The 28th parallel Travel Guide

Beyond Ensenada you head into Baja California proper - barren and god-forsaken. At times the road runs along the coast, but for the most part the scenery is dry brown desert, with the peninsula's low mountain spine to the left and nothing but sand and the occasional scrubby cactus around the road. The towns are generally drab, dusty and windswept collections of single-storey shacks that belie their supposed wealth. At SANTO TOMÁS , 45km from Ensenada, the El Palomar motel (tel 6/153-8002; US$40-60), with pool, trailer park and restaurant, makes a good place to break the journey; the town itself is known for its wine and a deserted Dominican mission. If you can get off the highway, the attractions of the desert and its extraordinary vegetation become clearer.

Sixty-five kilometres past Santo Tomás, just beyond Colonet, a road turns inland towards the Parque Nacional San Pedro Martír . The side road, unsurfaced but in good condition, winds almost 100km up into the Sierra, which includes Baja's highest peaks at over 3000m - snowy in winter. As you climb, the land becomes increasingly green and wooded, and at the end of the road astronomical observatories take advantage of the piercingly clear air. There are breathtaking views in every direction. Numerous ill-defined trails wind through the park, but again, there's no public transport and you need to be fully equipped for wilderness camping if you want to linger.