The Internet remains an invaluable resource for Baja-bound travelers. Even out-of-the-way establishments often have at least a basic website with directions and current pricing. The most technologically savvy ones use the Google Earth application to show visitors exactly where they are located. Some are experimenting with mobile applications and other communication tools. When it comes to directory-type sites, you need to be careful what you read. The vast majority of these sites are advertising engines with unedited and out-of-date information. Here is a short list of some of the most useful all-Baja sites:
- Baja Books and Maps
- www.bajabooksandmaps.com
- Online bookstore with a comprehensive collection of Baja-related titles. This company is also the sole distributor of Baja-related titles to English-language bookstores throughout Southern Baja.
- Baja Bound
- www.bajabound.com
- One of many businesses that offers Mexican auto insurance policies for travelers driving their own vehicles to Baja. Lots of related travel information, too.
- Baja.com
- www.baja.com
- Destination community site with vacation rental listings and regional guides, mainly for Southern Baja.
- BajaInsider.com
- www.bajainsider.com
- Comprehensive online publication for visitors and residents with news, weather, and commentary.
- Baja Nomad
- www.bajanomad.com
- An interactive forum with extremely active participants, many of them veteran Baja travelers and local business owners. If you have the time to read through all the threads, you’ll find a wealth of information about border crossings, road conditions, restaurant and hotel reviews, and more. If it’s not on Baja Nomad, it probably hasn’t happened yet.
- Baja Times
- www.bajatimes.com
- Online version of the biweekly English-language newspaper serving tourists and residents of the main Northern Baja communities with news, real estate, and travel information.
- Border Wait Times
- http://apps.cbp.gov/bwt
- Real-time border crossing times from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Scroll down to find the list of Mexican Border Ports of Entry.
- Bush Pilots International
- www.bajabushpilots.com
- A must-read for pilots interested in flying a private aircraft to Baja. It costs US$50 a year to access the forums, which might be worth it even if you’re not a pilot.
- Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH)
- www.inah.gob.mx
- INAH is the government institution responsible for protection of Baja’s cultural sights, including the historic Jesuit missions and ancient cave paintings. It runs museums in La Paz and Loreto and issues visitor permits for trips to the cave paintings and other protected areas.
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática (INEGI)
- www.inegi.gob.mx
- INEGI is a Mexican government agency that publishes statistics on population and economics for the entire country as well as topographical maps. It also has an interactive map of Mexico, including Baja California. Spanish only.
- iWindsurf.com and iKitesurf.com
- www.iwindsurf.com and www.ikitesurf.com
- Daily Baja wind forecast and reports for windsurfers, plus a whole range of consumer weather delivery services, from the parent company WeatherFlow.
- Los Cabos Guide
- www.loscabosguide.com
- Relatively up-to-date, advertiser-driven listings of hospitality and tourism businesses in the Los Cabos area, with some coverage of the East Cape and Todos Santos. Useful restaurant reviews and hotel listings. Fairly comprehensive.
- Mexico Fishing News
- www.mexfish.com
- Weekly fishing report that covers the entire peninsula with conditions, regulations, catches, and photos.
- Olsen Currency Converter
- www.xe.com/ucc
- This online tool for currency conversions comes in handy now that the dollar-to-peso exchange rate is no longer an easy 1:10 ratio.
- Sunbelt Publications
- www.sunbeltpub.com
- This book publisher specializing in upper and lower California has an online catalog of its Baja titles.
- U.S. Embassy
- http://mexico.usembassy.gov
- Visit the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City online, with information on services for U.S. citizens, plus current State Department travel warnings.
