Photo Impressions of Baja California Sur

Spending several months this winter in La Ventana, Baja California Sur, at the Tango Azul Resort,  I was eager to explore this Southern Part of the peninsula on day trips.  La Ventana is one of the ten best places in the world for kite-surfers and other water sports.  La Ventana is a laidback beachside community where the water is warm, the wind is smooth, and the sunrise takes your breath away.

However, on days with less (or too much) wind there are lots of interesting one and two, or three-hour destinations to find hot springs, eco-parks, heritage towns with fine dining spots and museums, and some of the most beautiful beaches to swim and snorkel.  Not to mention the kayak or fishing boat trips, ATV, or cycle tours that are offered in many places.

Malecon in La Paz, Baja California Sur

La Paz, the Capital of Baja California Sur

Not even one hour away, La Paz, a city with an attractive Malecon, large harbor, and an attractive Old City part, museums, and numerous fine seafood restaurants invite visitors.  I was not only attracted by these places, public art, or by the many stores, but rather by the best 'Dentista' I ever experienced.  And all this for a third of what I would have paid in Canada.

Mission Church in La Paz, Baja

Driving to La Paz's beaches in the north, especially to Tecolotes, shows the most stunning emerald shallow waters of the Playa Pulguero and other fine sand beaches one can imagine.

Pulpuero Beach north of La Paz

El Triunfo

The first gold and silver mines in El Triunfo had been established in the late 1700s.  Once the largest city in Baja California Sur, it was home to more than 10,000 miners.  El Triunfo was the first town in the region to install electricity and telephones.  Pianos and other instruments were brought to El Triunfo from around the world and a piano museum still exists.  In recent years, to attract tourism, many of the original buildings have been restored and converted into restaurants, cafes, museums, and boutiques.  

Restored heritage building in El Triunfo
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The wonderful Caffé El Triunfo in the town's middle has recently been joined by the refreshingly chic Bar El Minero with its large outdoor restaurant.  The new Museo Ruta de Plata is a beautiful new museum and cultural museum that tells the history of the mine and the region through interactive exhibits that will bring to life the rich history of the area.  

El Triunfo Museum

During the prosperous years of El Triunfo, the town was a cultural center for music and dance.  Visit the old Museo de la Música too.   All of the attention the town gets is leaving some people wondering—is El Triunfo the next Baja “it” spot?

Cactus Sanctuary

Hot Springs
Picture this: clear, warm, hidden pools nestled in between tall white rocks, green palm trees, and a sprinkling of cacti within the lush green grass. Such a place exists in a small pocket of Baja Sur, near Santiago, not far from highway #1. Try to visit in the early mornings when there are no visitors yet. Not far from the Santa Rita hot springs are other springs that can be reached via longer hikes and without having to pay an entry fee. These hot springs are mainly on private land, so don't leave any traces.

Pack lunch and snacks. There are picnic tables nearby where you can enjoy your food.

Also, bring loads of drinking water! It gets pretty hot if you stay all day.

Don’t forget to bring pesos for the entry fee. No cards or US Dollars are accepted.

Natural Hot Springs in the Santiago Area

Palomar in Santiago: What a gem!  Fine food, great atmosphere, friendly service  I found the Palomar restaurant by chance when returning from the Santa Rita hot springs. Never would have expected such a great place in this remote area.

Dig Your Own Hot Springs

Another, more adventurous spot for hot springs is the beach ten minutes north of La Ventana. There you dig your own 'pool' where you can soak in the warm water. Best an hour or two before and after high tide. If the water is too hot, just add some cool beach water and relax in the (free of charge) natural 'hot tub'. The best times are during the week when there are very few visitors.

Self-Made Hot Spring Pool

Los Cabos
The tourism hotspot's location at the tip of the Baja gives the area easy access to both the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez.  The most iconic scenery in Los Cabos is The Arch of Cabo San Lucas rock formations at Land’s End, also known as El Arco.  No trip to Los Cabos is complete without visiting this magical spot where the two seas collide. 

Cruises from 45 minutes to four hours, from rustic to luxury, can be booked online in advance to make sure you see the stunning rocks.  You can hire a tour boat at the marina to take you there, or ask your hotel concierge to book a trip for you.  While you visit El Arco, you can also visit Pelican Rock, Lover´s Beach, and Divorce Beach, on the same tour.

The best time is the early morning or sunset cruises.  My tip: make it a two-day trip and book a hotel where you can park, and take a bus or taxi to the harbor as the inner city is not suited to driving and streets are pretty narrow and often only in one direction. 

Harbor in Cabo San Lucas

Todos Santos

An hour away from Cabo is this handsome, artsy heritage town - one of the prettiest in the whole Baja California Sur.  Small enough to walk everywhere, especially as every second or third building is a coffee shop or outdoor restaurant.  

Hotel California in Todos Santos

Shade is guaranteed by numerous large trees, huge blooming bougainvillea shrubs, and a city park.  Popular with artists, it’s known for its many galleries.  Surfers enjoy the high Pacific swells and beach hikers watching whales in winter and young.

Bougainvillea Tree 

Todos Santos is only ninety minutes away from Los Cabos, but it feels like you’ve been transported back to a slower, simpler time.  Large tourist hotels are unknown here, they are small and full of character.  While visitors and residents are still enjoying its under-the-radar vibe, Todos Santos is edging toward the limelight.  One wonders how long Todos Santos will remain one of Mexico’s best-kept secrets.

Mission Church in Todos Santos

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The Art of Building a Palapa in Mexico

 

Traveling through Baja California one might discover lots of palapas, artfully built, using only natural materials: wood, sisal, and dried palm leaves. The most beautiful can be found at the Tango Azul Resort.

A palapa is an open-sided structure topped off with a thatched roof made from dried palm leaves. A palapa originally meaning "petiole of the palm leaf" is an open-sided dwelling.  It is very useful in hot weather and, therefore, very common on Mexican beaches and deserts.  

History of Palapas
Palapa is derived from the traditional construction methods of the 'bahay kubo' ("nipa hut") architectural style of the Philippines, carried to Nueva España (along with coconuts, which are not native to the Americas) via the Manila galleons during the Spanish colonial period.  Palapas are also common in Honduras and other Central American countries.  The builder of these great structures are not only craftsmen but also Artists.

Typical in Mexico
Ubiquitous throughout Mexico where they have long provided locals with protection against both the rain and sun, the palapa has also become a common feature within the tourist industry.  For visitors attracted to the region’s world-famous beaches, they provide a practical and picturesque sunbed for those who don’t necessarily wish to expose themselves to the full-on sun.

Benefits of Palapas
With an increasing focus on wellness and wellbeing tourism, the palapa is also the ideal structure for anyone wanting to partake in a massage or yoga class.  The palm roof provides excellent shelter from the elements while the open sides mean that you’re still outside in the fresh air; far preferable to being stuck indoors in a stuffy or frigid studio. You will find palapa shops, bars, restaurants, spas, gyms, water sports centers, etc.  

No matter how hot it is outside, there is always a cool breeze in a palapa.  The average price of palapa kits ranges from $5,000 - $8,000 - depending on the size and accessory options added such as the number of posts, and the type of thatch. 

See also how Palapas are built:

Finished ...

Enjoy your coffee or meals in the shade of the palapa at Tango Azul Resort 

- or simply watch the sun rising over the Sea of Cortez!

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Outstanding Glass Art by Dale Chihuly

 

Dale Chihuly, THE most outstanding glass artist, has explored new and old techniques, pushing the boundaries of contemporary art. He draws inspiration from the - natural - world around him. 

Living or traveling in the USA, Japan, or the UK?  You might not be far from a museum that exhibits his artwork.  Even many botanical gardens, among them the one in Columbus, Ohio, and St. Louis, MO, the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, AZ, or the Kew Gardens in Great Britain, are displaying his artworks. 

Not only his museum in Seattle, WA, but many more in the USA and around the world offer a permanent exhibition of his work.  Permanent exhibitions of his glass art can be found, among many other places, in:

• Toyama, Glass Art Museum, Japan
• Oklahoma City, Museum of Art, OK, USA
• St. Petersburg, Morean Arts Center, FL, USA
• Tacoma, Art Museum, Washington, USA
• Colorado Springs, Fine Arts Center, Colorado, USA
• Pamela & Fred Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, NE, USA
• Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY, USA
• Kew Gardens, UK

"I want people to be overwhelmed with light and color in some way that they've never experienced."

~ Dale Chihuly

Dale Chihuly began his career with weaving.  During a weaving class at the University of Washington, he first incorporated glass shards into woven tapestries in 1963.  This foray into glass led him to blow his first glass bubble in 1965, by melting stained glass and using a metal pipe.  Years later he revisited the idea of textiles and glass, drawing with intricate threads of glass, then fusing the threads onto the molten glass.  This pick-up drawing technique was used by Dale and his team in his Cylinders and other series.

From 1994 to 1996, the artist worked with glassblowers in Finland, Ireland, Mexico, and Italy to create 'Chihuly Over Venice', a series of Chandeliers that he hung over canals and in piazzas of his favorite city.

Dale Chihuly has completed ambitious architectural artwork installations all over the world.  Inspired by a lifelong interest in architecture and gardens, Chihuly creates site-specific sculptures for a wide variety of settings

Chihuly Studio creates some 30 site-specific pieces a year, ranging in price from $200,000 to millions of dollars, and has done commissions for collectors like Bill Gates and Bill Clinton.

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La Ventana - Baja California Sur

 

Looking for a relaxing vacation in Mexico close to the beach - but not in a "touristy" place? 
Baja California Sur (southern part) on Mexico's most western peninsula is the perfect place to enjoy nature, sun, water sport, local experience and lifestyle, hot springs, and the marvelous beaches of the Sea of Cortez / Pacific Ocean.

Vacationers Can Choose Between Lots of Activities: 
Swimmers, surfers, stand-up paddle-boarders, sailors, scuba divers, snorkelers, sea-kayakers, whale-watchers, kite-surfers, water-skiers, and anglers, spearfishers are enjoying the waters around Baja California Sur.  Kite-surf schools teach newbies to this sport and rent out the equipment.

                                          

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Many small bars, coffee shops, and restaurants in a wide variety overlook the water and are also dotting the main road of La Ventana.  Visitors find several places that offer yoga and massages.

Not far from the unspoiled beaches and small fishing spots, lots of hills and mountains are stretching endless to the horizon.  Small farms are hidden in the cactus and brush forest where families live like a hundred years ago - but with the help of solar now.  Cows, pigs, and goats are roaming (and sometimes walk on the small country roads).

Tango Azul Casitas
Consider a stay in one of the lovely, brand-new casitas in La Ventana, Baja California Sur, still a hidden gem.  These casitas (small boutique hotel-style houses) belong to the Tango Azul Resort with its native, charming gardens, attractive pool, and a huge thatched gazebo (palapa in Spanish).  Here you always find a cool breeze - even at the hottest time of the day.  

Under the palapa's roof, guests enjoy a complimentary breakfast or their own meals after a day on the beach.  Perfect also for digital nomads to work in the gazebo's shade on their IT jobs and even use it for "working from home" with the help of the fiber-optic high-speed internet connection. 

Take a dip in the swimming pool.  It is open all day and evening for guests to enjoy and relax on beach lounges under the umbrella shade.  Or walk down 700 meters to the sunny beaches for a swim or snorkel.

Next to the three small Mexican-style hotels, Tango Azul Resort Park has also RV lots and tent sites for those who road-trip to the Baja California Sur. 

Two Airports to Reach La Ventana:
La Paz (approx. 45 minutes away) and Cabo San Lucas (2 hrs away) are connecting travelers from Canada (e.g. Calgary, Toronto, or Montreal, etc.) the USA (e.g. Dallas, Chicago, Las Vegas, etc.), and other parts of the world.  Airlines include for example SouthWest, Delta, American Airlines, WestJet, Alaska Airlines,  Aeromexico, etc., and KLM, Lufthansa, or TUI from Europe.

If you land in Cabo San Lucas, the coastal-road Hwy #1 takes you through Southern Baja California from the beaches of Los Cabos, through the Sierra de la Laguna mountains with stops at quaint villages, and ends with more beaches and water activities in delightful La Ventana.  This mountain drive has many curves, so caution is recommended.  Pick-up at the airports can be arranged, so you don't even need a rental car.

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Wyndham Hotels: A Not-so-happy Traveler

 

Traveling and staying in Hotels is most of the time great pleasure. Even though finding the right hotel for an overnight stay can be stressful at times, as I experienced when booking a hotel in Arkansas. It was not the availability, the price, or amenities - but the fact that the hotel chain tried to force me to let them sell my personal data to third parties. It seems they want to make an extra amount from hotel guests - besides the overnight stay payment...

I booked the hotel room, paid by credit card, and AFTER that, they forced me to sign and allow the sales of my own personal data to third parties !!!

Otherwise one cannot complete the booking... 

I certainly did not complete it - but reported the issue to the FCC

Here is a copy of their website:

Wyndham Hotels - Days Inn - booking in Rogers, Arkansas

https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/days-inn/reservation/book

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