EDITOR’S NOTE: “Baja California was somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit,” filmmaker Joshua Cowan says. The sliver of land that stretches 775 miles along the western coast of Mexico is chock full of secluded spots that would be country-wide highlights anyplace else. Cowan hung out in hot springs, surfed on deserted, world-class beaches, went fishing in the bright blue waters off the coast, and trekked the peninsula’s jungles.

The jagged coastlines, the staggering landscapes, and the breathtaking sunsets are a sight to behold. Fortunately enough, Cowan brought along his camera: