Baja map side 1/15/08 9:44 AM Page 1 S D N What is geotourism all about? N I A K L P S According to National Geographic, geotourism “sustains I O H A E N or enhances the geographical character of a place—its I The Borderland E L L A H environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well- T P A L C I N T E R M I N G L I N G F L A V O R S U N D E R G L O R I O U S L I G H T A A being of its residents.” Geotravelers, then, are people who R T 117° 116° 115° 112° N To live along the Baja California-U.S. like that idea, who enjoy authentic sense of place and A S care about maintaining it. They find that relaxing and N border is to be part of a shared history O T having fun gets better—provides a richer experence— E —Old West towns transformed into S geo.tour.ism (n): Tourism N when they get involved in the place and learn about U neon cities mixed with extreme cli- S that sustains or enhances the Mexicali mates and disparate cultures. You can what goes on there. geographical character of a Grab a seat at the El Acueducto bar in feel this sensation in Mexicali’s Chinese BPhoenix Geotravelers soak up local culture, hire local guides, place—its environment, culture, Hotel Lucerna and ask for the world restaurants where sweet and sour Asian buy local foods, protect the environment, and take pride aesthetics, heritage, and the CALIFORNIA famous tomato juice and clam juice in discovering and observing local customs. Travel-spend- well-being of its residents. cocktail born here. About 28 miles flavors intermingle with spicy Mexican south of Mexicali, along the Laguna aromas. We borderlanders have adopt- ing choices can help or hurt, so geotravelers patronize establishments that care about conservation, preserva- Salton Salada, find Olivarera Italo-Mexicana, a ed the fashions and customs of the EOceanside company that produces extra-virgin olive tion, beautification, and benefits to local people. Sea oil from some 260,000 olive trees. globalized world without losing our Tijuana E own rich culture. We live in modern Try a Caesar salad in the town where Escondido cities yet endure severe desert condi- Caesar Cardini created the world Map Key famous dish. Tortas Wash Movil, Tecate Rancho Los Chabacanos tions in a land that demands a strong housed in a white stall next to an old Start your day with a donut or pastry Wash your cares away in the “temaz- character and a defiant disposition. Archaeological site car wash, is well-known for savory 33° from Bakery el Mejor Pan de Tecate, cal,” a steam bath used by ancients tortas—mesquite-grilled beef sand- where the savvy and hungry line up Just by traveling along the Mexicali- Festival for healing and purification. Hike the La Chinesca Tijuana highway and looking up at 33° wiches similar to hamburgers. Satisfy daily to wait for fresh-baked bread. nature trail. Savor gourmet Mexican Mission or church your sweet tooth with dulce de leche, Tour the Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Chinese immigrants arrived in the the Rumorosa mountains you feel the food at this hacienda lodge. early 1900s and created a flourish- Museum 111°W walnut marzipan, and other Mexican Brewery and sample cervezas in the light-headedness of the ages—the specialties at Mercado El Popo. beer garden. ing Chinatown that rivaled that of major North American cities. Taste same rocks that the poet Lawrence Natural or scenic area EEl Centro the unique blend of Mexican and Ferlinghetti called “a fantastic mountain Other point of interest San Diego E Chinese flavors for yourself at one of the 100-plus restaurants. landscape of nothing but stone” with Urban area Chula 8 E “bright sun flames close over.” In some Protected Areas EVista ECalexico Yuma ways we Baja California borderlanders UNITED STATES BMexicali G Biosphere reserve EImperial Beach Ciudad are the ultimate gold-seekers, nomads E MEXICO Baja Prog, Morelos who have, in this region, discovered National park Tijuana E G Tecate La Rumorosa Festivals of the Sun Benito 2 Puebla Ju´arez destiny under transcendent light. Other protected area -- Gabriel Trujillo Muñoz, author, ELa Joya Hermosillo Lambert Conformal Conic San Antonio E Mexicali Standard Parallels 24.5° and 30.5° del Mar Laguna San Luis SCALE 1:1,400,000 E Valle de las Palmas Salada Río Colorado 0 mi 25 Playas de Rosarito El Compadre LA RUMOROSA KCerro Gordo Delta JULIO RODRÍGUEZ R. 0 km 25 4199 ft alabazas L.A. Cetto Vineyard Punta Descanso 1280 m C Arts and Crafts Corridor Puerto Nuevo Puerto Nuevo Las Take a tour, walk the gardens, or E 3 Festivities of the Guadalupe Victoria Peruse shop after shop of Bahía Descanso Lobster Festival picnic at the vineyard of Mexico’s Holy Cross handcrafted pottery, baskets, San Jos´e largest wine producer. Visit the Tucson E rugs, and furniture, all locally de la Zorra tasting room and linger over a glass Luis B. S´anchez 2 made and sold at bargain prices. Francisco San Antonio of Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, or the La Misi´on Zarco Necua highly acclaimed Nebbiolo. 1 pe La Casa de Doña Lupe lu a ey All-organic wines, cheese, and jams Ejido Luis E. Johnson d ll a a 1857 CONSTITUTION ARIZONA Ensenada u V NATIONAL PARK C 32° G o Guadalupe Valley Wine Region lo EL PINACATE Y Tour Baja California’s oldest winery, r San Antonio a 32° Santo Tomás, and sip the award-win- de las Minas S d La Huerta o A GRAN DESIERTO DE ALTAR ning 2002 Cabernet with dinner in a Punta San Miguel Ojos Negros I Ruta del Rio Hardy L former wine-aging warehouse. Walk off EEnsenada Real del Castillo E T Wetlands on the Pacific Flyway for your filet by the street-side sculptures Fiestas de la Taste and buy the many local R A BIOSPHERE RESERVE of locally born Alfonso Arambula, who handmade cheeses of this region migratory birds and home to the R UNITED STATE Isla Todos Santos Bahía Vendimia R Sonoyta fashions objects out of natural and Todos Santos endangered Yuma clapper rail and A D recycled materials. Punta Banda yellow-billed cuckoo. Go canoeing, MEXICO S E camp along the river, or join in com- E K La Bufadora Maneadero 3957 ft Peninsula of J El Pinacate 3 munity-based restoration efforts. Isla Pelícano S 1206 m (volcano) COLORADO RIVER DELTA U Isla Montague Golfo de Santa Clara E GEORGE STEINMETZ / CORBIS Santa Catarina Uruapan A R Ejido Boca la Baja Nayarit Punta Santo Tom´as H´eroes de la R T Independencia Santo Tomás Vineyard Santo Tom´as E ALTO GOLFO DE CALIFORNIA Source of grapes for Z the Ensenada winery Bahía Adair Punta San Jos´e 1 Y DELTA DEL RÍO COLORADO El Sasabe BIOSPHERE RESERVE L´azaro C´ardenas 8 Bajaa Bahía San Vicente La Choya Nogales E ADOBE GUADALUPE, GUADALUPE VALLEY Puerto San Isidro La Choya E JULIO RODRÍGUEZ R. Puerto Pe˜nasco Nogales Er´endira (Rocky Point) 5 Agua Zarca n Rafael Sa Bahía San Jorge Los Molinos California Colonet Santa Clara San Felipe Roca Consag S´aric Highest point in Shrimp Festival ON THE PENINSULA, THE DREAM IS REAL Baja California San Felipe E 31° r K Bahía San Felipe a Cabo Colonet 10157 ft t Ruben Jaramillo Picacho del Diablo l 31° 3096 m (Devil’s Peak) A orget about calling this 800-mile-long Bahía Colonet S Valley of the Giants I SIERRA SAN E Punta Estrella You’ll need to crane your neck to UPPER GULF OF CALIFORNIA AND COLORADO CALIFORNIA ARIZONA NEW R La Tubutama peninsula Baja or "Lower" California. This R see the tops of these giant cardon MEXICO PEDRO MARTIR S RIVER DELTA BIOSPHERE RESERVE Camal´u A cacti that tower over the desert Wetlands and estuaries provide refuge for was California, named that way on maps U.S S M . NATIONAL PARK landscape of this natural reserve. the endangered Gulf of California harbor Atil EX A Laguna Perceb´u BAJA ICO N Algodon O porpoise and other endemic species. long before the first mission bells pealed CALIFORNIA G U E P L Birdwatch in Montague and Pelicano ( F Isla S E F SONORA Vicente Guerrero Oquitoa E O Altar over San Diego. Guadalupe A F D Islands. Tour Roca Consag by boat. CHIHUAHUA O C R ENLARGED F A N FAR LEFT C L O Magdalena O I The early explorers may have put this peninsu- R F T O de Kino E R M E Z BAJA ) N Sierra San Pedro Ma´ rtir I A la on the map, but they failed miserably in their CALIFORNIA A San Quintín National Park R O Cuauht´emoc SUR L´azaro C´ardenas E Snow falls on granite mountain T GUADALUPE VALLEY WINE REGION I search for treasure. Thank goodness they didn’t SINALOA Isla San Martín peaks rising abruptly out of sea and R Wine producers of this temperate valley Punta San Fermin PACIFIC desert. Climb to the highest point K R harvest grapes that yield over eighty per- 6447 ft make much of an impact on the land, most of OCEAN AREA cent of Mexico’s wines. Stop at vineyards on the peninsula for a view of both 1965 m Puertecitos Hot Springs ENLARGED coasts, and watch for golden Bask in your choice of these Los Tanques and restaurants along the Wine Route— Trincheras which looks now as it did when Cortez aban- eagles and condors flying overhead.