Ciudad Constitucíon is a rather bland spot on the Baja highway that has become a major obstacle for anyone traveling in Baja. This city never has had much to offer in the way of tourist activities, known mostly as the turnoff to Magdalena Bay. Now, it has become a major stumbling block for travelers.
The city has completed a major redo of the main street which also happens to be Highway 1. This is the main north/south traffic artery, and therefore it is very difficult to avoid. Whoever was responsible for the design and implementation of the operation of the traffic signals should spend the rest of their life in jail. It is next to impossible to get through Ciudad Constitucíon without hitting a red light at every single cross street, of which there are many.
They have recently applied a remedy to the above-mentioned problem, but their remedy is not much of an improvement. They have placed, old-style, octagonal stop signs at nearly every cross street but you still have to stop way too much. Beware of the police in this city! They are known for trying to trap motorists for anything, mostly not stopping for the abundance of stop signs. Slow down and make sure to “STOP” for each and every stop sign (which is sometimes hard to see). The demand, by local police, for bribes is becoming a deplorable situation.
Agriculture is the mainstay of the area, although a pretty busy commercial city has emerged out of the irrigated fields around the city. The cultivation of cotton, wheat, asparagus, citrus, vegetables, and other crops have made Ciudad Constitucíon an important factor in southern Baja’s supply chain.
Ciudad Constitucíon boasts of a few hotels, a few gas stations, some good mechanics, a pretty big supermarket, and a couple of RV parks. A couple of pretty good taco stands have made this city a fairly regular stop during my travels up and down the peninsula. With all of the hassle of the traffic lights, you will probably just want to get out of Ciudad Constitucíon as soon as possible. I know I will never again leave any of my pesos in Ciudad Constitucíon until they fix the horrific traffic flow problem.
Toward the north end of town is the well-marked turnoff that will take you to San Carlos and Magdalena Bay. Mag Bay is the southernmost whale birthing ground in Baja. The area is also a popular overnight stop (or a few days stop if the fish are biting) for the sportfishing yachts on their way to or from Cabo San Lucas and points south. The sportfishing in the area is sometimes spectacular for marlin, wahoo, and other species of sportfish.
San Carlos is also the port from where they ship most of the agricultural products grown in the area.
