Los Barriles: Anglers, kiteboarders, and divers all find paradise in the Sea of Cortez near Los Barriles, the most developed town for visitors between La Paz and San José del Cabo.

Cabo Pulmo: Reef-building corals, crystal waters, and white-sand beaches attract divers, snorkelers, and kayakers to Bahía Pulmo and Playa La Sirenita.

Banco Gorda: Six miles from shore, this pair of seamounts offers unrivaled marlin and wahoo fishing as well as a chance for scuba divers to see hammerheads and whale sharks.

El Triunfo: This ghost town in the mountains along Mexico 1 was once a silver-mining boomtown and the largest community in Southern Baja.

Arroyo San Bartolo: A freshwater spring in the sierra keeps this palm-filled riverbed lush and green.

Santiago Town Plaza: Shaded by mature trees and lined with a row of colonial buildings, this plaza is a perfect place to relax after a trip to the nearby hot springs or waterfall.

Cañon de la Zorra: At the edge of the Sierra de la Laguna, near Santiago, a 10-meter waterfall plunges over smooth granite rock into a swimmable lagoon.