When I arrived at the group hotel for my 7-day kayak camping and whale watching trip in Baja, the last thing on my mind was that I might actually relax and enjoy the week ahead.
I had just moved out of my apartment right there in Loreto, Baja California Sur, where the trip was starting. I had been there for the past two months, and I was only five blocks away from my house, yet I was now officially back in transition.
I had a sudden upcoming return to the States weighing heavily on my mind, among other things, like how I was going to survive Super Bowl Sunday without any cell service.
I’m sure none of you can relate to a racing mind when you’re supposed to be on vacation.
It didn’t even occur to me how much I needed that very trip in that very moment in my life, on my journey.
I chose this 7-day adventure with a company called ROW Sea Kayak Adventures. I have known of ROW Adventures and their prestige in the adventure travel space for years now, so I was looking forward to finally getting to experience their product.
Note: Nothing I’m about to say or show you will even begin to compare to the real experience of being on the silent water, watching the whales just off the bow of the boat, hearing the dolphins feeding in the middle of the night, and waking up under a bajillion stars, the waves lapping gently nearby. It’s one of those experiences.
Nevertheless, I’m going to write this post anyway.
Kayak Camping in the Islands of Loreto Bay National Park
This trip is split into 3 days of kayak camping in Loreto Bay on the Sea of Cortez side, and 3 days of whale watching (and camping) in Magdalena Bay on the Pacific side. We started with the kayaks.
Concerns pre-trip:
- I’m not a strong kayaker (or so I thought)
- If it was windy on the water, this could be really tough
- Would we have cell service on the islands? (I was working, after all, aaaaaand my Patriots were playing in the Super Bowl on Day 2)
Have you ever been boat camping? It means packing all your gear into your boat with you, and going places vehicles can’t reach.
In our case, ROW provided all of our camping gear, including a wonderful system of three dry bags per person, which we packed appropriately with personal items and stuffed into the sea kayaks. For the curious, we left the rest of our luggage safely stored at the hotel in Loreto.
I signed up solo for this trip, and by beautiful universal design ended up with the incredible McMurray family from the east coast, who decided to accept me into their tribe immediately. I don’t think I could’ve gotten luckier with my travel mates and guides.
One of the questions the McMurrays asked me was if I was worried about who I would end up with on the trip. To be honest, that was not one of my concerns at all.
In my experience with group travel, I have really connected with my travel mates, and I know that simply because we all signed up for the same thing, we all already have something in common. That is usually just the beginning of a friendship.
“There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t met yet.” – William Butler Yeats
Since I was the fifth person and we had two-person kayaks, I got paired with one of the guides, which I didn’t mind one bit.
To kick off the kayak portion of the trip, we paddled from mainland Baja over to Isla Danzante for lunch, which was prepared with fresh ingredients by our private chef Valente. Already within the first hour on the sea, we saw some of the greenest, clearest water I’ve ever seen in all my travels.
After enjoying our picnic on shore, in the quiet of nature, completely alone for as far as we could see, we paddled to a secluded cove and went for a little hike.
One thing I learned on on this trip: if the guide wants to take you hiking, say yes, because the views are always so much better than I ever could have expected. So dramatic where the desert meets the sea.
From Isla Danzante, we paddled across to Isla Carmen, where we would camp for the night. Because this trip is supported by motor boat, Valente had already arrived and set up all of our tents and was already prepping snacks and drinks.
Brilliant. Snacks and drinks in Mexico means chips and salsa and Pacifico beer, with lime.
Fun fact: There are no bathrooms in paradise. We all learned how to properly use the eco toilet that they set up on each beach for us. Picture a porta-potty tent with a big heavy bucket toilet inside. We had to burn our toilet paper in a coffee tin. We (who are we kidding, I mean the guides) packed out everything we brought in. We left no trace.
While everyone else went snorkeling (I’m not much for water…) I sat in the sun alone with a beer, watching the waves and the seagulls, in complete serenity. I mean, in the very middle of serenity. It was quiet except for the gently lapping waves. The temperature was perfect, not too windy.
The Sierra de la Giganta mountains across the way looked like a painting, the light of the sun on top and my turquoise toenails framing the water at the bottom.
I’m already failing to illustrate the beauty with mere words.
That night, we feasted on beach-made fajitas at a makeshift dining table by the water as the sun set and the stars emerged.
I learned that the middle of Cassiopeia points to the North Star. I was astonished, because the Little Dipper is my favorite constellation and I didn’t know this fact before.
I love the stars. I could never live where they don’t shine in the night sky.
Also… you might remember where you were when the Patriots made the best comeback in NFL history, but I will never forget where I was… getting updates from my brother and dad on my deserted island paradise while thoroughly annoying the poor McMurrays with my expressive outbursts #patriotsnationbaby. The answer is yes, you do get cell service in some parts of the islands.
That was such a good night.
I woke up once in the middle of the night and opened my eyes to a blanket of stars over my screened tent. This is what you call a #5billionstarhotel. I could hear the breath of dolphins feeding somewhere nearby, but the rest of the world was perfectly silent.
You don’t forget a sunrise like the one I saw the next morning.
We spent two full days kayaking around the islands, following a pod of feeding dolphins, keeping an eye out for leaping manta rays, collecting (and leaving behind) shells on the beaches, eating freshly prepared Mexican food on completely empty beaches.
The second day we took a hike once we got to camp, learning about the various flora of the desert along the way. From the top, we could see the entire distance from where we started on Day 1 to Camp 1, and all of that day’s journey to Camp 2. We had already kayaked several miles, probably about 4-6 per day.
The hiking in Baja is so surprising. It’s steep, so you gain elevation quite quickly, which means breathtaking views after short distances.
Camping in these islands with ROW adventures was honestly one of the most peaceful experiences I’ve ever had in the wild.
I needed that peace. Suddenly my to-do list and upcoming life changes didn’t seem as pressing or stressful as they had just days before.
Whale Camp in the Baja Outback
On Day 4, we left the islands and had a night to repack and take showers in the comfort of our hotel in Loreto. Then we took off again the next day, this time for the Pacific coast. Baja is skinny, it only takes a couple hours to drive across it. Our destination was Puerto López and Isla Magdalena, where ROW Adventures has a seasonal “whale camp” set up.
Since this camp is stationary for a season, it is full on glamping. Tents are canvas with cots, there is a cooking tent and gathering tent as well, and these don’t move throughout the season. And yes, you can even get a bit of cell service here, not that you should use it.
The camp is on a deep channel where whales literally pass by while you sip coffee or beer from your “front porch.” There is a long beautiful beach around the corner that eventually opens up into the Pacific ocean. This giant bay is where you go out in boats, whale watching, twice per day.
Behind the camp are sand dunes, and we took one afternoon to walk through them, play in them a bit, and learn about the flora and fauna of the island.
You see a LOT of whales. And baby whales! If it is late enough in the season (March) you have a high probability of getting to pet the baby gray whales, as they are a bit bigger and more curious of boats and will come right up to them.
Since we went in early February, we didn’t get to pet any, but I still felt like this was a life-changing experience for me even without getting to touch them.
Whale season in Baja goes from January to April. Gray whales migrate from Alaska to Magdalena Bay to mate and to give birth and raise their young until they are big enough to make the journey back to Alaska. Magdalena Bay provides warm water and protection from predators, so the gray whales return here year after year.
The migration itself is a fascinating subject, but wait until you learn about how amazing whale poop is for the environment. Every night at whale camp we had “whale school” with our enthusiastic, whale-loving guide Mario.
It is one thing to visit a place with your eyes, it is another entirely to learn about what you are seeing.
I can’t speak highly enough of this whole experience at whale camp, learning about the whales, the environment, and of course, spending time with them, at yet another 5 billion star hotel.
I didn’t want this amazing week to end, but I’m so grateful that it happened at all. It really hit the reset button for me and brought me back to peace right in the middle of a chaotic season of my life.
If you have the opportunity to take a quick trip somewhere, ideally in February or March, and would love a peaceful, life-enriching experience, consider doing this exact trip. It is offered every whale season. It is fully catered and all gear is provided, all you have to do is show up (with plenty of sunscreen).
And it’s right in our backyard! Loreto is only an hour and a half flight from Los Angeles…!
This post is part of a collaboration with ROW Sea Kayak Adventures. As always, all opinions are my own.
