These two neighboring Baja villages are located in a very remote and lush valley
approximately 70 miles north of Ciudad Insurgentes. Established in 1719 because
of the underground springs that accommodate small areas of farming at cattle,
these watering holes and the cliffside aqueduct still provide water for citrus,
mango and date trees. Palms are also dried here for palapa roofs and fences
for other nearby villages.
The large sloped butte just north of town is a landmark that can be spotted from
many miles away. "El Pilon" looks a lot like a landing spot for U.F.O's in a
sci-fi movie except for the white cross on the top! La Purisima offers a small
market and gasoline from drums mid-town, on the north side of the street (a Pemex
is on the way....manana). A small but squeaky clean cafe "Restaurant Claudia" on the south
side of the street will stifle that growling stomach and also offers cold sodas.
San Isidro, a mile or two east of La Purisima, has a lot less going on and is a
traditional sleepy Baja pueblo. It does offer gasoline from drums on the west side of
town. It's another 35 miles east to Baja Highway One on a sometimes tolerable,
sometimes terrible dirt road. San Jose de Gracia is one hour south of town on a fair dirt road.
For more information on the area north of La Purisima check out the SAN
JUANICO section of Baja Expo.
Looking for a place to get out of your vehicle, stretch your legs and drink in the local view of La Purisima? On the east end of the village the town square is located on the north side of the street. The local kids like to play here after school (in uniforms), and on Sundays it gets pretty crowded because the town church is located right behind the plaza.
La Purisima is very much a laid back Baja village and Gringos are not seen here in great numbers. Something very refreshing to experience in Baja!
There are two landmarks in this sleepy village that are unique to La Purisima. The aqueduct that runs along the cliffs on the southern side of the road through town dates back many years and was instrumental in providing water to get the towns agriculture going. Another landmark, El Pilon, is the large rock on the north end of town that looks like a cross between El Capitan in Yosemite and the alien spacecraft landing place in the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". Definitely worth a photograph!
If want to take a few steps further back in time to an even more remote part of Baja continue east past La Purisima and San Ysidro for another half hour to the twin villages of San Jose de Comondu and San Miguel de Comondu. This is the real Baja that most visitors never see and one of the most remote villages on the Peninsula. There is a 99.99% chance that you will be the only person in town who doesn't live there.
LA PURISIMA - SAN ISIDRO, BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO
YOUR FIRST STOP IN TOWN
THE GRINGO FACTOR
THE BEST OF LA PARISIMA
CARLOS FIESTA'S HOT TIP: