US surfers have been crossing the clandestine-proof border into the Baja (Lower) California desert peninsula for decades. Baja constitutes the major getaway for Californian waveriders, who jump in the 4x4 and drive the Mex1 Highway, looking for quality righthand pointbreaks, consistent beach and reefbreaks and cheaper, simpler living. Baja Norte has all the prerequisites to satisfy intermediate to expert surfers and the highway hugs the coast all the way down to Ensenada, making access to a varied range of breaks simple. Between Punta Camalu and the beginning of the Central Baja zone at Punta Canoas lie a number of protected points like Cabo San Quintin and Puntas Baja and San Carlos, which all prefer winter W-NW swells and handle the prevalent, strong onshores.