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The Trip

Please note that the dates have changed from what was originally published. If you have questions, please contact us.

The world’s fourth-longest peninsula, 806 miles from the US border to its southernmost tip, Baja California is probably Mexico’s true frontier. Physically and culturally different from the rest of Mexico, Baja is in many ways more "untamed" than the mainland. The farther away from Baja’s border cities, the closer one gets to the "real" Baja of remote ranching villages, deserted beaches, small fish camps, and empty islands. Join us as we explore some of these treasures of the "real" Baja!

Our trip focuses on the area between the towns of Loreto and San Ignacio in Central Baja. We begin our trip in Loreto on the Sea of Cortez, where we will spend a day kayaking by the shoreline or to one of the nearby islands. The Sea of Cortez is considered by some to be the most biologically rich sea on earth, with over 900 species of marine vertebrates and over 2,000 invertebrates. From Loreto, we drive north along the coast and then inland to San Ignacio, passing through the Gulf Coast Desert. Some of the cactus found here includes the strange looking cirio (also called the "boojum tree"), agave, cholla, prickly pear, and pitahaya. We then drive north up into the San Francisco Mountains to the small ranching community of San Francisco de la Sierra. From there, we mount our mules or hike down into the Arroyo San Pablo canyons, which are famous for their palm-lined stream beds and world-class rock art, the "Painted Caves of Baja." Three nights camping in the canyons will give us plenty of time to visit several sites. After riding or hiking back up to the top of the canyon, we drive down the mountains to the San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific Coast, passing by mangrove estuaries and salt pans. We’ll spend two nights at a camp on the shore of the lagoon. On two days we will take small boats out into the shallow bay, with the hope of encountering gray whale mothers and their calves. From here we wend our way back south to Loreto for our flights home.

Itinerary

Day 1: Fly to Loreto and transfer to our comfortable hotel right on the shore of the Sea of Cortez. After our welcome dinner, our guide will give us an introductory presentation on the natural and cultural history of the region. If there’s time, we’ll explore the quaint cobbled streets of Loreto.

Day 2: After breakfast we will be shuttled to the beach to learn the basics of kayak touring and safety techniques. We’ll spend the day kayaking along the shoreline or out to one of the islands that dot this heart of Baja’s paddling paradise, where we may snorkel. Alternately, a day trip to San Javier Mission or a canyon day hike will be planned if the weather conditions for paddling are not satisfactory. Dinner and lodging at the same hotel in Loreto.

Day 3: We drive north, stopping in Mulege for lunch. In San Ignacio we visit one of the oldest missions built by the Jesuits in Baja in 1727 and a small museum dedicated to regional history and the nearby rock art sites. Then it’s an all uphill drive through the Sierra de San Francisco to a small ranching community at 4,000 feet elevation, where we spend the night at a cozy guesthouse with great traditional ranch meals.

Day 4: After breakfast we meet our local wranglers and mount our sure-footed, even-tempered mules for the trail with a 2,000-foot elevation loss that descends six miles down into Santa Teresa canyon. All the luggage and supplies are loaded onto mules that accompany our group. Participants can hike part or all of the trail if they choose not to ride on a mule. From our camping site by the palm-filled stream at the bottom of the canyon, we’ll sleep under a star-filled canopy. Tents, filtered water, all meals, and a portable toilet will be provided for our camping experience.

Days 5-6: From our camping spot we’ll hike or scramble uphill not more than 300 feet to four or five rock art sites -- some of which are more than 7,500 years old. Big horn sheep, deer, fish, sea lions, whales, and larger than life humans are some of the well-preserved figures we’ll see as colorful pictographs on the canyon walls.

Day 7: This morning we mount our mules or hike up to the top of the canyon and back to the village. We’ll arrive in San Ignacio for dinner, a shower, and a night’s stay at a charming lodge in a beautiful palm grove on the banks of the Rio San Ignacio.

Day 8: After breakfast we drive to the San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific Coast. Here is a pristine desert world, the perfect place to observe gray whales in their winter breeding grounds in the warm and protected waters of the adjacent lagoon. Gray whale calves stay in close contact with their mothers while they grow large enough to migrate north. At this location many mothers and calves seem to actively seek out encounters with the boats and their passengers. There’s no guarantee, but most boats encounter mothers and calves that seem to "enjoy" being petted, scratched, and even kissed. We stay in small cabins with hot-water showers in a camp next to the shore, and take one whale-watch tour in a 22' skiff this day and the next.

Day 9: This morning we take our second whale watch boat trip and this afternoon we can choose to kayak in the mangrove estuaries, bicycle, or hike the peaceful shoreline.

Day 10: Today is our longest drive of the trip from the San Ignacio Lagoon to Loreto, stopping for lunch and stretch breaks along the way in Santa Rosalia and Conception Bay. Our farewell dinner will be at our hotel in Loreto.

Day 11: After breakfast, we transfer to the Loreto airport for our flights home.

The itinerary is subject to change based on weather or other factors.

Getting There

Alaska Airlines flies from Los Angeles to Loreto, Baja, Mexico (LTO). Aeromexico flies to Loreto from Mexico City. You may also fly to other Baja cities, such as La Paz or Cabo San Lucas, and drive north on your own to Loreto. It is important to check with the airlines since their connections frequently change.

Accommodations and Food

We’ll be staying at a comfortable hotel by the Sea of Cortez in Loreto for three nights, a lodge of yurts in San Ignacio another night, and a mountain guesthouse with bunkbeds on another night. All of these accommodations have their own private bathrooms. We’ll stay two nights at a whale watch camp in individual cabins with central bathrooms and hot showers, and three nights primitive camping with a portable toilet.

Vegetarians will be accommodated and special diets will be considered. We’ll be eating our meals at our hotels and in restaurants. On our camping expedition in the canyon, our crew will prepare our meals on camp stoves. Food will be plentiful, healthful, and for the most part made from scratch. Delicious Mexican food!

Trip Difficulty

This trip is rated easy to moderate in physical difficulty, except for the rock art canyon section of the trip. The mules we ride are expertly trained, sure-footed, and even-tempered. The trail is steep, rugged, and rocky, and the elevation loss is close to 2,000 feet in six miles to the bottom of the canyon (and back up). Riding the mules is not recommended for those who have a fear of heights or health problems that would be exacerbated by riding on a mule’s back. Previous riding experience is not mandatory, but is recommended. Those who do not want to ride can hike. At one point on the trail, all riders will be asked to dismount and hike on a short section that is too risky to be riding on. Most of the rock art sites require some scrambling on rocks for up to 300 feet of elevation gain. Members of our local crew of wranglers will help any trip member needing assistance on the trails.

Temperatures in the first half of March should be in the 70s to 80s during the day and in the 50s at night. In the mountain village of San Francisco de la Sierra, we should encounter temperatures in the 40s at night.

References

Map:
AAA Club, Baja Map.

Books:
Crosby, Harry, The Cave Paintings of Baja California.
Cummings, Joe, Baja Handbook.
Grant, Campbell, Rock Art of Baja California.
Roberts, Norman, Baja California Plant Field Guide.
Miller, Tom and Elmar Baxter, The Baja Book II.
Minch, John and Thomas Leslie, The Baja Highway: A Geology and Biology Field Guide.
Peterson, Walt, The Baja Adventure Book.
Russell, Dick, Eye of the Whale.

Websites:
www.discoverbajacalifornia.com
www.visitmexico.com

Conservation

Sierra Club is an environmentally focused entity. We are concerned about conservation and sustainability of resources, both locally and globally. Our work is accomplished by volunteers and aided by a salaried staff, and encourages grassroots involvement. Our outings seek to empower participants toward environmentally understanding parallel concerns at home and abroad.

Pressing environmental issues facing Baja right now include efforts to preserve the wildlands and loss of wildland and public use land to development; overuse of regional environmental resources such as water, utilities, and coastal land; and fisheries problems in the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Coast. Our local guide will arrange for the Director of the National Loreto Bay Park to give our group a presentation on conservation efforts happening in the Loreto area. We may also be able to visit some of the NGOs in the area.

Trip Price

This trip requires a $200 per-person deposit. An additional payment of $300 per person is due six months prior to trip departure. International trip prices are subject to change and are based on double-occupancy or group accommodations as described above. Single rooms may not be available or may cost more than the listed price. If you have any questions regarding double occupancy, please contact the trip leader.

See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy.

The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.

The Sierra Club accurately and fairly budgets and prices our trips. However, unforeseen costs such as devaluation of the dollar compared to other currencies and fuel surcharges assessed by our international providers may necessitate adjustment in trip price. We will make every effort to mitigate and absorb these fees. If a price increase is necessary, however, you will have 14 days after announcement to cancel without penalty.

Staff

Rochelle Gerratt has more than 20 years of experience developing and leading natural history trips in the United States, Central and South America, and the Mideast. Her trips feature contacts with local people, good food, and authentic cultural experiences. An avid rock art lover and birder, Rochelle works as a career coach when she is home. She looks forward to sharing Baja's treasures with you.

E-mail: rgerratt@comcast.net

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General Notes About Sierra Club Trips

• Carbon Offsets
• Electronic Devices
• Equipment
• How to Apply for a Trip
• Leader Gratuities
• Liability Release and Assumption of Risk
• Medical Issues
• Non-discrimination Statement
• Participant Approval
• Reservation and Cancellation Policy
• Seller of Travel Disclosure
• Travel Insurance
• Trip Feedback