Baja California Norte

Baja California, sometimes referred to as “Baja California Norte” is located on the Baja California Peninsula in the far northeastern region of Mexico. Its shores are brushed by the waves of the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Sea of Cortez to the east. The state – bordered by Sonora on the northeast, Baja California Sur on the south and the state of California on the north – is one of the least humid areas in the world, nurturing a contrasting landscape of untouched beaches, arid deserts, fertile valleys and steep, cacti-covered mountain ranges, all found on one strip of land.

The region was formerly inhabited by nomadic groups who left their remarkable cave paintings as proof of their existence. These, coupled with the remains of Jesuit missions, are some of the state’s major historical attractions.

Baja’s stunning beaches are by far the state’s main attraction, and due to their proximity to California, quick weekend getaways are quite popular among California residents. Aside from relaxing at the beach, Baja also offers visitors several recreational options and tourist facilities, including scuba diving, sport fishing, whale-watching, bullfights, grey hound races, delightful restaurants with exquisite seafood, bars, discotheques and cabarets.

Baja California is Mexico’s wine country. The mission grape brought over and planted by the Jesuits in the 18th century found its perfect home in an area that compares in climate to California’s Napa Valley and France’s Rhone Valley. In 1834, Dominican priests began growing grapes at the nearby Northern Mission of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mision de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del Norte), now known by the abbreviated name of the Guadalupe Valley (Valle de Guadalupe). The Guadalupe Valley is one of the few places in the world where premium wine grapes can be grown.

Today, Mexico’s largest wineries can be found in three regions conveniently located near the town of Ensenada, 70 miles south of the U.S. border: San Antonio de las Minas, the San Vicente Valley and the Santo Tomas Valley. Guadalupe Valley is located in San Antonio de las Minas. The varieties of red wine produced in Baja California are Cabernet Sauvignon, Ruby Cabernet, Zinfandel Grenache and Mission. The white wines are Chenin Blanc, Palomino, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Saint Emilion and Málaga.

Popular cities in Baja California include Tijuana, just south of the border. Tijuana is the gateway to several resorts along the border and the closest point to the renowned spa in the city of Tecate, the lunar landscape of la Rumorosa and the spectacular Sierra de Juarez. The city also continues to serve as the stopover point for travelers on the way to the beaches and cliffs on the California coast, and is the ideal starting point for travelers interested in exploring the diverse Baja California Peninsula. But Tijuana is also a popular getaway in its own right, and is currently transforming itself into a destination famous for its haute cuisine.

Just 65 miles east of Tijuana is the capital of Baja California, Mexicali, an authentic Mexican city in the center of a rich farming region. Mexicali is not a traditional tourist attraction, so many tourists go there for its authentic feel. An interesting feature about this city is its more than 50 Chinese restaurants. Also worth visiting in Baja California are the charming cities of Ensenada and Rosarito just south of Tijuana along the Pacific coast.