LA FRONTERA BAJA, MEXICO
LA FRONTERA, the serrated fragment of terra firma that reaches south from the USA border toward the equator, possesses a centuries-long reputation for alluring treasure hunters, adventurers and wanderers. This mountainous strip of desert dissects the Pacific Ocean to form the Sea of Cortes, and its interior holds secrets known only to those willing to venture in to the unknown. Amerindians, conquistadors, padres and revolutionaries have crafted its multifaceted character, the narrative of which has been the focus of books, songs and countless campfire yarns. This is Baja California, and with such a colourful chronical, it is easy to understand why La Frontera has become one of North America’s most coveted overland destinations.
We can thank adventurous souls such as C.L. ‘Outdoor’ Franklin, columnist for the Los Angeles Times, for forging our path. In 1926, Franklin packed up a Buick Road Scout and ventured in to a land deemed ‘unexplored’ on many maps. Within two short years the Automobile Club of Southern California had nearly completed the first graded road to San Jose Del Cabo. It was rough, but opened the door for the vehicle-dependent traveller.
Mex 1, the lone paved artery that traverses the peninsula’s 1290km span, can now be driven in two days. However, the observant will notice an occasional trail leading off in to a forest of cardon cacti or across a solitary alkali flat.
