Cabo's Other Wild Side
By Dolores Peralta, Thu Dec 8th

CABO'S OTHER WILD SIDE By Dolores Peralta

Cabo San Lucas has grown a reputation for excitement, mostly dueto the many clubs that burn the midnight oil well into the earlymorning hours. Wild party life is nothing new here. But Cabo hasanother distinct wild side - the rugged beauty of the land andthe creatures that inhabit the area. Getting a look at thelandscapes and wildlife at the tip of Baja is tops on the listof things to do. So, how does a Cabo visitor find ways toexplore the other wild side of this tourist Mecca? You couldrent a car and set off on your own with map in hand but what andwhere are the best things to see? While taking the initiative toexplore on your own has it's own rewards, having someone withlocal knowledge guide you makes the most of your time.

While there are many businesses that offer tours and activitiesgeared toward exposing you to all that southern Baja has tooffer, few offer as much value, knowledge and diversity ofactivities as Baja Wild. Baja Wild offers eco-adventureactivities that range from surfing, kayaking, snorkeling,hiking, camping, mountain biking, rock climbing and rappeling,whale watching and turtle release. Whether you lean towardswater based activities or mountain excursions they'll match yourneeds with the appropriate personnel.

One of the more popular eco-tours is a Jeep safari into theSierra Laguna Biosphere. Starting out in the early morninghours, participants hop behind the wheel of a Jeep Wrangler andhead out to explore the lesser-known Baja. A stop in San Josedel Cabo for fresh Mexican pastries and coffee starts yourseven-hour adventure. Depending on the season, you may be joinedby others in their Jeeps who will follow the guide vehicle upthe San Jose riverbed, usually dry save for the rainy season.Here you will see the power of the river where mountains arecarved by the force of storm waters raging to the sea. Venturingfurther into the interior brings the rugged beauty that is Bajainto clear focus. Towering Cardon cacti, Ironwood trees andinnumerable desert flowers dot the landscape. Your guide willoften stop to share facts and legends about the areas youtraverse; which cacti can you get water from, what types ofbirds live here, what trees produce edible fruit and what plantsshould you keep away from are just a few of the tidbits ofinformation they dole out.

Our guide, Martine Ontiveiros, was full of local knowledge andwas able to give us historical as well as environmentalperspectives. Martine, like many of Baja Wild's guides, isfurthering his education as a travel guide taking courses at thelocal university. His love of Baja translates into an infectiousjoy at being in such a remarkable geographic area. On one stop,he pointed out a wild plum tree and backed up his claim thatthey are edible by biting into a plum he plucked from the tree.Some of us joined him in sampling the plums, and while notcompletely ripe, they are in fact quite tasty. Turning ourattention to survival skills, he informed us that the regionsonly cactus that can supply potable water is the Barrel cactus.By cutting into the base of the plant, one can suck water fromthe roots.

Our caravan continued on into the colonial town of Santiago.Founded in the early 1700's by Italian Jesuits, Santiago's claimto fame is a natural desert oasis with a tremendous supply offresh water. Climbing a winding dirt road we came to apromontory where we could look down upon the lush greenlandscape thick with palm trees. The stark contrast between ariddesert and this emerald green sanctuary brings to light thediversity of Baja.

Further along we began a slow but steady ascent into the SierraLaguna Mountains and our ultimate destination - the SierraLaguna Biosphere. The Biosphere is a national park and fallsunder control of the Mexican government. The area was declared aBiosphere Reserve in 1994 and is sparsely inhabited, attractinghikers, mountain bikers and naturalists. It is an ecologicalwonder where cacti, palms and pine trees grow side by side, androck pools form underneath towering granite boulders.

Several well-maintained hiking trails traverse the mountainrange. Among the many animal species that inhabit the reserve,the mountain lion is the largest predator, but more commonlyseen are coyotes and foxes, as well as smaller mammals such askangaroo rats, desert mule deer, gophers and badgers. Thevegetation includes conifer forest, tropical forest, pine andoak forest, palms and thickets. Its human population is gatheredin 96 small ranches that include 124 families. The main economicactivities, in order of importance, are: livestock farming,forestry and agriculture.

One of the main attractions of the area is a rock pool formedunder towering granite formations. After parking our Jeeps weset off on foot to hike one of the many trails available. Ashort hike was highlighted by a stop at the pool. Fed by awaterfall approximately thirty feet high the water is a welcomeopportunity to cool off and relax. For more ambitious hikers,scaling the

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rock walls to the top of the falls offers the chanceto dive into the pool. The crystal clear water and sun-warmedrocks make this the perfect place for a picnic or to simply soakin the natural beauty that is Baja.

After an hour or so of swimming and exploring, our group hikedback to the Jeeps and headed back down to San Jose del Cabo forlunch. A casual lunch of tacos and beer finished off ouradventure with Martine answering questions about what we saw aswell as what else there was to see. The experience left uswanting more and we plan on taking many more trips with the crewof Baja Wild. The hard part is deciding what to do next.

Venturing out on your own has rewards, but taking advantage ofthe knowledge and experience of local guides like those fromBaja Wild makes exploration a hit rather than a hit-and- missscenario. For more information on all that Baja Wild offers Cabobound travelers, visit http://www.bajawild.com - specialrequests can be arranged by Alex Vidal. For more informationabout Cabo, visit http://www.CabosBest.com

About the author:Dolores Peralta is the author and co-owner of CabosBest.com, atravel website dedicated to Los Cabos. To explore more of whatCabo has to offer, visit http://www.CabosBest.com or to emailDolores at cabodee@cabosbest.com.