Desert Paradise

Travel 120 miles south of the Mexican border, between the Sea of Cortez and the Sierra San Pedro Martir mountain range to the State of Sonora and you will find the usually quiet fishing town of San Felipe, Baja, birthplace of the fish taco. Situated on the northeastern coast of the Baja Peninsula, nestled around a horseshoe shaped bay, San Felipe is not only a Spring Break destination but also a stop for many in the Baja race circuit. The area’s varied geography supports a diverse array of outdoor activities, most of which involve a motor vehicle of some kind: motorcycle, 4-wheel drive, or Baja buggy. Since San Felipe is in the desert walking and hiking activities are fairly limited, although golf is very popular. Besides swimming, scuba diving is the primary water sport and the warm shallow Sea of Cortez is filled with stunning marine life.

My family has a small cabin down in San Felipe to which I travel every year to enjoy the gorgeous scenery as well as the diverse animal and plant life that can be found in the region. Most prevalent in our neighborhood is the tall, graceful ocotillo cactus, although there are over a hundred varieties of cactus found in the Gran Desierto. One of the most well-known is the Cardon cactus and the worlds largest was found in this area. It made me sad when I found out this glorious monster cactus was uprooted and shipped to Spain, sold off by the local government to the highest bidder. Most of the cacti remain brown throughout the summer season, sometimes all year round. But if the winter rainfalls are adequate, the vivid red, purple, and yellow flowering cacti create a spectacular scene.

Get up early and watch the brilliant orange, rose and yellow sunrise creep leisurely over the rugged rock and spill over the sandy beach. The waves roll slowly over the shallow shoreline and produce a peaceful sound to match the beautiful setting. That beach is one of the only places I will go barefoot. The sand is soft and smooth, unlike other warm water beaches which are often covered by crushed seashells and rocks, and comes from the low cliffs surrounding the horseshoe bay. Strong Santa Ana winds blow down the mountain range from California and across the desert to the sea. These annual winds and the occasional hurricane blast the sand loose from the cliffs and scatter it across the beach. One year an artist carved a full skull right into the cliff face with a stylized sun carved to the left of the skull and a saguaro cactus to the right. If you were able to climb the cliff, you could easily sit two people in the skull’s lower jaw. It was spectacular the year it was carved, but five years later there is no trace left.

I recall one holiday meal when we turned the dinner table to face the ocean. While we ate we watched flocks of pelicans gliding above the waves. From this direction, you can also see a large rock extending proudly above the horizon. About eighty miles from shore, the rock stands at almost the halfway point to the Mexican mainland. It is a popular landmark for the local fishermen. San Felipe is primarily a fishing town, and at almost any hour of the day or night, fishing boats can be seen bobbing offshore; at night their running lights twinkle through the waves. The catch is mainly shrimp and white fish which is lovely grilled and served by the local restaurants in the fish tacos that sell two for a dollar.