Skip the resort scene: Driving Baja’s Bahia Concepcion

Driving the magnitude of Baja California is simply a pilgrimage for roadworthy warriors. Some travel seeking food tacos and surf breaks, others for cactus-studded solitude. But if you inquire me, the crown jewel of this 760-mile agelong betwixt Tijuana and Cabo isn’t Cabo astatine each — it’s Bahia Concepcion, an unreasonably gorgeous bay that appears similar a mirage astir halfway down the peninsula. Framed by Baja’s signature rugged desert, the bay is simply a bid of white-sand coves, craggy outcroppings, and turquoise h2o that’ll marque you hide each astir compartment work (which, for the record, is spotty astatine best). And if you’re the benignant of traveler who considers an oceanfront parking spot the pinnacle of luxury, you’re successful for a dainty — due to the fact that Bahia Concepcion is premier RV camping territory.

Where precisely is this paradise?

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Bahia Concepcion stretches astir 20 miles down the eastbound seashore of Baja, conscionable southbound of Mulegé. If you’re driving from the U.S. borderline astatine Tijuana, expect a scenic (and occasionally bone-rattling) 11- to 12-hour journey. Coming from Los Cabos? It’s a coagulated 10-hour thrust north, mostly on the Transpeninsular Highway (Mexico’s Highway 1), wherever the scenery oscillates betwixt lonely desert, Pacific cliffs, and shimmering Gulf of California vistas. The closest airdrome is Loreto International Airport, astir an hr south, wherever you tin rent a car if you’d alternatively not enactment your ain suspension done the adventure.

Santa Rosalía: French charm meets Baja grit

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Before you scope Bahia Concepcion, you’ll deed Santa Rosalía, an unusual but lovable municipality that feels similar Baja and a tiny portion of Normandy had a emotion child. Once a French-run copper mining hub, Santa Rosalía inactive sports woody assemblage buildings, a wrought-iron religion designed by Gustave Eiffel (yes, that Eiffel), and immoderate of the champion baked goods this broadside of the border, acknowledgment to its still-thriving French bakery, Panadería El Boleo. It’s a large pit halt for substance — some the car and carb-loading benignant — earlier continuing south.

Mulegé: The Baja municipality that clip forgot

Bondy lives successful the tiny municipality of Bahia Asunción, Mulegé. She besides works to beforehand the tourer system there.

Just southbound of Santa Rosalía, Mulegé is simply a palm-filled oasis municipality tucked on the Mulegé River. With its dusty streets, sleepy cantinas, and a historical ngo perched connected a hill, it’s the benignant of spot that makes you privation to propulsion your telephone into the oversea and ne'er instrumentality to “real life.” Here, you tin banal up connected essentials astatine the section mercado, drawback food tacos astatine Asadero Dany’s, and meander done the Mission Santa Rosalía de Mulegé, which dates backmost to the 18th century. It’s besides a large spot to drawback last-minute supplies earlier hitting the beaches of Bahia Concepcion. Craving trade brew and a pizza? Mulege Brewing Company is the section barroom successful town. Grab a spot extracurricular underneath the large Baja entity and drawback up with different roadworthy warriors who are making the aforesaid epic journey.

Playa Santispac: Front-row seats to paradise

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Of each the beaches on Bahia Concepcion, Playa Santispac is the quintessential stop. With brushed sand, shallow lukewarm water, and ample abstraction for RVs and campers, it’s a favourite among roadworthy trippers. Parking close connected the formation is the norm here, and for a tiny interest (usually astir 200 pesos per night), you tin aftermath up with your toes practically successful the Gulf of California If you’re not the camping type, determination are palapa rentals, and for those who similar their margaritas served with a broadside of shade, Armando’s, the beachside restaurant, delivers beardown drinks and seafood caller from the bay.

How agelong does it instrumentality to research the bay?

Driving the coastline of Bahia Concepcion takes astir an hour, but let’s beryllium existent — you’ll beryllium stopping constantly, either to instrumentality photos oregon to impulsively leap into the water. The bay is lined with tiny beaches, each with its ain character: Playa Coyote is beloved by snowbirds who’ve mastered the creation of dilatory travel, portion Playa El Burro is simply a premix of rustic rentals and 1 laid-back palapa bar. Playa Escondida (aptly named) requires a small much effort to reach, but is 1 of the astir beauteous beaches you’ll spot on the drive.

What to cognize earlier you go

• Cash is king. Many places, including the formation camping spots, don’t instrumentality recognition cards, truthful bring pesos.
• Cell work is spotty. Embrace the integer detox.
• Stock up successful Mulegé. Once you deed the bay, market options are minimal, truthful drawback your provisions earlier heading south.
• Be mindful of tides. Some beaches get a small choky astatine precocious tide, truthful cheque wherever you parkland that RV.
• Bring snorkel gear. The h2o is ridiculously clear, and you’ll privation to instrumentality vantage of it.

The thrust of a lifetime

The roads of the Baja Peninsula connection large views for drivers and large destinations for families. (Nick Dunlap/Unsplash)

Having driven the Baja Peninsula apical to bottommost and backmost again, I tin accidental with certainty that Bahia Concepcion is 1 of those uncommon places that makes you wonderment if you should conscionable enactment forever. There’s thing astir watching the sunrise implicit the bay, sipping a java brewed connected a campy stove, and knowing that the hardest determination of the time is whether to nap successful a hammock oregon paddle to a adjacent island.

If you’re looking for adventure, solitude, and the benignant of off-the-grid quality that question dreams are made of, skip the edifice country and caput to this wild, wondrous portion of Baja. Just beryllium warned — you whitethorn ne'er privation to leave.

Meagan Drillinger is a New York autochthonal who has spent the past 15 years traveling astir and penning astir Mexico. While she’s connected the roadworthy for assignments astir of the time, Puerto Vallarta is her location base. Follow her travels connected Instagram at @drillinjourneys or done her blog at drillinjourneys.com