Experienced Baja travelers often pass straight through Guerrero Negro and push on to San Ignacio (pop. 4,000) for an overnight stop on the way to points south.

With its picture-perfect oasis, restored 18th-century Spanish mission, colonial buildings, and variety of places to stay and eat, the town offers an appealing combination of scenery, history, and visitor services.

Before the Jesuits arrived, the Cochimí knew San Ignacio as Kadakaamán (Creek of Reeds). Abundant freshwater made it a prime location for growing wheat and other crops during the mission period. Today the town consists of a small commercial and residential area surrounding the Misión San Ignacio Kadakaamán and plaza.

The weather here is moderate, compared to the surrounding Vizcaíno Desert. Nights can be chilly in the winter, and all the standing water makes for a healthy population of mosquitoes.

San Ignacio suffered severe flooding from Hurricane Jimena in 2009, and many businesses are still on the mend.

Getting to San Ignacio

Aguila (tel. 800/824-8452, www.autotransportesaguila.com) and Autotransportes de Baja California (ABC, tel. 800/025-0220, www.abc.com.mx) buses stop at the bus terminal (7 A.M.–11 P.M. daily) a half kilometer north of town. There are six buses daily in both directions.