Things To Know Before You Drive the Baja Peninsula

I flew into Tijuana, but the much cheaper option is to fly into San Diego and then take public transportation to the border. I recommend renting the car in Mexico—I think it's cheaper, and the U.S. rental desks seem to have restrictions related to taking cars across the border and how far south you can go. If you rent the car in Tijuana and return it in Cabo, you'll pay a hefty drop-off fee, so one option is to fly in and out of Cabo and do the drive as a large loop. (You won't miss much by skipping Tijuana.)

The conditions on the main highway are very good, but I do not recommend driving at night. There are no streetlights, there can be animals on the road, and the giant 18-wheelers seem to view the sparser nighttime traffic as an opportunity to drive very fast.

Your dollar will go far, and very nice hotel accommodations can be had for well under $80 per night. Camping is, of course, much cheaper, or free.

The main tourist season begins at the end of November, and peaks during the prime whale-watching months (January to March).