Country: Mexico
Distance: 9,504 km
Travel time: 50 days
On postcard: La Bufadora
La Bufadora is a marine geyser or blowhole located on the Punta Banda Peninsula in Baja California, Mexico. The spout of sea water is the result of air, trapped in a sea cave, exploding upwards. Air is forced into the cave by wave action and is released when the water recedes. This interaction not only creates the spout, but a thunderous noise as well. The phenomena repeats every minute or so with its volume depending on the strength of the waves.
La Bufadora is the one of the largest blowholes in North America, often shooting upwards more than 30 metres (100 ft) above sea level. The exhibit hall roof top is approximately 24 metres (80 ft) above sea level and the blowhole frequently sprays above it.
Tourism
La Bufadora regularly draws tourists visiting Ensenada, a city located roughly 30 kilometres (19 mi) to the north. On days when cruise ships visit Ensenada, several bus lines compete to bring tourists to the site. The last few miles of the drive are especially beautiful, with long vistas over the sea from cliff tops, but fog can sometimes obscure the views. A very large number of vendors, often selling regional arts and crafts, curios, and food, congregate in small shops crammed side by side along the one-lane asphalted road to the blowhole. There are a few sit-down restaurants and a lot of take-away food shops. The blowhole itself is very hard to see from most parts of the viewing area, and some people climb up on the steep bare rock face above it to try to get a better view. This can be very dangerous due to slippery and wet rocks. On busy days, the number of local Mexican tourists jammed into the viewing area can be in the hundreds.
