Guerrero Negro

 

Guerrero Negro is located on the 28th parallel. The parallel separates the states of Baja California and Baja California Sur.

 

Local attractions are the popular whale watching tours, and cave paintings.

 

"Exportadora de Sal" or Salt Exporter, the largest salt-producing company in the world, is the major  employer for Guerrero Negro. It produces nearly 6.5 million metric tons per year. The Mitsubishi Corporation owns 49% of the company.

Guerrero Negro Beaches 

Just north of town there are dirt roads that spur off of the main highway that head to the beaches north of Guerrero Negro. There are also great beaches that can only be reached by boat. These are v-e-r-y desolate!

 DUNAS DE SOLEDAD

North of town, take the dirt road west before you reach the agricultural inspection station. Wonderful sand dunes that connect to the ocean.

 MALARRIMO BEACH

An island north west of Guerrero Negro which, because of the geographic 'hook' of the Baja peninsula here, tends to collect a variety of items that have floated along the west coast of North America, sometimes from as far away as Japan. This is beachcombing at it's finest.

Guerrero Negro is not a big camping destination, however camping is certainly an option here. Although it has it's nice weather at times, quite often this area has foggy and windy conditions. This makes for less than perfect camping weather, especially since it's just a short drive further to the inland drier, warmer climate of San Ignacio, followed by the spectacular camping on the Sea of Cortez.

Campgrounds

Fishing and boating in the open ocean north of Guerrero Negro is a fun experience, and despite the lack of good launching facilities, water access is easy on most beaches. However, the big draw to this area is for it's large, often whale filled bays, which are off limits to unpermitted boaters during the whale season. (November 15th through April 15th). The government's goal is to prevent interrupting of the whale's quality time while mating and giving birth in the lagoons.

The main street running through town offers several options for the Baja traveler looking for a good night's sleep. The La Pinta Hotel just north of town offers the closest thing to a large, official hotel. The balance of the hotels in town are small, usually clean, and serve their purpose well.

Hotels

The main road going through town offers plenty of restaurants and taco stands for the hungry hombre and even a couple of bakeries. The seafood here is fresh, and usually a good choice. Fish tacos here are often shark meat, and they taste great!

Restaurants

Guerrero Negro has a surprising amount of shopping available. Traveling down Blvd. Zapata, a Baja traveler will find pharmacies, bakeries, markets, tire repair shops, liquor stores, and the almighty PEMEX station. Cruising a lap through town looking to see what is available is highly recommended.

 MINI-MARKET LAS BRISAS

Left side of street. Good selection for a small store.

 BIG MARKET

Just past mid town, on the right side of the street. Most of the essentials, plus a few of the extras.

Because Guerrero Negro is the only town of any significant size for hundreds of miles in either direction, Baja travelers often utilize this town to refuel, both vehicles and aircraft. The PEMEX station is at the far end of town on the right side.

AIRPORT

GUERRERO NEGRO AIRPORT

LOCATION: North west of town about 1 mile.

SURFACE: Paved

ELEVATION: 59 Feet

RUNWAYS: 12 / 30

LENGTH: 7,216 FEET

TOWER: 122.8

FUEL: Yes

AIRPORT OF ENTRY: No

COMMENTS: A good long runway, often used by the Mexican Military. Don't be surprised if you see a Hum-Vee full of soldiers sitting at the end of runway 30. They're just keeping an eye on things. This airport can get foggy quite often, but it's a great place to get fuel for pilots heading up or down the coast. If the kids who run the gas pumps are gone to lunch, don't fret. They usually aren't gone more than a half hour.

Whales are the name of the game in Guerrero Negro. These huge mammals, some of them up to 50 feet in length, endure a 6,000 mile round trip from the arctic waters near Alaska to spend a few weeks basking in the warmer waters of Baja. After nearly being hunted to extinction, these spry characters are on a full rebound and their numbers are increasing annually. From January to April there are several places in town offering whale watching tours. The main whale watch area can be reached by road, 8 miles south of Guerrero Negro, right turn at the small cement whale monument. Then continue 17 miles on a graded road. Pangas may be available to take you out for a close look!

Sights of Interest

The lack of consistently warm weather narrows the recreation envelope in Guerrero Negro. However the cooler, windy climate does lend itself to some die-hard sports.

 BIRD WATCHING

The marshes west and north of town attract a large variety of species. During whale season lagoon access is restricted.

 OFF ROAD

Miles and miles of open space, both east and south of town. Pack whatever you need, including plenty of water. Safety is no accident.

 WINDSURFING

The wind usually picks up in early afternoon, and blows until sunset. Equipment breakdowns are bad news, as there are no supplies within 500 miles. Sailing with the whales is prohibited.