Travel Guide

There was an island called California . . . which was populated by black women, without a single man among them . . . their weapons were all crafted by gold . . . in the whole island there was any metal other than gold. . ."

Garcí Ordóñez de Montalvo
Las Sergas de Esplanián

Mexico is located in the southern region of North America. It shares the border with the United States to the north and to the south with Guatemala and Belize; to the east it is the Atlantic Ocean and to the west it is located the Pacific Ocean. In the northwest region of the country you find a long peninsula, a piece of land between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California or Sea of Cortes. This is the Peninsula of Baja California, which, due to its great length, it is divided in two states.

La Paz is the capital of Baja California Sur; a bay of huge dimensions and a small bay surrounded by beautiful beaches of white sand that shelter the city.

The peninsula of Baja California has been populated for over 12,000 years, but little is known about these first settlers; only cave paintings have been left behind as a testimony of their existence. In the 16th century, the peninsula had only a few semi-nomadic tribes of fishermen, fruit and seed collectors, such as the Cochimi, the Guaycura and the Pericu ethnic groups. Hernan Cortes, encouraged by the fantastic stories such as the Las Sergas de Esplandian, organized the first journey to these lands in 1533. He even directed the second expedition, arriving at the bay on the 3rd of May of 1535, baptizing the land as the Bay of Santa Cruz; however after 2 years the camp was abandoned mainly because the dry soil would not allow cultivation. Finally, in 1596, Sebastian Vizcaino disembarked in the bay, renaming in La Paz and establishing a permanent camp. The Spanish quickly discovered the richness on pearls found in the place, resulting in their exploitation, which eventually would lead to a near extinction. In 1720, the Mission of “Nuestra Señora del Pilar de La Paz Airapi” was founded and in 1974 the territory became a state.

How is the Weather?

In the coastal zone, the weather is dry and very warm in the summer with temperatures as high as 40†C; in the afternoon, however, the Coromuel winds blow, with a soft and fresh sea breeze. The winter is moderate with cool winds and minimum average temperatures of 10†C, while the temperatures in Sierra de la Laguna, located on Tropic of Cancer, reach 0†C.