WELCOME TO VIVA BAJA; a place to view, discover, or plan your Baja California adventures!

Baja California is the land of boulders, boojum trees, beautiful beaches, and historic missions.

Before you leave home, visit Baja Bound online:
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The #1 Baja California Travel Club: https://www.discoverbaja.com/
Land of Missions
My book, about the discovery, and Spanish missions of Baja California. Updated in 2021. Click on the cover for more details.
In addition to the 25 Spanish missions, two more were founded after Mexican independence, near San Miguel.


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To view this and other books about Baja California, plus Baja & Alta California’s Missions & more: Visit OldMissions.com
This website was created in February 2000. Nearly 22 years later, it has been totally revised to better help you plan trips and discover more Baja California adventures!
El Coyote, a small bay in the larger Bahía Concepción, has been photographed because of its beauty for many decades.

          Baja California is a thousand miles of fun!

The 1972 Edition of Mike McMahan’s wall map was also featured on the back cover of his 1973 and 1983 books. The first edition (1967) McMahan wall map (up close).

Revisit often as I update and add to the pages. The highlights will be the land and history of the peninsula.

Email to info@vivabaja.com
Viva Baja Page Discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vivabaja
Historic Locations Discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bajamissions
The San Ignacio River emerges from underground for two miles then disappears again under the lava.

These two short videos (~1 min each) were produced by Robert Marcos to help me share my passion for Baja California and my book, Baja California Land of Missions…

CLICK THESE TO DISCOVER WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO DO, and HOW TO GET THERE:

One of the many great Dave Deal Baja cartoons. This was a bumper sticker from the mid-1970s sold by Arnold Senterfitt, author of Airports of Baja California. Deal’s art was the inspiration and source for the Pixar film, Cars.

 

*If using Mexico Highway 5, reduce the mileages by approx. 80, for Bahía de los Angeles Jct. & south.

*See the Trip Photos section, below,  for more ideas of places to see!

Coming in 2022:

                       

Click here to see: What will the new guide have in it? 

Viva Baja VIDEOS, TV, & FILM, with David Kier:

2019 Cameron Steele’s Trail of Missions Tour reconnaissance trip (7 to 10 min. episodes): 
Our epic 2010 trip to Mission Santa María on video, from HB Murphy & Zoom.
Three Tacomas, one 4Runner, one Dakota, and a 4×4 motorhome!

Video one is coming down the Widowmaker in the lead Tacoma.
Video two is my Tacoma followed by the rest of the gang, coming down the Widowmaker.
Video three is the first Tacoma going through the bog (be sure to have the volume up, as Zoom in the lead Tacoma is quite funny).

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw44OnITtRc
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slqyAwt6CP8
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBvjeiwTN48

The trip photos: https://vivabaja.com/msm2010/

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***BAJA CALIFORNIA MAPS (1701-2021) click here for 100+ maps!***

“Let me draw you a map!” A cartoon of David Kier guiding folks to the missions, by Jerry Meloche in Bernie Swaim’s 2004 book, ‘Bouncing Around Baja’.

About David, and how he connected with Baja California 

David’s Old Baja Photo Album, 1966 – 1999

Lost Mission Ruins?: Found! 1966 & 2009                                                                    

Octopup’s 4×4 van and his amazing Baja California 2002-2019 Trip Reports:

          (Click the Trip Map to see where Octopup went):

Links to more Baja Web Sites  (Baja Travel Web Sites; Specific Baja Locations; Baja Home Pages; Baja Book Authors; Misc. Baja Web Sites, and more)

Mexico Ted’s BajaVisitor.com Blog

HISTORIC PHOTOS FROM BAJA CALIFORNIA BOOK AUTHORS

 

Boojum trees (Cirios) are endemic to Baja California’s central desert and a small area across the gulf. These two appear to be dancing along the road south of Calamajué.

 

Vivabaja

CLICK HERE to find photos of specific Baja locations fast (1999-2017)!

David’s Baja California Trip Photos (additional trip albums, from 2017 to 2019 will be added soon):

Bahía San Luis Gonzaga, in 1986. My 4WD Subaru is on the sandspit by Alfonsina’s Resort as I hike up the island’s trail.

David K’s Viva Baja Party Photos:

Contributed Baja Photos & Stories:

 

Vivabaja

The first edition of VivaBaja.com was hosted by: Electraweb thanks to Dick Van Bree, and thanks to Doug Means for web page assistance. The new VivaBaja.com started on 12/18/21 uses a new platform, allowing me to update, edit, add to, and more!

EMAIL Questions or Comments to DAVID: info@vivabaja.com

You have reached The (Land’s) End, come back again soon!

NEW: To discuss this website’s contents that are not about history, a new Facebook group in addition to the Baja Missions group, has been created: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vivabaja