Adventure Kayaking: Baja

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing - other books are much more useful.
Review: Last winter, a friend and I paddled a good length of the Baja peninsula, from Bahia de Los Angeles to La Paz (~500 miles). We used a collection of books and maps (large scale fishing maps - good for big picture planning, the Ed Gillet Baja paddling maps, Jack Williams' Baja Boater's guide, Lonely Planet, and this book).

Adventure Kayaking describes a number of short routes (generally 3-5 days) all over the Peninsula. While providing a decent idea of what kinds of routes are broadly available, I found the descriptions were not very accurate, and a number of details caused me to seriously question whether the author had made the trips herself. I am inclined to forgive many types of mistakes in guidebooks (estimates of time, and descriptions of changing landforms), but incorrect factual descriptions of landforms and campsites are fairly serious. On two occasions, we relied on her descriptions and were left hanging (arriving at a 'sandy spit that was a good campsite' we discovered an uncampable small island of very large rocks.)

There is some decent general info on kayaking in Baja in the beginning, but most of that can be gleaned from websites. We found this book to be of very limited practical use.

By far, the Ed Gillet maps were the most useful resource for kayaking in the peninsula. They can be difficult to find (as Ed has sold his shop in San Diego to a very friendly couple, now called Aqua Adventures). We were able to pick up a few copies from the new owners. The maps are concise and easy-to-use, and contain very accurate and pertinent information. Combined with the Jack Williams' guides, those are about all you need.

Some other useful Baja resources:
www.caske2000.org - interseting website of guys who did an epic kayak trip in Baja & Central America
Into a Desert Place - English guy walked 3,000 miles around the perimeter of Baja. Great story! He well captures the character of the desert.

In general, sea kayaking in Baja is absolutely incredible! It is a stark, beautiful, and unforgiving landscape; and to the well-prepared visitor, it provides a very real and unforgettable adventure. We would go for days without seeing anyone but local fisherman, dolphins, and whales.