Tecate → San Felipe (Compadre Trail)

The traditional Baja opener: cross at Tecate (the easiest, calmest border gate. Get your FMM stamped at the INM office right at the crossing), climb through the Sierra Juárez on the Compadre Trail's ranch roads, then drop 4,000 feet off the escarpment to the Laguna Salada dry lake and run sandy graded roads south to San Felipe. Mix of easy ranch dirt, rocky descents, and soft sand on the lakebed edges: the laguna floods some winters, forcing the Hwy 5 pavement alternate. No fuel between Tecate/La Rumorosa and San Felipe (~110 mi): carry margin. Camp trailside in the sierra or get a beach room in San Felipe. October–April. Mexican liability insurance required; see our Baja Basics guide before your first crossing.