Road trips are one of the best vacations out there. You can go from place to place at your leisure, take the road less traveled, and experience beautiful scenery first-hand. Are you ready to plan your next road trip? Have you ever considered taking one internationally? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then you’re virtually saying yes to a Baja California road trip.
Baja California is a beautiful state in Mexico that borders California. Baja’s 55,000 square miles of beauty has an array of cities and beaches just waiting to be explored. This peninsula consists of Baja California and Baja California Sur. From the United States, you can embark on the simple San Diego to Tijuana border crossing to begin your unforgettable journey by car. Here are the top five places to visit during your Baja California road trip.
Tijuana
Kick off your road trip by driving to Tijuana from San Diego. You may be wondering, is it safe to cross into Tijuana? The answer is yes, and it’s a border crossing that more than 50 million people do every single year. From the minute you cross the border, you will be immersed in a beautiful cultural scene with a plethora of tasty restaurants, fun dive bars, eclectic stores and artistic corners. Though this is your starting point, take some time to explore. Walk around the historic area along Avenida Revolución or catch an iconic lucha libre match.
Rosarito
Just about a half hour south of Tijuana lies the beachfront resort town of Rosarito. While of course, you’ll want to spend some time soaking up the sun, there are a number of attractions you’ll want to explore. Rosarito is home to many beautiful art galleries that feature panting’s from Mexican artists. If you’re looking to experience Rosarito with your wild side, rent an ATV and ride out those sand dunes. If you like nightlife, you’ll definitely enjoy going out in Rosarito. Don’t forget to spend a night at Club Iggy’s which features a bungee jump tower, mechanical pull, indoor swimming pool and more.
Valle de Guadalupe
Does relaxation to you consist of a delicious glass of wine in your hand while gazing across rows and rows of grapes in a vineyard? This is exactly what Valle de Guadalupe is all about. This area of Baja California actually produces almost three quarters of all the wine made in Mexico. Make a stop in this area and explore the region’s impressive wineries. If you can swing it in October, the Valle Food & Wine Festival is something you won’t want to miss.
Ensenada
A road trip through Baja would not be complete without a stop in Ensenada. This is a portside city with a fabulous Natural History Museum and Cultural Center. The seafood in Ensenada is fresh and delicious. If you want to explore by sea, here is your chance. Hop on a boat and go whale watching off shore.
Mexicali
If you have additional time to travel east instead of south, you should add Mexicali to your road trip itinerary. Mexicali is actually the capital of Baja and has a plethora of history just waiting to be explored. You may even want to catch a production at Teatro del Estado or catch an Aguilas Pacific Mexican League baseball game.
In addition to planning out all of the incredible cities you’ll visit, you should also be setting up all of the necessary documentation for your road trip. You will need to get Mexican auto insurance for Baja as your U.S. policy will not be sufficient or cover you. Temporary Mexico auto insurance can be purchased from a number of places, including at the border or ahead of time online. Mexican Border Insurance should be purchased from a reputable company to ensure you have the right level of liability coverage required by the Mexican government. Having these papers is vital should you get pulled over or have any auto trouble while traveling across the border.