BAJA II – 8-day Kayak Trip

We flew back to Baja on April 11. This time however, we landed in the Pueblo Mágico (“Magical Town”) of Loreto 325 miles north of Los Cabos. Loreto is a charming city with a rich history: founded in 1697 by Jesuit missionaries, it was the first permanent Spanish settlement in the Baja Peninsula and the original capital of “the Californias.” Today, Loreto is a tourist destination, known for whale watching and world class sportfishing. It sits adjacent to the Loreto Bay National Marine Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which makes it ideal for kayaking, scuba diving and snorkeling.

MAP VIEW: Where We Were-

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We were in Loreto for an 8-day kayak trip along the eastern shore of the Baja Peninsula. We engaged Paddling South, a company with a long history of guiding such Baja expeditions, to provide their guiding expertise, as well as provisions and equipment for our adventure. We joined Jani’s brother Matt, and his wife Cathy, and Matt’s son Kent, and his wife Siobhan. The six of us met up in Loreto, stayed in an AirBnB, had a great meal at Orlando’s, and set out for the Sea of Cortez the following day.

CITY VIEW: Loreto-

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We loaded our gear in the Paddling South van the following morning and rode to Puerto Escondido, just south of Loreto. There we went over some basics of safe kayaking, got an overview of our trip, and headed out to Isla Danzante, within the Loreto Bay National Park (Parque Nacional Bahia de Loreto), for our first nights’ camp. The plan was to camp there two nights, spending the next day paddling to Carmen Island for a lunch and further exploration, before returning to our camp. On the third day, we would start paddling south, following the eastern shore. The exploration of Isla Carmen was highlighted by the sighting of breaching whales, one which surfaced pretty close to two of our boats. We had high hopes that would bode well for more future sightings.

We did not see more whales, but we did witness some amazing activity from Manta Rays and Dolphins, as the videos (below) show.

We paddled approximately 3 hours a day and paddled 55 miles down the coast. Baja’s shores are a geologists’ dream, with constantly changing rock strata, sheer cliffs and beautiful green water that was clear enough to spot eagle rays and dolphins beneath the surface. Some of the highlights, besides the close camaraderie of camping with family, were seeing manta rays flipping to great heights above the surface, a pod of dolphins effortlessly gliding through Baja’s waters, and the incredible rock formations at Puerto Gato. Our guides prepared three delicious fresh meals every day (our appreciation for real Mexican food increased daily), and we had plenty of enjoyable beach camping. And…no scorpions!

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS-

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We originally thought an 8-day trip might be too long; that the Baja magic would wear off. As it turned out, we quickly got into the natural rhythm of the Sea of Cortez and not once started counting the days or wishing for an end. It was a pleasurable adventure right up to pulling out our kayaks on the last day. One might say, with such good company and attentive guiding, that the trip was smooth sailing.

The van ride back to Loreto was a different story, however. The ride was long — 2½ hours — and on some of Baja’s most terrifying mountain roads. We were thankful for our safe return to Loreto.

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BAJA VIDEO GALLERY

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