For most Baja road-trippers making their way down the peninsula, foggy Guerrero Negro (pop. 12,000) looms as a stopover town for refueling vehicles, loading up on supplies, and crashing for the night.

Aside from marking the halfway point of a trip from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas, the town is known for two things: gray whales and salt.

Getting to Guerrero Negro

By Air: Aereo Servicio Guerrero (tel. 615/157-0137, toll-free 800/823-3153, www.aereoserviciosguerrero.com.mx) operates flights to and from Isla Cedros four times a week (Mon., Wed., Thurs., Fri.). The flight time is about 30 minutes, and a one-way ticket runs US$65; the airline office, next to the police station on Boulevard Zapata, is open 9 A.M.–4 P.M. Monday–Saturday. The company also does charters upon request and flies to other destinations within Mexico such as Ensenada (US$137) and the Pacific coast of the mainland.

Guerrero Negro’s airfield is located north of town, near the state line. Look for the turnoff between Km. 125 and 126.

By Bus: Guerrero Negro’s bus station is located on Boulevard Zapata across from Malarrimo Restaurant. Aguila (tel. 800/824-8452, www.autotransportesaguila.com) and Autotransportes de Baja California (ABC, tel. 800/025-0220, www.abc.com.mx) offer daily service north to Punta Prieta, El Rosario ($40) San Quintín, Ensenada, and Tijuana (US$80), and south to Vizcaíno (US$8), San Ignacio (US$17), Santa Rosalía (US$25), Mulegé (US$33), Loreto (US$49), Ciudad Constitución (US$67), and La Paz (US$90).