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Los Cabos Geography
A land of stunning contrasts, Los Cabos is the southernmost municipality of the State of Baja California Sur, located at the tip of narrow 1,000-mile-long Baja California peninsula. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Gulf of California, or Sea of Cortez, to the east, and referred to geographically as the Cape Region.
For centuries, the Baja California peninsula has been isolated from the Mexican mainland. Eventually, in another thousand years, it will break away from the rest of the continent, becoming a true island. The magnificent combination of high peaks, vast thorn forests, and sub-tropical oases exist because of plate tectonics.
The Pacific and North American crustal plates moved, tearing the Baja peninsula from mainland Mexico some six million years ago, creating the Sea of Cortez. The San Andreas Fault began during this period, and the new peninsula began to move. The Pacific Plate continues to move northwards, over 200 miles so far, taking the Baja California peninsula with it. This great uplifting, a result of separating from the mainland, created the peninsula s high mountain ranges, once islands, some over 10,000-feet high.
Called an island in the sky for its isolation and incredible biodiversity, the Cape Region s Sierra de La Laguna range s highest peak is 7,000-foot El Pichaco. The range, which receives up to 40 inches of rain annually, is visible from both coasts and provides a dramatic backdrop to the sparkling Sea of Cortez and desert topography.
Deep underneath the Sea of Cortez, new oceanic crust continues to form from upwelling magma. Some of this magma melts and comes close enough to the present day surface to cause hot springs, found to the north of Los Cabos, in the Sierra de La Laguna foothills.