Baja or bust: beyond the beach and the links, the adventures begin in the brilliant waters off Los Cabos.

The baggage carousel at Los Cabos International Airport reveals just a sampling of the outdoor activities offered throughout the sun-soaked Baja Peninsula: Hard plastic cases cradling golf clubs and zippered totes in the shape of tennis rackets plug along in fits and starts.

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Ever since the ceremonial first tee shot was struck at the Jack Nicklaus-designed course at the Palmilla Resort in 1992, Baja has developed a well-earned reputation as a mecca for breathtaking oceanfront golf. Today, this mountainous and cactus-studded land off the west coast of Mexico is home to more than a handful of championship courses, as well as a host of top-notch resorts.

But as an increasing number of adventurous CEOs know firsthand, there is a lot more to Baja than golf. This thousand-mile-long peninsula, flanked by the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez, is a haven for exhilarating water and mountain sports.

Speaking from experience, Dick Gebhard, chairman of Pinnacle Holdings Group, a landscaping and horticulture company in San Diego, describes Baja as "a major playground for executives."

"Competitive business people are driven, which is why they work hard and play hard," says Gebhard, a frequent visitor for sea kayaking and big game fishing. "Every month of the year there is something to do in Baja that is off the charts."

A hideout for English, Dutch and French pirates along a popular shipping route between Acapulco and the Philippines during the colonial period, Baja is a land of isolated beauty. The arid landscape is capped by more than 20 mountain ranges, called sierras, which dominate the skyline and plunge, in places, to the water's edge. Eight of the ranges top out at over 5,000 feet, while the largest, Sierra de San Pedro Martir, reaches 10,000 feet. Although the weather is sunny and warm throughout the year, the most pleasant months are April through June and September through November.

In an age of rapid development and globalization, people often refer to Baja as one of the world's last great places. "Baja is pretty remote," says Chuck Cross, the president of Expeditions, a boutique cruise and adventure travel company based in Bend, Ore. "It has a stark landscape, lots of wildlife and an amazing body of water in the Sea of Cortez. Many people think of Cabo when they think of Baja, but there is a lot more to Baja than Cabo San Lucas."

For all its exoticism, Baja poses relatively few travel challenges. It's just two hours by air from Texas and California, and no more than five hours from major airports in North America. Because the time zone in southern Baja, where most of the resorts are, is the equivalent of U.S. Mountain Time, jet lag isn't a factor.

In many ways, Baja has the same type of relationship with the mainland of Mexico that Hawaii shares with the Lower 48--connected yet removed at the same time. In fact, much of Baja seems to be more of an extension of California than of Mexico itself.

Cabo has a growing number of high-end hotels that cater to the chief executive lifestyle. From your fine accommodations in Cabo, you take a side trip to tackle adventure activities, or drive north a few hours to the less developed East Cape region and see what Cabo was like 15 or 20 years ago. While it is hard to choose among the many action-packed activities to tackle on Baja's waters and mainland, Chief Executive researched three of the most popular--fishing, sea kayaking and windsurfing.

Fishing

Among all the sport- and adventure-based activities in Baja, none is bigger, more popular or as storied as fishing. For more than 40 years, Baja has been one of the top places to do battle with a boatload of different species, including some of the most macho fish on earth: huge blue, black and striped marlin.

"Entertainers like Bing Crosby and Desi Arnaz and executives from the U.S. came down here in the early days to fish," says Chucky Van Wormer, whose family owns the Hotel Palmas de Cortez and two others on the East Cape of Baja and who runs one of the largest fleets of fishing boats in the country. "Back then, private planes were the only way to get here."

The fishing has cooled off from when Bing first hooked up in Baja, but don't be fooled--the place is still a hot spot to wet a line.

"There are more than 800 known species of vertebrates in the Sea of Cortez alone," says Jeff DeBrown of The Reel Baja, the only Orvis-endorsed fly fishing guide in Baja. "The diversity of fish and the way the different species migrate throughout the year make this a fun place to fish."

Depending on the time of year, you can target more than 50 species of fish. The list includes dorado, sierra, several varieties of tuna, mackerel, jacks, rooster fish and corvina. Baja is best known for its marlin and sailfishing. Striped marlin, which run 125 to 150 pounds, are the mainstay of the Cabo waters and East Cape fishing grounds. Bruising blue marlin can grow to more than 1,000 pounds, although they average closer to 200 pounds.

On my visit in December, I hooked a 150-pound striped marlin that turned into a forearm-straining battle. After an hourlong fight, we landed and released the spectacular billfish. The experience topped any I've had in my lifetime of fishing.

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The best time to fish is April through November, although the summer months can be trying due to the heat.

Sea Kayaking

Thanks to its dramatic 2,000-mile coastline, Baja has become one of the world's best sea kayaking destinations. Paddlers from all over are drawn to the long, pounding surf of the Pacific coast and the tamer "inside" routes throughout the Sea of Cortez.

Kayakers can enjoy varied habitats from the cockpit of a single or double boat, including laid-back bays and lagoons, cliff- or cactus-studded islands, and, of course, shimmering turquoise waters.

"The best thing about kayaking in Baja is you never know what is going to happen when you are on the water," says Pinnacle Holdings' Gebhard, who has paddled the Sea of Cortez for two decades. "You can be paddling along and see whales, pods of porpoises, billfish, you name it. Where else can you dive into the water with a docile 40-foot tiger shark, stand on its tail and wave back to your friends?" Gebhard's most recent kayaking trip involved shuttling a group of 20 members of the Young Presidents' Organization.

Most of the kayaking in Baja takes place on the Sea of Cortez. Experienced outfitters run guided trips from La Paz and Loreto to the south. The outings are either supported by powerboats that carry all your camping and personal gear, or they can be more spartan and require you to haul your own stuff. Day trips are an option from either city.

Popular kayaking trips include journeys around the more than 100 islands standing in the Sea of Cortez. From Loreto, you can tour the popular Isla Danzante and the larger, mountainous Isla Carmen. Leaving from LaPaz, you can paddle the 35 miles around Isla Espiritu Santo, an island that has white sand beaches, huge bluffs and secluded caves. On the north end of the island, you can visit Isla Partida and paddle with resident sea lions.

If you want to get up close with California gray whales, schedule a winter trip to Magdalena Bay on the Pacific coast. Migrating whales leave their summer haunts in the Bearing Sea in October and arrive in Baja to mate and calve between December and March.

Hardy sea kayakers hit the water every month of the year, braving high temperatures in the summer and buffeting winds in the winter.

Windsurfing

Baja was "discovered" as a windsurfing destination some 20 years ago, and the sport has grown in popularity ever since. From November through March, consistent northerlies blow down the Sea of Cortez, creating one of the most predictably favorable conditions for windsurfing anywhere.

One of the most accessible spots to windsurf is off the beach in Los Barriles, a friendly little town on Baja's East Cape region, less than an hour's drive northwest of Cabo San Lucas.

"The reliable wind in winter--and the secondary water sport activities--make Baja perhaps the best place to sail in the world," says Bob Harris, president of Coeur D'Alene Cellars, a winery in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. Harris has visited Baja for the past eight years.

In addition to the Buena Vista-Los Barriles area, windsurfers also flock to the more remote La Ventana, east of La Paz. Hard-core enthusiasts seeking to ride actual waves take on the consistent Pacific swell in Punta San Carlos. The area is not for beginners, and there aren't accommodations within easy striking distance.

Whether it's quiet coves or roaring seas that you crave, one thing is clear: In Baja many of the most exhilarating sports begin, rather than end, at the water's edge.

RELATED ARTICLE: IF YOU GO

Baja, Mexico

The best times of year to visit the Baja Peninsula are April through June and September through November. Here are some recommended outfitters for water sports and a sampling of high-end places to stay in and around the Los Cabos region.

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Sea Kayaking

Baja Expeditions

800-843-6967

www.bajaex.com

Fishing

The Reel Baja

888-287-4076

www.thereelbaja.com

Windsurfing

Vela Windsurfing Resort Hotel Playa del Sol 

800-223-5443

www.velawindsurf.com

Lodging

Hotel Palmas de Cortez

(pictured above)

800-368-4334

www.bajaresorts.com

Las Ventanas al Paraiso

888-767-3966

www.lasventanas.com

One & Only Palmilla

888-691-8081

www.palmillaresort.com

Rancho Leonero

800-646-2252

www.rancholeonero.com