Baja & Beyond - Camping and Kayaking on the Sea of Cortez

Fly into Los Cabos International Airport/San Jose del Cabo (SJD) by 2PM where you’ll be met by our local guides and transferred to Todos Santos, a truly magical place with a vibrant and artsy culture. Situated between the Sierra de Laguna Mountains and the azure waters of the Pacific Ocean, you’ll find your home away from home for the night at the locally owned and operated Los Colibris Casitas. With “the most stunning view in Todos Santos,” Los Colibris is perfect for nature lovers who appreciate both beauty and tranquility. Once settled at the hotel, we’ll go out for our first group dinner at a local restaurant. During dinner our guides will go over logistics for the week and a safety orientation.

Included Meals: Dinner
Accommodations: Los Colibris Casitas
Travel Time: Driving (1.5 hours)

Hello sunshine! Take an early morning hike down to the beach or enjoy the infinity pool before breakfast and our transfer to Isla Espiritu Santo. From Todos Santos we’ll drive for about an hour northeast across arid mountains on the Baja peninsula to the Sea of Cortez side. From the bustling port town of La Paz, we’ll climb aboard a boat for a scenic 90 minute ride to our exclusive beach camp. Here we settle in for a few glorious days of uninterrupted relaxation. We’ll camp on the beach in tents with real mattresses and luxury linens, where the sounds of the waves crashing will lull you to sleep each night and birdsong will serenade you out of bed in the mornings. Today we’ll get an instructional primer in each of the available activities (kayaking, stand up paddle boarding and snorkeling) and have our first taste of a ‘sea to table’ freshly caught cuisine!

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Camping on Isla Espiritu Santo
Travel Time: Driving (1 hour), Boating (1.5 hours)

Espiritu Santo is a pristine 31 square mile island that was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1995. Mexico declared it a national park in 2007, thus ensuring its environmental protection for generations to come. The waters of the Sea of Cortez that surround the island are home to a stunning plethora of marine wildlife including: sea lions, whale sharks (don’t worry - they are filter feeders, they strain tiny food like plankton from the water!), dolphins, sea turtles, manta rays and beautiful tropical fish. Don’t spend all of your time looking down, though! This area also has fantastic bird watching; you may see herons, turkey vultures, cormorants, pelicans and more. At the end of the day, collapse into your comfortable tent. When you think of camping, you may think of roughing it in the wilderness. Though we'll be in tents we'll enjoy the unique experience of a makeshift beach-front cafe where our on-site chef prepares our meals and serves a daily happy hour! Margarita, anyone?

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Camping on Isla Espiritu Santo
Daily Activities: Kayaking, snorkeling, standup paddleboarding, swimming (activities dependent on wind and currents)

Each day our local guides will plan excursion options around and across the island based on the tides, winds, and weather. With a diversely colored strata proudly displaying the island’s geology, our camp is so much more than just a gorgeous beach. The island originated from tectonic elevation and you can see as much in its surface of volcanic rocks and marine sediment. The high ground reaches nearly 2,000 feet above sea level and is studded with cardon cacti, an ecological cousin to the mainland saguaro cacti. The Pericú people who inhabited the island thousands of years ago left funerary caves, rock art and fish hooks made of seashells. In 1535, the island was christened “Island of the Pearls” after the rich pearl oyster beds found along the western shores and was then baptized and renamed as “Espiritu Santo” or “Holy Spirit” a century later. Although hiking on the island is minimal, excursions may take you to lava rock formations, interesting cave art, alluring hidden lagoons, and tranquil beaches.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Camping on Isla Espiritu Santo
Daily Activities: Kayaking, snorkeling, standup paddleboarding, swimming (activities dependent on wind and currents)

The island has rightfully earned the nickname “the aquarium of the world”. Both beginner and experienced snorkelers alike will all revel in being able to swim with colonies of sea lions and watch teeming underwater activity on colorful reefs. We will see such tropical fish as barracudas, groupers and parrotfish among others. In case you grow tired with crystal clear turquoise waters, there’s also kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding to mangrove swamps and bays with virgin beaches accompanied by spectacular desert views!

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Camping on Isla Espiritu Santo
Daily Activities: Kayaking, snorkeling, standup paddleboarding, swimming (activities dependent on wind and currents)

Last morning on the Island - time to soak up the birdsong, melodic crashing waves, and breathtaking beauty of this incredible gem before we leave. Around midday we’ll boat back to the Baja mainland and return by private transport to Todos Santos for a celebratory dinner in town and an overnight stay back at Los Colibris Casitas.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Los Colibris Casitas
Travel Time: Boating (1.5 hours), Driving (1 hour)
Daily Activities: Kayaking, snorkeling, standup paddleboarding, swimming (activities dependent on wind and currents)

It has been an incredible week of playing, relaxing and connecting and now it’s time to say goodbye. After breakfast we’ll drive from Todos Santos to Los Cabos, where you can plan to fly out any time after 1PM.

Included Meals: Breakfast
Travel Time: Driving (1.5 hours)