Baja California by Van with a Dog: Our Complete Guide from Two Winters

Baja is where van life clicked for us. Two winters in a row we crossed the border at Mexicali with Jack and drove south until the road ran out. We slept on beaches, ate fish tacos for every meal, and watched more sunsets over the Sea of Cortez than I could ever count. If you have a van and a dog and a few weeks in winter, this is the trip.

This guide combines both trips: February and March of 2024 and 2025. This was before Andi, so it’s just Colin, me and Jack.

Route: Mexicali → San Felipe and Bahía de los Ángeles → Guerrero Negro (Laguna Ojo de Liebre) → Bahía Concepción → Loreto and Juncalito → La Paz → Cabo Pulmo, Cabo and the Pacific side
How long: About 3 weeks on the peninsula in 2024 and about 5 weeks in 2025
Who came: Colin, me and Jack, our German Shepherd
Where we slept: Mostly free and low-cost beach camps in the van
Best for: Winter sun, beach camping, and a dog who loves sand

Before you go: border, insurance and dog paperwork

Mexican auto insurance is a must. Most US policies don’t cover you in Mexico. Buy a Mexican policy before you cross.
You don’t need a vehicle import permit to stay on the Baja peninsula. If you plan to take the ferry to the mainland like we did in 2025, you’ll need a temporary vehicle import permit (TIP).
Bring Jack’s vet records and keep his vaccines current. Check the current rules for bringing a dog into Mexico before you go.
Getting back into the US with a dog: the rules changed in 2024. Dogs now need a microchip and a CDC dog import form, so check the CDC’s current requirements before you head north.
Download offline maps. Cell service disappears for long stretches. A Starlink or a good hotspot plan helps if you work from the road.

The drive south

The first couple of days are mostly driving, with desert on one side and the Sea of Cortez on the other. We camped right on the beach, Colin cooked on the camp stove next to the van, and Jack ran laps in the sand at sunrise. We fished off the paddleboard, too. Jack’s opinion of the paddleboard is in the video below.

Jack, our German Shepherd, standing on a sandy beach with the sun low over calm water — First morning on the Sea of Cortez

Jack, first mate.

Our white camper van parked on a sandy beach with water and hills behind

Colin cooking on a camp stove set up beside the van on the beach

Angela smiling in a selfie while Colin fishes from a paddleboard behind her

Touching a gray whale at Laguna Ojo de Liebre

On February 5th, 2024, we did one of the coolest things we’ve ever done. Every winter, gray whales come to the lagoons on Baja’s Pacific side to have their babies. At Laguna Ojo de Liebre near Guerrero Negro, the local boats take you out among them. They’re curious, and some of them swim right up to the boat.

Yes, that's a wild gray whale.

Angela in a yellow rain poncho and cap smiling on a small boat

Back of a gray whale breaking the surface of the lagoon

Plate of battered fish tacos topped with slaw and sauce

Whale season runs roughly January through March. Book a tour with one of the local operators at the lagoon. Jack stayed in the van for this one.

Bahía Concepción

Bahía Concepción, south of Mulegé, is the reason people fall in love with Baja. It’s a long bay of calm turquoise water and white-sand beaches with palapas, and you can park your van right on the sand. We camped here on both trips, and Jack loved it: empty beaches, calm water, and room to run.

Our white camper van on a white-sand beach with Jack, our German Shepherd, walking in front — Beachfront parking spot

Colin peeking out of a wooden doorway with Jack, our German Shepherd, beside him

Sailboat anchored off a pebbly beach with islands behind

Large margarita in a blue-rimmed glass on a wooden deck overlooking the bay

Palm tree silhouetted against a soft sunrise over the bay

Loreto and Juncalito

South of Loreto, the mountains come right down to the water, and the beach at Juncalito is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever parked the van. We spent most of a week here in 2025: sunsets from the palapa, reading on a blanket, paddleboarding, and long walks with Jack.

Colin and Jack, our German Shepherd, beside our camper van on a gravel beach below jagged mountains — Camp under the Giganta

Angela in a cowboy hat taking a selfie with Jack, our German Shepherd

Jack, our German Shepherd, walking toward the camera on a beach with mountains behind

Pink and orange sunset over calm water with a thatched palapa on the beach

La Paz

La Paz is the easiest city in Baja to settle into, and we spent more time here than anywhere else on both trips. The beaches north of town along the San Lorenzo channel are turquoise coves with white sand, and the sunsets over the bay are unreal. It’s a great place to restock, do laundry, and eat really well. Jack was on every beach with us.

Angela crouching on the beach with Jack, our German Shepherd, under a cloudy sunset — Sunset with Jack

Colin standing on the beach with Jack, our German Shepherd, at his side

Turquoise cove and white beach seen from a rocky hillside

Jack, our German Shepherd, standing on the sand by the waves

Colin and Jack, our German Shepherd, on a sandy flat under a fiery orange sunset

Cabo Pulmo and the East Cape

In 2024 we drove out to the East Cape and Cabo Pulmo, which is wild, quiet and beautiful. There are empty beaches, desert trails and a tent on the sand at sunset. Jack hiked with us on the rocky desert trails and played on the beach until he collapsed on the van bed.

Jack, our German Shepherd, walking along an empty curving beach

Jack, our German Shepherd, standing on a rocky desert trail above the sea

Jack, our German Shepherd, sitting on the bed inside our camper van

Colorful sunset over the sea with a small tent on the beach

Cabo and the Pacific side

In 2025 we kept going to the tip and spent time around Cabo and the Pacific coast: a surf day with friends, palm-lined San José del Cabo, a boat day, and a lot of reading in the sand while Jack napped beside me.

Jack, our German Shepherd, lying in the sand on a beach with the ocean behind

Four people in wetsuits standing together on a beach

Tall palm trees lining a stone wall under blue sky

Angela smiling in a white visor and sunglasses on a boat

Baja with a dog: what worked

Beach camps are dog heaven. Bahía Concepción, Juncalito and the East Cape had space for Jack to run.
Shade and water, always. Even in winter the sun is strong. We carried extra water for him and set up shade at every camp.
Watch the paws. Hot sand, cactus spines and sharp rocks are all part of Baja. Check his paws every evening.
A long line for beaches where he isn’t off leash.
Plan dog-free activities. Whale tours and boat days are better without him, so plan for shade and cool air for your dog while you’re out.

More Mexico

In 2025 we didn’t drive back north. We took the ferry from La Paz to the mainland and kept going: our mainland Mexico road trip with Jack.