Desert Roads
The sun was rising as we prepared for our journey back in time to the real Baja outback one early morning from our five-star hotel in the middle of Cabo’s trans-peninsular highway. Since the main draw in Los Cabos is the ocean, we were determined to find the hidden story about the region’s rich heritage along the windy dirt back roads.
pavement behind, somewhere past the toll road to the Los Cabos International Airport, our journey into Baja’s wild side really began. After a good fifteen minutes of dusty, bumpy trails, Mauro, called to the rest of the pack over the radio and we pulled to a full stop – our first encounter with Mother Nature.
A huge gathering of rocks sat on a dry river bed lined with desert plants, cacti and other rare local flora. Mauro explained how early area settlers used these same river beds as the trails and original highways of the Baja South. We made several stops like this on the way to Rancho La Verdad, studying the local desert foliage and learning about different species of birds and hares visible on the journey through this overgrown and varied landscape. I would have never believed the presence of old oak trees and wild orchids growing in what seemed to be a dry desert setting. It was amazing to see young mango trees and older ones that are endless in size, as well as the sporadic ranches and small settlements that are home to descendants of some of the area’s original and oldest
families.
Early settlers lived here in small family groups and have remained for many generations, living a simple and austere lifestyle. To this day, even though they live just kilometers away from the modern hustle and bustle of Los Cabos, these peoples make their own cheese and dry their own meat to preserve it from the harsh dryness of the desert. Once in Rancho La Verdad, one of the original ranches in the area first settled by a pioneering family, we fed goats, explored the local scenery surrounding a fresh-water lagoon and enjoyed a mid-morning snack.
Eagles, hawks and turkey vultures soar free. Road runners hurried along the dusty trails in front of our convoy as our guide explained the diverse desert landscape to us over the radio. After enjoying organic snacks and paying a visit to a high desert cliff that was the backdrop to a famous Hollywood film, we headed for home. The largest river bed in the area which delivers water from the mountains through the entire landscape onward to Cabo San Lucas served as a rugged highway as we sped on our journey back to town. As the mid-afternoon sun cast shadows on our backs, I reflected on our amazing trip back into time over the past five hours. With all that Cabo has to offer, it’s amazing to see settlers still living very humble lives carrying water from natural springs and taking their children to modest community school houses with classes via satellite just 35 minutes away from your hotel.
Four rugged Hummer H3’s sat ready to take us on a tour of the little-known landscape surrounding the hills and back desert roads of San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. Armed with desert attire and books on the local desert botanic and wild life, our Baja Outback guide, Mauro, briefed our group on how to drive these rugged allterrain vehicles and what to expect during the course of the tour. Our well-synchronized party of Hummers departed, single file, exchanging locations through radio lines. But as we left Cabo’s beaches, golf courses and
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