Islands & Coast Explore

10 Days
Intermediate
$2,999

Double your pleasure by exploring the National Marine Park, then cruising down the roadless Sierra la Giganta coastline in this 10-day combo adventure.

From the islands, view the sun picking favorites in the tops of the mountains as the day gets long. It’s your call to explore the wild coastline. And the view of the islands from the coast is just as sweet.

Weather permitting, spend a couple nights in Isla del Carmen, with its uplifted marine terrace and white sand beaches. Then a couple nights on Isla Danzante, a geologically expressive place dotted with osprey nests.

Leave the islands and head down the coast, past the three sea stacks called the Candeleros, where sea birds nest.

The coast awaits you with terrific snorkeling good fishing, and offshore islands to romance the sunrise. This coast also features hiking, and a hot spring if the tide is right. Take out near Agua Verde and fasten your seat belts for a truly Baja driving adventure on your way up the mountains and back to Loreto.

Because this route is exposed to the north, the windier months of December through early March could have some bumpy seas and modest surf landings. If it’s calm you seek, we recommend this route for the months of October, early November, late March and April.

Skill Level

Basic kayaking experience is required on Explore trips. This includes a calm capsize, wet exit (flip over and get out), and assisted deep water re-entry. We can recommend an instructor near you if you’d like to use this trip as a goal and start your kayak training now. We also invite you to arrive a day early and take a Safety Review class with us the day before your trip if you’ve done some paddling but haven’t practiced safety skills recently. This class will cover your prerequisites and build confidence.

Average paddling conditions
  • Average Daily Distance: 4-8nm (2-4 hours of paddling)
  • Max Daily Distance: 12nm
  • Wind: calm to 212kts; force 3; beginning whitecaps
  • Seas: up to 2′
  • Crossings: up to 4nm
  • Surf landings: up to 1′
  • Rescue skills: comfortable wet exit (fall over & get out); assisted deep water re-entry
  • British Canoeing standard: Paddle Discover, Paddle Explore, Sea Kayak Award
  • American Canoe Association standard: Level 1-3

Please reach out with your questions. We’re happy to help you prepare!

Sample Itinerary – Island & Coast Explore
SELF-SUPPORTED CAMPING TRIP IN SEA KAYAKS

Subject to weather, Port closures, and other fun factors intrinsic to “Adventure” tourism.

Day 0. Meet in Loreto for a pre-trip briefing and to fit your equipment.

Day 1. Taxi ride from your hotel to the launch. Pack and paddle out to Isla del Carmen, pausing for a tasty lunch on Isla Danzante en route. Once on the island, set up camp with an expansive view of mountains, islands and open sea. Explore the unique desert island environment. Enjoy a well-deserved and delicious camp dinner! Approx. 7 nautical miles/

Day 2. Wake up on a beach. Life is good! Leave camp set up and explore the shoreline by kayak after breakfast. See the white cliffs with its fossil shells and white sand beaches. Take the afternoon sun as an invitation to snorkel and see the explosion of color and marine life beneath the surface. Return to camp for dinner and an amazing view of the stars. 6nm.

Day 3. Pack up and cross to Isla Danzante in the morning. Play in the afternoon wind, or learn to roll, or enjoy watching fish, depending on what the weather and the mood of the moment point to. 5nm.

Day 4. Sunrise paddle anyone? After a scrumptious breakfast on Danzante Island, circumnavigate this scenic wonderland. Or kick back and enjoy some snorkeling or some quiet time on the beach. 8-10nm.

Day 5. Sip fresh-brewed hot coffee as the aroma of hot-cooked breakfast wakes up your appetite. After breakfast, depart the island for the Sierra la Giganta coast, pausing to resupply food and water in nearby Ensenada Blanca. The folds of mountains beckon in the afternoon light.

Day 6. Let the sun wake you up with a smile as it rises over Isla Monserrate in the distance. Hike a broad mountain arroyo. Layover day! Beautiful snorkeling and fishing off the point in the afternoon. Ten percent of the fish species found here live nowhere else on earth!

Day 7. Let the sun wake you up with a smile. Recognize the magic of a new day and raise a fresh-brewed toast to whatever it has in store! Continue paddling down the coast to San Cosme, where you can find a salt-water hot spring when the tide is right.

Day 8. Head south again, perhaps visiting one of the nearby islands on the way. Camp on a broad, sandy beach of Punta Aguja. There is a cave behind the beach with painted hand-prints of ancient peoples.

Day 9. Paddle just past Agua Verde, and set up the final camp with a spectacular view to the north. Snorkel along the nearby rocky coast. If it’s calm, and you’re feeling ambitious, paddle to the tip of Punta Marcial for a view of the coast to the south. Admire the fading light on the Loreto National Marine Park islands as the sun sets

Day 10. Grab a morning dip before packing up and paddling to the take-out. Return to Loreto via a marvel of Baja engineering—the Agua Verde road, the only one that dares to scale these mountains. Return to hotels/campground for that well-deserved shower

Day After. Relax in Loreto. Or fly out savoring Baja memories, and planning the next one!

Travel to Mexico

You need a valid passport for international travel.

You do not need to obtain a travel visa in advance of your vacation in Mexico. During your flight you will fill out an immigration form and a customs form which you will present to the immigration and customs authorities, respectively. Your The cost of your tourist visa is included in your flight. If you are driving into Mexico, stop at the border to purchase a tourist visa for approx. $25USD. This is required for driving into the southern state of Baja, where Loreto is located.

Pre-Trip Meeting

The evening before your trip is a pre-trip meeting at our Expedition Base in Loreto. Exact time will be included in your registration follow-up emails, but it’s typically around 5pm, which gives time for you to get in and settled after your flight.

Launch Day Logistics

We’ll pick you up at your hotel with taxi and guide.

Luggage

The luggage that’s not coming on your trip can be left securely with your hotel. The hotels listed on our Lodging page all provide this service free of charge. Check with the proprietors if you’re staying elsewhere. You may also leave your luggage with us for a modest fee.

Weather

Your safety is our top priority, and we comply with the local Port Captain who dictates when we can move about on the water.

Loreto offers a delightful escape from cold or wet northern winters. The peak kayak-camping season falls between October and early May. Temperatures can vary widely between day and night in the desert, and Loreto is no exception. Average highs are 70-80s (mid to high 20sC) and lows in the 50s (teens C).

October and late April are quite warm and settled. December through February have the greatest potential for Baja’s famous Norte winds which can last a few days. November and March are transitional. Summers are hot and humid, which makes them grand for in-water activities but a bit toasty for beach camping.

The evening before your trip is a pre-trip meeting at our Expedition Base in Loreto. Exact time will be included in your registration follow-up emails, but it’s typically around 5pm, which gives time for you to get in and settled after your flight.

Our Expedition Base is located near the center of Loreto, on Nicolas Bravo 2 doors south of the tall concrete auditorium. It is staffed at designated meeting times and during store hours.

Directions

Go to the waterfront, and turn south on the Malecon (the waterfront road/walkway). At the end of the road and walkway, turn inland (right) one block, then turn left. Pass the tall concrete building on the right, and one house. Our name is painted on the outside wall. We will be prepared to meet you at the pre-arranged meeting time, or during store hours.

  • National Park permits
  • Single sea kayaks; doubles available for partners
  • PFD (life jacket)
  • Paddle
  • Spray skirt
  • Set of Drybags various sizes
  • Healthy camping meals
  • All kitchenware
  • Purified drinking water
  • Sanitation system, toilet paper & hand sanitizer
  • Library of field guides
  • Transfer to launch and back
Kayaks

Single kayaks with skegs (not foot-operated rudders) are the standard on all our trips. If you would like to paddle a double with your partner, just let us know! We are happy to provide them.

What’s Available for Rent
  • Tent
  • Camping mattress
  • Sleeping bag
  • Helinox camp chair
  • Kokatat PFD-mounted hydration system
  • Paddle jacket
  • 2mm Shorty wetsuit and neoprene jacket
  • Mask, fins, snorkel
What’s Not Included
  • Lodging in Loreto
  • Airport transportation
  • Meals in town
  • Tips for guides

If you’re paddling a single kayak, the hatch openings you’ll be packing into are 10″ and 8″ across. These are performance kayaks, designed for the joy of paddling. Your joy in packing will be proportional to how “minimalist” you can pack.

Food, water, and kitchen equipment will be shared among all paddlers. Please plan on fitting your personal equipment into 1 or 2 hatches (there are 3: front hatch, day hatch, and rear hatch).

Baggage Limits. Just like the airlines.
  • Camping mattress: diameter 6″ length 20″
  • Tent: total diameter 8″ length 20″
  • Sleeping bag: diameter 9″ length 11″
For paddling
  • 2 liters of water in bottle(s) and/or hydration system
  • Sunscreen and lip protection
  • Sunglasses with strap
  • Strap for regular glasses
  • Hat for sun
  • Non-cotton long-sleeve shirt for paddling
  • Quick-dry shorts/pants
  • Water shoes or sandals with heel strap
For Camping
  • Camping gear: tent, mattress, sleeping bag (available for rent)
  • Towel
  • Bathing suit
  • Camp T-shirt (s)
  • Warm camp shirt
  • Windbreaker jacket
  • Long warm pants
  • Socks
  • Underwear
  • Warm hat for evening
  • Beach / light hiking shoes
  • PJs
  • Head lamp
  • Bug repellent
Personal
  • Passport
  • Toothpaste & tooth brush
  • Sunscreen, Reef-safe please!
  • Camera
  • Spare batteries for everything
  • Any clothes you’d like in town
  • A few Ziplock bags of various sizes
  • Medications (2 sets; leave one in hotel luggage)
  • Personal first aid, OTC meds you might want
  • * Print-out of medical history and list of medications
  • * Copy of health insurance card, travel insurance contacts, passport, emergency contacts
  • Ziplock the above * items and keep them with you
  • Sense of adventure!
Optional
  • Comb or brush
  • Binoculars
  • Solar lantern
  • Sarong or wrap
  • Journal, book
  • Shampoo, soap (NOT Dr Bronners soap! It doesn’t work in salt water. Trust us.)
  • Handi-wipes and a ziplock to responsibly manage the used ones
  • Fishin’ stuff & lots o’luck (pre-purchase your fishing license online)
  • Paddling gloves
  • Compact beach chair (available for rent)
  • Lifejacket-mounted hydration system (available for rent)
  • Paddle jacket (available for rent)
  • Wetsuit (2mm shorty & neoprene top (available for rent)
  • Mask, fins, snorkel (available for rent)
  • Your own paddling gear if preferred: Life jacket, paddle, spray skirt (bring skirt to meeting to test fit on our kayaks)

Tips for your guides/coaches/captains are always appreciated! Fifteen percent is typical, but completely at your discretion. Tips may be added to your credit card bill if you’d like (5% fee), or handed in cash to your lead guide at the end of the trip, to divide among the guide and captain team. Mexican pesos are ideal, but unmarked US dollars with no rips or physical damage are also good in any denomination.

Tips for taxis are included in the trip price.

Thank you!

Payment
  • Deposit: half of the trip price will hold your spot
  • Balance: due in full 30 days prior to trip
Cancellation
Before 30 days advance of trip:
  • Full refund minus $250
  • Full credit for other trip within 12 months.
Within 30 days of trip:
  • Full credit for other trip within 12months
  • No refund for any reason
Within 7 days of trip:
  • Half credit for other trip within 12 months
  • No refund for any reason

If we cancel a trip, we will refund the full trip amount.

Low enrollment
  • We will not cancel a trip that has 5 or more people on it.
  • We will guarantee your trip to run with 4 people for a 5% surcharge.
  • We will guarantee your trip to run with 3 people for a 10% surcharge.
  • We will guarantee your trip to run with 2 people for a 25% surcharge.
  • The surcharge will be included with the payment of your balance one month before trip if nobody else has signed up by then.
  • If more people join trip within that month, we’ll refund the surcharge or portion of it that pertains to the final number of paying participants.
  • If feasible, you may switch to a comparable trip.

Please INSURE your trip with Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) insurance.

Ready to book your adventure?

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