10 Ways Travelling to Baja Changed My Brain Chemistry

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Why Travel to Baja?

Baja is home to some of the most life-changing and intimate interactions you can have in the ocean. If you feel part mermaid, part human like me, Baja should’ve been added to your bucket list, like, yesterday. Where else can you make friends with gray whales, watch mobula rays migrate in their tens of thousands and dive amongst some of the most protected coral patches in the world? In short, it’s an ocean lover’s dream.

It’s no surprise that most of your time in Baja will be spent out at sea. But back on dry land, there’s a myriad of things to sink your teeth into. Quite literally – the tacos here alone are mind-blowing enough to change your brain chemistry in its own right.

And then there’s the opportunity to go really, really off-grid. Baja is a place where fortunes favours the brave, so if you’re looking for an opportunity for real, unfiltered experiences, you’ve found your place. Rent a van, fill up your cooler and shred through miles of desert roads in your own Mexican western film.

The beauty of Baja is finding small moments of joy that spring up on you without warning. Blink, and you might miss it. It’s the kind of place that demands you to slow down, look around, and listen.

You get out of Baja what you put in. For every adventure waiting to be found here, there’s a bit of graft involved to uncover it. After years of returning to this sun-soaked stretch of coastline, I’ve gathered all my favourite pockets of adventure and woven them together into what’s now become Elsewheria.

You won’t even have to work for these moments of magic; they’ll be right there waiting for you.

Elsewheria offers a taste of slow living in Baja, surrounded by saltwater, stillness, and the kind of encounters that stay with you long after you leave. Being in the company of other travellers who feel the same pull toward the ocean creates something quietly powerful. I’m almost certain that experiencing Baja in this way will change your brain chemistry as it did mine <3

10 Ways Travelling to Baja Changed My Brain Chemistry

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty. Baja has a way of getting under your skin and refusing to let go. If I could summarise a handful of moments and experiences that explain how backpacking Baja managed to do exactly that, it would be these ten.

1. It’ll Give You a Sense of Freedom Like No Other

Baja is the king of the road trip. Rent a car, cruise down dirt roads with seemingly no civilisation for miles in sight and heck, even get a little lost. Everything has a way of figuring itself out in Baja.

You’ve got over 1,200 kilometres of pure adventure to shred through, weaving your way through rugged desert highways and coastal roads that hug the ocean all the way up to the horizon. This was where I found my love for this Mexican peninsula. In true broke backpacker form, I bought a very, totally, oh so legal car and headed down south, sleeping on beaches and in the back seats long before the existence of hostels in Baja.

The beauty here is having little to no plan, just hitting the road and seeing what finds you. Off-the-beaten-path? Yes. But you’ll actually find a ton of van-lifers who have also cottoned on to the slow pace and lawlessness that is responsible for part of Baja’s magic.

Once the windsurfing season wraps up, a lot of people head back to the States. Find yourself in the right place at the right time, and you might even snag yourself a bargain of a van and an opportunity to experience this magic for yourself.

2. Experiencing Gray Whales Up Close

Where else can you literally make friends with whales in the wild? This strange phenomenon involves mama whales and their calves approaching pangas (that’s boats to you and me) and actively seeking interaction with humans.

This is probably the most intimate oceanic interaction you can have anywhere in the world with our underwater friends. For anyone as mesmerised by the ocean and its inhabitants as I am, this is a truly brain-chemistry-altering experience to have in Baja.

Every February, lagoons all over the Sea of Cortez attract female gray whales looking for calm and nutrient-rich waters to give birth to their offspring. Some days, you can see hundreds of whales, from grays, humpbacks and even sperms if you’re super lucky. It really is a whale buffet, and to be in the centre of it all is truly dizzying. Whale watching in Baja has to be on the TOP of your bucket list of things to do here, and it is nothing short of absolutely life-changing!!!

3. Swimming with Whale Sharks

I tend to steer clear of any excursion mentioning swimming with whale sharks when I’m travelling – most of the time they’re ethically ambivalent, and I’d rather not go there! There are few places in the world that can ‘guarantee’ sightings of whale sharks because of their migration patterns, and Baja is one of them.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you can hop on a boat and know that you have a 100% chance of seeing them. That’s the beauty of it all – they’ll show up when they want. But with the ‘whale shark season’ in Baja happening from October to April, you’ve got a pretty good chance of seeing them at some point during that time.

And when you see them, oh boy, is it magical.

You’d have to be devoid of all joy in your heart not to stiffle a squeal of joy seeing the first spots of a whale shark coming to the surface. Swimming alongside these gentle giants is truly an experience you’ll struggle to forget. Pick an ethical operator like Elsewheria, keep your distance, and be prepared to be dumbfounded by the sheer size and placidness of the largest of our fish friends 🙂

4. Sleeping Under the Stars

One of my favourite things about Baja is the ruggedness of it all. It’s the complete antithesis of the big commercial resorts you’ll find in mainland Mexico. Sure, you’ve got the famed spring break getaway of Cabo at your fingertips if you like, but Baja’s real magic is found somewhere a little more off-grid…

And what truer way to experience it all than sleeping under the stars? Camp in a tent, sleep in the back of your car (with the trunk popped open because the heat will surely kill you) or stay in a humble lil casita on the beach front – the world seemingly feels like your oyster when it’s nothing but you, the stars and the gentle sound of the waves lapping.

It almost makes up for the sand that you’ll most definitely be trying to get rid of months down the line…

My favourite memories of Baja go back to parking up for the night, a bonfire being lit, and a guitar magically being conjured up out of thin air. Even if you’re not feeling adventurous enough for hitching up a tent, staying in a beachfront eco-lodge should be on the very minimum of things to do on your Baja bucket list.

5. Exploring Cabo Pulmo National Park

The main pull for coming to Baja has to be its marine life, and at the heart of it all…is Cabo Pulmo National Park. Dubbed the ‘aquarium of the world’ by Jacques Cousteau, dip under water here for a glimpse of some of the most vibrant coral patches in the world. If you’re one to cosplay mermaids like me, you’re in for a real treat.

A UNESCO heritage site, this national park is fiercely protected and is an incredible example of how community efforts can preserve these ecosystems. After decades of damage and bleaching events from overfishing, massive efforts went underway to create one of the most successful marine protected areas in the world. What came after was an array of fish, coral and other marine life so diverse that it’s worth a pilgrimage from any corner of the world to see it in the flesh. It really is one of the most beautiful places in Baja.

From sharks and rays, sea lions and amberjacks, tuna and eels, the waters here are a real marine buffet! Swim through schools of fish so dense they block the sun, and coral patches so weird and wonderful that they will quite possibly blow your mind.

It’s no surprise that this is one of the best places in the world for diving, with fairly good visibility year-round and something going on to always keep it interesting. With winter comes whale watching season, whilst summer gives you a good shot at spotting sharks. Autumn time is the best visibility, but be prepared to wrestle with the crowds!

No matter what time of year you choose to come, though, I can already guarantee that diving in Baja will be amongst some of the best you’ll ever do. You can hold me to that!

6. Witnessing the Mobula Ray Migration

Okay, whale shark this, gray whale that, but have you ever seen schools of rays breaching the water, flipping through the air in their hundreds, if not thousands? Didn’t think so.

Every spring, the waters of Baja come alive with mobula rays migrating through, and boy oh boy, do they put on a performance. Seemingly part ray, part bird, these mobulas jump out of the water in a show of theatrics for potential mates and lucky humans close enough to watch. It’s a strange phenomenon that can’t quite be explained by marine biologists, and that’s definitely where part of the magic is held.

The mobula ray migration season tends to go from May to July, and with such a short season, boat spots get booked up fast. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see this oceanic performance up close and in the flesh, so if you’re set on seeing these devil rays in all their glory, I’d start planning now.

Our friends over at Elsewheria lead an epic Mobula Ray Expedition, where you can experience all of the above and so much more. This expedition also has more to offer outside of this incredible wildlife encounter. This is all about immersing yourself in the rhythm of the Sea of Cortez, chowing down on incredible food with new amigos and enjoying slow evenings around a crackling fire.

7. Stuffing Myself Silly

It sounds silly, but after eating so many tacos that it sent me into a catatonic state, I can safely say that the food in Baja has changed my brain chemistry. I’m almost fairly certain that I left Baja more taco than human.

Unlike mainland Mexico with its international and ‘Mexican-fusion’ joints, most of the time, tacos in Baja are the real deal. That goes for any other Mexican food too, just pull up to the side of the road, use whatever Spanish you have to order (or trust the chef blindly) and be ready for your taste buds to be transported.

And, honestly, the shadier the joint, the better. That’s just the way it goes here.

From quesabirrias and humble burritos to the iconic Baja fish taco, Baja will have a way of capturing your heart through your belly. Most taquerias are open late into the night, so if you see one busy with locals…pull over.

8. Going Off Grid

We already know that I’m the biggest advocate for road tripping in Baja. There’s just something about cruising through desert highways, unaware of what you’re going to find, but knowing that it’s going to blow your mind. And part of all those miles travelled is the inevitability of getting lost at some point.

Yeah, you could have a shiny itinerary with the exact route from A to B planned…but where would the fun in that be?

A special place in my heart is an off-grid community in Baja’s East Cape. A place where roads turn to sand and life goes by at a considerably slower pace. These are the kind of places that you have to find on your own; they’re not broadcast over social media and travel guides. Instead, they’re quietly noticed by those brave enough to venture off-road and tucked away in their minds, unwilling to share.

It’s not just these small coastal settlements; head inland and find secrets hidden within the valleys and miles of dirt roads. If not mind-blowing, you’ll at least find a more than suitable glass of vino waiting for you in a stumbled upon winery 😉

9. Meditating Underwater

If an underwater session of sound meditation isn’t enough to alter your brain chemistry, then you might just be a lost cause. It combines three things so near and dear to my heart: freediving, the ocean, and music.

It’s an ocean experience that most won’t experience. Just you, the underwater frequencies and whatever marine life is curious enough to poke its nose in, too. If you’re not a freediving aficionado on a normal day, you might just find yourself able to sink deeper for longer in that complete state of zen.

Baja has a way of offering experiences that feel raw and unfiltered, always tied to the sea, and this one fits right in. It’s not the sort of thing that shows up on a usual Baja travel list, which makes it even better. The only catch is that meditating on dry land might never quite scratch the same itch ever again.

10. Interacting with Locals

It’s hard not to feel like a walking dollar sign to locals when in mainland Mexico. And that’s fair enough – it’s one of the trade-offs of frequenting places rife with tourism. That’s the beauty of Baja: you have pockets of touristy spots if you want them, but as soon as you leave that bubble, the interactions you have will remind you why you travel in the first place.

The people in Baja are the nicest you will EVER meet, and this is especially true the more remote you get. They’re just minding their own business, living on a completely different pace of life than I’m used to. Don’t be surprised if a local strikes up a conversation with you just to ask what a gringo is doing on their home turf – most tend to be genuinely interested in how you got there 🙂

So long as you have a lil bit of Spanish under your belt, you’ll be able to blend in and live like a local in no time. It’s always nice to know when travelling that if you’re in need of help, people will help, and Baja is definitely one of those places where locals go above and beyond to help someone out.

Final Thoughts

There you have it – the inexplicable ways in which Baja has fundamentally changed my brain chemistry for better or for worse.

For better? My friend count has increased tenfold since taking to its waters. I’ve made many confidants amongst the fish and whales in the waters they call their home.

For worse? I will be forever chasing the high of it all. The slow mornings on a panga, waiting for a gray whale to make contact. The roadside tacos and conversations in broken Spanish. There will always be a Baja-shaped hole in my heart that can only be filled by returning.

Consider this your fair warning. Enjoy the ocean, amigos.