Un-cruise Baja

Picture a small ship that has premium tequila, craft beer, and a variety of wine flowing freely, then imagine it has kayaks and paddleboards at the ready and you’ll use them regularly. Then imagine that when you go on deck, there’s a good chance you’ll see a breaching whale or a flying ray coming out of the water. When you stop somewhere, it’ll be somewhere cool, not some purpose-built port complex built for the sole purpose of extracting money from tourists.

That’s our kind of cruise, and it’s what you get on the Un-Cruise Adventures trips that go along the Baja Peninsula coast. Aboard the 42-cabin Safari Endeavor ship, you eat extremely well and the bar selection is better than you’d get at even the best all-inclusive resorts. These trips are not about sitting around and getting fat, however. They’re designed to get you out exploring the fantastic landscapes and nature opportunities the Baja Sur region has in store for you.

Uncruise Adventures

I only got a taste of this experience when I spent one night cruising from the Los Cabos marina up to Espiritus Santos Island off the coast of La Paz. Just in that short time I saw the incredible sunrise at the top and lots of humpback whales. My only regret is that I didn’t have my camera ready when one big way vaulted into the air and landed with a big splash. We had all put down our cameras after getting shots like this:

Baja whale

I was impressed with the enthusiasm of the crew, the quality of the meals, and all the activities that are included in the program. Most of the cabins you would not describe as “luxury,” but plenty of Hollywood A-list celebrities and Silicon Valley CEOs have been on this very ship. Safari Endeavor cabinThey didn’t come on this voyage to hang out in their cabin the whole time. The rooms go from rather basic ones with twin beds to some that are laid out like a suite. Personally, I felt like a baby being rocked to sleep and had sweet dreams.

The route of this Un-Cruise up the Sea of Cortez is terrific, leaving from easy-to-reach Los Cabos and going up to Espiritus Santos Island, La Paz, the unspoiled coast up to Loreto, and several islands in the area. There’s also a land excursion over to Magdalena Bay to see some different whales, which are abundant in this whole region in the early months of the year.

You can see a whole detailed account of the full expedition on this story in our archives: Baja Unplugged with Un-Cruise Adventures. See more on the region on the Travel Baja Sur website.