Welcome to Baja California Sur!
Today you'll arrive at the airport in San Jose del Cabo where you will be met by your guides for the 2.5 hour transfer to La Paz and Hotel Catedral. You'll get settled into your hotel then head out for a welcome dinner and trip briefing with your guides. Let the fun begin!
Engage in Local Conservation Efforts in La Paz
Efecto Arena and Las Guardianas are two local conservation groups that are part of a paradigm shift in the way conservation work is getting done in Baja. Local groups like these are taking the lead on preserving their natural patrimony and way of life, no longer interested in having outside groups tell them how things should be done. The NGOs are taking note, and working to support their incredible work in different ways than in previous years, taking their cues from the wisdom of these groups rather than the other way around.
Today we'll engage in hands-on activities with Efecto Arena and Las Guardianas:
Efecto Arena: We'll start off the day by participating in Efecto Arena's coral restoration project. Efecto Arena retrieves coral fragments from busy dive sites and replants them to help keep the sites healthy. Our program today includes a discussion of corals and their importance to ocean health, then we actually get to help plant coral fragments in beds, see the coral nursery and snorkel to see where they grow. It's totally cool!
Las Guardianas. There's a recent film about women in politics titled Bad Ass Women Doing Kick Ass Shit, and Las Guardianas qualify for that title! They are a group of amazing local women who have reclaimed their local mangroves from the drug dealers/poachers/driveby lovers/trash dumpers, cleaned them up, made them a public space where women feel safe to walk and where they are restoring not only the mangroves but their bivalve population of scallops and oysters. They have run off the poachers, learned how to scuba dive (fishing here is done by diving) and have turned around their neighborhood and local economy in a way that others couldn't. This afternoon we'll spend some time with them, learn their stories, walk the mangrove area and share a meal.
Sea of Cortez and Camp Cecil Adventure!
We're off to Isla Espiritu Santo and Camp Cecil today! After breakfast we'll head to our bodega in La Paz 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.
Today we'll explore by boat, kayak and paddle board and we can snorkel, swim and hike. This evening we'll enjoy happy hour and a wonderful dinner, and spend some time reflecting on our experiences so far.
Camp Cecil de la Isla / Return to La Paz / Mural Tour / Farewell Dinner
We'll enjoy breakfast and a final activity this morning then head back to La Paz. After lunch we’ll enjoy a walking tour of La Paz with renowned muralist Uli Martinez, learning some of the history, lore and conservation efforts of the town through the Uli's murals and those of other artists as well. We'll have some free time for exploration and shopping then enjoy our farewell dinner at a great local restaurant.
Say adios but not good-bye. Transfer to SJD.
