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Trip Overview A world of deserted islands, inquisitive sea lions, and translucent water |
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An illustrated itinerary of one of our many travel adventures for gay men, lesbians, and friends. This information supplements our
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The Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez, is a long, narrow body of water squeezed between Mexico and the Baja Peninsula. Here, as the desert kisses the sea, a fantastic variety of life has evolved. Dolphins and sea lions share the calm waters with kayakers who have traveled from all corners of the globe for a holiday. Turquoise waters reflect towering peaks of the Sierra Giganta. Join us here for a week amongst some of the earth's most beautiful scenery. We'll cover the longer distances on a motorized boat, with frequent stops for sea kayaking in remote coves and around islands, and we'll spend our nights camping on shore. Once you're out on the water, you'll understand that a kayak is the best means for enjoying the quiet beauty of a very special place. Snorkeling, camping, and hiking are also among the week's highlights.
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1: Arrival Day
Our week begins in the quaint little coastal town of La Paz, Mexico. Early arrivals may want to fit in some scuba diving or snorkeling before the trip begins. The waters around La Paz are full of sea stars, colorful fish, coral, and - for the advanced divers - underwater caves. Our accommodations for the first night are in a pleasant La Paz hotel, near the center of town, so if you arrive early, you will have some time to explore the city. The first evening, our group meets for an orientation and dinner, and an opportunity to get to know the others with whom we'll be spending the week. Along with our Alyson Adventures group, there will be two guides and a support crew for setting up our campsites and preparing our meals. Our outfitters will be carrying all our gear but since we'll be camping, there's not much need for the dancing shoes and fancy eveningwear.
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2: On the Water
Depart for Isla Espirtu Santo
Our boat will be waiting for us for an early departure to the enchanting island of Espiritu Santo. This island is stunning with beautiful white sand beaches, canyons adorned with hanging fig trees and magnificent stretches of arroyos. One could easily spend a week exploring the volcanic cliffs and hidden canyons of this desert paradise. Our morning will be spent getting acquainted with our paddling craft. The Alyson Adventures tour director will be Ron Cannell, who has been a kayaking instructor for both whitewater and sea kayaking for 15 years. Together with our local guides you will have the finest possible instruction on the joy of paddling, to guarantee a fun and safe trip. After some easy lessons and instruction, we'll move on to the northern end of the island where we will experience a sea lion's life at Los Islotes as we snorkel and frolic with these clown princes of the sea. We may also see mantas leaping from the water's surface, pods of dolphins and possibly humpback, blue or fin whales. Delightfully exhausted from our first day of adventure, we'll arrive at our campsite, all set up by our support crew. It's now time to enjoy happy hour with an evening cocktail while we enjoy a spectacular Baja sunset.
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3: Mangrove Estuaries and the Colorful Birds
Back on to the Ensenda Grande, we make our way North along the Baja Coast to San Jose Island. Blue and Fin whales are often seen in the canal that separates the mainland from the island. As a towering backdrop to the west we view the awesome Sierra Giganta Mountains. We'll camp on a beautiful white sand beach at Punta Colorado, and begin our exploration by kayak and on foot of this spectacular island. As they do each evening, our crew will serve a Mexican gourmet delight. The brilliance of the Baja sky soon unfolds, followed by stars ablaze releasing you into a restful slumber.
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4-5: A Closer Look at Isla San Jose
One could easily spend a week enjoying this spectacular deserted island. We'll have several choices here to be as active or Baja-restful as you prefer. This is truly paradise found and we'll spend our days hiking among the giant cardon cactus, fishing in some of the best spots in the world, watching for dolphins and sea lions, and of course, paddling all around our incredible blue lagoons. This area is known for large schools of dolphins and whales, although please note that the whales arrive for the winter, so there may not be any in the area during your trip. Also, there are incredible opportunities here for bird enthusiasts with constant sightings of frigates, boobies and many colorful tropical birds.
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6-7: Isla Santa Cruz and Isla Santa Catalina
Today we have a delightful little cruise further North along the Baja to arrive in time for lunch at Isla Santa Cruz. Here we'll spend some time snorkeling along a beautiful rocky coastline. Later in the afternoon, we'll head further North to our evening destination, Isla Santa Catalina. Here we will find another stunning rocky shoreline to explore with lots of opportunity for fishing, snorkeling and fun paddling. Our typical evening Happy Hour and Mexican gourmet dinner awaits us as we surrender into the Baja sunset. We have the entire next day and night to explore the diversity of bird life on this incredible island, kayak and snorkel along the shoreline or go on a hunt for the elusive rattleless rattlesnake. Santa Catalina is known especially for its giant barrel cactus and the waters surrounding the island are teeming with whales and many varieties of colorful fish species. Today you'll feel like Darwin himself and have the chance to be totally absorbed by the beauty of our untouched natural surroundings.
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8: Taste of the Baja Mainland
Today we take a ride with our crew to La Playa Ballena on Baja's mainland. There's plenty of time left in the afternoon to paddle along the coast and explore the area around Santa Marta. There's a beautiful beach here and a last chance for some snorkeling the crystal clear waters around camp. Camping here gives us another chance to experience the diversity of this spectacular land. This evening we'll have a final fiesta with our crew. By this time the magic of Baja will have us all under a spell. A paddle under the stars may be a fitting way to wind down our journey before surrendering to the sounds of the waves lapping the shores just a few meters away from our tent site.
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9: Morning Paddle to Bahia Agua Verde
A final paddle north along the coast for a few miles takes us to our take-out site at Bahia Agua Verde. Our pecs are now pumped and we're returning home with abs of steel. This is one trip where without suffering pain we have conditioned our bodies and we'll be feeling and looking awesome. Time to head back to civilization in the Mexican hospitality of Loreto. As the first capital of the California's, Loreto's culture runs as deep as its rich history. Among its main attractions is the Nuestra Senora de Loreto Mission, which was built in 1697. The seafront malecon has been completely restored and features a romantic walkway right at the edge of the Sea of Cortez. The waters here were recently declared a Nation Marine Park by the Mexican government. Frisky dolphins are a common sight. Before our group farewell dinner, we'll have a bit of time to explore this historic seaside town.
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10: Bye Bye Baja
The Baja has worked its wonder and we're ready to face civilization again with a fresh and healthy outlook. We now know of a place timeless and enchanting where we can escape to crystal clear turquoise waters and unparalleled beauty. As we head for the airport, somehow we know this won't be our last holiday trip to Baja!
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