Valle De San Quintín Overview

On the mid-Pacific coast of northern Baja, the San Quintín Valley is the lifeblood of Baja Californian agriculture. Enclosed by huge barren mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, nearly every square inch of land here earns its keep as cropland. The closest thing the region has to an urban center is a collection of services strung out haphazardly along Mex. 1, more or less divided into three discrete towns: San Quintín, Lázaro Cárdenas (distinct from the other Lázaro Cárdenas, 100km to the northeast), and Ejido El Papaloto. The few tourists who visit come for the fishing and surfing in and around the bay to the west, while the rest are simply passing through on their way to the more pristine south. The area may not look like much, but the sleepy towns of the Valle de San Quintín are friendly and cool, making them a fine rest stop, especially for travelers about to venture into nearby Parque Nacional Sierra San Pedro Mártir.

Transportation. The one bus terminal that serves the area is at the southern end of Cárdenas, on the right-hand side of Mex. 1 from the north. Public transport within the Valle is limited, however, and it is virtually impossible to travel from here to any of the nearby points of interest except by your own transportation. All three towns huddle around Mex. 1. Streets off the highway lack street signs, and addresses are designated by distance from Ensenada, although kilometer markers are often missing. Beaches, accessible by small dirt roads, are all located to the west of the highway. Coming from the north, San Quintín is the first town, Cárdenas is next, and Papalote rounds out the trio. Directions to all the following locations are given for travelers driving from north to south. All are on Mex. 1 unless otherwise stated. The four street lights and three PEMEX stations are useful landmarks, as well as the bridge in San Quintin.

Practical Information. To exchange currency or traveler’s checks, or for 24hr. ATMs, head to HSBC in Cárdenas behind the PEMEX station, at the second set of street lights after the bridge on the square to the right of the highway. (☎165 2101. Open M-F 8am-7pm, Sa 8am-3pm.) Bancomer is on the opposite side of the Transpeninsular, north of the set of street lights (open M-F 8:30am-4pm). These are the last banks before Guerrero Negro. Other services include a number of laundromats, including Lavamática Ángel, on the right at km 192.5 (wash 20 pesos, dry 25 pesos; open M-Sa 8am-9pm, Su 9am-3pm); police, in San Quintín at km 190, off a side street to the left immediately after the PEMEX station (☎165 2034); Red Cross, at km 192 in San Quintín on the right (☎166 8621); Farmacia del Valle, adjacent to Internet Maria (see below), beyond the PEMEX station after the first set of lights following the bridge (☎107 0343; open M-Sa 9am-11pm), as well as pharmacies on both sides of the road throughout the valley; IMSS, at km 193.5 in San Quintín, just beyond the bridge from the north and immediately before the set of lights (☎165 2222 or 3151); Telecomm fax service next to the post office (☎165 2269; open M-F 8am-2pm, Sa 8-11am); Internet cafes dotting Mex. 1 throughout the valley, including Internet Maria, beyond the PEMEX station, after the first set of lights following the bridge (10 pesos per hr., open daily 8am-9pm); and the post office, toward the end of Cárdenas on the right, following the second set of lights beyond the bridge (☎165 3646; open M-F 8am-2pm). Postal Code: 22920.

Accommodations And Food. Hotel rooms in Valle de San Quintín tend to be clean, modern, and reasonably priced. There are several campgrounds along the water at Bahía San Quintín. The best is Old Mill RV Park 1, which has tent sites with superb views. To reach the site from the north, drive past the third PEMEX station after the bridge, take a right at the large green “B. San Quintín” sign, and follow the poorly maintained dirt road for 6km. Sign in at the Old Mill Bait and Tackle Shop on the water. (☎165 6034. 100 pesos with electricity, 100 pesos without. Cash only.) Next door to the RV park, the American-owned Old Mill Hotel 5 has the best rooms in the valley. The extremely clean rooms, with purified water, comfortable beds, and fans, are just feet from the water and offer a calm contrast to the traffic-jammed stretch of Mex. 1 in San Quintín. They’re especially popular with American surfers and fishermen (☎800-479-7962; www.oldmillbaja.com. Rooms US$30.) If you’re not willing to travel down the 6km dirt and stone road to reach the Old Mill Hotel or the Old Mill RV Park, Motel Chavez 2, just before the bridge at the end of San Quintín on the right has clean rooms with fans and satellite TV. (☎165 2005. Singles 240 pesos; doubles 305 pesos. Cash only.) Don’t be fooled by the dusty exterior of Motel Uruapan 3, at km 190 in San Quintín. Inside, well-maintained for rooms come with bath and fans. (☎165 2108; fax 166 8186. Singles 200 pesos; doubles 250 pesos. Cash only.)

Fresh local clams, harvested on the bay, claim a spot on every menu in the area. Though pricey for dinner the Old Mill Restaurant 4, adjacent to the hotel and RV park with the same name, dishes out delicious pancakes (30 pesos) and omelettes (55-100 pesos) for breakfast. You can eat outside overlooking the sea and, if you come early enough, your breakfast companions will be American baby boomers preparing for the day’s fishing trip. (Open daily 5:30am-10pm.) In San Quintín itself, Restaurant Bar San Quintín 3, on Mex. 1 next to Hotel Chávez, also serves satisfying food. (☎165 2376. Breakfasts 30-45 pesos. Open daily 7am-11pm.) Restaurant Viejo San Quintin 2, past the first two PEMEX stations on the right side of the road, is popular for its cheap and tasty sandwiches for 20 pesos and enchiladas for 44 pesos. (☎165 1651. Open daily 7am-10pm. MC/V.) For cheaper eats, taquerías line both sides of Mex. 1 and serve excellent tacos de pescado or carne asada (around 10 pesos).

Watersports. Tourists who stop in San Quintín for more than a night have likely come for the great fishing or surfing, and they’ll probably stop at the Old Mill complex, with its hotel, restaurant, bait shop, RV park, and boat launch on the way to fish or surf. The nearby stretch of protected bays (Bahía San Quintín, Bahía Falsa, and Bahía Santa María) is home to dizzying numbers of cabrilla, corvina, halibut, rock cod, and sea bass year-round. In July and August the open water beyond the bays supports healthy populations of tuna (albacore, bluefin, and yellow), marlin, and other sailfish. Many boats around the Old Mill complex, at the southern end of Cárdenas, offer fishing tours. Don Eddie’s Landing, right next to the Old Mill, offers daytrips for bottom fishing and tuna fishing. (☎165 6061; www.doneddies.com. US$360 for groups up to 4, includes bait, radio, depth finder, and the services of a captain.) San Quintín also boasts exceptional surfing with little competition for amazing waves. Kite surfers head to Playa Santa Maria in front of Hotel la Pinta San Quintín or to the beach in front of the Motel Muelle Viejo, a short drive from the Old Mill Complex. To get to other surfing spots, you’ll need 4WD and a good map from the tourist office. The best surf is accessible at offshore breaks only by boat. A number of outfitters, including Don Eddie’s, will bring surfers to the breaks for about US$360.