It might not have been obvious in my previous blog posts, but Mark and I were antsy about returning to the Baja California peninsula of Mexico this winter, because we had a great time here last spring, meeting like-minded travelers and taking a welcome break after publishing a book. On this subsequent visit, we hoped to hang out with friends, explore this 1,000-mile narrow stretch of land a bit more, and relax on its many beaches. Our initial goal was to arrive in early December and stay until sometime in April.
Shell Beach vista
After multiple delays – trying to find jobs in Arizona, going to the dentist in Los Algodones, more camper projects in the desert, and a few important phone calls while still in the US with good cell service, we finally crossed the border into Baja on January 12th, six weeks later than planned. It was a good day! We had arrived back in Mexico and we could feel the stress and anxiety leave our bodies. Yet, we realized it would take a while to fully adjust to the life we intend to have: one of plenty adventures with a good balance between work and leisure, and plenty of walks for Maya.
Now that we have a 4WD vehicle (as opposed to our campervan Zesty, last year), more remote campsites are accessible and we feel that’s what a lot of Baja California is about: reaching peace and solitude surrounded by nature and the sea. One thing we noticed from the start, though, is that it’s much busier than last year. We were spoiled in 2021, when rarely a soul crossed into Mexico, and we often camped by ourselves.
Half an hour south of San Felipe is “Shell Beach” along the Sea of Cortez. This was our first stop and an awesome one. Miles and miles of empty beach, low dunes, gorgeous sunrises, clear night skies, and oh-so-quiet.
