The Baja peninsula and its most attractive cities

The Baja California peninsular, in English the Lower California peninsula is a peninsula in western Mexico. It extends some 775 miles from Mexicali, Baja California, in the north to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, in the south, separating the Pacific Ocean from the Sea of Cortés.

Known for its sheltered coves, secluded beaches and rugged mountains and deserts, the peninsula is also home to some of the best preserved rock art in the world. The approximately 250 painted sites became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993

There is evidence of humans inhabiting the Baja California peninsula as far back as 9,000 to 10,000 years ago. The area would have been more humid at that time, with huge Pleistocene mammals roaming the area. At the time of European discovery of the peninsula, some of the most primitive tribal cultures in the Americas were residing there.

Following Hernán Cortés conquest of Mexico, the lure of an earthly paradise as well as the search for the fabled Strait of Anián, helped motivate him to send several expeditions to the west coast of New Spain in the 1530s and early 1540s. The first expedition reached the Gulf of California and Baja California, and proved the "Island of California" was in fact a peninsula. Nevertheless, the idea of the island persisted for well over a century and was included in many maps. The Spaniards gave the name "California" to the peninsula and to the lands north, including both Baja California and Alta California, the region that became parts of the present-day U.S. states of California, Nevada, and others.

La Paz (Spanish for "The Peace") is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur and an important regional commercial center. The city had a 2005 census population of 189,176 persons, but it can be consider that it roughly reaches the 200,000 persons because of its surrounding towns like "el Centenario", "el Zacatal" and "San Pedro". Its surrounding municipality, which is the fourth-largest municipality in Mexico in geographical size, reported a population of 219,596 persons living on a land area of  7,828.2 sq mi.

San José del Cabo is located in Baja California Sur Mexico and is the seat of the municipality of Los Cabos at the south end of the Baja California peninsula. In the 2005 census it had a population of 48,518. Together with neighbouring Cabo San Lucas it forms a major tourist destination for travelers, particularly from the North America.The two cities are served by Los Cabos International Airport.

The mission San José del Cabo was founded in 1730; the nearby Río San José was useful to the Spanish as a source of fresh water for galleons traveling to and from the Philippines. San Jose Del Cabo is also a small real estate urban area in Monterre

San Jose del Cabo is Cabo San Lucas' sister city, a charming and romantic colonial town with the flavor of Old Mexico. Founded as a mission in 1730, San Jose is a mile inland from the hotel zone along San Jose Bay. In the small historic downtown, courtyard restaurants, boutiques and art galleries surround the main square and twin spire church. Gourmet dining, sophisticated wine bars, and live Latin entertainment heat up the night. A family-oriented traditional town, San Jose is the quiet side of Cabos. With the area’s best surf beaches, a palm filled estuary ideal for bird watching, a sea turtle nursery and the La Laguna mountains to explore, San Jose is an ideal destination for nature and adventure lovers.

Cabo San Lucas is a city at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula at in the municipality of Los Cabos in the state of Baja California Sur, Mexico. As of the 2005 census, the population was 56,811 people. It is the largest community in Los Cabos municipality, and the second-largest in Baja California Sur, after La Paz.Cabo San Lucas, with its large marina and beautiful bay where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean, is famous for its casual atmosphere and exciting nightlife.  A favorite for anglers out to land the big one, Cabo San Lucas also has great beaches, lots of shopping and restaurants, and a variety of hotels and resorts with impeccable service.Cabo San Lucas is also known for its famous stone arch, called El Arco, A fantastic natural rock formation at Land’s End. Cabo San Lucas long sandy main beach, El Medano, is the place for swimming  also a very popular place for cruise ships , spring breakers as well as a hideout for celebrities .