Baja California, found in Mexico, is a peninsula located between the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. It is located near the United States, which is why it is a favorite vacation spot for Americans, especially those in San Diego or California, which is merely an hour’s drive from Baja.

Baja boasts of having the finest beaches in Mexico. The sands are fine and white, the waters are pristine and mild. Baja has a quaint feel to it. It is a throwback to the past, where life was gentler and slower. The countless hotels around Baja are reflective of this Mexican culture of warmth and quaintness. The brilliant colors, and the quiet surroundings is a perfect reflection of Mexican culture.

But don’t be fooled by the quiet town. When vacationing in Baja, you have to be prepared for a whole lot of adventure. The beaches at Baja, no matter how serene and pristine they are, aren’t merely for swimming and lounging. Any vacationer in Baja can attest to the fact that Baja is a great place for water activities.

Surfing is one of the more popular activities in Baja, especially for the youth. The beaches in Todos Santos are perfect for this activity. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, the waters and the waves will be just to your liking. The temperate waters are also a plus factor when surfing. You don’t have to own a wetsuit if you want to surf. Just get your swimming attire, and it’s off to surf you go!

If you have less inclination for balancing on a surfboard, then you can opt to engage in another of Baja’s popular activities: fishing. This time, you’ve got little chance of wiping out and a bigger chance of getting a great catch. The seas of Baja are teeming with fishes of all kinds and sizes. Since Baja is surrounded by both the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, there is an abundance of fish to catch in Baja. From Bass to Marlin, to Swordfishes and Groupers, the diversity of the fishes is definitely something to look forward to. Fishing in Baja is usually done in the morning. Tourists can hire tour groups if they want to sail out to sea and get their catch from the deeper parts of the ocean. Others who don’t want to rent a boat can try their hand at fly-fishing, where they can enjoy fishing from shallow waters. No matter which type of fishing you go for, you’ll definitely enjoy this activity.

The activities in Baja do not end at surfing and fishing. There are countless other activities that will make any vacation truly unforgettable. You can go whale watching at the Pacific Ocean, Diving or Snorkeling, Camping by the shore, and even golfing. Indeed, there is never a lack of activities to be done while vacationing in Baja, and we haven’t even started on the night life.

If you’re looking for that perfect vacation, then Baja is the best place to go to. It’s got sand, surf, and everything else in between. What more could you ask for?

Every year in November, more than 10 thousand gray whales trade the freezing waters of Alaska’s Bering Sea for the warmth of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. Traveling along the Pacific coastline at top speeds of five mph and with pregnant females in the lead, the whales take about four months to make the 10 thousand miles roundtrip.

Once the whales reach the Mexican coast, they mate, bask in soothing lagoons and give birth, making January through early April the peak time to whale watch. During these months, boat excursions are available all along Baja California, giving tourists the chance to observe these magnificent creatures in their natural environment, see the newborn calves and enjoy the blowhole water shows.

Gray whales are so friendly that on many occasions they swim right up to the boats and even allow human contact. In early spring, the calves and their mothers are the last to head back up north, and without the presence of the males, mothers are less protective, often allowing their young to approach tour boats more freely.

Where to watch

Although a small percentage of whales, particularly those that are not giving birth, make it as far south as Cabo San Lucas and the East Cape on the southern tip of the Baja, most whale-watching takes place in three major lagoons all the coastline of the Baja Peninsula.

Laguna Ojo de Liebre: Also known as Scammon’s Lagoon, this body of water is located half-way down the peninsula on the Pacific side in Guerrero Negro, about 440 miles south of the border. It was the principal hunting lagoon used by commercial whale hunters in the 19th century. Today tourists arrive to the lagoon by car, but a national airport is also available for tourists flying in from other destinations in Mexico.

Laguna San Ignacio: Located 100 miles south of Laguna Ojo de Liebre, access to this site is mostly through charter air service from international airports such as San Diego and Tijuana.

Bahia Magdalena (Magdalena Bay): This bay in becoming increasingly popular for whale-watching due to its proximity to the La Paz and Loreto International airports.

How to get there

Tourists can arrive by charter plane and/or ground to the lagoons. Loreto’s International airport is the closest international airport to the lagoons, with limited service provided by Aeromexico and Aero California. Baja California’s capital, La Paz, is located approximately halfway between Loreto and Cabo and its larger airport offers more flight options.

Whale-watching options

Gray whale excursions comprise half-day or day trips, packages based out of whale-watching camps, and cruise programs that allow tourists to sleep onboard ships. There are various tour operators that specialize in whale-watching, including some major ones below.

Baja Expeditions: Based in La Paz and one of the oldest and largest whale-watching outfitters, Baja Expeditions service both the Magdalena Bay and San Ignacio lagoons. It offers charter flights directly from San Diego to San Ignacio and five-day, all-inclusive packages, including accommodations at the camps. It also offers seven-day combined kayaking and whale-watching programs to Magdalena Bay, meeting at the La Paz International Airport. Programs run from February to end of March.

Baja Discovery Tours: Boasting more than 20 years experience, Baja Discovery Tours it offers all-inclusive service from the San Diego International airport, including ground service to Tijuana, charter service to San Ignacio and accommodations at the San Ignacio camp. Five-day programs run from February to end of March.

Lindblad’s Special Expeditions: This provider offers nine-day cruises featuring whale-watching at Magdalena Bay along with other destinations and activities. Groups meet in Los Cabos.

Miramar Adventures: Offers three-day excursions to the Ojo de Liebre lagoon. Tourists arrive by car.

For those not interested in signing up for a whale-watching package, Puerto Lopez Mateos or Puerto San Carlos at Magdalena Bay are quaint sleepy villages where boats can be rented for US$50 a day, skipper included, and are located two hours by car from the Loreto International Airport.

Gray whales aren’t the only species to see while in Baja. Sea Kayak Adventures: also offers kayaking/camping adventures out of Loreto on the Sea of Cortez, located on the eastern side of the Baja Peninsula. Tourists can watch finback and blue whales, along with dolphins, sea lions and exotic fish. Apart from paddling among islands, additional activities include snorkeling and hiking up scenic canyons offering breathtaking panoramas.

More on gray whales

Hunted for their oils, blubber and other valuable products, gray whales were once victims of massive slaughters in the 1800s and early 20th century. The hunting continued until the numbers were reduced to only a few hundred, and the whales were subsequently placed on the endangered species list.

Thanks to an international protection agreement made among several countries in the 1940s, the whales’ numbers have grown at an incredible rate. Today, more than 20,000 gray whales exist and although still protected, they were removed from the endangered species list in 1975. Gray whales are among the oldest species of mammals, inhabiting the Earth for about 30 million years.

About the Mexico Tourism Board

The Mexico Tourism Board (MTB) brings together the resources of federal and state governments, municipalities and private companies to promote Mexico’s tourism attractions and destinations internationally. Created in 1999, the MTB is Mexico’s tourism promotion agency, and its participants include members of both the private and public sectors. The MTB has offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

FOR PRESS ONLY: For additional ideas, help with a story or general travel and tourism information about Mexico, please contact the MTB’s North American Press Room directly at 1-800-929-4555, by e-mail at northamericanpress@visitmexico.com, or visit our press Web site at www.visitmexicopress.com. To access an online warehouse of free, downloadable b-roll, visit www.thenewsmarket.com/visitmexicopress.

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Erick Laseca

Mexico Tourism Board

312-228-0517

erick.laseca@bm.com

Baja California, Mexico is simply divine. There are no words to express the free and non crowded beaches, the golden days filled with sunshine and the perfect weather that lasts the year around, cooled by the rich sea-laden breezes. There are just too many activities to do in the Baja peninsula, and appeals to just about everyone. So whether one is looking for a sports adventure or a quite trek through ancient ruins to, Baja peninsula has it all. The variety of water sports is mind boggling, with surfing and kayaking topping the list, along with other activities such as diving, snorkeling, sailing and fishing.

Affordable real estate lures immigrants

The magic of the free and unfettered lifestyle and simple lifestyle appeals to all people and thousands of immigrants flock the shores of Baja California Mexico. The inexpensive housing has sent the Baja California real estate flourishing, with many retirees and migrants seeking to own an apartment, a beach condo or a villa. Many wonderful options are available as the Baja peninsula boasts of beautiful sparsely populated beaches, coves and bays. Convenient oceanfront houses are available, open to the seas and sun, as well as villas and beach homes with all amenities like pool, play courts; club houses etc, in the Baja California real estate options.

There are timeshare options available to vacationers who prefer to share the ownership as they are only present in the vacations. There are about 200,000+ Americans living in Baja peninsula, some of them have jobs and have accepted this land as their home, other continue to hold American passports.

Vacation spots- easy to get there But no vacation in the Baja Peninsula is complete without a visit to Mexicali, the capital of Baja California, about 63 kms from the US border. In spite of its arid desert location Mexicali is watered through a system of aquifers in the valley, which was built to encourage agriculture. Mexicali Baja California now produces grapefruit, dates, vegetables, alfalfa, cotton, and cottonseed oil. Many US companies have set up base in Mexicali Baja California due to the availability of cheap labour.

Mexicali Baja California also relies on tourism and visitors cross by foot or car from Calexico in the United States every day. The welcoming atmosphere of Mexicali Baja California includes delicious food in Mexican restaurants, taco stands, music shows, bars and dance clubs attract tourists to this city. Shops selling Mexican crafts and souvenirs are also located in walking distance from the border.

Another attraction for the young students from many high school and colleges is the low drinking age of 18years in Baja California, Mexico, as opposed to 21 years in the United States.

Rosarito – Where the mountains meet the sea

Whatever be the reason, the enchantment of the Baja peninsula lures the tourist with its simple life and natural charisma. The dream vacation is closer than you think, and the way to it is inexpensive, so pack those bags and get moving!

One of the three popular locales on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula is Tijuana. It offers all of the flavor of a major city like Atlanta, or Chicago. Museums, festivals, fine dining wonderful hotels and so on and so on. The wonderful people of this city speak Spanish, you have the breathtaking lovely Pacific Ocean the beach and scenic views. Think of it as Mexican Miami.

Another city is Ensenada. A large city in the Mexico Baja Peninsula. It does not have the reputation of a “party city” Ensenada is known for its serene atmosphere and include activities like kayaking, scuba diving, surfing, golfing, spa hopping, boating and the beaches—wow!

The two areas of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo are collectively known as Los Cabos. Located on the Southern tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. If you go during the winter months you could possibly witness the whale’s mating season and the fishing is great too! If none of those Mexico’s Baja Peninsula top three does not tickle your fancy there are other places to get your grove back like Stella did.

There is La Paz and Cabo del Este an outdoor adventurer’s paradise, just You and Mother Nature. You can head to another Mexican vacation highlight, the countryside. Farming towns and vineyards. South towards the desert regions of the Baja Peninsula there is beautiful desert scenery along the rout from El Rosario to Catavina and there are great places to pitch a tent at night.

Investing in a Mexican vacation rental on the Baja Peninsula is a win/win situation. The variety that Mexico’s Baja Peninsula offers is undoubtedly what has attracted tourists for years. Become part of the new developments and attractions.

This place is simply Heaven for vacation rental investors. Contact www.premierbeachvacations.com or call toll free 1-866-736-3390.

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Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo

This Press Release has been submitted by PREasy.com

The multitude of environmental regions in Baja California combined with it pleasant Mediterranean climate opens up the doors towards many recreational activities for travelers, visitors, locals, tourists and vacationers.

Of course, water sports aplenty are available in Baja California. There are several beaches, marinas, harbors and bays to be found all around the Baja peninsula, and swimming is an activity many people enjoy in Baja’s fine, white sand beaches. Aside from swimming, another water sport that thousands come to Baja every year to experience is sports fishing. With two very abundant and large bodies of water found on either side of the peninsula, it comes as no surprise that Baja offers an enjoyable fishing experience.

Snorkeling and scuba diving are also very popular among tourists. There are but a very few places in the whole planet where you can dive and swim along colonies of hammerhead sharks or gigantic yet gentle whale sharks and humpback whales. Because of the rich marine bio-diversity in the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean, as well as the interesting underwater landscapes found beyond Baja California’s shores, both diving experts and amateurs can enjoy their Baja diving experience.

Other water sports and seaside recreational activities that you can do in Baja is wind surfing, para sailing, sea kayaking, whale watching, island boating and surfing.

Due to the long strip of mountain ranges found in the peninsula of Baja California, activities such as mountain biking, trekking, hiking and camping are popular recreational activities along Baja mountain ranges. Some very well known mountain ranges in the Baja peninsula are the Sierra de la Giganta and Sierra de la Laguna. These mountain ranges have different environmental regions within them. You can find cool pine forests, dry mountain forests and desert mountain regions.

Deserts in Baja California also offer several recreational activities. Desert biking is a famous sport in Baja and there are plenty of annual biking competitions and events held here. There are also some ranches found along Baja desert regions where you can go horseback riding, touring and ATV racing (all terrain vehicle racing).

And even within the large cities and small towns of Baja, there is always an enjoyable distraction to find. Tours are popular among vacationers and visitors. Old Spanish missions, cathedrals, museums, cave paintings and other historically and culturally significant sites are commonly part of these tours. Shopping is a most engaging activity in Baja California, not just because of the very low prices but also because of the wide variety of choices there is to find.

For more information on Baja California recreational activities, visit www.baja.com for a complete city guide and loads of helpful information.

There are several places in Mexico that have contributed to the charm and allure of the country, among them: Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City. All of these have done their share in building the “Mexico mystique” and are definitely some of the more worthwhile places to visit in the country. There is however another area that somehow stands apart from all the rest and that is the area known as Baja California.

Baja California is a peninsula that juts out into the Pacific Ocean from the southern end of California. As you may well imagine given this location, Baja California is gifted with spectacular seascapes, making it an ideal destination for myriad different water based leisure activities. In fact, the area has attracted thousands of surfers and sailing enthusiasts over the years, in addition to the hordes of college students from the U.S. who have made Baja California their unofficial home away from home during spring break.

The water is by no means the only place to have fun in Baja California. In fact, with the sheer number of things to do and places to see, you may find yourself overwhelmed if you try to take them all in! The best thing to do is to plan your visit around one or two major activities–diving or whale watching for example–and plan for smaller, shorter deviations throughout your stay. Of course, if you are up to the challenge you may just decide to see as much of the area as you possibly can!

We’ve already mentioned the water and how much fun you can have in or around it: there’s scuba diving, fishing, wind surfing, snorkeling, kayaking, swimming, and even just lounging around in the sun and sand. There are other things to do in Baja California without even having to get wet however. For starters, there is cycling or even mountain biking. The highway that stretches from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas is a particularly popular route and attracts many cyclists every year. If you are interested in traveling the less beaten path, there are numerous dirt road trails all over La Paz, Loreto, San Jose del Cabo and Todos Santos that will test the limits of both you and your bike! Of course if you want to get around at a slower pace, you can always go for a hike on the many trails in the San Pedro Martir National Park or in the Sierra Lagunas.

We’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of all the treasures that lie in wait for you in Baja California. Visiting this naturally rich and diverse spot will surely unearth a lot more for you to discover.