Bahia de Los Angeles Travel Guide (Bahia de Los Angeles, Mexico)

The turn-off for BAHÍA DE LOS ANGELES , a growing resort on the Sea of Cortés, is about 100km further on from Cataviña. Still a small place, some 70km off Hwy-1, Bahía has a sheltered bay full of marine life hemmed in by contorted mountains. There's little else but a few hotels, cafés and fishing boats. Most visitors are an older generation of North Americans who arrive by light plane or in RVs. If you're passing through here, visit the small bilingual museum (daily 9am-noon & 2-4pm; free) marked by a narrow-gauge locomotive, a relic of the gold and copper mines that first attracted Europeans to the area. Mining history and that of the local ranchero life is well covered, along with details of sea life in the bay. The Isla Angel de la Guarda , out in the bay, is the biggest island in the Sea of Cortés and the focus of numerous diving and fishing trips. There are no official rental places for scuba, snorkelling or fishing gear , but the hotels can organize equipment rental and you should be able to strike a deal by asking around.

There's an underdeveloped, frontier feeling in Bahía. The town has just one communal phone (tel 6/650-3209) and no bus service at all. Hitching from the main highway is a possibility, but be prepared for a long wait. Like everything else in Bahía, hotels are expensive. The best are the very pleasant Costa Del Sol (tel 5/151-4195; US$25-40) and the ageing Villa Vitta (tel 6/650-3208; US$25-40), both of which have pools, restaurants and all the creature comforts. Casa Diaz (tel 6/650-3206; US$15-25) and Las Hamacas (6/650-3206; US$15-25) are slightly less luxurious, yet the latter is often more popular. Guillermo's Trailer Park (tel 6/650-3209; also with rooms at US$40-60) and the often deserted La Playa RV Park both have camping , and are seldom packed; for free camping, walk to the beaches to the south. You can eat at any of these places, but for location the restaurant at Guillermo's has the edge. For fishing , Joel Moreno at the costa del sol is as good a guide as any and offers trips in the waters around the Isla Angel de la Guarda, a huge island that is visible from town (5-7hr), for up to six for a total of US$100-140, a good price considering the high cost of fuel. The folks at Costa Del Sol can also set you up with a tour guide for the hour-long hike to the gold mine .