The bleak, sandy, flat terrain of the Vizcaino desert stretches from Guerrero Negro to San Ignacio.
Here the scarcity of rain makes plants struggle mightily just to stay alive. As the result of prolonged droughts, the Cardon cactus have exposed roots and appear to be dying. At the same time, some yucca trees lift their shaggy heads towards the sky while others droop theirs to the ground.
Several mountain ranges ring the level plain. The south range, two to three thousand feet high, has a series of unusual shaped peaks.
The range towards San Ignacio is higher with an elevation of about five to six thousand feet. Pico Santa Monica reaches almost seven thousand feet.
After miles of monotonous landscape, the lone road ascends through volcanic land covered with stubby shrubs and cactus. Driving into and out of a canyon, travelers finally come to a hill where San Ignacio can be seen below.
