Bahía De Los Ángeles Overview

After miles and miles of rugged mountains, desert, and dust, the glistening sapphire ocean of Bahía de los Ángeles (pop. 720) is one of Baja’s most enchanting sights. The small, undeveloped town has a rich history: originally inhabited by the Cochimi, an indigenous group from central Baja, the town was later used as a mining center for copper, silver, and gold. It served subsequently as the center of Baja’s sea turtle industry until the business was outlawed. The sheltered coves and offshore islands of isolated Bahía (as it is known to locals) or “L.A. Bay” (as it is known to the many Americans baby boomers who visit) are a tiny paradise for a wide array of marine species and for visitors who cherish the peace and simplicity of one of the real jewels of the Sea of Cortés.

Practical Information. A 66km road leads from Mex. 1 to Bahía de los Ángeles. This access road becomes the town’s main street. Two PEMEX stations and a white statue of some sails mark your arrival to town. There are no addresses here and very few phones so places can be difficult to find. There is no official office, but for tourist information, ask at the Museo de Naturaleza y Cultura. The closest banks are in Guerrero Negro, and all local business is conducted in cash—bring all the money you will need with you. Other services include: police, at the Delegación Municipal building on the square, near the museum (☎124 9111); 24hr. medical services at Centro de Salud, just behind the police station (open for consultation M-F 8:30am-2pm and 4-6:30pm, Sa 10am-2pm and 4-6pm, Su 8am-noon). Restaurant Isla, a sort of general store across from Restaurante Las Hamacas, has a pharmacy, a long-distance phone, and Internet cafe. (Internet access 25 pesos per hr. Open daily 6am-10pm)

Accommodations And Food. A shortage of electricity and fresh water make hotels in Bahía very pricey. Beach camping is the cheapest way to stay here, and the shore breezes provide a welcome respite from the heat. Your best bet is Daggett’s Campground 1, a bustling site on the water with spotless bathrooms. To reach Daggett’s, turn at the circle with the statue of the two sails in the direction of Punta Griega and follow the signs. (www.campdaggetts.com. Kayak and boat rentals. Palapas for tent, US$10 for 1-2 people; each additional person US$5. Cash only.) Campo Archelón 1, on the Punta la Griega road, right before Daggett’s, is quieter and more isolated. (Palapas for tents 100 pesos. Stone-walled palapas with extremely basic cots for those without tents, 50 pesos per person. Bring a pillow and a blanket. Cash only.) The best value hotel in town is Casa Díaz 4, at the far edge of Bahía where the road curves. (☎124 9101. Rooms without A/C US$25. Cash only.) Guillermo’s 5, on the main road near Casa Díaz, is overpriced and has weak A/C, but has its own beach. (☎124 9104. Rooms US$45-65.)

Like lodging, food in Bahía isn’t cheap, and restaurant hours may not be reliable. The fish tacos (10 pesos) at Taquería Carreta 1, next to Las Hamacas, have an excellent local reputation. (Open daily 1-9pm. Cash only.) Head to Restaurante las Hamacas 4, in front of the hotel of the same name, if the fish just aren’t biting. (Warm, buttery pescado al mojo de ajo 70 pesos. Beer 20 pesos. Open daily 6am-8pm. Cash only.) Palapa Reyna 4, on the right at the beginning of town, offers typical Mexican fare in a touristy environment. (Tacos dorados 50 pesos. Open daily 6am-11pm. Cash only.) Linger on the rooftop patio of Restaurante Isla 4, across from Las Hamacas, and gaze at the bay while enjoying a delicious breakfast. (Open daily 6am-9pm, though hours may vary. US$10 for MC/V.) Guillermo’s 4, adjacent to the hotel with the same name, dishes up excellent burgers (55 pesos) and omelettes (60 pesos) before a spectacular view. (☎124 9104. Open daily 7am-10pm.) Groceries are available at Restaurante Isla, on the east side of the road, opposite Las Hamacas.

Sights. The excellent Museo de Naturaleza y Cultura, a small building behind the police office, with a whale skeleton and gold mining equipment in its yard, highlights Bahía’s diverse history. In addition to newspaper articles on the area and a recreation of a rancher’s house, the museum has extensive shell and fossil displays, information on the area’s natural history, and a Baja-focused bookstore. (Open daily 9am-noon and 3-5pm. Free.)

The turtle population of Bahía has been recovering slowly since the ban on their capture, thanks in part to the people at Campo Tortuga, part of the Mexican government’s Comisión Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas, located on the dirt road toward Daggett’s in the direction of Punta Griega. The project studies the physiology and ecology of the turtles in the bay, which are mostly Pacific green turtles, but also hawksbills and loggerheads. The rehabilitation area provides a chance to get up close and personal (but not too personal—they do bite) with injured turtles that live in a number of large tanks on the site. (Open M-Sa 9am-2pm. US$2 per person).

Imposing islands define the landscape of Bahía de los Ángeles. The federally protected offshore islands, whose colors gradually shift as the light conditions change, are home to a host of rare wildlife, including threatened birds. 95% of the Hermann’s gulls in existence come to the 142-acre Rasa Island, off of Bahía de los Ángeles, to nest in April each year, along with more than 180,000 elegant terns. In 1979, federal officials prohibited the harvesting of birds’ eggs, and the populations of Hermann’s gulls and terns have since boomed. (Tourists can see the birds during their nesting season; ask at the Las Islas del Golfo de California office on the main street through town for more information. To visit any of the islands, you need to buy a permit which costs 44 pesos per person. ☎200 124 9106. Open M-F 8am-2pm and 4-6pm, Sa 9am-1pm.)

Watersports. Bahía’s famed fishing is rewarding year-round, and a constant stream of male American baby boomers passes through the town. Expect to hook corvina, dorado, grouper, halibut, and yellowtail from late spring to summer and cabrilla, roosterfish, sailfish, and sierra in winter. Triggerfish swallow bait year-round. Smart fishermen bring their own equipment, as rentals are both expensive and uncommon. Guides, on the other hand, are everywhere. Among them, Joel’s Fishing Tours (☎200 124 9160; joel_prieto@hotmail.com), opposite the museum in town charges about US$150 for a full-day of fishing and US$120 for a half-day. The Islas del Golfo de California office, near the park on the main street in town, has a list of registered fishing guides, along with their contact information. (☎200 124 9106. Open M-F 8am-2pm and 4-6 pm, Sa 9am-1pm.)

The experienced can try sea kayaking, but should exercise caution: winds in the bay can pick up without warning, and a few kayakers are lost to the ocean each year. Daggett’s Campground rents kayaks. (US$5 per hr. Snorkeling equipment also available.) The beaches in town are not exactly sandy, but broken shells give way to fine, golden-gray sand farther north, along the Punta la Gringa peninsula. To get to la Gringa, turn on the paved road at the circle with the statue of the two sails in the direction of Punta Griega and continue straight for 12km, past Daggett’s. The small paths leading off the road to the water are usually passable in a passenger car, but flooding can turn them into sticky mud.