Plan your
Baja Adventure
Come Explore the Sea of Cortez
Travel
For our confirmed clients, we are pleased to offer the services of our preferred Travel Planners, to assist with all of 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.
Accommodations
Hotel accommodations are not included in the trip package. You will want to book accommodations for at least the night before the first published day of the trip, and then again for the night of the last published day of the trip. While on the trip we will be camping on beautiful beaches near the water's edge.
Equipment
On expedition style trips such as these double fiberglass kayaks are mainly used for their stability and carrying capacity. We do have a limited number of fiberglass and plastic singles for intermediate to experienced paddlers. Please discuss with our program manager when you sign up to confirm viability and availability. We provide tents; one and two person sturdy A frames and domes, first aid and repair kits, and all other camping and commissary equipment. You just bring personal clothing items and sleep gear. We offer sleeping bag rental for $30 each per week. we do ask you to bring your own sleeping pad. Most prefer an inflatable pad as a comfortable cushion on beaches that can range from soft sand to light gravel.
Physical Requirements
Anyone in good physical condition and willing to share in an occasional camp chore is welcome on our tours. Some regular exercise and stretching will help if the activity is new to you. We provide a medical form for you to fill out prior to the trip for the guide’s information. Minimum age is 12 years old.
Food
Many guests exclaim, “I never knew one could eat so well on a camping trip!” Meatless vegetarian palates are easily accommodated. We provide great breakfasts and lunches, plus a hearty main meal each evening prepared by our staff. Please note any specific dietary requirements on the reservation form. Note* Due to the limited nature of the camp kitchen we are not able to accommodate severe Celiac.
Water
Almost all water in the Loreto area is clean aquifer water that is then run through a sophisticated purification system. Drinking water used on trips will be from a local purified water outlet. We bring along juice mixes, teas, and coffee. We do not provide alcoholic beverages on the trip, but you are welcome to make a purchase in town the day before we leave, and we can pack it in with us. You can discuss with your guides at the orientation meeting, where to purchase, what, and how much would be appropriate to carry in the kayaks.
Guides
Experienced and “Baja knowledgeable” guides will lead and assist on all tours. To assure quality and safety, the guest-to-guide ratio is no more than 6-1. Your guides will teach the basics of minimum-impact camping and safety on the first day of your trip, and will help to develop skills and technique throughout the tour. Guests consistently praise our guides for their outdoor and leadership abilities on the post-trip evaluations.
Tipping: If you choose to reflect your satisfaction with a guide’s performance, consider a tip of 10%-15% of the cost of your tour. Usually a group will pool tips and present it at the end of the trip.
Weather
Baja California has essentially two seasons – calm, hot and humid in summer / mild and windy in winter, with conditions for touring best from fall through spring. As everywhere in the outdoors weather conditions may alter a travel plan and an itinerary may change if necessary.
Tour Includes
Professional guides, kayaks and related gear, single or double tents, snorkel equipment and wetsuits, all meals on tour & end of trip dinner fiesta. Not included: air travel, hotels before and after trip, meals on arrival and departure days, gratuities, airport transfer for your arrival or departure.
Average Daytime Temperature
Only a few trips each winter might experience a day or two of wet weather. Night temperatures can occasionally fall to 40’s mid-winter.
Special Notes
A valid passport is required for entry into Mexico. If flying you will be issued a tourist card which will be stamped upon arrival at the Loreto International Airport. No immunizations are required for entry into Baja. We request that alcohol intake be kept to a minimum while in remote environments. Any illegal substances are strictly prohibited by Mexican laws.
Insurance
We strongly recommend that you protect your investment and yourself by purchasing a short-term travel insurance policy. These policies will reimburse you for your trip costs should you have to cancel or interrupt your trip due to a serious illness or injury. Should you become seriously ill or injured during the trip, your medical expenses and emergency transportation costs may also be covered to the limit of the policy. Purchasing travel insurance soon after signing up will not only cover any deposits paid but will often provide you with a ‘waiver’ for any pre-existing conditions. Our professional Travel Planner, Jessica Entwisle, can help you with your travel insurance needs. Jessica has traveled ‘Baja’ extensively and has direct experience with travel to Loreto, it's hotels and surrounds. Contact Jessica at: 925-286-0811 or email:
1983-2021 Celebrating 38 years of sharing the unforgettable Sea of Cortez
10 participants is usually the maximum group size, with 2 guides. We feel that our guests enjoy a more intimate experience with the environment and culture by travelling in these smaller groups. There is no single supplement cost to traveling solo, and you will have your own tent if you do. We will run trips with as few as 2 persons, so there is very little chance your trip will ever be cancelled due to lack of sufficient signups.
Our tours are designed to give novices and advanced guests a great vacation. We teach basic skills on the first day, and offer help throughout the tour for those who wish to improve technique.
Kayak Tours – Paddling time between campsites is about 2-4 hours or 5-10 miles per day. [see the Avid Paddler itineraries for our longer routes]
If you are an active person who likes to camp and learn about new environments, these are the ideal trips for you. We send you some pre-trip information to help get you prepared ….which, along with your adventurous attitude could make this a ‘trip of a lifetime’ !
Though we offer a few tours a season with skiff support, we like to think of travel in sea kayaks as a quiet way to slip away to our favorite beaches and bays. On most trips we load all of our gear into the kayaks and are free to travel as the group, weather and route deem best. To date our safety record is 100% accident free, as we rely on nature’s signs and the guides’ local knowledge of the area. In packing and paddling on our own, we gain a closer wilderness experience.
Loreto is located 750 miles south of San Diego on the Lower California peninsula in Mexico (the peninsula is comprised of the 2 most northwestern states of Mexico, Baja California, and Baja California Sur). Though Loreto is a more remote destination than other more touristy areas in “Baja”, we do have the service of an international airport with arrivals from major US and Mexican airports.
Driving is a great option for folks who have some time before and after the tours.
There are many flight options from US cities to San Jose del Cabo on the south tip of the peninsula, then travel north to Loreto is easy and safe. Ask us for more helpful hints. See Alaskaair.com or contact AereoCalafia.com.mx for direct flights to Loreto.
Often the “best time” is dependent upon your interests: In early fall and late spring the water and air temperatures are warmer, allowing more focus on water activity like snorkeling and swimming. Note that there is often a day or two added onto our mid-winter kayaking schedules to allow for wind conditions that can sometimes go on for several days. With the extra day(s) that we add, we can still plan to take you out on our favorite routes to see the best of Baja’s spectacular islands and coast.
We are proud to claim that our guides and staff are long-time local experts with special insights, cultural, and natural history knowledge to share. All of our trip leaders are trained in kayaking technique and safety, as well as wilderness first aid skills.
Many of the Paddling South guides are graduates of the National Outdoor Leadership School’s Baja Sea Kayak programs and local courses in Natural History of the area as well as our in-house training programs. Guides cook the meals and often add their favorite family recipes to our menus, making a very special addition to your cultural experience of Baja.
Most tours find group member ages ranging between the 30s to 60s. During spring break and holidays is when families generally look for an active outdoor winter vacation and so…the minimum age on trips is 16 years old. For families with younger children we can schedule a private trip and plan the route according to needs.
We supply everything except your personal clothing gear and sleeping bag and pad. We can rent you a sleeping bag, but we do ask clients to bring their own pad. Most prefer an inflatable type pad to ensure comfortable sleeping on beaches that range from soft sand to light gravel. You'll receive an equipment list in the pre-trip packet we email to you upon making your reservation in order to help you get ready for your tour.
