Baja California Sur’s tourism office is projecting an economic impact of more than 332 million pesos (roughly $17.8 million USD) between November 13 and 16, as the state hosts both a long holiday weekend and the 59th edition of the SCORE Baja 1000.
The figure comes from the Secretaría de Turismo y Economía (SETUE), the state agency that tracks tourism spending, hotel bookings and visitor numbers across BCS. Secretary Maribel Collins Sánchez said the state expects roughly 120,000 tourists staying in hotels across the five municipalities, with average occupancy reaching 80 percent.
The timing matters for anyone in Los Cabos, La Paz or along the race route this week. Monday, November 16 is Revolution Day (Día de la Revolución), the official day off for the anniversary of the Mexican Revolution, which falls on the third Monday of November and creates a long weekend. This year it lines up directly with the race, which Collins Sánchez noted is being run entirely within Baja California Sur for the first time in its history.
Why Two Estimates Tell Different Stories
Not everyone is using the same number. On November 11, Peninsular Digital reported a considerably higher projection — more than 700 million pesos (about $37.6 million USD) — also attributed to the state tourism secretariat, alongside occupancy above 75 percent and more than 100,000 visitors.
Neither report explains the gap between 332 million and 700 million pesos, and Peninsular Digital does not say how its figure was calculated. Only the 332-million-peso figure appears in SETUE’s own published bulletin, so that is the number we are treating as the official projection.
Hotel Occupancy by Municipality
SETUE’s projections vary significantly by region. Los Cabos is expected to hit 78 percent occupancy and La Paz 75 percent, while smaller municipalities along the race route are projected even higher: Loreto between 76 and 85 percent, Mulegé between 85 and 90 percent, and Comondú at a full 100 percent.
The race route runs through all five municipalities, passing near towns such as Ciudad Constitución, Puerto San Carlos and Los Barriles, so race teams, chase crews, mechanics and spectators will be spending money well beyond Los Cabos.
What to Expect on the Roads and in Restaurants
With the holiday Monday and the race overlapping, hotels, restaurants and rental car counters in Los Cabos and La Paz should be busier than a typical mid-November weekend. Fuel stations and small-town businesses along the roughly 1,500-kilometer route — passing near Todos Santos, Cabo San Lucas, Ciudad Constitución and Puerto San Carlos — are also likely to see a bump in traffic from race fans, support crews and curious locals.
Drivers should plan around temporary closures tied to the race. The start and finish line sits on Bulevar Centenario in San José del Cabo, between Álvaro Obregón and Manuel Doblado, where the official start ceremony takes place Friday, November 13 at 8:15 a.m. Motorcycles and ATVs head out at 1:00 a.m. that day, with cars, trucks and UTVs following at 9:00 a.m. Anyone planning to drive through the race corridor this week may want to check a Baja 1000 route and closures guide before heading out.
Race Details Worth Knowing
This year’s event has 274 teams registered as of November 8, representing 19 countries plus competitors from 37 US states and Puerto Rico, according to race organizers. It’s the final round of the 2026 SCORE World Desert Championship and the first time the Baja 1000 has run entirely within Baja California Sur rather than crossing the peninsula from Baja California. Awards are scheduled for Sunday, November 15.
For comparison, when the race started on the La Paz malecón in 2023, SETUE reported record hotel occupancy and an economic impact above 100 million pesos — a fraction of either figure being floated this year. Whether that lands closer to 332 million or 700 million pesos likely won’t be clear until SETUE publishes a post-event tally.
