• Feria de San José: Those nostalgic for the traveling carnivals of old will find just the sensory overload they've been missing in the litigious U.S. For a full week at the end of March, the carnival comes to downtown San José del Cabo in celebration of San José Day. With it come endless booths of spicy food and full-service bars, rickety rides, housewares hawkers, shooting and dart games you're never supposed to win, live banda music, a Palenque tent with organized cockfights, and even a house of mirrors.
  • Carnaval in La Paz: Baja's best Carnaval (or Mardi Gras) party is in La Paz, where round-the-clock revelries take place just prior to Lent. The oceanfront malecón is the site of most of the festivities as this generally tranquil town swings into party mode.
  • Arts Festival in Todos Santos: Although Todos Santos has a creative, artistic ambience at any time of year, it reaches a peak each February during the annual Arts Festival. Held since the early 1990s, the festival continues to grow in popularity and content.
  • Surfing in Cerritos: It's always summer at Baja's favorite surfing beach. This crescent of sand has a special vibe, and whether you're riding the waves or sipping a beer and watching the surfers against the sunset, you'll feel it.
  • Cave Paintings of Central Baja: Primitive rock paintings on the walls of caves in Central Baja are the only examples of this type of art on the North American continent. Their origin remains a mystery, and researchers say they could date back as far as 10,000 years, created during prehistoric times. The colorful, mystical murals are impressive regardless of who created them and when. And the journey to reach them is an adventure in itself.
  • Whale-Watching in Magdalena Bay: Few sights are as awe-inspiring as watching whales in their natural habitat, and few places in the world can offer as complete an experience as Mexico's Baja peninsula, especially in Magdalena Bay in the El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve. The various protected bays and lagoons in this area on the Pacific coast are the preferred winter waters for migrating gray whales as they journey south to mate and give birth to their calves.
  • Bullfights in Tijuana: No matter what your opinion of bullfighting may be, the pastime is an undeniable part of the sporting culture of Mexico, drawing from its Spanish heritage. Considered among the best venues for watching this sport in North America, Tijuana's Plaza de Toros features top matadors in their contests against bulls.
  • Harvest Festival in the Valle de Guadalupe: Mexico's wine country comes alive in true fiesta style each year, from late August to early September, during this annual wine festival. The celebrations combine wine tastings with parties, concerts, blessings of the grapes, and other events.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.