Lonely Planet

Marcial Ruben ArceVillavicencio looks out overhis ranch from the saddle ofhis horse, AlgódonMARCIAL RUBEN ARCEVillavicencio was eightthe first time he sat on ahorse. It bolted and threwhim off, but Marcial gotback in the saddle. Forty-six years later he’sstill riding. He’s been a cowboy all his life,just like his father and his grandfather.Marcial’s ranch, Rancho Las Hilachas,is just south of San Quintín and is home to250 cows that wander freely over the 2,700acres. It takes Marcial and the othercowboys three months to round them up,during which time they camp and eat underthe stars. They do many things the old-fashioned way here in Baja California’sdusty heartland. From a young age thecowboys must learn to be handy with a rope.‘When an animal is wild, you have to lassoit,’ explains Marcial. ‘That’s one of thetoughest things to learn. It’s what makes2. San Quintín & San Pedro MártirExplore the peninsula’s rugged, unspoilt heart where condors soar and cowboys still rideRancho Meling is a guesthouse at the baseof Sierra de San Pedro Mártir. It has nine rooms,two houses, and offers a taste of cowboy life withMarcial, a pool and access to biking trails (from£50; ranchomeling.com).Parque Nacional Sierra de San Pedro Mártircosts £3 to enter. Camping fees are included.There are also four cabins at the park entrance.You’ll need to bring your own sleeping bags (from£30 for a four-person cabin; 00 52 646 172 3000).EssentialsRejoin Highway 1 and head south for four hours untilthe left-hand turn-off towards Bahía de los Ángeles,another hour away.``````taking care of so many animals hard – it’slike having hundreds of children.’At least he can count on his own faithfulsteed Algodón (‘Cotton’), a bay-colouredCriollo horse. Algodón will stay with himlong after the cows have been exportedacross the border to the USA where they areworth at least £600 each. Marcial maintainsthat his cows are worth every penny. ‘Thisjob is satisfying, but the process of lookingafter a cow is a responsibility,’ he says. ‘Youhave to give them a good life, let them runand be happy. When you eat the steak, youwill know by the flavour if you did well.’Marcial doesn’t worry that more cost-efficient commercial farming might one daykill off his time-worn way of life. ‘We’re notafraid of competition from farms like that,because we think people value this more.’With Marcial herding his cows throughthe foothills, the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir``````rises behind him on the horizon. Themountain range is home to a 170,000-acrenational park, which is a sanctuary forbighorn sheep and mule deer as well ascougars, bobcats and coyotes. The thickpine forests, punctuated occasionallyby craggy rock faces, make the perfectenvironment for hikers and horse riders.At the very top of the park stand severaldeep-space telescopes that make up theObservatorio Astronómico Nacional. Thelocation was chosen because of its lack ofnight-time cloud cover and light pollution,meaning that professional astronomersand amateur stargazers can glimpse thevast Milky Way. And that’s not the onlyimpressive sight to be seen above. Nearthe entrance to the park is a rocky outcropwhere California condors gather. In mostplaces the graceful birds can only be spottedcircling high in the air, but here they swooplow overhead, their huge wings makinga loud crack as they glide down to Earth.Back on the ranch, Marcial tends to hisown animals. Then, with the last of the day’ssunlight fading away, he takes his place onan old sofa outside to open a few beers withhis son and brother-in-law. ‘I can’t imaginegoing anywhere else,’ he says. ‘We don’tdo this for tourism. This is the way we live.If you want to learn about ranches and thecowboy lifestyle then this is the best placeto come because we’re not pretending.That’s the special thing about this place.’