Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25170
living. If you are arriving by air from other points, fly to Cabo, and plan on renting a vehicle: without one you won't get very far. (A 4x4 is ideal for adventuring, but a 2-wheel-drive Volkswagen can get you through most of the roads.) Just a two-hour drive northeast of Cabo is the East Cape area. If you One quick, easy way to get your sunshine fix is to head to Mexico. Just south of the border, it's accessible (either by car or a quick discounted flight), affordable and the living is easy. The closest Mexican option is the Baja peninsula, beginning just south of San Diego at the Mexican border town Tijuana and continuing 1,000 miles to the southernmost point, Cabo San Lucas. Baja lifestyle is perfect if you love independence, self-sufficiency and are looking for a warm road-trip destination. Expect to meet some interesting characters, such as North Americans who have been down there eluding the law for awhile and surfers who've lived in RVs perhaps longer than you've lived on the planet. And you'll find a hundred cacti for every human being you encounter. Be prepared to play lots of car games, drink your share of tequila and acquire the fine art of distinguishing at least 30 levels of fish taco quality. Beware of the rumors about Baja road cops, they're all true (budget at least US$30 a week for this). If you're on a budget and living on the West Coast, drive right down to Southern Baja (the lower half of the peninsula) as fast as you can ... but stay just north of tourist trap Cabo. Pack lots of camping gear into your car, or drive an RV and you' ll fit right in. Be sure to bring a surfboard, kayak and fishing pole, as those are the main activities other than hammock sleeping and palapa like endless sandy beaches, excellent surf and peacefulness (read: solitude), you wil l like it here. The population density feels like one of the lowest in North America. There are no hotels, so plan on living in your tent, and be sure you have enough food, water and gasoline to sustain yourself until you get back at some point. Another excellent Baja destination is just 90 minutes by car north of Cabo, on the western coast. The surf here is excellent, and you wil l quickly assimilate into the local lifestyle, making friends with other surf pilgrims, breathing salt air and eating mangos from your hammock while watching the break. Camp at Playa San Pedro or Playa Los Cerritos, home to the Pescadero Surf Camp and tons of independent surfers. You can rent boards at the beach (unlike most every other southern Baja spot). When the surf is down, or you are hungry for some fish tacos, check out the former artists colony nearby: the vil lage of Todos Santos. If camping is not your style, stay at the Hacienda (US$70 per night, 011-52-145-0002) or the Hotel California (US$35- 42 per night, 011-52-114-5-0002, under renovation but expected to reopen t his summer), which, despite rumors to the contrary, has no connection to the Eagles' song. There are lots of overpriced cappuccinos and California expatriates in Todos Santos, but if you've been camping by the sea for a long time, it makes a refreshing change. You can also rent mountain bikes and take yoga classes. Don't forget that although the Baja Peninsula is geographically south of Southern California , temperatures are stil l cool December through May. While the midday sun tans your skin, windy nights can freeze your butt. Be sure to bring a fleece, wetsuit and warm sleeping bag for this winter escape. -------r,-~--------~--~ , , , c ~ u u il :r u !;t u ~ :::J o in i5 li1 0: UJ :>: u '" ...i ...J '" u in :>: UJ i5 ...i ...J o ffi in UJ ...J i5 G' g Q. il' UJ VJ :>: o U ...J U VJ ~ :J: Q. ~ o :>: u '" 40