Customer Reviews

The Baja Adventure Book

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There is no point in going to Baja without this book, if you want to explore beyond the walls of the resorts. You will have maps and mile-post by mile-post (actually, km-post) descriptions of every cranny of the peninsula and what you can do there -- scuba, petroglyphs, whatever. You'll think of the author Walt Petersen as another and very valuable traveling companion. No other guide compares in depth and ease of use.

In the last 25 years I've made about 50 trips to Baja so I think I know a little bit about the place. After reading The Baja Adventure Book I realised how little I do know about Baja- this book has lots of great information for the newcomer to Baja or for the seasoned traveler and is my first recommendation for a book on Baja. My second recommendation would be to pick up a copy of The Baja Catch by Kelly and Kira.

My wife and I traveled the peninsula for two months in a VW Bus with this as our sole reference book. This literally guided us to the best travel adventures ever. Walt didn't miss a thing from road signs, to camping spots, to customs, and to inside local knowledge. Don't miss the "way-off-the-beaten-path" trip to Gardener Cave. Buy it early, and read the whole thing just to get fired up for your trip.

We've traveled Baja for many years (30+ myself) and were given The Baja Adventure Book as a Christmas gift about five years ago. It has been an invaluable tool for exploring new areas and informing us on places we've already been. It's very detailed information has been a joy to have along. It's well written and easy to follow. Give it a try, I'm sure you'll enjoy it too!

I recently traveled to baja for my first time last november,2000. I used this book and it was helpful. I hitch hiked for three weeks in baja sur, traveling most of the unbeaten paths. This book was helpful to get me to those places people seldom travel to. I was surprised by the fact that alot of things in the book, like the adventures mentioned, costed much more then expected. So be careful when traveling on a tight budget, the book makes these adventures seem cheap, this book should have some price guidelines for the places that allow tours and rental equipment. also call ahead if you plan to try any new adventures, like diving, or sea kayaking, some of these adventures require certifaction. so call ahead!! happy travels

Anyone who wants to find fun and adventure
in Baja needs a copy of this book. Perfect
in every detail, you can't go wrong with
Walt Peterson as your personal guide
to the wonderful world of Baja

For many veteran Baja travelers, this is the best of the best. Walt Peterson uses his extensive knowledge to present a book loaded with not only detailed information about the peninsula, but also detailed down-to-the-kilometer instructions on how to reach little-known sites, as well as the better known ones. Highway,off-road; you name it and it's in this book. On my frequent trips down the peninsula, Walt Peterson's BAJA ADVENTURE BOOK is on the seat beside me, dog-eared and written in from constant use.

The new edition of this book is basically the same as

the 1987 Edition. The pictures are outdated, even in

the original version. I was truly disappointed that

the author didn't bother to update his photo gallery,

and it's easy to see the boats and dive equipment in

the photos are ancient. The Appendix A and some of

the city and regional maps are the only updates noted.

This is a book that any true Baja enthusiast will spend hours reading. I can't go ten minutes without dying laughing at some of his stories (all of them 100% fact with no embelishment I'm sure! LOL). Peterson has to be a Baja legend - how did he have time to do it all? While I agree that it is invaluable for anyone planning a trip and I consider it to be one of the top 5 books on Baja, I do disagree with many other reviews that say it is a neccessity for taking along on a trip. I consider it much more of a pre-planning book or a fun read. It doesn't have enough current data to be a real guidebook in my opinion. That's not a criticism - just pointing out that it is not a true guidebook. For that I recommend the AAA Baja book - without a doubt the best!

I purchased this book and a couple others to prep for a 2 week roadtrip throughout the peninsula. As another reviewer mentioned, a lot of this information is outdated, especially road information. Much of the author's stories do not reflect the reality that even in Baja, roads have improved, degraded, built, or overgrown.

For a person looking for more up to date information on the peninsula, you could do better with a guidebook such as Moon.