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  • The best experiences in Baja California

Great Tour of Baja: whales, sky & desert

6 day tour from San Diego • Pet a baby gray whale, nature hotspots, experience the desert • Small airplane travel

info

  • February 29, 2024 @ 9:00 AM
  • Ages: All ages
  • Duration: 6 day
  • Start time: 9 am
  • Restrictions: Good overall health
  • Tour Type: Multiday tours
  • Approach gray whales: Two boat rides to approach gray whales, many of them will have courious young and love to approach cheerful tourists boats.
  • Hotel: 6 days & 5 nights at a double occupancy rooms

You will experience wine tasting at the vineyard, follow ancient paths where Jesuit and Dominique missionaries first tried to evangelize its native inhabitants. Witness the arrival of the longest migration of any mammal in the world: gray whales coming from Alaska, after swimming for more than 12,000 miles from their icy feeding grounds in the Arctic to the safe and warm waters of Baja California, to give birth to a one-ton baby whale! Whales are incredibly friendly, some of them love to be pet and promote their young to approach cheerful boats.

Guerrero Negro is also known as a birding hotspot, hosting thousands of migratory birds among its pristine estuary ecosystems and isolated salt flats. The largest salt mine in the world is also located in the area, where semi-desert landscapes and hidden cave paintings add to this wonderful nature tour.

The experience concludes with a 2.5-hour flight back north.

February & March
Minimum group of 4 per person
$1775
Up to 7 guests per person
$1530
Up to 12 guests per person
$1180

Highlights of the Tour. Create lifelong memories and capture awe-inspiring moments. Whether you’re a nature enthusiast, a wildlife photographer, or simply seeking a unique adventure, this encounter with Baja California promises to be an experience you will treasure forever.

  1. Amazing whale encounters: Guerrero Negro is one of the best places in the world to get up close and personal with gray whales. You may have the chance to see mothers with their newborns, and even touch them during authorized encounters.
  2. Small airplane travel. Search the sky and get a glimpse of the beautiful mountains and look at the ocean from above! This is the ultimate transportation experience!
  3. Optional wine tasting experience at Valle de Guadalupe reknown wine country.
  4. Birding hotspot. Baja is scattered with coastal lagoons, essential for migratory birds.
  5. Active tour. There are great hikings and even kayaking that may be delivered throughout this tour.
  6. Captivating desert scenery: Enjoy both land and sky iconic Baja landscapes.
  7. Expert Guides and Conservation Education: Knowledgeable, passionate guides will provide insights of the natural history and the culture along the Peninsula.

A perfect life experience to be shared with friends and family

As you embark on this tour of the Baja California Desert, you’ll discover an arid expanse where nature’s raw beauty is both provocative and inspiring.

Sustainable and Responsible Tourism: We prioritize the well-being of the gray whales and their habitat. We promote responsible observation practices, adhering to strict guidelines that respect the natural behavior of the whales.

Itinerary

Day 1. Valle de Guadalupe wine tasting

  • 9 a.m. – See you at the meeting point in San Diego and cross the border on our van.
  • 10 a.m. – Stroll through the Museo de las Californias in Tijuana’s reknown Cultural Center for a glimpse into the history of the Peninsula just before embarking on our adventure to the south.
  • 12 pm. – Travel south along scenic Highway #1 towards Valle de Guadalupe and its famous wineries, right in time for a tasting experience.
  • 2 p.m. – Time for a hearty BajaMed lunch among vinyards.
  • 5 p.m. – Transfer to the Port of Ensenada and check in at the hotel.
  • 6 p.m. – Dinner at a nearby restaurant, one of our personal favorites.

Day 2. San Quintín

  • 7 a.m. – Good morning coffee and breakfast.
  • 9 a.m. – Head further south to the natural reserve of San Quintin.
  • 12 am. – Hike along coastal volcanoes with a wonderful view of surrounding wetlands, visit an oyster farm and enjoy fresh seafood by an isolated beach.
  • 5 pm – Dinner at Molino Viejo Restaurant.
  • 7 pm – Transfer to El Rosario to spend the night.
  • 8 pm – Check in at the hotel. Optional visit to a successfull initiative of local fisherman as they drabble urchins, lobsters and sea cucumbers.

Day 3. The Cataviña Desert

  • 6 a.m. – Good morning coffee and light breakfast time.
  • 7 a.m. – Hop on the van and, before heading to the Peninsula’s Central Desert, we might make a quick time travel stop at a small community museum.
  • 10 a. m. – Hike and wonder among the whimsical granite boulders and boojum trees of Cataviña, a true iconic garden of cacti and hidden cave paintings.
  • 12 p.m. – Lunch at Cataviña village, where we can spare some time to get familiar with gray whale facts and birding guides. Will be handy!
  • 1 p.m. –  Long transfer towards Guerrero Negro (about 3.5 hr)
  • 4 pm. –  Visit a pronghorn recovery center and get up close to the fastest creature on the American Continent.
  • 6. p.m. – Check in at Guerrero Negro.
  • 8 p.m.  – Dinner.

Day 4. Time to pet a whale!

  • 7 a.m. – Good morning coffee and light breakfast time.
  • 8 a.m. – Hop on the van towards the “panga” boat where we will embark to our first whale watching experience of the day.
  • 11 a.m. – Lunch back at the hotel to talk about the whale watching and share some pics.
  • 3 p.m. – Second whale watching (if wind permits).
  • 5 p.m. – Optional evening hike to enjoy the sunset and get up close to the vast amount of migratory birds in the region. If in the mood, we may take a quick, salty and quite cool dip to experience extreme flotability in the area’s pinkish ponds as the sun sets beyond the horizon. Maybe a little kayak, too!
  • 8 p.m. – Back to the hotel.

Day 5. Enjoy the landscape. Again

  • 7 a.m. – Good morning coffee. Hop on the van and head towards a community museum and whale watching dock.
  • 8 a.m. –  Time for the whale watching experience of the day, deeper into the Ojo de Liebre lagoon.
  • 10 a.m. – Breakfast back at the community restaurant and museum. Time to learn more about the gray whale and migratory birds. Maybe a little hike to contrast the richness of the sea, the vastness of the natural salt ponds, and its desertic surroundings.
  • 1 p.m. – Guided tour to the largest salt mine in the world. Amazing experience into this white landscape where the only mountains are made of salt.
  • 4 p.m. – If possible, we will arrange a boat trip to visit sand dunes lying across to learn about the stars and celebrate the desert with a glass of wine, bread and cheese table. Farewell dinner!
  • 9 p.m. – Back to Guerrero Negro.

Day 6. Flight back to Ensenada.

  • 8 a.m. – Good morning coffee and breakfast.
  • 10 a.m. –  Transfer to Guerrero Negro airstrip for the flight back to Ensenada.
  • 12 p.m. – Fly back to Ensenada. This is a beautiful flight that stops at Isla de Cedros, flying over the sand dunes, with amazing close up views of the ocean (and maybe some sea creatures), and the outstanding mountains of Baja California all the way back to Ensenada.
  • 3 p.m. – Arrival at Ensenada’s airstrip. END OF THE TOUR.

At this point, you may decide weather you’d like to stay extra time in Ensenada, Valle de Guadalupe or head back to San Diego.

Included

  • 5 night accommodations at hotels
  • Pick up at San Diego border
  • All ground transportation throughout the tour
  • Plane flight back to Ensenada
  • All entrance fees
  • 5 breakfasts
  • 3 lunches
  • 3 dinners
  • 3 hiking experiences
  • 2 whale watching panga boat rides
  • Naturalist tour guide
  • Transportation insurance
  • Ice box with water and snacks

Not included

  • Lunch and wine tasting at Valle de Guadalupe.
  • 2 dinners
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Tips