| RETIRE... |
| in San Quintin |
WHY SHOULD I RETIRE IN SAN QUINTIN?
1. Location
When Americans consider the idea of moving abroad to retire, it conjures up thoughts of expensive plane
flights, extended periods without a visit to the states, and separation from friends and family. Most of the
locations that appeal to retirees require all of the above. But there are a few places where this need not be
the case.
Northern Baja is one of them.
One of only two countries to share a border with the US, Mexico has many distinct advantages. San Diego,
Los Angeles, Phoenix, and the other cities of the Southwest are all within a few hours drive of most Northern
Baja locations. This access to products and services unavailable outside the US can make living abroad
easier and more comfortable. And family and friends are never out of reach.
While San Quintin is on the Pacific coast in Northern Baja, it is located out of the border area with its
expensive prices, high crime and diluted culture. Just a four hour drive from San Diego, the San Quintin
Valley is a different world. The clean air, beautiful beaches, native desert, strawberry fields and a Mexican
culture centered around agriculture are a welcome change from the cities along the border. Here, the
Mexican lifestyle and unhurried, uncrowded and unspoiled environment signify that this is "...where the REAL
Baja begins".
2. Weather
San Quintin enjoys the same weather that has made San Diego a favorite place to visit and live. The Pacific
Ocean breezes keep the coastal temperatures comfortable while the nearby deserts are ablaze in the
summer sun. Those times of the year when the Sea of Cortez is almost unlivable are perfect days for enjoying
San Quintin's beautiful sandy beaches.
In the winter time, the sun still raises afternoon temperatures to the 60's, 70's and sometimes 80's, while night
time temperatures at their coldest rarely drop below 40. And San Quintin has many more days of sun than
even San Diego can claim.
For those who love to live outdoors, San Quintin has the perfect year-round weather.
3. Price of Real Estate
How many Americans have dreamed of retiring to a home by the sea? How many of us will have a retirement
income that can even pay the taxes on a waterfront home in the US?
The dream is still possible in San Quintin, where waterfront properties, (and their annual taxes), can be as
little as ten percent of the cost of an equivalent property in southern California.
The beaches of Camalu, San Ramon, Chapala, Santa Maria and El Socorrito are all spectacular, sandy
beaches, most with great clamming, surf fishing and other popular beach activities.
And if being on the beach is not your thing, but you would like to see it, ocean view property is available along
the entire San Quintin valley. In most of Baja, neither waterfront nor view property has been valued like it is
north of the border. Most Mexican families don't care to live next to the ocean and don't feel it is a great
benefit to see it. The demand for both waterfront and view property by Americans moving to the area is
changing this, but, unlike the towns closer to the border, San Quintin prices still reflect the attitudes of the
locals.
While building materials are no bargain, and in some cases are higher than in the US, they are off-set by the
lower cost of labor. The cost of building a house, if local products and methods are used as much as
possible, can be significantly less than a comparable home north of the border. And if care is taken in
selecting a builder you can still get a very high quality product.
Those who wish to rent a home are also in for a surprise. When I moved to San Quintin I rented a brand new,
two bedroom home, completely furnished, for $325 per month. At the prices available, renting is a reasonable
alternative to buying or building, especially in the short term while finding exactly the right place to buy or build.
If you're looking for a small ranch, (or a large one), or room to grow a garden or keep animals, or just having
your own privacy, larger parcels are available for as little as $4,000 per acre.
There's a lot here for you at the beaches of San Quintin. Come... sea for yourself.
4. Cost of living
Food, services, domestic help, medical and dental bills, all the things we spend money on every day are much
cheaper in San Quintin than in the US.
Food products from the US are available here for those that want to pay a little extra, but the local products
are generally cheaper and of a comparable quality. Some are superior, such as the locally grown organic
eggs. Beef tends to be cheaper and of very good quality, though you'll need to find a "carnicero" who
understands American cuts if you want those beefeater steaks. And when you want to eat out, a very good
meal of just about anything you want can be had for under $10.
Services such as yard care, house maintenance, car or appliance repairs are a small fraction of what you pay
in the US. Most retirees and middle class Mexicans can easily afford to pay for house cleaning, and in many
cases can include clothes washing and even cooking and shopping for groceries. The full service will usually
cost between $60-$100 per week.
Medical and dental care in northern Baja are of a very high quality and in most cases an office visit will cost
about the same as a major insurance co-pay in the states. Dental procedures are 50 to 70 percent less than
the same thing north of the border. There are state of the art hospitals, clinics and professional offices with
very well trained physicians, surgeons and dentists and a culture that is inclined to personalize patient care.
Doctors actually give out their home phone numbers and, yes, they make house calls. It is becoming quite
common for visitors to Baja to have dental and medical procedures done here during their visit, and some
come specifically for that purpose.
Retire to San Quintin and see your retirement income stretch farther and provide a higher standard of living.
5. Natural resources
Ah, the beauty of San Quintin... and its totally missed by travelers who pass through the area and never
leave Highway 1!
My first few visits to San Quintin didn't do much to attract me to the area. Then I got off the Highway and
started exploring. What a revelation! And in the few years that I've been here I have taken a few local people
sightseeing, who have lived here a majority of their lives and have never seen the spectacular vistas that
surround this little town.
One of the first things I like to do with a new visitor is take them on a photo trip to the top of one of the
volcanoes that overlook the town from the west. It is an absolutely stunning view. You can see forty miles up
the beach to Colonet and forty miles south to Punta Baja, south of El Rosario. And right in the middle, the
amazing "Cabo San Quintin" stretching more than 7 miles into the Pacific.
But its the Bay of San Quintin that surprises people the most. Sometimes compared to Mission Bay in San
Diego, "Bahia San Quintin" is the only protected bay of this kind in Northern Baja. It is a little bigger than
Mission Bay and is far more pristine with more than 95% of its shoreline undeveloped. And this is the home of
the best fishing on the Pacific Coast of Baja. Just outside the bay, around the volcanic cone of Isla San
Martin, there is a virtual smorgasbord of rockcod, yellowtail, lingcod, and ocean whitefish, supplemented in the
summer and early fall with yellowfin tuna, albacore and dorado. This is fishing like it was in the "good old
days".
And the oysters in the bay, which are actually imported from British Columbia, thrive in San Quintin's pure, rich
water as they do in only a few other locations in Canada and Washington State. The 25 year old industry
here supplies the US as well as abundant, fresh "ostiones" to the local market. A trip to the bay and a feast of
oysters fixed as you like them, by brothers Jose and Martin in their roadside palapa, is worth a drive to San
Quintin all by itself. And the myriad of seafood restaurants throughout the area serve all the local favorites,
including the famous Pismo clams which fill the area's beaches.
San Quintin is also home to one of Mexico's largest tomato producers. And the same climate that grows these
world class beauties supports onions, cucumbers, broccoli, raspberries, and a huge strawberry crop. In fact,
just about anything will grow here in the valley and fresh produce is one of the great benefits to living here.
There is never a season when you can't get fresh fruit and vegetables of some variety to put on the table.
And the wine producers of Santo Tomas and San Vicente are moving ever closer, with much interest in the
San Quintin Valley as the demand for wines continues to increase.
In San Quintin, you're never more than a few minutes from the beach, the firtile fields, the desert or the
mountains. A drive from the beach at San Telmo to the observatory at San Pedro Martir can have your feet in
the Pacific Surf to start the day, and in the snow at 9,285 feet the same morning. From the top you can not
only see the beach at San Telmo, but the beaches of San Felipe on the Sea of Cortez at the same time. And
along the way you'll pass through desert and a pine forest that will have you believing you're in Oregon or
Washington.
San Quintin. There's a lot here for you. Come... sea for yourself.
6. Activities
For off-road enthusiasts, San Quintin is a dream come true. Every kind of off-road vehicle, every kind of
operator, on every kind of terrain can be found from one end of the valley to the other, from the beaches to
the mountains. From the mountain bikers training in San Quintin's Rancho Las Palomas, two and four wheel
motos combing the area or passing through on a Baja tour, and the street legal 4x4's in friendly competition
on the local hills and dunes, to the roar of sophisticated racing machines, both amature and pro, off-road
driving is in the blood of San Quintin.
When you've eaten enough dust for a while and need to clear the lungs with some fresh air from the sea, San
Quintin's beaches offer unlimmited activities for just about any taste. The fishing is literally world-class in its
productivity, variety and accessibility. From pan fish caught off the beach, to a trophy for mounting over the
fireplace, its all here. And the shellfish are abundant and easily harvested by anyone with the desire to get
out on the beach and go for it. On a holiday weekend or a Sunday with a midafternoon low tide, the local
population heads for the beach in droves. And few go home without fresh seafood of some variety to provide
the evening meal.
And for those with the right equipment, the area provides perfect conditions for any number of water activities
such as kayaking on the bay, wind surfing, kite surfing, jet skiing and sailing and cruising on just about
anything that floats. With the unique combination of the protected Bahia San Quintin, the relatively calm
waters of Bahia Santa Maria, and the wide open surf west of town, you can always find the perfect conditions
for your particular endeavor.
The tidal flats and marshland just south of San Quintin provide good hunting for duck and goose in winter,
and for quail all year long. One of the largest concentrations of wintering Black Brant anywhere in the world is
right here in the pristine San Quintin estuary. Huge, healthy beds of eel grass grow in abundance in the clear
waters of the bay providing excellent habitat for wintering Brant and almost sure daily limits for the hunter.
Good surfing can sometimes be found at the beach break at Picacho, north of the bays, and at the point
break at the end of the San Quintin peninsula. And located 5 miles southwest of Cabo San Quintin,
Johnston's Seamount offers good visibility, plenty of sea life, and interesting pinnacles and reef structure for
scuba divers.
For hikers and walkers, the variety of terrain is unlimited. For beach combers, there are at least 40 miles of
beautiful sandy beach between Camalu and El Socorro. And the Sierras offer hundreds of miles of hiking,
camping and rock climbing. And walks through the desert produce an endless array of wildlife, flowers, fruits
and cactus found only in this area of Baja.
And San Quintin is a birdwatcher's paradise. The bays and marshes south of town offer some of the best bird
watching on the Baja Peninsula, and along all the beaches you can watch the pelicans and other seabirds
diving for their meals.
At certain times of the year, whales can be seen migrating off the coast, and an occasional inquisitive family
may enter the bay for a few days. And serious whale watchers are only a few hours drive from Guerrero
Negro and the world famous spawning lagoons of the grey whales. At almost any time, porpoises can be
observed along the beaches, and for up-close sea lion viewing, "La Lobera", just south of El Rosario, Is a
collapsed sea lion cave with great viewing through the open roof.
With all the variety of activities, and most of them free, what a great place to spend retirement years.
Come... sea for yourself.
1. Location
When Americans consider the idea of moving abroad to retire, it conjures up thoughts of expensive plane
flights, extended periods without a visit to the states, and separation from friends and family. Most of the
locations that appeal to retirees require all of the above. But there are a few places where this need not be
the case.
Northern Baja is one of them.
One of only two countries to share a border with the US, Mexico has many distinct advantages. San Diego,
Los Angeles, Phoenix, and the other cities of the Southwest are all within a few hours drive of most Northern
Baja locations. This access to products and services unavailable outside the US can make living abroad
easier and more comfortable. And family and friends are never out of reach.
While San Quintin is on the Pacific coast in Northern Baja, it is located out of the border area with its
expensive prices, high crime and diluted culture. Just a four hour drive from San Diego, the San Quintin
Valley is a different world. The clean air, beautiful beaches, native desert, strawberry fields and a Mexican
culture centered around agriculture are a welcome change from the cities along the border. Here, the
Mexican lifestyle and unhurried, uncrowded and unspoiled environment signify that this is "...where the REAL
Baja begins".
2. Weather
San Quintin enjoys the same weather that has made San Diego a favorite place to visit and live. The Pacific
Ocean breezes keep the coastal temperatures comfortable while the nearby deserts are ablaze in the
summer sun. Those times of the year when the Sea of Cortez is almost unlivable are perfect days for enjoying
San Quintin's beautiful sandy beaches.
In the winter time, the sun still raises afternoon temperatures to the 60's, 70's and sometimes 80's, while night
time temperatures at their coldest rarely drop below 40. And San Quintin has many more days of sun than
even San Diego can claim.
For those who love to live outdoors, San Quintin has the perfect year-round weather.
3. Price of Real Estate
How many Americans have dreamed of retiring to a home by the sea? How many of us will have a retirement
income that can even pay the taxes on a waterfront home in the US?
The dream is still possible in San Quintin, where waterfront properties, (and their annual taxes), can be as
little as ten percent of the cost of an equivalent property in southern California.
The beaches of Camalu, San Ramon, Chapala, Santa Maria and El Socorrito are all spectacular, sandy
beaches, most with great clamming, surf fishing and other popular beach activities.
And if being on the beach is not your thing, but you would like to see it, ocean view property is available along
the entire San Quintin valley. In most of Baja, neither waterfront nor view property has been valued like it is
north of the border. Most Mexican families don't care to live next to the ocean and don't feel it is a great
benefit to see it. The demand for both waterfront and view property by Americans moving to the area is
changing this, but, unlike the towns closer to the border, San Quintin prices still reflect the attitudes of the
locals.
While building materials are no bargain, and in some cases are higher than in the US, they are off-set by the
lower cost of labor. The cost of building a house, if local products and methods are used as much as
possible, can be significantly less than a comparable home north of the border. And if care is taken in
selecting a builder you can still get a very high quality product.
Those who wish to rent a home are also in for a surprise. When I moved to San Quintin I rented a brand new,
two bedroom home, completely furnished, for $325 per month. At the prices available, renting is a reasonable
alternative to buying or building, especially in the short term while finding exactly the right place to buy or build.
If you're looking for a small ranch, (or a large one), or room to grow a garden or keep animals, or just having
your own privacy, larger parcels are available for as little as $4,000 per acre.
There's a lot here for you at the beaches of San Quintin. Come... sea for yourself.
4. Cost of living
Food, services, domestic help, medical and dental bills, all the things we spend money on every day are much
cheaper in San Quintin than in the US.
Food products from the US are available here for those that want to pay a little extra, but the local products
are generally cheaper and of a comparable quality. Some are superior, such as the locally grown organic
eggs. Beef tends to be cheaper and of very good quality, though you'll need to find a "carnicero" who
understands American cuts if you want those beefeater steaks. And when you want to eat out, a very good
meal of just about anything you want can be had for under $10.
Services such as yard care, house maintenance, car or appliance repairs are a small fraction of what you pay
in the US. Most retirees and middle class Mexicans can easily afford to pay for house cleaning, and in many
cases can include clothes washing and even cooking and shopping for groceries. The full service will usually
cost between $60-$100 per week.
Medical and dental care in northern Baja are of a very high quality and in most cases an office visit will cost
about the same as a major insurance co-pay in the states. Dental procedures are 50 to 70 percent less than
the same thing north of the border. There are state of the art hospitals, clinics and professional offices with
very well trained physicians, surgeons and dentists and a culture that is inclined to personalize patient care.
Doctors actually give out their home phone numbers and, yes, they make house calls. It is becoming quite
common for visitors to Baja to have dental and medical procedures done here during their visit, and some
come specifically for that purpose.
Retire to San Quintin and see your retirement income stretch farther and provide a higher standard of living.
5. Natural resources
Ah, the beauty of San Quintin... and its totally missed by travelers who pass through the area and never
leave Highway 1!
My first few visits to San Quintin didn't do much to attract me to the area. Then I got off the Highway and
started exploring. What a revelation! And in the few years that I've been here I have taken a few local people
sightseeing, who have lived here a majority of their lives and have never seen the spectacular vistas that
surround this little town.
One of the first things I like to do with a new visitor is take them on a photo trip to the top of one of the
volcanoes that overlook the town from the west. It is an absolutely stunning view. You can see forty miles up
the beach to Colonet and forty miles south to Punta Baja, south of El Rosario. And right in the middle, the
amazing "Cabo San Quintin" stretching more than 7 miles into the Pacific.
But its the Bay of San Quintin that surprises people the most. Sometimes compared to Mission Bay in San
Diego, "Bahia San Quintin" is the only protected bay of this kind in Northern Baja. It is a little bigger than
Mission Bay and is far more pristine with more than 95% of its shoreline undeveloped. And this is the home of
the best fishing on the Pacific Coast of Baja. Just outside the bay, around the volcanic cone of Isla San
Martin, there is a virtual smorgasbord of rockcod, yellowtail, lingcod, and ocean whitefish, supplemented in the
summer and early fall with yellowfin tuna, albacore and dorado. This is fishing like it was in the "good old
days".
And the oysters in the bay, which are actually imported from British Columbia, thrive in San Quintin's pure, rich
water as they do in only a few other locations in Canada and Washington State. The 25 year old industry
here supplies the US as well as abundant, fresh "ostiones" to the local market. A trip to the bay and a feast of
oysters fixed as you like them, by brothers Jose and Martin in their roadside palapa, is worth a drive to San
Quintin all by itself. And the myriad of seafood restaurants throughout the area serve all the local favorites,
including the famous Pismo clams which fill the area's beaches.
San Quintin is also home to one of Mexico's largest tomato producers. And the same climate that grows these
world class beauties supports onions, cucumbers, broccoli, raspberries, and a huge strawberry crop. In fact,
just about anything will grow here in the valley and fresh produce is one of the great benefits to living here.
There is never a season when you can't get fresh fruit and vegetables of some variety to put on the table.
And the wine producers of Santo Tomas and San Vicente are moving ever closer, with much interest in the
San Quintin Valley as the demand for wines continues to increase.
In San Quintin, you're never more than a few minutes from the beach, the firtile fields, the desert or the
mountains. A drive from the beach at San Telmo to the observatory at San Pedro Martir can have your feet in
the Pacific Surf to start the day, and in the snow at 9,285 feet the same morning. From the top you can not
only see the beach at San Telmo, but the beaches of San Felipe on the Sea of Cortez at the same time. And
along the way you'll pass through desert and a pine forest that will have you believing you're in Oregon or
Washington.
San Quintin. There's a lot here for you. Come... sea for yourself.
6. Activities
For off-road enthusiasts, San Quintin is a dream come true. Every kind of off-road vehicle, every kind of
operator, on every kind of terrain can be found from one end of the valley to the other, from the beaches to
the mountains. From the mountain bikers training in San Quintin's Rancho Las Palomas, two and four wheel
motos combing the area or passing through on a Baja tour, and the street legal 4x4's in friendly competition
on the local hills and dunes, to the roar of sophisticated racing machines, both amature and pro, off-road
driving is in the blood of San Quintin.
When you've eaten enough dust for a while and need to clear the lungs with some fresh air from the sea, San
Quintin's beaches offer unlimmited activities for just about any taste. The fishing is literally world-class in its
productivity, variety and accessibility. From pan fish caught off the beach, to a trophy for mounting over the
fireplace, its all here. And the shellfish are abundant and easily harvested by anyone with the desire to get
out on the beach and go for it. On a holiday weekend or a Sunday with a midafternoon low tide, the local
population heads for the beach in droves. And few go home without fresh seafood of some variety to provide
the evening meal.
And for those with the right equipment, the area provides perfect conditions for any number of water activities
such as kayaking on the bay, wind surfing, kite surfing, jet skiing and sailing and cruising on just about
anything that floats. With the unique combination of the protected Bahia San Quintin, the relatively calm
waters of Bahia Santa Maria, and the wide open surf west of town, you can always find the perfect conditions
for your particular endeavor.
The tidal flats and marshland just south of San Quintin provide good hunting for duck and goose in winter,
and for quail all year long. One of the largest concentrations of wintering Black Brant anywhere in the world is
right here in the pristine San Quintin estuary. Huge, healthy beds of eel grass grow in abundance in the clear
waters of the bay providing excellent habitat for wintering Brant and almost sure daily limits for the hunter.
Good surfing can sometimes be found at the beach break at Picacho, north of the bays, and at the point
break at the end of the San Quintin peninsula. And located 5 miles southwest of Cabo San Quintin,
Johnston's Seamount offers good visibility, plenty of sea life, and interesting pinnacles and reef structure for
scuba divers.
For hikers and walkers, the variety of terrain is unlimited. For beach combers, there are at least 40 miles of
beautiful sandy beach between Camalu and El Socorro. And the Sierras offer hundreds of miles of hiking,
camping and rock climbing. And walks through the desert produce an endless array of wildlife, flowers, fruits
and cactus found only in this area of Baja.
And San Quintin is a birdwatcher's paradise. The bays and marshes south of town offer some of the best bird
watching on the Baja Peninsula, and along all the beaches you can watch the pelicans and other seabirds
diving for their meals.
At certain times of the year, whales can be seen migrating off the coast, and an occasional inquisitive family
may enter the bay for a few days. And serious whale watchers are only a few hours drive from Guerrero
Negro and the world famous spawning lagoons of the grey whales. At almost any time, porpoises can be
observed along the beaches, and for up-close sea lion viewing, "La Lobera", just south of El Rosario, Is a
collapsed sea lion cave with great viewing through the open roof.
With all the variety of activities, and most of them free, what a great place to spend retirement years.
Come... sea for yourself.
| Strawberry fields in Camalu, stretching from Highway 1 to the Pacific Ocean |
| Low tide on a Sunday afternoon in January |