Intro to Sea Kayaking (Hotel-based) 4 days, 5 nights

4 Days
Beginner
$2599

Imagine if water were not an obstacle but a magic carpet that could carry you to enchanted places. With a sea kayak, it is!

When you leave the shore, you enter a new realm with surprising new perspectives and the potential to bring the horizon to you, then discover new ones. Like anything worthwhile, navigating the new realm has a learning curve. Safety. Start here. Efficiency. Go further with less effort and let your dreams expand. Where will your magic carpet take you?

This hotel-based program includes dinner, lodging at Hotel Tripui and coach starting the evening before your first activity day through the end of the last day. One or two of the days we will motor to more remote sites on the islands to paddle, depending on weather and other factors.

Get off to a solid start with our fun, capable, certified coaches and learn in a spectacular natural setting.

Skill Level

No experience necessary. Moderate activity

Basic kayaking experience helpful but not required.

Average paddling conditions
  • Average Daily Distance: 1-5nm (1-4 hours of paddling)
  • Max Daily Distance: 8nm
  • Wind: calm to 8kts; force 2; no whitecaps
  • Seas: up to 1′
  • Crossings: up to 3nm
  • Surf landings: none
  • Rescue skills: You will learn comfortable wet exit and assisted re-entry
    As your skills improve, especially on longer Getaways, you may find you want slightly more challenging conditions, in which case there may be opportunities to try them out.

 

Sample Itinerary – Intro to Sea Kayaking (Hotel based)
HOTEL STAY WITH COACHING AND ISLAND TRIPS

All itineraries are subject to weather, Port closures, and other factors intrinsic to “Adventure” tourism.

Day 0. Meet in the restaurant at Hotel Tripui for dinner and get-to-know-you. Discuss plans for the following days.

Day 1. After a tasty hotel breakfast, make our way to the waterfront for some safety basics. If it’s windy, we can do this in the hotel’s pool. Practice falling out, balancing, helping each other back in. Touch on the fundamentals of posture and efficient power transfer. Share dinner and fun conversation.

Day 2. Let’s go somewhere! Paddle from the beach into the bays of Puerto Escondido where mangroves line the shores, and herons pose in their branches. Look for indigenous shell middens on the banks above the mangroves. Skirt the shore to Punta Coyote, a north-protected beach ideal for practicing skills. Restaurant dinner and optional nature presentation on the big screen before crawling between the sheets for a well-earned sleep.

Day 3. After a classic Mexican breakfast, hop in the panga and head for an island destination, perhaps the stunning white cliffs of Carmen’s Arroyo Blanco. Explore by kayak, learning and practicing maneuvering skills as we go. Tuck into a big sea cave. Picnic lunch on the beach. Take an afternoon snorkel break, or some paddling free-time to cruise and experiment at your own pace. Restaurant dinner and opportunity to reflect on what we’ve learned and what questions remain.

Day 4. Are you ready to paddle a 2 nautical mile crossing to Danzante Island? You can do the classic Honeymoon Beach hike while you’re there. Celebrate with a final dinner together and one more sumptuous stay between the mountains and the sea. After dinner, reflect on what you’ve learned, and arrange any necessary logistics for your departure the next day.

Travel to Mexico

You need a valid passport for international travel.

You do not need to obtain a travel visa in advance of your vacation in Mexico. During your flight you will fill out an immigration form and a customs form which you will present to the immigration and customs authorities, respectively. Your The cost of your tourist visa is included in your flight. If you are driving into Mexico, stop at the border to purchase a tourist visa for approx. $25USD. This is required for driving into the southern state of Baja, where Loreto is located.

Pre-Trip Meeting

You will meet your coach in the restaurant at Hotel Tripui, where your lodging is included for the night before your course. The meeting is typically around 6pm, but will be confirmed in the pre-trip emails.

Launch Day Logistics

Transfers from Hotel Tripui to the launches are included.

Your coach will be staying at the hotel, joining you for meals, and offering interesting evening programs on some nights.

Luggage

The luggage that’s not coming on your trip can be left securely with your hotel. The hotels listed on our Lodging page all provide this service free of charge. Check with the proprietors if you’re staying elsewhere. You may also leave your luggage with us for a modest fee.

Weather

Your safety is our top priority, and we comply with the local Port Captain who dictates when we can move about on the water.

Loreto offers a delightful escape from cold or wet northern winters. The peak kayak-camping season falls between October and early May. Temperatures can vary widely between day and night in the desert, and Loreto is no exception. Average highs are 70-80s (mid to high 20sC) and lows in the 50s (teens C).

October and late April are quite warm and settled. December through February have the greatest potential for Baja’s famous Norte winds which can last a few days. November and March are transitional. Summers are hot and humid, which makes them grand for in-water activities but a bit toasty for beach camping.

Meet the evening before your trip in the restaurant at Hotel Tripui south of Loreto. Exact time will be included in your registration follow-up emails, but it’s typically 6pm, which gives time for you to get in and settled after your flight. You can check into the hotel as early as 3pm.

 
  • National Park permits
  • Sea kayak
  • PFD (life jacket)
  • Paddle
  • Spray skirt
  • Drybag
  • Healthy meals
  • Hotel stay
  • 2mm shorty wetsuit and neoprene top if desired
  • Purified drinking water
  • Sanitation system, toilet paper & hand sanitizer
  • Transfer to launch and back when needed
What’s Not Included
  • Lodging in Loreto
  • Transportation to/from the hotel
  • Meals in town
  • Tips for guides

You will sleep in a hotel and won’t need to pack gear into the kayaks.

For paddling
  • 2 liters of water in bottle(s) and/or hydration system
  • Sunscreen and lip protection
  • Sunglasses with strap
  • Strap for regular glasses
  • Hat for sun
  • Non-cotton long-sleeve shirt for paddling
  • Quick-dry shorts/pants
  • Water shoes or sandals with heel strap
In General
  • Towel
  • Bathing suit
  • T-shirt
  • Warm shirt
  • Windbreaker jacket
  • Socks
  • Underwear
  • PJs
  • Bug repellent
Personal
  • Passport
  • Toothpaste & toothbrush
  • Sunscreen, Reef-safe please!
  • Camera
  • Any clothes you’d like in town/ hotel
  • Personal first aid, OTC meds you might want
    * Print-out of medical history and list of medications
    * Copy of health insurance card, travel insurance contacts, passport, emergency contacts
  • Ziplock the above * items and keep them with you
  • Sense of adventure!
Optional
  • Comb or brush
  • Binoculars
  • Sarong or wrap
  • Journal, book
  • Handi-wipes and a ziplock to responsibly manage the used ones
  • Fishin’ stuff & lots o’luck (pre-purchase your fishing license online)
  • Paddling gloves

Tips for your guides/coaches/captains are always appreciated! Fifteen percent is typical, but completely at your discretion. Tips may be added to your credit card bill if you’d like (5% fee), or handed in cash to your lead guide at the end of the trip, to divide among the guide and captain team. Mexican pesos are ideal, but unmarked US dollars with no rips or physical damage are also good in any denomination.

Tips for taxis are included in the trip price.

Thank you!

Payment
  • Deposit: half of the trip price will hold your spot
  • Balance: due in full 30 days prior to trip
Cancellation
Before 30 days advance of trip:
  • Full refund minus $250
  • Full credit for other trip within 12 months.
Within 30 days of trip:
  • Full credit for other trip within 12months
  • No refund for any reason
Within 7 days of trip:
  • Half credit for other trip within 12 months
  • No refund for any reason

If we cancel a trip, we will refund the full trip amount.

Low enrollment
  • We will not cancel a trip that has 5 or more people on it.
  • We will guarantee your trip to run with 4 people for a 5% surcharge.
  • We will guarantee your trip to run with 3 people for a 10% surcharge.
  • We will guarantee your trip to run with 2 people for a 25% surcharge.
  • The surcharge will be included with the payment of your balance one month before trip if nobody else has signed up by then.
  • If more people join trip within that month, we’ll refund the surcharge or portion of it that pertains to the final number of paying participants.
  • If feasible, you may switch to a comparable trip.

Please INSURE your trip with Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) insurance.

Ready to book your adventure?

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