Fill the tank before you leave the border. Top off any time you’re at half.
MEX-5 the whole way. Return on the same highway.
Loreto is where the whole California story starts — the 1697 mother mission, the first capital, the plaza the rest of the peninsula was administered from. Three centuries later it’s the Gulf’s most civilized base: a walkable historic center, a malecón facing five islands of a protected marine park, an international airport for swapping crew, and enough services that a rig can settle in for a month without a supply run north.
Members read the full route guide
The complete story, trip vitals verified by members who drove it, and the GPS file to take with you — every route in the library. $40 a year.
Already a member? Log in.
Members get this for every route in the library — a growing library of Baja trips — plus the camping, fuel, and checkpoint notes that go with them. The file loads straight into Gaia GPS, OnX Offroad, or a Garmin. $40 a year.
RV TravelersThe postcard: a palm-oasis river town and a chain of turquoise coves where the rig parks on the sand. The RV trip every member should make once.
SnowbirdsThe city option for the season south: a real malecón, whale sharks in the bay, island days on Espíritu Santo, and every service a long stay needs.
Baja changes. Roads wash out, camps close, a Pemex that was there in March can be dry in November. Everything on this page came from members who actually drove it, on the date stamped at the top — but conditions on the ground are yours to verify.
The GPX track is a planning aid, not a navigation authority. Don’t follow a line on a screen into terrain you can’t see. Carry paper backup, tell someone your plan, and turn around when the road tells you to.
Mexican auto insurance is required by law and your U.S. policy doesn’t cover you. If something goes wrong without it, the situation gets much worse very fast. Get a quote before you cross.
