Parts of this article were originally published in Destino Magazine.
At Todos Santos Eco Adventures we run 4-day hiking trips in the mountains of Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve, a little-explored but fantastically beautiful area in Baja California Sur. We asked 6 former guests to share what they found most memorable about the trip. So here, in their own words, is each guest’s description of their Sierra trek:
Photo by Thea Thomas
“A few adventurous friends of mine in Baja had hiked to the Sierra de la Laguna and told me how amazing it was, but it was more wondrous than I imagined. At an elevation of 7,000 feet it is a world of its own, an “Island in the sky” as one friend described it. The forests of oak, pine and madrona are host to unique plants and animals. For me as a birder seeing the Yellow-eyed Junco, Oak Titmouse, Baja morph of the American Robin and Acorn Woodpecker was great fun. Our trip was lead by an incredible guide, Mauricio Durán, from Todos Santos Eco Adventures. His knowledge of the natural history of the area added greatly to our experience.”
Thea Thomas, Cordova, Alaska
Photo by John Valentine
“One of the highlights of the trip was meeting our guide Sergio. He is so knowledgeable about everything, a true renaissance guy. I learned so much about geography, birds and the natural world from him. I often think about that trip. The hike itself to the top was more difficult than I thought it would be but absolutely beautiful. What I couldn’t believe is the diversity of trees. There were parts of it that looked exactly like Colorado. The most exciting point was the freak electrical storm one night. I think we had a few snowflakes and our water bottles had ice in them. I have never seen or heard such an electrical display. I remember the beauty and serenity of the camping area and the hikes we took each day to the peak and waterfalls. The beauty and diversity of this area nestled between the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez—so different from the normal Baja tourist itinerary. People need to see the incredible beauty of Baja beyond the beaches.”
John Valentine, Kansas City, Missouri
“Your effort to get to the top will be well rewarded. Seeing both the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific at the same time was an extraordinary experience!”
Jon Dallman, Seattle, Washington
Photo by John Dallman
“I’m 58 years old, and consider myself in pretty good condition. I ride mountain bikes three times a week. Practice yoga in-between. But no matter how much you do, climbing to El Picacho in Southern Baja’s Sierra de la Laguna Mountain Range is a challenge, and our hike to base camp took about 6 hours. The most welcome sight at the end of our hike up was that picture-perfect camp, completely set up with pitched tents and snacks laid out on the table. I felt as if I was on a photo shoot for one of those Abercrombie and Fitch high-end tours of Africa. We spent the night enjoying delicious al dente pasta, and a choice of excellent wines by the light of a crackling fire. We camped along the shores of an ancient dry lakebed at an elevation of about 6,000 feet. Giant pine and oak trees sighed in the breeze. Vaqueros (cowboys) had carried all of our gear and food up on muleback. The mules, now hobbled, were happily munching the tawny grasses of this high mountain meadow. It was a scene straight out of the old west.”
Mike Brozda, Todos Santos, Mexico
“My greatest memory of the trip was the bells. The cowboys hobbled their horses and mules so they would not leave the meadow and each of the animals had a bell around its neck. The bells created a symphony under the starlit night, and it was spectacular.”
Patty Romanchek, New Buffalo, Michigan
“I went swimming on my birthday in a frigid mountain lake. Everyone was going to join me…but after I took the plunge, they all were still on the rocks
Photo by Craig Ligibel
laughing. That was the coldest birthday swim I have ever had. One of our group was a urologist. He assured me that a certain appendage that had almost disappeared would be sure to return the next day. I’m glad he was right!”
Craig Ligibel, Annapolis, Maryland
“Sergio led us on a 3 hour climb up the face of El Picacho itself, the literal and metaphorical high point of the trip. The trail winds through shady pine forests before emerging into oak-covered scree. We threaded along a razor’s edge portion of the trail, with a sweeping view of the Pacific Ocean on our left, and the Sea of Cortez on the right. We descended about 100 feet–down the distinctive notch you see in El Picacho–before scrambling up
Photo by John Valentine
huge granite boulders to the top. We spent about 90 minutes at the top of the world in Southern Baja, drinking in the view, munching on snacks, and snapping photos. That evening, back at camp, we had a meal of delicious fajitas, rice and beans, fresh hot tortillas with guacamole, fresh vegetables, and toasted our success.”
Mike Brozda, Todos Santos, Mexico
For more information about trekking in the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve please visit our web site at www.tosea.net and/or email us at
The Baja peninsula has long been famous for its remote and beautiful islands, most of which we are accustomed to visiting via water craft. But there is an island near Todos Santos that is readily accessible by car that we can easily explore on foot: the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve. Part of an island off the coast of Baja some 10 million years ago, the incredible diversity of plant and animal life of the Reserve still reflects the island isolation the area once enjoyed – over 23% of plants and 10% of animals found in the Reserve are endemic to the area. Nestled between Todos Santos to the west and Los Barriles to the east, La Paz to the north and Los Cabos to the south, it is truly an island of lushness surrounded by shores of desert and sand.
Biosphere Reserves in Mexico
The Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve was created by presidential decree in 1994 by Carlos Salina de Gortari. To be designated a biosphere reserve in Mexico a place must meet 3 basic criteria:
Photo by Craig Ligibel
Have an endemic or threatened species. And we’ve got that in spades! The Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve boasts an astounding 79 endemic plant species, 8 endemic reptile species, 4 endemic bird species and 4 endemic mammal species. A total of 59 species of birds, 40 species of mammals, 31 species of reptiles and 61 species of insects have been recorded in the Reserve. Over 900 species of plants have been observed. It’s truly extraordinary.
Cover an area greater than 10,000 hectares. There’s plenty of room to spread out! The Biosphere Reserve covers 11,600 glorious hectares (~28,665 acres), while the Sierra de la Laguna area itself, including the Biosphere Reserve, encompasses 112,436 hectares (roughly 277,835 acres).
Have one ecosystem that is not substantially altered by human contact. The Sierra de la Laguna is one of Baja’s most beautiful but least explored areas, with plenty of wild spots that have largely escaped the impact of human civilization. In addition to animals such as mountain lions, mule deer, gophers and badgers, a wonderful array of birdlife inhabits the reserve, including the endemic cape pygmy owl, Xantus hummingbird and Belding´s yellowthroat, making the area a bird-lover’s paradise.
Biosphere reserves in Mexico are created with three main objectives in mind: conservation, training and sustainable human development compatible with conservation. Unlike national parks, biosphere reserves allow people to continue to live in the protected areas – although new population centers are prohibited – and our reserve has 35 private properties and 6 ejidos. That result is that the Sierra de la Laguna retains a thriving ranchero culture that is great fun to explore.
Hiking the Sierra de la Laguna
There are a variety of ways to explore and enjoy the Sierras on foot and in all these hikes the diversity of terrain is amazing. At the base is San Lucan Xeric Scrub, also known as Mezquital, which merges with the dry forest. These areas feature a large number of plants that have adapted well to life with limited water including palo zorillo (skunk trees), torotes (elephant trees), lomboy trees and ironwood. The dry forest extends up to about 800 meters (~2,600 feet) and is remarkable in the juxtaposition of plant life, with mosses and other plants that thrive on water co-habiting with more arid types like cardon and biznaga. If you’re still hiking at this point you’ll experience the wonder of moving up through an unexpected oak forest in Baja then on into lush preserves of pine and oak from about 1,400 meters (~4,600 feet). It’s a remarkable transformation of terrain.
Photo by Craig Ligibel
If you’ve made it this far chances are you’ll be camping in the high valley and at this point you may start to ask yourself, “If this is the Sierra de la Laguna, i.e., Mountains of the Lagoon, where the heck is the lagoon?” Well, there was indeed once a lagoon in the flat meadow between the highest peaks but that drained away around 1870 after years of supporting local agricultural and mining operations, leaving only the name behind. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t water in the Sierras. Indeed in normal, non-drought years the Sierras can receive over 100 centimeters (39 inches) of rain and serve as a key water source for Todos Santos, Pescadero and other coastal communities. If you have a few nights to camp you should take a day to explore the beautiful waterfalls near the high valley created by this relative abundance of rain.
And of course, if you’ve come all this way you must take a day to explore El Picacho, the incredible 2,161 meters (~7,000 foot) peak from which you can enjoy sweeping panoramic views of the peninsula, with the Sea of Cortez on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. If you’re lucky enough to make it up to El Picacho you’ll see clearly that the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve is not only a literal island now rooted firmly in a landmass, but also a magical, magnificent island of the sky.
In the Know – Mauricio Duran, Head Guide with Todos Santos Eco Adventures. On the geographic scale the Sierras are mere youngsters, clocking in at about 138 million years old. By comparison, parts of the Appalachian Mountains in the U.S. are 650 million years old, while the Barberton Greenstone Belt in eastern Africa has mountains that are 3.5 billion years old, widely believed to be the earth’s oldest.
Hiking with Todos Santos Eco Adventures
We offer several different options for hiking and exploring the incredible beauty and diversity of the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve:
Day Hikes: We have 2 day hike options in the Sierras. One is called Reaching for the Sky and, as the name implies, we climb as far as we can before we have to turn around to make it home before dark. The other is the Riverbed Stroll, which is generally flat and easy and in which we encounter waterfalls at certain times of the year. There is magnificent flora on both hikes and excellent birding.
Overnight Hikes: We offer two 4-day/3-night hikes and a 2-day/1-night hike. The 4-day hikes include Sea-to-Sea in which we start at the Pacific Ocean, hike across the peninsula through the Biosphere Reserve, and end at the Sea of Cortez. The other 4-day hike is the Todos Santos Loop. The main difference is that the latter features an easier descent and less exciting logistics. On both 4-day hikes there are burros to carry all the gear, guides to lead the way, cooks to prepare the food and pour the wine, and warm sun showers to wash away the exertions of each day. Decidedly comfortable camping! The 4-day hikes are only for avid walkers. The 2-day/1-night hike is a terrific combination of Reaching for the Sky and Riverbed Stroll. All hikes are lead by experienced guides and naturalists who are certified Wilderness First Responders. www.tosea.net
These days it seem like the world has gone just plain crazy for Baja cuisine. The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Public Radio – these are but a few from the 4th estate that have lined up to gush over chefs and restaurants that are giving Baja – heretofore best known to outsiders as a totally rad surf scene dude – a bona fide “food scene”. So while it was the surfers who first made the terms “firing” and “shredding” famous in Baja (all surfspeak for surfing really well) it’s the chefs who are breathing new life into the terms in the culinary revolution that is sweeping the peninsula.
But what exactly is it that the chefs are firing and shredding? Of course there’s the bounty from the two seas, and all that great produce from the organic farms that populate the region. But most of Baja is desert and when you look out at it, it can seem kind of desolate, maybe a little forbidding, definitely thorny. What’s there to eat? Turns out, quite a bit (if you don’t mind getting your fingers pricked)!
Sergio preparing pitaya at home
Take the pitaya. The Baja peninsula is covered in this cactus andChef Danyof Santo Vino/Hotel California likens the fruit of this plant to a red kiwi. He loves to cook it up with ginger and butter to make sauce for his Cabrilla (sea bass), and he’s also found that it makes a zingy vinaigrette for his salads. Our local ice cream stores in Todos Santos and La Paz report that pitaya ice cream is a perennial best-seller, notwithstanding the fact that the pitaya fruit is disgustingly healthy, packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants and Vitamin C. In fact, Juice Generation, a chain of smoothie bars in New York City, is promoting the pitaya as “the next big superfruit”, following in the footsteps of pomegranates, mangosteens and acai.
Prickly Pear
The tuna, or prickly pear, is the fruit of the nopal cactus, another ubiquitous Baja dweller. While Chef Dany likes to use the prickly pear for his dynamite fish salsas, and others like to pair it with tequila for a zingy barbeque sauce, Chef Rick Baylesslikes to make Fresh Prickly Pear Ice as a refreshing dessert, and many folks in Baja share this enthusiasm for sweets made from tunas and regularly cook up prickly pear jelly, prickly pear syrup and prickly pear candy. Like the pitaya though, the tuna is ridiculously healthy, being high in magnesium, taurine, Vitamin C, calcium, potassium and antioxidants.
Biznaga
The leaves or paddles of the nopal are another great staple of Baja cuisine. Sergio Jáuregui (yes, our very own Sergio ofTodos Santos Eco Adventures) likes to make what he calls nopal “quesadillas”. He cleans the paddle, grills it on both sides, then melts his favorite cooking cheese onto it – usually Oaxaca or Manchego – and fries it up. Delicious! (In that deep-fat fryer / comfort food kind of way.) Chef Dany’s favorite way to eat nopal paddles is equally tasty (and far more healthy): he puts it raw in salads with cubes of onion, tomatoes, local fresh cheese (queso fresco), parsley and cilantro – magnifique!
There are many more cactus plants from the Baja desert that make great eating, including the biznaga – which many chefs include in their chiles en nogada – and yucca, whose lovely white flowers make a great stir fry in Chef Dany’s wok.
But the real test of any Baja food is: can you make a margarita with it? And for all of our featured cacti here – the prickly pear, the pitaya, the biznaga and yucca – the answer is a resounding YES! Just swing by Santo Vino or the Hotel California some evening and prepare yourself for a most delicious treat (and don’t be afraid to try it at home either!)
Brown-Garitas for Everyone!
Chef Iker Algorriof Café Brown likes to use a plant local to Todos Santos – damiana – to make his world-famous Brown-Garitas, a sure crowd pleaser:
1 shot of of tequila
1 shot of controy or triple sec
3/5th shot of damiana
Splash of lime juice
Splash of fresh orange juice
Blend it up, serve with love and enjoy! Oh, and damiana is widely considered a potent aphrodisiac so best to enjoy your Brown-Garitas with friends!
If you’d like to learn more about cooking with Baja foods please contact us about our Cooking Adventures Week here in Todos Santos. It features fun, informative classes with both Chef Dany and Chef Iker, as well as lots of time in the glorious nature of Baja, checking out the bounty of the ocean and desert.
Thanks to Janine Wall for her help with this article.
The ancient Aztecs – the first documented avocado eaters – reputedly used the fruit as a sexual stimulant and called the avocado tree ahuacuatl, or testicle tree. While folks today largely attribute this name to the way the fruits dangle low on the tree – and often in pairs – the Aztecs may really have been on to something. In a study conducted by the California Avocado Commission, 63% of the expert psychologists, nutritionists and scientists surveyed considered the avocado an aphrodisiac, and 60% of respondents said that they knew of specific cases in which a person’s love life had improved after consuming the yummy fruit. As if we needed more reasons to break out the guacamole!
Modern science gives us an indication that the Aztec’s take on the avocado vis-a-vis amor may have been spot on. Avocados have a very high concentration of nutrients that are key to sexual health, including Vitamin E (sometimes known as the “sex vitamin” as it promotes the production of sex hormones which support attraction, mood and desire), beta carotene and magnesium. An avocado also has 2.4 grams of protein for every 1/2 cup of fruit – essential for any exercise – and packs more potassium than a banana.
For you word buffs out there, the Aztec word ahuacuatl morphed into the Spanish word aguacate which became avocado in the US. But no matter who called it what, the fruit’s amorous association stayed with it through the centuries, so much so that in the 1920s an American avocado advertising campaign denied the fruit’s aphrodisiac properties to tempt people into trying what sounded like very risque fare. The reverse psychology worked spectacularly and avocados became a coveted commodity.
Todos Santos has large numbers of avocado trees and our many fine restaurants know how to use the fruit to splendid effect in their savory fare. So come on down to enjoy the sun, enjoy the surf and enjoy the avocados! What? Don’t like avocados? Never fear – we have excellent strawberries too!
Approximately 23% of plants on the Baja peninsula are endemic to the area, including the ubiquitous Cardón Cactus. The cardón is one of the most massive of all cacti – it can weigh up to 25 tons and grow as tall as 18 meters (60 feet), although 10 meters (33 feet) is the average. It is a slow growing plant with a life span measured in hundreds of years. In fact, it is not until a cardón reaches about 80 years of age that it will start producing side branches. It is not unusual for a cardón to have as many as 25 vertical branches, each up to 1.5 meters / 5 feet in diameter, and, in older plants, typically taller than the trunk.
Another endemic plant that grows to a ripe old age in the Baja desert has been termed “one of the wackiest looking plants in the whole wide world,” and if you’ve ever driven between Todos Santos and Ensenada, chances are you’ve seen these groves of Cirio Plants. Looking like something straight from the imagination of Dr. Seuss, Cirios resemble nothing so much as giant, inverted carrots with spiny branches all over. The Spanish named them Cirio plants after the tall wax candles used in their churches, and subsequent visitors dubbed them Boojum Trees, a name taken from Lewis Carroll’s poem, The Hunting of the Snark. Whatever you call them they are definitely wild looking things that grow to great heights – between 60 and 90 feet – vying with the Cardón Cactus for the title of Tallest Plant in Baja. Because of this height, Boojum trees are great places to spot Baja’s predatory birds, who use the height advantage of the plant to spot pray as well as to nest in safety. Also like the Cardón, Boojum trees can live for centuries. It takes them about 27 years to grow one meter, which means that some of the taller specimens you see are up to 500 years old. So next time you’re out walking among our enormous desert plants, consider that they might have been seedlings when the conquistadores arrived.
