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!
Camp Cuevas!
Camp Cuevas is TOSEA's program with the famous Cuevas Family of El Pardito in the Sea of Cortez. The Cuevas brothers Juan and Felipe are 4th generation shark hunters who have turned their unique marine life knowledge and tracking skills into a wildlife protection program. Juan and Felipe will be our boat captains and area guides on this 4 day/3-night program and share their extraordinary, bred-in-the-bone knowledge of the islands, the Sea of Cortez and its many diverse inhabitants. We will go with them to find hammerheads, swim with fur seals, night snorkel in bioluminescence and meet the large population of Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Turtles in the mangroves near their home that first inspired their journey into conservation. Our camp is on a secluded beach on the breathtakingly beautiful Isla San Jose where we enjoy chef-prepared meals, daily happy hour, large dome tents with real beds, and plenty of kayaking and paddle boarding. A dreamy retreat into the luxury of nature – with some of its most passionate protectors.
Today we'll depart La Paz in the morning for the beautiful boat ride to El Pardito. There the extended Cuevas family will welcome us with a lunch and your guides will give a program orientation. In the afternoon we'll transfer to our secluded camp on a beautiful beach of nearby Isla San Jose. Afternoon activities could include a hike, snorkeling and most certainly happy hour and a chef-prepared dinner. Pure island bliss.
Camp Cuevas
We'll start the day with a fantastic breakfast at camp, followed by a trip to Las Animas, a local seamount that attracts hammerhead sharks, fur seals and a vast array of other wildlife that we don't always see elsewhere in the Sea of Cortez. We'll enjoy a fabulous morning of marine life encounters with the Cuevas brothers sharing their deep knowledge of the area. We'll have a nice lunch and siesta at camp, then a wonderful kayak paddle in the afternoon along the coast of the island, taking in the incredible geological features of the island and the spectacular birdlife. Happy hour awaits us upon our return, followed by dinner. Stargazing tonight (and every night!)
Camp Cuevas
This morning we'll head out on the water with Juan and Felipe to engage in what they do best - fishing! We'll catch enough for our dinner tonight, leave the goods with the chef, then spend the balance of the day exploring some of Juan and Felipe's favorite, way, way off the beaten path spots . These adventures can include snorkeling, kayaking, hiking and boating - there is much to explore!
This evening we'll feast on what we caught this morning. Then, if conditions are right (and we're not too full!), Juan and Felipe will take us on a night snorkel to check out the bioluminescence. A truly spectacular day.
Camp Cuevas / Return to La Paz
This morning we'll head to the lush mangroves near Juan and Felipe's home where they will introduce us to the population of sea turtles that they discovered and have been protecting from poachers ever since. They had the mangroves declared a no-catch area for fishermen as part of their effort to aid the recovery of fish stocks and species in the Sea of Cortez.
This afternoon we'll head back to La Paz with a picnic lunch along the way. We'll be back in La Paz around mid-afternoon and check back into Hotel Catedral. We'll celebrate our Camp Ceuvas adventure with a great dinner out on the town.
Mobulas and Ocean Safari Day!
May and June are migration time for mobula rays and the time of year we are most likely to spot the huge groups of mobulas (known as "fevers") on the move. During this trip we'll go out to the ocean in search of mobulas and we are likely to encounter a variety of other animals as well including turtles, dolphins and humpback whales, and maybe even Marlin, bait balls and numerous species of cetaceans including Orcas. This trip is a combination of snorkeling and whale watching as it is not permitted to swim with some whales in Mexico. We depart from La Ventana and search for wildlife around Isla Cerralvo and can go as far south as Bahia de los Muertos. It's a spectacular day on the water!
Farewell dinner at a wonderful restaurant in La Paz.
Say adios but not good-bye. Either transfer to the airport, or maybe extend for a few nights at Los Colibris Casitas in Todos Santos. Ask us about options!
