Bahia de San Quintin, Baja California
By Marie Humphrey

I love Baja!! I can take a trip to a foreign country without paying airfare, spending huge amounts on resort accommodations, or being overrun by tourists. And there are still many out-of-the-way places to find an uninhabited beach.

One of my favorites is San Quintin Bay, about five hours from the San Diego border. Over the July 4 weekend thirteen of us loaded up gear and kayaks and headed south for a great adventure. We got on the road about 8:00 Saturday morning stopping this side of the border to purchase auto insurance and to exchange some American dollars for pesos.

The toll road down the coast from Tijuana to Ensenada has gorgeous views and is very well maintained. There are three toll booths along the route and the price is well worth it. After driving for two hours we reached Ensenada and stopped for a break and a delicious Mexican breakfast that included a complimentary plate of Mexican pastries.

Heading south from Ensenada to San Quintin on Highway 1 the road travels inland through the mountains and farmlands. This is a large agricultural area with green fields and wineries stretching for miles. The road is only two lanes but again it is very well maintained. You do need to keep an eye out for crazy drivers passing on the curves.

After passing through the town of San Quintin we turned off Highway 1 and headed down a tree-lined street toward the Celito Lindo Motel. There we paid the $5.00 per night camping fee for each vehicle.

There is one well-traveled sandy path out to the tip of the peninsula where the fishermen leave their boats. We went about a mile out and pulled off on a deserted beach. This is where paying attention to the tides is critical. We checked the high tide line from two hours earlier and knowing it would be 6" higher that night determined where to set up camp. We were off the main path in among small dunes that gave us privacy and shelter from the wind. Everyone found their perfect spot for pitching the tent and setting up their camp.

Half the fun of these trips is checking out everyone's camping gear and the latest "essentials". The hottest item was Carol's new chair complete with two drink holders and footstool. We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the beach during low tide, finding many sand dollars and other assorted shells, as well as marine animals and plants. Kathy found a sea lion skull. Dennis did some surfing. After dinner we shared stories around the campfire and got to know each other better.

Sunday morning we awoke to overcast skies and after breakfast got ready for the day's paddle. We planned to split into two groups; those who wanted to paddle across the outer bay to the peninsula, and those who wanted to explore the inner bay. We had an assortment of boats and paddlers: Emily and Pam were in a double sit-on-top, Karen, Kathy and George were in single sit-on-tops, Jan and Afra were on surf skis, Dennis was in his whitewater deck boat and Carol, Pete, Ellen, Paul and I were in touring sea kayaks.

As we were getting ready we noticed several dolphins out surfing in the waves. They were having a great time doing flips and gliding through the water. It was thrilling to watch them so close by. There was small surf but it was dumping hard right on shore. Once you got past the first wave it was smooth paddling the rest of the way out. We got a little wet but made it out without much trouble. The sun soon broke through the marine layer to dry us off quickly.

I was with the group touring the inner bay. As we rounded the point and entered the bay we noticed several Mexican fishermen had just arrived on shore with their catch. We stopped by to watch them cleaning several sharks. Although shark is great on the barbecue, the bloody mess was not too appetizing and we decided not to purchase anything for dinner.

Carol soon spotted a gray whale blowing about 500 feet ahead. We headed that way only to find another one only 50 feet in front of us. We all stopped to watch in awe as the whales continued to blow and rise through the water on their way to the outer bay. For most of us that was the closest we had ever come to a whale in its native habitat.

As we crossed to the other side of the bay we noticed a huge flock of white birds taking off from the beach and performing a ballet across the blue sky and then landing again. When we landed on the beach we walked down toward them but could not determine why they were all moving in one big group. They seemed to be feeding in mass on the sand bar being slowly submerged by the rising tide. Perhaps there were crabs and clams rising from the sand as the water deepened. We decided they were giving us our Fourth of July "fireworks show" and it was one we appreciated for its beauty and simplicity.

On our way down the beach we found scattered parts of a whale backbone that had been bleached in the sun. There was also a whale carcass with ribs and skin intact further on. There was a rope wrapped around the head but we had no way of knowing if the rope had caused the death or if the carcass had been pulled to shore afterward.

After a snack we headed south along the peninsula to another sandy beach near dunes. We hiked to the top of the dunes hoping to find the ocean on the other side. The peninsula was wider than we imagined but after climbing several ridges we were able to see the ocean and San Martin Island in the background. It was a stunning view with water to the east and west and desert colors north and south.

We headed back to camp with the wind blowing from our left side. We had to point our boats toward shore so that we didn't get blown too far out. The surf was larger when we landed and most of us dumped on the way in. The other group was already back and we shared the stories of our day. I tried some surfing in my whitewater boat but there was only one break right on shore so I got pretty thrashed. That night we had another campfire and created our own July 4th light show with red, blue and green light sticks.

The next morning, after a leisurely breakfast, we broke down camp and loaded up for the ride home. The most difficult part of this was getting Carol's chair to fold back up. It had gotten sand in all the moving parts and it took about five of us to get it folded up again.

As we headed north the sun came out making it quite warm in the inland valleys. We stopped to gas up in San Quintin and purchased sodas and fish tacos at a nearby stand. Just before Ensenada we stopped again to buy olives, honey and marinated carrots in their colorful jars. After passing through Ensenada we decided to stop at El Mirador to have lunch and take in the gorgeous view. The food was limited and very pricey but the fantastic view made the stop worthwhile.

Then on to the border for our last leg of the journey. We reached the line of cars about 6:00 p.m. and only had to wait about 15 minutes to cross. We all arrived home tired, hot and thirsty but with smiles on our faces. We knew we had visited a special place and its memories would last until our next adventure.

Click Here for information on our next trip.