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Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and Baja California

November 2022, February/March 2023

My first two weeks of the 2022/23 winter trip took me to the Playa Maya coast south of Cancun. There I wanted to discover the island of Cozumel and the former fishing village of Playa del Carmen. I had been to the area three times in previous years (2019, 2019/2020 and 2021/2022), but I had not yet seen the two destinations of Cozumel and Playa del Carmen.

After a trip to South America, I returned to Mexico in February 2023 to visit the Baja California peninsula.

Cozumel Island

The island is easy to reach from Cancun. Regular buses run to Playa del Carmen, from where ferries take guests to the island. There is only one town on the 45 km long island called San Miguel de Cozumel. I had an apartment there. It’s a sleepy little town with souvenir stores, a beach promenade and restaurants. I would have liked to walk or cycle, but as the distances on the island were too long, I rented a motorcycle.

The big Mexico flag on the promenade

The promenade is lined with many works of art.

This weapon is actually a tequila bottle.

Paradise Beach

The water is crystal clear.

San Gervasio

A visit to a Mayan site in the interior of the island is worthwhile.

El Cielo snorkeling tour

The underwater sightings on this tour were modest.

Punta Sur Eco Beach Park

The entrance fee of USD 16 included a boat tour that allowed crocodile sightings from close range.

The view from the lighthouse at Punta Sur Eco Beach Park

After 10 days on Cozumel, I traveled back to Playa del Carmen on the mainland by ferry.

Playa del Carmen

I was shocked by the mass tourism in this place. The Walking Street stretches for several kilometers, lined with restaurants, tour sales offices and souvenir stores. The prices were also very high.

Voladores de Papantla

The evening show consisted of the dance of the flying men (Voladores de Papantla), a pre-Columbian custom in honor of the goddess of fertility.

The chapel Capilla de Nta Señora del Carmen

Alux Restaurant Bar and Lounge

My Mexican neighbor on the flight to Cancun and her Swiss boyfriend took me to this special restaurant in Playa del Carmen, which was located in a cave with stalactite formations. Eating in this environment was really a special experience!

After a few days, I traveled back to Cancun and flew from there to Chile, where I visited the capital and the Atacama Desert.

In February 2023, after my trip to Uruguay, I traveled to La Paz on the Mexican peninsula of Baja California.

Baja California

As the peninsula is around 1,200 km long, I decided to concentrate on the southern part of the peninsula.

La Paz

I flew to La Paz, a city in the south of the peninsula. I picked up my rental car at the airport, which I used to explore the area for the next 3 ½ weeks.

There was a lot going on in the city, as the annual carnival was taking place. A long parade with impressive floats led through the city and there were lots of food stalls and stages.

A Mexican dance performance

Playa Balandra

Just 30 km north of the city, I enjoyed the beautiful area around Balandra Beach.

Crystal clear water

Here I encountered the typical cactus-covered landscape for the first time, which accompanied me the whole trip.

Cabu Pulmo

My first destination on my road trip was this small collection of buildings on the east coast of Baja California, around 160 km south of La Paz. Hardly any tourists came to this area.

I was able to snorkel right from the beach. My AIRBNB landlord gave me a wetsuit because the sea was too cold to go snorkeling without one.

Snorkeling tour

The next day I joined a snorkeling tour.

The highlight was snorkeling with the sea lions!

San José del Cabo

After another 70 km to the south, I came to this small tourist town …

… with its many galleries.

My lunch

Cabo San Lucas

The largest and most touristy town on the southern half of Baja California is Cabo San Lucas. Cruise ships also stop here.

El Arco de Cabo San Lucas

These rock formations are located just outside the harbor.

Todos Santos

I didn’t stay in this tourist world for long, but drove back north along the west coast to Todos Santos. A few streets in the town have been prepared for tourists. The town became famous for its Hotel California, which, according to a rumor, served as the inspiration for the Eagles song of the same name from 1977. However, the band refuted this.

A small roadside snack bar had this poster pinned up, showing on the right what the price of several snacks was if one cost 25 pesos.

Puerto Adolfo López Mateos

350 km further north there is a long group of islands off the coast, behind which the whales like to stay, protected from the open sea.

I was able to join a family for the whale watching tour. We soon saw the humpback whales!

We also took a short trip to one of the islands off the coast.

I then crossed the peninsula to get to Loreto, one of the main towns on the east coast. The journey took me through the usual desert landscape with countless cacti.

Playa Juncalito

25 km before Loreto there is a view of Juncalito beach.

Loreto

The Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó was founded in 1697 to convert the local population to Christianity. Today, the town has around 16,000 inhabitants and the mission has been converted into the best hotel in town.

Breakfast on the terrace of the mission.

View from the terrace

A taco factory: the dough is filled into the hopper on the right, the finished tacos appear on the left.

Loreto Bay

This tourist settlement is located around 10 km south of Loreto on a long beach.

Misión San Francisco Javier de Viggé-Biaundó

Another former Jesuit mission is located around 40 km inland from Loreto.

On the way to the mission

It was founded in 1699 to Christianize the Cochimi people living in the area and to farm with the water available here.

Coronado Island Tour

Coronado Island is located off the coast of the town of Loreto and is home to a population of sea lions.

We encountered dolphins on the way to the island.

Impressive rock formations

The sea lions chill out

A young one in the front

We also snorkeled with the sea lions, but visibility was so poor underwater that we couldn’t make out the sea lions in the water. At least we could see the sea lions on land from the water.

This was the view from the beach where we had lunch. There wasn’t much to see while snorkeling.

On the way back we encountered dolphins once again!

Tabor Canyon hike

This canyon is located 28 km south of Loreto and can be discovered on foot. Torrential rivers after heavy rainfall constantly change the valley and the debris in it, so that hikers have to find their own way. The further I went into the valley, the wilder it became and the more large rocks there were to cross. I started my way back when it became too dangerous. It is an impressive area, as the pictures show.

I drove further north to the town of Mulegé, 140 km away.

Desert and cacti

Beach Playa el Requeson

Beach Playa Santispac

Playa Santispac beach was popular with US motorhome owners.

Mulegé

This town also originated from a Jesuit mission called Misión Santa Rosalía de Mulegé, which was founded in 1705.

View of the river from the mission

At the mouth of the river

Puerto San Carlo

From Mulegé, it took me more than 4 hours to drive south again to the small town of Puerto San Carlo on the west coast.

Tiburon Restaurant

Restaurants often serve one or two squid arms, but this restaurant brought the whole squid!

I came to Puerto San Carlo because whale tours are offered from here. I had to get up early because the tour started before sunrise.

Whale watching tour

We saw several whales, but none came close to the boat.

On our return, we came across fishermen who were besieged by birds trying to get their share of the catch.

El Triunfo

I spent the last two nights of my road trip in the small historic mining town of El Triunfo.

The mine was founded at the end of the 18th century, but it was only when gold and silver were discovered in 1862 that the population exploded. At the height of the gold rush, the town had more than 10,000 people. Today, the town has a modest population of 313.

The 47-metre-high chimney, a remnant of the mining activities, is the town’s landmark.

A Walmart heiress founded two excellent museums, one about the history of the mine, the other about the gauchos in Baja California.

Espíritu Santo Island Tour

Back in La Paz, I took part in a tour around the offshore island of Espíritu Santo the next day. Another highlight!

A rock with a face

I was also able to snorkel with the sea lions on this tour!

I enjoyed my 3 ½ week trip in the southern part of Baja California.

I traveled on to the Canary Islands, where I visited the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.