Baja California

The state of Baja California is located in north-western Mexico on a peninsula of the same name. It is bordered to the north by the United States, to the west by the Pacific Ocean, to the south by the state of Baja California Sur, and to the east by the state of Sonora and the Sea of Cortez, also known as the Gulf of California. The peninsula comprises, for the most part, one of the most arid regions of the world with wild, solitary landscapes.

Baja Norte's attractions include tours of it's wine country and colonial era missions, ecotourism options in a number of natural parks, deserts and protected areas, hunting and sport fishing, and watersports such as snorkeling, surfing and sailing. Whale watching tours are particularly popular in the January to March season.

The capital of the state is the city of Mexicali located right over the U.S. border in a rich agricultural area. Popular tourist destinations in Baja California Norte are Rosarito Beach, Ensenada and Tijuana.

The Mission Route and Baja's Wineries - In the late 17th century, a series of missions was founded in Baja California by Jesuit priests, many strung between Ensenada on the Pacific coast, and the town of Loreto in Baja California Sur. The peninsula's current reputation as a wine producing region is due to the Jesuit missionaries and later the Dominicans, for it is the priests who are considered responsible for the introduction of grapes in to the region when they established their missions. Read about the Wines of Baja