Sierra la Laguna

The Sierra la Laguna rises to over 2,000 metres between the two coasts of the Baja peninsula's cape region, and its isolation produced something unexpected: on the upper ridges, oak and pine-oak forest and a meadow known as La Laguna - a former lake bed - survive as an island of temperate vegetation surrounded by desert, with plant and animal species found nowhere else. Below, canyons cut down through granite, carrying palm groves, seasonal streams and swimming pools; the Sol de Mayo and Fox canyon waterfalls near Santiago and Miraflores are the accessible versions, day-walkable and popular. The full experience is the crossing: a two-to-four-day traverse from San Dionisio on the gulf side to La Burrera on the Pacific, camping at La Laguna meadow, arranged with local guides and burros because the trails are unmarked and water is scarce. Birders come for endemics, botanists for the plant list, and everyone for the strangeness of walking from cardon cactus into oak shade in a single morning's climb.

What you actually see

• La Laguna meadow - the high grassland at the sierra's heart.
• The oak forest - temperate woodland above desert canyons.
• The palm canyons - streams, pools and waterfalls below.
• The endemics - species unique to this mountain island.

When to go

November to April for cool walking and reliable water in the canyons; summer brings heat, and late-summer storms can flood the drainages dangerously.

Honest expectations

The traverse is a guided expedition, not a marked trail - go with local guides and pack animals, carry water treatment, and expect cold nights on top. Canyon day walks near Santiago are the easy alternative.

Nearby

Todos Santos and the Pacific beaches lie west; Santiago, Miraflores and the East Cape sit on the gulf side.