branch, a subsidiary is actually a separate legal entity from the parent company. Establishing a Mexican subsidiary shields the parent company from liability.
Company formation Once the company form and ownership issues have been resolved, the investor will need to follow the steps below: Corporate Name. The investor will need to select a corporate name and register with SRE (Ministry of external affairs). Before SRE grants a permit for the name, it will check that no identical name is already registered. Proforma Agreement. Under Mexican Law, the foreign company will have to enter a proforma agreement whereby any non-Mexican shareholder is deemed to agree to be bound by Mexican laws and not invoke the diplomatic protection of his government. Charter and By-laws. An attorney can help the investor to prepare these documents that spell out corporate governance, corporate purpose, duration of existence, domicile, capital stock provisions, management powers and special provisions for liquidation. In addition, one needs to decide how capital will be subscribed, how the Board of Directors and officers will be appointed and what powers will be specifically granted to individuals. Also, it is a regular practice in Mexico to grant power of attorney. The charter and by-laws must be taken, along with the permit from SRE, to a notary public (notario público) to formalize the incorporation; which may take from 10 days to a month depending on the notary’s workload and his relationship with the attorney. If the incorporating shareholders are non-Mexican individuals, they may legally sign the charter if they hold and FM-N, FM-2 or FM-3 visa (see immigration section below). If some of the shareholders are corporate entities, an individual with power of attorney for these entities must sign the document.
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Working in Baja Starting operations Once the company has been formed in Mexico, it may start operations. The following requirements should be kept in mind: Zoning Permit. In most urban areas the company will need to obtain zoning permits, identifying use of land, from municipal authorities. In the metropolitan area of Mexico City many industrial activities are restricted, and business operations in residential areas are strictly controlled. Environmental Regulations. To carry out manufacturing activities, the company must first submit an environmental impact statement with the Ministry of the Environment Natural Resources and Fisheries (Secretaría de Medio Ambiente, Recursos Naturales y Pesca, SEMARNAP). The company may also need special permits for air or noise emissions, water discharge or solid waste. Health or Sanitary Licenses. Any activities that involve food preparation or manufacturing of medicines or health products require licenses from the Ministry of Health (Secretaría de Salud) and local health authorities. Immigration. Foreigners must secure a business visa to work legally in Mexico. FM-3 (Non Resident) and FM-2 (Resident) visas may be obtained through the Ministry of Interior (Secretaría de Gobernación) or through Mexican consulates abroad. The process usually takes 20 to 40 business days. Both visas allow you to receive income in Mexico. Note that lately business visa procedures have become quite restrictive and time consuming. A tourist visa is not legitimate for conducting business in Mexico.
Commercial intermediary A commercial intermediary is a limited agency, avoiding a permanent establishment in Mexico. The intermediary can perform market research, promotion, solicitations, negotiation of sales, and will provide Mexican clients with information, prices, payment policies and forwarding and processing of orders. However, the intermediary should not have the power to enter into contracts on behalf of the foreign resident. Thus, the intermediary acts as a showcase, performing “preparatory or
auxiliary” services for the foreign resident. This activity will avoid a permanent establishment or fixed base. It is customary to advise the commercial intermediary to refrain from using the name and logo of the principal in his office, business cards and letterhead. This will avoid the appearance of impropriety.
Distributorship agreement A distributorship agreement provides the foreign company with an opportunity to further develop sales. Further, it offers service through a Mexican company or individual who acquires the products from outside Mexico, and resells the product in Mexico. The distributor only functions as a purchaser and wholesaler/retailer of foreign company. This mechanism therefore, avoids being a permanent establishment.
Licence of technology Other available alternatives for doing business in Mexico is to enter into agreements for: • The license or authorization of exploitation of trademarks, patents or improvements, or industrial designs and utility models • The assignment of trademarks or patents; the supply of technical knowhow, and, technical assistance in any form • The supply of basic or detailed engineering • The rendering of advisory, consulting and supervisory services • The license of copyrights that include industrial application • The licensing of computer programs Taxations: Foreign companies should keep tax issues in mind as they plan their crossborder operations, ensuring the lowest tax rates possible. Foreigners may do business in Mexico by employing a subordinate agent, establishing a Mexican company or acquiring stock in an existing Mexican company. The use of any of these methods will create a permanent establishment, and has the following tax and regulatory consequences: A) Corporate Tax A corporate tax must be paid annually on
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide the company’s taxable profits. Such profits are calculated by deducting certain allowed expenses from the total accruable income. Most of the company’s income is considered accruable for income tax purposes at the time invoices are issued, or when goods or services are delivered to the buyer if no invoice is issued. Basically, the allowed deductions are all discounts and/or expenses “strictly indispensable” for the business operation. Except for the first year of operations, all Mexican corporations must file their income taxes through monthly provisional payments. These provisional payments will be credited against annual income tax returns. B) Tax on Dividends Companies that distribute profits or dividends must, in principal, pay a tax on distributions when the rate is higher than 34 percent. However, if the company maintains a tax free Net Fiscal Profit Account, the tax on such distributions will be zero percent. C) Tax on Assets There is a federal tax on corporate assets. This tax is applied on the fixed, financial and current assets of Mexican companies. The tax must be paid on an annual basis through monthly provisional payments. Payment of taxes on assets is not required during the preoperational period of a company, the first two years of its operation or when liquidated. D) Value Added Tax When the Mexican company transfers or leases goods, or renders services in Mexico, it will be obliged to pay Value Added Tax (Impuesto al Valor Agregado, IVA). This tax is 15 percent of the price of the goods or services and can be transferred to the clients by including the tax on its billing invoices. The tax rate is 10% within 20 kilometers of the border of Mexico and for Baja California. Also, if such goods and services are to be exported from Mexico, the IVA is zero percent. E) Payroll Taxes The company is subject to a local state payroll tax, at a rate that depends on the location of the working facilities. The Federal Government also taxes corporations with social security fees that amount to a minimum of 17.42 percent of the payroll, to be paid by the employer for sickness, maternity, old age, death, child
care and retirement. The employer must also contribute to a Worker’s Housing Institute fee with the amount of 5 percent for each worker’s salary. The payroll taxes and fees are deductible for corporate income tax purposes. In addition to the tax provisions discussed above, there are also various provisions under Mexican law and different tax treaties that apply specifically to foreign companies earning income in Mexico. These provisions cover areas such as withholding obligations with respect to the tax authorities of each country, available tax credits, and taxes on dividends and royalties.
Starting operations Once the company has been formed in Mexico, it may start operations. The following requirements should be kept in mind. Zoning Permit. In most urban areas the company will need to obtain zoning permits, identifying use of land, from municipal authorities. In the metropolitan area of Mexico City many industrial activities are restricted, and business operations in residential areas are strictly controlled. Environmental Regulations. To carry out manufacturing activities, the company must first submit an environmental impact statement with the Ministry of the Environment Natural Resources and Fisheries (Secretaría de Medio Ambiente, Recursos Naturales y Pesca, SEMARNAP). The company may also need special permits for air or noise emissions, water discharge or solid waste. Health or Sanitary Licenses. Any activities that involve food preparation or manufacturing of medicines or health products require licenses from the Ministry of Health (Secretaría de Salud) and local health authorities. Immigration. Foreigners must secure a business visa to work legally in Mexico. FM-3 (Non Resident) and FM-2 (Resident) visas may be obtained through the Ministry of Interior (Secretaría de Gobernación) or through Mexican consulates abroad. The process usually takes 20 to 40 business days. Both visas allow you to receive income in Mexico. Note that lately business visa procedures have become quite restrictive and time consuming. A tourist visa is not legitimate for conducting business in Mexico.
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Working in Baja
Ten Tips for Starting a Business in Mexico After starting a business in Mexico and running it for 10 years, you’d think you’d be an expert, but I’m afraid I still feel like a beginner. What follows are the lessons taken from starting a business in Mexico, and even if you don’t own a business, the information below can be of value. Most expats will find themselves as business clients or in the position of hiring a care taker at some point, and the principles are the same.
10 Tips to Starting a Business in Mexico
know the right questions to ask. A foreigner doing business in Mexico works under different documentation rules than a national. There are additional forms that have to be filed, and the immigration laws and documentation requirements change yearly. Most people starting a business in Mexico are primarily worried about an accountant’s honesty. This is important, of course, but if they are incompetent in knowing the tax laws that foreigner’s face - it could cost you an exorbitant amount of grief, if not money.
1. Ask questions. Always consult with multiple sources, and ask lots of questions when you are looking for information. Maybe you have already discovered that people including Mexicans will tell you what you want to hear. Also, be wary of the information found via certain resources, like Internet message boards. I can’t stress how important it is to make pointed enquiries. For example, we had an experience in which we hired a carpenter to put in some windows and doors. The woodwork arrived and was beautiful. To our dismay, we not only found that the estimate didn’t include installation, handles, locks or hinges, but the carpenters had not brought tools nor enough laborers to complete the job. When we made the order, we made far too many assumptions about what it included without asking key questions.
3. Don’t expect bills. When you agree to services with someone, don’t expect them to contact you for payment, they expect that you’ll make payment without reminder. Expats often unintentionally hurt a Mexican’s feelings because they forget about a bill. If you have a good business source, don’t offend them by putting off payment. You could find yourself looking for a new supplier (heaven forbid that person is the accountant that you love!). In Mexico - it is your responsibility to know when it is time to settle an account without receiving a bill. You probably already know that one pays their property taxes here at the beginning of the year. Although no one in Mexico receives a bill for the tax, everyone knows that they must go and pay them. This form of not receiving bills extends to many things, including car insurance. Keep a calendar for important bills. This is something you can’t always expect your accountant to advise on.
2. Find an accountant you can learn to love. This is harder than it sounds, but it may be the most important choice you make as a business person. It took us three attempts to find our accountant. When previous “Contadors” were referred to us, we didn’t
4. Be patient. Manana does not mean “tomorrow”; it means “just not today.” Take this as a mantra to live by in Mexico, or you risk forever being disappointed. To the majority of craftsmen and businesses in Baja, time is relevant only to today. You
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide must help your vendors by creating deadlines. Set a date for delivery of goods and services, and confirm it in writing. A verbal date of “two weeks” or 15 days is not something you can count on. When pushed, if they have to write down a delivery date and sign it, most will think a little harder about the date. Show the vendor the calendar too, so they can see that 15 days might land on a Saturday, and, oh. . . by the way. . . that 15 days included two weekends and a holiday that they didn’t consider (let alone a cousin’s 15 year old birthday). If time is critical - follow through regularly to make sure things are on time. 5. Research your communication strategy. Find out the best way to contact your Mexican vendors and clients. Don’t assume that they will read your carefully drafted email invoice. Although they may have an email account, they may only check it when they feel like it, or when they can stop at a friend’s house to use a computer. They are far more likely to respond to you on Facebook or via text message. This is something many foreigners don’t take the time to find out, and it’s often wrongly assumed that the vendor or client doesn’t want to work with you or has left town. 6. Know the law. Assume that all rules and regulations pertaining to your business must be obeyed. This is not the “wild west” where anything goes, but sometimes it is difficult to know what the rules and regulations are. Foreigners may watch as their Mexican neighbours seemingly do what they want without any regard for certain laws, but while the nationals may get away with it at least for a while, the foreigner most likely will not. Rather than get fixated on the fact that it isn’t fair - use all the skills, education and abilities that brought you to Mexico, learn the laws and do your best to follow the rules. The wonderful accountant you took so long to choose can really help you in this respect. They often have a vast network of skilled clients that can help you navigate the legal system. If necessary, consult a lawyer, especially when it comes to contracts. Lawyers are inexpensive
as compared to the US and Canada, so don’t wait until you are in trouble. 7. Pay social security on your employees. You could be opening up yourself to troubles later if you don’t. Work with your accountant to minimise the taxes you need to pay, and if you value your employees, you will be happy to give them this benefit. It supplies health care, some retirement and workman’s compensation, plus makes them eligible for low cost and subsidised loans on major purchases, such as homes and appliances. A good employee will stay longer if you pay this for them. Think of it as insurance you don’t want to be without. If an employee were injured on your place of business and she wasn’t covered, you could be responsible for her health care and compensation, potentially for the rest of her life. 8. “The worker is not your friend.” This is one of the hardest lessons I’ve learned. I have employees who have worked for me several years and I love them, but my accountant keeps telling me this. Just because you love them, doesn’t mean they won’t try to file a demand against you when it comes time for them to move on. There are a tremendous number of labor laws in Mexico, and it is important to know the ones that will keep you out of trouble. We have been sued by workers because we were trusting, ignorant of the law and because we didn’t understand the culture of work. For most employees, work is a job, not a career, regardless of what they think about you personally. For example, in Mexico, when a person quits, it is mandatory to pay them any accrued vacation and Christmas bonus. If you fire them, you must also pay them severance. This is similar to rules in other countries. The difference in Mexico is that they might quit and then make a legal claim that you fired them unjustly. If you don’t have any proof that they quit - they will win in mediation, claiming you are lying. Moral: Learn the labor laws, especially when it comes to money. Find out from your accountant what you can do to protect yourself, and when it happens (and it will), take
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Working in Baja it as a lesson learned and move on, after all, employee issues are universal. 9. Get to know your vendors and clients. Trust is established over time, by familial relationships and over a meal between friends. If you are the vendor, take the time to go out to lunch, to shake hands and to ask questions about the other person’s family. Invite them to your home and to social gatherings. A Mexican trusts and does business with those who are friends. 10. YOU are responsible for your business. I can’t speak for other countries, but in the US, we expect things to function a certain way and we expect people to follow through when delegating authority or when paying
someone to do something for us. Our business depends on it, and when it doesn’t happen, we feel justified in blaming others. It doesn’t necessarily work that way in Baja California, Mexico, and my guess it isn’t that different in other parts of Mexico. If you arrange with someone to do a task for you and that task doesn’t get done - YOU are responsible because you didn’t go with that person to make sure it got done. Above all else, don’t get discouraged. We almost quit several times the first three years - mainly because everything was so foreign to us. Now I can’t see myself going back. We love Baja, the Mexican people and have found a way to make a living here, despite the challenges. You will too!
The Mexican Labor Law The Mexican Labor Law is paternalistic with regard to employees. It strongly protects the rights of its employees. In addition to the Labor Law, the Mexican Constitution establishes rights for employees. Section IX of Constitutional Article 123, for example, specifies that employees are entitled to a share of all profits that the employer obtained in the previous year. As a rule, profit sharing occurs in May each year. Even though employees need to follow certain procedures and meet certain requirements for profit sharing, employees find this right very accommodating. Sections XXI and XXII of Article 123, in turn, states that if an employee is unjustly dismissed from his job, the employer is obliged to pay the employee an amount equal to three months of salary and twenty days of work for each year that the employee worked, as well as a proportional amount of any vacation and/or Christmas bonus to which the employee was then entitled. Furthermore, the employee may file a labor suit against the employer if he thinks he was unjustly dismissed from his job and the employer has not complied with this obligation. When an employee files a suit against his
employer, he may choose (pursuant to Article 48 of the Mexican Labor Law) to request the Labor Authority to obligate the employer to reinstate him to the same position he had held when he was dismissed. This is very interesting because if the Labor Authority resolves in favor of the employee, and the employer does not want to reinstate the employee, the employer has to pay off the employee in accordance with the law provisions referred to in the above paragraph. There are other legal rights for employees, but I would need several pages to explain them. On the other hand, employers do not need to be afraid; employees have rights, but they also have obligations. Therefore, employers have a legal way to protect themselves in any labor dispute that may occur, and the Mexican Labor Law also states rights for employers. Hopefully, I will have an opportunity to write about rights for employers in the near future.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Mexican Pesos.
Money & Banking The Peso The peso (sign: $; code: MXN) is the currency of Mexico. The peso was the first currency in the world to use the “$” sign, which the United States dollar later adopted for its own use. The peso is the 12th most traded currency in the world and by far the most traded currency in Latin America and third most traded in all the Americas. The current ISO 4217 code for the peso is MXN; prior to the 1993 revaluation, the code MXP was used. The peso is subdivided into 100 centavos, represented by “¢”. The name was originally used in reference to pesos oro (gold weights) or pesos plata (silver weights). The literal English translation of the Spanish word peso is weight. As of October 24, 2010, the peso’s exchange rate was 12.02 per Canadian dollar, 17.21 per Euro, and 12.33 per U.S. dollar.
Central Bank Banco de México is Mexico’s central bank, an internally autonomous public institution whose governor is appointed by the president and approved by the legislature to which it is fully responsible. Banco de México’s functions are outlined in the 28th article of the constitution and further expanded in the Monetary Law of the United Mexican States. Banco de México’s main objective is to achieve stability in the purchasing power of the national currency. It is also the lender of last resort.
Banking system According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a intergovernmental organization that oversees the global financial system, says the Mexican banking system is strong, in which private banks are profitable and wellcapitalized. The financial and banking sector is
increasingly dominated by foreign companies or mergers of foreign and Mexican companies with the notable exception of Banorte. The acquisition of Banamex, one of the oldest surviving financial institutions in Mexico, by Citigroup was the largest US-Mexico corporate merger, at US $12.5 billion. In spite of that, the largest financial institution in Mexico is Bancomer associated to the Spanish BBVA. The process of institution building in the financial sector in Mexico has evolved hand in hand with the efforts of financial liberalization and of inserting the economy more fully into world markets. Over the recent years, there has been a wave of acquisitions by foreign institutions such as US-based Citigroup, Spain’s BBVA and the UK’s HSBC. Their presence, along with a better regulatory framework, has allowed Mexico’s banking system to recover from the 1994–95 peso devaluation. Lending to the public and private sector is increasing and so is activity in the areas of insurance, leasing and mortgages. However, bank credit accounts for only 22% of GDP, which is significantly low compared to 70% in Chile. Credit to the Agricultural sector has fallen 45.5% in six years (2001 to 2007), and now represents about 1% of total bank loans. A wave of acquisitions has left Mexico’s financial sector in foreign hands. Their foreignrun affiliates compete with independent financial firms operating as commercial banks, brokerage and securities houses, insurance companies, retirement-fund administrators, mutual funds, and leasing companies.
Using ATM and Credit Cards Checking bankcard, credit card or debit
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Money cards can all be used in Baja. Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) can be found at every bank, most supermarkets. The majority of them will only provide pesos, but some tourist areas also offer U.S. dollars. Banorte and HSBC offer the option for dollars. ATMs are linked to Cirrus, Plus and other major International networks, and are available 24 hours a day. It is recommended to call your bank and credit card companies prior to your trip to prevent deacctivation of the card, when you try to make an international charge. Most ATMs found throughout Baja are in English and Spanish, but the money value is always shown in Mexican pesos. When using an ATM, be aware of your surroundings and use the same common sense you would use anywhere else in the world. Try to use ATM machines at bank branches, or places your familiar with and cover your hand when inputting your PIN number, blocking any potential hidden camera, or nearby stranger from seeing the PIN. Always keep an eye on the credit card during all transactions. The allowable amount to withdraw from the ATM daily is the amount your bank allows per day. The withdrawal fee is whatever fee your bank charges for international or out of network usage. Check to see if your bank has an agreement with a Mexican bank, it may save you on fees. For instance, Bank of America let’s you make withdrawals from ScotiaBank and Santander for no charge, but charges $5.00 USD when using ATMs at other banks. The ATM may not give you the fee during the transaction; the transaction detail it will be called an ISF charge. Most ATMs will also accept a Visa or MasterCard (with a PIN number) for a cash advance withdrawal. No ATM will allow a cash withdrawl without the PIN. There is a 4% to 6% credit card fee when using a credit card in Mexico and many retailers or hotels will add it to the final price, so you may notice it. Any use of a credit card internationally has a charge of at least a 1% by the Visa/MasterCard clearinghouse, no matter what country and which bank’s card is used. Check with your bank to find out it’s fees. American Express charges a two percent fee for international transactions with its card.
How to open a bank account in Baja Mexican banks offer accounts in Mexican Pesos or US-Dollars. There are significant differences between banks regarding account services and fees, so shop around before making a decision. To open a Mexican bank account you will need valid identification such as your passport or driving license and a proof of address. Dollar accounts are only available to citizens of the US and Canada or for corporations. To open a corporate account you will need all articles of your incorporation and a power of attorney. Bank Account Types; • Checking accounts – these accounts offer easy access to finances on deposit, with access from ATM machines. Interest rates are generally low for checking accounts, and are primarily used for everyday banking needs. • Savings accounts – there are a wide range of savings accounts offered. Many savings accounts have restrictions on accessing funds held on deposit, with some interest penalties being incurred on account withdrawals. • Deposit accounts – these accounts are widely designed for long-term savings, and range from fixed term – fixed interest accounts, to accounts offering higher rates of interest for regular account deposits.
Internet Banking in Mexico All major Mexican banks offer Internet Banking together with their accounts, though it may take a a little while to get through it the first time, Internet banking can save you a lot of time and frustration at the bank. Most major bills can be paid online.
Steps to open a bank account in Baja 1. Bring your current passport, FM2 or FM3. 2. Offer proof of a valid address in Baja. You can do this by showing a copy of your Baja CFE or telephone bill. 3. Fill out the required paperwork. Once you have provided all the other official documentation, you will have to fill out standard paperwork about your address, profession, salary and type of account you desire to open. 4. Provide your initial deposit. For some banks this could be as much as $2,000 (US) or as little as $100.
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Taxes, by Vangelis Thomaidis.
You – Mexico – And Your IRA It is estimated there are 45 million IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts) in America. These 45 million IRAs hold $4 trillion even after the recent Stock Market and Banking debacles. Most Americans with IRAs do not know they can use IRA funds to purchase real estate, including foreign real estate. Yes, even Mexican real estate inside its “Restricted Zones” where the fideicomiso or Bank is used can be purchased. “Why haven’t I heard about this?” you ask. Wall Street controls 97 percent of four trillion IRA invested dollars (it was six trillion a few months ago). Its agents, Stock Brokers and Financial Planners aren’t about to educate you and lose lucrative commissions from buying and selling products to your IRA. Also, most Realtors® don’t know an IRA can buy real estate. This is painfully evidenced by the minuscule amount of Realtor® IRA held property, the very product they sell. If Wall Street isn’t going to tell you and your Realtor® isn’t going to tell you, who will? Ah, the very point of this article. Most IRAs were created by Wall Street Affiliates who will not accommodate an IRA buying real estate. You need to open a Self-Directed IRA to gain
total control. Transferring IRA funds to a SelfDirected IRA Custodian is simple and not subject to taxes or penalties, and can cost as little as $50. Note, however, there are several variants of the Self-Directed IRA and the recent Individual 401(k) that are best discussed on an individual basis. Okay, you have a Self-Directed IRA that can buy real estate. Don’t throw caution to the wind like “investors” did a few years ago; mailed hefty Earnest Money checks to Realtors® they had never met, in cities they never visited, for developments they had never seen. Due diligence is mandatory. That being said, IRA opportunities abound including Mexican real estate. With the deflation of the “Real Estate Bubble” (35 - 60 percent or greater), the timing could not be better. My preference has always been beachfront real estate. True, your IRA could snap up a San Diego or Cabo San Lucas beachfront Condo reduced from $2.5 million to $1.5 million, but how many of us have millions in our IRA? Opportunities are available at any level, come take a look for yourself.
New Taxes Regulations for Americans Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts Regulations
expatriate may be scrambling to understand
With new tax regulations going into effect for Americans living in Mexico, the typical
any tax regulation, regardless of where you
just how the changes may affect them. As with live, it can never be as easy as black and white.
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Money Tax regulations are inherently complex and the new Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts regulations are proving to be no different. But, with a basic outline of the regulations, most The basics of the regulation are pretty simple for American citizens in Mexico. If you have more than $10,000 in a foreign account, at any time throughout the year, you must account for this money and file IRS form TDF 90-22.1 each year and if you own a home in a foreign country, you have to file form 3520 and 3520A every year back to 2003. Any citizen of the United States, including single member LLC’s or anyone with signature authority or power of attorney over an account that holds more than the $10,000 minimum must file the form for tax purposes. It can get a little tricky if you happen to be in Baja, as an American, and hold signature authority or power of attorney over someone’s account in another country, such as Canada; but you must file even under these atypical circumstances. Even if you never need to exercise the power of attorney over an account, you must file under the new regulations. You also have to file even if the account fails to generate any interest or dividends. If the account held a penny more than $10,000 even for the briefest period of time, the FBAR forms are necessary. While some see the new regulations as an intrusion on Americans who live and work legally across the border, or perhaps even the equivalent of “taxation without representation” since they may be living full time in Baja and still filing tax returns with the U.S., the United States government and the IRS see it as a necessary tool to track people who use foreign accounts to hide money in avoidance of traditional taxes. If you are honest with your holdings and file according to law before the end of August deadline, there will be no real issues to worry about. However, the trouble may mount if you have more than the minimum and fail to file or under-report your earnings conflicting with the amount in the account. The civil and criminal penalties can be pricey and may be worse than simply paying any extra taxes the government may say you owe. However, if you have kept accurate records for the last five years and attach a statement explaining why you may not have filed when you needed to, the penalties
can possibly be waived. The best way to avoid any complications is to simply report all income. If you reported all income and wouldn’t have had to pay extra taxes, you can reasonably expect to file the forms without too much worry. There are now penalties for past failures to file that can get you into trouble if you do not bother to explain the oversight. Just making the effort to keep everything in check and explaining innocent oversights can really go a long way in appeasing authorities. If you truthfully disclose your foreign account holdings on your American tax return, you probably won’t owe more and therefore, will have no problems at all. But, if on your tax return, you left that question blank or declared there were no foreign accounts, your returns are inaccurate and you may very well owe more taxes and/or penalties. As with any tax regulations, the exceptions can outnumber the rules. Certain foreign financial accounts that are jointly owned, correspondent accounts or foreign accounts owned by government entities are exceptions to filing the forms. Trust beneficiaries are also exempt. To get the form, simply go to www.IRS.gov or call the IRS directly at 1-800-829-3676. If you need to find out for sure whether or not your accounts need to be listed or if disclosing your accounts may result in penalties from previous years, call the help line at 800-8002877 and select option 2. Also, for specific inquiries, send questions to FBARquestions@ irs.gov. Once you establish you need to file, complete the form and mail to the U.S. Department of Treasury. It can be a hassle to some; but it really is best to stay on top of the new regulations and try to be as accurate as possible on your returns. It can go a long way towards avoiding any extra headaches when it comes to tax time.
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Property Tax in Mexico In Mexico, the property taxes that have to be paid on a yearly basis are called predial. As compared to other parts of North America, property taxes in Mexico are low. The amount due varies significantly depending on the area where the property is located. However, the sum will always be less than 1% of the property value, which might be as low as a couple of hundreds of dollars per year. The state calculates the tax according to a simple mechanism. First of all, they assess the value of a plot and determine the general rate based on which the calculation will be made. The value of the property estimated by the government is substantially lower than the actual price that has been paid by the person who purchased the property, especially in the areas preferred by foreigners. This rate is evaluated by taking into consideration various factors: topography, urban facilities, and services available in the area. Once the rate is determined, the state will multiply it with the size of the land in meters and issue a bill with the resulting amount. The property tax is paid usually during the first months of the year. Since the predial is a local tax, the bill will be sent in the mail. Some people prefer to have the bill sent directly to their bank and have the amount withdrawn automatically from the account. Even though this might be convenient, it is a lot better to keep all the documentation related to the property tax. Those who decide to sell, trade, or mortgage the property have to show all the paid receipts. People who collect rent from their properties
in Mexico will need to pay income taxes. These are considerably higher than property taxes, and the owner is required to file tax declarations every month. Owners who rent their property for non-business purposes have to collect Value Added Tax (Impuesto Al Valor Agregado IVA) only if the property is furnished. The property tax can be paid at any of the following banks: Banamex, Bancomer, HSBC, Afirme, Banorte, Santander, Scotiabank, Banca Mifel, Ixe, Inbursa, Banjercito, Banco Azteca, Bansefi, CI. Banco, Banco del Bajío, Mi Banco (BAM), Banco Multiva, and American Express. Some banks allow online payment: Banamex, Bancomer, HSBC, Inbursa, Ixe Banco, Banco Azteca, Banca Mifel, Banjercito, American Express, Afirme, Multiva. The tax can also be paid in several local stores: Comercial Mexicana, Mega Comercial Mex., Soriana, Walmart, Chedraui, Bodega Aurrera, Superama, Sumesa, Sam’s Club, Suburbia, El Palacio de Hierro, Tiendas Extra, Circulo K, Farmacias del Ahorro. Another option is to pay the tax at a local Treasury. The Mexican government usually offers discounts for those who prefer to pay their dues at the beginning the year. This year, those who pay their taxes between 1 and 17 January receive a discount of 7%, and those who pay between 18 and 31 January receive 4% discount. Owners who do not know what they need to pay can contact The Ministry of Finance at support phone number 5588 3388 or visit http://www.finanzas.df.gob.mx (Spanish only).
Taxes and Values in a Real Estate Transaction in Mexico Contrary to what is applied in the rest of the world, Mexico has its own system regarding establishing values and taxes at the time a real estate property is transferred and this is affecting many sellers when property values are lower than before.
To eliminate the necessity of explaining the different names and terms in this article let us set the following: “FTD contract” is Fideicomiso Traslativo de Dominio contract, “ISR tax” is Capital Gain Tax, and “Notario Publico” is Contract lawyer for the purpose of this article.
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Money Taxes on bare or build land, commercial or private dwelling: 1. If a physical person sells bare land the ISR tax will be 28% of the established gain, said tax will be retained at the time of the transaction by the Notario Publico; 2. In the case of a dwelling three situations must be considered, duration of occupancy, size of the land vs the size of the constructions and immigration status. The tax will be retained by the contract lawyer. 3. Commercial properties will produce an ISR tax level in relation with the gain but the tax will not be retained by the Notario Publico, it will be included in the general accounting of the firm. Values: 1. The value at purchase. Most foreigners, if not all, pay using their own currency at the time of purchase and do not realize that the amount is indicated, as per the exchange rate on the day of the transaction at the Notario Public’s office, as local currency in the FTD contract. Thus the real paid price is in pesos and not in the currency which was used.
2. The real purchased value at selling. The value of a currency changes as the times changes thus the paid value is adjusted to reflect the actual value at the time of selling. In other words, the amount at purchase is not the same at selling thus the possibility of having to pay the ISR tax (Capital Gain Tax) even though the property is sold for a lower price than what was paid for. The Notario Publico uses a set program to establish the value and the tax to be paid taking in consideration if the seller Mexican or not, private of business, type of property, date of purchase and date of sale. At times one sells dwelling and furniture, toys and other movable items, in such cases the seller must by law set two prices, one for the movables, which does not carry any tax if they are considered furniture, and one for the real estate property. By doing this the seller will see a reduction of the ISR tax and the buyer will pay less of acquisition and property tax.
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An Energy Overview of Mexico Electricity
The Comisión Federal de Electricidad (English: Federal Electricity Commission) is the Mexican state-owned electric monopoly, widely known as CFE. It is the dominant electric company and the second most powerful stateowned company in Mexico after Pemex. The Mexican constitution states that the government is responsible for the control and development of the national electric industry, and CFE carries out this mission. CFE is not a part of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, though its transmission system in northern Baja California is part of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council; and it also has a few other interconnections across the border with United States.
Petroleum
Petróleos Mexicanos or Pemex (Spanish pronunciation: [pemeks], Mexican Petroleum), headquartered in Mexico City, is Mexico’s state-owned petroleum company. With total assets worth $415.75 billion, it is the second largest company in the world by market value (as estimated by the Financial Times in 2006). However, the majority of its shares are non-publicly listed and under control of the Mexican government. The value of its publicly
listed shares totaled $102 billion in 2010, representing approximately one quarter of the company’s total worth. Asphalt and pitch had been worked in Mexico since the time of the Aztecs. Small quantities of oil were first refined into kerosene around 1876 near Tampico. By 1917 commercial quantities of oil were being extracted and refined by subsidiaries of the British Pearson and American Doheny companies, and had attracted the attention of the Mexican government, who then claimed all mineral rights for the state as part of its Constitution. Pemex is the sole supplier of all commercial gasoline (petrol/diesel) stations in Mexico. All petrol stations, although labeled Pemex, are concessions that are strictly full-service. Pemex tried to take away the concessions from a large number of these for low-quality gasoline (often cut with up to 40% fuel oil) and for not serving the correct amount of gasoline (many serve only 9 litres for every 10 registered on the pump), however a judge ruled these were “not reasons to take away the concessions”. The grades of Pemex gasoline are “Magna” (regular unleaded 87 octane—green pump handle) and “Premium” (92 octane—red pump handle). Previously, Pemex offered a leaded gasoline called “Nova”, but this has been discontinued for environmental reasons and also due to stringent health regulations.
Pemex the Mexican Horn of Abundance The Pemex gas stations throughout Mexico are regarded as inexhaustible sources of cheap fuel. Some might say “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth”, but you have to wonder: Why is Mexican fuel cheaper than American fuel? Is the supply of Mexican fuel as inexhaustible as it seems? And, most importantly, how long is this going to last?
Historical facts Pemex or Petróleos Mexicanos is a state-owned petroleum company with a total asset worth of over $400 billion, which makes it the second largest in Latin America. Pemex emerged from the conflict between nationalist Mexican president Lázaro Cárdenas and foreign companies, which exploited Mexican oil during the 30s.
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Money The president nationalized all the resources and facilities of American and Anglo-Dutch companies. The immediate result of this bold action was that many states refused to purchase Mexican oil. In spite of this, Pemex has become a significant oil producer and turned Mexico into one of the largest oil exporters in the world. Since the 40s, Pemex has successfully supplied the domestic demand for fuel. The ability of the state to keep prices at a low level has attracted the slightly envious attention of neighboring countries.
buy fuel at a cheaper price. For the Mexican authorities, this means that Americans would benefit from subsidized prices at the expense of the Mexican taxpayer. As a result, the government has decided to put a higher price for fuel in tourist areas, especially in the towns that are closer to US. Here are the most recent prices established by Pemex for Magna (regular unleaded), Premium, and Diesel starting with June 2012 Prices in Baja
A closer look
Cheap oil is such a rare commodity because it goes against a basic commercial objective: profit maximization. However, in the case of a national oil company, political objectives get the upper hand. As a result, national oil companies, Pemex included, distinguish themselves by excessive employment, lack of investment, poor use of resources, and last, but not least, subsidized prices. This constant struggle to meet political requirements turned Pemex into a rather inefficient company, which has incurred an enormous debt over the years. While the national demand has increased, the production of Pemex has declined. To make matters worse, Pemex is seen as a source of income by the government and a large part of the revenue goes to the national budget. Investment has been directed towards the existing fields, and hardly any exploration for new fields has been made, which means that the oil reserve is constantly declining. This bleak picture is made worse by a rather poor safety record with several accidents that caused many losses in both assets and lives.
Buying fuel from Mexico
Though the price for fuel has increased slightly in the last three years, the increase does not affect the American customer too much. This happens because the dollar peso exchange rate has altered also, with the American dollar increasing in value. Any change in the price for Magna, Premium, and Diesel is always announced in advance by Pemex. Since the prices in US are higher, many Americans drive to the closest Mexican city to
Prices in California
Pesos per Liter
Dollars per Gallon
Dollars per Gallon
Magna
9.56
2.64
3.96
Premium
10.50
2.91
4.15
Diesel
9.92
2.75
4.32
Exchange Rate: 1 Mexican peso = 0.074 U.S. dollars Conversion rate: 1 U.S. Gallon= 3.78 liters Is it really so convenient to purchase fuel from Mexico rather than from US? The obvious answer is that it depends on the type of vehicle. If someone with a standard car buys 15 gallons of regular unleaded fuel from California, the average price will be around $60. If the 15 gallons are purchased from a Mexican town located near the border, there will be a saving of around $20. It is up to each person to decide whether this saving is worth the effort of crossing the border. It is not advisable to purchase fuel by jerry can, because some gas stations refuse to sale anything to these customers. Those who have a recreational vehicle will make a better bargain because it carries around 75 gallons of diesel. The $120 saving will certainly make any vacation better. Buying fuel from Mexico can get a bit tricky, mainly because of the pesos/dollar and liter/gallon conversions. The best approach is to pay directly in pesos, just to make sure that the change received is correct. Additionally, the quantity, which is given for one gallon, might differ from station to station. However, customers who feel they are being given an incorrect quantity
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide can call PROFECO, the Mexican consumer protection service (800-468-8722 - toll free).
What the future might bring Today, the need to reform Pemex is as pressing as ever. Several suggestions have been put forward by the president and his advisors. The government should improve its ability to collect taxes, so that the budget stops being so dependent on Pemex income. Another option involves a law that would make it possible to publicly trade 49% of Pemex. During the effort to make Pemex profitable, keeping prices low will probably be pushed down the list of priorities. In order to address the issue of dwindling oil reserves, the government announced that they will start exploration of a new site in the Gulf of Mexico. This area supposedly
contains up to 50 billion barrels of oil, probably one of the biggest underwater oil reserves that have not been exploited so far. Exploration is hampered by lack of funds, technology, and specialized skill. In addition, the Gulf of Mexico is extremely deep, and the weather is notoriously unpredictable. With the Calderon presidency ending, it is likely that the tough issue of Pemex reform will be left for the next administration. Since the elections are so close, nobody is truly motivated to discuss the Pemex problem. Under current circumstances, Pemex will be unable to sustain its “horn of abundance” attribute and continue giving away large quantities of fuel at a small price. It is up to the Mexican authorities to make sure that the oil company will not become a black hole of debt.
Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) is the type of diesel fuel which has very low sulfur content. ULSD is more environmentally friendly as compared with Low Sulfur Diesel fuel (LSD). Starting with 2006, ULSD has been widely available across North America and Europe. This occurred because the countries from North American and Europe adopted new emission standards which involved extensive use of ULSD. Some countries from the rest of the world took similar measures while others lagged behind. In 2004, a team of experts set up a plan which would substantially improve the quality of air in Mexico. The main recommendation of this plan was to have Mexico comply with the new emission standards already in use in many countries. Even though the Mexican environmental agency (SEMARNAT) stipulated that PEMEX should make ULSD widely available by 2009, it did not implement any new emission standards. As a result, PEMEX failed to meet the deadline, and ULSD can be purchased only in the northern
border area, Mexico City, and Guadalajara. Starting with 2007, all Diesel vehicles manufactured in US have been designed for ULSD. There has been a lot of debate over the impact of LSD on newer diesels that run on ULSD. Many experts and owners agree that LSD does not affect the performance of the vehicle. The real issue lies in the fact that a person might lose their warranty for some components in case they use LSD on a ULSD vehicle. The efforts of the Mexican government to make ULSD available have met with limited success so far. Owners of vehicles which run on ULSD can purchase the fuel in Northern Baja. Unfortunately, PEMEX gas stations located in Southern Baja sell only LSD fuel brought from the mainland. To find the stations with ULSD, look for the words “bajo azufre”, which translated means “low-sulfur“, below the word “Diesel” on the gas station signage.
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Baja Infrastructure
Mexico Finds Offshore Oil In the past decades, Pemex has seen its oil reserves shrinking rapidly. In 2006, Mexico was declared the 6th oil producer in the world. However, the production started to decline at a steady rate, and the future prospects of the oil industry were not too bright. The Mexican government can now see the light at the end of the tunnel with the discovery they made in the Gulf of Mexico, just off the coast of Tamaulipas state. Sources inside Pemex estimated that the reserve of Mexico has now increased by 350 million barrels. This finding is momentous in some other respects. This is the first deep-water location that Pemex will use for oil production. In addition, as the research continues, the entire area is expected to yield somewhere
between 4-10 billion barrels of oil. The crude oil discovered recently is also qualitatively superior to the one Pemex had so far, which means it is easier to refine and process. Despite the general excitement, Mexico still has a long way to go until the first barrel will be extracted. In fact, Pemex CEO Juan Jose Suarez Coppel said that the company will need another 6 years until production will start in the area, mostly with the help of underwater robots. The recent success is partly due to the reforms carried out inside Pemex which allowed private investment. At this point, it seems that the future of energy in Mexico relies on the deep and almost completely inaccessible waters of the Gulf of California.
Baja to Harness the Power of Wind Mexico is quickly breaking ground and moving forward to join others in the pursuit of clean energy. Wind energy is fast becoming the optimal way to produce clean and green electricity. The much anticipated Aubanel Wind Project is set to be constructed near La Rumorosa, which will put the wind farm just 15 miles south of the border and 60 miles east of San Diego. This proximity of this wind energy farm to the United States naturally means the project will eventually provide cross border energy. The sheer magnitude and potential energy-producing capability of the Aubanel Wind Project will make it one of North America’s largest wind farms. Currently, the United States, Germany and Spain are the top three producers of wind energy. Mexico could very well join the top fifteen producers thanks to the efforts of two international corporations, Cannon Power Group and Gamesa, along with the support of President Felipe Calderon. Gamesa Technology Corporation, a Spain-based corporation, and Cannon Power Group are
both internationally known for their expertise in the construction and maintenance of wind energy farms. Both companies have entered into a 10 year agreement to build and operate the Aubanel Wind Project. Before Calderon took office, there were no wind energy farms in Mexico. Recent changes in regulations have made wind energy projects in Mexico more feasible for outside companies. His administration has made incredible strides in making Mexico the most advanced country in Latin America when it comes to green energy such as wind farms. This distinction will do more than make Mexico a leader in clean energy; it will also stimulate the local economy by drawing in major investors and boosting confidence in the private sector. Ground breaking to begin the actual construction and production of energy is slated to begin any time during the next twelve months. The wind farm will encompass 140 square miles. The initial stage of the project will produce anywhere from 70 fto 100 megawatts of electricity. The power generated during this
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide phase will serve Mexican customers. Over the next three to four years, the project will be complete and produce an estimated 1,000 megawatts of electricity. With one megawatt being capable of providing electricity to 250 homes, the fully constructed wind farm will have the ability to supply approximately 250,000 homes with all of their energy needs. The second phase will allow for enough energy production to export electricity to California. Baja is noted as being the perfect site for the project as it records more wind than all of California. John Prock, Cannon Power Group spokesperson for the Baja project says, “The wind resource is exceptional for the area. Where the desert meets the mountains makes for good wind flow.” The temperature of the desert floor, cooling patterns and Pacific Ocean currents together create a vacuum of sorts which make area winds extremely consistent. He also adds that while wind is a variable resource, winds that measure 18 miles per hour at least 35% of the time are ideal. Cannon Power Group is the lead developer of the project and has over 30 wind energy projects all across the world, providing upwards of 3,000 megawatts of wind energy worldwide. They produce energy in the U.S., Switzerland, India, Spain, Croatia, Greece, Italy and Turkey. The San Diego-based company has over 30 years of experience and repeatedly sees how wind energy farms in rural communities pump up the local economy through both temporary and long-term job creation. As for economic impact on the area, Prock says, “The majority of infrastructure, maintenance, and on site work will be done by Mexican forces.” The Cannon Power Group has spent 15 years in the development and measurement phase of the Baja project. Since President Calderon and the Mexican Congress have initiated new laws encouraging the development of clean energy for Mexico, Cannon has been able to begin the permitting phase and environmental impact studies needed to get the plans up and running. Gamesa will exclusively provide all of the turbines that Cannon Power Group will use in Baja. Gamesa Technology Corporation currently employs 6,300 people in its facilities in the U.S., Europe, China and India. They will be responsible for building and assembling the
turbines for the Aubanel Wind Project. Their two manufacturing facilities in Pennsylvania are constructing the turbines that will be used in Baja. The turbines designed, constructed and maintained by Gamesa generate 18,000 megawatts of power across the world. They proudly estimate that their turbines provide clean energy to offset what would amount to 27 million tons of carbon dioxide waste per year. Gamesa is also equally proud of the effect their technology has on the local communities and economy. They have made incredible technological advances to further the capability of wind energy and also stimulate local economic growth in the process. Gamesa North America CEO Dirk Matthys says, “Gamesa is proud to be the first wind turbine manufacturer to install utility class wind turbines in Mexico and has over 200 megawatts of installed generation there to date. Each 50 megawatt wind farm brings a positive socioeconomic benefit to the region by providing clean energy and also by generating about $15 to $20 million to the local economy through the use of local companies to build new roads and supply construction materials, storage and other services. In addition, each 50 megawatt wind farm creates about 75 to 100 temporary jobs and about 15 permanent positions.” Wind energy and wind farms in Baja will do more than increase local infrastructure and create construction employment opportunities. It is estimated that wind and solar energy facilities will soon be a main source of manufacturing jobs worldwide. As the technology advances, our dependence on fossil fuels diminishes also. Wind energy is natural, clean and a free renewable resource. There simply is no waste, no drilling, no mining, and no transportation costs. Once start-up costs are covered, wind energy is simply the cheapest to maintain. The Mexican government and investors alike see the Aubanel project as a win-win for both the communities of Baja who will benefit economically and energy-wise and the U.S. which will increase its percentage of clean energy usage due to the proximity of the wind farms to the border. Wind energy in general has been used throughout history and dates back to the windmills of Babylon in 2000 BC. The
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Baja Infrastructure technology has advanced enough over the last few decades to also dispel any myths and unwarranted hesitation about its usage. The noise produced by the massive turbines conforms to noise emission codes and does not reach the levels that some fear. Wind farm turbines also help rural communities preserve
their natural landscape much more than mines or drilling sites do. There is not any waste, smog, or greenhouse gas issues to account for either. Overall, wind energy and its benefits for Baja will put the area in the forefront of the global movement toward clean energy while preserving the area’s natural beauty and appeal.
Baja goes green In a land where sunlight is the cheapest commodity, a mega solar farm may not be the most surprising project. The plan is to have a 450 megawatt facility up and running by the end of 2013. This is a joint initiative of SolFocus Inc., Grupo Musa, Synergy Technologies LLC, and Asian Pacific Development Corporation. The facility will be operated by a company created specifically for this purpose called SolMex Energy S.A. de C.V. Mexico is not new to renewable energy, having focused quite a lot on wind energy in recent years. The plant will be located in Baja California near Tecate, and it is an important step into the direction of a future powered by clean energy. The long term goal is to improve energy security while dealing with climate change. The plant’s total capacity of 450 megawatts will be distributed in 50 megawatt tranches. The construction will start in late 2012 and is expected to be completed in about a year. Once it is fully operational, the 300 acre facility should produce 120,000 megawatt hours of electricity; a real helping hand for a state that has always had problems with electricity shortages. While the advantages of the project are multifold, the solar farm comes with its own challenges. The abundant sun is not only the primary resource, but also the cause of high temperatures – a problem that will be dealt with in time. Right now, international financing corporation FINEXIM allocated $720 million for the construction of the first nine tranches. The solar plant is an excellent example of efficient collaboration between public and private. The first contributors to the project were ProMéxico and Asian Pacific Development Corporation. The role of the
Asian Pacific Development Corporation was crucial because it gathered the consortium of partners, collaborated closely with the Mexican government, and it made possible most aspects of the project, including the financing of FINEXIM.
Partners:
Grupo Musa Since 1948, Grupo Musa has been a high-profile developer in Tijuana, and it built numerous industrial parks, malls, housing, and infrastructure projects. Over the years, it developed over 250 projects, from planning to construction. Sustainability was a main feature in each of their past projects, so the new solar farm is a continuation of their previous work. Synergy Technologies, LLC The company has extensive experience in energy, with ongoing projects in southern U.S. and Latin America. The group deals with engineering, contracting, and project ownership and funding. It supports its own projects by manufacturing key technology. SolFocus Its commitment to low prices combined with high performance and extended durability enabled SolFocus to establish facilities all around the world. The systems developed by SolFocus are based on Concentrator Photovoltaic technology that is compliant with the most rigorous standards in the industry. Asian Pacific Development Corporation The portfolio of Asian Pacific Development Corporation extends in 28 countries where it helped with the creation of infrastructure estimated at 10 billion dollars. Most projects involved both the private
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Medical Doctors by Prolife.
Healthcare South of the Border Americans are worried about healthcare. There are more than 40 million without health insurance of any kind. Some still obtain insurance through their employer, but they are paying more out-of-pocket and getting less. People over 65 are eligible for Medicare. The poor can apply for Medicaid. But many middle class, hard-working citizens cannot afford to purchase everincreasingly expensive health insurance. Costs are out of control. Anyone watching the news during this presidential election year in the United States knows that health care reform is a large issue. Although the candidates running for president have plans, nothing yet has come about to help the average American. What may surprise some Americans is how far Mexico has progressed in certain areas of health care. At the current time, Mexico has a three-tier system. The first tier provides the poorest Mexicans with only limited, basic care. The second tier includes government-run, social security institutions. One of these, IMSS, or Insituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, offers health care to people not covered by the other social security agencies. Americans living in Mexico can apply for IMSS health care. The third tier is private medical care, which is flourishing right alongside the other systems. Many doctors work both for IMSS and have private practices. Of course, Americans can simply pay for private care in Mexico. They can pay out of pocket, because everything is much less expensive. An office visit with a doctor costs about $25. An overnight hospital stay is about $35. Prescription drugs cost half of what they do in the United States.
Americans can buy international or Mexican private insurance. Or, they can enroll in the IMSS health plan. Anyone living in Mexico can apply, pay the fee, and be eligible for healthcare. But is the healthcare good? The answer to that question is yes. It is especially good in very large cities like Guadalajara and Mexico City, which have tertiary care hospitals that can match anything in the United States. It is more uneven in rural areas. Small hospitals do not offer all services. If you need to be hospitalized or have surgery you may need to go to the nearest large city. If you plan on living in Mexico, you need to seriously consider your own medical and financial situation. Medicare does not pay for any services out of the United States. People in Mexico who maintain residency in the U.S. may use their Medicare, providing they can get back to the States. Medical care received in Mexico must be paid at the time, and you will not be reimbursed by Medicare. If you need emergency transport back to the United States, you might have to pay anywhere between 15,000 and 25,000 dollars for an air medical transport. You may want to consider purchasing an air evacuation policy. Transport by ambulance is less, but still expensive. If you have a serious, chronic illness, you need to think carefully about a move to Mexico. Private American insurance is not much different. If you are insured in the United States and you keep your policy active, you need to ask if treatment is covered outside of the country. Often it is not. Even if it is, you will have to pay your bills yourself if you are treated or hospitalized in Mexico. You can then try and
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Health get your insurer to reimburse you. As more Americans seek medical care in Mexico, some of the doctors and hospitals are trying to get you the best paperwork to give to your insurance carrier. But it still remains your responsibility. There are many Americans moving to Mexico who don’t have any health insurance. They may be unable to afford it, or be considered uninsurable because of preexisting conditions. For those who have moved to Mexico or spend most of their time there, joining IMSS makes sense. For somewhere between 200 and 250 dollars a year, you gain access to the IMSS care. The paperwork can be difficult, and you need an interpreter if you don’t speak Spanish. You can pay 50 to 60 dollars for someone to do the paperwork for you. You may only be able to apply during certain months of the year. You need multiple copies of documents: your current passport and immigration documentation, FM-2, or FM-3 or Immigrado status, your marriage license (if married), proof of residency (like a lease agreement, or telephone bill in your name), and a two or three passport-type photos. It is worth checking beforehand to make sure you have the right documents and enough copies. After the mountain f paperwork, you have an examination by a physician and are entered into the system. Coverage begins later, some say almost immediately, others say it takes 6 to 9 months. There are exclusions, including pre-existing conditions. Some illnesses and surgeries that are not covered the first year, are covered the second year, and more again in the third year. You can stay in the IMSS system as long as you pay the premium. If you have an emergency or a car accident, you will get medical care. Consider the example of Catherine Jones, a registered nurse and breast cancer survivor. While living in San Felipe, Mexico, she enrolled in the IMSS program between 2002 and 2006, and she considers herself very fortunate. “I had it from 2002-2006,” says Jones. “The process of getting the insurance in Mexicali was easy. Thank God that I had that insurance when I was diagnosed. I had no other insurance in the US at that time. It literally helped to save my life. The doctor at the San Felipe clinic for IMSS referred me to Mexicali to the internist to have a physical
and a mammogram. The mammogram showed probable cancer of the left breast. They referred me to an oncology surgeon. They promptly scheduled me for surgery.” Jones continues, “I am a registered nurse with many years of working in the operating room and emergency room. I was impressed with the entire processing of me from the preop room through the surgery. As it turned out I had metastatic cancer. It had already gotten into 4 of my left axillary nodes. The surgeon did a beautiful job with the surgery. I had NO complications and they were fast at getting me set up for chemo, and after the chemo, radiation.” Jones added, “I can’t say enough for the treatment I received from IMSS. It does help to understand Spanish as not all the doctors and other medical personnel speak English. It is up to us to understand and speak Spanish if we expect to live in their country and have their medical insurance, which is so reasonable, compared with the US.” The quality of care at IMSS clinics and hospitals varies by location. In some places, the doctors and nurses do not speak English, there are long waits, and hospitals are overcrowded. However, many Mexican doctors, especially those located where a lot of Americans live, do speak English. They may have done part of their medical training the United States. But you don’t get to pick your own doctor. Costs are so much lower than in the United States that many people who have IMSS often pay for private doctor visits. They use IMSS more like catastrophic insurance. In fact, 25% of Mexicans with IMSS insurance still pay outof-pocket for their medical care. One way to circumvent some of the problems with IMSS is to have your private doctor recommend you to the IMSS clinic and/or specialist that would be best for you. Americans planning to spend a lot of time in Mexico can buy international health insurance. The cost depends on age, preexisting medical conditions, and what the insurance covers. Some choose to include emergency air transportation back to the United States, and repatriation of remains should that be necessary. There is no guarantee that a hospital will accept this insurance. You may still have to pay, and submit bills for reimbursement.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide Mexico’s private system is also available to anyone needing health care in Mexico, Mexican nationals and American expatriates alike, provided you can pay for it. One option for expatriates is to buy medical insurance from a Mexican company. The premiums are lower, and once you pay a certain amount, 100% of the rest of a hospitalization is paid by the insurance company. People who choose to buy Mexican insurance say that the companies are more reasonable about what is considered a preexisting condition, and give much more personal attention. At the current time, you are required to pay about $500 for a specific illness, and then the rest is covered. Dennis and Sandi Flannigan’s experience shows how the American health system is failing people, and how the availability of Mexican private insurance influenced their decision to move to Mexico. He says, “In 2003, my wife Sandi and I were covered by Blue Cross with a number (of) pre-existing conditions that made it nearly impossible to have any type of protection or any security should some emergency arise. Our family doctor evaluated us and took every piece of information to turn into the insurance companies. If you took a health supplement, glucosamine and chondroitin supplement as a preventative for joint problems, it was listed as ‘severe arthritis.’ Preventive aspirin programs were taken to mean high blood pressure. Sandi had had one migraine headache treated at the hospital. I had a visit that also put me in the ‘High Risk’ category. All vitamins, preventative measures taken for preventive maintenance merely raise your rates.” He adds, “When our physician turned this information in, we had so many pre-exisiting (conditions) that we had to be state subsidized. Two relatively healthy adults had become extremely undesirable. By the time 4 years had elapsed in the States with no claims, our monthly premium was $1389.00 and going up every month. This was a main issue for consideration in our move to Baja. The care, affordability and quality of coverage was a main factor in our move here. My friends in the states basically cannot afford coverage. This is unnerving. When a situation arises, it can make or break a family’s living style.” Flannigan applied for private Mexican
insurance from Grupo Nacional Provincial, an insurance company with more than 100 years in the insurance business. He was evaluated by San Felipe physician Dr. Abasolo. “When we arrived, I had Dr. Abasolo give me physical which came out very positive with no preexisting conditions,” says Flannigan. “A rate for me at that time (was) about $143 a month with a company called GNP. Our business was welcome. We were treated with respect and suddenly our lives had changed with the peace of mind now afforded us.” He explains, “What happens is, you pay the first x amount of dollars and they pay 100% of everything after that. That’s really desirable. We are allowed to go to the doctors of our choice. We have found hospitals, doctors, and accommodations to be among the finest anywhere.” One difficulty with Mexican medical insurance is that you have to pay the entire year’s premium up-front. There is no monthly billing plan. Of course, premiums do go up with age, as with all private insurance. This may be too much for some people. Also, Mexican private insurance does not really cover treatment elsewhere, like in the United States. But for many like Flannigan, this is the best possible option. He says, “Now, if something happens to me, I at least have coverage. It’s good coverage. I have good doctors. They might be Mexican doctors, but they’re trained. The hospitals are clean. I’m not so sure that I haven’t had better care (in Mexico). They are not running in and out like you are just a number, like (in) the United States. So I have been really pleased with this.” He describes a recent hospitalization, which he needed to repair a hernia.” He says, “I had a herniated navel. I was diagnosed by Dr. Abasolo on Friday. I went to the hospital on Saturday and was back by actually Monday because I chose to stay an extra day. Dr. Abasolo said, ‘Would you like me to go up with you,’ and I said ‘Yes, I would.’” They went to a hospital in Mexicali. While Flannigan says the hospital was not “cushy,” it was clean and he got very good care. There are some surgeries that can be done in San Felipe, but for this procedure there was not enough time to wait for help.
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Health “They have a little extra cot so your spouse can stay with you,” he says. “It’s wonderful. The people are so nice, even if you can’t speak Spanish. I speak enough now that I am able to tell them what I need. I can communicate with them.” During Flannigan’s first hospitalization to repair an injured shoulder, the person who sold him his insurance, Theresa Corona, came to visit him. “When was the last time you spent a stay in the hospital and had your Allstate Agent visit you twice?” he asks. “During my last stay, I was visited twice by a very caring Theresa to be sure that I was okay and everything was satisfactory.” Flannigan’s experience points out some things about healthcare in Mexico that are unexpected from an American perspective. Most hospitals expect a patient’s spouse to stay with them in the room, and there is a cot and space for that. If you have someone with you who knows what to expect, together you can review your bill. You can request to have changes made in your bill if you feel you are being overcharged, and you might just get your bill lowered. And Mexican doctors make house calls. Of course, not everyone has a positive experience in the hospital or with a doctor in Mexico. The same could easily be said of hospitals and doctors in the United States. It does help to speak Spanish or have a translator with you. It also helps to be informed. There are a number of books and websites that gather information about health care in Mexico. MedToGo (www.medtogo.com) is a site built by physicians meant especially to help people get the best healthcare they can, wherever they go. It is geared for both travelers, expatriates, and so called “medical tourists” who go to Mexico specifically to get an elective surgery at low cost. Mexico Connect (www. mexconnect.com) also has information, some of which is free. “Mexico: The Trick is Living Here” author Julia Taylor offers her advice about many things including healthcare. You can read parts of her book at www.homesweet-mexico.com where you can order it if you want to read more. The situation in regard to healthcare in Mexico is changing rapidly. Medical tourism
is already on the rise. Companies are building beautiful, modern facilities to handle elective procedures, from gastric bypass surgery to hip replacements and cosmetic surgery. Even with the most up to date equipment and staff, hospitals in Mexico still cost significantly less than the United States. People are starting to go there to get their elective procedures for less money. These new hospitals are also attracting wealthy Mexicans who used to go to the United States for treatment. One group building the hospitals is Star Medica. They already have facilities in Ciudad Juárez, Aguascalientes, San Luis Potosi, Morelia, Ciudad de Mexico, Puebla, Acapulco, and Mérida. They are building in other cities, including Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, and Los Cabos. These hospitals will not just be for medical tourists. They will also be available to the people who live near them, giving Americans access to upscale and up-to-date hospitals. Mexico today is a place where an array of healthcare possibilities are available to Americans. It behooves anyone considering moving there to think about their medical needs. As helpful as the information in this article, on the websites above, or from an insurance agent might be, the most important thing of all may be to talk to Americans who actually live where you want to go. They can tell you which doctors speak English, which services have actually worked for them. There are new developments on the United States side of the border. Some insurance companies are running pilot programs to let patients get their care in Mexico, and there are some Mexican private hospitals who are accepting American health insurance. There are researchers trying to find a way to make changes in Medicare. In 2007 a conference at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, the University of Texas at Austin, took place, entitled “The Future of Health Care for U.S. Retirees in Mexico.” David C. Warner is heading research that hopefully will help the American government and insurers take a serious look at the issue. But considering that healthcare reform is such a divisive issue in the United States, it may take time. Luckily there are still many options for healthcare south of the border.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Medical Tourism in Mexico Medical tourism describes the phenomenon in which people travel abroad to obtain medical or cosmetic care. This kind of tourism has been growing considerably in recent years, a process that has been sustained by increasing globalization and easy access to information via the Internet. Just like in many other parts around the world, medical tourism has become widespread in Mexico, with most patients coming from US and Canada. The short travel time to Mexico from the rest of the North American continent enables around one million people per year to come here and take care of their health problems. Most of these people choose to come to Tijuana and other cities close to the border. Medical tourism in Mexico is so popular due to a combination of several factors. The first one is the cost of the services. According to MedicalTourism.com, the prices for various procedures in Mexico can be several times cheaper than the ones in the US. Other advantages include short distances, widespread use of English, short waiting times, mild climate, and high quality of services. Those who are concerned about the actual quality of Mexico’s medical services can look into the analysis made by the World Health Organization. This international body ranks all the member states in terms of the overall efficiency of the medical sector. According to the latest report, Mexico is on the 61st place, way in front of other medical tourism destinations, such as Panama (95), India (112), and Brazil (125). The most common treatments for which Mexican doctors are highly qualified are cosmetic surgery, dentistry, hip and knee replacement, weight loss surgery, eye surgery, orthopedic surgery, oncology, fertility treatments, spine surgery and cardiac surgery. In order to ensure that your medical trip is a success, there are some facts that need to be taken into consideration. The most decisive step is choosing the best clinic or hospital.
Instead of going for the first option available, take the time to make extensive research. Choose the facility that has solid credentials and search for realistic accounts coming from people who had the procedure done. Though the vast majority of customers are satisfied, if something goes wrong, you will hardly receive any compensation from the government. The reason why medical care is so cheap in these destinations is the lack of expensive malpractice insurance. This means that patients will have to choose wisely based on their own research. Depending on the complexity of the procedure, the patient will need a certain period to recover. If patients travel back home soon after the procedure, there might be increased health risks involved. Those who decide to stay longer after the procedure should relax as much as possible instead of going to the beach or getting involved in many activities. In the north side of Baja California, there are many medical clinics, among which Hospital Angeles in Tijuana. Hospital Angeles is located close to the San Diego Airport, and it is easily accessible for people in the western part of the US. This facility was especially created for medical tourism, so patients and their accompanying guest will not be required to leave the premises during the stay: everything is provided on location. Medical care will be offered right away, and the patient will be presented with a fixed-price package that may include accommodation for the accompanying guest as well. The list of hospitals and clinics available in Baja California is long, so many people decide to request the services of companies specialized in helping patients find the best location. These companies are able to present each individual with a list of options and valid credentials for clinics and hospitals.
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Health
How to Get Mexican Social Security and Why You Sould Currently, there are roughly one million expatriates living in Mexico. It is estimated by the year 2025 that number could rise to over five million. With that many new residents and retirees making the move across the border, plus many more vacationers, it only makes sense to receive standard or even specialized health care in Mexico rather than travel across the border for every appointment. Getting enrolled in the Mexican Social Security system for health care is not a difficult process. There is no age limit to qualify, and the annual fee ranges from $100 to $300. The affordability compared to the cost of a plan in the U.S. plus travel expenses incurred if you had to cross the border for every appointment makes the Mexican system all the more appealing. Many foreigners and travelers buy into the plan just for the coverage in case of an emergency. The process of getting Mexican Social Security starts by filling out a questionnaire and answering health questions, along with giving a health history. When you apply, you will need two photocopies of your passport and immigration documents. You can also present your FMM, FM-2 and FM-3. A copy of your marriage license and copies of any utility bills or rental agreement are accepted forms of paperwork also. You have to apply during specific times throughout the year. January, July, August and February are the months open for application into the system. Once you are accepted, you will receive an Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) card. This card means you are accepted for life as long as you pay the annual fee. Once you receive a card, you must go to an IMSS clinic where you will be assigned a doctor and also be told the time of day in which you may come in for appointments. The coverage is quite broad and certainly covers the needs of most. The system covers
primary doctor exams, preventative care, consultations, diagnostic tests, hospitalization, surgical costs, prescription medications and dental plus optical coverage at certain places. While most basic and emergency needs are met, there are pre-existing conditions that are not covered. There are also conditions that are not covered immediately. Benign breast tumors are not covered during the first six months of enrollment. The birth of a child is also not covered during the first ten months. Some pre-existing conditions that will not fall under your Mexican Social Security coverage include: cancer, malignant tumors, chronic diseases, liver disease, kidney disease, heart disease, lung disease, stroke, neurological disorders, drug or alcohol dependency, psychiatric illness, HIV/AIDS and particular traumatic or muscle injuries that still require long term treatment or care. While the lists of exclusions may seem long, it is recommended that the average traveler invest in the plan to cover unforeseen costs during vacations. Anyone staying in the country longer than one month will want to sign up. Also, most of the clinics are very limited in their understanding of English. Therefore, if you do have to go to one of the clinics for care, you should either be very comfortable with your level of Spanish or take a translator with you. When you consider the low costs and the level of care the plan can cover, it is easy to see why so many find it better to be safe than sorry when it comes to buying into the Mexican Social Security plan.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
The men of “Checkpinmt Carley” and Baja entertainer Denny Flannigan pose for a photo after the Mexican military helped Danny with transportation and fixing two blown tires. This photo first appeared in the March 2009 edition of Mexico Living magazine. Photo courtesy of Denny Flannigan.
It was among the most brutal homicides in recent memory. On a sunny Sunday afternoon last fall, two men jumped out of an SUV and set Marcial Sanchez on fire. TheNew52-year-old worker was facts show factory that not only is Mexico are approx. 75 million boomers in the U.S., engulfed in flames and burned over 70% of safer than nearly all other popular travel which represents almost 30% of the total U.S. his body. He died at a States hospital.is population, plus another 6 million north of the destinations, but hours the later United No one who saw Sanchez’s killingwith reported substantially more dangerous more U.S. in Canada. Take the example of Mexico. Thereforced have itcrime to police. than[1] Mexico. In Canada, baby boomers are being many sensational headlines published IfThey you are were to read this, would you thinkbe been lying to you. Don’t let yourself to postpone retirement, says the Conference and an kidnappings. It isthinktrue vacation to that city? twice about planning manipulated with liesaand misdirection, know about Board murders of Canada, Ottawa-based that there are drug cartels in Mexico, known Unfortunately, these are the stories filling the truth. The U.S. media are telling you lies. tank. According to their survey, 21 per cent of corruption, greatonedeal the newspapers America. Youpages may of ask, why wouldacross they do that? The police respondents overall --and and aabout third of surrounding the they drug answer simple - money. They your violence baby boomers -- are “saying havetrade. been It isn’t isjust in major cities in the want U.S. that confrontations money.spates Whyofdidviolence, cigaretteoften companies not to tell However, forced to delay retirement.” tend to occur recent attributed you their wasadults, unsafe?have Money.sparked Imagine 81 million people areas; all realized outside of ifresort and tourist eventhat in teens andproduct young The U.S. bank bail outs, places they could still to retire; that their dream retiring close Tijuana such as of Rosarito, concern. A economic top officialcrisis haswith warned parents a real estate in a warm welcomingviolent place could be a rarelyand experience crime.stillMany torising findunemployment out whetherrates theirandchildren are very market on life support, along with declining reality. What would happen if 81 million people Mexicans, as well as Americans living in carrying knives, after attacks killed 14 teens market conditions, cost of living increases, realized that what was left of their savings, real Mexico, believe that the reports of violence so far this year, including an 18-year-old medicaland insurance, etc. and left one are estate and retirement wouldmore get them over-stated, causing fear through among actor at least 28 etc., teenit has murders of history’scountry. largest demographic groups high potential their golden years?than I don’t mean on pinching travelers is necessary. throughout and dry.this sound like a country you would penny’s and coupons, but onseems a beachto resort, “The recent media trend be to Does Baby Boomers are reaching retirement age or quiet fishing village with all comforts entire want to take your teenagers or a place you link any crime or police action to thethey’ve to find their financial security has been reduced country, dreamed ofwhich all thisisyears. similar to having an would let them go for Spring Break? to a faction, or in the case of many it has Now, imagine if 81 millions people knew Probably not. But what if you knew the incident in Los Angeles reflect on the entire evaporated completely. Their golden years and they were in far more danger right now in their truth, that these stories are not anywhere in United States,” says Ron Raposa, the life’s savings all but stolen. own homes, then they would be in Baja. What international public relations Mexico and in fact, the first headline refers former The United States Census Bureau considers if 6 million Canadians, knew they could still to an event in East Los Angeles and the representative for Rosarito Beach. He adds, a baby boomer to be someone born during the get 6 months a year on the warms sands of “The coverage varies some from media second, to a trend in England? demographic Post-World War II baby boom, Baja. What impact would it have if 30% of the outlet to media outlet. But in general, the anyone planning a vacation or Of course, between 1946 and 1964. In 2011, that would U.S. population, stopped paying so much for U.S. media in recent months has presented contemplating a move weighs manyold. factors make you between 46 and 64 years There insurance, groceries, taxes, etc? when deciding where to go. Travelers want coverage of Baja California and Mexico that to feel safe. How can anyone really know270lacks perspective, balance and many times whether they will be safe in another city or accuracy.” country?
The United States is lying to you
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Health The real truth is that Baja is safer than the U.S. The reality is that any American in Baja is safer than if they were to return to the United States and any Canadian spending 6 months in Baja, greatly increase their chances of not being a Canadian crime statistic. Did you know the United States is the most crime ridden country in the world? It’s true, at least according to Nation Master, a website that produces statistics based on the CIA World Factbook along with many other sources. It has the United States ranked #1 El Numero Uno! for the TOP 82 COUNTIRES WITH THE MOST CRIMES. The United Kingdom came in at #2, Germany at #3, France at #4, followed by Russia at #5, with Canada in at #8. Italy comes in at #9, with India and it’s 3 billion people coming in at a respectable #10. Mexico doesn’t show up until #12. The most interesting fact is that the United States is almost twice the total crimes as the #2 country.
In the TOP 60 COUNTRIES WITH THE MOST CRIMES PER CAPITA the United States ranks as #8 in the world for the country with the most crimes per capita, or more simply per person. The United Kingdom comes in at #6 and Canada at #12, with France at #14 and Italy at #19. You can find Mexico coming in much further on the list at #39 in the world. Kidnapping is always a big one people want to talk about when it comes to the Mexico’s false “fear factor”, but when reviewing the TOP 38 COUNTRIES WITH THE MOST KIDNAPPING, neither the United States or Mexico make the list. The United Kingdom takes #1 with Canada taking #3, #10 is New Zealand, #11 is Japan, #12 is Switzerland, #13 is Italy, and many
others you wouldn’t expect, but all of which are more dangerous than Mexico. The United States did better on the TOP 20 COUNTRIES WITH RECENT ASSAULT VICTIMS, but still in the “Top 10” at #9 with United Kingdom at #2, Australia and New Zealand tied at #3, and Canada at #5 with France coming in at #7. Mexico did not make the list.
In the TOP 46 COUNTRIES WITH THE MOST RECENT MURDER BY FIREARMS the United States is #4 with South Africa at #1, Columbia #2 and Thailand at #3 and Mexico coming in behind the U.S. at #6. If you look at the pie chart above, it gives you a visual to show that although some countries may be listed sequentially; 3, 4, 5, the totals are not. In the case of Murder by Firearms, the United States is #4 and Mexico is #6, but the U.S. is 9.3% and Mexico is only 2.6%. For the TOP 83 COUNTRIES WITH THE MOST RECENT MURDERS, India takes this award, followed by Russia at #2, Columbia #3 and South Africa at #4, United States at
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide #5 with 8.2% and Mexico at #6 with a 6.7%. The TOP 65 COUNTRIES WITH THE MOST RECENT RAPES PER CAPITA has the United States ranking at #9, beating Australia at #3, Canada at #5, Jamaica at #6, Spain at #14, France at #15 with Mexico following the pack at #17.
just over the border to Baja and you’ll be safer than the United Kingdom, France or Italy, and most of the other places over there are cold anyways. The truth of the matter is the United States can not afford for Americans to go to Mexico, so they use negative propaganda, and exaggerated truths to scare their citizens into submission and the belief of lies, all in an effort to keep the dollar north of the border and all at the expense of those that don’t know the truth. Don’t let yourself be manipulated with lies and misdirection, know the truth.
Complete Statistics:
Of the TOP 19 COUNTRIES WITH THE MOST RECENT RAPES TOTALS, New Zealand is #1, Australia at #5, followed by United Kingdom at #6, and Canada taking #7, France at #10, Italy at #11 and the United States receiving an unlucky #13 with a 28.9%. Mexico AGAIN did not make this list. One of the most interesting statistics is the TOP 60 COUNTRIES WITH DRUG OFFENSES. In all the categories, many proud American patriots would be ashamed of the United States rankings and astonished at the lies they’re being told. But this category is the proactive countries taking a stand against drugs and making drug related arrests. This is the category I would expect to find the United States ranking the highest, proudly holding it’s head high for the 30 plus years of a successful “War on Drug” campaign. Instead, the United Kingdom comes in the closest to the hardest working anti-drug countries at #2, Canada proudly ranking #3, Switzerland at #5, Italy at #8. Mexico and it’s “war on drugs” put it at a highly respectable #12 and the United States only showcasing it’s efforts at lowly #41 of a total of 60 countries making drug arrests. They are lying to you. Mexico is safer than the United States. Mexico is safer than Canada. Why take a European vacation, when you travel
Total Crimes overall: http://www.nationmaster.com/ graph/cri_tot_cri-crime-total-crimes Crimes per capita: http://www.nationmaster.com/ graph/cri_tot_cri_percap-crime-total-crimes-percapita Most Kidnapping: http://www.nationmaster.com/ graph/cri_kid-crime-kidnappings Assualt Victims: http://www.nationmaster.com/ graph/cri_ass_vic-crime-assault-victims Murder with Firearms: http://www.nationmaster.com/ graph/cri_mur_wit_fir-crime-murders-with-firearms Most Recent Murders: http://www.nationmaster. com/graph/cri_mur-crime-murders Rape per capita: http://www.nationmaster.com/ graph/cri_rap_percap-crime-rapes-per-capita Most Rapes: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/ cri_rap_vic-crime-rape-victims Drug Offense: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/ cri_dru_off-crime-drug-offences
About Nation Master All this and more can be found at NationMaster, a statistical treasure trove with everything you never knew you wanted to know about the world’s numbers. It’s an online database of more than 500 statistical comparisons and growing fast. All statistics on this document are cited. If you are concerned about authenticity and authorship, please view the “Source:” field, found below each graph on the Nation Master website www.nationmaster.com. Or when viewing country statistics, click the “View with citations” link below the bottom of the page.
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Health
Mexican Wills A “Must” for Anyone with Assets in Mexico In general, in the United States there is a right of survivorship when a death occurs. The United States law provides for a joint will for the married couple. Many married couples have a joint Will, living trust, family trust or the like. When one partner dies under these circumstances, the “property” (all belongings, homes, land, etc.) is passed on to the designated parties with relative ease. If there is no Will or trust, the “property” must go through probate—a legal process to determine the rightful heirs. Part of that process is to publish a notice in all the surrounding areas requesting that any person who feels they are a rightful heir or have liens on the “property” come forward. If no one comes forward, the right of survivorship is implemented and the surviving spouse becomes the heir. What is the law in Mexico? There is no right of survivorship provision in Mexico. If a spouse dies, and there are no children, the court will search for heirs for the spouse’s 50 percent in the following order: parents, grandparents, siblings and cousins. If there are children, the court would rule equal percent to surviving spouse and children. If there were two sons, the two sons and the spouse would each get an equal part of the ownership. The legal process is governed by the Baja California Civil Code, so each state may have varying processes for the court. This is not a Federal issue. If there is no Will and all the heirs agree to the distribution, one can resolve the property ownership through the Notaria. If there is any conflict, it must go through the court. How it works in Mexico: Because there is no right of survivorship, each individual owner of “property” should have a Will. When a spouse dies, and a Will is in place, the transfer of property is relatively simple. The designated heirs present the Will to the Notaria and the transfer is made
with a signature. The “new” owners of land are registered with the bank and the Public Records. There are two choices if there is no Will. 1) If there is no conflict, the heirs can go directly to the Notaria for distribution of the property. 2) If there is any conflict, the heirs must go through a process similar to probate in the United States. For example: When a spouse dies, the courts will start the process of “looking” for heirs. They will first look for the children, then parents, then grandparents, then siblings and then cousins. When this search is exhausted, the court determines the rightful heirs and the surviving spouse can possibly be totally disinherited and excluded. A Will or Family Trust written in the United States, it is NOT valid in Mexico. In order to make it valid, one must have the document translated by a court approved translator (up to $20 per page) and presented to the Judge for official acceptance. This is a lengthy and costly process. If a Mexican Will is in place, this process can be avoided. Why do you need a Will if you have a fideicomiso? A fideicomiso is a legal document that allows foreigners to own property within the protected zone in Mexico. It is a renewable trust held and administrated by the bank and it designates the legal owners of the property. In the Mexican constitution it states that no foreigners may be allowed to own property in Mexico. The fideicomiso is regulated by secondary legislation as an exception, which states that under certain conditions, foreigners may own property with the implementation of a fideicomiso. For El Dorado Ranch in San Felipe there are two classifications of fideicomiso: Master Trust and Individual Fideicomiso. Both have the same rights and privileges but differ in the rules about beneficiaries. The purpose is to define the beneficiary differences and how a Will relates, not to fully explain the fideicomiso.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide The Master Trust consists of a large number of lots at El Dorado Ranch. The Master Trust is the only method of privatizing a large number of lots at the same time, in order to facilitate the transfer. The owner owns a “beneficiary interest” in the whole. Each lot is not correlated to a specific person. One cannot designate a survivor beneficiary if he is a member of the Master Trust. Every person listed on the Master Trust should have a Will in order to avoid the above process. For example, If Mary and John are married and they purchased a lot in the Master Trust with Joe and Sarah (married), who is the heir if Sarah dies? If Sarah does not have a Will, one quarter of the ownership is unclaimed. Joe, nor Mary and John, automatically get Sarah’s quarter. The court begins the process to locate Sarah’s family and rightful heir. Each of the four people in this partnership of land ownership should have a Will to avoid any conflict of rightful ownership. The Individual Fideicomiso does allow for a designated survivor beneficiary. For example, Susan and Ron are married and they are both listed on the fideicomiso. They designated their son to be the beneficiary. When either Susan or Ron (or both) die, the son will present the fideicomiso to the Notaria and the transfer will go smoothly. However, the fideicomiso only covers the land and the structures. All other possessions are not covered. If anyone in the family wants to take possession of any of the contents or vehicles, the heirs must go through the court process described above. The purpose of the Will is to avoid any possible conflict and to preserve the legal rights of the land. Even though we think that today there will be no conflict, obtaining a Will ensures it. Leased Land: Any agreements entered into before the spouse dies are still legally binding and continue as agreed. Therefore, a lease agreement signed prior to the spouse’s death will continue to the end of the lease. The same legal process as previously stated applies to the contents, vehicles and bank accounts. What a foreigner should do to be protected: A Mexican Will is a very simple process:
1. 2. 3.
Fill out the form Attorney prepares the document Signature by Notaria, you and witnesses 4. Final copy received in Spanish. You may obtain an English translation for a fee. The laws are different in Mexico. We may or may not agree with the laws here, but we must live by them. I can’t state this strongly enough: There is NO right of survivorship in Mexico.
International Funds Transfers Made Easy How do you transfer funds from your U.S. bank into your Mexico bank account? Monex, founded in 1985, is Mexico’s premier foreign exchange institution. As a state-of-the-art currency trading service, Monex has nearly 50 offices throughout Mexico and has led the way in bringing online tools and services to Mexico, better serving non-Mexican clients who live, work and invest in Mexico. Monex does not charge for opening or maintaining accounts, offers better exchange rates than banks, can structure investment accounts in pesos or other currencies and accepts non-peso denominated checks and converts them to pesos. You can do virtually all of your banking from the comfort of your own home in any country. You can receive funds from Mexico or pay bills in Mexico. The one service that is indispensable, however, is the reasonable and efficient ability to make international funds transfers. Additionally, Monex provides industryleading investments and securities advice and account management tools. Monex is universally known for personal service, indepth market knowledge and responsiveness. An employer of over 500 financial professionals, Monex has received awards from the Great Place To Work Institute as one of Mexico’s 50 Best Employers. The company has also received the Corporate Social Responsibility Award from the Mexican Philanthropy Center in recognition of their ongoing efforts on behalf of the less fortunate in Mexico. www.monex.com.mx
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Indexes Difference:
Mexico
Consumer Prices in United States are 39.58% higher than in Mexico. Consumer Prices Including Rent in United States are 54.60% higher than in Mexico. Rent x|Prices in United States are 139.49% higher than in Mexico. Restaurant Prices in United States are 50.75% higher than in Mexico. Groceries Prices in United States are 43.56% higher than in Mexico. Local Purchasing Power in United States is 114.33% higher than in Mexico. Currency in US dollars. Mexico
United States
Difference
Meal for 2, Mid-range Restaurant
$5.94
+103.82 %
$1.95
+260.92 %
Transportation One-way Ticket (local $0.54 transport) Monthly Pass
$32.77 $58.56
+78.69 %
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.95
$2.70
+38.52 %
Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff)
$0.44
$1.37
+212.49 %
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.78 $26.69
+108.83 %
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.76
+16.55 %
$0.89
Basic (Elec.,Gas, Water, Garbage)
$91.37 $208.10
+127.77 % +20.37 %
$6.69
$10.98
+64.21 %
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile
$0.31
$28.47
$39.70
+39.47 %
Internet (6 Mbps)
$35.82 $41.00
Combo Meal at McDonalds
$5.29
$6.02
+13.73 %
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.72
$3.14
+82.39 %
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62
$4.34
+65.75 %
Cappuccino (regular)
$2.91
$3.41
+17.04 %
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.92
$1.52
+65.70 %
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76
$1.26
+66.93 %
Markets Milk (regular), 1 liter
$1.05
$1.16
+10.94 %
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g)
$1.78
$2.31
+29.46 %
Eggs (12)
$1.83
$2.06
+13.05 %
Fresh Cheese (1kg)
$6.19
$9.07
+46.54 %
Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg)
$5.47
$7.13
+30.31 %
Apples (1kg)
$2.11
$3.19
+51.16 %
Oranges (1kg)
$1.29
$3.50
+171.56 %
Potato (1kg)
$1.17
$2.03
+73.12 %
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.27
$1.56
+23.11 %
Water (1.5 liter bottle) $1.02
$1.69
+65.22 %
Bottle of Wine (MidRange)
$10.04 $12.26
+22.09 %
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.08
$2.39
+120.24 %
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62
$3.41
+111.04 %
Difference
Utilities (Monthly)
Restaurants Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant
Pack of Cigarettes $2.91 (Marlboro)
United States
$0.38
+14.45 %
Sports And Leisure Fitness Club, Monthly $50.83 $40.72 Fee
-19.89 %
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour)
$12.05 $21.08
+74.94 %
Movie Ticket
$4.72
+100.87 %
$9.48
Clothing And Shoes 1 Pair of Levis 501
$51.66 $39.81
-22.94 %
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store
$55.66
$38.75
-30.39 %
1 Pair of Nike Shoes
$84.59
$72.15
-14.70 %
1 Pair of Men Leather Shoes
$68.66
$81.90
+19.29 %
Rent Per Month Apartment (1 bedroom) in City
$347.23
$891.67 +156.80 %
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside
$222.13
$697.25 +213.89 %
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City
$733.36 $1,546.43 +110.87 %
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside
$518.29 $1,225.79 +136.51 %
Salaries And Financing Median Monthly Disposable Salary (After Tax) Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentanges (%), Yearly
$829.41 $2,748.25 +231.35 %
$12.71
$5.13
-59.64 %
Data provided by Numbeo.com, Last update: September, 2011
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Things to Know About Transporting a Deceased Loved One to the U.S. Whether you are just visiting on vacation, a seasonal “snow bird” or an expatriate who has made Baja your permanent home, there are things to know and be prepared for in the event a loved one passes away while in Baja. No one likes to think about it, but you may have to go through it, if a loved one dies in Baja while you are living together or traveling on your dream vacation. Sadly, it does happen and even if you and your loved ones are in perfect health, you should know what to do if you are in Baja at the time of loss. While many expats and snow birds are retired and may have already vocalized and legalized their wishes in the event of death, others may find a tragedy like death comes unexpectedly. The grieving process can be overwhelming and paralyzing. Adding legal difficulties, and road blocks to get your loved one’s remains back to the United States, to this challenging time
only makes the grieving process all the more unbearable. Knowing what to do and what to have on hand ahead of time is in the best interest of everyone left behind. When a loved passes away in Baja, it is vital that you contact the authorities for the municipality you are in. The hospital or clinic you may be at will do this for you; however if you are at home you need to call them. The local funeral home will immediately prep and store the remains until proper transport can be arranged. The local municipal coroner will issue a Mexican death certificate. You must have this document. While they will give you several copies, you will need to go to the city hall to get an official death certificate. This can take 1 to 2 days and longer if mistakes are made. Sharon Lainas, who lost her husband while living in Baja, tells of just that happening. She says, “The only problem aside from grief
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Health was that they made a mistake on the death certificate; which I didn’t catch fast enough, making it my responsibility to get it fixed.” She says when her husband passed, the authorities needed to see an FM3 (Mexican visa) and birth certificate for her husband. You should also contact the U.S. State Department if you are a U.S. citizen or the deceased is. They can assign a representative that can clarify the law and give you the guidelines to getting your loved one across the border in a timely and smooth manner. They can also serve as a protector to help keep you from being taken advantage in your time of need. Some funeral homes may see a foreigner as easy prey especially during a time of grief and confusion. The State Department can help you find a reputable place that will not overcharge you for anything from embalming to the price of a casket. The State Department will need Next of Kin Certification. This will get the survivor on the right track to obtaining power of attorney to transport the body. It is important to remember that even though you may be in the midst of grief, or even in shock if the death is sudden, the sooner you get the ball rolling, the sooner the process will complete. It is also important to realize that the survivor is responsible for the cost. Transporting a casket with full documentation to accompany the body can cost $5000. The US Consulate General will help with all of the formalities and legalities. They will prepare a Consular report of Death of American Citizen Abroad if you are on vacation during the passing. You will still need a Mexican death certificate. You will also need evidence of U.S. citizenship of the deceased or a certificate of naturalization. The deceased person’s social security number will also make the entire process run a lot more smoothly. Next of kin looking to arrange transport should present a photo ID, their address and phone number. If the next of kin has a different last name than the deceased, a marriage certificate or other documentation indicating the reason for the different name needs to be on hand. If you are not the next of kin, they will contact them for you. Once all is in order on the Mexican side, authorities on the United States side of the border need to be waiting with an ambulance
or funeral home representative ready to meet the Mexican ambulance. They will need to see the Mexican death certificate to take the body. Several people who have been unfortunate enough to be the position of losing someone they love while in Baja all recommend an easier way to deal with the loss. Kristy Deegan says, “The main recommendation is to get the loved one cremated.” Because cremation is simply the easiest and quickest option, Kristy was able to get everything done within a week. She adds, “Mike died on Monday. I saw the coroner on Tuesday. Mike’s body (was) sent Mexicali on Wednesday and he was back on Friday.” Cremation can cost approximately $2000. Steven Forman also lost a loved in Baja and needed to reach out to the local community and authorities for help. His partner of 37 years died after an extended illness, so they were somewhat prepared for his passing while in Baja. After chemo and radiation, Steve and Mark both came to terms with his eventual passing in Baja. While paperwork was in order, Steve found the cost of cremation to be difficult. He turned to a bilingual lawyer to help him find a mortuary in Mexicali where he could afford to have his loved one cremated. Once cremated, there is a lot less legal wrangling and hoops to jump through to get the remains into the U.S. Steve says, “The mortuary director had me sign some papers, and also told me that one of the papers he was giving me allowed me to travel with Mark’s cremated remains over the border into the U.S.” If you prefer to cremate and hand transport remains, you can do so as simply as placing them in your luggage; however, keep in mind you will still need a Mexican death certificate. This can give grieving family the chance to take the deceased home to the U.S. for a service with family and still allow for them to bring the remains back to Baja if they want. While it may be a difficult process to go through, letting the people in your life know your wishes and having all proper paperwork accessible can make life a lot easier on the ones you leave behind.
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Mexican Mask.
The many faces of the Mexican cuisine It goes without saying that Mexican food sold in US and Canada is a far cry from what you may eat during a trip in Mexico. As it is the case with many other cuisines of the world, the Mexican cuisine is adapted to local tastes to attract a higher number of customers who are not ready to experience something more unusual. Traditional Mexican cuisine is based on a complex process that has been practiced for centuries: from planting, through harvesting, cooking, all the way to eating. The main ingredients are corn, beans, and chili. The farming methods include milpas – rotation farming, and chinampas – small agricultural islands in lake areas. Grinding stones and stone mortars are common utensils used for cooking. Some dishes are extremely important culturally, as they are linked with the Day of the Dead holiday. Here is a list with the most common Mexican dishes. • Ceviche – raw fish combined with lime juice and salad. • Chiles Renellos – Poblano chilies filled with cheese or meat called picadillo. • Enchiladas – tortillas coated in a sauce based on tomatoes and chili; also contains vegetables and meat (pork or chicken). • Quesadillas – tortillas stuffed with cheese; usually served with beans or salad. • Mole sauce – a kind of sauce which can contain up to 30 ingredients, depending on the recipe; served with either chicken
or turkey. • Tacos – Fried, crispy tortillas served with a variety of fillings. • Temales – corn-based dough steamed and boiled in a leaf cover; they are filled with meat, cheese, vegetables, fruits, chilies, or any other ingredient suitable for preparation. Some of these items are found on the menus of numerous restaurants in the rest of North America. As one might expect, the American version of these dishes is sometimes different from the Mexican counterpart. A notable example is the cheddar cheese, frequently used in Mexican food sold in United States, but non-existent in the Mexican traditional food. While hard-shelled tacos are common in US, this is not the case with the tacos in Mexico where the shell is soft. Many dishes or ingredients of the Mexican cuisine are entirely overlooked in restaurants in America such as whole beans, pan dulce, enchiladas and gelatin. Since there is such a significant difference between Mexican traditional dishes and the American version, a meal in any Mexican city might be surprising. For some people, an accommodation period will be required when they should choose less spicy dishes. Safe choices include quesadillas, enchiladas, tostadas, beans and rice, and tortas. Once you get accustomed to the new environment, try some more challenging specialties. The most accessible kind of Mexican food falls into the wide category of street cuisine. Its popularity stems from accessibility and low price. Most commonly, street vendors sell tacos, tortillas,
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Baja Cuisine quesadillas, tamales, abulon, camotes, and various drinks such as aguas frescas (combination of fruits, cereals or seeds), tejuino (based on fermented corn) and tepache (based on pineapple). Though some people express sanitary concerns, this does not deter others from turning into regular street food consumers. At the other end of the spectrum lies the highclass, traditional, sometimes fusion cuisine prepared by western-educated chefs and served in world-famous restaurants. In such cases, the act of cooking turns into the art of cooking, bringing with it a worldview and a lifestyle. Two of the main representatives of this trend, Solange and Benito Molina, owners of Restaurant Manzanilla in Ensenada, share with the world much more than food. The menu is a fusion between Mexican and Mediterranean cuisines, with a special focus on seafood and high quality wine from the Guadalupe Valley. In Solange’s own words, “If you start cooking, life will be better”, especially when you use fresh and organic ingredients produced locally.
At the other end of the Baja Peninsula in San Jose del Cabo, Chef Margarita C. de Salinas introduces customers into the “slow food” dining, as opposed to fast food dining. Preparation takes longer than usual, but the whole point is to allow people to have a taste of the lifestyle on the slow lane through Mexican cuisine. After decades of international recognition, in 2010, UNESCO included the Traditional Mexican Cuisine on the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO describes the Mexican cuisine as “…a comprehensive cultural model comprising farming, ritual practices, age-old skills, culinary techniques and ancestral community customs and manners”. Recently, the Mexican cuisine has received the prestigious International Star Diamond Award offered by the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences. With this distinction, Mexico reinforced its commitment to providing the best gastronomic experience possible.
Brews in Baja The beer industry in Mexico is famous worldwide. However, as we will see below, it is based on a business model which is not always beneficial to the consumer or to the small home-based producer. So what is the story behind the cool beer anyone can enjoy during the sunny days of Baja? To give an answer to this question, we must first meet with the biggest breweries in Mexico: Grupo Modelo and Cuauhtémoc-Moctezuma Brewery. Grupo Modelo was founded in 1925, and it has since become the main beer producer in Mexico. It controls over 60 percent of the market, and it is the sixth largest brewery in the world. The group recently hit the news when Anheuser-Busch InBev, who already owned a non-controlling 50% stake in the company, announced on June 29 that they will purchase the remaining 50% for $20.1 billion USD. Anheuser-Busch InBev expressed interest in the other half of Grupo Modelo ever since 2008 when the potential expansion to North America and overseas was extremely attractive. The group currently produces 13 brands
out of which the most common are Corona, Pacífico, Victoria, Estrella and León. Corona has the highest number of consumers in Mexico, and it is the most purchased imported beer in United States. The main brand is called Corona Extra, and it is sold in various bottle sizes, from 8.5 fl. oz. to 40.5 fl. oz. It comes in draught or canned version as well. The second Corona brand is Corona Light: 12 fl. oz. with 99 calories and 3.7% alcohol. Pacifico was initially produced in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, and its variety was expanded in 2008. In Mazatlán, the beer is sold in three different bottle sizes: 6 fl. oz, 12 fl. oz., and 32 fl. oz. Victoria was originally distributed by Compañía Toluca y México. In 1935, Compañía Toluca y México was purchased by Grupo Modelo. Today, the beer is sold mostly in 11 fl. oz. and 31.8 fl. oz bottles. While Modelo controls around 60 percent of the market, most of the remaining 40% is taken up by the second big Mexican brewery - Cuauhtémoc-Moctezuma Brewery. It was founded in 1890 by José Calderón Muguerza in the city of Monterrey. The history of the
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide brewery was heavily influenced by politics, and it culminated with the assassination of the two Garza Sada brothers who owned the company in the 70s. In 2010, Heineken International announced they will buy CuauhtémocMoctezuma Brewery. Today, the company has facilities in Monterrey, Tecate, Navojoa, Guadalajara, Toluca, Orizaba and Chihuahua since 2012. The production is specialized in a series of pale and dark lagers. The brands are: Carta Blanca, Sol, Indio, Bohemia, Dos Equis, Tecate, Moctezuma, Noche Buena, Sito de Kaiser, Casta, and Superior. Tecate has first been produced in Baja California in 1943 by a local brewery. In 1955, the brewery was purchased by CuauhtémocMoctezuma. Since 1992, the light version is available for consumption. This malty and refreshing beer has 4.5% alcohol. Dos Equis will be linked forever with the famous “The Most Interesting Man in the World” advertising campaign. The name Dos Equis signifies in English “two Xs”, and it was chosen to commemorate the turn of the 20th century. Today, the beer is sold in two varieties: Dos Equis XX Special Lager and Dos Equis XX Amber. In Mexico, Grupo Modelo and CuauhtémocMoctezuma Brewery take the lion’s share of the market. This creates a monopolistic situation in which microbreweries find it hard become successful. The monopoly over the beer market has a negative impact not only on the microbreweries, but also on the consumer. Monopoly discourages competition and hampers the emergence of better and cheaper products. On the producers’ side, the monopoly is no less damaging. Microbreweries complain that restaurants are not interested in selling their products because they already have struck mutually beneficial deals with the big breweries. Small producers sometimes have no choice but to purchase ingredients and bottles from abroad, which increases the final price of the beer, thus reducing their competitiveness on the market. Against all odds, in recent years there has been an increase in the consumption of craft beer. This kind of beer has managed to attract
the attention and appreciation of people who would like to spend more money to experience a new taste. Artisan beers are based on barley, wheat, oats, rye and sometimes on corn. Additional ingredients include “yerba santa” – a Mexican herb, amaranth, citrus, and cinnamon. Today there are around 80 producers out of which 30 are registered officially, while the rest make beer on a small scale. Here are some of the most popular microbreweries in Baja California. Cerveceria Kudos - Tijuana This Tijuana brewery finds inspiration in the German tradition and uses a Belgian technique in its brewing process. Currently, they produce beer in 12 different styles: Hefeweizen, Quadrupel, Saison, Brown Porter, Belgian Strong Ale, Strawberry Wheat, Oatmeal Stout, Dunkelweizen, Mild Brown, IIPA, IPA, and Dry Stout. Cerveceria Insurgente - Mexicali The name Cerveceria Insurgente is translated into English as Brewery of Rebels. This name depicts the owners’ “rebellion” against the lack of savor of mainstream bear. Here are the beers of Cerveceria Insurgente: Tiniebla (wheat, pilsner malt, orange peel, coriander), Insurgente Brown (malt backbone and caramel), La Lupulosa (five different styles of hops), Nocturna (chocolate, coffee, and roasted barley). Big Bad Brewery – Mexicali This Mexicali microbrewery combines regular flavors with more unusual ones with the purpose of producing a really distinctive artisan beer. They specialize in the following products: Brown Ale, Strong Ale, BBBIPA, Strawberry Fields Blonde Ale, Hefeweizen, BigBad Stout and Hunny Blonde Ale. Baja Brewing Company - San Jose del Cabo The motto under which the Baja Brewing Company works is “No additives, preservatives or adjuncts! We test on humans!” Since 2007, the brewery had enough time to test and try their 7 kinds of beers: Cabotella, Baja Blond,
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Baja Cuisine Baja Razz, Baja Black, Baja Red, Baja Stout, and Draft Beer. The brewery distributes a part of the beer through its three restaurants: one located right next to the brewery, the second one on Cabovillas Rooftop, and the third one in Cabo Marina.
(blonde ale), Honey (amber ale), La Migra (imperial stout), Runaway (IPA), Lowrider (double rye), Green Card (barley wine), Tequila (barrel aged ale), La Migra Winter (imperial stout), Baja Buggy (Kolsch style), and Imperio (red ale).
Mexicali Brewing Company - Mexicali since 1923 This old brewery of Baja was founded by Miguel Gonzalez and Heracio Ochoa with the help of a German brewmaster Adolfo Bindher. As opposed to beer coming from giant factories, Cerveza Mexicali is handcrafted by the current brewmaster Oswaldo Armenta. Oswaldo created several beers for the Mexicali Brewing Company: Mexicali Light, Mexicali Dark, Red Pig Mexican Ale, Rio Bravo Lager, Rio Bravo Dark, and Chili Beer.
Old Mission Brewery – Ensenada This establishment is a successful combination between a microbrewery and a restaurant. The menu of the restaurant is based on wood-fired pizza, burgers, sandwiches, salads, pastas, and other specialties. The brewery produces the following kinds of beer: Cervezas de Sabores, Light House, Old Mission Weat, Baja Brown, Noche Roja Red Ale, Copper Canyon Ale, Wood Fire Stout, Dos Pablos IPA, and Red Agave IPA. The best moment to get accustomed with most of these artisan beers is during the Annual Tijuana Beer Fest. It usually takes place in July every year when it attracts microbreweries from around Baja. The beer does not come alone, but together with plenty of food and live music.
Cucapa Brewery – Mexicali Founders of Cucapá Brewery found their inspiration in the history of the native tribe of Baja California called Cucapá. Their beer list includes: Obscura (American brown ale), Chupacabras (American pale ale), Clasica
John Pack enjoys his favorite beverage in Vizcaino, during the Baja Walk. By Rachel Pack.
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Eating Tacos in Baja In Baja California, tacos are widely available in street stands, market stalls, or restaurants. Out of these three options, the street stands are the best option for any person looking to get the best taco as quickly as possible. The preparation of tacos uses various fillings, such as pork, beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables, and cheese. The filling is garnished with salsa, avocado, guacamole, cilantro, onions, lime, lettuce, and tomatoes. The most common kinds of tacos are Tacos de Carne Asada, Tacos al Pastor, Tacos Dorados, Tacos de Pescado, and Tacos de Camarones. Tacos de Carne Asada (grilled meat tacos) - the main ingredient is the carne asada (thin beef meat) that is diced and placed on the tortilla together with guacamole, salsa, onions, and cilantro. Tacos al Pastor (shepherd style tacos) - this kind of taco is prepared with pork that is grilled on a vertical rotisserie. The meat is served with cilantro and onion. Tacos Dorados (golden tacos) - the recipe uses pre-cooked shredded chicken or beef that is put in tortillas. The tortillas are then fried in oil until they become crispy. They are served along sauce, lettuce and tomatoes. Tacos de Pescado (fish tacos) - they are based on grilled or fried fish combined with
lettuce, cabbage, sour cream - everything placed on a tortilla. This version of taco originates from Baja California. Tacos de Camarones (shrimp tacos) - the preparation is similar with fish tacos, but the fish is replaced with shrimp. The size of the taco varies significantly across Mexico, but in Baja California it measures around six inches. The taste of the taco depends considerably on the tortilla that can be made of either flour or corn. Street food in Baja California is famous for its deliciousness, but there may be some risk involved. People who have a high standard for hygiene or are prone to bowel problems should pick their taqueria carefully. Watch as the tacos get cooked and check out the overall cleanliness of the utensils and equipment. The shorter the menu, the easier it will be for the staff to keep everything clean. Make sure the cooking oil is clear and that the meat smells properly. Pick the taqueria that attracts a big crowd and stay away from the ones located next to busy streets with lots of traffic. With these easy tips in mind, anyone can enjoy tacos in Baja California with minimum risk. After all, street food is one of the most popular attractions of Mexico, an attraction nobody should miss.
The Mexican Margarita The margarita is a Mexican cocktail made with tequila, an orange-flavored liqueur, and lime or lemon juice, and often served with salt on the glass rim. According to Wikipedia, it’s the most common tequila-based cocktail in the United States, and first-hand knowledge tells me it is also equally as popular in Baja. The most common margarita is served shaken over ice, or blended with ice, and sometimes the addition of fruit. Although no one can say for sure when the Margarita was created, there are a few stories that circulate and depending on whom you ask, they’ll stick to that story. The most popular of these stories is Baja homegrown,
at Hussong’s Cantina in Ensenada, Mexico, by bartender Don Carlos Orozco in October 1941. Apparently, Don Carlos was trying to create new drinks when Margarita Henkel, the daughter of a German ambassador came into the cantina. Don Carlos offered the drink to Margarita, and named it after her. The story doesn’t say whether she liked it or not, but we’ll assume she did. His recipe is still one of the most popular with equal parts tequila, orange liqueur, and lime, served over ice in a salt-rimmed glass. Another story of Margaritas origins in Baja actual take place a few years earlier than Hussong’s tale, invented a few years earlier
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Baja Cuisine north of Rosarito Beach by Carlos “Danny” Herrera, a mixologist serving tequila and cerveza at the Rancho La Gloria hotel for a former Ziegfeld dancer named Marjorie King. This story was told by Herrera and confirmed by bartender Albert Hernandez, who is responsible for popularizing the Margarita in San Diego after 1947, at the La Plaza restaurant in La Jolla. Another common tale begins in the United States in the great state of Texas, at the legendary Balinese Room in Galveston in 1948, when bartender Santos Cruz created his Margarita for singer Peggy (Margaret) Lee, an American jazz and popular music singer at the time. He supposedly named it after the Spanish version of her name, Margarita. Another explanation and possibly the easiest to swallow is that the Margarita is merely a popular American drink, called the Daisy, remade with tequila instead of brandy, or gin. The daisy was a precursor to another popular cocktail around the end of World War I, the sidecar, which is made with cognac, orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier or another triple sec), and lemon juice, sound familiar? It was during Prohibition as people drifted over the border for alcohol that the margarita becomes especially popular, possibly when Mexican bartenders started mixing the popular gringo daisies and sidecars with tequila. In 1936, before any of the other Margarita myths, an Iowa newspaper editor James Graham found and wrote about such a cocktail in Tijuana. Could it be that Orozco, Herrara, and Cruz simply created the “Tequila Daisy”?
Making a Margarita Here are a few of our favorite margarita recipes to help make living the Baja Good Life, that much easier. The first thing concocting the perfect margarita is to throw away any premade margarita mix you purchased, or even worse, any Sprite, 7UP, or anything other than the following ingredients: • Tequila • Controy – There is also Cointreau, a French Orange Liqueur that costs $35 a bottle in the States. Controy is a Mexican Orange Liqueur that costs only $150 pesos in Baja, and since we are making a margarita, we like to
go with Mexican products. • Mexican limes • Salt • Agave Nectar – (optional) simply replace the Controy when you want to go allnatural, and keep it in the agave family. Start with some good tequila, doesn’t have to be the expensive kind, those tequilas are not meant to be mixed, but rather sipped, and savored. We prefer a nice mid-priced Reposado [repo’saðo], which means “rested” and is aged a minimum of two months. Many people prefer Blanco tequila, which mean “white”, the choice and preference is yours, experimenting can be fun. Here is a perfect margarita as mixed by a good friend and margarita aficionado “John Mas Margaritas”:
Perfect Margarita • 1.5 parts tequila • 1 part Controy • 1 half lime squeezed (to taste) • 2 Lime wedges (other half of lime) Pour your salt into a small dish. Rub the rim of your preferred glass; Old Fashion, coupe, martini, or whatever suits your fancy, with one lime wedge and dip into the salt. Combine tequila, Controy/Agave Nectar, in a cocktail shaker, squeeze in the half lime, fill with ice, and shake. Strain into prepared glass and garnish with remaining lime wedge. A couple of twists on the common:
Margaberry Start by smashing (which mean “muddle” in bar speak) 2-3 blackberries in the bottom of the glass with your Controy/Agave Nectar until the juices are mixed. Then follow the Perfect Margarita recipe.
Margapeño Muddle 2-3 sliced jalapeño in the bottom of the glass with your Controy/Agave Nectar until the slices begin to fall apart. Reduce the slices and remove seeds for a less spicy version. Then follow the Perfect Margarita recipe.
Marbiscus Steep 1 hibiscus tea bag or 1tsp. dried hibiscus flowers in 4 oz. for 10 minutes. Discard the tea bag and gently pour the hibiscus tea over the completed Perfect Margarita, forming a red layer on top.
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Santo Tomas Winery, Ensenada. During the BGL Club Wine Tour 2011, by Rachel Pack.
The Vineyards of Baja Winemaking in Mexico dates back to the 16th century when the Spaniards arrived in this part of the continent. This long history turns Mexico into the oldest wine producing area of the Americas. The total surface of land that is used for growing vineyards in Mexico has been estimated to around 6,200 acres. This land is distributed in three separate areas: La Laguna area (Coahuila and Durango), the central area (Zacatecas, Aguascalientes and QuerĂŠtaro), and Baja California (Guadalupe, San Vincente, and Santo Tomas Valleys). Wineries from Baja California produce both red and white wines. Red wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Mission, Zinfandel Grenache, and Ruby Cabernet. In terms of white wines, Baja offers Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Semillon Palomino, Malaga, and Saint Emilion. Today, around 90% of the complete wine
production comes from Baja California, Ensenada. At the same time, the wines produced here have gained worldwide recognition during numerous prestigious competitions. However, what makes Ensenada such an excellent place for wine growing? The most obvious answer to this question is its unique climate. Even though Baja California is characterized by a rather semi-desert climate, Ensenada distinguishes itself with its Mediterranean weather created mainly by a cold marine current. The warm summers and winters create optimal conditions for the cultivation of some of the best wine grapes in the world. As a result, many wineries in the region rely considerably on exportation. If Baja produces the best wines in Mexico, then Guadalupe Valley comes with the best wines in Baja. The valley is located northeast of Ensenada, and it
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Baja Cuisine is riddled with many wineries, each of them aiming at becoming the best in this highly competitive industry. The excitement of winery owners combines itself with the curiosity of tourists and the passion of wine connoisseurs. The history of the valley goes back to the 19th century when Felix Caballero, one of the Spanish missionaries, founded a mission called “Nuestra Seúora de Guadalupe”. The mission was abandoned by Felix Caballero around 1840 due to the constant adversity coming from the indigenous people. Even at that time, winemaking was extremely important for the community, and several small wineries run by missionaries came into existence. However, this would change once the Mexican government decided to remove the territories from the jurisdiction of the Catholic Church. This made missionaries abandon their wineries, and the establishments fell into oblivion. The first significant initiative related to wine production in Guadalupe Valley would come in 1888 when the Mexican government decided to sell several pieces of land to a private company. This company started, for the first time in history, to focus on the large-scale production of wine. The interest in wine production was further enhanced once a group of Russian immigrants arrived in the valley. They immediately noticed the enormous potential of winemaking and started to grow vineyards. The “Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe” mission has been reduced to mere ruins by the passage of time. Near-by, there is a small museum exhibiting photos and artifacts, which reconstruct the beautiful and tumultuous past of Guadalupe Valley. However, what attracts an increasing number of visitors, are the wineries themselves that organize tours and wine tasting sessions. Even though the competition is fierce, here are four of the most appreciated wineries in Baja.
Bodegas de Santo Tomas The establishment came into existence in 1888, which means that this is the oldest winery of Baja. In spite of its age, Bodegas Santo Tomas operates in a modern and beautifully furnished facility. Based on a process known only to them, Bodegas de Santo Tomas creates 26 different types of wines. On the premises, there is a room dedicated to wine tasting. The winery is presented in detail on the website http://www.santo-tomas.com/, Spanish only.
Adobe Guadalupe This winery follows the tradition set by the Russian immigrants who settled here at the beginning of the 20th century. The vineyard belonging to Adobe Guadalupe covers a surface of 60 acres, and the grapes are used to produce various types of wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Nebbiolo, and many others. To learn more about what Adobe Guadalupe has to offer, visit their website http:// www.adobeguadalupe.com.
Cavas Valmar The history of Cavas Valmar goes back to 1919 when Frenchman Federico Valentin came here and created a ranch. He initially produced wine for his own consumption, but this was enough to inspire his sons Hector and Gontran Valentin. Today, Cavas Valmar makes around 2500 cases of wine per year based on grapes coming from several valleys in Baja. To read about the excellent wines belonging to Cavas Valmar, access their website http://www. vinosvalmar.com.
L.A. Cetto With around 80 years of experience behind, L.A. Cetto won around 250 international prizes for their outstanding wines. As a result, most of the wine is exported to over 25 countries. The boutique displays the collection of wines and an assortment of delicacies. Visitors can learn more about this outstanding place by booking a tour. The official website http://www.lacetto.com/ is available only in Spanish. As a whole, the wine route in Baja California is diverse and full of attractions. Wine connoisseurs, but not only, will feel overwhelmed by the outstanding diversity of wines. Even though the communities are small, there are various accommodation options available for those who plan to spend more than a day here: hotels, Bed & Breakfast, inns, and even campsites. There are many wine boutiques wines, museums, galleries, spas and restaurants. As economic problems afflict many regions of the world, the wine valleys of Baja seems to thrive, and new wineries are constantly being created. The most unexpected achievement of Baja wineries is that the collectively contributed to the creation of a new image for Mexico. More precisely, the deep tradition founded on tequila and beer is gradually being replaced by the fine art of winemaking.
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Whale watching in Baja is an experience of a lifetime. Photo by Ryan Harvey.
Whales of Baja - A Protected National Treasure of Baja California The beauty and majesty of Baja California is lost on no one. However, the landscape and beaches are not the only places to experience all the wonder this unique little corner of the world holds. The seas and the creatures they are home to are just as awe-inspiring and alluring as the land itself. The most powerful and majestic creatures you can witness and even interact with in the seas of Baja are the whales. People travel from all across the globe to Baja just to see the variety and splendor of the oceans largest mammals as they mate, play, and nurse their young in the warm waters. Thanks to efforts put in place over the last few decades, there are many whales to see in the warm coastal waters. The whales have been protected legally since 1946 and certain distinct lagoons have been classified as protected bio-reserves to ensure many more years of protection. Less than one hundred years ago, the whale population appeared to be doomed due to careless commercial fishing practices. The waters of Baja were not a safe haven from over fishing. These practices were so common place over the time period of 1840 to 1940 that there were only a few thousands of the huge docile animals left on Earth. Thankfully, the populations have replenished and protections in place have worked to help
the whales prosper as they once did. In fact, Baja is now considered to be home to the healthiest population of blue whales on earth. Many species can be witnessed in the warm Pacific waters including: blue whales, pilot whales, fin back whales, gray whales, humpback whales, sperm whales and orcas (killer whales). One of the most popular and breathtaking whale watching experiences to be had in Baja is the migration and birthing practices of the gray whales. From January until March, the gray whales enter the warm waters after traveling from the Alaskan Bering Sea. The mothers all give birth to calves in the early spring. The moms and calves are so docile and comfortable in these waters they often will interact, play and splash boats filled with spectators. The frolicking is a sight that leaves everyone amazed at how moms and calves express their love and devotion and playful side in such a relatable way. It is not unheard of to actually be able to touch the whales as they roll around in the shallow waters. Witnessing the nursing practices is a one of a kind chance that you simply can’t experience anywhere else in the world, as Baja is their largest birthing ground. Because of its importance as a world habitat and safe haven for whales, whale watching
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Baja Wildlife in Baja is a highly regulated and extremely popular practice. In fact, you must have a whale watching permit to be near the whales during calving season. In order to approach the whales, you must be with an expert guide. Tours are plentiful and fairly inexpensive. It is advisable to narrow down a location and make reservations as soon as you can. Tours abide by specific guidelines and local boaters must follow some common sense rules. For example, all crafts in the presence of whales must slow down and approach from the side. Disturbing the whale’s normal behavior is against regulations. Disrupting their sleep or splitting up groups is not advisable. It is also against the guidelines to chase or box in whales for a closer look. While some may permit a
touch or splash spectators, you cannot dive with the whales. There are three major lagoons where many tours and boaters can take visitors to see the whales as close as possible. Laguna Oje de Liebre is a lagoon to visit with charter tours from San Diego and Tijuana. Another spot, Bahia Magdacena, is close to La Paz and Loreto. Laguna San Ignacio is the best nursing spot for the gray whales. All are protected by the government. With a few simple precautions and respect for the natural habitat, whale watching in the most tranquil and protected waters of Baja can be the most awe-inspiring and memorable experience anyone can have.
Endemic Species of Baja California The diversity of plant species in Baja California is divided in three areas: the California Region, the Sonoran Desert and the Cape Region. The vegetation in the California Region is a continuation of the flora in the north. The landscape is dominated by the chaparral and conifer trees. The Sonoran Desert is extremely arid, but this did not deter the formation of incredibly diverse vegetation, including giant cacti, the elephant tree, the catclaw acacia, and many others. The Cape Region contains the Sierra de la Laguna dry forest that is characterized by a combination of deciduous trees and evergreen vegetation. Baja California is rich in both marine and terrestrial fauna. Terrestrial animals are heavily influenced by the harsh climate, so most of them have unique adaptive abilities. The waters around Baja California are rich in marine mammals: the sea lions, elephant seals, grey whales, and sea turtles. There is a wide variety of birds, including herons, cormorants, ospreys, and gulls. Read on to find out more about some endemic species of Baja California. The Belding’s Yellowthroat has its breeding habitat in freshwater marshes and lagoons.
Belding’s Yellowthroat (Geothlypis beldingi).
In the cattails, it builds a nest where it lays from 2 to 4 eggs, most frequently 3. It prefers to feed on insects and invertebrates found in vegetation. The main difference between the male and the female is that the latter does not have the black mask. The Belding’s Yellowtail has reached an endangered status mainly due to the destruction of its habitat. Today they exist only near San Jose de Cabo and Todos Santos. The Cardón cactus is the tallest species of cactus in the world, and its name comes from the Spanish word “cardo” which means “thistle”. It represents a significant part of the landscape on the whole Baja California Peninsula. The Cardón has an average height of 10 meters and it can live for hundreds of years. The cacti are indispensable for the ecosystem because they contribute to the stabilization of the land and they represent a key source of nutrition for desert animals during the dry
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Belding’s Yellowthroat (Geothlypis beldingi).
season. The Boojum tree starts by growing like an inverted carrot, but during maturity, it splits into several stems. This tree is commonly found in the north side of Baja California, and it gets less and less frequent near the border of Baja California Sur. Over its 300 year long life, the Boojum can reach heights or up to 50 feet. After each rain, it produces green, rounded leaves, and in the summer, it grows clusters of yellow flowers at the tip of each stem. The Peninsular Pronghorn is the most endangered sub-species of Antilocapra Americana, with around 150 individuals left in the wild. This animal is particularly speedy, being able to run at 40-60 mph for around an hour. Their bodies are perfectly adapted to high speeds, with an enlarged heart and lungs. The main reasons why the Peninsular Pronghorn is so endangered are livestock fencing, human development, and droughts. Currently, there are conservation efforts taking place in Baja
Peninsular Pronghorn.
Boojum tree (Fouquieria columnaris), taken at the Baja California Peninsula, Cataviña region, Mexico.
California Sur in El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve. The Vaquita Marina (vaquita – little cow in Spanish) has the status of the most endangered cetacean in the world. This is an extremely rare species of porpoise with a population that counts around 200 animals. It lives in shallow lagoons near the shoreline, and it feeds on small fish and squids. The vaquita has been brought on the brink of extinction by gillnets that attempt to catch other species. Today there are many efforts to protect it, including through the North American Conservation Action Plan (NACAP). The beauty of Baja California lies in its natural diversity. Much of this diversity has been sacrificed for the sake of unsustainable tourism. Fortunately, there are many nonprofit groups running various conservation programs meant to safeguard this diversity. The success of these programs will be left to judge by future generations whose destiny depends on the decisions we make today.
Vaquita Marina.
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Baja Wildlife
Baja Jellyfish The warm waters off the soft sandy beaches of Baja are as inviting as any shore around the world. It may impossible for anyone to not be lured into the waters off Baja. While it may look like paradise on earth, there are dangers lurking in the blue-green waters, mostly off shore but sometimes right along the surf. The danger comes in the form or a transparent, flowing, and uniquely odd-looking creature call the jellyfish. Jellyfish can be almost hypnotic in the way they float and dangle in the waters. Some can very small in size from a few inches long while others can reach three feet in diameter. The tentacles of jellyfish can be three times longer than the size of their bodies. This is where the danger lies. The tentacles of jellyfish have protein based venom that can cause quite a reaction when they sting and release the venom into human skin. Even more dangerous, the nematocysts, or tentacles, can sometimes be left in the skin causing the sting to be even more painful. The best way to avoid finding out just how bad your reaction may be to a jellyfish sting is to avoid them altogether. They are usually found at eye level when you snorkel just below the surface. It is never a good idea to handle jellyfish. Even when washed up on shore, which they do in groups sometimes, it is wise to leave them alone. Unfortunately, because of their colorless bodies, it can be easy to not notice you are swimming right into one or stepping on one onshore. If you are stung by a jellyfish, the sting will cause pain. Itching is also a common reaction. Remember to use caution after the sting as the tentacle may be still in your skin. If you are helping another sting victim, try to wear gloves to avoid getting stung yourself. Because your reaction can not be predicted, it is advisable to get medical help as soon as possible. Luckily, most lifeguards have all of the supplies on hand to treat jellyfish stings. There are things you can do to ease the pain and minimize your reaction if you are not able to seek immediate medical care. You should immediately rinse the site with hot water, as
Found at Cantu Cove, San Felipe BC, by Christine Wood.
hot as you can stand it to be. You can also use salt water. Carefully remove any tentacles to minimize the toxins released into your skin. Vinegar is best for reducing the immediate pain and for disinfecting. You will want to take a pain reliever also. As for the old myth of urinating on the site, it is not a recommended course of action. While anecdotally it may provide temporary pain relief, it is still not the best route. While the pain may last one to two days, consider yourself lucky if this is the extent of your reaction. Anaphylaxis is the most severe reaction that can occur. If you get stung or are with someone who has been stung for the first time, keep a watchful eye for shortness of breath, wheezing, tight throat, hives, flushed skin, weakness or dizziness. It is important for visitors and locals to be aware that different types of jellyfish have different levels of toxicity; therefore a sting by one kind can result in a dramatically different reaction than the sting of another. Avoidance of jellyfish or admiration from afar can make your snorkeling or swimming trip into the waters of Baja a much more pleasant experience.
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Coyote Coyotes are animals to be respected and admired in their natural habitat. It is also best to admire them from afar. As human sprawl continues to invade more and more remote areas of Baja and Central America, coyote sightings are, and will continue to be, more frequent. We are simply encroaching on their territory and venturing into lands they have always wandered through. It is important to understand the behavior of coyotes and to familiarize yourself with their habits if you are going to be venturing into the desert, grasslands or mountains of Baja and the southwestern states of the U.S. Coyotes are members of the canine family and closely resemble small wolves. They can be a mix of colors such as white, gray, brown or rust-colored. Some have a white tip at the end of their bushy tails, and their tails will appear straight out if they are trying to show aggression. The males outweigh the female coyotes. On average, desert coyotes weigh about 20 pounds and mountain coyotes can weigh up to 50 pounds. It is important to know that while there are places they are more likely to inhabit, coyotes can live anywhere. Coyotes are significantly more active at night, dusk and dawn rather than during full daylight hours,and since they have few predators, they remain at the top of the food chain in most habitats. They primarily live on a diet of small mammals, fruits and some plant life, but they prefer to eat rodents, rabbits, squirrels, ringtails, kit foxes, bobcats, armadillos, opossums, skunks and lizards. Coyotes tend to hunt and live in packs, and they have advanced pack hunting strategies. Livestock is an easy target for coyotes, and two adult coyotes can carry out a deadly attack on a large deer. However, if they are after relatively small prey, they will hunt alone. Coyotes are also very intelligent and adaptable animals which is exactly why they are becoming a more frequent sight in suburban and developed areas. They have the ability to change their breeding habits, social structure and diet to survive almost anywhere and under almost any amount of stress. They are stealth-
Coyote, by Dave Anderson.
like in movement and can dodge out of sight quickly. They also communicate with each other. Their nighttime howl is meant to pinpoint locals between packs. They will yelp loudly as a form of playful interaction. If they bark, this is meant as a threat or a way of protecting a fresh kill from other hungry animals. If you frequently hear or see coyotes, it is important to know how to deter them from getting closer to you, your property, and your animals. Animal water dishes and swimming pools may lure them to your property. They also have a very keen sense of smell and are attracted to the scent and presence of fallen fruit. Avocados, berries and grapes laying around will attract them. Birdseed left out will also attract them. You can easily keep them at bay with a fence measuring six feet high. Automated lights and recorded voices can also scare them away at night. Moth balls scattered around the perimeter of your land is also an easy way to keep coyotes away. If you find yourself in the sights of a coyote, it is vital that you do not turn your back. You must appear and sound aggressive. Make as much noise as possible and throw rocks and sticks to frighten them before they can get any closer. You also need to pay close attention to your pets. Keep them within sight or on a short leash if there have been coyotes in the area. With a few common sense tips and staying alert to the activity of coyotes in your area, both humans and coyotes can peacefully coexist. Just as with most wild animals, they want to avoid us as much as we want to avoid them.
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Baja Wildlife
Snakes Snakes, like most people, know Baja is a great place to be and they certainly have no reason to leave. With these serpents still roaming the land, they are bound to cross paths with us at certain times. Luckily in most cases, an actual snake bite almost never results in serious harm or death. In fact, in the United States over 45,000 people are bit each year. Only 8,000 of those bites are poisonous and only 9 to 15 of those cause death. Despite the low chance of ever being bit or dying from a bite, the thought does strike fear in the hearts of even the toughest traveler or Baja resident. It is lucky for us humans that the old adage— they are more afraid us than we are of them— proves to be true. However, even with several facts dispelling fears about being bit by a snake in Baja, there is still the chance. Therefore, it is important to be aware of what snakes are in the area and how to stay away from them. Rattlesnakes are known to be across the peninsula. They are distinctive because of their built-in warning system—the rattle. This hard noisy formation on the end of their bodies is meant to warn you enough in advance so you have plenty opportunity to stay away. The Baja California rattlesnake can grow to 30–31 inches long and traditionally has brown coloring with black markings. They can also be grayish brown and have a cream color on their underbelly. They usually hide in rock piles, brush or trash heaps. They enjoy eating rodents and lizards. While they are venomous, they do have the ability to regulate the amount of venom released when they strike. The amount they release depends on whether they are striking for defense or hunting. The king snake is a colorful snake found in Baja. It has red, black, and white cross bands like a coral snake does. They can reach a length of 48 inches and typically like to stay in the woods, under logs and bark. They are also excellent climbers. They eat lizards, snakes, birds, bird eggs and even small mammals. The shovel-nosed snake has a distinctive look. It has a flattened snout, hence the name shovel-nosed. It can be whitish or yellow in
Kingsnakes are commonly kept as pets, due to their ease of care; they are overall hardy and simple to care for.
color with cross bands that are dark brown or black. The cross bands may also be reddish orange. They are a bit smaller, only growing to about 15 inches. They have smooth scales and can strike repeatedly. Luckily, their venom is not very dangerous. They live in the dunes and stick to either sand or rocky hillsides. They eat insects and scorpions. There are many common sense ways to avoid being bitten by any of these snakes and the many other snake species that live in Baja. Use caution anytime you are reaching into an area where snakes may be, especially while hiking or climbing. It is best to probe areas with a stick before sticking your hand into or under logs or rock ledges. Wearing sturdy or leather shoes will help protect you when you are out in the wild. Ranchers even wear thick leather leggings when they are working where snakes are plentiful. Pay attention to your surroundings. Rattlesnakes warn you enough so you can slowly back away from them. Keep in mind they can strike up to three-quarters of their body length. If you are unfortunate enough to get bit, do not panic. Staying physically and mentally calm will keep the cardiovascular system from speeding up. Try to remember distinctive markings or be able to identify the type of snake. Look at the bite mark to help determine if it may be venomous or not. If it is non-poisonous, there will be no fang punctures, only small shallow marks. If it is a venomous bite, you may see one or two large punctures with smaller teeth marks also. Let the bite bleed out for 20 to 30 seconds before covering. Wash with betadine or soap and water when you can. Apply pressure and keep
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide the bite close to heart level. You want to apply adequate pressure but do not cut off blood supply to the area either. Do not cut open the area around the bite, as this has been shown to damage surrounding tissue making the bite worse. Do not suck out the venom either. This is no longer seen as helpful. Remove any items that may constrict the body when inevitable swelling occurs, such as rings, bracelets and shoes. Do not use ice packs on the bite. Calmly seek medical attention as soon as possible in order to receive potentially life-saving antivenin treatments. The best way to avoid ever being in a situation where you are in need of treatment is to respect and be aware of your surroundings
in the natural world. If you are careful to not disturb or get too close to a snake, it too will avoid you at all cost. (Crotalus oreganus helleri) The Southern Pacific rattlesnake is found coastally in Southern California and Baja, but reaches inland into the desert in certain areas. Males, as with most snakes, have longer tails than females. Southern Pacifics have been know to aggressively defend themselves but, as with most snakes, will choose to flee if they have a route of escape. Color variations occur. This snake can cause great tissue damage. They can live several decades. Length: 16 to 64 inches long. Photo courtesy of Martin Feldner
Scorpions After nearly 400 million years, scorpions still awaken from their winter hibernation to creep around seeking prey during the warm nights in the Baja region. While these creatures typically aspire to pounce on insects, spiders or other scorpions, they are encroaching more and more on humans. Or, we may be encroaching on their habitat. Regardless of how you look at it, the encounters are usually unwanted by both parties. Scorpions have a distinctive body, namely due to their long pincers and unique tails. The tail of a scorpion is divided into five segments, with a stinger off of the last segment. Scorpions are fluorescent under ultraviolet light. With a small black light outside, it can be very easy to locate scorpions either in their natural habitat or around the house. There are two kinds of scorpions found in Baja—the bark scorpion and the striped tail scorpion. The striped tail scorpion is venomous, but not considered dangerous. A striped tail scorpion sting can cause the same affects of a bee or wasp sting. There may be some localized swelling and burning that will generally subside within 30 minutes. Some people may be allergic to the sting and have a more severe reaction. The striped tail scorpion is a burrowing scorpion and can be found under rocks and
Christine Wood and Scorpion at Cantu Cover, by Raine Fisher.
in sand. This kind typically grows to be around two inches in length and has dark colored ridges on the underside of its body. Because it does burrow, it can sometimes be found in sleeping bags and in shoes. The bark scorpion has longer pincers and a longer tail than the other varieties. It has a yellow-colored body and can grow to three inches long. The bark scorpion is the only kind that does not burrow. It is a climber. They can climb fences, stucco walls and trees. You can find them living under the bark of palm and other trees. They are also the only scorpion
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Baja Wildlife variety that will congregate with other kinds of scorpions. The sting of a bark scorpion can be more severe than the sting of others, especially for children and the elderly. The sting may result in severe pain, numbness of the site, frothing at the mouth, respiratory distress, twitching or convulsions. You should seek medical attention if you think you have been stung by a bark scorpion. There are a few basic steps you can take to avoid scorpion encounters or stings: • Try to seal any cracks around the house, such as loose doors or windows. Scorpions only need 1/16 of an inch to get through a crack. • It is also advisable to remove piles of bricks
or wood farther away from the house. Standing water or trash may also attract them. • If you leave any shoes or clothing outdoors, such as wet towels, always shake them out to remove any hiding scorpions. • One other tip is to use yellow lights outside. Regular outdoor lights attract insects, which, in turn, attract scorpions. • General knowledge of the scorpion and basic tips to avoid a sting can help keep the summer nights carefree and safe. While stings can be irritating and rarely dangerous, antivenins work well and can prevent any lingering effects of a scorpion encounter.
The Baja Windscorpion With a reputation nobody can envy, the windscorpion is an insect spread across most arid places in the world, including Baja California. It is known under several other names: sunscorpion, windspider, sunspider, camelspider, and even deer killer or camel killer. The rumors related to the viciousness of the windscorpion go back to the 2003 Iraq war. These rumors painted the picture of a huge insect that ran faster than humans. It was extremely poisonous, with venom that could knock out a camel. It became infamous for its voracious appetite, able to eat chunks of big animals or even people. The wind scorpion is often referred to as a “spider”, but in fact it belongs to a different order of animals called solifugae. It does not exceed human speed, though it can run up to 10 mph. It has huge chelicerae (mouthparts) that it uses to rip the prey apart. Luckily, windscorpion prefers termites, beetles, or any other local insects. It might occasionally eat small snakes, lizards, birds, or rodents, but the menu does never include human flesh or your pet.
The Windscorpions are a nasty looking critter, but they are not poisonous.
The most common misconception that damages the already tarnished reputation of the windscorpion is that it is poisonous. Fortunately, this is not the case, though the insect uses digestive fluids that liquefy the flesh of the prey. There is an exception to this rule, but fortunately, this kind of poisonous windscorpion is located at a safe distance in India. So, this critter might not be easy on the eye, but it does not constitute a threat to human life or to the pets living around your household. However, stay away from those huge chelicerae because they are able to cause a rather painful bite.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
The Bad Bugs of Baja Summer brings with it a host of spiders, insects, and bugs, which are generally regarded as unwanted visitors in our homes and yards. Actually, less than 2 percent of insects are harmful; but that small percent should be taken seriously. Whether they are spreading disease or causing us pain, it is good to remind ourselves about these unwanted visitors and what we can do to protect our homes and families. The Black Widow Spider is considered the most venomous spider in North America. Only the female is dangerous to humans. However, her venom is 15 times more toxic than an equal amount of rattlesnake venom! If it was not for this potent venom, the black widow would be considered a welcome guest as she preys on cockroaches, earwigs and crickets. The adult female may reach over an inch in length and is identified by her shiny black and bulbous abdomen with its famous hourglass design. In the summer, after mating (and possibly making a meal of the male!) the female will begin constructing egg sacs, each containing up to 250 eggs. There’s no reason to panic if bitten by a black widow, since often she will not even inject venom into the bite. According to statistics, death from a black widow bite is extremely unlikely. It is best to wash the wound well with soap and water to prevent infection. The very young or old should see a doctor. Otherwise, if muscle cramps, spasms or severe pain develops, there is medical treatment available to care for these symptoms. Black widow spider antivenin is available but seldom necessary. Another unwelcome guest in the Northern Baja area is the Baja Recluse (Brown Recluse) Spider. These spiders have six (rather than the typical eight) eyes, arranged in a horseshoe pattern in three clusters of two eyes each. They are known for their necrotic bite, which means their venom contains a potent tissue-destroying agent. A true brown recluse bite may cause chills, fever, nausea, muscle pain and flu-like symptoms along with blisters. These become open sores which take up to 45 days to heal.
Black Widow Spider, by Paul Sapiano (Flickr), via Wikimedia Commons.
If they become infected it can create serious complications and severe scarring. Oftentimes minor skin irritations are mistaken for spider bites. Remember, even in homes where brown recluses have been found, seldom have the occupants experienced a bite. Many bites will cause just a little red mark that heals without event, and 90 percent of brown recluse bites heal without severe scarring. Sometime this summer you will probably hear that familiar hum of a Mosquito. There are approximately 2,700 species of these pests and they use keen chemical, visual and heat sensors to locate their prey (that would be you!). They are attracted to heat, light, perspiration, body odor, lactic acid and carbon dioxide. Only female mosquitoes bite. She sticks a very sharp, thin proboscis into your skin and sucks your blood into her abdomen. Her saliva has an agent that prevents your blood from clotting, and this saliva makes your body’s immune system respond by creating a “wheal” or swollen bump around the bitten area. Swelling soon departs leaving an itch that remains until your immune cells break down her saliva’s proteins. To treat mosquito bites, wash the area with soap and water. Avoid scratching the area. Antiitch medicines such as Calamine or Cortisone creams will relieve the itching. You probably don’t need to seek medical attention (unless you feel dizzy or nauseated, which indicates an allergic reaction). It is reassuring to know that the HIV virus cannot survive in a mosquito and, therefore, cannot be transmitted by mosquitoes. However, mosquitoes do carry other serious
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Baja Wildlife diseases. One of these is dengue fever, which has no vaccine available and has symptoms of headache, fever, exhaustion, joint and muscle pain. In September of 2008, the Sonoran newspaper El Imparcial reported that, at that time for the 2008 year, there had been 23 confirmed cases of dengue fever in the state of Sonora. However, all 23 people had been restored to good health. Summer is a great time to enjoy the outdoors. Those long days of summer may find us in an entertaining mood. But with some forethought, we can make sure that we do not invite these unloved and unwelcome guests into our lives!
• Keep window screens tightly in place. • Seal doors with weather stripping. • Vacuum and mop your home often. • Keep all clothing and other “clutter” off the floor. • Always check shoes and gloves before putting them on. • Remove spider webs and egg sacs. • Always be alert . . . • Use appropriate pest control and/or pesticides as directed. • Use mosquito repellant (it is recommended that it contains DEET).
GENERAL SAFETY MEASURES TO DISCOURAGE ALL UNWELCOME GUESTS: • Keep all debris and trash cleaned up outdoors. • Keep grass and shrubs trimmed or cut short. • Stack wood far from your home. • Do not have standing water on your property. • Use gloves when doing yard work. • Be careful when picking up any objects that have been sitting for awhile. • Do not bring items from outdoors inside without thoroughly cleaning them first. • Check your home for cracks and crevices and seal them when found.
Source Information & Additional information: www.calpoison.org www.desertusa.com http://ag.arizona.edu/urbanipm/pest_ press/2006/november.pdf http://spiders.ucr.edu/avoidbites.html http://spiders.ucr.edu/recluseid.html http://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/ mosquito5.htm http://www.medicinenet.com/dengue_ fever/article.htm h t t p : / / w w w. i p m . u c d a v i s . e d u / P M G / PESTNOTES/pn74110.html http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/insects/ az1223/#ARIZONABARKSCORPION
Return of the Condor I have been visiting Northern Baja’s Sierra de San Pedro Mártir for 20 years, hiking and car camping among its dramatic canyons and magnificent open pine forests. The usual approach to the mountains is from the west, turning off Highway One near San Telmo, about 175 miles south of San Diego. Thanks to a newly completed paved road, what used to be a dusty, bone shaking, 60-mile ordeal is now a relatively painless winding ascent through the chaparralcovered foothills up into the pine trees. Most of the old growth pine forest, which has never known widespread logging or fire
A California Condor at the Condor Ridge exhibit of the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Photo by Chuck Szmurlo.
suppression, is protected within Baja’s first national park. Founded in 1947, it ranges over 250 square miles. Mexico’s National Observatory, at the end of the paved road, stands on the edge of a vast canyon dropping
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide 9,000 feet to the desert below. Conditions are near perfect for astronomical observation with clear, still, night time skies free of light and atmospheric pollution. Across the canyon from the observatory is Picacho del Diablo (or Cerro de la Encantada) at 10,154 feet, the highest point in Baja California. The often snow-clad Sierra San Pedro Mártir rises from its desert and chaparral surrounds, as a “sky island” with many endemic species of plants and animals. The seldom visited park is a treasure for scientists, campers and backpackers alike. The wilderness experience is unrivaled. There are no Yosemite-like lines or crowds, or vandalizing bears. No hunting, fishing or motorcycles are permitted. Towering white firs, Jeffrey pines, and sugar pines top the higher ridges. Before the completion of the paved road, I have several times driven into the park and driven out days later without seeing anyone, except maybe the park ranger collecting the entrance fee, about US$4 a day depending on the exchange rate. An annual pass is also available, which covers entry to all Mexico’s national parks for less than $30. In the summer of 2009, escaping the heat below, my wife, Bonni, and I spent a week hiking with our two dogs across the plateau, looking out across the canyons hoping to spot one of several California condors that have been released into these mountains. We saw and photographed all kinds of birds, insects and other wildlife . . . but no condors. Driving back down to the west on a beautiful warm sunny day, we stopped at an overlook to walk the dogs, enjoy the silence, and take a few final pictures of the magnificent view. And before we left our truck, we looked out to see five condors perched on a little ridge just 40 or 50 yards away! The stats for North America’s largest flying bird are well known and impressive: wingspan over 9 feet, weighing up to 25 pounds, capable of soaring at 50 mph and roaming over 150 miles a day. But knowing all that hardly prepares you for seeing these giant beautifully ugly carrion feeders close up. We wound down the windows and reached for our cameras. The condors seemed indifferent to our presence. Each had clearly visible identification numbers and VHF/GPS
radio transmitters attached to their wings. After fifteen minutes, they finally launched themselves into the air and circled above us, flashing their white underwings, and sounding like gliders. When condors were first reported in the accounts of European explorers, the range of the “California condor,” which had once included much of North America, had (thanks to the extinction of the sloths, saber-tooth tigers, mastodons, camels, etc., on which they fed) shrunk to just the west coast from British Columbia to Baja California. European colonization of the West Coast accelerated the decline. The last reliable sighting in Mexico was in the San Pedro Mártir in 1937. And even in their last bastion in California, the species seemed to be heading for extinction. In 1987, a controversial decision was made to bring the remaining 22 individuals into captivity and initiate a captive breeding program. Thanks to the unprecedented investment and to the dedication of staff at the San Diego Zoo, the Los Angeles Zoo and other agencies, the program was successful. Captive bred condors were released back into the wild in California in 1992, and in Arizona in 1996. In 2002 six condors were brought to the San Pedro Mártir. The Baja site was chosen because it was a pristine, protected area of the condor’s former range that could serve as a link between the U.S. populations. By July 2009, the total California condor population was 356, which included 180 birds released to or born in the wild. Sixteen were in the Sierra San Pedro Mártir. Three more were released there in September 2009. The condor recovery program aims to introduce up to eight condors each year in Baja California until a calculated carrying capacity of 20 mating pairs is reached. If you are planning on camping in the Sierra San Pedro Mártir be aware that nights can be bitterly cold, even in the summer, and in July and August dramatic midday thunderstorms are a frequent occurrence.
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Fishing & Boating
Gone Fishing in Baja Think ‘Fishing’ and Baja immediately comes to mind. You just can’t help it, the seas of Baja are positively teeming with fishes. Fishing in Baja has become such a popular activity, that it seems it’s a crime to spend a vacation there without even attempting to go fishing. Baja is lucky to be situated between two abundant bodies of water: the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. Mexicans have enjoyed the benefits of the vast Pacific Ocean, as it is brimming with sea creatures from every kind and shape. Not to be outdone by the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Cortez is said to be the most biologically diverse water form on Earth. With oceans and seas such as these, no wonder fishing has become a major source of livelihood for Mexicans living in Baja. Aside from being a source of living, fishing in Baja has become a sport. Many tourists have come to Baja for the sole purpose of getting out their fishing reels and getting that perfect catch. Some approach it in a more competitive manner, others see it as more of a hobby. The Baja seas are ready for either type of fishermen. If anyone would say that fishing is boring, then they obviously hadn’t tried fishing in Baja yet. Because the fishes at the Sea of Cortez are so diverse, you’ll never know what you’re actually catching. The fish range from marlin, tuna, snapper, swordfish and dorados. They are enormous fishes too. The yellowtail tuna could weigh up to 1,000 lbs. In terms of fishing, this has really reached the extreme. This is the main reason tourists can’t get enough of fishing in Baja. What seems to start out as a laid-back fishing expedition could turn into an exciting ride as you try to reel in that thousand-pound tuna. It is never predictable, and is highly exhilarating. Vacationers in Baja can engage in different types of fishing. For a more experiential activity, tourists engage in spearfishing. This is perhaps the most exciting form of fishing, since you would have to go diving to actually get the catch of the day. Imagine diving into the ocean depths, and waiting for that sea bass to
By John from San DIego.
pass by. When it does, you react with lightning quickness as you spear the fish and bring it up to the surface. Primal? Yes. Exhilarating? Most definitely. Spearfishing is one of the more visceral experiences of fishing in Baja, as you can get up close with the fishes of the sea. If you are more interested in the more traditional way of fishing, then you can rent a boat and go out into the open sea at the crack of dawn. You could go deep or shallow fishing, and you can get equally satisfying catches. If you are out for some shallow water fishing, you can expect to catch the following fishes: Spotted Bay Bass, Barracuda, Sierra, Leopard Grouper, Triggerfish and the Yellowtail. If you are deep water fishing, you’ll be expected to catch the following: Black Skipjack, Dorado, Yellowfin Tuna, Sailfish and the Snapper. There are other fishes, but these are the most common catches. The more popular municipalities in Baja that are perfect for fishing are Mulege, Loreto, La Paz, East Cape and Los Cabos. The seas in these areas are perfect for fishing, since they are teeming with fish and other kinds of sea creatures. Baja is a definite fisherman’s paradise. Not only are the fishes diverse, they are also plentiful. When you fish in Baja, you will find out that, indeed, there are many other fish in the sea.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Mexican Fishing Licenses Fishing permits are now available online from the Baja California Secretary of Tourism If you will be fishing on a boat in Mexico, fishing licenses will be needed for passengers on board. As of January 2008, only fishing permits are required, boat permits are no longer required. Fishing licenses may be obtained in one of four ways: • Filling out the online application from the Baja California Secretary of Tourism at www.discoverbajacalifornia.com • Visiting the CONAPESCA office in San Diego or by mailing in your application and money order • Some local tackle shops • State tourism offices in Baja: Tijuana, Rosarito, Ensenada, San Felipe, San Quintín
About the Secretary of Tourism’s Online Application The online application from Baja’s Secretary of Tourism allows you to purchase and print a fishing permit 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The website is also has helpful fishing information including a fishing calendar, list of launching ramps, FAQs and a forum to post questions. Online fishing license pricing: • One day: $136.51 pesos - at a 12.50 exchange rate (as of 10/18/10) = $10.92 dollars • One week: $284.66 pesos - at a 12.50 exchange rate (as of 10/18/10) = $22.77 dollars • One month: $407.96 pesos - at a 12.50 exchange rate (as of 10/18/10) = $32.64 dollars • One year: $531.36 pesos - at a 12.50 exchange rate (as of 10/18/10) = $42.51 dollars • Keep in mind your credit card may have a currency conversion fee since this is an international transaction Accepted forms of payment: Mastercard. Prices subject to change.
Visa,
Contact: Email: assistance@baja.gob.mx Phone: 011-52 (664) 973-0424 www.bestbajafishing.org
About CONAPESCA The only CONAPESCA (Comisión Nacional de Acuacultura y Pesca) office in the U.S. is located in San Diego. They will issue licenses by mail if you do not live in the San Diego area. Visit CONAPESCA’s website: http://www. conapescasandiego.com/ Mail the application in to them with your money order or cashiers’ check, a selfaddressed stamped envelope and they will send you your documents by mail. They recommend using certified mail for both envelopes. CONAPESCA fishing license pricing: • One day: $12.40 • One week: $25.80 • One month: $37.00 • One year: $48.20 • Excursion license: $67.00 Accepted forms of payment: only money orders or cashiers’ checks in the correct amount and made out to Oficina de Pesca. Prices subject to change. Contact: Oficina de Pesca 2550 Fifth Avenue Suite 15 San Diego, CA 92103 Phone: 619-233-4324 Fax: 619-233-0344 www.conapescasandiego.org Hours: Monday - Friday 8am - 2pm
Fisherman’s Landing - San Diego Tackle Shop If you are driving through or live in San Diego, the Fisherman’s Landing located in Shelter Island makes it convenient to obtain a fishing license in a matter of minutes. They offer the added convenience of being open seven days a week and have customer friendly business hours. If you are an avid fisherman, you will be impressed with their selection of tackle and their friendly staff as well.
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Fishing & Boating Fisherman’s Landing 2838 Garrison Street San Diego, CA 92106 Phone: 619-221-8506 Fax: 619-222-0799 www.saltwatertackle.com Hours: Winter 7am - 6pm; Summer 7am - 11pm Seven days a week Fisherman’s Landing fishing license prices: • One day: $20 • One week: $39 • One year: $64 Accepted forms of payment: cash, personal checks, major credit cards. Prices subject to change.
About Getting a Fishing Permit at a Baja State Tourism Office Accepted forms of payment: cash
aboard the boat, regardless of age and whether fishing or not. A fishing license is not required when fishing from land. • Only one rod or line with hook is permitted in the water, per person, but there is no restriction regarding the number of replacement items. • A fishing license allows to capture only fin fish. It does not allow to capture any mollusks or crustaceans, and their capture by anyone is strictly prohibited. Totuava, turtles and marine mammals are under protection of the Ministry and may not be captured at any time. • To capture bottom fish, up to four hooks on a vertical line may be used. • The use of electric reels is restricted to disabled fisherman only, after written authorization from the Ministry before use.
Bag and Possession Limits
Addresses of the state tourism offices: Tijuana Via de la Juventud No. 8800-2523 Plaza Viva Tijuana Phone: 011-52 (664) 973-0424 Rosarito Blvd. Benito Juarez No. 907, Ste 29 Centro Comercial Oceana Phone: 011-52 (661) 612-5222 Ensenada Blvd. Lázaro Cárdenas and Calle Las Rocas 1477 Phone: 011-52 (646) 172-5444 San Felipe Mar de Cortés Av. and Manzanillo 300 Phone: 011-52 (686) 577-1865 San Quintín Carretera Transpeninsular Km. 178.3 Col. Santa Fe Phone: 011-52 (616) 165-3645
• In ocean waters and estuaries the limit is a total of ten fish per day, with no more than 5 catches of a single species, except of the species of marlin, sailfish, swordfish and shark of which only one specimen of either is allowed and which counts as five toward the overall 10 fish limit, or dorado, roosterfish, shad or tarpon, of which only two samples of this group are allowed, and which count as five toward the overall 10 fish limit. • Limit on inland bodies of water (rivers, lakes, dams, etc.) is five fish per day, whether of a single species or in combination. • Underwater fishing is limited to five fish per day, using rubber band or spring type harpoons, and only while skindiving. • There is no limit to the practice of “catch and release” as long as the fish that exceed the bag limit be returned to their environment in good survival condition. • Where sportfishing is conducted from boats out at sea for longer that three days, the bag limit will be the equivalent of three times the amounts mentioned above.
Mexican Sportfishing Regulations from Oficina de Pesca San Diego
Violations
• When operating a boat that carries fishing equipment in Mexican waters, it is necessary to hold a valid fishing license for everybody
• It is illegal to capture and maintain alive any fish for ornamental purposes. • It is prohibited to receive any financial
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide gain from the product obtained through sportfishing. • It is prohibited to dump trash, litter or substances that harm the aquatic flora or fauna, whether on lakes, river banks, shores or oceanic waters. • It is prohibited to collect shells, corals, sea anemones and snails, or to disturb the original ecosystem environment. • It is prohibited to practice sportfishing 250 meters or less from swimmers. • It is prohibited to use artificial lighting to attract large quantities of fish.
• It is prohibited to discharge firearms in Mexican waters. • Fish caught under a sportfishing license may not be filleted aboard the vessel from which it was caught. • It is requested that all unusual activities, occurrences or record catches to be reported to the nearest Oficina de Pesca, or to its representation in San Diego, CA., in order to ensure the preservation of natural resources for the continued enjoyment of all fisherman.
Quick Start Guide to Deep-Sea Fishing in Baja Any chance to fish is exciting and can be great fun, but for many freshwater anglers, a chance to go offshore and do some real deepsea fishing is the opportunity of a lifetime. The sun, the waves and the humongous fish— what’s not to like? Before you can head out, however, you need to know what you are doing, so this guide will explain how to fish in the ocean. First off, preparation. If you are like 90 percent of people, if you go out on the ocean without sunscreen, you will soon resemble a hard-boiled lobster, so sun protection is vital. If the sun is out, it will also likely be very hot, so bring plenty of liquids to avoid dehydration and dress appropriately. Take safety precautions: Have enough life preservers on your boat for everyone, make sure that someone knows you are gone and will report you missing if you do not come back, and also be sure to take a working radio. Moreover, of course, make sure that you have a valid fishing license and a copy of the current fishing regulations. Being caught with an illegal fish will result in heavy fines and most likely a loss of fishing privileges. Okay, that is out of the way. Now what? You need to make sure that you bring the correct bait and gear, or you won’t be catching
anything. Don’t bother bringing your freshwater fishing rod—you need a saltwater rig with a beefy reel and some quality fishing line. Select an appropriate hook, and make some choices about bait. Do you want to use live or artificial? I recommend live, as it is often more effective. The preferred method is to use cut squid bait purchased from a store; go out with that, and use it to catch baitfish, which you can then turn around and use to catch the big fish that you are really after. If you do this, you will need a boat that is equipped with a bait well or some other container with salt water in it to hold these baitfish in. When you are actually fishing, be ready for a whole lot of reeling. Depths of 200 feet or more are not uncommon, depending on your location, and some find that electric reels are a good choice. In addition, on deep-sea fish, you often do not need to set the hook. You will feel some preliminary nibbles on your line, and then a powerful strike that will set the hook for you. If you pull up too early, you lose the fish. The last thing to have on your boat is a Fish Finder or other sonar rig. These incredible devices will tell you where the fish are with astounding accuracy, and are fantastic time savers. Don’t leave home without one!
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Fishing & Boating
Loreto Marina by John Pack.
Baja Boating Most boat enthusiasts are unaware how easy it is to travel with a boat to Northwest Mexico. Not by boat, but with boat! Yes, I mean hitching your favorite floating friend to your truck or SUV and hauling it across the Mexican border to the beautiful Sea of Cortez. Crossing the border with a boat is not as difficult as one may think. In fact, quite the opposite is true; it’s a relatively simple task. To all those gringos who imagine they will lose their boat, wreck their boat or encounter foul play if they cross the border and sail on the Sea of Cortez, we outlined the skinny on how to cross the border with the boat and what to do with it once you arrive in Mexico. Checklist for a boat to cross the border: Current boat registration • Title to the trailer • Owner’s passport (passport required as of June 9, 2009) When arriving at the border, stay in the same lanes as any other vehicle. If you see the Green Light at the border, that means keep going nice and slow.
If you receive the Red Light, there is room to pull over and they may ask you to pull the cover off the boat, show the boat registration and the trailer title. Very simple and quick as long as you have your paperwork, proper ID and are prepared. Numerous marinas exist in Northwest Mexico; typically larger towns have more than one marina where you can launch, dry dock, and rent a slip by the day, weekend or year. Additionally, most marinas will flush the boat out for around $5 and wash the boat for a small fee. This will clean the saltwater out and get your boat ready to return back to the States. Puerto Peñasco, San Felipe, San Carlos, Guaymas, Puerto Escondido, Santa Rosalina and La Paz all have marinas on the Sea of Cortez with available slips, water, power, showers, fuel docks and boat launch. Ensenada and Rosarito Beach also have marinas on the Pacific Ocean. The best thing in many of these small villages (besides the clear blue, spectacular Sea of Cortez) is the proximity of the marinas
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide to the condos, hotels and homes. There are not many affordable places left in the world where you can drive your boat in the slip, jump out and head to your condo or hotel, and be doorto-door in 5–10 minutes. Depending on where you are in Northwest Mexico will determine your boating adventure. Depending on the type of boat, speedboat, sailboat or cruiser will determine how far you can travel. The weather, time of the year and your experience level will also determine what type of journey you embark on. Regardless, whether you find yourself on a long overnight adventure or a short day trip, floating on the calming waters with the sun in the sky and the clear blue water below you should be on the top of your not to be missed list. One way to cross the Sea of Cortez is to travel from San Felipe to Puerto Peñasco, either direction 73 nautical miles across with fullservice marinas in both ports. Depending on the speed of your boat will determine how long it takes you to cross the sea. My experience tells me with a cruiser or a sailboat plan on 6–8 hours across. If you have a speedboat and flat seas you’re looking at 2–3 hours. From either Puerto Peñasco or San Felipe you can head south and explore the Sea of Cortez. Puerto Peñasco to San Carlos/Guaymas will be a little longer trip, roughly 290 miles. Plan a week for this trip (one way) and get ready to take pictures and a journal, and be prepared. San Felipe to La Paz will provide a beautiful long sea journey through Bahia De Los Angeles, Santa Rosalina, Mulege, Loreto to La Paz. And of course, if you would rather head down the Baja Passage, depart from Ensenada or Rosarito Beach and head south the whole way to Cabo San Lucas. It is exciting how many choices exist for cruising the Sea of Cortez. Obviously, plan ahead, be safe and be prepared. In my opinion, the worst part about boating is getting off the boat. Leaving the crystal blue waters of the Sea of Cortez is the hardest part, not because of crossing the border with your boat, but merely due to the outrageously perfect weather you just boated in for the weekend and now have to leave. Actually, besides the heartache that the
vacation is over, crossing the border to reenter the USA is very simple. Follow your standard rules of crossing and be prepared for a few questions from the U.S. border, such as: Who owns the boat? • How long have you owned the boat? • Did you sleep on the boat? • Where did you go in the boat? Pretty simple. So, if you have a fishing, cruising or fun-loving boat you’ve been hauling around to the lakes, try something new and enjoy the gorgeous waters of the Sea of Cortez with dolphins, sea lions and flying fish. This marine jewel, teeming with life, is a beautiful ocean with plenty of room for everyone. Happy Boating Amigos!
Frequently asked questions about taking a boat to Mexico: What do I need to cross the border with a boat? • Boat title and trailer registration • Passport (required as of June 1, 2009) Do I need to have a special vehicle permit to take the boat across the border? • No special permit or vehicle registration is needed to go into the State of Sonora or Baja Norte; it is part of the free zone. Is there any cost to bring my boat into Mexico? • No cost or charge—it’s absolutely free to enjoy the Sea of Cortez. Where can I keep my boat once I arrive in Mexico? Puerto Peñasco • Marina Puerto Peñasco—11 slips, services, fuel. Email: palvarez@ singlar.gob.mx • Safe Marina & Laguna de Juan—slips, dry dock long term and short term. Email: zaida.f.rembao@hotmail.com; or miguelacevedo71@live.com.mx San Felipe • Marina San Felipe—15 slips, facilities, fuel. Email: vmartinez@singlar.gob.mx
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Fishing & Boating San Carlos/Guaymas • Marina Real—356 slips full services fuel marinareal@prodigy.net.mx • Marina San Carlos—336 slips full services, fuel www.marinasancarlos. com Puerto Escondido • Puerto Escondido Marina Singular—10 slips, water power fuel dock 117 mooring buoys throughout the bay • www.fonatur.gob.mx/mar_de_cortes/ Escalas_Nauticas/en/index_escondido Santa Rosalia • Santa Rosalia—20 slips, water power, fuel • www.fonatur.gob.mx/mar_de_cortes/ Escalas_Nauticas/en/index_sta_ rosalia.asp La Paz - 4 marinas with over 500 slips and full services and fuel • Costa Baja Resort & Marina • Marina Palmira • Marina de La Paz • Marina Fidepaz Singular • Go to www.exploringcortez.com and click on Marina’s link for details on each marina
weekends. What happens if my boat has a problem or needs repair? Contact any of the marina’s and they will refer you to a local contact. Always know the VHF channels of the closest marina. A good guidebook will go a long way. Where do I go cruising on the Sea of Cortez? • Anywhere and everywhere; how much time do you have? • Day trip to Bird Island (about 30 miles from Puerto Peñasco) • Enchanted Islands south of San Felipe • Various anchorages around the coast • Bahia de Los Angelas • Bahia Conception • Whale watching (seasonal) • Dolphin watching (play some Jimmy Buffet on your boat and watch them appear) Can I go fishing on The Sea of Cortez? • Absolutely, there is more sea life in the Sea of Cortez than anywhere else in the world. • Dorado, grouper, flounder to name a few • You must have a fishing license (approximately $10 a day or $40 a year)
Rosarito Beach • Marina Puerto Salina—over 200 slips 60 miles south of San Diego, full services, www.marinapuertosalina.co Ensenada • Ensenada Cruiseport Village - over 198 slips full services and fuel provisions, www.ecpvmarina.com Is there gas at the marina? Yes, both gas and diesel are available at Puerto Peñasco, San Felipe, Guaymas, San Carlos, Puerto Escondido, Santa Rosalia, La Paz, Ensenada and Rosarito.
Do I need to watch the tide charts? • Most local newspapers or magazines have a tide chart. It is a good idea to look at one before your trip. Just be aware of high and low tides and reefs close to the shore. Visit www. mexicoliving.com or subscribe to the print edition of Mexico Living and receive one monthly.
Do I need to make a reservation prior to coming down? A reservation can be made by calling any of the marinas; this is suggested for busy
What do I need to reenter the United States? • Passport (mandated as of June 1, 2009), boat registration and trailer title.
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Baja Resources
Baja cactus by Uhhhlaine.
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Resources
Learning Spanish will enhance your Baja experience. Photo by Enokson.
Learning Spanish Fast Contrary to popular belief, it’s not that easy to learn Spanish just by living in Mexico. If you want to communicate with locals and enhance your language skills, you have to make an effort. The easiest way to learn is to start with little chunks at a time. To assist you, we’ve collected the most common nouns, verbs, conjunctions, phrases, road signs, etc. As well as practicing the words and phrases every day, be sure to get out and talk to locals. Take this guide along to assist you. Speaking to others in Spanish will help you with proper pronunciation and tone, and enhance your listening and speaking skills. If you practice the information given here every day, you’ll see a dramatic improvement in your Spanish skills in no time.
Pronunciation Vowels a............................................... like a in father e................................................... like e in ten
i................................................. like ee in see o................................................. like o in rose u .............like oo in shoot; silent following q or g, except when written with an umlaut (ü) ai, ay.............................................like y in try au.............................................like ow in cow ei, ey..........................................like ay in day ie........................................... like ye in yellow oi, oy......................................... like oy in boy
Consonants b...... b and v are the same; at the beginning of a word or after m or n, like an English b without a strong puff of breath; otherwise intermediate between an English b and an English v. c.....before a, o, u, and any consonant but h, like k in kitten; before e or i, like s in sit. cc..........................................like cc in accept d.........................at the beginning of a word or after n or l, like English d without strong puff of
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide breath; otherwise, like a softer th in this. g................................. when followed by e or i, like h in hit; otherwise like g in gold. h............................................................ silent j...................................................like h in hot; ll...................................................like y in yes q..like k in kite, followed by ue or ui (u is silent) r.............. at the beginning of a word or before a pause at the end of a word, like rr; otherwise like dd in ladder. rr..................................with a pronounced trill ü...........................................like ny in canyon v.....................................................same as b x......................like English x; in words derived from Native American languages, sometimes pronounced like h in hit (Mexico) y........................standing alone, like Spanish i; otherwise like Spanish ll z....................... ..in Latin America, like s in sit
TOP 25 SPANISH ADJECTIVES 1. all, every..............................................todo 2. best, better (adv)................................mejor 3. certain, sure, true..............................cierto 4. each, every......................................... cada 5. first.................................................primero 6. good................................................. bueno 7. his, her, their, your (fam).........................su 8. little, few; a little bit (adv.)....................poco 9. less, fewer....................................... menos 10. larger, older, main............................mayor 11. large, great, big..............................grande 12. more..................................................más 13. much, many, a lot..........................mucho 14. my........................................................mi 15. new................................................ nuevo 16. our................................................nuestro 17. other, another..................................... otro 18. same.............................................mismo 19. some, someone (pron)................... alguno 20. so much, so many............................tanto 21. such (a)................................................tal
22. that (over there)............................... aquel 23. that..................................................... ese 24. the (+ neuter)........................................lo 25. this.................................................... este
TOP 25 SPANISH ADVERBS 1. after...............................................después 2. almost, nearly...................................... casi 3. already, still.............................................ya 4. also............................................... también 5. also, as well, besides..................... además 6. always, forever.............................. siempre 7. before................................................ antes 8. during, for (time)............................. durante 9. here..................................................... aqui 10. how?...............................................cómo 11. inside..............................................dentro 12. later, afterward................................. luego 13. like that................................................ así 14. only, just............................................sólo 15. never, ever...................................... nunca 16. no.........................................................no 17. now.................................................ahora 18. so, then......................................entonces 19. such, as, too........................................tan 20. there....................................................ahi 21. there, over there................................... allí 22. today, nowadays.................................hoy 23. very, really.........................................muy 24. well.................................................... bien 25. yes........................................................sí
TOP 15 SPANISH CONJUNCTIONS 1. although, even though..................... aunque 2. and...........................................................y 3. because...........................................porque 4. but, however........................................mas 5. but, yet, except....................................pero 6. but, except, rather................................sino 7. like, as...............................................como 8. not even, neither, nor................................ni
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Resources 9. or............................................................ o 10. that, which..........................................que 11. then, well then................................... pues 12. while, whereas; as long as.......... mientras 13. where.............................................donde 14. when............................................ cuando 15. whether, if..............................................si
TOP 25 SPANISH NOUNS 1. case, occasion.................................... caso 2. country................................................ país 3. day........................................................día 4. end.........................................................fin 5. form, shape, way.............................. forma 6. hand..................................................mano 7. hour, time............................................hora 8. house................................................. casa 9. life....................................................... vida 10. man, mankind; husband................hombre 11. manner, way................................. manera 12. moment, time............................momento 13. part, portion..................................... parte 14. people............................................. gente 15. person......................................... persona 16. place, position..................................lugar 17. point, dot, period..............................punto 18. time, weather................................. tiempo 19. time (number of times)........................ vez 20. thing................................................. cosa 21. type, kind............................................tipo 22. woman, wife....................................mujer 23. work, job, effort.............................trabajo 24. world.............................................mundo 25. year....................................................año
TOP 19 SPANISH PREPOSITIONS 1. according to...................................... según 2. after, behind..........................................tras 3. against, opposite...............................contra 4. before, in the presence of.....................ante 5. between, among.................................entre
6. by means of................................. mediante 7. except (for).....................................excepto 8. for, to, in order to.................................para 9. for, by, through...................................... por 10. from, since..................................... desde 11. in..........................................................en 12. of, from.................................................de 13. on top of, over, about.......................sobre 14. to, at.......................................................a 15. toward............................................. hacia 16. until, up to, even (adv)..................... hasta 17. under, underneath..............................bajo 18. without................................................sin 19. with....................................................con
TOP 25 SPANISH PRONOUNS 1. he / them.......................................él / ellos 2. I..............................................................yo 3. it........................................................... ello 4. it...................la [3rd person f. dir. obj. pron.] 5. it...................le [3rd person indir. obj. pron.] 6. it................lo [3rd person m. dir. obj. pron.] 7. me.........................................................me 8. me .......................................mi (obj. prep.) 9. nothing, (not) at all.............................. nada 10. nobody, anybody.............................. nadie 11. self [reflexive marker]............................se 12. something, somewhat........................algo 13. that.....................................................eso 14. she / them................................ ella / ellas 15. this one.............................................. éste 16. this....................................................esto 17. us.......................................................nos 18. we.............................................. nosotros 19. what? which? how (+ adj.)!...............qué 20. which?.............................................. cuál 21. which, who, whom............................. cual 22. who?, whom?.................................. quién 23. who................................................. quien 24. you (fam., obj.)......................................te 25. you (fam., subj.).............................. usted
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EXAMPLE OF REGULAR VERBS
ser (to be) - soy / eres / es / somos / sois / son EXAMPLE OF IRREGULAR VERBS estar (to be) - estoy / estás / está / estamos / estáis / están ir (to / vamos / vais / van ser (togo) be)--voy soy/ /vas eres/va / es / somos / sois / son dar (to give) - doy / das / da / damos / dais / dan estar - estoy está / estamos / estáis haber(to(tobe) have) - he//estás has / /ha / hemos / habéis / han/ están
ir (to go) - voy / vas /va / vamos / vais / van 23. to listen ................................ escuchar TOP 46 SPANISH VERBS dar (to give) - doy / das / da / damos / dais / dan 24. to live ........................................... vivir 1. to ask ......................................preguntar haber (to have) - he / has / ha / hemos / habéis / han 25. to look for .................................buscar 2. to arrive ........................................llegar 3. to be able to ............................ canpoder
26. make , to do ................................ hacer
4. to be TOP 46............................................. SPANISH VERBS estar
27.totogive open............................................... ........................................ abrir 17. dar
be ................................................ ser 1.5.totoask..........................................preguntar 6. to believe, think .............................. creer 2. to arrive ............................................ llegar 7. to buy ....................................... comprar 3. to be able to................................. canpoder 8. to call (telephone) .........................llamar 4. to be ..................................................estar 9. to climb .........................................subir 5. to be .....................................................ser 10. to close ..................................... cerrar 6.11. to to believe, ..................................creer dancethink. ..................................... bailar 7.12. to to buy............................................comprar drink ...................................... tomar 8.13. to to calldrive (telephone)............................. llamar ...................................manejar comer eat ........................................ 9.14. to to climb .............................................subir 15. to find .................................. encontrar 10. to close .......................................... cerrar 16.totodance follow......................................... .................................... seguir 11. bailar 17. to give ........................................... dar 12. to drink .......................................... tomar 18. to go (leave) ...................................... ir 13. to drive ....................................... manejar 19. to have ........................................tener 14. to eat .............................................comer 20. to have .......................................haber 15. to find .......................................encontrar 21. to know, find out ..........................saber 16. to follow ........................................ seguir 22. to let, leave ..................................dejar
28.totogo order (ask for) .......................... pedir ir 18. (leave).......................................... 29. to pass, spend time ..................... pasar 19. to have ............................................tener 30.totohave pay ...........................................haber ........................................ pagar 20. 31. to pick 21. to know,up find................................recoger out..............................saber 32.totolet, putleave on, get (+ adj) .................. poner 22. ......................................dejar 33. should, ought to; to owe ..............deber 23. to listen ..................................... escuchar
34.totolive sleep .................................... dormir 24. ................................................ vivir 35. to study .................................. estudiar 25. to look for ..................................... buscar 36. to see ............................................. ver 26. make , to do.....................................hacer 37. to speak, talk .............................. hablar 27. to open ............................................ abrir 38. to swim ......................................nadar 28. to order (ask for)...............................pedir 39. to stay, remain ...........................quedar 29. to pass, spend time..........................pasar 40. to seem, look like ..................... parecer 30. to pay .............................................pagar 41. to take, carry ............................... llevar 31. to pick up .....................................recoger 42. to tell, say ................................... decir 32. to put on, get (+ adj).......................poner 43. querer .............................. to want, love 33. should, ought to; to owe...................deber 44. caminar .................................... to walk 34. sleep .......................................to ....................................... dormir 45.totrabajar work
308 45. escribir .....................................to write
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Resources 35. to study ...................................... estudiar
13. How are you?......................¿Cómo está?
36. to see..................................................ver
14. How do you say?......... ¿Como se dice...?
37. to speak, talk.................................. hablar
15. How much is it?..............¿Cuánto cuesta?
38. to swim ..........................................nadar
16. How’s the weather?....¿Qué tiempo hace?
39. to stay, remain...............................quedar
17. I think there is a mistake in this bill.......Creo
40. to seem, look like.......................... parecer
que hay un error en esta cuenta.
41. to take, carry................................... llevar
18. I’d like.......................................... Quisiera
42. to tell, say ........................................decir
19. I’d like to pay.......... ¿Me trae la cuenta por
43. querer...................................to want, love
favor?
44. caminar........................................ to walk
20. I don’t speak (much) Spanish......No hablo
45. trabajar......................................... to work
mucho español.
45. escribir......................................... to write
21. I don’t understand................. No entiendo. 22. I understand...........................Ya entiendo.
Talk the Talk
23. I’m lost.......................... Estoy perdido(a).
Now that you have a solid vocabulary, let’s put
24. Is service included?........ ¿Está incluido el
it together into phrases and putting it to use.
sevicio?
Below are some of the most common phrases,
25. It is all together, please........Todo junto, por
followed by common words and phrases for
favor.
specific situations and locations.
26. My name is............................. Me llamo...
TOP 40 SPANISH PHRASES
27. Small/medium/large..... pequeño/mediano/
1. Are you Ready?.............................. ¿Listo? 2.
Can
you
translate
this
for
me?...............¿Puede traducirme esto, por favor? 3. Could you repeat that?.....................¿Podría repetírmelo, por favor? 4. Could you speak more slowly?........¿Podría
grande 28. Sorry!/Excuse me!.................... Lo siento! 29. That was a very good meal...... La comida estuvo deliciosa. 30. Thanks for your help............Gracias por su ayuda. 31. The bathroom............................... el baño
hablar más despacio, por favor?
32. The bicycle.............................. la bicicleta
5. Do you speak English?........... ¿Habla usted
33. The…doesn’t work?.......... No funciona…
inglés?
34. What is this amount for?................¿A qué
6. Do you understand?.................. ¿Entiende?
corresponde esta cantidad?
7. Fine, thanks, and you?...........Bien, gracias.
35. What’s your name?.......¿Cómo te llamas?
Y usted?
36. What’s this?....................... ¿Qué es esto?
8. Good afternoon....................Buenas tardes.
37. What time is it?.................. ¿Qué hora es?
9. Good-bye..........................................Adiós.
38. We’d like to pay separately........Queremos
10. Good evening/Good night.............. Buenas
pagar separado.
noches.
39. Where are you from?..... ¿De dónde eres?
11. Good morning........................Buenos días
40. Where do you live?............¿Dónde vives?
12. Hello/Hi!................................Hola/Qué tal!
41. Where is...?..................... ¿Dónde está...?
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WORDS FOR THE RESTAURANT
Do you have (plural)_____?..... Tienen_____?
beverage...........................................la bebida
Do you have a table for 2?.....¿Tienes una
bill....................................................la cuenta
mesa para dos (2) personas?
bread.................................................... el pan
Does it come with salad?.............. ¿Viene con
credit card........................ la tarjeta de crédito
ensalada?
cup.......................................................la taza
Have you eaten?........................ Has comido?
dessert............................................. el postre
I have a table reserved for John.......Tengo una
fork................................................. el tenedor
reserva para John
glass...................................................el vaso
I would like to order dinner now....Quiero pedir
knife............................................... el cuchillo
una cena ahora
menu................................................. el menú
I would like ___....................... Quisiera_____
menu of the day..........................menú del día
I’d like a fajita, please.....................Quiero una
napkin........................................... la servilleta
fajita, por favor
pepper...........................................la pimienta
I’d like to reserve a table for two......... Quisiera
pepper shaker..............................el pimentero
reservar una mesa para dos.
plate................................................... el plato
Lunch..............................................Almuerzo
rare............................................. poco cocido
That was delicious................Estuvo delicioso.
salt........................................................ la sal
The bill, please.................La cuenta, por favor.
salt shaker.........................................el salero
This is not what I ordered............Esto no es lo
saucer.............................................. el platillo
que he pedido
spicy.................................................. picante
Waiter!........................................... Camarero!
spoon.............................................la cuchara
What would you like to drink?..... ¿Que quieres
table.................................................. la mesa
beber?
tip................................................... la propina
What do you recommend?...¿Qué recomienda
waiter........................ el mesero / el camarero
usted?
well-done......................................bien cocido
What would you like to eat?....... ¿Que quieres comer?
PHRASES FOR THE RESTAURANT
What type of ... do you have...... ¿Qué clase de
A beer please, please...Una cerveza, por favor.
What is included?............ ¿Qué está incluido?
A glass of wine...................... Un vaso de vino
Where is there a good restaurant?....Dónde hay
An ashtray................................... Un cenicero
un buen restaurante? .
... tiene?
Are you hungry?.................. ¿Tienes hambre? Breakfast........................................ Desayuno
Shopping
Can you bring me ... ?....... ¿Puede darme ... ?
Batteries................................................. pilas
Could you bring me the menu?........ Me puede
Can I have a bag?.............. ¿Tiene una bolsa?
traer la carta?
Can you ship it to my country?............¿Puede
Dinner .................................................. Cenar
enviarlo a mi país?
Do you have (singular)_____?... Tiene_____?
Cold medicine................ medicamento para el
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Resources resfriado
desayuno?
Condoms................... preservativos/condones
Where is my ______?.Donde esta mi _____?
Cheap...................................................barato Do you have this in my size?.....¿Tiene esto de
On the Road
mi talla?
How far to the next town?..................hasta qué
English-language books.......... libros en inglés
punto a la siguiente ciudad?
An English-language newspaper...un periódico/
How far to a gas station?.......................¿A qué
diario en inglés
distancia de una estación de gasolina?
An English-Spanish dictionary...un diccionario
I’m going to the airport.........Voy al aeropuerto
inglés-español Expensive................................................caro How much is this?................¿Cuánto cuesta? I can’t afford it.................Es muy caro para mí I don’t want it..............................No lo quiero. I need............................................... Necesito I’m not interested................... No me interesa. OK, I’ll take it...............................De acuerdo, me lo llevaré. Pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen)..........
I’m lost................................. Estoy perdido(a) Our car broke down....Nuestro carro se rompió Take the next right .Coja la proxima a la derecha The second left........La segunda a la izquierda Where’s my suitcase? ...............Donde esta mi maleta? Where can I buy a tire? ........... ¿Dónde puedo comprar un llanta?
General Questions
analgésico (Aspirina, Ibuprofeno) A pen............................................. una pluma Postage stamps............................ estampillas A postcard......................................una postal Soap...................................................... jabón Sunblock lotion............................ crema solar Tampons......................................... tampones That’s too expensive........ Es demasiado caro.
Can you help me?...............Puede ayudarme? Could you repeat, please?.....................Puede repetir, por favor? Do you have the time (polite)?...Tiene la hora? Excuse me/may I?.............................Permiso How old are you?...........Cuantos años tienes? Is there a pharmacy nearby?................Hay una
A toothbrush................... un cepillo de dientes
farmacia cerca?
Toothpaste.............................pasta de dientes
I’m looking for a good restaurant...... Busco un
An umbrella.................................un paraguas
restaurante bueno
Would you take dollars?.....¿Aceptan dólares?
I’m sorry.......................................... Lo siento
Writing paper..................... papel para escribir
Listen/can you hear me?......................... Oiga
You’re cheating me...........Me está engañando.
Listen to me..................................Escuchame Look........................................................Mira
Your Accommodation
Sorry to bother you..........Disculpa la molestia
I don’t have any towels..........No tengo toallas
Where are you from?............. De donde eres?
I have a booking................. Tengo una reserva
Where is the beach?.......Donde esta la playa?
I want sea views............ Quiero vistas del mar
Where is the bus stop?................Donde esta la
My room is dirty........Mi habitacion esta sucia
parada del autobus?
What time is breakfast?..........A que hora es el
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Phone
Months of the Year
______ is busy!..........¡______ está ocupada!
Months are not capitalized.
______ is not available!..... ¡_______ no está!
January.................................................enero
Can you speak slowly? ...............¿Podría usted
February..............................................febrero
hablar más despacio?
March...................................................marzo
Don’t hang up.................................. no colgar
April.........................................................abril
Good luck -............................... Buena suerte! I would like to talk to _____ ........¡Quería hablar con ______! Leave a message....................dejar un recado Leave your name and number...............dejar su nombre y número May I talk to ______?........¿Puedo hablar con ____? May I leave a message?......¿Puedo dejar algo dicho?
May.......................................................mayo June...................................................... junio July......................................................... julio August................................................. agosto September.....................................septiembre October...............................................octubre November...................................... noviembre December....................................... diciembre
Repeat your name/number.................repetir su
Days of the Week
nombre/número
Days are not capitalized.
Tell him/her that I called.........decirle que llamé
Monday................................................. lunes
This is _____................................ Soy _____
Tuesday...............................................martes
Wait a moment................esperar un momento
Wednesday......................................miércoles
Who is this?..............................¿Quién habla?
Thursday..............................................jueves
Who I’m talking to?............¿Con quién hablo?
Friday................................................. viernes Saturday............................................. sábado
Problems
Sunday............................................. domingo
Can I use your phone?........... ¿Puedo usar su teléfono? Don’t touch me!...................... ¡No me toques! Leave me alone....................... Déjame en paz. I’ll call the police.............. Llamaré a la policía. I need help............................. Necesito ayuda. I lost my purse/handbag.............Perdí mi bolsa/bolso/cartera. I lost my wallet......... Perdí mi cartera/billetera.
The Four Seasons spring..........................................la primavera summer............................................el verano autumn.............................................. el otoño winter.............................................el invierno
Groceries
I’m sick................................ Estoy enfermo/a.
Meat | Carne
I’ve been injured.......................Estoy herido/a.
Beef............................................ Carne de res
I need a doctor................ Necesito un médico.
Lamb................................................. Cordero
It’s an emergency............ Es una emergencia.
Pork...................................................... Cerdo
Police!............................................... ¡Policía!
Veal.................................................... Ternera
Stop! Thief!...................................Alto, ladrón!
Beefsteak.............................................. Bistec
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Resources Ground beef............................... Carne molida
Papaya............................................... Papaya
Ribs.................................................. Costillas
Pear.........................................................Pera
Pork chop........................................... Chuleta
Pineapple.................................... Piña / Ananá
Liver....................................................Hígado
Raisins................................................. Pasas
Ham.................................................... Jamón Tongue................................................ Lengua Steak.....................................................Lomo Pork fillet................................. Lomo de cerdo Sausages...................................... Longanizas
Raspberry......................................Frambuesa Watermelon......................................... Sandia
Vegetables | Veduras
Kidneys............................................. Riñones
Artichokes.................................... Alcachofas
Sausages, Hot Dogs, Wieners........Salchichas
Avocado.......................................... Aguacate
Bacon............................................................
Beans..................................................Frijoles
Tocino, Panceta
Beet.................................................... Betabel
Tripe..................................................... Tripas
Bell pepper................................Chile pimiento Broccoli...............................................Brócoli
Fruits | Frutas
Cabbage............................................. Repollo
Apple................................................Manzana Apricot......Albaricoque, Chabacano, Damasco Blackberry............................................. Mora Blueberry.........................................Arándano Banana...............................................Banano Coconut................................................. Coco
Carrot..............................................Zanahoria Cauliflower...........................................Coliflor Celery..................................................... Apio Chile pepper............................................Chile Corn....................................................... Maíz
Cherry................................................. Cereza
Cucumber............................................ Pepino
Cantaloupe............................................ Melón
Garlic........................................................ Ajo
Dates................................................... Dátiles
Green onions...................................Cebollitas
Figs.......................................................Higos
Green beans......................................... Ejotes
Guava............................................... Guayaba
Lettuce............................................. Lechuga
Gooseberry........................ Ribes / Uva-crispa
Mushrooms.............................. Champiñones
Grapefruit............................................ Toronja
Onion.................................................. Cebolla
Grape........................................................Uva Lemon..................................................Limón Mandarin....................................... Mandarina Mango.................................................Mango Orange................................................Naranja Plum....................................................Ciruela
Peas.................................Arvejas / Guisantes Peanut.................................Cacahuate / Mani Potato.....................................................Papa Pickles.............................................Pepinillos Radish................................................Rábano
Prune...........................................Ciruela seca
Spinach............................................Espinaca
Peach................................................Durazno
Sweet corn...........................................Helote
Pomegranate......................................Granada
Sweet Potato.......................................Camote
Passion Fruit................. Grenadilla / Maracuyá
Tomato............................................... Tomate
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Height Restriction
2-Way Traffic
2-Way Traffic
Stop
Bump/Tope
Bump/Tope
Lane Divide
Dip / Wash
ALTO - Stop AREA DE DESCANSO - Rest Area CALLE SIN SALIDA - Dead End CAMINO CERRADO - Road Closed CAMINO SINUOSO - Winding Road CARRIL IZQUIERDO SOLO PARA REBASAR Left lane Only for Passing CASETA DE COBRO - Toll Booth CON LLUVIA DISMINUYA SU VELOCIDAD - In Rain Reduce Your Speed CON NEBLINA ENCIENDA SUS LUCES - In Fog Turn on Lights CONCEDA CAMBIO DE LUCES - Dim Your Lights Approaching Traffic CONSERVE LIMPIO BAJA CALIFORNIA Keep Baja California Clean CONSERVE SU DISTANCIA - Keep Your Distance CONSERVE SU DERECHA - Keep to Your Right CRUCE DE ESCOLARES - School Crossing CRUCE DE PEATONES - Pedestrian Crossing CUANDO TOME NO MANEJE - When You Drink Don’t Drive CUIDADO CON EL TREN - Careful Rail Road Crossing CURVA PELIGROSO - Dangerous Curve DESPACIO - Slow DISMINUYA SU VELOCIDAD - Slow Down EL CINTURON DE SEGURIDAD - The Safety Belt ENTRADA - Entrance ENTRADA Y SALIDA DE CAMIONES - Trucks Entering and Exiting ESTA CARRETERA NO ES DE ALTA VELOCIDAD - This is not a high speed road ESTACIONAMIENTO SOLO PARA EMERGENCIAS - Emergency Parking Only GRAVA SUELTA - Loose Gravel GUARDE SU DISTANCIA - Keep Your Distance HOMBRES TRABAJANDO - Men at Work MANEJE CON PRECAUCION - Drive with Caution NO CIRCULAR POR EL ACOTAMIENTO - No
Falling Rocks
Height Restriction
Clinic / Hospital
Inspection
Lane Ends
Low Clearance
Men at Work
No Crossing
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Resources
No Entry
No Left Turn
No Parking
No Passing
No Right Turn
No Trucks
No U Turn
Driving On the Shoulders NO DE FRENTE - No Entry NO ESTACIONARSE EN ACOTAMIENTO No Parking On Shoulders NO FRENE CON MOTOR - No Engine Breaks NO REBASE CON RAYA CONTINUA - No Passing on a Continuous Line NO REBASE POR EL ACONTAMIENTO No Passing on Shoulders NO REBASE - No Passing NO TIRE BASURA - Don’t Throw Trash NO UTILIZAR FRENO CON MOTOR - No Engine Breaking OBEDEZCA LAS SENALES - Obey the Signs PARA VUELTA IZQUIERDA ESPERE SU LUZ - Turn Left on Light POBLADO PROXIMO - Town Near POR TU SEGURIDAD RESPETE LAS SEÑALES - For your Safety Respect The Signs PELIGROSO - Dangerous PRECUACION CRUCE DE PEATONES Caution Pedestrian Crossing PRECAUCION ZONA ESCOLAR - Caution School Zone PRECAUCION ZONA DE GUANDO Caution Livestock Zone PRINCIPIA ZONA DE DERRUMBES - Begin Rockslide Area PRINCIPIA ZONA DE VADOS - Begin Area of Dips PROHIBIDO ESTACIONARSE - No Parking PROHIBIDO TIRAR BASURA - Throwing Thrash Prohibited REDUCTOR DE VELOCIDAD - Speed Reducer RESPETE LIMITE DE VELOCIDAD - Obey the Speed Limit RUTA DE CAMIONES - Truck Route SALIDA - Exit SI TOMA NO MANEJE - Don’t Drink and Drive TOPES - Speed Bumps TRAMO EN REPARACION - Road Repairs TRANSITO LENTO CARRIL DERECHO Slow Traffic Keep Right UN SOLO CARRIL - Single Lane
Parking
Road Narrows
Railroad Crossing
Railroad Crossing
School Zone
Speed Limit
Truck Right
Weight Restriction
Yield
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
The airport ICAO and IATA codes are indicated in parentheses respectively.
BAJA CALIFORNIA AIRPORTS/AIR STRIPS City served Airport name International airports Mexicali (MMML / MXL) Tijuana (MMTJ / TIJ)
General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport
National airports Ensenada (MMES / ESE) Isla de Cedros (MMCD / CDI)
El Ciprés Military Airbase Number 3 Isla de Cedros Airport
Other public-use airports Bahía de los Ángeles (BHL) Cataviña (CTV) Ojos Negros Punta Final Punta Prieta Punta San Carlos Punta San Francisquito (PSQ) San Felipe (MMSF / SFH) San Luis Gonzaga San Luis Gonzaga San Quintín (LZC) San Quintín San Quintín San Quintín San Quintín San Quintín
Bahía de los Ángeles Airport Rancho Santa Inés Airstrip Real del Castillo Airstrip Punta Final Airstrip Punta Prieta Airstrip Punta San Carlos Airstrip Punta San Francisquito Airfield San Felipe International Airport Alfonsina's Airstrip Rancho Grande Airfield Campo de Lorenzo Skypark Cielito Lindo Airstrip El Buen Pastor Airstrip El Pedregal Airstrip Los Pinos Airstrip Rancho Magaña Airstrip
Military San Quintín (SNQ)
San Quintín Military Airstrip
Private-use airports Bahía de los ÁngelesMuñoz Airstrip Bahía Soledad El Barril Rancho San José
Bahía Soledad Airstrip Rancho El Barril Airstrip Meling Ranch Airstrip
Closed airports Tecate
Tecate Airport
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Resources
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Hurricane Preparedness Hurricane season runs from June 1st until November 30th. While each year experts make very educated predictions concerning the number and severity of storms for each given season, hurricanes can still wreak a massive amount of devastation and chaos on any area despite today’s advanced warning systems. Hurricanes are a force no one can fully guard against. As mere obstacles in the path of these intense storms, we and our homes and belongings are at its mercy; yet there are steps we can take to prepare ourselves and increase the likelihood that we and our loved ones will weather the storm safely. The most important thing any family can do is to be prepared before a storm is set to arrive. It is never too early to have a full and properly equipped emergency kit. The two most obvious items to have in your kit are food and water for 3 to 7 days. One gallon per person per day is the basic guideline recommended by experts. The emergency food supply should be non-perishable items along with a manual can opener. The kit should also contain any special food that family members may need, such as baby food or food that allows for any allergies. Since there is never any way to determine how long an emergency kit will have to last, other items besides food and water must be included. A fully stocked first aid kit, which also contains any special medicines or prescriptions, can be a literal lifesaver in the aftermath of a hurricane. Be sure to pack flashlights, batteries, and a radio to stay in touch with what is going on around you. Don’t forget the needs of the family pets also. They too need adequate food and supplies. Keep a crate or leash on hand in case you need to evacuate with the pets. Your supply kit should also contain important paperwork that needs to stay dry and within reach. This may include copies of medical records, insurance policy papers and banking documents. Tools are also a good idea to have in your kit. You may be able to repair minor damage to your home, preventing further water or wind damage before you are able to get any help. Once it has been determined that a
hurricane could possibly make landfall and affect your area, there are steps you should take immediately. Your vehicles should be completely full of fuel. You never know when an evacuation order will be given or exactly how many miles away you may need to flee. All cell phones should be fully charged in case power is out for an extended period of time. You may also want to keep a supply of cash on hand. If there is no power for days, cash machines and banks will not be able to accommodate your money needs. Do your best to secure your home and belongings. Use plywood on windows, secure boats and outdoor furniture, use fasteners on the roof to help prevent damage and lock up everything you possibly can. While these items and tips can help make life a lot easier when a hurricane is coming, there are steps you should take long before the season even starts. It is vital that you and your family discuss a comprehensive evacuation and communication plan. Each member should know to get in touch with a common contact far from the area. This will let one person know exactly where and how everyone else is in case family members are separated. Also, plan a meeting safe spot for all members to converge upon when it is safe. Once you have made all the proper preparedness plans that you can possibly make ahead of time, stay informed. When a hurricane is on the way, stay tuned to your local authorities. Listen to multiple sources, such as radio, television and internet warnings. If the local authorities are telling your area to evacuate, follow their directions. If you can stay in your home, stay in a small interior room. Close all of the other doors and keep shades and curtains closed to minimize any glass dangers. Stay as low as possible also. While it is impossible to guarantee you and your home are 100% safe and sound during a hurricane, taking the time to follow these simple tips can decrease damage, loss, and certainly the headaches that the storm is sure to leave behind.
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Resources Things to Remember After a Hurricane Passes 1. Stay out of damaged buildings or homes until they are properly inspected for safety 2. Never attempt to cross flood waters. 3. Stay away from stray or loose animals 4. Stay away from mosquito infested areas, like standing water. These are prime
conditions for disease. 5. Be aware of carbon monoxide poisoning dangers from generators, camp stoves, ect. 6. Boil water or drink bottled water. Never drink water that smells or had unusual color. 7. Be on the lookout for mold. Remove any water-logged carpets or furniture as soon as possible.
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2013 Baja Good Life Guide
Ottawa (Embassy) Montreal (Consulate-General) Toronto (Consulate-General) Vancouver (Consulate-General) Calgary (Consulate) Leamington (Consulate) Washington, D.C. (Embassy) Atlanta (Consulate-General) Austin (Consulate-General) Boston (Consulate-General) Chicago (Consulate-General) Dallas (Consulate-General) Denver (Consulate-General) El Paso (Consulate-General) Houston (Consulate-General) Laredo (Consulate-General) Los Angeles (Consulate-General) Miami (Consulate-General) New York (Consulate-General) Nogales (Consulate-General) Phoenix (Consulate-General) Raleigh (Consulate-General) Sacramento (Consulate-General) San Antonio (Consulate-General) San Diego (Consulate-General)
San Juan (Consulate-General) Albuquerque (Consulate) Anchorage (Consulate) Boise (Consulate) Brownsville (Consulate) Calexico (Consulate) Del Rio (Consulate) Detroit (Consulate) Douglas (Consulate) Eagle Pass (Consulate) Fresno (Consulate) Indianapolis (Consulate) Kansas City (Consulate) Las Vegas (Consulate) Little Rock (Consulate) McAllen (Consulate) New Orleans (Consulate) Omaha (Consulate) Orlando (Consulate) Oxnard (Consulate) Philadelphia (Consulate) Portland (Consulate) Presidio (Consulate) Saint Paul (Consulate) Salt Lake City (Consulate) San Bernardino (Consulate) Santa Ana (Consulate) Seattle (Consulate) Tucson (Consulate) Yuma (Consulate)
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Resources
Author Credits Foreward by Hal “Paco” Clark, Preface by John Pack, Brief History of Mexico by Aura Raducan, Mexico’s Independence by Aura Raducan, Baja History Timeline by Aura Raducan, Brief History of Baja by Karri Moser, The Mexican President and Political Parties by Aura Raducan; Peninsula Map by John Pack, Country and State Info by Wikipedia, What is Needed to Travel by Aura Raducan, Is My Car Legal? by Aura Raducan, Living in Baja by John Pack, Why Retire in Baja by John Pack, What’s Needed to Travel by Aura Raducan, Baja Residences Absentee Voting Process by Aura Raducan, The US is lying to us by John Pack, Importing your vehicle by Aura Raducan, Becoming a Citizen by Aura Raducan, Pets by Steven Foreman, Why Move to Baja? by John Pack, How to bring household item into Mexico by Sam Grubb, Working in Baja by Aura Raducan, A guide to establish your business in Mexico by Swedish Trade Council, Ten Tips for Starting a Business in Mexico by Marcia Bales, Mexican Labor Law by Carlos Alberto Martinez, Money and Banking by Karri Moser, Cost of Living Comparison by John Pack, New Taxes Regulations for Americans by Lic. JacquesEdouard Beaulne,Living Cheaply in Baja by John Pack, Healthcare South of the Border by Anna L. Kaplan, Medical Tourism in Mexico by Aura Raducan, How to Get IMSS and Why by
Lynn Russ, Transporting a Deceased Loved One by Karri Moser, Buying Real Estate by Christa Thomas, Foreign Property Ownership by Lic. Jacques-Edouard Beaulne, Building in Baja by Bill Spradlin, Building Materials by Jonathon Spinner, You, Mexico and your IRA by Tom Phelan, Property Tax in Mexico by Aura Raducan, Determining Taxes and Values by Lic. Jacques-Edouard Beaulne, Baja Highways, Baja energy Infrastructure by Aura Raducan, Pemex by Aura Raducan, Sulpher in diesel by Aura Raducan, Mexico Finds Oil by Aura Raducan, Baja Ferries by Aura Raducan, The Many Faces of Mexican Cuisine by Aura Raducan, Brews in Baja by Aura Raducan, Tacos of Baja by Aura Raducan, The Mexican Margarita by John Pack, Baja Wineries by Steven Dryden, Jellyfish by Aura Raducan, Coyote by Aura Raducan, Snakes by Aura Raducan, Scorpions by Aura Raducan, Windscorpion by Aura Raducan, Baja’s Bad Bugs by Naomi Black, Return of the Condors by Graham Macintosh, Endemic Species of Baja by Aura Raducan, Whales of Baja by Aura Raducan, Gone Fishing in Baja by Megan Foster, Quick start to deep sea fishing in Baja by Jay Jenkin, Mexican Fishing Licenses by Baja Bound, Baja Boating by Anita Kaltenbaugh, Megan Foster, Hurricane Preparedness by Aura Raducan
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My Baja Notes:
John & Rachel Pack, have spent a large part of their lives traveling and exploring Baja and passioniately enjoy sharing this magical peninsula through the Baja Good Life Club. The Baja Good Life Club, is a social, travel and discount club dedicated to foreign residents of Baja California. The company’s core purpose is to enhance the lives of our members by providing exclusive discounts on auto, home and health insurance, events and activities, and by creating, collecting and distributing highÂquality news and information about living, working and playing in Baja California. The company has been publishing in Baja since 2007 This guidebook is a collections of articles and information about living, working and playing in Baja, written by a variety of experts, and Baja aficionados. This guide is updated annually and provided to all Baja Good Life Club members.
$19.95 US - First Edition $14.95 US - BGLC Members PO Box 9019-460 Calexico, CA 92232
877-588-6391 books@bglclub.com
www.bglclub.com
$19.95 US