The Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve is an ecosystem that has a strong and direct influence on the water resources and the climate of the state of Baja California Sur, providing significant benefits to the main economic activities of this touristic region as well as to agriculture and livestock production.

Vistas de Sierra de la Laguna

The Sierra de la Laguna is a paradise for nature lovers. There are different activities available to visitors, including camping, hiking, cycling and horseback riding.

Wherever your eyes focus, the landscape offers a charming and beautiful panorama. You will be able to find plants and animals in the Sierra de la Laguna biosphere reserve that you will not see anywhere else in the state.

Map of Sierra de la Laguna
Sierra de la Laguna, Baja California Sur, Mexico

As you progress through the area you will also notice the lifestyle, customs and language of the Baja California Sur ranchers.

A story is told that this mountain range acquired its name “Laguna” (lagoon) because at some point in there was one. It was a sacred place for the Guaycura people and during the months of August and September, it was customary for men and women to take their children, especially the youngest, to worship their God Guaymongo (1).

The Guaycuras were peaceful people who were hunters and collectors, and they are not known to have built buildings or temples.

Men did not wear clothes and the women wore reed skirts decorated with shells. The arrival of missionaries and settlers brought changes in their customs, along with various contagious diseases.

When Spanish explorers and missionaries discovered the lake, the Guaycuras opened channels and drained the place so foreigners would not contemplate what had been their ceremonial center for centuries.


Ver Islas de Baja California Sur en mapa grande

For thousands of years, this was a special place for the original inhabitants of the region, and it can remain a special place for all of us. We must follow rules and suggestions of the park rangers who work in fire prevention and reforestation.

  • Name: The Sierra de la Laguna is a protected natural area known as a Biosphere Reserve, established as such in the Official Registry of the Federation on June 6, 1994.
  • Location: In the southern region of the state of Baja California Sur, between the municipalities of La Paz and Los Cabos.
  • Area: 277,832 hectares.
  • Altitude: 7200 ft (2200 m) above sea level.
  • Climate and Vegetation: There are extreme variations in climate and vegetation depending on the elevation. From sea level to 400 meters, xerophilous shrubs dominate. From 400 to 1300 meters, the climate is very dry, with deciduous vegetation suitable for low-level forests, including plants that are not found in any other region of the peninsula. From 1300 meters above sea level to the highest peaks, there is a temperate climate, with an abundance of rain, favorable for the growth of conifers and pines.

There are numerous types of reptiles and mammals, including mule deer, coyotes, badgers, foxes, and bobcats.

Author: M. A. Gallardo

(1) From “The legend of the windmill” by Leonardo Reyes Silva.