Baja Cruise: Holiday Journeys in the Sea of Cortez
Trip Details
- Duration: 8 days days
- Visited Areas: North America , California
Celebrate the holiday season in an extraordinary way as you sail through the Sea of Cortez this December. There will be a host of activities such as kayaking, snorkeling, swimming, hiking, Zodiac cruises, or just relaxing on deck. If there are reports of whales near by, you will cruise out for a search. During the night, your “floating lodge” will be under way and the next morning you will awake in another unique and beautiful part of the Sea of Cortez. In December, temperatures are typically in the 70s, the sky is clear blue, and the Sea of Cortez is teeming with with platoons of pelicans, whales and dolphins surfacing, and the antics of rays! All departures will have a certified photo instructor onboard.
Itinerary
Day 1: Home / Los Cabos or La Paz / Embark at La Paz
Fly to Los Cabos and transfer to La Paz, where you board the ship and sail into the Sea of Cortez in the late afternoon.
Day 2: Isla San Jose
Isla San Jose has a highly varied mixture of habitats. YouÂ’ll take Zodiac cruises and kayaks into mangrove channels in search of shorebirds and waders. Nearby are ancient shell mounds, or middens, that reveal traces of former occupation by the Guaicura Indians.
Day 3: Isla Ildefonso
Isla Ildefonso is a small and rugged island that is home to many nesting seabirds, including blue-footed and brown boobies. You will have the opportunity to take a zodiac cruise along the shoreline to closer observe the birdlife. Marine life also awaits our discovery, by way of snorkeling you can discover this colorful underwater world.
Day 4: Isla Santa Catalina
This morning you search for marine life in the waters around Isla Danzante, another rich area for dolphins. In the afternoon, you visit Isla Santa Catalina for walks among huge cacti, snorkeling in the clear waters of your anchorage along the rugged shoreline.
Day 5: Isla San Francisco
Isla San Francisco and its natural harbor, a calm crescent-shaped bay, will allow you to consider activities such as Zodiac cruising, kayaking or relaxing on the beach. Walks ashore allow you a different perspective in exploring the island and always provide spectacular views.
Day 6: Exploring the Sea of Cortez
The shores surrounding the sea of Cortez have many beautiful bays where there are beaches for swimming and long, gently sloping arroyos for walks inland. This time of year cacti may be in flower and wildflowers in bloom. No matter where you explore, you will have an opportunity for one last vigorous paddle in the kayaks.
Day 7: Islas Los Islotes and Espiritu Santo
With deeply indented shorelines and dramatically eroded cliff faces, Islas Los Islotes and Espiritu Santo are two of the most beautiful islands in the Sea of Cortez. Here you will be able to swim and snorkel in the turquoise waters, perhaps with some curious sea lions. Zodiac rides, rare bird sightings, the possibility of spotting an endemic black rabbit, or simply some relaxing beachcombing are all possibilities today. Dinner this evening will be a beach barbeque and campfire under the star-filled desert sky.
Day 8: La Paz / Disembark / La Paz or Los Cabos / US
After breakfast, disembark in La Paz and tansfer to the airport for your flights back home.