While Baja Sur is waiting to fully reopen for cooler weather in the fall, there’s plenty to explore in Northern Baja. Here are a few of our favorite spots up north that make for easy, last-minute escapes from Southern California.
Tijuana
Why We Love It: TJ is a hot spot for foodies and craft beer lovers in the know. The street food is some of the best in the world (try the birria at Tacos El Río and the tacos at Tacos el Franc) or there are superb sit-down restuarants like Mision 19 and La Justina. Craft beers at breweries like Border Psycho, Norte Brewing, and Insurgente will be sure to impress any beer aficionado.
What To Do: Tijuana is a city full of culture. Check out the exhibits at CECUT, the famous cultural center with the iconic sphere-shaped IMAX theater. Or take a trip to the new Museo del Taco (taco museum) for a fun and tasty experience. For a truly authentic taste of the city’s culture, take a swing through the pasajes (alleyways) off of Avenida Revolución for some street art tucked in between the mini galleries and craft beer tasting rooms.
DBTC Insider Tip: While it sometimes feels like a separate city of its own, Playas de Tijuana is a great place to get a beach fix while visiting the city. Visit Friendship Park, have a beach day on the expansive sandy shores, or take a walk along the boardwalk and enjoy the oceanfront restaurants and cafes.
Tecate
Why We Love It: This small town is the only Pueblo Mágico (Magic Town) in the state of Baja California. Influences from nearby Valle de Guadalupe mean that Tecate has its own wineries and a great developing food scene (try a meal at El Lugar de Nos or Restaurante Amores).
What To Do: Spend some time soaking in the lovely town plaza, Parque Hidalgo, centered around a pretty zocalo, before heading over to the famous namesake Tecate brewery where you can enjoy a free beer at the beer garden. The local Museo Comunitario de Tecate community museum is a well-curated presentation on the local region and native Kumeyaay. If you’re up for heading a little bit out of town, a visit to the nearby El Vallecito cave paintings is a fun excursion.
DBTC Insider Tip: Because of its inland location, Tecate can get hot in the dead of summer, but this is when you can find the best deals on hotel rooms (even indulging in a stay at Rancho La Puerta). Temperatures start to cool down again in October.
Valle de Guadalupe
Why We Love It: Mexico’s premier wine region is a paradise for food and wine lovers. Dirt roads lead visitors to charming boutique wineries, exceptional campestre (outdoor) restaurants, and lovely specialty hotels.
What To Do: Eat, drink, and be merry. This wine region is home to three out of the four restaurants on the peninsula that were recently awarded a Michelin star (Animalón, Conchas de Piedra, and Damiana) and home to many others that are definitely worth a stop (La Cocina de Doña Esthela, Fauna, and Malva).
DBTC Insider Tip: The Fiestas de la Vendimia wine harvest festival is taking place through August 18th and is the busiest time of year for the region. If it’s too hard to find accommodations in Valle during this time, then look in Ensenada where a 30-minute drive will have you staying in cooler weather along the coast where it will be easier to find available hotel rooms.
Sierra de San Pedro Mártir
Why We Love It: Up in the mountains and pine trees, visitors can camp under the stars in the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park. This unique Baja setting is also home to California condors that are being released into the park as a part of a reintroduction program. There are about 40 condors currently living in the park.
What To Do: In addition to the numerous hiking opportunities throughout the park, a big draw is the National Observatory. Access to the grounds or taking a tour of the observatory depend on the weather and activities at the observatory from day to day. Even getting into the grounds will afford you sweeping views down to the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific on either side of you.
DBTC Insider Tip: If you want to check out the park but don’t want to tent camp, there are some rustic cabins just outside the entrance to the park that can be reserved by calling 011-52-646-172-3000. Or the nearest hotel accommodations are about an hour away at Rancho Meling.
San Quintín
Why We Love It: People are attracted to San Quintín for the fishing, seafood and peaceful setting. The region has become famous for its oysters and the oyster fields in the bay are accompanied by some great restaurants where seafood lovers can enjoy the fresh delicacy straight from the source.
What To Do: There’s some great hiking in San Quintín, like the trail in the Monte Ceniza Nature Reserve where the trail will lead you to views of the entire bay, volcanoes, wetlands, and oyster fields. Nature lovers will enjoy kayaking and bird watching along the wetlands. Just south of San Quintín is La Lobera, a harbor seal haul-out site where visitors can view the harbor seals down through a large natural crater along the coast.
DBTC Insider Tip: A stay at the Hotel Misión Santa Maria will give you beachfront accommodations on an expansive and generally empty beach with sand dunes and sand dollars ready to explore.