MUSAM

MUSAM is the Museum of Salt, Sand, and Sea in the village of Guerrero Negro in just about the northernmost point of Baja California Sur. The border with Baja California is just minutes to the north. The Museo Sal, Arena y Mar began as a community museum and a window onto the culture, nature, and art of the region. And what a region it is. Guerrero Negro is a town of some 15,000 people. The name comes from a sunken whaling ship believed to have been loaded with gold and silver. The ship ran aground in 1859, long enough to lend its name to the bay, but the town itself really dates from 100 years later when a salt harvesting facility was established here.

MUSAM was created to strengthen local identity and a sense of belonging but just in 2023. As such, the artistic and participatory approach feels perfectly welcoming. Visitors get a first-hand account of the three key elements that make up the place: salt, sand and sea, And the stories of those who inhabit the land, their trades, their environment, and their culture are more than you might expect. Multimedia installations, sculpture, painting, and photography are all part of a permanent collection that stands out for the peninsula artists who made it into a stunning contemporary institution that still makes everyone feel welcome. Tours offer a sensory and visual experience, for grown ups and kids, that combine art, history, environmental awareness, and collective memory.

As the town is not yet on most tourism maps, the place remains very much a community museum and local residents are directly involved in educational programs, workshops, artistic collaborations, and activities for kids and young people. A living space in constant transformation, visitors get to be a part of the cultural conversation. 

As a space on the northern border of a bottom-heavy state, MUSAM is also a nice halfway point when driving the peninsula. The town is about 8.5 hours south of Tijuana, or 11.5 hours north from Cabo San Lucas. But most people truly visiting from out of the area will likely arrive from the airport in Loreto. From there, by car or bus the trip takes between five and six hours. Autobuses ABC or Autobuses Águila both make the trip a few times a day, although you may need to take a cab from the bus station in Vizcaíno, about 15 minutes outside of Guerrero Negro.