RVing in Baja: Worth Every Bump in the Road???

We knew that driving our van down the Baja of Mexico would have its challenges.

Potholes.

Narrow roads.

Language barriers.

Finding safe drinking water

But when rewarded with beautiful waterfront views, we were almost able to forget what was involved in getting here.

Almost ...

Yes, I'll be honest in saying that during the travel days of our Baja RVenture, we quite frequently wrestled with the question ...

Is it worth it???

In order to enjoy seaside views like this at the end of the day, we had to navigate a few bumps along the way. And somewhere between the rough roads and the quiet horizons, we came to better understand the culture of Mexico ... and our own strengths and weaknesses as RV travelers in a foreign land.

Let's start with those ..

"Smooth" Pavement Moments

We were happy to discover that our Spanish skills ... and especially Doug’s advanced conversational Spanish ... served us well during our time in Baja. At the military checkpoints, Doug was able to quickly and confidently answer questions about our travel plans and destinations. Twice, officers did a brief inspection of our van. We’re still not sure what they were looking for… though I suspect they mostly wanted to admire Baby Beest’s sweet layout or talk a bit longer with her driver. I've noticed that my "man of few words" does suddenly get more talkative when he can practice his Spanish!

In a country where many of the people earn very little money, we were surprised to not ever encounter any beggars. Instead, we experienced a culture that is hardworking and takes great pride in the food and goods they create. When vendors approached us with their wares, a simple “no, gracias” was met with a smile as they respectfully continued on their way.

Fresh fish and shrimp tacos ... everywhere ... everyday. And while they were delicious and surprisingly affordable (about $3 each), I hate to admit it ... after a number of days of this seafood diet, I began to miss having a variety of food we're used to finding in restaurants back in the U.S.

Margaritas ... not sure how they do it, but these are definitely better than any that I have had in the U.S. I suspect that the scenic backgrounds add to the enjoyment.

Those beachfront campsites ... pull in, pay 250 pesos ($15 USD), roll out the awning, spread out the rug, set up your chair, and let the gentle waves lull you into a hypnotic state of calm.

But this "new to us" experience of vanlife in Mexico did come with a few...

"Bumps" in the Road

Some of the campground amenities that we take for granted (bathrooms, showers, water, electricity, and dump stations), can be surprisingly hard to find ... especially potable water. For that, we had to seek out an "Aqua Purificada" station. While these stations were easy to find in most villages, it wasn't a given that they would have the right hose connection to fill our tank. Doug got an upper body workout (and an unexpected shower) while applying a Herculean amount of pressure to a hose whose screw-on fitting was anything but secure.

   We found that a "typical" travel day in Baja was very taxing on the brain. Random potholes ... unannounced speed bumps ... hidden stop signs ... "unique" road designs. These road hazards, not necessarily typical when traveling in the U.S., were a normal part of our Baja travel days. Thus, we quickly realized that it was better if we both kept our eyes on the road at all times.

Because of limited paved highways, a trip down and back up the Baja Peninsula is pretty much an out and back ... which means we have to repeat that same bad stretch of road (or that construction zone detour) on our way back north.

I quickly discovered that the wide variety of groceries we’re used to finding in American stores isn’t always easy to come by in Baja. As my stash of favorite vanlife staples started running low, some of my “home-cooked” meals became a little more … creative. Doug had no problem fixing that problem by suggesting that we just needed to eat out more.

There is limited internet coverage when traveling in Baja, so it was something that needed to be considered before starting our travels ... in order to prevent those dreaded "internet withdrawal" symptoms from setting in. We found that our Google Fi internet had good coverage in all of the small villages that we stayed in. And for travel and beach camping days, our Starlink was definitely the "star" of the show!

Unfortunately, with limited trash removal options, many rural and natural areas become makeshift garbage dumps. While a walk through this forest of cacti could be so beautiful, the heaps of garbage along the sides of the road took away a bit of the magic.

And yes, that dreaded "check engine" light made an appearance once again on our way back up towards the border. While it remained solid and intermittent ... instead of flashing and constant which would be much more worrisome ... we still needed to stop a few times to let Baby Beest cool her jets. As always, crossing back into the U.S. was a long and slow process, but we were grateful to reach that point and finally be in a place where finding a repair shop was once again an option.

 Baja Lessons Learned

Plan your visit during the times that match your desired activities. Want to whale watch? Early February to mid March is best.  The gray whales, who entertained us immensely on our way down, were pretty much gone when we made our return trip through Guerrero Negro three weeks later.

Want uncrowded beach campsites? Avoid the week before and after Easter. All of the schools in Mexico are on vacation for the two week period around Easter, so many families head to the beaches. From what we heard, the popular beaches can get very crowded. As for us, we will cherish the peaceful beachside camping experience that Baja gifted us.

And finally, traveling to Mexico is no bargain. With the added expenses of Mexican car insurance ($800), an immigration visa ($115), gas ($5.25/gallon) that are needed in order to reach those delicious $3 fish tacos or $15 beachside campsites, it may not seem as quite a big of a bargain.

But as the saying goes ...

Views like these are PRICELESS!

Was It Worth It???

Driving our van down into Mexico definitely had it challenges. But it also was an opportunity to "spread our wings" and learn more about ourselves as world travelers. We returned to the States with a new appreciation for all the "luxuries" that we, as Americans, often take for granted like ...

Smooth wide roads

Free public toilets that actually have toilet paper

A greater variety of restaurant cuisine from fast food to fine dining

Better availability of grocery items

Safe drinking water

Clean public lands

RVing through Mexico was, without a doubt, a learning experience. While traveling by RV proved a little more challenging than we expected, we’re grateful to have these Baja memories become another chapter of our RVentures.

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