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Credits:

Photographs, research and writing by Drew Carney

San Quintin
Baja Norte,
Mexico

Introduction to San Quintin

Everyone and their brother has traveled to Tijuana - it’s often referred to as the most visited city in the world. But if you want to experience the real south-of-the-border (it’s why you came, right?) and not just some lame gringo approximation, you need to go a bit farther down the peninsula.

Roughly 200 miles south of the US/Mexico border is where many say the real Baja begins. Somewhere near San Quintin, a little fishing village on Baja’s Pacific coast, the pull of civilization fades away. This little cluster of population is home to one of the largest bays on the west coast of Baja and is the last coastal tourist town before the main highway heads down and east to the Sea of Cortez.

Once you cross the border into Mexico, getting there isn’t so bad either – if you opt for the tollway rather than the free road to Ensenada. The scenery on the cuota has been called some of the best in the west, with sweeping views and massive bluffs that feel like Big Sur without the trees. This route is also faster and safer than the libre, and well worth the extra dollars. Make sure you stay alert for signs marking the Rosarito/Ensenada cuota though; the jumbled markings can be confusing.

The eye candy also stays with you along the 120 mile drive from Ensenada to San Quintin, as the surprisingly well-paved Mexican Highway 1 winds through rich farm land and vineyards abutted by small farming towns selling tamales, olives and tomatoes. And then, when you hit the flatlands, you’re there. (Just don’t blink.)

The original San Quintin lies just west of Highway 1. It started life as an old British colony, settled in the late 19th century by a group of Englishmen who made big plans to grow wheat in the fertile valley. A serious drought dashed those hopes, but original machinery from the gristmill is still on display today at the Old Mill Motel. In the last few years a group of gringo retirees has moved into the area, leasing oceanfront property and building houses. Thus far, this sleepy little town has escaped the ravages and sterilization of Mexican cities farther north, but we feel a change is in the wind; go before the relaxing vibe turns into another Ensenada-style Mexi-mall.