October – April
Highlights
- Customize to fit your time frame, desires and budget
- Tour pristine islands in a protected National Marine Park
- Opportunities for exploration, including hiking and snorkeling
- Experienced guides with a local perspective
- Stunning biological diversity in the sea and on the islands
- Trip can be supported by a Panga – small motor boat or Expedition Style
CUSTOM TRIP CURATED FOR YOU
Isla del Carmen and Isla Danzante are two of the five islands that make up the Loreto Bay National Marine Park. The campsites boast rugged coastal vistas, each more beautiful than the last, and the animals around the islands can include dolphins, whales, sea turtles, mobulas, and over 800 species of fish. Seabirds dot the sky above.
For six to seven days, you will kayak around the two islands, discovering their secrets with assistance from our experienced, professional trip leaders. A panga provides support, carrying our gear and allowing you to focus on having a good time. Stand up paddle boards and snorkeling gear are both available, and both worth using: the tranquil waters of Loreto Bay make for great paddling, and the Sea of Cortez has been called “the world’s aquarium” due to the immense variety of life forms you can find in it.
At Sea Trek, we cultivate warm friendly guides who know the area and work together well. We think of ourselves as one large family, and whether you are slicing your kayak through the bay’s turquoise waters, relaxing at a camp in an island paradise, or exploring the abundant lifeforms in or out of the water, you will feel that family spirit.
OPTIONAL ITINERARY
Your adventure begins with a pre-trip orientation with your guides the afternoon before launch day. We will communicate and coordinate in advance with all guests the time and location for a comfortable outside meeting at a convenient location in town. At this orientation session, our guides will explain the trip logistics in more detail and answer any questions you may have. Afterward, you are free to explore Loreto’s 300+ year old history and enjoy the charming shops and rich selection of restaurants.
The day begins with breakfast at our favorite local café. You’ll then take a van to the launch at Puerto Escondido, 16 miles south of Loreto, where you will receive a basic kayaking lesson. Afterwards, we all pack our kayaks with our personal gear, leaving the rest for the Panga, and make the three-mile crossing to Isla Danzante. We set up our first camp on the island.
The sun rising over the Sea of Cortez and casting its light on the jagged promontories of Isla Danzante is a sight to behold. Your guides will point out Los Candeleros Islands, small rocks jutting above the water that serve as a home to cormorants, boobies, and ospreys. After paddling along the coast of Isla Danzante, we make a second crossing, this time to Isla del Carmen, located northeast of Danzante. Keep an eye out for pods of dolphins during the crossing, or even a blue whale! After setting up camp on Isla del Carmen, the afternoon is yours to spend as you wish. Snorkeling, exploring the shoreline, or just relaxing and sharing stories with family or friends under the shade tarp.
After a hearty Mexican breakfast, it’s time for a day trip! We explore the coves around Isla del Carmen, and eventually make an afternoon stop at a secluded beach, which you are free to explore via hiking or snorkeling. Upon returning to camp for the night, your guides prepare a feast of yellowtail, herbed rice, mixed green salad and tortillas.
We have spent two nights on Isla del Carmen, so in the morning we’ll cross back to Isla Danzante to set up camp at a new location, this one surrounded by massive rock formations. There’s more opportunity for exploration and meditation among these rocks, and another delicious meal as the sun sinks beneath the turquoise-colored waves.
Today is our final crossing, back to the Baja Peninsula, and our final campsite. Much of this trip takes place near an area known to scientists as “The Blue Whale Triangle” due to the large numbers of blue whales sighted in the area, so keep an eye out throughout the week! Once we make it across the channel to the peninsula, you’ll have one last afternoon to explore the campsite’s rocky shoreline, dotted with enormous boulders. The snorkeling is excellent, and at night you will have the opportunity to paddle out and view bioluminescent sea creatures beneath the waves.
The sun rises over the Sea of Cortez one last time, making fiery colors briefly appear on the turquoise-hued water. Bid goodbye to this magnificent piece of the planet. We’ll have breakfast, pack up, and paddle back to Puerto Escondido for the take-out, where a van will be waiting to take us back to Loreto. After a warm goodbye with your guides and boatman, it’s back to your hotel, your head filled with the past week’s experiences, your heart looking forward to your next adventure.
This morning you’ll enjoy exploring our warm and magical pueblo of Loreto on your own time. Perhaps a delicious breakfast of Huevos Rancheros, and fresh local fruit juices at one of the many outside cafes, and then don’t miss visiting the 300+ year old Mision Nuestra Senora de Loreto and her museum right off the central Plaza. Most flights home are mid day or later, so you’ll have plenty of time for discoveries and creating a list of things to see and do on your next visit.
For now, it is not goodbye…but rather Hasta Pronto!
ABOUT MOTORIZED SKIFF SUPPORTED TRIPS
Our motorized 26′ support boats (Pangas) allow you to enjoy comfortable camps, light nimble kayaks, and delicious meals and drinks.
The Panga carries all the camping gear, most personal gear, and provisions, leaving you to paddle light, empty kayaks. This also eliminates the repetitive task of squeezing all your gear into tiny compartments only to unpack again a few hours later. It is also physically easier to paddle a light kayak.
We are able to carry a much more comfortable camp in this way as well. Think upright chairs, tables, large shade structures, and private bathroom accommodations. This is not glamping, but it is definitely very comfortable!
Our panga driver (panguero) and guides will take care of providing you with 3 delicious and healthy meals and snacks each day, and they will do all the cleaning up. Also, having a motor boat along means that we are able to take ice chests allowing for a rich array of specialty foods and beverages. We are also able to offer a more flexible program. For instance, less energetic folks may choose to hitch a ride in the panga to the next camping beach. We can also provide side trips to otherwise inaccessible yet interesting locations. Please note that we still require your assistance to set up/take down your own tent and we appreciate any help loading and unloading the boat when we change camp.
These boats do not travel with us each day, so that we enjoy a true wilderness paddling experience, but they are always a quick radio call away should we need them for any reason. They are especially delightful to have around when we see whales in the distance, or dolphin stampedes from our camp. We will usually gather folks into the boat and head out for a special wildlife viewing experience, oftentimes getting as “up close and personal” as is appropriate!
Destination
All Sea Trek Baja trips start in the quaint little town of Loreto, located on the Baja peninsula about 600 miles south of San Diego. In most cases there is only one inbound and outbound flight a day, so our afternoon/evening meeting on day 1, and our end of trip logistics are built around that timing.
Some people choose to drive to Loreto down Federal Highway 1, but the easiest way to get there is to fly into the international airport. Direct flights are available from Los Angeles and Tijuana, or you can fly through one of the nearby Mexican cities. Talk to us for more information on traveling to Loreto.
More Info
Hotel accommodations are not included in the trip package. Please consult your Sea Trek trip coordinator for details on available arrival and departure dates and times. For our confirmed clients, we are pleased to offer the services of our preferred travel planners, to assist with all your flight and hotel needs. Although limited in number, visitors to Loreto have lodging choices that range from Luxury to budget. Our travel planner will assist you in determining lodging that fits your preferences. Our travel planners are seasoned Baja veterans and will help you find the best flight arrangements as well, so that your trip planning is smooth and efficient.
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Contact Us For Pricing
Call us at 415-332-8494 to book a trip today! Please fill out the following form to book a trip and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
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READ SOME OF OUR REVIEWS
kayak coasts & islands – expedition style
Sea Trek makes you feel welcomed and cared for as soon as you arrive in Loretto. Actually, as soon as you call them months in advance to ask about trip details. The kayaking is beautiful, the sea life swimming beside and below you - whales, dolphins, eels.... The food fresh and tasty, changing each day. An incredible, experience; easy to make the trip what you want... adventurous or relaxing, you choose... they make it happen.
Gringa D
kayak & sup private custom trips
We took the SUP option for paddling out to and around these beautiful islands in the Sea of Cortez. I was very glad we did, as SUPing is what we're used to when paddling at home, and it provides a great vantage down through the clear water, a full-body workout, and for me more comfort than sitting. We definitely weren't slowing down the group, and several others wanted to try it out from camp. It was easy to hop on the SUPs just to get a little morning exercise, to find the best snorkeling, and for an absolutely amazing Bioluminescence paddle. This was a wonderful trip. And a side benefit was how pretty, friendly and easy Loreto is.
bill3west
kayak coasts & islands & whale watching – skiff supported
Three friends and I were dazzled by this group of professional, safety minded people. Advice is freely given by all and it is good advice. Amazing food - think fish caught and made into scrumptious meals like clams on the half shell and ceviche. Star gazing with stories about the constellations, going to sleep with the sounds of blue whales, jumping into the boats and racing to get in the middle of a school of dolphins who played in the wake. Kayak trips at different levels for those of us who are not as skilled but still want the adventure. It was all fabulous. I would recommend this trip to anyone who enjoys paddling, sleeping on the beach, and good company. As a group of over sixties, we felt well taken care of and safe. Keep up the good work, Sea Trek. You are a jewel.
Barbara Maher
kayak coasts & islands & whale watching – skiff supported
Excellent food, excellent guides, excellent experience, excellent gear, excellent camping, excellent snorkeling, excellent camaraderie -- everything was wonderful! I had a great time! I feel like a new person! The whale watching was great, we also saw dolphins, pelicans and a variety of other animals. I highly recommend Sea Trek Baja trips for solo, couples and families -- you will be thrilled that you did it.
hhlleeo23
kayak coasts & islands & whale watching – expedition style
The Classic Island and Whale Watch tour was an incredible experience. The guides were pleasant, organized, knowledgeable, accommodating, and excellent chefs! Each individual in our group was asked what they were most interested in doing/seeing during the tour and our guides delivered. We have already recommended Sea Trek to friends and family.
Greg
kayak coasts & islands – expedition style
I did a sea trek meditation retreat in Baja this season. From the very start all communication was timely, friendly and organised. Once I arrived in Loreto they were very accommodating. The kayaks were good kayaks and the guides incomparable. Cannot recommend Sea Trek and Baja enough. Thank you for helping making this experience the trip of a life time for me.
Leeanne Ford
kayak coasts & islands & whale watching – expedition style
Our kayaking camping trip from Loreto Mexico was an amazing nature experience. Sea Trek did a great job with answering all the pre-trip questions from my wife and I. The trip itself from Loreto to the islands of Danzante and Carmen was rich in marine and bird life and seeing the blue whales (again and again!) was life altering. The guides were truly experts and a pleasure to be with whether in the water or on a day hike. The meals were yummy, often including a fresh catch of the day. And then there is that celestial night sky…..We want to go back!
Curiosity60282304734
kayak coasts & islands – expedition style
The guides were amazing; the scenery breathtaking; the food outstanding. Can't say enough good things - I HIGHLY recommend it!!
Suzy W
kayak coasts & islands & whale watching – skiff supported
Seatrek provided a memorable experience! Joey Heusler, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable about whales and with the Seatrek staff, took us to Magdalena Bay, where we had two trips out to see the Gray whales with their calves, and then on to the Sea of Cortez for a four day kayaking and camping trip on the islands. We saw eight Blue Whales, including one passing right by our island camp! A first time for most of us. The food prepared by the staff was wonderful and everything was done for our safety and comfort. Could not recommend this trip more highly!
RudiDundas
kayak coasts & islands – skiff supported
This was my 3rd trip with Sea Trek in Baja. My wife and I have gone twice and I went once by myself. I love this place. Beautiful water, desert mountains, cool wildlife and it is in Mexico, a warm and charming culture. Steve, the Baja Big Cheese, has a knack for picking awesome staff. These are the kind of people I wish I had here at home to hang out with. My only complaint is that the trip is too short.
Mark S
kayak & sup private custom trips
Words cannot express how wonderful this experience was. I went on the paddleboarding excursion with a friend in November. The weather was perfect! The paddling was amazing. The guides were helpful, knowledgeable professional and made sure that every camper got what they were expecting from the trip. We camped on the most beautiful beaches, snorkeled some beautiful spots, went fishing and diving and hiking. Such a full featured experience. I am changed forever. Can't wIt to go back and do it again!!! Worth every penny!!!!
