Beyond where the power lines and pavement end, a dirt road begins that leads, in a 20 minute journey, to the wild beauty of the Cabo del Este, the most inhospitable lands of Baja California Sur. In the middle of rocky peaks full of cactus and iguanas is located in el Parque Nacional Cabo Pulmo (“Cabo Pulmo National Park”).
This Natural World Heritage Site is made up of one third of the world's cetacean species, the only living coral reef on the eastern Pacific coast stretching from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, and the only underwater sand falls on the planet. Perhaps that's why its preservation is as important as the Galapagos Islands and the Australian Great Barrier Reef.
In Cabo Pulmo there are about 17 lonely beaches, almost without human trace, since its total population is 200 inhabitants, of which about 60 people belong to the fishing camp Los Frailes. Therefore, it is important to take into account that you will not find any tourist development, nor high-end service. There are no big hotels, only a couple of lodgings in private houses and bungalows built with palm and adobe. Electricity is even provided by solar panels.
Also in Cabo Pulmo you will find service providers, to perform some of the activities allowed in the water. Diving is the most popular, since the park is part of the Sea of Cortés, named by French explorer and researcher Jacques-Yves Cousteau, as “the largest aquarium in the world”. However, you can also snorkel, paddle a kayak or swim with sea lions.
On land, the Coyote Mountain is worth a bike ride. This massif is a natural barrier between the desert and the sea. In the gaps you can see cactus, mesquites and bushes, vegetation that grows with the orientation given by the wind and where it crosses the Tropic of Cancer (or Northern Tropic).
How to get there: El Parque Nacional Cabo Pulmo is located 96 kilometers (60 miles) from Los Cabos and the only way to get there is by a one-and-a-half hour road trip. You can rent a car at the airport in San Jose del Cabo.
