Impressions of Baja are often about Cabo resorts, margaritaville cantinas, whale watching and kayaking on the Sea of Cortez… If anything bike-related, it’s usually about bikepacking or the annual Tecate to Ensenada fun bike ride. However, in the last few years Baja has quietly become one of the best road cycling destinations in the world, with miles and miles of newly-paved roads, upscale hotels, sublime landscapes, light traffic, and tranquility away from the violence that plagues other areas of Mexico.How tranquil? Almost 3/4 of Baja’s 3.3 million residents live near the border cities of Tijuana and Ensenada. The rest of the 55,366-square-mile peninsula—surrounded by the Pacific Ocean on the west coast and the Gulf of California on the east coast—is wide-open space, an increasing amount of which is becoming preserved as federal lands, private reserves and spaces.
We feel there are three things that make a great bike trip: pretty rides, friendly people, and good grub. Baja delivers on all of these, in spades, with a bonus of warm sunny weather and clear skies. Our journey travels the length of Baja, riding through the bourgeoning Guadalupe wine region, past towering-cactus nature preserves, palm-fringed oases, small rustic towns, historic misions, high-desert mesas, jagged coastal cliffs, islands, and turquoise marine parks.
Things are changing quickly in Baja, but for now come ride easy peaceful miles on tranquilo roads, enjoying the peninsula’s sublime rugged beauty, before the secret gets out.
I ntrodución
Three years ago co-founder of Veloasia Willard Ford and I went to Baja as a quick break from riding in Asia. We invited some old cycling friends, including ex-pros John Brady and Tony Cruz. There were few expectations for this trip, never having been below Tony’s hometown, Ensenada, which we’d only ridden to occasionally during races and fun rides and never had heard anything else about riding Baja except bikepackers. What we discovered was a revelation that brought us back to the thrill we had discovering new rides in Vietnam, Turkey, and other unknown places that had quietly become cycling havens.
The Baja we rode had new pavement, light traffic with polite drivers (far better behaved than on our California roads). We marveled at sublime Landscapes rivaling Joshua Tree, Moab, Big Sur, and fire-red mesas of Idaho. Towering cactus spread across valleys as far as the eye could see – 40 to 50 miles - along empty spaces. Indeed, most striking about Baja is the tranquility. Almost 3/4 of Baja’s 3.3 million residents live near the border cities of Tijuana and Ensenada. The rest of the 55,366-square-mile peninsula—surrounded by the Pacific Ocean on the west coast and the Gulf of California on the east coast—is wide-open space, an increasing amount of which is becoming preserved as federal lands, private reserves and spaces. With few places to stop, typically ancient oases along the 1,000 mile route, it is road biking paradise and worlds away from the violence that plagues populated areas of Mexico.
And here it was in our backyard all along. With travel restrictions and uncertainty you’ve been missing France and Italy, come enjoy equally fabulous and kind people, great cuisine, and wonderful riding – all under warm sunny skies.
Why are we fixated on Baja? In light of Cornavirus, Baja is a close destination, and a place with few people – ideal for a close and safe getaway with a familiar culture. But we also know the time is now. Having witnessed many of our favorite places disappear in the last 25 years, including the coast of Turkey, Vietnam’s Highway 1, and even Southern California. Baja is being developed and the time to ride it is now.
Things are changing quickly in Baja, but for now come ride easy peaceful miles on tranquilo roads, enjoying the peninsula’s sublime rugged beauty, before the secret gets out.
Cultural similar
After these past years of riding, no one knows these roads better.
Patrick Morris
TRIP AT A GLANCE
ITINERARY Day 1: Arrive Tijuana Day 2: Tecate to Guadalupe Day 3: Guadalupe to San Quintin Day 4: San Quintan to Cataviña Day 6: San Ignacio to Mulegé Day 7: Mulegé to Loreto Day 8: Loreto to La Paz |
DATES & PRICES
$4,680 ARRANGE A PRIVATE TRIP |
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS · Travel the length of Baja’s 1,000 miles of largely uninhabited canyons and valleys, rugged coastline, mesas, nature preserves, and cactus desert. · Explore the ever-popular Guadalupe Wine Valley with wine tasting · Ride newly-paved roads with little traffic · Visit Baja’s historic missions and towns · Stay in Loreto and La Paz, two of Mexico’s most picturesque small towns · Feast on traditional Baja and Mexican cuisine · Enjoy Warm sunny weather everyday · Stay on to enjoy whale watching and other activities on the Baja coast · |
Why JOIN this tRIP
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DAY 1: Arrive Tijuana
Arrive and meet your driver for transport into town to our hotel. After introductions, we’ll unpack and assist building your bike up and testing on a short ride. Long known as a rundown party mecca, sprawling Tijuana has undergone massive redevelopment in the last few years, with a pleasant central promenade, stylish hotels, and upscale dining. In 2017, Tijuana was named one of the The New York Times’ top travel destinations.
As a culinary destination, Tijuana is famous for its street food, especially mariscos, birria and tacos of all stripes, which we can sample after building up our bikes. Tonight, we’ll enjoy a special dinner and wine tasting planned by chef owner Javier Plascencia at his elegant cocina de Baja, Mision 19. Javier is one of a the a new breed of natives driving Tijuana’s revitalization. Read more about his efforts in the New York Time’s Master of a New Tijuana.
DAY 2: Tecate to Guadalupe 51 MILES +3,227
FEET
RUTA VINO - GUADALUPE WINE COUNTRY
Today we ride the classic Tecate to Ensenada route, but on a new highway with
wide shoulders and gentler grades. Our ride meanders through green countryside,
few small towns, and finally, through
the vineyards of the Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico’s fast
growing wine region. After arrival, we’ll enjoy lunch in a local winery and
spend the afternoon visiting other local wineries. Our driver, Ivan lives here
and leads trips in the valley. After, we’ll enjoy an swim, dinner featuring regional specialties, and overnight in a villa
overlooking the valley.
DAY 3: GAUDALUPE to Puenta Colonet 50 MILES +3,114FEET
LAGARS AND GRANJAS
After a delicious
breakfast of fresh flour tortillas, huevos, queso, chilis, frijoles and fruit,
we’ll shuttle up the road for our day start in the verdant mountains under
expansive skies of Baja, rolling along the green pastures and through green
landscapes past small farms. As we crest hills, the empty landscapes open up
and we’ll enjoy breathtaking views over the expansive green valleys, rugged
canyons, and scrub arroyos. In the afternoon, we reach our secluded beach
resort with time to enjoy a walk on the sand before our dinner banquet.
DAY 4: San Quintín to Cataviña 75 MILES +4,234 FEET
Valle de los Cirios
This morning, as the
sunrises over the waves, we’ll ride along the coast before climbing into the magnificent and massive Valle de
los Cirios nature preserve, with stunning
landscapes resembling Joshua Tree with towering sienna-colored mesas. Along
this desolate road without any towns and little traffic we’ll marvel at our
first glimpse of thousands of towering Cardón or Elephant Cactus, the world’s largest cactus, which can reach up to 65 feet
high, as well as boojum, yucca, and elephant trees, and wild ocotillos as far as the eye can see.
As we climb up onto the plateau, the wild landscapes seem one vast expanse
under bright blues skies, and the only sounds are light breezes.
As we near our destination, a remote tranquilo outpost situated upon an oasis, Cataviña, a vast plain of giant rock boulders appears, an area that is popular with eco-tourists and rock climbers. Today is our longest ride and there will be cold cervezas by the pool after we arrive.
DAY 5: Cataviña TO SAN IGNACIO 68 miLES +1,397 ft
THE CACTUS PLATEAU
If you're awake early, we’ll have a short hike before breakfast, watching the sun rise over the boulder plain as the colors change on the massive rocks in the morning light. All around our route today is the bed of ancient ocean, now dotted with cactus and other desert plants as far as you can see. This day captures the wonderful solitude of Baja, with only a single town during the flattest ride of our trip over newer pavement.
After stopping and loading up, we’ll van to Guerrero Negro for a lunch of delicious fresh local lobster and seafood before crossing into Baja Sur (south) and on to San Ignacio, location of an early mission with a small colonial-era plaza with an impressive well-preserved church.
DAY 6: SAN IGNACIO TO Mulegé 46 miLES +2,159 ft
ACROSS THE DIVIDE
Sprawling canyons spread over the landscape, as we gradually climb, rewarded at the summit with incredible views of a massive valley of organ pipe and golden barrel cactus. As we descend, suddenly there is a cools breeze as the blue waters of the Sea of Cortez appear.
After reaching the coast, we’ll lunch along the coast before reaching the small oasis town of Mulegé, at the mouth of Río de Santa Rosalía. Settled by Jesuits in the mid-1700s it was location of the first mission in Baja. Recently, it has become a bohemian enclave of artists.
DAY 7: Mulegé to LORETO 84 miLES +2,687 ft
BEACH COVES AND ARROYOS
Today’s ride out of Mulegé, rolling along the coast, is the most spectacular of the trip. We meander along the cliffs along postcard-perfect beach coves and lagoons with bright red cliffs rising dramatically on the inland side. Midway through our ride, we pass through rolling desert plains passing arroyos and pequeño pueblos. At ride’s end, we roll into Loreto, which has just renovated it’s central district in 2020 and has a distinct local flavor.
DAY 8: LORETO to LA PAZ 48 miLES +2,205 ft
THE LORETO BAY
After another delicious Mexican breakfast, we’ll ride along the coast with sublime views of the Loreto Bay National Marine Park dotted with islands with a mix of stunning cliffs, wide sandy beaches and rock formations.
One the longest climbs of our trip appears as we turn inland, but it’s a gentle grade of only two and half miles, followed by stunning canyon landscapes of red and green. In the afternoon, we reach the one of the most pleasant towns in Mexico, La Paz.
DEPARTURE
HASTA LUEGO
Stay on longer for well-deserved R&R in Cabo, or whale watching, sport fishing, sailing, cooking classes, yoga, wind surfing, snorkeling (Jacques Cousteau famously called the Sea of Cortez, home to some 800 varieties of fish, “the world’s aquarium”), mountain biking, or visiting nearby towns, such as the vibrant artist town of Todos Santos.
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THE DETAILS
2021 will mark our 3rd season of cycling Baja, during which we’ve refined the trip to the best biking routes, places to stay, eating, and training of a world-class support crew with over 20 years’ experience leading trips. This eight-day journey is fully-supported. Riders can expect beautiful, safe rides, plenty of delicious Mexican grub, hot showers, and cultural activities on the side. This 8-day trip is limited to 10 riders. This trip may be organized as a private, custom tour for you and your friends or family. For more information about this trip, please see: www.veloasia.com/baja.html
PRE-DEPARTURE
In addition to a pre-tour preparation packet for Baja, all riders are welcome
to contact us in advance of the trip, for questions and information they may
need.
ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE
Please contact us before
arranging your flights for recommendations, and even for booking a ticket. If you are flying in,
you’ll want to arrive into San Diego or Tijuana Airports, with departure from
Cabo San Lucas. For a moderate additional cost, we will arrange transport from
the airport in San Diego for you to join us in Tijuana, including a stop to
obtain your visa at the border.
DAY-TO-DAY
Our Baja trips are designed for moderate to advanced riders comfortable riding 2-5 hours at a steady
pace, though all riding is
optional—our Sag wagon is always nearby, even for a catching a quick lift up
the longer climbs. We typically ride as a group, though faster riders may ride
ahead if desired or add additional mileage. We typically depart mid-morning
around 9 AM each day, with a break for a pleasant lunch. Afternoons after
arrival with include some time free, or we will have scheduled sightseeing,
such as visiting the historical Jesuit missions along our route. Mornings
before we depart also provides some time to see local sights.
WEATHER
The weather in Baja during our touring season is always sunny and warm, with no rainfall, and typically reaching into the 70s to 80s midday. Evenings are pleasantly cool but not chilly.
BIKES &
BIKE RENTALS
We always recommend you
bring your own bike. Airlines have become more adept with handling bikes, and also have sharply reduced
charges. We will assist with transport of your bike from and to airports,
assembly, maintenance, disassembly and packing up. Contact us if you are
interested in renting a bike for available models in your size. Our support van
and your guides will have all necessary tools, pumps, tubes, tires and other
essentials to keep you rolling.
HOTELS
In places where there are choices, such as Guadalupe and La Paz, we stay at the finest properties available, such as Encuentro overlooking the vast expanses of Valle de Guadalupe (below), while in other places, such as Cataviña, we stay in the only accommodation available, rustic yet comfortable. Contact us for specific hotels by location for the dates of your trip.
Encuentro Guadalupe
DINING
Our past travelers will
tell you our trips are as much as about the food as the riding. In fact, after
20 years our Iron Chef Vietnam culinary cycling trip remains our most popular.
Our meals feature a variety of the best of Baja, from the most delicious tacos
in the world, fresh seafood, including lobster, grilled and rotisserie meats,
sinful chilaquiles, heaping bowls of fresh guacamole with handmade chips
always served with piping hot flour tortillas and fresh salsas. Guadalupe-produced
vinos are available throughout our route. Our van is stocked with typical
rider’s fuel, including carbo mix, bars, bananas and other fruit, but also a
variety of cold beverages and local snacks popular in each location.
EMERGENCY
& MEDICAL
For expediency, VeloAsia will arrange medical and
evacuation coverage for your participation through a local service who is
experienced. The cost of this service is included in your trip cost.
Trip Leaders
Patrick Morris
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.“
Willard Ford
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco
laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.”
John Brady
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. “
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. “
Victor Ayala
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. “
COST
Single rooms are limited, and are an additional cost
of $1,280. Contact us for 2021 dates.
What’s included
- Emergency medical and evacuation insurance
- Pre-trip packet
- All accommodations, meals, snacks, bottled water
- Technical support and supplies (tools, tubes, tires, cables, etc.)
Not included
- Flight to and from Baja (can be arranged through us)
- Visa ($20, issued upon arrival)
- Bicycle and gear (rental can be arranged)
- Alcoholic beverages
- Expenses of a personal nature
- Airport transfers (we will arrange, extra cost dependent on arrival airport)
PRIVATE CUSTOM TRIPS
Most of our trips are private, organized for groups of friends or families. This trip may be organized as a private tour for you and your friends or family, fully-customized to your group’s preferences, including balance of cycling and off-bike activities and sightseeing, even for non-cyclists who want to accompany the trip yet still be engaged with Baja’s sights, attractions, and people. Contact us for more details about arranging a private custom trip to Baja for your group. Note: hotels are limited and can fill for whale-watching high-season up to a year in advance.
ABOUT
Since 1993, VeloAsia has organized bike tours to the most adventurous cycling destinations in the world, including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Turkey, Myanmar, Sumatra, Albania, Bhutan, Chiapas, China, and more. See more about this and other trips at www.veloasia.com.
NEXT STEPS?
If you are ready to sign up, or if you have questions about this trip, or our other trips, or questions in general, please give us a call at between 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) or send an email to veloasia@gmail.com. To secure your spot on this trip, submit a non-refundable deposit of $1,000 per person. Once we receive your deposit, we’ll contact you about arrival and departure information and other details, and send you a pre-trip packet to you containing detailed information about the Baja trip. This trip may also be arranged as a private, custom tour for you and your friends or family. Register for this trip at veloasia.com