Itinerary & Country Map

Day 1–6
Arrive in La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur. After an orientation dinner and a good night's sleep, we head to Espíritu Santo Island, our home for the next week. There we settle into tents lined up along the shore of a pristine white sand beach and turquoise water. Eager to blow bubbles, we set out on our first dives in search of immense schools of snapper and grouper. Reinita features a wealth of sea life including sea lions, jewel eels and morays. Investigate Fang Ming, the 300-foot wreck of a Chinese fishing boat which is now home to seahorses, frogfish, octopus and spot tail grunts. Dive El Bajito, a shallow granite rock reef that allows extended viewing of tons of marine life.

Day 7–8
Taking a hiatus from the great diving, we trade in our fins for paddles and embark on a sea kayaking journey across the bay. Discover magnificent secluded beaches, paddle through canyons with towering cliff walls and visit areas not accessible by foot. Glide past Los Islotes and marvel at the hundreds of sea lions on the shore. We rise early for a sunrise hike and are rewarded with an extraordinary show of colors and a breathtaking view of the island and sea. On our last night of camping we throw a bonfire party with a traditional piñata celebration.

Day 9–12
Journey to the Pacific coast to explore the laid-back town of Todos Santos, an artist community located where the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains meet the ocean and desert. A quick hike into Fox Canyon reveals a crystal clear swimming hole at the base of a waterfall. Then head to the shores of the Pacific to spend two days in a surfing clinic, taking on the "barrels." Back in La Paz, walk along the colorful waterfront esplanade, a festive scene with live musicians, dancers and volleyball games.

Day 13–16
Ready to get back in the water, we embark on a six day live-aboard voyage that gives us the flexibility to do tons of great diving. El Bajo's sea mounts are phenomenal, Cerralvo Island's walls are teeming with life and San Diego Reef's gorgonian corals are beautiful. Our local dive guide helps us make the most of our dives by filling us in on the area's marine biology, marine mammals and coral. Our boat optimizes opportunities for wildlife viewing as the second and third decks are high above the water, allowing us to look down on the whales, dolphins, mantas and hopefully whale sharks.

Day 17–19
The small pinnacles and caves at Las Animas create an underwater playground where schooling jacks can number in the thousands and open ocean pelagics abound. Suwannee Reef is amazing with enormous schools of fish, garden eels, barnacle blennies and even a few playful sea lions. After an unforgettable journey at sea, we head back to the city of La Paz for a farewell dinner and our final night together to reflect on our extraordinary adventure.

* The fluctuating conditions in the Sea of Cortez permit the upwellings of cold oxygen and nutrient-rich water that sustain a remarkable biomass of plankton in the region, which in turn supports the area's tremendous concentrations of large marine animals. It should be noted, however, that this dynamic environment is unpredictable and occasionally our diving will be significantly better, or worse, than expected.