Jacques Cousteau once called the Gulf of California the world's aquarium, and the number backs him up: more than two hundred and forty islands and a protected stretch of sea, listed by UNESCO in 2005, hold about a third of the world's marine mammal species. Blue whales and fin whales come into the gulf to feed in winter and spring, sea lions haul out on island rocks, dolphins ride the bow waves of boats, and whale sharks cruise in warmer months. The water is a startling turquoise against cactus-covered desert islands in the colours of rust, ochre and bone.
Santa Rosalia itself, to the south, is a curious town: it was built by a French mining company in the 1880s to work copper, and it still has wooden houses with deep verandahs, a bakery famous for French bread, and an iron church that, according to local legend, was designed by Gustave Eiffel.
Riding here means Mexican Highway 1, the Transpeninsular, a two-lane road that runs the length of Baja. It crosses desert, with giant cardon cacti, boojum trees and sudden glimpses of blue water, and the gulf stretch south toward Mulege and Bahia Concepcion is among the best motorcycle roads in North America. Distances between fuel stops can be very long, so fill whenever you can, and carry extra water. Watch for cattle at night, hard crosswinds and slow trucks on the curves.
The gulf is cold for swimming in winter and exhilarating in autumn. Summer is intensely hot and humid, with hurricane season from August to October, so the best months are November to April, when whale-watching is at its peak.
Pack sunscreen, spare tubes and a good sense of humour, and let the desert and sea do the rest.