When most people think of Baja California, Mexico, you might first think of Cabo San Lucas. An ultra-popular vacation destination, Cabo is known for its party scene, luxurious resorts and tourism. What most people don’t consider is that only a couple hours away lays the most picturesque beaches known as Cabo Pulmo.
After spending a few days in the artful community of Todos Santos, we pushed on to see more of the southern tip of Baja California. While Los Cabos (Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo) has its perks, Steven and I had decided to skip past this area for a few reasons. First, we can previously visited CSL with our best friends for their 10-year anniversary a couple years prior. While it’s an awesome place for adults, we weren’t too crazy about bringing our kids to such a party-centric scene. Secondly, there are hardly any campgrounds within this area. The campgrounds that are there also had pretty mixed reviews. And finally, Cabo is a short flight from California, where we would anticipate returning to once our Great Big Adventure comes to an end. So naturally, with these reasons in mind we chose to drive through Los Cabos and head towards the East Cape. (We did however stop in Cabo San Lucas to take advantage of their big-city grocery store selection!)
Let me tell you — Cabo Pulmo did not disappoint! It’s an incredibly beautiful stretch of pristine coastline that rivaled our other favorite beachscape, Bahía Concepción. Cabo Pulmo is best known as being the home to one of only three coral reefs in North America. It’s coral reef is over 5,000 years old! In 1995, the entire marine area was designated as a reserve to protect the reef, as its the only living reef in the Sea of Cortez. It’s a fantastic spot to snorkel or scuba dive!
For fellow van lifers, this is THE place to boondock. Off of the main road Cabo Camino Este, there are multiple places to camp right on the beach. We literally had our pick of the best views!
Since we were heading north, we settled on a fantastic area known as La Fortuna first. There were several other campers there when we arrived, which provided some peace of mind. In the mornings and late afternoons, trucks would pull up with surfers left and right, as this beach is home to some of the best surfing in Baja. At any given time, we could watch 10-30 surfers catching the waves. There’s something so peaceful and meditative in watching skilled surfers ride the water over and over.
Even though we don’t have 4-wheel drive, we really wanted to park our van in a prime spot – where we could see the ocean and watch the surfers from our home on wheels. Nearby, there were several palapas lining the beach, where people could hang hammocks or chill under the palm-frond umbrellas. The boys had lots of space to play soccer, when they weren’t drawing tattoos on each other. We honestly couldn’t have asked for a better spot!
Besides the incredible views, there are quite a bit of multi-million dollar vacation homes along the entire stretch of this area. It’s kinda crazy to think that some of the rentals near here range from $300-$1,800 per night, yet we have the best views and beach access just with our van!
One other big perk of camping at La Fortuna? There’s a sushi joint called Zai Sushi just footsteps from where we were camping. Seriously! I literally thought I had hit the Baja jackpot, especially since I had been craving sushi like crazy during this stretch of our travels. Although it was blazing hot outside and the prices were pretty steep by Baja’s standards, I thoroughly enjoyed a solo lunch of fresh sushi. It was so good!
It was also here that Steven and I caught our first moon rise, which we didn’t know was a thing. Just as the sun rises, on a clear night with minimal obstruction or light pollution, you can actually witness the full moon rising. It is one of the most beautiful things we had ever seen! While this certainly isn’t unique to Baja, it’s worth mentioning given the unobstructed landscapes in Mexico.
After two nights at La Fortuna, we had gotten a sliver of cell service and connected with our van pals, who were camping just north of the actual town of Cabo Pulmo. We decided to meet up at Los Arbolitos, where you could pay a daily fee to snorkel/enjoy the beach, or stay overnight in their sandy parking area. Los Arbolitos isn’t the most ideal for camping, as you’re literally staying in a dirty parking lot, but it sure is awesome to wake up to the most incredible views! The family taking care of the area charges $120 pesos per person, but you get access to clean restrooms and primitive cold showers. ? Honestly, it was totally worth it for the beach access.
For a small fee you can also rent snorkel gear and wetsuits too. Although I didn’t take the opportunity to snorkel, Steven and our friend Forrest did. They both had a great time while Annie and I watched our munchkins play in the cove!
While Cabo Pulmo is renowned for surfing, snorkeling and scuba diving, it’s also a perfect spot to post up and relax. So much so that if we happen to visit Los Cabos in the future, we’ll definitely rent a vehicle to head down to the East Cape again. That is, if we’re not spending winter van camping through Baja! ?
Have you ever heard of Cabo Pulmo before? If not, where in the world are your favorite beaches?
