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Fall Travel Tips for Baja
As a year round resident of Baja Sur, fall is my favorite time of
year, so I'm getting ready for a little vacation. Usually by the second week of October the heat and humidity that
limit enjoyment of the wonders of the Baja outdoors will abate.
Statistically, our Baja hurricane season ends with the same breath of
cooler, dryer air which comes between the 7th and the 15th of October.
Those of us that live here year round emerge from our air condition
seclusion and have even been know to comment that the temperatures in
the low 80°’s feel ‘a bit brisk.’
There are a lot of factors that make this a great time to visit Baja Sur, foremost is of course, the weather. Most parts of the States and Canada have headed into winter weather patterns. If you haven’t yet had enough ‘summer’ where you live, our little paradise offers summer for another two months, at least! Our humidity will drop and the daytime highs will return to the upper 80°’s. The nights will cool off very nicely too, with the lows dropping into the mid 70°’s
This makes it particularly nice for evening strolls around town and
open air dining, popular at many Baja culinary establishments. One of
my favorite fall evening activities is to wander the Malecón in La Paz and enjoy an ice
cream from ‘La Fuente’, (the Fountain) near the municipal pier.
If you are looking for a restaurant to enjoy outdoor dining, there are
many to choose from in Baja Sur. In Cabo San Lucas we
highly recommend The Stop Light, located next to Squid Roe and across
from Puerto Paraiso. There you can people watch or enjoy street
performers while dining on great food at a very reasonable price.
La Paz has grown to have several excellent culinary offerings. Sunset dining outdoors is beautiful well into December. There are also several wonderful restaurants for outdoor dining at CostaBaja Resort & Marina in La Paz.
For those with the yen for water borne adventure the Sea of Cortez is
still a delightful temperature well into November. Water temps are in
the 80°’s and it’s easy to wade right in. If you are into fishing,
they are still biting at this time of year. In Cabo things start to
rock again with what is billed as the richest fishing tournament in
the world – the Bisbee. The days are
cooler and the sun is less brutal than in the heat of summer. It makes
for a wonderful day on the water – fish or no.
Fall is a great time to rent a luxury condo or villa. For those wanting more privacy than a resort may offer or those traveling as small groups, a luxury villa makes a lot of sense. Our friends at Cabo Luxury Villas have a variety of rentals to choose from for just a few days or longer.
The diving is still marvelous through the end of November. Whale sharks have returned to the La Paz area in the late weeks of September, making a great attraction for those seeking adventure above or below the waterline.
Cabo Sports can set you up with personal watercraft, parasailing, snorkeling trips
and ATV adventures in Los Cabos. With the water being warm and the
weather just perfect it is a great time to explore life beyond Medano
Beach. Sunset sails that take you to two seas (Sea of Cortez and
the Pacific) aboard the La Princessa are outstanding at this time of year. It’s rare that you
even need a light jacket after the sun goes down in a beautiful
lightshow over the Pacific.
Carlos, from Club El Moro in La Paz gave me another excellent reason to invite you all to join us here in Baja. As Carlos said, “We have spent the summer months making improvements to our facilities, pruning our gardens and preparing for another travel season. We’re all ready now and anxious to see some smiling faces enjoying our slice of paradise.” You will find this true at most of the tourist businesses around Baja, particularly where the hot summer months also mean a drought of travelers. You will find a lot of smiling faces ready to help you have a great time on your vacation – they’ve missed you!
The Aero California debacle caused the travel season to end
prematurely for many La Paz businesses this spring. Now, Alaska
Airlines is suppose to begin service from LAX to La Paz. For those in
the San Diego area you can venture across the border and fly Air
Avolar very reasonably (around $189RT I heard) direct to La Paz . We
are hoping for service from United and one other large airline this
fall as well. Hopes are high for an exciting travel season here in La
Paz.
This
fall also means a green desert. With the rains the hillsides of Baja Sur
have come back to life.
The deserts are absolutely
beautiful right now and a drive around the Baja Sur Loop will
take you through the best of it. The roads are in pretty good shape,
with only some small problems in Central Baja between Santa Rosalia and
Constitucion. (Road
Report) Absolutely remember to bring your camera!
From an investment perspective October will also put you one step
ahead if you are interested in Baja real estate.
After a very slow season in 2008, real estate professionals are anxious to
serve and there is lots of inventory available. Although financing is
still presenting issues, those with available cash could find some
bargains in the 2009 real estate market.
It may change with this article in the BajaInsider, but October is also a great time to beat the tourist rush. Despite the fact that the weather is so outstanding at this time of year, it is largely undiscovered by travelers.
So pack you shorts, golf clubs, fishing pole, snorkeling gear, water wings or whatever else you need to have a great time and come join us. The weather is great, the peninsula is green and the Baja travel merchants are anxious to show you a wonderful time!
-Tomas