May 2024 Baja Bulletin

Safety Reminder

A reminder that when traveling anywhere, it is always best to stay in a designated campsite where others are present rather than camping solo off the grid. Please always be aware of your surroundings, don’t be showy with expensive belongings, and avoid traveling to remote areas alone. Caravans are recommended as there is relative safety in numbers. Drive only during daylight hours. If you suspect danger, please call 911, Mexico’s emergency phone number. Cell phone reception is not guaranteed in many areas of Baja so traveling with a satellite phone or messaging device is a good safety net.

DBTC Amigo Bucks Program

A reminder that if you refer a friend to join Discover Baja, you can receive “Amigo Bucks” (good for redemption at Discover Baja). We have now increased the “Amigo Bucks” referral to $20 for each new member that joins and mentions that you referred them (an increase from the previous $5).

FMM tourist permit visa baja mexico

FMM Payments at Border

Be prepared to pay for FMM tourist permits at the border with a credit card. They have not been accepting cash (neither pesos nor U.S. dollars) in order to discourage corruption amongst the officers. When paying anywhere in Baja with a credit card, always ask them to charge the card in pesos, as this way you’ll be getting a better rate (at the day’s bank exchange rate, rather than the establishment’s own exchange rate).

San Diego Tijuana Jazz Festival

As a part of the events for the San Diego Tijuana World Design Capital 2024, San Diego and Tijuana will co-host an international jazz festival from October 4-6, 2024. The festival will take place on both sides of the border. On October 4, the festival will be at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido. On October 5, the festival with move to Tijuana for the Tijuana Jazz & Blues Festival on Avenida Revolución. On October 6, the last day of the festival will take place north of the border at the Quartyard in San Diego. More information can be found on the event website.

Art Walk Rosarito

The Rosarito Art Walk will take place on May 25-26 over Memorial Day weekend at Rosarito’s Center for the Arts (CEART). More than 60 artists will have booths and the festival will feature food and drinks as well as live entertainment. Free admission. For more information visit the Rosarito Art Walk Facebook page. There will also be a bus departing from Balboa Park in San Diego each day to provide roundtrip transportation for $48 down to the Rosarito Art Walk. More information and tickets for the bus can be found on the Art Baja website.

Corazón de Vida Galas

The non-profit organization Corazòn de Vida will be hosting two large fundraising galas in Southern California this summer and fall. Their La Noche Blanca gala will take place in Orange County on July 13, 2024. And their Noche de Gala will take place in San Diego at the Hotel Del Coronado on November 2, 2024. Corazòn de Vida is an organization providing life changing support for orphaned and abandoned children in Baja. More information about the events and tickets can be found on the Corazón de Vida website.

Rosarito Beach Fest 2024

This year’s Rosarito Beach Fest will take place from August 9-11, 2024. The three-day music festival takes place on the beaches of Rosarito and draws extremely large crowds and can cause large delays at the border so please plan accordingly.

Avenida Internacional Nighttime Closures

As a part of the ongoing construction along Tijuana’s Avenida Internacional, the roadway will be closing at night from 11pm-4am through the end of August. During the day, traffic is restricted to one lane in each direction. We are advising travelers to use a different border crossing if possible during this time.

San Felipe Men Going to Paris Olympics

Two men from San Felipe, Alexis López and Miguel Carbello, will be competing in rowing at the Paris 2024 Olympic games. The pair qualified for the Olympics by placing first at the World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia last fall. This was the first time that Mexico had taken first at the World Rowing Championships. San Felipe’s rowing program started as a state initiative in 2005.

Puerto Escondido Marina Expansion

The Mexican Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), has approved four new floating docks for the Puerto Escondido marina. This will increase the marina’s capacity to hold up to 81 boats. The project is expected to take seven years to complete.

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