5 REASONS to travel to the Baja California Wine Route in October
However, in Baja California the months where most events are held is in the summer during July and August, with the famous “Fiestas de la Vendimia” that attract both national and American tourists who cross the border from San Diego.
But on the other hand, without a doubt, it has its advantages to travel months later and the best month to do it before the end of the year is October, and here I explain the reasons why.
1. Climate
The weather in Baja California can be very cold or very hot depending on the time of year. Generally the months of June, July and August tend to be quite hot, while November, December, January and February tend to be quite cold.
Therefore, traveling in October is ideal because it is a temperate month and it is in a middle point between hot and cold.
In any case, my recommendation is to always bring a jacket or sweater in the car, because when you are in the shade or once the sun goes down, the temperature usually drops quite a bit.
2. Landscape
The grape harvest season, when the grapes are harvested, is in August and September, this means that in these months the vines are at their maximum splendor, with many leaves and loaded with bunches of grapes, so the views as you can imagine are spectacular.
In October the vines still have too many leaves that still retain their green color, but most without grapes, because they will have been harvested in the previous months.
If you go in early October you may still catch a glimpse of a few vines with grapes, however, the landscape is still beautiful and vibrant green, perfect for you to have your picture taken in the vineyards.
3. Low season
As I mentioned at the beginning, the high season in Baja California is in summer and specifically August, a very chaotic month that is not a bad idea to avoid if the purpose of your trip is to truly enjoy the wineries, rather than the massive events.
On the other hand, if you travel from other parts of the republic, flights in summer are much more expensive in high season, than if you look for them once it ends, that is, in October.
4. Availability
For the same reason of the high season and that everyone wants to go on those dates, booking in hotels and restaurants can be a challenge because of the amount of demand in the summer (and you have to book almost 3 months in advance minimum).
In October, once all the excitement has passed, you will have much more options to choose from and book the hotels and restaurants that in high season tend to get too crowded due to the weddings and harvest events that take place in the summer.
5. Better service
By October, most wineries will have finished harvesting the grapes, which is a very demanding and labor-intensive process, so they will be much more relaxed and available to provide you with even better service.
Another advantage is that most of the wineries will be in the middle of the winemaking process, so you will get to see all the machines working and you will be able to learn the winemaking process completely live.
