About Guerrero Negro
Different from all the other cities and towns in Baja California Sur, its name doesn’t come from an indigenous dialect, or from a Saint or conquistador; it comes from the whaling ship the Black Warrior that in 1858 shipwrecked in those waters. That is what gives the name to the lagoon and to the city: Guerrero Negro.
The origin of the city has nothing to do with the missions, or Indian settlements, fishing or agricultural activities. When the salt mines in the San Francisco areas stopped supplying some markets an American businessman by the name of Daniel K. Ludwig got interested in creating a project in the mining of the salt riches of the region, constituting in 1954 the company Exportadora de Sal S.A. who made their first shipment in 1957.
It is the door to Baja California Sur, this being a very relevant area for ecological tourism since due to its location it is inside the El Vizcaíno Reserve of the Biosphere. It has the biggest outdoor production of salt in the world; and for those who like nature it has salt water lakes and salt water marshes where you can find species like the white falcon, white heron and royal eagle, among others. The gray whale sanctuary at Laguna Ojo de Liebre on the Pacific coast is the main attraction to the area since year after year and between the months of January to March they come to mate and give birth creating a fascinating spectacle of nature.
It has good quality hotels, trailer parks and restaurants with great food.
Places to visit in San Ignacio
Salt mines
A Mexican company with state participation, it has the biggest open air salt mines in the world, and is a world wide supplier. Located between Baja California and Baja California Sur only 4 kilometers from parallel 28.
The salt from Guerrero Negro has a third place in importation, thanks to the high quality of the product. It is distributed to:
- United States
- Canada
- Japan
- Korea
- New Zealand
- Taiwan
Fifty percent of the production goes to Japan and that represents seven and a half million tons of salt.
Thanks to the enormous areas of concentration the company has developed protected areas for birds, that are is found in the marine flora and fauna. Among some of the bird species that are resident and migratory the fishing eagle and the peregrine falcon that you will only find there, and that is why Guerrero Negro is considered in the world an important site for species conservation.
Complejo Lagunar Ojo de Liebre (Ojo de Liebre Lagoon Complex)
Declared a refuge for whales and their off-spring, and World Patrimony of Humanity. It is integrated by 3 interconnected lakes:
- Ojo de Liebre lagoon
- Guerrero Negro lagoon
- Manuela lagoon
With an extension of close to 360 square kilometers and not very deep from 6 to 12 meters and channels that can be as much as 16 meters deep.
In the months of February and March this complex is the gathering point for thousands of tourists from around the world who come and see one of the most majestic spectacles that nature can offer, the arrival of the gray whales that travel all the way from the Arctic to mate and give birth to their off-spring. It is estimated that between 1600 and 1700 whales arrive here; at the San Ignacio lagoon close to 900 baby whales are born at the lagoon complex. It is estimated that there are around 21 000 whales in the world.
Around 11 000 is the number of visitors to the area in high season, and of those numbers about 60 % comes from the United States, the rest from Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
Estación Biológica para recuperación y manejo del Berrendo Peninsular (Biological station for recuperation and management of the Peninsular Berrendo).
Located in the Desierto de Vizcaíno, about 180 kilometers from Guerrero Negro on the way to Bahía Concepción.
In 1998 it was in danger of extinction and it still is, this made SEMANART (Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Reserva de la Biósfera el Vizcaíno, Especies Naturales y Desarrollo Sustentable A.C. (El Vizcaíno Reserve of the Biosphere) a non governmental organization and the Ford Motor Company to join efforts to set up a recuperation plan.
This plan looks to consolidate the reproduction in semi captivity, with the objective to increase the population in a controlled environment. Currently they have a population of about 200 under the protection criteria and soon they are looking into liberating some of them into the wild.
This system has allowed them to do surveillance and monitor a habitat of approximately
5 000 square meters, and seeking that poaching goes to zero. It is allowed for visitors to observe the berrendo though guided tours.
Peninsular Berrendo
At El Vizcaíno Reserve of the Biosphere it the last refuge of the berrendo, only about one meter high and 50 kilograms in weight, it feeds on plants that are toxic to other animals and takes advantage of its high humidity content. Berrendos can run up to 95 kilometers an hour and are considered the second fastest in the world.
Berrendos live in the central plains of the peninsula only, the estimated population is 200.
The main threats for its survival are:
- Poachers
- Introducing cattle to its habitat
- Long dry periods
Cueva de la Concha (Shell Cave)
On the Transpeninlar road to Baja California parting from Guerrero Negro in the middle of the El Vizcaíno Reserve of the Biosphere, you have access to this small cave that owes its name to the shell shape that presents at the top of the mountain. Inside you will find cave paintings of colossal figures in color and animal that are typical to the region.
From the top of the mountain the view to the valley is impressive and allows you to see all the flora of the area.
