Ever dreamed of journeying south of the border? Stunning beaches, romantic sunsets and a vast wine country await you. Explore Baja California with us!
Practicalities for Baja California
Currency: Mexican pesos
Recommended length of stay: one week
Month of visit: February (but recommended month of visit – early August for harvest season)
Useful tips: Bring your car – but don’t forget to purchase insurance for Mexico! More on that below. Also always a great idea to bring your International Drivers Permit any time you are driving out of the U.S.
CDC’s Recommended Vaccinations: Click here!
Packing List
- Bathing suit and cover up
- 1 medium weight jacket
- 3 dresses or lightweight shirt/shorts
- Sneakers
- Sunscreen
- Reusable water bottle
- Passport, IDP, and copy of car insurance for Mexico
Getting to Baja
There are several main ways you can reach Baja California, and in this post we are mostly talking about the area of Baja that is just south of the U.S.-Mexican border (Cabo is this way)!
There are several pedestrian crossing walkways including San Ysidro and Otay Mesa. However, if you walk across the border you are left without transport for your journey, so unless you have someone picking you up or have plans to rent a car in Mexico, we wouldn’t recommend this.
There are also several car entrances, and we entered Mexico through the San Ysidro Port of Entry. It’s really close to the Plaza Las Americas outlets where we did a little bit of shopping before heading to Mexico! On the way back, we entered the U.S. through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry which had a shorter wait time at the time we showed up than San Ysidro.
It’s also worth noting that there are several lanes at the Port of Entry back to the U.S. The fastest option is the SENTRI lane, followed by the Ready Lane, followed by the general entry lane. The SENTRI lane and Ready lane both require some advance planning (which we didn’t do) so we headed to the general entry lane. It took us about thirty minutes to enter Mexico and about an hour to leave – though wait times to enter the US can sometimes be upwards of four hours! This is a really great website to help check wait times at different entrances along the border.
Where to Stay
There are hundreds of vineyards, farms, guest houses, small hotels and even bubble tents to choose from when it comes to the Valle de Guadalupe. We stayed at Don Tomas Viñedo and Cabañas and had an amazing time. Our only regret was that we didn’t book early enough to score one of their star-viewing rooms with a retractable roof! Our cabin was very cute, clean and the perfect place to relax and enjoy the Baja sunshine. It came with a firepit as well which was great to huddle around in the evening as it does cool off at the end of the day. The location was also great as it was in the heart of the Valle so very central to many of the wineries and restaurants in the area. 10/10 – would stay here again!
The Drive
Once you get past the border, take the toll road toward the Ruta del Vino (only accepts cash!) and head down past the beaches of TJ towards Rosarito. Download the Google Maps in advance for offline use and you should have no problems finding your way around.
We stopped off at Enelmar Restaurant for some chilaquiles and margaritas and spent some time admiring the ocean and wandering up and down the beautiful stretches of sandy beaches. We grabbed a delicious iced coffee from quirky Monociclo before hitting the road again.
You’ll pass beautiful sparkling water on your right and the Cristo del Sagrado Corazòn on your left, and cut inwards towards the beautiful green valley. Some of the roads can be a little windy in this part, but we were able to make it in a 9 year old Prius!
What to Do
You’re right in the heart of Baja’s wine country, so consider vineyard hopping! Even if you’re not a fan of wine, many of the vineyards have fantastic outdoor sculptures, gardens and much more. While you’re enjoying, remember to be safe – Ubers are available but the wait time can be high, consider hiring a local driver to help transport you around during the day!
One of our favorite vineyards was Vena Cava Vìnicola which is a boutique vineyard and tasting room constructed from recycled materials. Casa Frida is a great place to visit given there are three different restaurants serving up delicious local inspired food. Though we didn’t have the opportunity to do the cave wine tasting which has great reviews. Interestingly enough, as it happens Don Tomas actually ended up having our favorite wine.
This area of Mexico is also known for its culinary delights. As foodies ourselves, we found this part to be a dream! Restaurante I Petra was our #1 absolute favorite based on quality of food, service and amazing cliffside ambiance with gorgeous views (we could imagine getting married here some day!). Elena Restaurante had some extremely delicious and well presented food items, but we found the service to be rather lacking. Don’t miss the famous La Cocina de Doña Esthela for classic Mexican dishes. In the future, we hope to visit Animalòn and Primavera as we have heard good things.
If you have the time, we also recommend scheduling some relaxation time into your trip. We had an amazing time at Quinta Monasterio spa which was has one of the most gorgeous views of any spa we have been to (and a very freeing outdoor shower). The menu is extensive and the staff is delightful. If you can, schedule your visit around sunset time for maximum views – a lot of the treatments include a glass of wine that you can savor on their balcony at the end of your visit.
We had an amazing time visiting the Valle de Guadalupe and enjoyed living life in the slow lane for a few days. Can’t wait to return someday soon! For more on Mexico, head over here!
