NOTE: The world has changed dramatically in the past few weeks. This post looks back at a trip that we took to Baja California Sur at the beginning of 2020. Lets hope that we get back to a state where such carefree adventures are possible again soon.
One thing struck us as we descended into the Los Cabos Airport: the region is a lot more mountainous and a lot less populated than we’d imagined. Looking out the plane window we saw almost no signs of civilization and while I’d expected a relatively flat desert like much of the American southwest the terrain was instead dominated by a significant mountain range. What is more, everything was green thanks to a recent period of uncommonly high rainfall. Lucky us.
Sarah and I were blown away during the week that we spent in Baja California Sur (BCS) over New Year’s. While most visitors to this region of Mexico focus on the Los Cabos area, we ventured an hour north to the sleepy, expat-friendly town of Los Barriles. With a beautiful coastline, excellent low frill dining options, significant potential for outdoor adventures and a laid back vibe, this is a perfect family destination.
Booking the Trip
You may know that we’re a Southwest family for multiple reasons, and we generally prioritize destinations serviced by that airline. For about a year now we’ve been dancing around the idea of taking one of their flights to the Los Cabos region in BCS. In fact, we booked a trip there for the spring of 2019 before canceling it in favor of using American AAdvantage miles to go to Curacao.
My office closes every year for a week around New Year’s, so we decided to earmark that time for Los Cabos. I booked our flights as soon as the Southwest booking calendar opened. Sarah had a Companion Pass which expired on December 31st, so we paid (with points) for a single ticket to Los Cabos and then added me for free as the companion. We then booked two tickets home for January using points for Sarah and some LUV vouchers we’d received during our return from Puerto Rico earlier in the year for my ticket.
We mixed up the plans a bit in September when a friend in San Diego invited us to visit. There are direct flights between Nashville and San Diego, as well as between San Diego and Los Cabos, so it seemed like a great way to fit two trips into one. We took advantage of Southwest’s generous change policy to build in a couple nights in San Diego before continuing to Los Cabos on New Year’s Eve…the final day of validity for our Companion Pass. With the dates locked in we reserved a rental car and booked a couple apartments on AirBnB.
Destination Rundown: Baja California Sur
As the name would imply, Baja California Sur is located on the southern half of the narrow Baja California Peninsula. Outside of a few mining towns, this isolated and arid region was an all but forgotten backwater for most of its colonial and post-colonial history. All that began to change in the 1970s when the Mexican government completed the first of two paved highways which connect the region to the rest of the country. With the road complete, the government began working with developers to transform the small coastal town of Cabo San Lucas for the mass tourism market.
Today, Cabo San Lucas remains the focal point of the region’s resort and tourism scene, but development has spread to include the nearby city of San Jose del Cabo (where the international airport is located) and the coastline between the two cities which has been branded “the corridor.” Most tourists restrict their visit to this region which is often referred to as Los Cabos.
A stone arc on Playa Palmilla 
Sunset at Playa Palmilla 
Baby E masquerading as a sea turtle hatchling. 
Plaza Mijares in San Jose del Cabo. 
E took a great interest in the sea birds on Playa Palmilla
For those with independent transportation or a backpacker’s tolerance for public transportation, the small artsy town of Todos Santos on the Pacific coast and the state capital, La Paz, which is located on the Sea of Cortez, are popular destinations. With even more time it is possible to visit the old mission town of Loreto and encounter the gray whales in Magdalena Bay or San Ignacio Lagoon. Just note that outside of the Los Cabos areas there are long stretches of empty mountain roads with nary a gas station…or even a house in sight.
Los Barriles
We learned about the hot spots during our pre-trip research. However, given our disinterest in the mass tourism surrounding Los Cabos and the logistical restrictions of traveling with a one-year-old, we opted to forego nearly all of the marquee destinations in the region. Instead, we spent our time in Los Barriles, an expat enclave located an hour north of the airport on the Sea of Cortez. It ended up being an excellent base for us.
Los Barriles stretches along a beautiful, boulder strewn beach and is surrounded by mountains and scrubland. The town draws a large population of snow birds who travel south from the US and Canada year after year for extended winter vacations. It is a popular destination for anglers, kite boarders, and other independent, adventure oriented vacationers.
For the most part, the beach is peaceful and nearly deserted. You just need to keep an eye out for the ATVs which many tourists rent for around $100 per day. These can be seen zipping up and down the beach as folks make their way into town or up one of the dry riverbeds in search of some off-roading.
The town has one major grocery store, several ATMs, and a slew of great, affordable restaurants. Because many visitors seem to return year after year (or even retire and move here long term), there is a strong and friendly expat community in the area. The high snow bird population also means that it is an approachable destination even if you lack Spanish ability.
The owner of El Pirata was big fan of E’s. He kept whisking her away to explore the kitchen. 
El Pirata was so good we visited twice. 
Taqueria El Viejo has cheap, delicious tacos and an extensive toppings bar. 
E made friends with some of the local expats in Los Barriles. They helped entertain her while we visited the topping bar at Taqueria el Viejo.
Day trips from Los Barriles
Within a 45-minute drive of town are several interesting mountain outposts, which make for excellent day trips. Drive south on Route 1, and you’ll find the old mission town of Santiago, which is itself connected by gravel and dirt roads to a number of off the beaten path destinations in the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range. Drive north on the same road, and you’ll get to the old mining town of El Triunfo, which was largest population center in what is now Baja California Sur about a century ago. Today it is a popular destination for those looking to explore the ruined industrial buildings and cute restaurants and shops which have opened in the historic town center.
If you have the gumption, you can also head to Cabo Pulmo for the day. This large national park is located just south of Los Barriles and is a popular recreational hub known for excellent beaches, snorkeling, and scuba. The road is unpaved, though, and may require four-wheel drive during certain times of the year.
Our Experience Traveling with Baby E
Because we were arriving on New Year’s Eve and anticipating store closures the next day, our first stop after getting the rental car was to drive 15 minutes south into San Jose del Cabo to get groceries. Afterward we shot north for one hour along a narrow two lane highway and reached our beachfront condo in Los Barriles shortly before dark. E got a good nap in during the drive, so the timing worked out alright but those naps became a challenge as the trip went on. One reality about packing a kid is that even a seemingly low key trip can present a whole slew of learning opportunities.
Keeping a Nap Schedule
At this point we have a loose daily routine for E. She wakes up around 6:30AM (give or take half an hour) and then goes down for her morning nap two hours later. This second nap can last anywhere from 45 minutes to 2.5 hours depending on the day. When she wakes we have a 2.5 hour window of time before the afternoon nap. That nap can also vary from 45 minutes to 2 hours. When she wakes in the afternoon, we typically have about a 3.5-hour window before her 7 PM bedtime. In between the naps we obviously need to change her diapers, feed and entertain her. When she was younger (like during our trip to Curacao) she could nap anywhere, even while climbing a mountain. That’s not the case anymore.
As you may imagine, this nap schedule is tricky on vacation, as it doesn’t leave much time for adventuring. We got a good taste of that while in San Diego at the start of the trip. Our buddy attempted to take us to La Jolla beach between the morning and afternoon naps. By the time we got E ready to go and made our way to La Jolla, we had all of fifteen minutes to look at sea lions before she started to edge toward a meltdown. That required a quick retreat back to home base for the next nap.
It was even more of a challenge in Los Barriles. As I mentioned, this is a great destination for the independent, adventure-minded tourist, but all those cool activities were out of reach for these two parents. It was too cool and windy to really enjoy the pool or ocean, so we took turns going on beach walks. I went on a lot of beach walks. Still, a well napped baby is a happy baby…for the most part.
Dealing with a Non-Baby Proofed Condo
Sarah is the responsible one in our relationship, and she has done an excellent job pushing me to baby proof our house. For the most part, we can let E wander out of sight for brief periods without worrying about her safety. This condo was an entirely different story. There were sharp edges on the rectangular glass topped coffee table. The water cooler proved a source of great interest when E learned that she could hold down on a tab and watch a stream of water pour out on the floor. And on day two she even managed to procure a screwdriver from somewhere!
Suffice it to say that at least one of us had to keep eyes on her at all times while she explored around the condo. For the next trip we are bringing zip ties and a bit of rope to try and secure the accommodation better.
Planning Flexible Adventures
Flexibility is key when traveling with the wee one. It’s best to create a list of things you think you may be able to do but to come prepared to only accomplish a handful of the things on that list. Given the nap time constraints, we were not able to do much right around Los Barriles aside from beach walks and a few restaurant meals. With that said, we could undertake trips a bit further afield and time them so that the drive overlapped with E’s second nap.
We managed to pull this off twice on this trip. The first time we headed north to spend the afternoon exploring the ruins around El Triunfo. The second time we took the turnoff near Santiago and drove along a rough, unpaved path in search of the Zorra Canyon. We never made it to the canyon. Instead, we ended up a good deal deeper in the mountains at the Santa Rosa Hot Springs. These two afternoon adventures were the highlight of the trip.
Final Thoughts
It is getting harder to travel with E, and I can only assume things will get even crazier as she approaches her terrible twos, but the destination itself really stood out. The terrain and coastline are beautiful, and the temperature was perfect for hiking and beach walks. We finished the trip with a two night stay in San Jose del Cabo and even that time in the more tourist heavy “Los Cabos” region was pleasant.
Outside of an expensive and frustrating rental car experience, I’d rate the region as an excellent value destination. We definitely plan to return one day when E is old enough to join us on some proper adventures.
Nice write-up this sounds like an awesome spot to visit.
It’s too bad Chance can’t speak German. That would’ve bought you another hour 😀
I laughed so hard about E discovering the cooler spout. Thanks for including that!