From Tijuana to Los Cabos, the Baja Peninsula is one of the most popular tourist destinations for international visitors. With beautiful beaches lining both coasts, it is easy to see why. Separated from the rest of Mexico by water, the peninsula is 775 miles long. Through our travels we’ve been able to experience a little sliver of Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Tijuana, and their surrounding areas. This post is a summary of some of our favorite experiences on this beautiful desert peninsula.
1. Swimming with Sea Lions & Whale Sharks
Sea Lions & Whale Sharks: Manta Scuba Diving
One of the most amazing experiences of our Central America trip was scuba diving with sea lions and snorkeling with whale sharks in La Paz. The sea lions were so playful and friendly! There were over a hundred sea lions in the area and the most curious would dive down and play with our snorkels and cameras. There was one little sea lion that was like a little puppy. It would swim in front of us as if he didn’t want us to leave!
After making new friends with the sea lions, we boated over to an area where juvenile whale sharks go to feed. There we got to swim alongside a 20+ foot whale shark for over 30 minutes! It was an incredible feeling casually swimming with these gentle giants as they meandered their way through the Sea of Cortez.
We booked this experience with Manta Scuba Diving in Cabo San Lucas.
*If you’re interested in booking this incredible experience, read our full swimming with sea lions and whale sharks post here!
2. Balandra Beach
Balandra Beach: (La Paz)
40 minutes north of the city of La Paz is Balandra Beach. It is a little far, but definitely worth the drive! The beach cove has beautiful white sand, clear water, and shallow sandbars. Em and I felt like we were back in the Caribbean! Unfortunately when we went, the beach was limited to 120 visitors a day. We didn’t know this and arrived too late. (Moral of the story: be sure to ask someone before you go! =) However, there was a short hike nearby with incredible views. We were really bummed that we couldn’t walk on the sandbars, but had a lot of fun exploring the Sea of Cortez with the drone!
3. Bungee Jumping In Cabo
Bungee Jumping: Cabo Day Trips (Cabo San Lucas)
Bungee jumping is one of the most thrilling experiences we have ever had. So we figured what better way to start our time off in Cabo than to jump off a gondola into a canyon! About 15 minutes from downtown Cabo is Wild Canyon, an adventure park full of ziplines, ATVs, horseback riding, and bungee jumping! It definitely is a rush standing at the edge of the gondola, looking at the ground 300 feet below. But before my mind could say no, my legs took the leap! Falling head over heels into the canyon is a thrill like no other! We booked this trip through a great company called Cabo Day Trips.
*If you’re interested in taking the leap, read our full bungee jumping in Cabo post here!
4. La Paz
La Paz
Two hours north of the resort city of Cabo San Lucas is La Paz. La Paz was more of our pace. It lacked the major resorts and a bustling nightlife of Cabo but was full of tranquil charm. It’s a bigger city with a more laid back feel. We loved strolling through it’s charming downtown and well planned malecón (boardwalk). Our favorite thing downtown was sitting at a rooftop restaurant watching the sun set over the Sea of Cortez!
5. Tijuana
Tijuana
Tijuana was one of the first places we visited in Mexico. With great weather, food, and culture, Tijuana was a great start to our Mexican travels! Just across the border, Tijuana made for an easy day trip from San Diego. We spent our day in Zona Centro, the main downtown area, but there is a lot more to explore in the Northern part of the peninsula.
6. Surf Lessons On Cerritos Beach
Surf Lessons: High Tide (Cerritos Beach)
Surfing is something that we have always wanted to try but never had an opportunity. We figured what better way to start than with a Cabo surf lesson. We booked a lesson at Cerritos Beach with High Tide. Cerritos was worth the trip alone. I wish we had more time to stay in this area for a few days! The wide beaches and soft, sandy ocean were the perfect place to learn to surf. (Okay I’m not sure if what we did you could call “surfing,” more like ocean tumbling.) Our instructor Marco was extremely patient and helpful! Although I may not be entering any surfing competitions, Em did say that I looked great falling!
*Read our full Cabo San Lucas surf lessons post here.
7. Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas
Full of beaches, resorts, restaurants, and activities, Cabo San Lucas is a popular tourist destination for people around the world. Before visiting, I pretty much thought of Cabo as a place where people from California go to spend a week at an all-inclusive. After visiting, we realized that although that’s definitely the case for a lot of Cabo, there are plenty of other experiences to be had too! In the downtown area of Cabo San Lucas, you can also find dozens of inexpensive AirBnBs. We decided to stay at a cheap AirBnB and take advantage of some of the amazing activities around the Cabo area!
8. Kayak To The Cabo Arch
Snorkel and Kayak Tour: High Tide (Cabo San Lucas)
One of the most recognized views of the Baja Peninsula is the Arch of Cabo San Lucas. We figured what better way to see this iconic landmark than by kayak! It was a lot of fun getting to float close to the arch while taking our photos. My favorite part of the tour was stopping on Lovers Beach right next to the arch. The huge cliffs and bright sand make this a beautiful place to relax. The fact that the beach is only accessible by water just adds to the experience! On the kayak ride, we stopped to snorkel, and then soon after getting back into our kayak we were surprised by a humpback whale who decided to join in the fun! We booked our experience with High Tide Los Cabos. Our guides were amazing and made expert photographers too!
*Read our full visit to the Cabo Arch post here.
Where We Stayed
Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas has countless options of all-inclusive resorts and high-end hotels. However we were pleasantly surprised to find a bunch of different budget friendly AirBnBs right in the downtown of Cabo San Lucas. Our AirBnB definitely wasn’t anything special, but for $30 a night it also wasn’t the worst place we have stayed at either! We weren’t on the beach, but it was in a safe area and within a short walk from the marina. Don’t get me wrong, we love relaxing at all-inclusives, but it was also helpful to know that Cabo has plenty of budget-friendly housing options too.
Where We Ate
Cabo San Lucas
The area of Los Cabos has no shortage of places to eat. From cheap taquerias to luxury restaurants, Cabo pretty much has it all. We didn’t eat anywhere fancy during our stay, but did really enjoy the tacos and gringas we ate at Taquería El Paisa. It wasn’t anything superb, but was decently priced and close to our AirBnB. Of course, the closer you are to the beach and marina, the more expensive the prices are. We aren’t expert foodies so if you’re looking for a place to eat in Cabo, there are dozens of great blogs out there! But whether you’re looking for a luxurious meal or cheap tacos, Cabo has you covered!
How We Got Around
Cabo Luxury Private Chauffeur
A great way to start off your Los Cabos vacation is in style. We felt like celebrities being picked up at the airport by Cabo Luxury’s private chauffeur. When we arrived at the airport, we were greeted by someone holding a sign with our name who helped us with our luggage. Then we had the entire Suburban to ourselves! During the ride, we were served drinks of our choice and even got to select our own music! Our driver was incredibly friendly. Cabo Luxury is used by many professional athletes and Hollywood celebrities, but our driver still made us feel like his most valued guests!
