Mexico
Mexico’s Baja Tip to Toe: Landscape, Heritage, People & Whales
Program No. 12157RJ
Come to Baja to explore unique beaches, deserts and World Heritage Sites as you join local experts to learn about the region’s wildlife and get up-close and personal with gray whales!
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13 days
12 nights
33 meals
12B 11L 10D
1
Check-in, Orientation, Welcome Dinner, Lecture
San Diego, California
2
Lecture, Transfer to Ensenada, Market, Coastline
Ensenada, Baja California
3
Riviera, Fish Market, Wineries, Mole and Mexican Event
Ensenada, Baja California
4
San Vicente, San Quintín,Desert Flora, Cataviña
Cataviña, Baja California
5
Desert Walks, Rock Art, Vizcaino World Biosphere
Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur
6
Nature Reserve, Gray Whales I, Transfer to San Ignacio
San Ignacio, Baja California Sur
7
Gray Whales II
San Ignacio, Baja California Sur
8
Mining Town, Lush River, Scenic Mission, Sea of Cortes
Loreto, Baja California Sur
9
Coronado Island. Loreto Historical Town
Loreto, Baja California Sur
10
San Javier, Goat Ranch, Making Tortillas, Sunset Dinner
La Paz, Baja California Sur
11
The City of Peace
La Paz, Baja California Sur
12
Colonial Mining Village and Los Cabos Arch
San José del Cabo, Los Cabos, Baja California Sur
13
Program Concludes
San José del Cabo, Los Cabos, Baja California Sur
At a Glance
Surrounded by a natural aquarium, the rugged, magical landscape of Baja California is a premium wildlife destination virtually untouched by humans. Immerse yourself in vast desert expanses rich in exotic vegetation. Get up close and personal with gray whales in their winter migration to the Baja Sanctuaries. Explore pristine beaches beneath towering escarpments, azure waters teeming with life and palm oasis among jagged peaks. Journey through a land that attracted explorers, adventurers and religious seekers leaving their footprints in Spanish missions, fishing villages, quiet mining towns and isolated ranches. Trace the natural and cultural history of this paradise on earth. Experience the peaceful solitude that Baja inspires.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking short distances on varied terrain with an optional steep hike. Boarding small fishing boats from the beach. May encounter rough season boats. Driving time on bus from 1.0 - 5.0 hours most days. Elevations up to 3,500 feet (900 m.).
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Interact with Gray Whales at arm's length visiting two of the most important whale sanctuaries along their migration path on Baja’s Pacific Coast.
- Explore the diversity of ecosystems that make up one-third of the Baja peninsula.
- Take in the crystalline waters and marvel at the geology and sea life on this paradisiac island, the biologically diverse Sea of Cortés.
General Notes
Road Scholar cannot offer air for this program. Participants have to arrange their own flights as well as transportation to the first hotel in San Diego. The program ends at the hotel in Los Cabos, and the Group leader can assist participants in arranging their transfer (not included) from the hotel to the airport on the last day of the program if necessary. Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Maria Mitrani
Maria Mitrani was born in Italy, then lived in Canada, the United States and France. She finally settled in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, where she has been living since 1976 with her husband and three children. She has a bachelor’s in Italian and art history from the University of California at Berkeley. Since 1985 she has led learning adventures through different parts of Mexico and is a specialized guide for Baja California. She is one of the owners and founders of Andiamo.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Maria Mitrani
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Maria Mitrani was born in Italy, then lived in Canada, the United States and France. She finally settled in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, where she has been living since 1976 with her husband and three children. She has a bachelor’s in Italian and art history from the University of California at Berkeley. Since 1985 she has led learning adventures through different parts of Mexico and is a specialized guide for Baja California. She is one of the owners and founders of Andiamo.
Fermin Reygadas
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Fermin Reygadas is a professor and researcher at the social sciences division at the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur, at La Paz, Mexico. He is widely acknowledged as an authority on Baja California, with over 30 years of experience in the field. He has written extensively on subjects ranging from Cape Region archaeology to settlement patterns and diet among Pericue Native Indians. In recent years he has dedicated his efforts to experimental archeology.
Graham MacKintosh
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Before heading off to face the wilds of Baja in April 1983, Graham Mackintosh was a lecturer at West Kent College in England, teaching social sciences and special education. In the hope of showing his students that a shoestring expedition could be the adventure of a lifetime, Graham, who described himself as the "least adventurous person in the world," set out to walk around the beautiful but dangerous coastline of Baja California. The two-year, 3,000-mile trip changed his life. He later followed this journey with a walk down the rugged, mountainous interior of Baja, visiting many of the old missions along the way. These adventures were the inspirations for his books, “Into a Desert Place,” and “Journey with a Baja Burro.” Graham now lives in San Diego, California with his wife Bonni. He continues to give lectures on his trips, writes articles on Baja and has led hiking, kayaking, whale watching, and winery explorations.
Esther Mitrani
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Esther Mitrani was born in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. She graduated with a bachelor’s in psychology at the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, then worked in San Francisco for three years in human resources in high-tech. Missing her home, she return to her native city. Esther has been guiding since 1994, and joined the family business in 2002 as an organizer and tour leader. She is an eager traveler, and she loves sports and languages.
Isabel Sanchez
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Isabel Sanchez was born in Ensenada Baja California, Mexico. She began working as a group leader at a young age in the mid 1980s in her hometown. In 1998, she moved to Southern California where she continued her career as a successful group leader specializing in the Sonoran Desert as well as the Mojave Desert. In the fall of 2004, Isabel began leading groups through San Diego, Calif., the peninsula of Baja California, and the Copper Canyon in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Cristina Vannucci
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Cristina Vannucci was born and raised in Italy. After graduating from college she worked in England and the United States, then spent several years traveling and working between Italy and France. Cristina arrived in Mexico by chance in 1992 and made it her home working as a group leader ever since. For over 20 years, her love for this country has taken her to hidden places, allowing her to meet different people and to learn about the vast array of culture and nature within.
Suggested Reading List
(12 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Mexico’s Baja Tip to Toe: Landscape, Heritage, People & Whales
Program Number: 12157
Eye of the Whale, Epic Passage From Baja to Siberia
Epic in scope, this absorbing, first-person account follows the migration of the gray whale from the lagoons along the Pacific coast of Baja to the summer feeding grounds in Alaska.
Baja California Plant Field Guide
We can't imagine a walk through the deserts and islands of Baja California without this book in hand. With hundreds of color photographs illustrating 715 plants of the region, this superb field guide also includes short introductory chapters on vegetation, geology and climate. This expanded third edition was revised by Jon Rebman, botanist at the San Diego Natural History Museum.
Field Guide to the Gray Whale Paperback
This handy 50-page booklet is the first and only practical guide to viewing the biannual migration of gray whales along the Pacific Coast. It includes fascinating information about the natural history and habits of the gray whale as well as maps and directions to whale watching sites from Alaska to Baja. Proceeds of this book help support the Oceanic Society.
Mexico Field Guide, Baja California Sea and Shore Birds
This beautifully illustrated, double-sided laminated card depicts 60 commonly encountered birds of coastal Baja California and the Sea of Cortez. We also carry the Baja, Sea of Cortez Marine Mammal Guide plastic card. (Item BJA62)
The Whales Know, Travels Along the Baja California Peninsula
A humorous and humble travelogue by writer-explorer Cacucci. He travels the length of Baja California revisiting sites seen by John Steinbeck, but becomes enamored with all things whale.
Into a Desert Place
An Englishman, Mackintosh fell in love with Baja California on a visit and, despite a glaring shortage of both experience and money, determined to walk its entire coast. Into a Desert Place is his account of how he equipped himself, what he saw and learned, and how he survived on this harsh and beautiful journey.
The Girl of the Sea of Cortez
A heartwarming, eco-conscious novel about a young woman and her sixth-sense for ocean wildlife. Benchley’s protagonist, Paloma, discovers a secret ocean animal in a sea full of beauty, danger and adventure. First published in 1983.
The Log from the Sea of Cortez
The classic account of a collecting trip to the Sea of Cortez with marine biologist Ed Ricketts, first published in 1941. Subtitled "A Leisurely Journal of Travel and Research," this much-loved book captures the wonders of the Gulf of California and the joys of discovery.
Baja California Map
Waterproof • Tear-Resistant • Travel Map National Geographic Adventure Baja Map Pack
Almost an Island, Travels in Baja California
A poet and aficionado with an irrepressible sense of humor, Berger combines anecdote, history and research to bring the deserts, towns and eccentric personalities of Baja to life.
Baja, Sea of Cortez Marine Mammal Guide
A double-sided, laminated field guide illustrating the whales, dolphins and other marine mammals of the Sea of Cortez and Pacific coast of Baja.
Roadside Geology and Biology of Baja California, 2nd Edition
The book is written for the enjoyment of the average person who has little or no training but has an interest in the natural surroundings and almost unique geology and biology of the Baja California Peninsula. It will provide for your enjoyment as you travel along Baja's highways. The road logs provide kilometer-by-kilometer information on the roadside geology and biology of the highways, introducing you to this magnificent place in a way that can be easily understood.