With Tijuana as its frontier post, Baja is the epitome of 'south of  the border'. The peninsula is renowned for its long coastline of fine white beaches, peaceful bays and imposing cliffs, sharply contrasting with the harsh  and undeveloped interior.

Baja has long been a hideout for revolutionaries,  mercenaries, drinkers and gamblers, but these days visitors are attracted by more healthy pursuits like horseback riding, surfing and whale-watching.  Highlights include Loreto, with its Spanish mission history and offshore national park; the extraordinary pre-Columbian rock-art sites of Sierra de  San Francisco, near San Ignacio; La Paz, the  capital of Baja California Sur and known for its equally gorgeous beaches and sunsets; and  the hiking paradise of Sierra de la Laguna, a botanical wonderland of  coexisting cacti and pines, palms and aspens set beside granite rockpools.

Exotic and exciting, Baja California is Mexico's last  vacation frontier. Though now well established as a holiday haven, the peninsula  is far from being crowded. Baja means "lower." The Spaniards called what is now  the U.S. state Alta, or Upper, California. Longer than Italy's boot, the  peninsula is divided into two states: Baja California Norte, withMexicali as its capital, and Baja California Sur, with La Paz as its capital. Dotted by the remnants of Catholic missions and a variety of exotic  cactus, its topography consists of desertlike barren hills with an occasional  green strip of irrigated farmland, and a vast stretch, in the northern middle of the peninsula, that resembles a surrealistic lunarscape. Mostly, however, it's  an 800 mile-long desert poking into the boundless sea.

But this is fun terrain, the place for dune buggying at  San Felipe, battling marlin off Los Cabos, sniping at quail near Ensenada or just enjoying the peace at La Paz. The area's midriff is flanked by headlands  and islands, and features the 25-mile-long Bahia de Concepcion, reputedly the  world's largest bay, and certainly one of the most beautiful. From Mulege down the coast to Loreto and Puerto Escondido's safe harbor, the clear waters teeming with fish are juxtaposed with barren landscapes, making for a boater's dream.

Baja weather tends to be hot and dry in the summer and a bit cooler in the winter. Spring presents a fabulous sight with myriad cactus in  bloom.

The beaches between Rosarito and Ensenada are popular  surfing areas, and Baja abounds in sporting events year-round. Bicycle races are held between Ensenada and Tecate, and auto racing includes the famous Baja 1000  in November and the Baja 500 in June, as well as various off-road races.