Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Loreto by air.  At the Loreto airport, you'll be greeted by our ground service and transported to our hotel in Loreto.  Check into pre-assigned rooms (included in trip cost).  You're on your own for sightseeing or shopping until eve pre-trip meeting (6 or 8 pm) in the hotel lobby, where we'll answer questions and let you know the meeting time for the next day.  Dinner is on your own.

Day 2: Please eat breakfast and be packed by the meeting time.  We'll board a van and drive to the put-in site.  After loading the boats, we'll teach you the basics of paddling and thoroughly review safety procedures.  We won't leave shore until all participants feel comfortable in the boats.  Kayak to our first night's campsite. We’ll be making 50-minute, 2 to 3-mile crossings to the off-shore islands of Carmen and Danzante in Loreto Bay National Marine Park. Daily optional yoga sessions offered.

Day 3-5: Our days begin with spectacular sunrises and end with delightfully cool evenings enjoying sunsets, stars, moonrise, and even bioluminescence.  We'll spend our time paddling and exploring the scenic cliffs and coves of Danzante and Carmen.  We'll be camping on sandy beaches allowing for superb snorkeling, swimming, tide pooling, and strolling.  During the trip there will be three or four different camps on the islands with one or two layover days (ie we paddle out and back from the same camp).  We’ll generally paddle 4 hours per day (with breaks).  We'll sleep in comfortable and roomy dome tents, although with Baja's lack of insects you may be tempted to sleep out under the stars.  Several campsites have a desert arroyo hike which will give us spectacular views as well as a great opportunity to explore some of the desert flora unique to Baja. Daily optional yoga sessions offered.

Day 6: After a final breakfast, we break camp and paddle to our take-out site around 2 PM.  At the take-out, we unpack and proceed to our hotel in Loreto to (ah showers!) clean up.  In the evening we go to a favorite local restaurant for a fun dinner (no-host; ie not included in trip price).  Here we toast our new found kayaking skills and friends.  Hotel included.

Day 7-9: We head to Magdalena Bay on the Baja California peninsula's west coast - wintering grounds of the California gray whale for two nights camping and three days of whale watching.  Meals, camping gear and daily skiff whale watching sessions, marine biologist guides included.  Day 9 hotel included; dinner is on your own.  PLEASE NOTE that sometimes, the gray whale tour may preceed the Sea of Cortez portion. Daily optional yoga sessions offered.

Day 10: You are on your own for transportation to the airport for your flight homeward. You can use C&C English-speaking, air conditioned van transport for $8 each, or taxis (Spanish-speaking) are easily found, approximately $5-6/person; BUT depart for the airport no later than 2 hours before flight.

More information from Great Bear Nature Tours:

• View trip on provider's website
  seakayakadventures.com/trips/baja-yoga-sea-of-cortez-kayaking…
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• View all of their trips