Mexico's Sea of Cortés Cruise

Why Join This Cruise:

• Unique opportunity to experience one of the world's richest areas for whale watching, with an array of other flora and fauna


• Travel aboard a beautifully appointed luxury motor yacht with a choice of twin and double en suite cabins, accommodating a maximum of just 22 guests, ensuring a very personalised trip


• Combination of boat and land based exploration, as well as optional snorkelling and kayaking


• Specialist family, photography, diving or star-gazing departures

Trip Overview
The Sea of Cortez is indisputably one of the world's richest areas for a wide range of whales and other marine animals. Combined with its year round sunny, dry climate and striking desert landscape, cruising is the best way to unlock this extraordinary area. This cruise has wide appeal, offering fantastic wildlife sightings along with plenty of activity such as hiking, kayaking, swimming and snorkelling in Baja's crystal waters. For those wishing to extend their stay in the area, pre and post trip extensions can be arranged

**For families or groups of friends, you may like to consider chartering the boat



Daily Itinerary

Day 1 La Paz/ Embarkation
You will be met at the airport on arrival and be transferred to your boat, the Quest.

Day 2 Isla Partida and Beach Activities
We'll cruise to Ensenada Grande, a charming cove on Isla Partida with a lovely crescent beach. Afternoon choice of either explorating the rocky coastline by skiff or kayak, swimming and snorkeling in the crystal-clear water, or take a guided hike into the interior of the island, which abounds in exotic desert cacti and succulents.

Day 3 Los Islotes
This morning we'll pull anchor and head to Los Islotes. Observe the sea lion colony or elect to snorkel with the agile young sea lions. Later, cruise onto Isla San Francisco where you can either go hiking, kayaking or snorkelingl in the protected crystalline waters.

Day 4 Isla Coyote (Isla San Jose)
We'll step ashore at the smallest village in the Sea of Cortés to hike among a forest of the world's tallest cactus, the cardón. This evening we'll anchor in a pristine bay for a stunning view of the sunset.

Day 5 Whale Watching
Watch for pods of dolphins, along with blue, fin, sei, orca, sperm and, if you are lucky, blue whales, which frequent these rich waters. Also keep an eye out for blue-footed boobies, pelicans, and cormorants.

Day 6 Bahia Agua Verde Mule Ride
For a true taste of adventure, join your yacht mates on an optional mule trail ride into the arroyos of the peninsula. This afternoon we'll search for whales and dolphins around Isla Carmen.

Day 7 Gray Whales Up-Close
Travel by coach with your guides across the narrow neck of the Baja Peninsula to the renowned Pacific lagoons that are the winter calving grounds for a large population of grey whales. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience whales a very close quarters from a small outboard boat called a "panga".

Day 8 Disembark/ Loreto
Airport transfer for your flight home

**This itinerary also operates in reverse**























Specialist themed departures available for:

• Families


• Scuba Diving


• Photography - A professional photographer joins this departure


• Star gazing - Baja is renowned for having some of the world's clearest skies

**Please enquire for further dates and specific trip dates



The Boat
The following boat operates this particular cruise:

Safari Quest

Cruise dates for 2008

Loreto - Loreto round trip
23rd - 30th November
30th November - 7th December

Cruise dates for 2009

La Paz - Loreto
11th - 18th January
25th January - 1st February
8th - 15th February
22nd February - 1st March
8th - 15th March
22nd - 29th March
29th November - 6th December
13th - 20th December
27th December - 3rd January 2010

Loreto - Loreto round trip
22nd - 29th November

Loreto to La Paz
18th - 25th January
1st - 8th February
15th - 22nd February
1st - 8th March
15th - 22nd March
22nd - 29th November
6th - 13th December
20th - 27th December

Cruise dates for 2010

La Paz - Loreto
10th - 17th January
24th - 31st January
7th - 14th February
21st - 28th February
7th - 14th March
21st- 28th March

Loreto to La Paz
3rd - 10th January
17th - 24th January
31st January - 7th February
14th - 21st February
28th February - 7th March
14th - 21st March

Guide Price for 2008/09

	Prices from:
Shared Mariner's cabin	£2,610pp*
Shared Captain's cabin	£3,155pp*
Shared Admiral's cabin	£3,705pp*

This is an all inclusive cruise with all drinks included, as well as kayaking and the airport transfer at the end of the trip

*Please note: These prices exclude International flights, are based on shoulder season rates and increase in high season and are subject to exchange rate fluctuations.

Single Supplements on board
For those who require their own cabin, please contact the office for a quotation

To discuss this trip, for further details or to check boat availability, please either:

Call 01285 880981
Email voyages@steppestravel.co.uk

Steppes Travel cruise destinations include: Alaska, Amazon, Antarctica, Arctic, Baja Mexico, Galapagos.