After breakfast, we drive west by road over desert plains to Puerto Chale, a small fishing village that has come to recent fame as an excellent destination point for viewing Gray Whales.

Here, most of the sightings are of young whales that remain and frolic playfully with boats. We will take a 3-hour whale watch tour by motorized skiff, a chance to see spouts, breaches and occasionally close passes of these curious young giants.

After a delicious seafood lunch at the village, we proceed on to Ciudad Constitución, a central base town which is ideally situated mid-way between the two whale lagoons.

Gray whales are perhaps the best-known marine mammals to visit Baja California Sur. They are on one of the longest yearly circuits of any mammal, migrating over 10,000 miles round trip between their Arctic feeding grounds and the warm, protected lagoons of Baja. Those lagoons such as Magdalena Bay and San Ignacio are critical calving and nursing grounds that offer calm, shallow waters where female whales care for their young.

Gray whales are curious and charismatic, and often approach boats—providing travelers with the rare and unforgettable experience of seeing them up close. They can reach 50 feet in length and weigh up to 40 tons, yet move with surprising ease. Their patchwork-colored skin is usually covered in barnacles and whale lice, giving them a rugged, textured look.

Encountering these gentle giants in their natural nursery is not only spectacular, but also a moving reminder of the importance of ocean conservation and respectful wildlife tourism.


Accommodation: Ciudad Constitución hotel


Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

today on the north side of Magdalena Bay. This is a more sheltered lagoon and one where adult whales, mothers and their calves visit and rest and care for their calves.

Our 3-hour whale-watching tour features remarkable viewing of mothers teaching calves how to breathe, roll and even spy-hop near the boats.

Magdalena Bay complex is also the largest mangrove system within Baja California Sur, a system of water channels that is crucial habitat for thousands of species. Between trips from one encounter with whales and the next, we will take birdwatching trips—to observe white pelicans, great frigatebirds, herons, and osprey. This blend of whales and bird life makes Magdalena Bay one of Baja's richest ecosystems.

Back to Ciudad Constitución and dinner/overnight.


Accommodation: Ciudad Constitución hotel


Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After early breakfast, we are once again at the waters of López Mateos for our second 3-hour whale watch. Every outing is never the same—with whales cruising up cautiously, at other times calves practicing breeching or tail slapping, always under the care of their mothers.

Following lunch at López Mateos, we travel north up the magnificent coast to Loreto, the first mission of Spanish Baja and now a charming beach community of cobblestone streets, Spanish architecture, and peaceful waterfront.

Accommodation: Posada del Cortés or similar, Loreto

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

We head inland today into the Sierra de la Giganta mountains, where canyons and palm oases slice through rugged desert. The grand attraction is the third-oldest and remarkably preserved Mission San Francisco Javier (1699), known affectionately as “the jewel of the missions,” amidst volcanic cliff faces and ancient date palms.

Lunch is had at the village before returning to Loreto. Afternoon and evening at leisure before dinner at one of the city's finest restaurants.


Accommodation: Loreto


Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

We take the whale-watching safari today at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Loreto Bay National Marine Park. It is claimed to be one of the best places on earth where you can see Blue Whales, the largest beings of all time to have lived on the planet.

It takes blue whales thousands of miles every year when migrating from their feeding grounds near the cold nutrient-rich waters of the North Pacific south to the warm Baja California Sur waters. They are known to swim to upwelling currents of updrafts found at Loreto Bay where the currents pull up the krill below. Krill are tiny shrimp-like crustaceans and are blue whale’s primary food; an adult whale can consume up to 4 tons of crustaceans daily.

It is a once-in-lifetime encounter when we see a blue whale and it is quite other than viewing other wildlife: their enormity is staggering—100 feet long or longer—and yet they move effortlessly and graciously about the water. From our deck boat, we can observe their immense blows shooting up out of the water, their long blue-gray backs surfacing, or maybe the rising of their tail flukes before taking a great dive.

Other whales and dolphins are frequent visitors as well, like fin whales, humpbacks, sperm whales, dolphin schools, and sea lions. At times when we are waiting between sightings, we will anchor at one of the lovely islands within the park and enjoy a beach picnic within turquoise waters and volcanic landscapes.

Back at Loreto in the evening with time at leisure before dinner.


Accommodation: Loreto


Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast transfer to the Loreto International Airport (LTO) and depart. Take home memories of close-up whale experiences, abundant birdlife, and warmth of the people and places of Baja.