Bahía Santa Inés

North of Mulegé [1], near Km. 151, a sandy road departs Highway 1 heading east toward the wide and undeveloped bay of Santa Inés—a great place for a midday swim or beach stroll. There are multiple ways to reach the white-sand beach that lines the bay.

Follow the network of sandy roads, choosing the most-traveled branches and taking care not to get stuck in patches of loose sand. Eventually you will end up at the low dunes that guard the beach. You can pitch a tent and spend the night here, although there are no facilities and you may be asked to pay a few dollars for overnight use of the site.

At the north end of Bahía Santa Inés (Km. 156), a 20-kilometer graded road leads to remote Punta Chivato, a popular sportfishing destination and a great spot to set up camp and snorkel the rocky point. A handful of palapas offer shade, and the beachfront camping area can accommodate RVs as well as tents.

Hotels

The high-end Posada de las Flores (off the main, unnamed dirt road that leads to Punta Chivato, tel./fax 615/155-5600, U.S. tel. 619/378-0103, www.posadadelasflores.com [2], US$210–490/night) group took over the historic Hotel Punta Chivato, a onetime luxury fly-in resort that opened in 1966. Like its sister properties in Loreto [3] and La Paz [4], the inn has large and stylish rooms with air-conditioning, private baths, fireplaces, and garden patios.

Other amenities include a boat ramp, small desert golf course, pool, and sea kayaks. Rates include breakfast, snacks, and dinner, but don’t include tax or a US$18-a-day service fee. There is a small tienda at the hotel.

You can also camp on the beach or contact Costa Cardonal (www.costacardonal.com [5]) to inquire about vacation rentals that may be coming on the market as new homes are completed.