Mexico’s Most Popular Travel Destination – And 14 Reasons To Visit!
From the beaches of Cancun to the bustling capital of Mexico City, there are plenty of places worth visiting in Mexico. However, nowhere in Mexico is growing in popularity quite as quickly as Baja California Sur, the southern portion of the stunning Baja California peninsula that is home to deserts, a gorgeous coastline, and the ever-popular resort destination of Los Cabos. Read on for 14 reasons why now is the time to start planning your visit to Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Mexico’s Best Resorts
Baja California Sur is home to some of Mexico’s most impressive resorts, mostly concentrated in the twintowns of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, which together form Los Cabos. So many of the region’s visitors come with an all-inclusive resort experience in mind and can choose from an array of options. Grand Velas Los Cabos, seen here, is known for elevating the all-inclusive experience in Mexico to a luxury one.
And Stunning Boutique Hotels
Los Cabos is filled with large resorts home to hundreds of rooms and suites, but the region is also known for more intimate properties that make visitors feel like they’ve found a home away from home. There’s an increasingly impressive array of boutique hotels in Los Cabos to choose from, like Mar del Cabo by Velas Resorts, seen here. In other Baja California Sur towns like Loreto and Todos Santos, boutique hotels and historic properties abound.
Go Sport Fishing
Baja California Sur is a fisherman’s paradise, having long drawn fishermen the world over to its rich waters. Take a fishing charter on the Sea of Cortez from Loreto or hit the waters on a charter departing from Los Cabos to sail past landmarks like El Arco as part of the experience. It’s one of the best things to do in Baja California Sur, and everyone from novice fishermen to champions will love the experience.
Swim With Whale Sharks
Baja California Sur is also well known for being one of the best places in the world to swim with whale sharks. For the best chance to see whale sharks, join one of the small group tours that depart from the city of La Paz. Whale sharks visit the waters of the Sea of Cortez between October 1st and April 30th every year.
Experience Local Art and Culture
Baja California Sur also has plenty to see and do for art lovers and culture buffs. Those staying in Los Cabos should be sure to head to the San José del Cabo Art Walk every Thursday night between November and June, when local gallery owners open their doors and locals and visitors meet, share, and experience the best of Baja together.
Next-Level Wellness Experiences
Baja California Sur is also an increasingly popular destination for wellness getaways. The resorts in Los Cabos offer every type of experience under the sun, but even in the region’s smaller towns like Loreto, there are plenty of ways to enjoy a wellness-centric getaway—and at a fraction of the price.
Walk Among Historic Landmarks
Baja California Sur has plenty of historic landmarks to contrast again the new construction in the region’s popular resort districts. Historic Spanish missions like those in Loreto, San Javier, and beyond provide a gateway into the region’s past.
Spot Breeching Whales
Even if you’re not interested in swimming with whale sharks, a trip to Baja California Sur during whale watching season is almost a guarantee you’ll spot breeching whales of a number of different species, who head to this region of the world every year between December to April.
Incredible Surf
Baja also boasts some pretty serious waves for surfing. Head to Los Cerritos on the peninsula’s western coast for some of the best waves in the area, as well as surf schools for all levels of surfers. Stay in Todos Santos for a cool, laidback coastal vibe.
Mexico’s Most Beautiful Beaches
Mexico’s Caribbean coast beaches tend to be among the country’s most well-known, but the beaches of Baja are something truly special. White-sand Balandra Beach outside of La Paz and the hidden golden cove beaches along the islands of Loreto are some of the most stunning in the country, and much less built up than their Caribbean counterparts.
Culinary Innovation
Baja California Sur also has a growing reputation as a culinary destination, attracting foodie travelers the world over. Farm-to-table and sea-to-table cuisine is the name of the game, with numerous outposts in Los Cabos boasting incredible, fresh menus and even spots in towns like Todos Santos, Loreto, and San Javier offering their own farm-to-table options worth traveling for.
Mexico’s Most Charming Beach Towns
Both coastlines of Baja California Sur are dotted with some of the country’s coolest and most laid-back beach towns. Lovely Loreto on the region’s eastern shore is popular for its sport fishing excursions, wellness-centric activities, adventure sports, and easy access to the protected islands of Loreto that sit just offshore. The region is also home to Todos Santos and Santa Rosalia, two of Mexico’s so-called pueblos mágicos, or, magical villages.
Stunning Desert Landscapes
In addition to its stunning shores, the desert interior of Baja California Sur is brimming with incredible landscapes, from dunes and canyons to hidden oases near historic Spanish colonial missions.
Easy Accessibility
In many ways, Baja California Sur is more easily accessible than ever for visitors from most of the United States. Not only is the airport in Los Cabos one of the busiest in Mexico, but smaller regional airports in La Paz and Loreto receive frequent flights from the United States and beyond, meaning that all areas of this rich region are just a short flight away.
Carley Rojas Avila is a bilingual New York-based travel writer, editor, content marketer, and the founder of the digital travel publications Explorers Away and Home to Havana. Carley is an expert on all things Latin America, the Caribbean, and Cuba, having lived and worked in four different countries in the region. Her writing has appeared on the Associated Press wires and in Travel + Leisure, Yahoo, MSN, Euronews, The Weather Channel, and more. When she's not writing about her travels, find her front row at a Bad Bunny concert, befriending street cats, and taste-testing every pizza in Havana.