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.
Surfing Lessons / Taco Crawl
We'll start off this great vacation learning to ride the waves at Los Cerritos, one of the best breaks in Baja! No experience? No worries! Our instructors guarantee that you will stand up on the board - at least for a moment - during the first hour of instruction!
After working up an appetite at the beach we'll head into town. 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! We'll take you to a few of our favorite local joints to sample not only fish tacos, but other types of tacos a well drawing on the area’s bounties of land and sea.
We'll have some free time in this to explore the shops and art galleries of Todos Santos followed by dinner at a terrific local restaurant.
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. Relaxing at camp and doing a whole lot of nothing also highly encouraged.
Who knows what adventures the day may bring?! Perhaps paddle board with sea turtles, or snorkel with sea lions, maybe spot some whales, or dance with some Blue-footed Boobies. Whatever surprises the day may hold, you can be sure that it will also include magnificent food and drink!
Whale Sharks!
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 our comfortable La Paz hotel, Hotel Catedral. 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.
Camp Cecil de la Bahia / Magdalena Bay Whale Watching Adventure
Today we'll drive 3 hours north to Magdalena Bay and our luxury tent camp Camp Cecil de la Bahia. The camp is located on a sliver of land with the Bay and the gray whales on one side, and a protected estuary with mangroves, abundant birdlife, dolphins and more on the other. Each year the gray whales migrate 6,000 miles from arctic waters to the Pacific lagoons of the Baja peninsula to mate, give birth, and enjoy a warm winter respite. Magdalena Bay is one of the most important of these lagoons, and Camp Cecil de la Bahia is one of the best whale watching spots in all of Baja. Whales are simply everywhere!
The tents of Camp Cecil de la Bahia are beautifully appointed walk-in safari-style tents with gorgeous beds, seating areas, rugs, chandeliers, and ensuite bathrooms. The camp chef prepares three beautiful meals a day and daily happy hour.
We'll spend the days out on the water interacting with the amazing gray whale mothers, babies and sporting males, and when not with the whales we can explore the incredible birdlife of the mangrove estuary. It is a dreamy, wild and remote spot, completely ensconced in nature, enhanced by delights of great food and comfortable lodging.
Whale Watching / Todos Santos / Mexican Cooking Class
Things that often happen to us during our time in Magdalena Bay:
- Gray whale mothers bring their babies right up to the boat to say hello
- Gray whale babies present themselves for a good rub or a pat
- Gray whale males sidle along the boat and spout water on us – they clearly think it´s very funny
- Gray whales of all types bring their huge heads out of the water and look us straight in the eye
Today we'll have more time out on the water with the whales then depart for Todos Santos, enjoying a celebratory lunch stop along the way.
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 farewell dinner / 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!
Say adios but not good-bye. Transfer to airport.
