Sea Kayak in Baja
Join Sea Kayak Adventures for an unforgettable Baja kayaking vacation! In Baja, russet peaks meet turquoise waters in one of the world's best sea kayaking, snorkeling, and whale watching destinations. The Sea of Cortez, home to 1/3 of the world’s marine mammals, is world-renowned for close encounters with friendly, wild whales. It's a paradise come true.
We're honored to hold one of the few permits to kayak Baja’s Islands of Loreto Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Marine Park since 1993. As well, Sea Kayak Adventures holds one of the exclusive permits to operate Baja kayak tours on the island of Espiritu Santo, near La Paz, where we have two boats licensed and permitted to offer one of the world's greatest wildlife experiences—swimming with whale sharks! In all, we offer more sea kayaking tours and options than any other kayak company in Baja.
Explore desert islands, snorkel vibrant reefs with 900+ species of fish, hike colorful arroyos, and fall asleep on white-sand beaches beneath star-filled skies. As you kayak Baja’s stunning seascape of natural wonder and beauty, you'll wonder why you haven't experienced it sooner!
Choosing the Perfect Baja Kayaking Trip
While all of our Baja sea kayak tour options are great choices, below we've provided a guide to help you find the trip you’d enjoy most. The fact is, you really can’t go wrong choosing a sea kayaking trip in Baja. Many of our guests return several times and try all our itineraries!
- The Season: We run our Baja kayak tours in the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) from October to May. From June to September, the heat makes kayaking uncomfortable.
- Location: Our sea kayaking tours depart from La Paz or Loreto. La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur, offers a vibrant waterfront, great dining, and museums. Loreto is a smaller fishing village with historic charm, quiet squares, and Baja’s oldest mission. The easiest and most affordable location depends on where you’re traveling from.
- La Paz: From central or eastern USA/Canada, fly via Mexico City or Guadalajara, or to Cabo San Lucas with a 2.5-hour shuttle. From the west, flying to Cabo and shuttling is fastest and cheapest.
- Loreto: Nonstop from Los Angeles (Alaska Airlines) and Calgary (WestJet), or cross at San Diego’s SkyBridge and fly from Tijuana (AeroCalafia, Volaris).
- Trip Length & Difficulty: Choose from three- or four-day getaways to five- to ten-day Baja kayaking tours. Many suit beginners, while others are ideal for experienced paddlers ready for longer days.
- Remoteness: Isla Espiritu Santo near La Paz is popular with day-trippers, so beaches are sometimes shared. Loreto’s islands feel more secluded, as they aren’t visited by day tours. See the chart below for the trips with the most solitude.
Compare Our Baja Kayaking Vacations
Why Kayak Baja with Sea Kayak Adventures?
Sea Kayak Adventures founders Nancy and Terry began guiding Baja kayak tours in the ‘80s, which means our tour operations are perfected from nearly 40 years of experience. Our proven expertise kayaking in Baja leads to not only high-quality tours with hand-picked highlights but a finesse of operations that sets us apart from other outfitters. For example:
- All-inclusive. We like to make vacation fun and easy for our guests, so just bring a carry-on with your clothing! Kayaking equipment, camping gear, and snorkeling equipment are included. In addition, we include all transportation to and from meeting points in either Loreto or LaPaz while on tour.
- Best Guides and highest guide-to-guest ratios in the industry. Our tours are staffed with 2-3 guides for every tour (6-13 guests max). The vast majority of our guides are Mexican citizens. Many are marine biologists, zoologists, geologists, etc with degrees from Mexican universities. Others grew up in fishing families and have non-academic expertise that is inspiring. All are certified to high standards of sea kayak guiding including either BCU or ACA certification. All have Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder. Finally, all are bilingual, professional, and fun to be with!
- We focus on sustainability. The Islands of Loreto Bay and Espiritu Santo are protected as a National Marine Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. We proudly adhere to “leave no trace” camping ethics when kayaking in Baja and support a number of local marine conservation organizations.
- Green doesn’t mean lean! Kayak Baja’s waters and camp in style with top of the line equipment, full catering with gourmet meals freshly prepared from scratch, and optional motorboat support.
- We emphasize wildlife and natural history. It really is a kayak adventure in splendor, and our guides are highly educated about the wilderness in which you are immersed. Nature presentations are built into the itinerary.
How do I get to your Baja kayak tours?
Sea Kayak Adventures has bases of operation in both La Paz and Loreto in Baja California Sur. Loreto boasts a small international airport with direct flights from LAX and Calgary and is easily accessible by bus from other parts of the peninsula, including La Paz and Los Cabos. La Paz has direct flights from the mainland of Mexico and is easily reached via a 2.5-hour shuttle from Los Cabos airport.
Read about the differences between kayaking in Loreto and La Paz.
We also offer a number of day tours to extend your vacation, including:
