Motorcycle Adventure Ride – Page 24

Favorite Baja Hotels: Guerrero Negro’s Malarrimo’s

This blog grew longer than I had planned. I thought I would touch on Malarrimo’s (one of my favorite hotels in Baja) and that would be it, but I realized once I got into it that there’s a lot more to the story and Guerrero Negro.

If you’re headed into Baja, especially if you’re headed there to see the whales, you’d be hardpressed to find a better hotel than Malarrimo’s in Guerrero Negro. Guerrero Negro is at the halfway point when headed down the Baja peninsula (it’s about 450 miles south of the border). It’s located along the 28th Parallel, the dividing line between Baja and Baja Sur (Baja’s two Mexican states).

Although some might be inclined to dismiss Guerrero Negro because as little more than a gritty industrial town, it’s actually a pretty cool place to visit and a good base for further explorations. There’s whale watching, the ecological preserve, salt mining, the nearby cave paintings, the food, and more.

Ah, the food. As Gresh so aptly put it, no one loses weight on a Baja ride with me. I’ll get to that in a minute.

Don Enrique Achoy founded Malarimmo’s about a half century ago, and it has remained a family business. He was ahead of his time, offering eco tours to see the whales, the ecological preserve surrounding Scammon’s Lagoon, and more. There are other hotels in Guerrero Negro, but I always check Malarimmo’s first. It’s not fancy and at around $65 per night it’s a tiny bit expensive for Baja, but it is inviting. it’s clean, and I just feel good there. The restaurant is arguably the best in town, and I love the bar (more on both in just a bit).

Getting There

Malarrimo’s is easy to find. Just head south on the Transpeninsular Highway from the border for 450 miles. You’ll see a huge metal eagle at Parallelo 28 and a Mexican military base. Shortly after that, you’ll see a sign pointing to the right and Guerrero Negro.

Take that right, and Malarimmo’s will be on your right as you enter town. You can’t miss it. Incidentally, the lagoon you see in the satellite photo above is Scammon’s Lagoon. It’s where the whales will be, which takes me to our next topic.

Whale Watching

Whale watching tours are available from January through March when the California gray whales are in town, and it is a life changing experience. Those are strong words and you might be tempted to dismiss them as hyperbole. Take one of Malarrimo’s 4-hour, $50 whale watching tours out on Scammon’s Lagoon and then you tell me. I’ll bet you come away feeling the same way.

We have a lot more on whale watching on our Baja page, so I won’t spend too much time here on it. Trust me on this, though: It is like nothing you have ever done.

The Ecological Preserve

When you get a whale tour at Malarimmo’s, it will take about a half hour in a Malarimmo van to get to the where the pangas (the small boats that take you out to see the whales) are docked, and on that ride, you pass through an ecological preserve that is home to more than 150 wildlife species. You’ll see many nesting ospreys (a bird of prey), and if you’re lucky (like we have been) you’ll get to see an osprey enjoying a bit of sushi. It’s a fun thing to encounter.

Salt Mining

Guerrero Negro is a company town, and the company is Mitsubishi, which owns (along with the Mexican government) the salt processing operation. It’s one of the largest salt producing regions in the world. They use an interesting approach: Flooding the coastal plains near the town with seawater, allowing the water to evaporate, and then using earth moving equipment to scrape up the salt that remains behind.

Guerrero Negro Cuisine

No discussion of Guerrero Negro would be complete without a discussion of the cuisine down there. In a word, it’s wonderful. My favorite meal? Fish tacos, served right off the truck (caught fresh daily) by my good buddy Tony. No one I’ve ever taken there has had anything but high praise for these incredible treats.

Another place I like is San Remedios, a restaurant a block or two north of the man drag through Guerrero Negro. Just head west a few blocks from Malarrimo’s, turn right, and you’ll find it. The food is awesome and the young ladies who serve it are stunning.

I’ve already mentioned the restaurant and bar at Malarimmo’s. You can’t have a bad meal at the Malarrimo’s restaurant, and the bar…wow, it’s interesting. The Guerrero Negro area forms a big hook out in the Pacific Ocean with the hook’s U facing north (you can see that in the satellite photo above). As a result, a lot of interesting stuff washes up on shore in that area, and Malarrimo’s has a collection of it hanging from the roof in their bar. It’s pretty cool.

There are other restaurants in Guerrero Negro, too, and I try to make it a point to try a new one each time I am there. Baja John and I enjoyed an amazing Chinese dinner in Guerrero Negro on one trip; try Lucky’s if you feel like something different.

The Cave Paintings

There are several cave paintings located throughout Baja. This is real Indiana Jones stuff; the cave paintings are estimated to be about 10,000 years old and not much is known about the people who put them there. They are all relatively remote, too, but one of the easier (I’m using that word in a comparative sense) ones to get to are the cave paintings in Baja’s Sierra San Francisco Mountains.

The cave paintings near Guerrero Negro are further south and east of the Transpeninsular Highway (Highway 1, the main and often only road running north and south in Baja). You take Highway 1 south and then turn left after passing through the town of Vizcaino to head east and up into the Sierra Francisco mountains. It’s a magnificent ride with an awesome climb into the mountains, then the road turns to dirt and then it becomes, for lack of a better word, gnarly. You buy tickets and secure a guide in a small village, and then double back for maybe a mile to see the paintings. If you have a 4WD car or a dual sport (or ADV) motorcycle, you can get there on your own; if you don’t, you can grab a tour that leaves from Malarimmo’s. It will take most of a day to get out there, see the paintings, and get back to Guerrero Negro, but it’s well worth it.

There’s a lot more to Baja’s cave paintings, but it’s too much to include here. Watch for a future blog on this topic.

So there you have it: Guerrero Negro, Malarimmo’s, and a bunch of things you can do while in that area. I love everything about Baja, and I especially love the Guerrero Negro area. You will, too.

When you head into Mexico, make sure you insure with BajaBound. They are the best, and they are the only insurance company we will ever use.

More Baja, including a list of our other favorite Baja hotels and things to see and do, is here on the ExNotes Baja page.

Never miss an ExNotes blog: Sign up here!

So what’s it like to ride in Baja? You can learn more with Moto Baja!

CSC’s New 400 Twins!

Boy oh boy, the 400cc market segment is hot. It was the RX4, then we learned the Janus 450cc Halcyon is coming, and now, CSC just announced two stunning 400cc twins! Check this out!

I’ve seen both bikes in person at CSC, and I can tell you the bikes look even better up close and personal than they do in the photos. CSC has quite an extensive line of motorcycles, electric motorcycles, and ebikes, and now these new 400cc twins will broaden their appeal even further. Check them out at the CSC Motorcycles website!

A New BajaBound Atlas

Wow, check this out…a new Baja road and recreation atlas brought to us by the folks who know Baja best: BajaBound Insurance!

I ordered mine already and I’m looking forward to getting it. You can be sure I’ll put it to good use. If you want to order yours, you can do so here!

If you’re headed into Baja, make sure you have your BajaBound motorcycle insurance!

Check our adventures in Baja!

Never miss an ExNotes blog. Sign up here for free!

Tough Rides: Brazil

We recently wrote a review of Tough Rides China, and as it turns out, that was one of three rides Ryan Pyle did that are available on Amazon Prime. A couple of days ago I watched Tough Rides Brazil, one of the other two. It was a six-part series about a circumnavigation around Brazil, and Ryan did this one without his brother Colin.

Although I enjoyed it, I didn’t think Tough Rides China was as good as the Himalaya Calling series about going overland from Germany to India, and I said so in my earlier review. Tough Rides Brazil, however, was stellar, and it was every bit the equal of Himalaya Calling. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A gold-lined church in one of the mining towns in Brazil. Pyle took us into many worthy destinations on his Tough Rides Brazil series.

You know, it’s a funny thing. I’ve been down on motorcycle adventure stories that focus too much on mysticism, philosophy, and other wordcount-inflating bullhockey and not enough on motorcycle riding (which is why I didn’t think much of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance but I loved Dave Barr’s Riding the Edge). Somehow in Tough Rides Brazil, Pyle focused only a bit on the riding and spent most of his time on the things he did in each of perhaps a dozen destinations on his 14,000 kilometer journey around Brazil, and it worked. I watched all six Tough Rides Brazil episodes in a single sitting (it was that good). It’s easy to do; they are each not that long and the story line and photography are superior.

You might check out Tough Rides Brazil on either Amazon Prime (by buying each episode) or by joining Amazon Prime and watching it on your TV or your computer. Tough Rides Brazil is included with Amazon Prime. Trust me on this: I think you will enjoy it. It’s got me thinking about visiting Brazil. This is heresy, but I don’t think I’d want to do it on a motorcycle. I’d like to fly there and see the place as a regular non-moto-borne tourist. Brazil looks like a fascinating place and the Tough Rides Brazil series has me thinking deep thoughts in that direction.

See our other television, movie, and book reviews here.

Never miss an ExNotes blog. Sign up here for free:

Tough Rides: China

Here’s another Amazon Prime television show and video review. This one (as the blog title suggests) is on a series titled Tough Rides China. It’s about two Canadian brothers (Ryan and Colin Pyle) who circumnavigated China on BMW F800 motorcycles, and you can either watch it on Amazon Prime (if you have that streaming service) on your TV or on your computer.

The bottom line first: I enjoyed this 6-part series. A big part of that was because Joe Gresh and I rode around China with the cult of the Zong and we had a whale of a time, so it was easy to relate to what these two fellows did.

I didn’t think this series was as good as the one I reviewed recently about the two German dudes who rode from Germany to India (Himalaya Calling, which was a stellar production), but I still enjoyed it.

Surprisingly, the Pyle brothers’ BMWs broke down a couple of times during the trip, which suprised me. They were concerned about how long it would take to get parts and the lack of a strong BMW presence in China (now there’s a switch). For the record, our ten Zongshen RX1 and Rx3 motorcycles didn’t have a single breakdown during our ride. The Pyle brothers had breakdowns that mandated trucking the bikes significant portions of the trip (does GS actually stand for Go Slow?).

The Pyles also put their bikes on trucks when they wanted to get on the freeways because motorcycles are not allowed on some Chinese freeways. When Gresh and I were over there with the Zongers, we rode them anyway. It made me nervous that we rode around the toll gate arms (without paying the toll) and I asked one of our Chinese brothers about it. “We’re not allowed on the freeways, so if we tried to pay, they wouldn’t know what to do,” he told me.

Tough Rides China has a long introduction at the beginning of every episode, and it was the same in every episode. That became a bit distracting, and I blitzed through the lengthy and redundant intro after watching the first two episodes.

Tough Rides China featured the giant sand dunes and camels in the Gobi Desert around Dun Huang. Gresh and I were there. It was an awesome place, as was all of China. It really was the adventure of a lifetime.

Tough Rides China is part of a series. The Pyle brothers have done similar series in Brazil and India, too. I’ll have to look for those. While I didn’t think this series was as good the Himalaya Calling adventure ride we recently reviewed, it was still good and I recommend seeing it.

Never miss an ExNotes blog. Sign up here:

Would you like to read about the Zong trip when Gresh and I rode around China? Hey, just click right here!

CSC’s 2021 RX4 Colors

The new CSC RX4 is here, and they are moving out quickly from the CSC plant in Azusa, California. CSC Motorcycles is offering two colors on the new RX4, as shown in the photo above Steve Seidner recently sent to me. One is a vibrant yellow and the other is a deep, rich blue. I like them. If I had to pick one, I’d go with the yellow. Yellow just seems to work on ADV bike. There are a number of changes incorporated on the new RX4 motorcycles, as outlined in the CSC mailer below. The big ones are the spoked tubeless wheels, the new TFT dash, and a tire pressure monitoring system.

We tested the RX4 extensively when it first came to America and published a comparison between it, the CSC RX3, and the Kawasasaki KLR 650. You can see those reports here. I may well have been the first American to ever ride an RX4 when I was in China visiting the Zongshen factory not that long ago. I rode the prototype (literally a 450cc engine in an RX3), and on a subsequent visit, one of the early preproduction models.

Tooling around the Zongshen test track on a preproduction RX4…those were fun times.

I love traveling to China, and I particularly like visiting the Zongshen plant and Chongqing. It’s a city most folks haven’t heard of here in the US, even though at 34 million inhabitants it is one of the largest cities on the planet. With that, here’s the info from CSC Motorcycles:

Get More Than Ever! CSCMOTORCYCLES.COM

The new 2021 CSC RX4 is the motorcycle ADV riders have been waiting for. Powerful. Economical. Modern. The RX4 is an all-around versatile motorcycle that is perfect for real-world riding – including highway cruising, adventure touring, or simply commuting to work economically.

The 450cc single-cylinder, 4-valve, overhead cam, counter-balanced engine produces 40.2 horsepower and achieves a top speed over 95 miles per hour. The RX4 is water-cooled and equipped with Delphi fuel injection and electric start. The bike features a six-speed transmission.

The new RX4 includes an adjustable windscreen, comfortable touring seat and foot pegs with removable rubber inserts. The RX4 features an all digital TFT Display Gauges: dash with digital speedometer, tachometer, odometer, trip odometer, fuel gauge, gear indicator, neutral light, temperature gauge, clock, turn signal and high beam indicators, and Bluetooth connectivity for caller ID. Above the dash there are USB and 12-volt charging outlets included as standard equipment.

The new CSC RX4 includes a 300-watt alternator to power accessories with two prewired outlets under the seat.

The RX4 features LED turn signals and brake light plus LED day-time running lights. The headlamps are controlled by an automatic light sensor. The RX4 has a standard 5.3-gallon gas tank with locking cap. With fuel consumption exceeding 60 miles per gallon, the RX4 has an honest range approaching 300 miles.

The CSC RX4 is outfitted with spoked wheels, black anodized aluminum rims and 80/20 tubeless tires.

The RX4 comes standard with molded side cases, mounting racks and a TALL rear top box – which is large enough for a full-face helmet. Or RX4 owners can select the OPTIONAL package of Tourfella aluminum side cases and rear top box, all with custom side pannier and rear mounting racks.

The CSC RX4 is an unmatched value in the adventure motorcycle category. The powerful and economical 450cc motor is paired with a huge list of standard features that cannot be duplicated elsewhere.

CSC RX4 Standard Features:

- - 450cc liquid-cooled engine, 4-valve, overhead cam, with counter-balancer.
  - Long maintenance intervals (5,000-mile valve adjustment) and easy repairs backed by a full Owner’s Manual and online service tutorials.
  - US Delphi EFI system.
  - 6-speed transmission.
  - Stainless steel twin pipe exhaust.
  - 5.3-gallon fuel tank with locking gas cap keyed to ignition.
  - All Digital TFT Display Gauges: dash with digital speedometer, tachometer, odometer, trip odometer, fuel gauge, gear indicator, neutral light, temperature gauge, clock, turn signal and high beam indicators.
  - Adjustable windshield.
  - 12-volt and USB charging outlets on dash.
  - LED turn signals and brake light.
  - Dual-flash hazard lights.
  - 3D Anti-fog headlamp with LED day-time running light. Low light sensor with handlebar switch controls.
  - 300-watt alternator.
  - Automotive-type waterproof connectors under the seat. An optional handlebar-switch for accessory outlets is available.
  - Adjustable inverted front forks with anodized finish. Fork lock keyed to ignition.
  - Adjustable rear shock absorber.
  - Large diameter dual front and single rear disk brakes with ABS.
  - Front 110/80-19 spoked wheel with tubeless dual sport tire, black aluminum rim.
  - Rear 150/70-17 spoked wheel with tubeless dual sport tire, black aluminum rim.
  - Tire Pressure Monitoring System {TPMS}.
  - Front and rear mud guards, with added rear lower mud guard.
  - Steel engine skid plate. An optional full coverage aluminum skid plate upgrade is available.
  - Frame-mounted engine guards.
  - Comes standard with molded luggage. An upgraded aluminum luggage package is available.
  - Wide foot pegs with removable rubber inserts.
  - Passenger foot pegs and grab rails.
  - Tapered aluminum handlebars with bar-end weights.
  - Dual rear view mirrors.
  - Ergonomic rider and passenger seat.
  - Available Colors: Fire Yellow or Saphire Blue.
  - The RX4 is covered by a ONE YEAR unlimited mileage warranty.

If you’re a serious international adventure rider, the RX4 is one of the best motorcycles available. I believe it is one of the six best motorcycles you can take into Baja if you are seeking a great bike at a super price. You can read more about the new RX4 on the CSC blog.

Subscribe to the ExNotes blog for free!

Himalaya Calling

Himalaya Calling is the best motorcycle adventure travel series I’ve ever seen. Yes, that’s a strong statement, but this is a grand four-part series that I thoroughly enjoyed watching. It’s about two German guys (Erik Peters and Alain Beger) who rode Yamaha Teneres from Germany to India. No support mechanics, no movie star nonsense, mud and snow on the highest mountain passes in the world, and absolutely super photography and riding.

You can watch Himalaya Calling on Amazon Prime TV, or buy the show through the Amazon website. Trust me on this: You’ll love it.

Never miss an ExNotes blog. Subscribe here for free:

The Salton Sea 400

The date is 18 April 2021 and the event is the Salton Sea 400, an endurance motor scooter event that circumnavigates southern California’s Salton Sea. The Motor Scooter International Land Speed Federation is the group that put the event together (they do this sort of thing regularly), and I can tell you from personal experience that Alan Spears and the MSILSF crew are a good bunch of people. I rode a 150cc California Scooter (along with good buddies TK and Arlene) in a similar event around Death Valley a few years ago and it was a hoot.

The contact info is in the poster above and here (and you should register to run in the event). If you have a scooter and you’d like to run it around the Salton Sea, you might consider participating.

The Six Best Motorcycles for Baja

This is a blog that is sure to be controversial and elicit a few comments. It attempts to answer a very specific question: Which motorcycles are best for Baja?

As a qualifier, let me mention a few things up front:

- Most of my Baja riding is on asphalt, and that necessarily colors my opinions. Yeah, there’s a lot of great dirt riding in Baja, but I am a streetster at heart. Your mileage may vary.
- You don’t need to spend $30K on a Baja blaster. What good is driveway jewelry if you are afraid to get it dirty and if you’re constantly worried about where you parked? In Baja, a big, heavy motorcycle (ADV-styled or otherwise) puts you at a disadvantage. I am not a fan of huge displacement, tall, expensive motorcycles. For real world riding (especially in Baja), monster motorcycles are more of a liability than an asset. Even that new one that’s 20 years late to the party.
- What I think you need in Baja is a comfortable bike with range. There are places where you can go more than a hundred miles between fuel stops, and you need a bike that can go the distance. That means good fuel economy and a good-sized fuel tank.
- Luggage capacity is a good thing, but if your bike doesn’t have bags, you can make do with soft luggage. In fact, I’d argue that soft luggage is better, because it’s usually easier to detach and bring in with you at night.

With that said, here goes:

CSC’s RX3

Say what you want about Chinese bikes, and say what you want about smallbore bikes, I’m convinced my 250cc CSC RX3 was the best bike ever for Baja.

The RX3 tops out at about 80 mph and that’s more than enough for Baja’s Transpeninsular Highway (the road that runs from the US border all the way down to Cabo San Lucas). The bike is comfortable and it gets 70 mpg. The fuel tank holds over 4 gallons. I could carry everything I needed (including a laptop, a big Nikon and a couple of lenses, and clothes) in the bike’s standard panniers and topcase. I also carried tools and spare parts, but I never needed them. It was superbly well suited for Baja exploration, as I and more than a few others know. One more thought…before you pummel me with the inevitable “Ah need at least a thousand cc” comments, take a look at our earlier blog, Why a 250?

Kawasaki’s KLR 650

I owned a 2006 KLR 650 Kawasaki for about 10 years. I bought it new and I loved the thing. I think it is one of the best bikes I’ve ever ridden in Baja. Yeah, it was a little tall, but once in the saddle I had no problem touching the ground.

The Kawi didn’t come with luggage, but I bought the cheap Kawasaki soft luggage panniers and a Nelson Rigg tankbag and I was good to go (I didn’t need the obligatory KLR milk crate). Although the KLR was heavy, it did surprisingly well off road (especially running at higher speeds over the rough stuff), and I did more offroad riding with the KLR than I have with any of the other motorcycles I brought into Baja. It averaged 56 mpg, and with its 6-gallon gas tank, I could make the trek between El Rosario and that first Pemex 200 miles further south without stopping for fuel.

CSC’s RX4

I’ve never owned an RX4, but I’ve ridden one a fair amount and I’ve done detailed comparisons between the RX4, the RX3, and the KLR.

I’ve never taken an RX4 into Baja, but I’ve ridden both (the RX4 and Baja) enough to know that it would do well down there. Think of the RX4 as an RX3 with more top end, more acceleration, and a bit more weight. It’s got the luggage and the ground clearance for extended travels with some offroad thrown in, and it also gets about the same fuel economy as the RX3. Fit and finish on the RX4 is superior (it’s almost too nice to take offroad). The RX4 is a lot of motorcycle for the money. The pandemic hit our shores not too long after the RX4 did, or I would have seen more of the RX4 south of the border.

Genuine’s G400c

I rode Genuine’s new G400c in San Francisco, courtesy of good buddy Barry Gwin’s San Francisco Scooter Center, and I liked it a lot. It’s compact, it has adequate power, it has an instrument layout I like, and it’s a fairly simple motorcycle.

I think with soft luggage, the Genuine G400c would make an ideal Baja blaster, and the price is right: It rings in right around $5K. With its Honda-clone 400cc motor (one also used in the Chinese Shineray line and others), it has enough power to get up to around 90 mph, and that’s plenty for Baja. I rode a different motorcycle with this powerplant in China and I was impressed. I think this would be an ideal bike for exploring Baja.

Royal Enfield’s 650 Interceptor

Yeah, I know, the new Enfield Interceptor is a street bike with no luggage. But with a Nelson Rigg tailpak and Wolf soft luggage, the Interceptor was surprisingly in its element in Baja. Gresh will back me up on this.

We had a whale of a time exploring Baja on a loaner 650 Enfield (thanks to Enfield North America and good buddy Bree), and I liked the bike so much I bought one as soon as I could find a dealer that didn’t bend me over a barrel on freight and setup. There’s one parked in my garage now. The bike is happy loping along at 65-70 mph, it’s comfortable (although I’ll be the first to admit it needs a sheepskin cover on that 2×4 of a seat), and it gets 70 miles per gallon. I wouldn’t take it off road (except maybe for that 10-mile stretch to go see the cave paintings in the Sierra San Francisco mountains), but like I said at the beginning of this conversation starter, I’m mostly a street rider.

Royal Enfield’s 400cc Himalayan

I’ve seen these but not ridden one yet. Good buddy Juan Carlos, a great guy with whom I rode in Colombia, has gone all over South America on Enfield’s new Himalayan and he loves it (that’s his photo below). Juan knows more about motorcycles than I ever will, and if Juan says it’s good, it’s good.

I like the look of the Himalayan and I like its single-cylinder simplicity (come to think of it, with the exception of the Enfield Intercepter, every bike on this list is a single). 400cc, I think, is about the right size for Baja. The price is right, too. Royal Enfield is making fine motorcycles that won’t break the bank. I think the Enfield Himalayan would be a solid choice for poking around the Baja peninsula, one that probably has the best off-road capabilities of any bike in this list.

I’m sure I’m ruffling a few feathers with this piece, and I’m doing that on purpose. I’ve been taking pot-stirring lessons from Gresh (that’s him in the photo at the top of this blog). We’d like to hear your comments if you disagree with any of the above. Do us a favor and leave them here on the ExNotes blog (don’t waste your time posting on Facebook as that stuff will scroll on by and be gone; ExNotes is forever).

All the above notwithstanding, I’ll add one more point: The best Baja motorcycle for each of us is the one we have. You can ride Baja on just about anything. I’ve been to Cabo San Lucas and back on everything from a 150cc California Scooter to a Harley Heritage Softail cruiser. They’re all good. Don’t put off a trip because you don’t think you have the perfect motorcycle for a Baja adventure. Baja is the best riding I’ve ever done.

Please visit our advertisers and click on the ads!

I’ve done a lot of riding on a lot of different motorcycles in Baja. You can read all about that in Moto Baja!

Heading into Baja? Make sure you insure with BajaBound, our choice for the best motorcycle insurance in Mexico!

More info on Baja? It’s right here!

Never miss an ExNotes blog. We cover an eclectic mix of topics, including motorcycles, travel, bicycles, construction, guns, reloading, all kinds of product reviews, and more. Subscribe here for free:

BajaBound Insurance Saver Package

This press release from BajaBound came in recently and we want to share it with you:

BIG NEWS! Baja Bound is very excited to announce our new Baja Saver Mexican auto insurance policy! The Baja Saver is a heavily discounted policy for travel in Baja California, Baja California Sur and Sonora that is available for six month or annual coverage. The Baja Saver offers up to a 60% discount compared to full territory Mexican insurance policies! Check out all of the Baja Saver features here:

https://www.bajabound.com/bajasaver.php

Since the essential travel orders are still in place we are rolling this out as a great option for expats and folks commuting across the border for work. We look forward to getting back to everything we love about Baja and hope to see you south of the border soon!

¡Viva Baja!

We always use BajaBound Insurance whenever we visit Mexico, and we’ve found it to be the best.

I’ve spoken with several folks who are in Baja, and although there is an essential travel order in place, it’s not enforced. Folks tell me that they can easily cross the border in both directions. Baja John tells me that life is Baja is much the same as it is here in the US, with folks social distancing, restaurants offering outdoor dining and socially-distanced tables, and people wearing masks. John mentioned that on a couple of recent holidays, there were roadblocks north of San Felipe and Ensenada and if you couldn’t prove Baja residence, you would have to turn around, but the roadblocks were only present during the holidays.

Gresh and I have been talking about venturing into Baja in another two or three months. I am looking forward to it. In the meantime, if you want to vicariously relive a few of our adventures in beautiful Baja, check out our Baja and Epic Rides pages!