nippurmagnum
Contributor
Just came back from my first land-based trip to Baja, and had some spectacular dives: a school of 150+ hammerheads at Gordo Banks, massive bull sharks at Cabo Pulmo, sea lions at La Paz and Cabo San Lucas, and mobula rays at the Cabo corridor — as well as an entire dive spent hearing very loud whale song.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/hP5gPzLuxhZKoArCA
This was my first trip to the area, so I thought I’d share some tips.
Logistics: I flew into SJD airport on Southwest, using only 20K miles for my round trip ticket. Flights were only about two thirds full, despite this being high season in normal times. I was asked at the customs area whether I was a diver, and what kinds of cameras and housings I had. Showed them my Olympus TG5 and its housing, emphasized that everything was “hecho de plástico barato” and was waved through with a smile.
I rented an SUV from Enterprise for $400 for the week, and they gave me a brand new Nissan Xtrail with 10 miles on the odometer. The rate included $170 for the rental itself and $230 in mandatory liability insurance (I checked with Geico before the trip, and they confirmed that my US policy does NOT cover Mexico, so the liability insurance is indeed a must). I was very happy with the rental.
I rented an Airbnb for $55 a day roughly a third of the way from Cabo San Lucas to San Jose del Cabo, near the Costco, at a gated complex called Camino Del Mar. It was a townhouse with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a garage, and a very cool terrace with a view of the Ocean and the Arcos. Super safe, quiet, and a short 10 minute drive to Chileno beach, which had superb swimming and snorkeling, and virtually no tourists, with free parking and excellent facilities.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8LTpa9mLYLqxFmdU9
I got a SIM card at the first OXXO convenience store I drove by and for about $5 had a wireless signal the whole week on an old iPhone. This alllowed me to use Waze to get around everywhere. There are not many roads in this part of Mexico, they are well maintained, and I thought people drove slowly and courteously. I was wary of getting stopped by police looking for a bribe but I hardly saw any patrol cars the whole week and had absolutely no hassles.
I did not bother changing dollars into pesos. Every dive shop offered substantial discounts for cash payments, and I just brought cash in a money belt and settled up that way. The few times I had to pay anything in pesos (in total, less than $50 the whole week), I just pulled out some low denomination bills and they were changed on the spot at 18-to-1 — a crappy rate but very convenient.
As for food, I bought stuff from Costco and otherwise ate at restaurants only three times, always outdoors. Locals were generally very conscientious not only in mask usage but in social distancing. They want our business, but not our virus. Btw, I am part of the Moderna vaccine trial, which was approved by the FDA while I was in Mexico.
Next: the diving.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/hP5gPzLuxhZKoArCA
This was my first trip to the area, so I thought I’d share some tips.
Logistics: I flew into SJD airport on Southwest, using only 20K miles for my round trip ticket. Flights were only about two thirds full, despite this being high season in normal times. I was asked at the customs area whether I was a diver, and what kinds of cameras and housings I had. Showed them my Olympus TG5 and its housing, emphasized that everything was “hecho de plástico barato” and was waved through with a smile.
I rented an SUV from Enterprise for $400 for the week, and they gave me a brand new Nissan Xtrail with 10 miles on the odometer. The rate included $170 for the rental itself and $230 in mandatory liability insurance (I checked with Geico before the trip, and they confirmed that my US policy does NOT cover Mexico, so the liability insurance is indeed a must). I was very happy with the rental.
I rented an Airbnb for $55 a day roughly a third of the way from Cabo San Lucas to San Jose del Cabo, near the Costco, at a gated complex called Camino Del Mar. It was a townhouse with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a garage, and a very cool terrace with a view of the Ocean and the Arcos. Super safe, quiet, and a short 10 minute drive to Chileno beach, which had superb swimming and snorkeling, and virtually no tourists, with free parking and excellent facilities.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8LTpa9mLYLqxFmdU9
I got a SIM card at the first OXXO convenience store I drove by and for about $5 had a wireless signal the whole week on an old iPhone. This alllowed me to use Waze to get around everywhere. There are not many roads in this part of Mexico, they are well maintained, and I thought people drove slowly and courteously. I was wary of getting stopped by police looking for a bribe but I hardly saw any patrol cars the whole week and had absolutely no hassles.
I did not bother changing dollars into pesos. Every dive shop offered substantial discounts for cash payments, and I just brought cash in a money belt and settled up that way. The few times I had to pay anything in pesos (in total, less than $50 the whole week), I just pulled out some low denomination bills and they were changed on the spot at 18-to-1 — a crappy rate but very convenient.
As for food, I bought stuff from Costco and otherwise ate at restaurants only three times, always outdoors. Locals were generally very conscientious not only in mask usage but in social distancing. They want our business, but not our virus. Btw, I am part of the Moderna vaccine trial, which was approved by the FDA while I was in Mexico.
Next: the diving.
