On July 1, 1999 the Mexican government implemented the new Tourist Visa and fee system. Despite the grumblings about the wisdom of the program (the money is supposed to be used to promote tourism!), the new system is enforced, and following the rules when you cross the border will help you avoid legal problems as you travel the peninsula. This is a two step system involving obtaining the Tourist Visa and then separately paying the fee later on.

• BY CAR

  - If you are visiting Baja for less than 72 hours, or are not traveling south of Ensenada or San Felipe, no paperwork is necessary. Just go and have a good time! However, if you are planning on staying longer or going deeper, a Tourist Visa and fee is required. Passports are technically required (but RARELY asked for) below Maneadero, 8 miles south of Ensenada. The Tourist Visa is available at the border, as soon as you cross into Tijuana. This is not the only place to get the visa, but it is pretty convenient, and if you obtain it here, you now have one less thing to worry about as you head south.

  When you cross the border in your vehicle stay in the right lane. As soon as you enter Mexico, stay right and enter the secondary inspection station, and then park your vehicle. When you get out of your vehicle, walk to the west (right) towards the small offices under the flags. Head for the door with the blue and white sign that says "Customs Declaration" in small letters and "AUTOPAGO" in large letters. Go in that door and ask for a tourist card. If that room is unoccupied go out the back door (the office is only about 18 feet wide). Once through the office, and outside turn right. You can now see the Immigration Office about 75 yards in from of you. The sign above the door says "Institute Nacional Migration" in small letters and the initials "INM" in large letters. Walk in the door and ask for a Tourist Visa. A passport or an original/certified birth certificate and a driver's license will be required before the nice man in the uniform will hand you a blank Tourist Card to fill out. It helps if you have your own pen, if not they will provide you with a pen, if they have one. Once you have filled out the Tourist Card, give it back to the man at the counter. He will keep the original, and give you a stamped copy, stapled with a receipt. You are now done with this stage of the Tourist Card process.

  Paying the $180 peso Visa fee is the next step, but there is no hurry to do this. You have 72 hours to go to a bank and pay the fee, which is about $19 U.S. There is a 24 hour bank 2 doors down from the Tourist Card office, Banco Biliao Vizcaya (BBV) that is often open. If you do pay for your Tourist Card fee here, take your receipt back to the office where you first obtained the form. He will shuffle your papers and send you on your way. KEEP THIS TOURIST CARD IN A SAFE PLACE! You may be asked for it during your visit down the Peninsula. If this bank is not open don't worry. Other banks in Baja are usually open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and if you bring your Tourist Card to the teller at the bank, they will take your money, give you a receipt for your transaction, and staple a receipt for the $180 pesos to your Visa. Although they may accept U.S. dollars for this visa at the border area banks, be prepared to pay this fee with pesos if you decide to pay further down into Baja. The good news? Once your Visa fee has been paid, it is good for six months!

  For more information visit the TOURIST CARD section of Mexico Expo.

   

• BY PLANE

  - Most airlines require passengers to provide them with a passport or a driver's license and an original (or certified) birth certificate before they will give you a boarding pass. Once on the plane, they will provide you with a Tourist Card to complete (both the top and bottom of the card must be filled out), which must be given to the busy man with the badge at the airport immigration desk when you land. The fee for this card is generally included in the airline ticket price. Be sure to keep and save the stamped lower copy he returns to you. You'll need this to get back on the plane on the way home.

   

CULTURAL ISSUES

To make your trip to Baja more enjoyable, it helps to know a little bit more about the Mexican culture. Above all, it is always a good idea to remember that you are a guest in another country. That's right, Toto, you are not in Kansas anymore!

• SLOW DOWN - The people in Baja are, for the most part, on a much slower pace than most of those who visit. Expect a slower pace when dealing with people and services in Baja, and try to understand that your faster pace is hard for the people of Baja to understand. In Baja, manana is a way of life.

   

• BAJA LOVES KIDS! - The people of Baja are warm and friendly, and very family oriented. If you are bringing kids to Baja, they will be welcomed with open arms. Like most places on the planet, undisciplined kids are not appreciated (although as a courtesy they will probably be tolerated). Kids traveling to Baja with only one parent must have a signed letter of permission from the parent who stayed home.

   

• DON'T SHOW ME THE MONEY - Although 'well off' by Mexican standards, the people of Baja are not as affluent as most of the tourists who visit their wonderful peninsula. You may garner the attention you need back at home with flashy clothing, jewelry, and impressive talk, but try your best to leave that drama behind when you go to Baja. You don't need to impress these folks...they were impressed with Americans long before you showed up. Try to be humble and gracious, you'll get further. Remember, unlike many cultures, most of the people in Baja are not out to make a million dollars. They are just trying to make a decent living.

   

CURRENCY

Although the official currency of Baja is the Mexican peso, it is now possible to spend an entire vacation in Baja without spending a single centavo. U.S. dollars are accepted almost everywhere, in fact, they are often preferred. Large bills such as $50's and $100's can be tough to break in most parts of Baja, so load up on $1's, $5's, $10's and $20's. Businesses in the larger towns often accept credit cards, usually Master Card and Visa.

For more information vist the PAYING WITH PESOS section of Mexico Expo.

DRIVING IN BAJA

Driving in Baja is a great experience, especially if you are aware of these basic driving tips.

• BE INSURED - Unlike the United States, if you are in an accident in Mexico you are considered guilty until proven innocent. Having current liability insurance is relatively inexpensive, and will buy you plenty of piece of mind (and keep you out of jail) in case things go sideways.

   

• ROAD CONDITIONS - Aside from Baja Highway One in the extreme north (Tijuana to Ensenada) and in the extreme south (San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas) most of Baja Highway One is a narrow two lane road. The width runs from 12 to 14 feet on each side, which does not allow a heck of a lot of room for error. Throw in a few moderate pot holes, and there you have it. Driving at high speeds is risky.

   

• WATCH FOR LIVESTOCK - You name it...cows, burros, goats, dogs...they are all out there on the highway waiting to play a little game of 'fender-tag' with your car. Keeping a sharp eye ahead of you can save you lots of aggravation. Once ol' Bessy's big brown eyes are looking at you from the hood of your car it's too late.

   

• MILITARY STOPS - Expect them and appreciate the reasons for them. Mexico is trying to show good faith in the drug transportation war, and the inconvenience of these infrequent drug inspection stations are a small price to pay for a big problem. You are usually delayed no more than a few minutes. They may or may not search your car. But assuming you have no drugs, guns, or amo, you'll be on your way in a jiffy. Giving these young uniformed kids a cold soda or candy is always appreciated.

   

• NIGHT DRIVING - The only thing less safe than driving the Baja Highway too fast is driving the Baja Highway too fast at night. Because of the limited visibility, reaction time to stuff on a dark road (debris, livestock, parked cars, etc.) the likelihood of getting in trouble on the road increases significantly at night. A conservative view is not to drive at night in Baja. A more realistic view is to drive slow, be aware of what lies ahead, and don't drive when tired or drunk.

   

• SPECIAL DRIVING TIPS - An understanding of a couple of driving tips will help your Baja drive more enjoyable and safe! (1) When driving on Baja's main roads, if you are stuck behind a slow local vehicle, most Mexican drivers will try to help with the process of having you pass them. When the coast is clear for passing, the driver of the slower vehicle will often turn on his left turn signal, to inform you that it is okay to pass. It is important to note two issues with regards to this Baja courtesy. First, remember that you (the driver of the vehicle that wishes to pass) are ultimately responsible for whatever may happen during this passing process (such as an unseen oncoming vehicle!). It is also important to be sure that the driver you are trying to pass is not preparing to turn left! On the open highway, this is not likely, but always a possibility. (2) Another hot tip when driving the Baja roads is upcoming road hazards. A person standing on the road lowering his hand towards the pavement repeatedly is trying to tell drivers to slow down for some particular road issue ahead.

   

HEALTH ISSUES

Drinking the water in Baja is not nearly the problem it is on the west coast of mainland Mexico. Much of Baja's water comes from pure underground aquifers, and has little opportunity to become tainted before it makes it to the tap. For good measure, many hotels and restaurants provide purification systems for their water. Although a mild version of 'touristas' is possible to visitors with sensitive stomachs, most of the Gringos who get sick bring it on by drinking too much, getting too much sun and too little sleep, and generally pushing their bodies to the edge.

LANGUAGE ISSUES

You don't speak Spanish? No problema! Most of the service people you will meet in Baja speak a descend amount of English, out of necessity. If you speak a little Spanish, it's always nice to try to meet these folks half way with your 'Spanglish'!

LEGAL ISSUES

If you have any anxieties about getting into trouble with the law in Baja, relax. It's pretty easy to stay legal in Baja, and still have a great time. Key issues to avoid include no guns or rifles (not even ammunition), no hard or soft drugs (no, not even a joint...why take the chance?), no getting naked or making love on a public beach (this is not 'Gone with the Wind- take it back to the hotel!), no fighting (or making a scene in public), etc. And if you are driving from Baja California (northern Baja) to Baja California Sur (southern Baja) don't even think about crossing the state line with fruits or vegetables. Leave your mangos at home!

TIME ZONES

Baja California (northern Baja) is on Pacific Standard Time, same as California, Oregon, Washington etc. Baja California Sur (southern Baja) is on Mountain Time, same as Arizona, Colorado, etc. When preparing to catch your flight home, be sure you are looking at the local time!

WEATHER

The weather in Baja is generally very nice. With just a few exceptions, most of Baja is a great vacation destination 12 months of the year.

• NORTHERN BAJA - The northern tourist zones share a very similar climate to that of Southern California, generally nice in the day and a bit cool in the evenings. The exception in northern Baja is the areas near San Felipe, where it can get very hot in the summer.

   

• SOUTHERN BAJA (the state of Baja California Sur) - Tends to get warmer the further south you go. The bottom of Baja is actually in the Tropics, offering wonderful weather year round, except for some hot weather in July and August. Because it is in the Tropics, there is a small chance of hurricane activity (chubascos) from early July through early October.

For more information vist the WEATHER section of Mexico Expo.

OTHER BAJA DESTINATIONS

The 24 most popular Baja destinations are listed on the home page of BAJA EXPO. However, there are many additional destinations throughout this magnificent Peninsula that are unique and special. In this section, we share some of these out-of-the-way locations, and some basic information about each one.

Drop by BAJA NATIONAL PARKS and BAJA MISSIONS for more ideas!