Paddling in Paradise
Kayaking the Baja in Mexico
By Kent St. John
Looking for an ecological way to view the gray whale population migrating down the
Baja coast led me to a 6-day kayaking trip to remote Magdalena Bay. Terry Prichard of Sea Kayak Adventures Inc. uses sea kayaks as a means to immerse the
voyager into the environment. While participants hope to spot whales, the main point of the trip is to explore the seldom-visited area.
I met up with the other members of the group in Loreto, a small town once picked by
Fonatur (Mexico’s tourism development agency) for a mega-resort project. Fortuitously for lovers of small-town Mexico, the airport was about the only project
completed. Aero California flies in from Los Angeles once a day. Other options are a 5-hour bus ride from La Paz or 10-hour trip from Cabo San Lucas.
The hotel we met at our first night, the Villas de Loreto, located on the Sea of Cortez,
is possibly the only non-smoking hotel in all of Mexico. The knowledgeable guides, who represented all the countries of NAFTA, provided a range of viewpoints
as we prepared for next day’s adventure.
> After a 4-hour drive under brilliant blue skies that matched perfectly with the stark
desert surroundings, we turned off on to the sandy back roads just past Ignacio Zaragoza. The guides marked the turns with tape to insure we would find our
way out. Once on the bay, they then skillfully guided first-time kayakers across, since the tides from the Bocca Santo Domingo can create surges and currents
that only experienced kayakers can read. Our destination was the barrier island, Isla De Santo Domingo,
the site of our base camp for the next five nights. Tents and sleeping bags were provided by the company, but the set-up of our beach-side site was our responsibility.
As if on cue, a dolphin broke the surface on the water only 10 feet from my newly erected tent. Later
sightings of gray whales spewing mist provided memories that will last forever.
Daily paddling trips to different destinations lasted about four hours. In addition to the guides, the
guests all enjoyed sharing their various specialties such as geology, marine biology, and even fishing lore. Fresh-caught sea bass provided an appetizer of
ceviche cabrilla—a Mexican sushi. The guides do all of the cooking with produce picked from a small organic farm in Loreto. The dinner hour, with the barking
of sea lions and dolphins parading past, brought outside dining to new heights.
After a hot shower back in Loreto, I joined several of the guides for shrimp tacos from McLulu’s stand
while they discussed their trips on the Baja and some of their former guests, including JFK Jr.
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For More Information
The village of Loreto is a great town to spend some days in after kayaking. Its cobblestone streets
and zocolo (center) are picture perfect. The mission in town as well as nearby San Javier both provides an interesting glimpse into the past. Snorkeling
and diving trips are available to the nearby islands. Tours for both can be arranged by C&C Tours at 011-52-113-30151.
Sea Kayak Adventures Inc.; 800-616-1943 or 208-765-3116; skadvent@iea.com,
gorp.away.com/index.html.
Hotels: Villas de Loreto, Tel. 011-52-113-50586; www.villasdeloreto.com.
Hotel Plaza Loreto, Tel. 011-52-113-50280.
Restaurants: The 4-tabled
taco stand McLulu’s on Calle Madero is a gathering spot for kayakers; the owner Lourdes “Lulu” Armendaria is a fountain of information. Carmen’s Restaurant,
overlooking the sea, also provides great food, and propitiator Charlie Williams is a source of information. Another good spot is the Malecon, Tel. 011-52-113-50577.
Airlines: Aero California, 800-237-6225.
Area Web Sites: www.loreto.com, www.bajatravel.com.
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KENT ST. JOHN is senior travel editor for www.GoNomad.com.
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