Baja offers adventures by air, land, and sea, plane, boat, kayak, motorcycle, ATV, and even by mule. Don’t want to do it yourself? Here’s a roundup of tour operators in every category who will handle it for you, offering really exciting opportunities for your Baja adventure. The season is coming up soon, so start making plans now!

• Baja AirVentures for whale watching, whale sharks, fishing, kayaking, snorkeling, cave paintings, and surfing from your base on a private beach in an eco-lodge on the Sea of Cortez
• Saddling South’s mule pack trip into the mountains of Old California
• Paddling South’s kayaking adventures in the Sea of Cortez
• Chris Haines’ off-road motorcycling and ATVs from Ensenada to Cabo
• Cabo Pulmo Beach Resort’s scuba diving and snorkeling in the Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park
• Linblad expedition ship for the epitome of luxury and service with Zodiacs for land exploration
• GoBaja Sailing school and bareboat charter in La Paz
• Baja Sierra hiking and bicycling adventures in the Sierras
• Don Eddies sportfishing expeditions in San Quintin

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Baja AirVentures

Baja AirVentures offers such a diverse range of adventures it’s difficult to know where to start. Well, it all starts in San Diego, where they fly you in a private plane to either the Sea of Cortez or the Pacific side of the peninsula.

Baja AirVentures Ecolodge

You’ll land on the Sea of Cortez side and be whisked away on a boat ride to a private, secluded beach in the Midriff Islands area, known as the Galapagos of Mexico, to their Las Animas Wilderness Ecolodge with luxury yurts. There, they offer daily guided tours for bird watching, fishing, snorkeling with dolphins and sea lions, sailing, kayaking, SUPs, nature walks, clamming, oyster gathering, or you can just relax in your hammock on the beach.

Baja AirVentures Whale Watching

In season, Baja AirVentures whale watching tours are based in Laguna Ojo de Liebre, Guerrero Negro, on the Pacific side. Experience California Gray whales as they move along their annual migration route, first with a local guide by boat, and then by air. The combination of air and sea viewing is something no other whale watching operator in Baja is able to offer. A short, scenic flight will then carry you over the peninsula to the ecolodge where you’ll enjoy four more days of fun, exploration, activities, and relaxation.

Baja AirVentures Surfing

Baja AirVentures also offer a trip to Scorpion Bay for a surf adventure to the famous Scorpion Bay in San Juanico on the Pacific side of the peninsula, with some of the longest wave breaks you may ever experience. Let them lead you to the advanced surf spots or claim their private home for a family surf vacation.

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Saddling South: Mule Pack Trip

Saddling South offers a glimpse of traditional ranch life little changed since early Spanish settlement. Experienced cowboy guides take you on a mule pack trip into the spectacular mountains of Old California. Riding your burro through colorful cactus garden valleys and into lush palm springs, you’ll meet some of the wonderful local folks of the remote ranches of Baja and visit cave paintings and oases in the back country.

Paddling South, sister company to Saddling South, offers kayaking expeditions in the Sea of Cortez from Loreto, with snorkeling and hikes, and whale watching day trip add-ons available mid-January through mid-March. Their 8-day adventure offers boat support to carry your luggage and as a base for meals. Snorkeling and hiking, birding and a mule or horseback ride may be in order before you settle down to sleep under the stars.

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Chris Haines Motorcycling & ATV Adventures

Chris Haines Motorcycle Adventures offers off-road Baja adventures on Honda motorcycles and ATVs with 4, 5, and 7-day tours from San Diego. This video is the best I’ve seen showing what motorcycling the Baja is really like. Enjoy!

Find more motorcycle tours and rentals in the July 2017 update of Motorcycle Tours & Rentals.

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Cabo Pulmo Beach Resort Scuba Diving & Snorkeling

Cabo Pulmo Beach Resort is a small rustic romantic getaway village of palm-thatched bungalows bordering the National Marine Park of Cabo Pulmo on the Sea of Cortez. They offer an Eat, Sleep, and Dive vacation for as many days as you like. Beautiful living coral reefs, colorful fish, and mild conditions make it friendly to snorkelers and beginning divers with advanced dives also available. PADI courses available for kids and adults.

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Linblad Expedition Ship

Discover the pure wildness of Baja California and the Sea of Cortez with the experts aboard a 62-guest Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic ship. This is the epitome of adventures with prices to match. Itineraries of 4, 8, and 15 days.

More videos, here.

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GoBaja Sailing

GoBaja Sailing is an ASA sailing school in La Paz. They offer sailing courses to earn your American Sailing Association Basic Keelboat Sailing (101), Basic Coastal Cruising (103), and Bareboat Cruising (104) certificates. Once you’re certified, you can book a bareboat charter and live your Baja sailing adventure!

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Baja Sierra Adventures for Bicycling & Hiking

Baja Sierra Adventures is a small eco-tourism company offering hiking, backpacking, and biking trips based out of Santiago, a beautiful town in the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna. Take a single or multi-day trip to explore the ecological treasure house of the Biosphere Reserve Sierra la Laguna area and experience its incredible beauty and biodiversity. Don’t like backpacks? I don’t blame you. So just rent a mule!

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Don Eddie’s Sport Fishing

Don Eddie’s Landing in San Quintin is a great destination for a sport fishing trip in Northern Baja on a tranquil bay on the Pacific. A no-frills establishment, the focus is on the adventure and nature. It’s a popular overnight stop for travelers of all kinds (full hookups for RVs), many of whom stay a day or two for the fishing and kayaking in the bay among the friendly sea lions. Email doneddie@hotmail.com or call 1-866-932-6793 or 011-52-664-632-5417.

Your Suggestions

Have you taken any of these expeditions? Have you gone on a stellar Baja expedition that you’d like to recommend? Please let me know in the comments below!

About the author

Carla King is a longtime adventure travel journalist and author who spends much of the winter in the Mulege area halfway down the peninsula on the Sea of Cortez. Her next book is the Baja Adventure Guide.