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Autumn – A Beautiful Time to Visit The Baja Peninsula
If you
have an interest in Baja, drop what you are doing and come visit us now.
The middle of October through the early part of December is my favorite
time of year in Baja.
For those of us that live here year round, the middle of October brings a break from the summer heat and humidity. One morning you wake up and realize, like the flip of a switch, summer is over.
Another reason the end of summer is welcome is the return of the tourists. The travel industry in Los Cabos has noticeably grown just in the time that I have been here. Los Cabos has developed a steady stream of worldwide tourists. Even still, August and September are the ‘bottom’ of the year. Many locals refer to the ninth month as ‘Sept-hambre’ (hambre means hunger in espanol) Tourism makes up a significant part of the economy in all of Baja Sur and everything slows down in those last few weeks of September. This makes right now a fabulous time to come visit!
Baja
Sur is always visitor friendly, but in the fall everyone in the travel
industry is going to be just tickled pink to see you. The facilities
that serve you will also be all spiffed up. Most businesses use the late
summer months to make repairs and improvements for the coming tourist
season. New restaurants and businesses also plan to open their doors in
early October so they can maximize the seasonal dollar.
If
you are interested in fishing or scuba diving – don’t waste a minute in
getting here. The fishing is at its peak. From Loreto to Los Cabos the
fish are biting. Dorado, Marlin and tuna can be found in numbers. If you
are a diver, this too is the peak of the year. I have been down at over
100’ and waved to the person leaning over the back of the boat above.
The same sea life that the fishermen seek abounds for the diver as well.
And with such crystal visibility it is no wonder the Sea of Cortez
attracts divers from all over the world.
For people who just plain like to swim and hang out at the beach this is primetime too. The temperatures have cooled off enough that you no longer feel like a sausage in I frying pan at the beach. The air is cooler, but the Sea is still spectacular. With temperatures into the upper 80°’s it is still easy to just walk right in and let the Sea envelope you.
With
the cooler weather many folks take to the trails to do some hiking in
Baja. We will be exploring more of this activity on the weeks ahead, but
if you get out there now, along the mountain trails of which there are
plenty, you can still find running water and even waterfalls in Baja
Sur.
If you are a sailor, or windsurfer in Baja California Sur what’s not to
like! The winds are blowing again after the dead calm of summer. Friends
of mine have already been enjoying some pretty raucous days of wind
surfing and kite boarding in La Ventana and I wholly intend to get away
for some sailing this coming weekend.
If you have some intentions of making a real estate investment in Baja
this year, this is also the best time to do so. Real estate
professionals have spent all summer gathering up new
inventory and preparing for fall. We are seeing more Canadian investment
in Baja Sur this year. As the Canadian dollar reaches par with the US
dollar for the first time since I was riding a tricycle, our BC buddies
are finding Baja Real Estate a bargain.
Since Baja real estate is still a significant value compared to that just north of the border, combined with the beautiful locations in resort and beachfront living the market in Baja Sur continues to boom. As with anything, getting here early provides you the best selection and the best chance of landing a bargain.
You
will also find that this is a great time to drive Baja California’s
Highway 1. Over the summer significant bridge projects have been
underway all along Highway 1. I am told by friends who have driven south
in the last few weeks that all the projects are either complete or in
the wrap up stage. Paving projects are complete and one veteran Baja
Driver told me that it’s such a breeze of a drive now it almost takes
all the adventure out of the trip.
F
inally,
there is Baja herself that makes now a wonderful time to visit.
Throughout this article are photos of just some of the dress of green
that the state of Baja Sur has adorned for you. With the rains brought
by Hurricane Henriette all of Baja Sur has blossomed in the colors of
the rainbow. Although the desert has already started to brown a little
and the grasses are going to seed, if you hurry you can still see the
desert in her splendid green glory.
So, drop what you’re doing, pack the car or book a flight and come play
in Baja California Sur. We’re all dressed up and ready – let the party
begin!
Tomas