A two-week loop from La Paz, heading up Highway 1 to the Jesuit missions of Loreto and the oasis of San Ignacio with its grey whale lagoon, then back down via Bahía Concepción and Magdalena Bay to Todos Santos, Cabo San Lucas and the Cabo Pulmo reef. A single main road crosses this desert between two seas: two toll-free lanes, widely spaced villages, livestock at night and potholes, so drive by day and fill up in every town.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | La Paz | Start |
| Days 3 to 4 | Loreto | 357 km · 4h20 |
| Days 5 to 6 | San Ignacio | 272 km · 3h10 |
| Days 7 to 8 | Mulegé | 137 km · 1h45 |
| Day 9 | Puerto San Carlos | 338 km · 4h25 |
| Day 10 | Todos Santos | 342 km · 4h40 |
| Days 11 to 12 | Cabo San Lucas | 76 km · 1h10 |
| Day 13 | Cabo Pulmo | 132 km · 2h30 |
| Day 14 | Back to La Paz | 163 km · 2h50 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
November to April, the dry, mild season; grey whales are in the lagoons from 15 December to 30 April (CONANP 2025-2026 season), and whale sharks in the Bay of La Paz from October to April. Summer is very hot, with rain concentrated in August and September; the Pacific hurricane season runs from 15 May to 30 November, peaking in late August.
🚗 357 km · 4h20 of driving from La Paz
Highway 1 north via Ciudad Constitución and Ciudad Insurgentes: two lanes, with many potholes before Loreto.
🚗 272 km · 3h10 of driving from Loreto
Highway 1 via Bahía Concepción, Mulegé and Santa Rosalía, then the Cuesta del Infierno (km 10 to 17): steep gradients and tight bends.
🚗 137 km · 1h45 of driving from San Ignacio
Back south on Highway 1 and down the Cuesta del Infierno, with a stop in Santa Rosalía.
🚗 338 km · 4h25 of driving from Mulegé
Highway 1 south via Loreto to Ciudad Constitución, then Highway 22 west (57 km). Potholes on Highway 1.
🚗 342 km · 4h40 of driving from Puerto San Carlos
Highway 22 to Ciudad Constitución, Highway 1 to La Paz, then Highway 19 south. The longest day.
🚗 76 km · 1h10 of driving from Todos Santos
Highway 19 south along the Pacific, via El Pescadero; toll-free.
🚗 132 km · 2h30 of driving from Cabo San Lucas
Highway 1 via San José del Cabo and Las Cuevas, then La Ribera; the last 9 to 10 km on a dirt road.
🚗 163 km · 2h50 of driving from Cabo Pulmo
In 10 days, stop at Loreto: two nights in La Paz, two in Loreto, one in La Paz on the way back, then Todos Santos, Cabo San Lucas (two nights) and Cabo Pulmo. You give up San Ignacio, Mulegé and Magdalena Bay, which need the longest days of driving.
| Small car, La Paz airport | ≈ €11 a day |
|---|---|
| All categories, La Paz, February (cheapest month) | ≈ €11 a day |
| All categories, La Paz, December (most expensive month) | ≈ €23 a day |
| Los Cabos airport, September and December | ≈ €12 and ≈ €25 a day |
| SUV, La Paz airport | ≈ €26 a day |
| Mexican third-party liability insurance | Often on top of the advertised price |
| Vehicle | A city car is enough: everything is paved except the end of the roads to Cabo Pulmo and San Ignacio Lagoon. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | La Paz or Los Cabos airport: from Los Cabos, start the loop at Cabo San Lucas. |
| Insurance | Mexican insurance is compulsory and foreign policies are not valid (French foreign ministry); fully comprehensive cover recommended. |
| Deposit | From USD 500 at America Car Rental, held on a credit card. |
| Age and card | Minimum age 21 at America Car Rental; the driver's credit card and passport. |
⚠️ Prices of €5 or €12 a day often exclude third-party liability, charged at the counter, sometimes at more than double the advertised price.
Recognised in Mexico (French foreign ministry); Europcar also requires an International Driving Permit for a licence not written in Spanish. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required.
As in mainland Europe. Highway 1 has only one lane in each direction for almost the whole way.
100 km/h on federal highways, 110 km/h on toll motorways, 20 to 50 km/h in towns.
Each state sets its own limit, between 0.4 and 1 g/l: in practice, not a single drink before driving.
Livestock on the road at night, narrow and winding roads; the French foreign ministry advises against it.
Many between Ciudad Insurgentes and Loreto, and between San Ignacio and Santa Rosalía (September 2026).
Steep climb and tight bends between Santa Rosalía and San Ignacio; several lorry accidents in 2024.
Very high speed bumps, sometimes a steel pipe: ease off as soon as you see the first houses.
Military roadblocks on the main roads: licence and insurance checked; the vehicle may be searched.
The French foreign ministry advises paying fines through official channels, never to an individual officer.
Do not leave the scene or move the car without the police; notify your insurer for the accident report.
Free assistance on federal highways; parts and fuel are paid for.
≈ €1.22 per litre of petrol (MXN 24.31, state average on 25 September 2026)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Check it before you go.
⛽ 1,817 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €160 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
At the pump: check that the meter starts at zero. Fill up by day, in every town; there is no filling station in Cabo Pulmo, so fill up in San José.
| Los Cabos toll road, airport to Cabo San Lucas | MXN 118 (April 2026); the toll-free Highway 1 covers the same route |
|---|---|
| Los Cabos toll road, San José to the airport | MXN 51 (April 2026) |
| Highways 1 and 19 | Free along the whole loop |
| Playa Balandra | MXN 125 per adult, free under 12 |
| Isla Espíritu Santo | CONANP wristband, MXN 217 in 2025 |
| Whales, San Ignacio Lagoon | ≈ USD 75 per person for a boat trip |
| Grey whales, San Ignacio Lagoon | 15 December to 30 April (2025-2026 season) |
|---|---|
| Grey whales, Magdalena Bay and Loreto | 1 January to 30 April (2025-2026 season) |
| Whale sharks, Bay of La Paz | 1 October to 30 April; opened in mid-November in 2025 |
| Playa Balandra | Time slots 08:00-12:00 and 13:00-17:00 |
| Hurricane season (eastern Pacific) | 15 May to 30 November, peaking in late August |
Our loop has 13 nights and covers about 2,000 km, including the return trips to San Ignacio Lagoon and San Javier. In 10 days, stop at Loreto and keep the south: La Paz, Todos Santos, Cabo San Lucas and Cabo Pulmo. San Ignacio, Mulegé and Magdalena Bay add four days.
For 14 days: car hire from €155 to €320 depending on the month (Kayak averages of €11 to €23 a day in La Paz), plus Mexican insurance. Estimated petrol: 140 litres at MXN 24.31 for 2,000 km, about MXN 3,400 (€170) in September 2026. Whale-watching trip at San Ignacio: about USD 75 per person.
The French foreign ministry does not list the state as an area to avoid; the UK Foreign Office reports drug-trafficking-related crime, including in Los Cabos. On the road, the risks are livestock at night, the potholes on Highway 1 and the Cuesta del Infierno: drive by day and fill up in town.
The season authorised by CONANP ran from 15 December 2025 to 30 April 2026 in San Ignacio Lagoon, and from 1 January to 30 April in Magdalena Bay. The peak is in February: 113 whales were counted in mid-February 2026 at San Ignacio. Book a boat trip with the licensed cooperatives.
Yes: the road is paved from Highway 1 via Las Cuevas and La Ribera, then the last 9 to 10 kilometres are on a dirt road; a 4x4 is not needed. There is no filling station in Cabo Pulmo, and the nearest cash machine is in Los Barriles, an hour away.
Mexican insurance: foreign policies are not valid there, the French foreign ministry points out, and it recommends fully comprehensive cover. Kayak reviews of Los Cabos airport report third-party liability added at the counter, sometimes costing more than the car. Bring a credit card: deposits start at USD 500 at America Car Rental.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/baja-california · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
