Mexico – A Week In Baja – Island Adventures and Whale Watching

Welcome to Baja California Sur!

Today you’ll arrive at the airport in San Jose del Cabo where you will be met by your guide for the 90 minute transfer to Todos Santos and Los Colibris Casitas. Upon arrival we’ll get you get settled into your lovely rooms with beautiful ocean views, then we’ll have a gourmet taco welcome dinner on the Los Colibris grounds at Iker’s Colibris Cafe. During dinner your guide will host a trip briefing, outlining the adventures to come. Overnight at Los Colibris Casitas with an ocean lullaby.

Los Colibris Casitas was made for nature lovers seeking beauty and tranquility. We offer the services and amenities of a boutique hotel, combined with the privacy and comfort of a vacation rental. Each of our casas and casitas has magnificent views of the Pacific ocean, a freshwater estuary and a palm grove oasis to the front, and the Sierra de la Laguna mountains to the side and back.

From your casa you can watch the fishermen cast their nets on the beach in the early morning light, wait for the green flash of a magnificent Baja sunset in the late afternoon, and enjoy the vast expanse of a star-filled sky at night. Los Colibris is just a 10-minute walk to 70 miles of pristine, virtually empty beach, and a 5-minute drive to the delightful restaurants, artists’ galleries and shops of Todos Santos

This morning we’ll enjoy a terrific Mexican breakfast then head into town for an historical town tour. Todos Santos has a rich and varied history, from the early missionaries, through the booming sugar years, through its current incarnation as an artists’ colony, agricultural center and surfing hotspot. On this walking tour we’ll visit many of the historic homes and buildings throughout town, learning fascinating stories of the global forces and colorful personalities that brought these buildings into existence and shaped Todos Santos over the years.

Todos Santos has a well-deserved reputation as a food lover’s paradise, so there is really no better place to indulge in Baja California Sur’s greatest contribution to world cuisine: the fish taco! After working up an appetite on the walking tour, we’ll indulge in an epic taco tour, taking you to our favorite local joints to sample not only fish tacos, but other types of tacos drawing on the area’s bounties of land and sea. You might find several different types of ceviche out there too!

In the afternoon we’ll head to Los Cerritos, one of the best surf breaks in Baja. There our instructors guarantee that you’ll ride the wave – at least for a moment – during the first hour of instruction. It’s a total blast!

This evening Local lawyer turned chef Iker Algorri, author of Cooking Adventures in Baja California Sur and chef-in-residence at Los Colibris Casitas, will lead a wonderful Mexican Survival Cooking Class. The emphasis is on having as much fun as humanly possible, learning to make the perfect margarita, and gaining the skill to make some truly memorable Mexican dishes following Chef Iker’s cooking philosophy, the Magnificence of Simplicity. You’ll also probably learn about some great Latin music you’ve never heard before. But be warned – dancing often known to follow!

Sea of Cortez and Camp Cecil Adventure!

We’re off to Isla Espiritu Santo and Camp Cecil today! After breakfast we’ll drive the 90 minutes to La Paz, go to our bodega to get snorkeling gear and wet suits, then it’s on to the boats and out into the Sea of Cortez!

Camp Cecil is on Isla Espiritu Santo which is in a National Marine Park, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is one of the best marine life viewing destinations in the world. Whales, dolphins, whale sharks, sea turtles, manta rays and plenty of beautiful tropical fish call the surrounding waters home, while a terrific range of bird species including Blue-footed Boobies, Reddish Egrets, Great Blue Herons and Yellow-footed Gulls frequent the island’s skies and shores. The island itself is stunning, with magnificent towering cliffs, spectacular sandy bays, amazing lava rock formations, and rock art left by the now-extinct Guaycura and Pericu Indians. There’s even an endemic ring-tailed cat, the babisuri. It’s a remarkable place to explore. We’ll spend the days doing exactly what pleases us – kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, swimming with sea lions, stand up paddle boarding, bird watching, and exploring hidden lagoons and desert beaches.

Isla Espiritu Santo is one of the best marine life viewing destinations in the world. Snorkel with sting rays, kayak amongst sea turtles and swim with sea lions

Today we’ll depart from Camp Cecil and head for one of the most amazing experiences yet – swimming with the largest fish in the world – the whale shark! Of course, you may be asking yourself: is it a whale or is it a shark? Hint: whales are mammals and sharks are fish. These gentle giants feed on plankton in the Bay of La Paz (so all human flesh is safe), and it is here that we have the remarkable experience of observing and swimming with them.

In the afternoon we’ll head to Hotel Catedral, right on the town plaza. We’ll have dinner at a terrific local restaurant and start dreaming of the wondrous possibilities that await us the next day with the gray whales of Magdalena Bay.

Hotel Catedral La Paz is located in La Paz, Mexico, close to La Paz Malecon Beach. The hotel features comfortably furnished guest rooms that are equipped with modern amenities, including a TV, a safety deposit box, a work area, a coffeemaker, a hairdryer, and a private bathroom. Guests can enjoy Mexican food at the onsite restaurant and relax with a drink at the bar. Additional facilities and services include Wi-Fi access, an outdoor swimming pool, and parking facilities.

Magdalena Bay is the largest wetlands ecosystem on the west coast of Baja and one of the most important in North America. The World Wildlife Fund ranks it as one of the most important coastal habitats in Mexico. The Bay is the prime calving ground for the gray whale, and January to March it is possible to see a large number of whales, including mothers and calves. Magdalena Bay also has mangrove forests, barrier beaches and sand dune islands, all of which contribute to the incredible scenery and biological diversity of the area.

This morning we’ll transfer the 4.5 hours to Magdalena Bay, have lunch, then head out onto the water for 3 hours of interacting with the amazing gray whale mothers, babies, young couples and sporting males. We’ll have dinner and spend the night in a local hotel.

This morning we’ll enjoy 3 more hours of photographing and interacting with the amazing grey whales of Mag Bay, then we return to Todos Santos, enjoying a celebratory lunch stop along the way. Back in Todos Santos we’ll check into our hotel, then enjoy a fabulous farewell dinner at one of the town’s many great restaurants.

Head to the airport or if you have more time let us know!