Baja After The Boom
Baja California has long been known for pristine beaches, abundant wildlife and minimal infrastructure. That image was marred as the drug war exploded on the streets of Tijuana and the surrounding area. As a result, tourism plummeted.
Nearly simultaneously, the U.S. real estate bust and global economic downturn put the brakes on the coastal development boom that was rapidly replacing Baja’s virgin coastline with high-rise condos and luxury resorts. While the real estate market hasn’t recovered, violence has dropped significantly in recent years. Tourism is recovering slowly.
As part of our coverage of the U.S.-Mexico border, Fronteras: The Changing America Desk Reporter Jill Replogle, Social Media/Web Editor Jose Luis Jiménez and Video Journalist Katie Euphrat from partner station KPBS took a 9-day reporting trip to Baja California and produced three multimedia stories. Also, be sure to check out the travel blog chronicling our drive south. Click on the photos below to see a slideshow from one of the longest peninsulas in the world.
Baja Wine Region Faces High Taxes, Low Water Supply
Baja California’s budding wine industry has been gaining recognition in recent years. But Mexico's principle wine region still has a ways to go towards its goal of becoming another Napa.
- By Jill Replogle
- March 21, 2012
In Baja, Surfers Battle Over The Perfect Wave
Developers and old time surfers are battling over the future of a sleepy, oceanfront village in southern Baja California.
There's a paradise for low-budget surfers way down south in Baja California, Mexico. But wherever there's a good wave, there also seems to be a battle over who gets the best access to it.
- By Jill Replogle
- March 9, 2012
Environmentalists Find Opportunities In Baja California's Real Estate Bust
The Great Recession halted many projects on the Baja Peninsula. Conservation groups used it to protect more open space.
The wildlife rich Baja California peninsula has long lured nature-lovers to its pristine coasts. But when real estate boomed in the U.S., it also boomed south of the border, in the form of beach-front high rises and luxury resorts. Now, the funding behind many coastal development projects has dried up, and that’s caused some environmentalists to breath a sigh of relief.
- By Jill Replogle
- February 29, 2012
