Baja 1000 2026 in Los Cabos: Dates, Route and What It Means for Your Trip

The Baja 1000 2026 starts and finishes in Los Cabos for the first time, with race week running November 9 to 15 and the green flag dropping on Friday, November 13 on Avenida Centenario in San José del Cabo, according to Mexico News Daily and Peninsular Digital. The 59th running of the SCORE International off road race is a 964.66 mile loop that stays entirely inside Baja California Sur. Watching is free, and The Cabo Sun expects heavy traffic on the Tourist Corridor.

When is the Baja 1000 2026 in Los Cabos?

Race week runs Monday, November 9 to Sunday, November 15. These are the main dates published so far:

• Monday, November 9: race week opens and media check in starts in San José del Cabo, according to The Rio Times.
• Tuesday, November 10: qualifying for the top classes, including Trophy Trucks, on private land that is closed to spectators and streamed on SCORE channels, according to The Rio Times. That evening, 10 SCORE trucks and buggies go on show in downtown Cabo San Lucas from 4 PM to 9 PM, free, according to the Gringo Gazette.
• Wednesday, November 11 and Thursday, November 12: technical inspection and contingency on Avenida Centenario in San José del Cabo, 8 AM to 5 PM, according to The Rio Times.
• Friday, November 13: motorcycles and quads start at 1 AM, and cars, Trophy Trucks and UTVs start at 9 AM, according to Peninsular Digital.

Racers have 40 hours to finish, so the race runs through the night and into the weekend.

What is the Baja 1000 route this year?

This is the first Baja 1000 run entirely in Baja California Sur, through four of the state's five municipalities: Los Cabos, La Paz, Loreto and Comondú, according to Mexico News Daily. Cabo was only on the course map twice before, in 2000 and 2007, when the race ran from Ensenada.

The Rio Times lists the route in order: north up the East Cape through Cabo Pulmo, La Ribera and Los Barriles, on to El Centenario near La Paz, up through the Sierra de la Giganta to Loreto, across to Puerto Adolfo López Mateos on the Pacific, then south past Todos Santos and Pescadero. The last 15 miles come back through the San José wash to the finish.

Mexico News Daily expects about 250 teams from 15 countries, and Peninsular Digital reports about 300 teams preregistered. Classes include Trophy Trucks, cars, buggies, motorcycles, quads and UTVs. Peninsular Digital puts the direct spending from race week at 35 to 40 million US dollars.

Can you watch the Baja 1000 for free?

Yes. No tickets or spectator fees have been announced, according to The Rio Times. The easiest places to see the trucks up close are the free show in downtown Cabo San Lucas on Tuesday evening and the contingency on Avenida Centenario on Wednesday and Thursday. Discover Baja points spectators to the Race.mx Spectator Map to plan around road closures, and local authorities ask fans to stay behind marked areas and follow safety rules, according to Peninsular Digital.

Will the Baja 1000 affect traffic in Los Cabos?

Plan on it. The Cabo Sun expects heavy traffic along the Tourist Corridor in the first two weeks of November and advises booking dinners and tours early. The Gringo Gazette says drivers in downtown Cabo San Lucas should expect detours in the late afternoon and evening of November 10. As of late October, road closures and spectator zones had not been published.

One more travel tip from The Rio Times: Baja California Sur stays on one clock all year, so in November it is one hour ahead of California. Keep that in mind when you plan an early pickup.

What does Baja 1000 week mean for your fishing or yacht trip?

Lands End Charters boats leave from the Cabo San Lucas marina, at the other end of the Tourist Corridor from the start line in San José del Cabo. Give yourself extra time to reach the dock, and if you are fishing on Tuesday, remember that the downtown truck show starts at 4 PM.

A morning on the water also fits well around the race. Fish early, then catch the contingency on Avenida Centenario in the afternoon. This week the 27 ft Big Kahuna II, run by Captain Roberto, has been finding sailfish off Cabo. Pick a boat from our Cabo fishing fleet, like the 38 ft Second Chance, or take friends out on a private yacht charter for a swim and a slow cruise past the Arch while the race traffic builds on shore.

The course also crosses to Puerto Adolfo López Mateos, one of the gateways to Magdalena Bay. For more on what is biting this month, read our guide to Cabo fishing in November and our Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot 2026 guide. For this week's catches, sea temperatures and news from all of Baja, read The Baja Catch Report.