Wild West and water sports in one holiday

Baja california by Isabel Choat

The sight of my fellow riders donning leather chaps and riding boots filled me with some trepidation. These were serious riders. I on the other hand am not. The last time I went riding it was on the back of a bedraggled mule that moved at a snail’s pace.

I needn’t have worried though. The owner of the Cuadra San Francisco ranch in Los Cabos, Baja California, made sure Iwas allocated the most docile and obedient horse on the ranch.

There hardly seems a more appropriate place to go horse riding than Baja California – the desert landscape, dotted with towering cacti, is straight out of a Western film.

We rode for an hour and a half under scorching sun, veering off the sandy track at one point into a narrow gorge where hardy plants grew out of the rocks.

Horse riding is an ideal way to take in the scenery on land. But to see much of Baja’s interesting wildlife you need to don a mask and flippers.

The scuba diving is not for beginners as the visibility is not as clear as in the Caribbean and the currents can be strong, but it offers an exciting opportunity for those with some experience.

We anchored at the famous rock arch just off the tip of the Baja peninsular where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez. Above the water, pelicans keep a look out from the rocks, while sea lions bask in the sun. Below you can see countless tropical fish and sometimes manta rays.

The morning I dived, the water was an opaque minty green which meant the visibility was low and we had to descend using the anchor rope.

During the 38-minute dive we caught sight of a spikey porcupine fish, a school of yellow grunt, a lobster and a large sea-bed flat fish but unfortunately no manta rays .

There are plenty of other activities I could have tried during my four-day stay including all-terrain vehicle driving over sand dunes, deep-sea fishing or parasailing but with the temperatures in the high 90s I was happy to spend the rest of my time lazing at the Melia Los Cabos (see box), sipping frescadas (strawberry smoothies) by the large free-form pool which appears to merge seamlessly into the aqua-marine Sea of Cortez.

Wild West and water sports in one holiday

Wild West and water sports in one holiday

Wild West and water sports in one holiday

Emerald sea meets desert landscape at Baja

Baja California: deep-sea fishing is one of the many activities on offer to tourists

Flights fromUS to Baja

While there are no direct flights from the UK to Baja, there are numerousconnections from the UK

Mexicana: LA to Los Cabos once a day andDenver to Los Cabos once a day; fares start at $308 from LA in January.

America West: Phoenix to Los Cabos five times a day about £170 return plus £32 tax; America West

Aero California: Los Angeles to La Paz $40 one way, Loreto and Los Cabos; Dallas to Los Cabos; with the Visit Mexico fare which has to be bought in the UK, LA to La Paz and Los Cabos costs $40 one way and LA to Loreto is $55.

Alaska Airlines: Los Angeles to Los Cabos three times a day; San Diego and San Francisco to Los Cabos daily; Phoenix to Los Cabos (November to the end of April; about 2 hours). Tickets cost £169 each way with the Best of the West Airpass which must be bought in the UK.

Horse riding: an ideal way to enjoy the scenery

Twin-centre breaks

UK operators are reporting rising demand from British holidaymakers for twin-centre holidays that combine the US and Mexico.

The most popular combination is Florida and Cancun which is offered by UK operators including North America Travel Service, Delta Vacations, Kuoni and Jetset. But the Mexico Tourism Promotion Board is also pushing northern Mexico, particularly in combination with Califronia and Arizona.

Jetset scored a first this year when it introduced a 12-day tour for 2001 starting in Los Angeles and visiting Arizona and northern Mexico.

In Mexico clients take a rail journey through the spectacular Copper Canyon, which is four times larger than the Grand Canyon. At £2,348 the tour costs twice as much as the average Jetset tour but product director Alberto Boeri hopes it will appeal to discerning clients.

Baja California offers desert, water sports, wildlife, and year-round sunshine. “We don’t want to be dependent only on the US market. We have a variety of attractions but people in the UK don’t know about us,” said Juan Tintos, secretary for tourism for Baja North.

hotel check

Meliá Los Cabos All Suites Beach and Golf Resort

Location: a beach-front property on the tip of the Baja peninsular, about a 20-minute drive from Los Cabos airport

Accommodation: 166 ocean-front suites of varying sizes (66 are time-share suites). The hotel is building an additional 170 suites by the end of 2001. Rooms are bright and spacious with balconies over looking the pool and beach.

Facilities: pool, kids’ pool, spa, gym, bar, pool bar, shop, La Terraras restaurant, access to two golf courses and two tennis courts.

Style: colonial-style building painted yellow with lots of open space, tropical plants and water features. From the reception you can see through to the pool and the sea beyond.

Service: staff are very friendly and eager to please

Food/drink: the only option at lunch is the pool bar where the choice is limited to burgers, club sandwiches and a few Mexican dishes. La Terraras restaurant offers more variety in the evening with a fish of the day, lobster and steaks, and is better quality. The best thing about the restaurant is its location – sit on the terrace and watch the sun set over the Sea of Cortez.

Cost: ranges from $185 for a studio suite between April 16 to September 30 $460 for a master suite in high season.

Overall opinion: it is an attractive property in an idyllic location suitable for couples who want a relaxing holiday by the pool (and the chance to stroll along deserted beaches and indulge in romantic meals overlooking the ocean). Party animals should head to nearby Los Cabos where there are lively bars and American restaurants such as the Hard Rock Café. The hotel offers a complimentary shuttle service to the town.