Exploring Baja Sur (Mexico) — part 4
(click on a photo to enlarge)
Our Trip Ends
On our last full day in Baja, we decided to rent a car and drive up to La Paz where we enjoyed looking around the city and the beautiful uncrowded beaches. We ate lunch outdoors at La Panga which overooked a harbor with many beautiful yachts.
Harbor at La Paz
The morning of our departure we took one last walk on the beach in front of our casita, enjoying the crashing surf, the frigatebirds and pelicans soaring overhead. We also did some last-minute birding in the surrounding area. While this was only a casual birding trip, we saw 58 species of birds and added two life-birds to our list, both endemic to Baja California — the Xantus’s Hummingbird (Basilinna xantusii) and the Gray Thrasher (Toxostoma cinereum).
Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens), adult female
Brown Pelican (Pelicanus occidentalis), adult
La Poza Beach, Todos Santos
We’re glad we finally got down to Mexico, even if it wasn’t the mainland. I’m sure we’ll go back again someday. If we return to Baja, we’ll certainly stay at Los Colibris, the beautiful casitas over-looking the lagoon and the Pacific. The staff there was very welcoming and wanted us to enjoy what Baja Sur has to offer. The restaurants they chose for our meals were outstanding. They had no control over what happened with Baja Expeditions and saw that we got a partial refund for that excursion. There are many other options for whale-watching from Puerto San Carlos which can be found by a Google search.
As we drove back to the airport in Cabo San Jose, we passed through the well-known Cabo San Lucas and took this photo of the famous cape.
The Cape of St. Luke (Cabo San Lucas)
March 17th, 2010 at 12:07 pm
Hi Arlene,
My friend Maria and I met you in Baja at the cactus sanctuary and invaded your porch to see the Xanthus Hummer. Thank you so much for letting us do that. Not only did I get a life Baja bird but a life Black-throated sparrow.
I really enjoyed reading your blog on your trip and seeing your photos. I will explore your site more to see more of your great photos. Glad you had a good whale experience – so did we. I can recommend Mag Bay Whale tours highly. We only went out for a part-day trip but they have a camp also which they showed us and there service was top-notch.
I will send an email to as well with my best Xanthus pic – a far cry from yours!
Laurie
March 20th, 2010 at 3:36 am
Wonderful photos, love the pelican and the frigatebird. The beach shot is awesome! What a great trip! I enjoyed your photos and all your post.