NEW DIRECT FLIGHTS // AWARD-WINNING WINERIES // PACIFIC SURFNow with direct access from the UK and a rat of new hotels, the
beaches, mountains and vineyards of Mexico’s Baja peninsula
are no longer just the preserve of holidaying Hollywood
A hop across the border from sunny southern California,
most Americans see Baja as an extension of the Golden
State itself. Following the launch of TUI’S DIRECT FLIGHTS
from Gatwick to Los Cabos, Baja California is within easy
reach of British travellers, too. Los Cabos itself is a tale of
two cities (or towns): laid-back, traditional San José del
Cabo and buzzing international Cabo San Lucas, linked
by ‘the corridor’ — a 20-mile, beach-fringed boulevard
lanked by an increasing number of resorts and hotels.
THE VICEROY, a white minimalist hotel that appears to
loat over the sea, put Los Cabos on the map for ive-star
hotels when it opened in 2018. Since then, a succession
of luxury resorts has followed suit, including the FOUR
SEASONS, a NOBU HOTEL and the WALDORF ASTORIA to
name a few, with an AMAN slated to open this year on
Baja’s peaceful East Cape overlooking the Sea of Cortez.
Away from Baja’s semi-topical southern tip, you’ll ind
a classic Mexican terrain: desert landscapes and sun-
baked canyons spiked with cactus and, in the peninsula’s
north, more than 150 wineries. Wine has been made in
this part of Mexico — the country’s major producing
area — for hundreds of years, but since the early 2000s,
the number of producers has skyrocketed. Baja’s
increasingly medal-winning vintages can be sampled
as part of tours, or with tasting menus at bodega (wine
cellar) restaurants; many, such as BRUMA VALLE DE
GUADALUPE are adding rooms overlooking the vines
and, in some cases, also the waves. And there’s no lack
of surf in Baja, a long thin state fringed by the Paciic to
the west, and the secluded Gulf of California to the east.
This is the place to kick back with a local microbrew,
grab a ish taco, and hit the water to scuba with abundant
marine life, including multiple species of whale, sharks,
sea lions, sea turtles and manta rays. SB
bajanorte.com visitmexico.com2 BAJA CALIFORNIA
FROM LEFT: Desert landscape near
Cataviña, Baja California; surfers,
San José del Cabo, Baja California;
dish at The Old Stamp House
Restaurant, Cumbria; The Cottage
in the Wood, CumbriaTHE COOL LIST72 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel