Guerrero Negro Overview

Guerrero Negro (pop. 10,000) is an industrial town centered around its enormous salt refinery. Most of the town’s commercial buildings line an unattractive and traffic-filled main street, which leads to the plant. Still, Guerrero Negro is a useful stopping point for tourists hoping to stock up on gasoline—there are two PEMEX stations here. Year-round, Guerrero’s bird refuge draws bird lovers, and between January and April, playful gray whales flock to nearby Laguna Ojo de Liebre, making Guerrero Negro a convenient base for whale watching trips into the Reserva de la Biosfera el Vizcaíno .

Transportation. The bus terminal (☎157 0611) is north of Zapata, two blocks west of the Malarrimo Hotel. Buses head north (5 per day) stopping in San Quintín (5hr., 432 pesos), Ensenada (7hr., 614 pesos), and Tijuana (12hr., 723 pesos). Going south buses (6 per day) go to Santa Rosalía (3hr., 220 pesos), Mulegé (4hr., 285 pesos), and La Paz (10hr., 786 pesos), as well as towns in between. Taxis run frequently on Zapata to both ends of town and to residential areas.

Orientation And Practical Information. Guerrero Negro lies along a 3km strip west of the Transpeninsular Highway. Most businesses are on Zapata, which eventually curves toward the salt plant. A large orange water tank in the middle of the straight section of road is a useful reference point. Banamex, on Zapata in front of the salt plant, exchanges currency and traveler’s checks, and has 24hr. ATMs. (☎157 0555. Open M-F 9am-4pm.) Travelers continuing south might want to use this opportunity to stock up on cash, as this is the last bank until Santa Rosalía. For those heading north, it’s the last bank before San Quintín. Other services include: laundry at Lavamax, two blocks north of Zapata just beyond the water tank on the eastern side of the street (☎157 0736; wash 12 pesos, dry 15 pesos; open M-Sa 9am-9pm, Su 10am-5pm); police, in the Delegación Municipal building, before the salt plant on the left (☎157 0022); Farmacia San Martín, the big yellow building on the left of Zapata going into town, close to the bend in the road (☎157 1111; open M-Sa 8am-10pm); IMSS on Zapata at Tabasco, past PEMEX (☎157 0303); Internet at Internet Ballenas, adjacent to Motel Las Ballenas (☎157 2534; open daily 10am-noon and 4-9pm); and the post office, on Pino Suárez. To reach the post office, drive down to the end of Zapata and turn left on Baja California; then, turn left on Pino Suárez, a dirt road just before the basketball courts. (☎157 0344. Open M-F 8am-4pm.) Postal Code: 23940.

Accommodations And Food. Guerrero Negro has a number of budget motels, and during whale watching season (Jan.-Apr.), rooms fill quickly and reservations are a good idea. If you have a tent, Motel Malarrimo 3, on the right side of the road coming into town from Mex. 1, might be the best option. (☎157 0250; www.malarrimo.com. Wi-Fi. Tent US$12; RV spot US$20; singles US$38; doubles US$45. MC/V.) Also in town, friendly and quiet Motel Las Ballenas 3, a block from Zapata behind Motel el Morro, offers cheap, comfortable rooms with small bath, fan, and TV. (☎157 0116; www.hotellasballenas.com. Singles 240 pesos; doubles 300 pesos. Cash only.) Motel San Ignacio 4 has very tidy rooms in a cheerfully painted building (☎157 0270. Singles 250 pesos; doubles 270 pesos; triples 300 pesos. Cash only.) Motel Gamez 1, on Tabasco in front of the IMSS, has basic rooms with fans and private baths. In some rooms, the sink is in the shower. (☎157 0135. Rooms 150 pesos. Cash only.)

Street-side stands offer the city’s cheapest, and perhaps best, food. Asadero Viva Mexico 1, on Zapata, two blocks beyond the water tank, is a traditional taquería with outdoor counter seating and indoor tables. (Carne asada tacos 10 pesos. Open daily 8am-1am. Cash only.) El Figon de Sal 3, on Zapata, serves inexpensive comida corrida for 40 pesos, along with a large selection of soups (25 pesos) in a pleasant indoor setting. (Open daily 7am-10pm. Cash only.) Maximo’s Pizzas & Burger on Zapata 1, across from the PEMEX station near the IMSS, has excellent pizza. (Open daily 10am-10pm. 20 pesos per slice.)

Sights. In addition to serving as a base for whale watching trips into the Biosfera el Vizcaíno , Guerrero is home to the largest open-evaporation salt refinery in the world. Officially known as Esportadora de Sal, or ES, it extends 18km east-west and about 45km north-south. Tours go through an eerie landscape of vast lagoons, and the mountains of salt look oddly like snow, a disconcerting sight in the blistering heat. (Jorge Cachu Ruiz at Internet Ballenas takes tourists on tours of the refinery for 150 pesos per person. ☎157 2534.) Another Guerrero Negro highlight is a visit to the Refugio de Aves at the end of Zapata. The salt flats near Guerrero Negro are a bird-watcher’s mecca, with 120 species of migratory birds visiting between Oct. and March. Even out of season, the refugio, a long path surrounded by water, is full of birds and makes for a very pleasant evening stroll. (To reach the refugio, drive to the end of Zapata and take a right on the road with signs pointing to “Avistamiento de Aves.” There’s a small parking area.)