Situated on the Sea of Cortez, La Ventana is located in Baja California, Mexico. Of course, we heard of kitesurfing in Mexico, but only seen pictures of light wind kiting. Though, one day in mid March we checked the wind report from the local guru, Mas Viento. His forecast was showing a solid 20-25kts for the following week. Wind deprived in coastal Mississippi, we threw together kite gear on typical short-term travel notice, and flew out a few days later with two boards and 7, 8, and 9m kites. The windy season in La Ventana is from Oct. to Apr. with daily thermals kicking in at noon. Temperatures average 75°F and wind of 15-25 kt (N, NW, NNW) is the norm during season, but northerners can kick up to 30kt.
To get to this coastal gem, you can fly into either San Jose Los Cabos (SJD) or La Paz (LPZ) airport and rent a car or take a shuttle to La Ventana. We rented a car through DiscoverCars.com and had a fantastic experience with MexCar at the SJD airport. As many reviews online warned us about the exorbitant cost of insurance when renting a car, we found that showing our credit card with CDW (damage coverage), paying a larger deposit, and signing a waiver was all it took to drive off the lot – without any pressure. The drive is rural and takes you through the desert landscape that is met by blue skies and cardon cactus forest – an enormous
cactus native to Baja. The roads are paved the entire 1 1/2 hour drive till you arrive in the small fishing town of La Ventana. Known to some as the “new Tarifa”, La Ventana announces itself with waving palm trees and kites in the air. The town is lined with beach access point offering a glimpse of the emerald green water and kites on the beach.
We stayed at Baja Joe’s, a long-time staple of La Ventana and downwinder endpoint for some. The accommodations were clean and cozy, and right on the beach. You could kite, eat and sleep all from one place, which can come in handy if you don’t rent a car. Pick up services are available which also include a stop at the supermarket to get you started. Everything is so easy and laid back. Beach access is as easy as it looks in the picture. The town has a wide variety of accommodations, beach side resorts, rental homes, and camp grounds, but you won’t find any high-rise hotel chains blocking wind and access. Everywhere is “5 minutes” from the beach!
When you pull into La Ventana, it is a two-lane road lined with a mixture of residences and small businesses, including a number of kite shops. The paved road gradually turns into gravel and without noticing you’re in the neighboring village of El Sargento. The seafood in the region is as fresh as it can be and caught daily in the Sea of Cortez. There are restaurants galore, with many serving traditional Mexican, but you can also find BBQ, Asian, and others if you like options! Street tacos cost about $1.50, and regular Mexican dinners with margaritas are about $12. Caution: the local drinks have some fire will and will take your shoes off.
The wind is mostly thermal and made even stronger by the El Norte winds that occasionally come along. The usual forecast methods and apps don’t work here – the legendary Mas Viento on Facebook is the source for a daily local forecast and explanation of the wind you can expect during your trip.
We spent 4 days on 7m kites and the last day on 8m thanks to Mas Viento’s forecast. Though, some Canadian “snowbirds” who spend the winter in La Ventana, year after year, told us that such wind only comes about twice a year. The normal kite size for La Ventana thermals are 10-12m. Lucky us for the cold front in the north! Though, regardless of how much the wind blows, we usually don’t sit on the beach from dusk till dawn. Exploring the culture, food, local markets, and shops is as important to us as kiting.
For non-kiting activities, we took a short road-trip and went snorkeling at Ensenada de Muertos. The crystal clear, blue water had lots of sea life and was a wonderful change from the busy kite crowd of La Ventana. We did not have time to go, but Whale Shark excursions from La Paz are very popular, as the Sea of Cortez is one of the most epic places in the world to see and actually swim with them (appointments required). There are also “hot springs” just north of El Sargento, where the road turns into a single lane track. You build your own thermal pool that is tide dependent. We would recommend going as the tide is receding and you will get the optimum bath temperature! Strange phenomena to see warm water seep out of the beach!
We set up kites at several places along the shores of La Ventana, including in front of Baja Joe’s. This spot had some small rocks during low-tide, but was easy to access and had a decent chop and swell to play in. We also tried out several places along the shore, as there are many places to drive onto the beach and rig the gear by your car. La Tuna was a hot spot, but our favorite was Fig Tree Beach. No beach was ever too busy, so the beach you settle is really based on your preference.
La Ventana was a perfect little getaway that didn’t require much planning or resources. Its safe and easy to navigate, with the best tacos and margaritas you can think of. Vamos….!
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