Exploring isolated coves and abandoned fishing camps, we set up near the tranquil pueblo of Punta Final (final point), which rests at the south end of Bahia De Gonzaga. Punta Final consists of a small gathering of palapas (small stone and brick houses) and a handful of sun-baked expatriate Americans on a quest for the endless maana. Nary a sound could be heard as we turned off and tossed back a few Coronas on the edge of the bay.
Alfonsina's sits on the north end of Bahia de San Luis Gonzaga and is a must for the Baja traveler. Established in the 1950s, the original stone-and-mortar cantina has been expanded and modern rooms have replaced the rustic single-cot stone rooms of yesteryear. We sweet-talked the cook into keeping the lights on, and we proceeded to inhale some of the best tacos de pescado (fish tacos) on the peninsula.
In 1542, just 50 years after Columbus landed in the West Indies, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was the first European to ply these waters. It is said that he made safe anchorage in the lee of the Sierra San Pedro Martir Mountains. Long before GPS technology and internal combustion engines, men like Cabrillo were true explorers in a world where failure was met with the harshest of consequences. As squadrons of brown pelicans and cormorants carved sweeping arcs above in search of the catch-of-the-day, we slipped our kayaks in near Punta Final and revisited the tranquil treasures of Bahia San Luis Gonzaga.
We avoided the paved route to Bahia De Los Angeles for as long as possible, eventually surrendering to a 5-mile stretch which took us to the turnout for Mission San Borja. As one of the more remote Spanish missions in its day, it served as the stepping-off point for the El Camino Real, the original mule/foot route connecting Baja's mission system. Built by Jesuit padres in 1759, the mission was later turned over to the Franciscans and eventually to the Dominicans. Today, it remains one of the best preserved and most isolated of its type and is a true oasis in the desert.
 With visions of Baja 1000...  With visions of Baja 1000 grandeur, we raced fairlead-to-taillight for the better part of 20 miles through forests of cardon and cholla cacti, emerging into the Desengano Valley and our next cerveza stop. |  Far from conventional services...  Far from conventional services and life-flight helicopters, the fundamental thing to heed caution to in Baja, aside from coyotes, cacti, and loco jalopy drivers, is the unruly racecar driver within. Pouring on the coals on a fast track south of Bahia De Los Angeles, we hightailed it through the Sierra De La Asamblea Mountains towards Campo Las Animas. |  About 20 miles from Bahia...  About 20 miles from Bahia De Los Angeles, the CJ-7 ejected a coil spring out the side. The culprit was a broken shock. Whipping out the welding gear, we mated the eyelet and shock shaft back together and got them back on the trail. |