La Paz’s 490th Anniversary
La Paz just celebrated the 490th anniversary of its founding as a city, honoring the day on May 3, 1535, when Hernán Cortés and his crew first came ashore on the peninsula. Celebrations will be continuing over the next few weeks with festivals and events on weekends in La Paz throughout the month of May.
Uber Begins Operating in Rosarito
Uber has finally begun officially operating in Rosarito, making it easier for tourists to get around the area. The app works the same in Mexico as it does in the U.S., so tourists can just open the app, set the pick up point, and pay with their usual debit or credit card through the app. This eliminates any language barriers and the need to pay with cash. Baja California now has Uber in Tijuana, Mexicali, and Rosarito.
San José del Cabo Jazz Festival
The San José del Cabo Jazz Festival, the premier jazz event in Baja Sur, will take place over two nights from May 23rd-24th. With free admission, the event features an impressive line up of world-class jazz performances along with exceptional cuisine in an unforgettable open-air setting. For more information, please visit the website.
Rosarito Art Walk
The popular Rosarito Art Walk will take place over Memorial Day weekend on May 24-25 at CEART in Rosarito. The art fair will feature dozens of exhibitors as well as food, drink, and live entertainment. For more information, please visit the Rosarito Artwalk Facebook page.
Montachoque Car Accident Scams
We’ve had numerous reports of montachoque accident scams going on near the border areas (Mexicali as well as Tijuana down to Rosarito). This is an extortion technique where the other party provokes a car accident and then demands that you give them cash. They will often pretend to call your insurance company to perpetuate the lie. If you find yourself a victim of this situation, please do the following:
1. Do not hand over any cash. There is no situation where you should be making a payment to anyone.
2. Make sure that you are the one calling the insurance company (the phone number is listed on your policy). Be sure to make the call from your own phone—do not believe the scammer handing you their phone saying that they have already dialed your insurance company. Your insurance company will send out the closest adjustor who will help you handle the situation.
3. The scammer may try to scare you by saying that you need to move to a quieter area to avoid a fine from the police. You do not need to do that. You should insist that your insurance will cover that.
FMM Checkpoints
There’s been some confusion recently about a “new” visa required for travel to Mexico. There are no new rules or changes. The only immigration form that Mexico requires for U.S. and Canadian citizens is the FMM tourist permit (as has been the requirement for years). There have been a number of INM (Instituto Nacional de Migración) immigration checkpoints along the peninsula recently, so it’s important that you make sure to get your FMM before heading south. Here are a few reminders about FMMs:
-If you will be in Mexico for 7 days or less, you can get a free FMM at the border. Discover Baja members can save time and hassle at the border by getting this FMM through Discover Baja for a $10 fee. We will complete all of the paperwork for you and send you the completed FMM via email (please keep in mind that you do still need to stop at the border to get the FMM stamped upon entry into Mexico).
-If you will be in Mexico for more than 7 days, you will need to stop at the border to get a paid FMM. You will fill out the FMM paperwork and then pay the $861 peso fee (you may pay with cash or a credit card). This FMM will be valid for 180 days and you may use it for multiple entry by land into Mexico.
-INM immigration checkpoints pop up sporadically on the highways along the peninsula. There have been a number of them recently, sometimes at the military checkpoints and sometimes on their own. It’s been common for them to take a photo of your FMM. This is normal and legal. They will not take a photo of your passport, just the FMM.
More information about FMMs can be found on our FMM page or our FMM FAQ page.
Crossing in Mexicali West with Dogs
A reminder that there has been an increase in travelers being pulled over by police after crossing into Mexico at the southbound Mexicali West crossing and being ticketed for not having their dogs in crates. Technically, Mexican law requires pets to be restrained when riding in the car. We recommend purchasing a folding dog crate to use when driving through the border and this area in order to avoid getting ticketed.