Baja miles and miles. This route would have no hotels, cellphone reception, gas stations or grocery stores. Baja! There is so much meaning in just a single word. It is the land of fishing, racing, camping, beaches, wine, bars, party, Cabo, and of course, Tijuana. But these are just a few of the many things that come to mind when you think of Baja, California. There is so much diversity packed into a strand, a peninsula. One moment you can enjoy the snow in the mountains, then drive a few hours out and enjoy a bonfire at the beach.
We had a plan, but I knew anything could happen. We could break down, get lost, or even fall in love with a spot and stay longer. Our plan was just a rough draft for our adventure. Meeting locals is half the fun. They know a lot of secret spots that can easily be missed. This was the case for about a quarter of the places I discovered while on this trip.
One fateful afternoon my wife told me they might not approve her vacation days. So, I responded, “Quit, and then we can travel down south for a few days.” Little did we know that a few days would turn into three weeks. In trying to decide where to visit, our destinations started stacking up and so did our total days of travel. I think the most difficult part of going to Baja is never having enough time to see it all! The more you search, the more you fall in love.
The day finally came when all the planning and preparing paid off. We woke up at five in the morning and started getting ready. With San Pedro Martir on our minds, we headed out. After a few hours of being on the road, we arrived at Mike’s Sky Ranch. After two hours of driving through a washed up and beaten trail, we decided to head back. Fast forward to 16 hours of driving, and we ended up in San Quintin. From there we headed down south to our next destination: An oasis.
After days of planning the destinations, we mapped out the best route. This time, we decided to utilize as many dirt roads as possible. We wanted to see more than just the basic tourist attractions. We planned to camp out with nothing but the stars and visit virgin beaches with no humans to be found for
There are many oases in Baja, California, from hot springs to a cold pool of water surrounded by palm trees. Some are easily accessible, while others are a few hours away from the main roads. No matter which one you choose, though, you’ll enjoy yourself! The problem was that my wife and I had our eyes set on one of
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the most difficult oases. From the border town of Tijuana, the trip takes about 12 to 16 hours of driving, assuming your car makes it there in one piece. The town this oasis is closest to is called Cataviña. In case you ever decide to visit, make sure to fill up at El Rosario and bring a few extra gallons in a reservoir. There aren’t any gas stations for miles. Remember, you’re going to the middle of the desert, literally. We arrived in Cataviña at about 11 at night, popped up our roof tent and called it a day. We woke up early in the morning and made breakfast. We reheated some frozen birria we brought back from Tijuana. From there, we met up with a local friend named Ian. I asked for his help because he mentioned that the trail was technical and not very forgiving. About five miles from our campsite, we hit a dried-up riverbed. It was full of loose sand, so I decided to air down a few psi and turn on my 4HI. Though our journey was just starting, we felt that nature didn’t want to give access to just anyone. After a few miles of driving through the dried river, we finally got to a harder surface. Most of the trail ahead was fairly easy to drive through. A few technical sections, but nothing like what we were about to endure. After about an hour or two of driving, we got to a
