Sing the song of the open road on Fantasy’s 13-day Baja Whale Watching Caravan from southern California to Scammon’s Lagoon in the northern peninsula of Baja! Traveling night and day, gray whales swim more than 10,000 miles round trip to the warm Baja waters to mate and give birth to their offspring. On this tour, we explore Pacific beaches, camp along the glistening Sea of Cortez and visit Baja’s Central desert, offering two days of whale watching! Are you ready for your close-up with these gentle giants in one of nature’s grandest spectacles?
Fantasy’s “whale of an adventure” starts slowly and quietly in Chula Vista, California. The entire first day of the tour is spent preparing for the next 12 days of adventure. Fantasy’s experienced and professional Ambassadors will help prepare you and your RV for an escorted border crossing. You can count on your WagonMaster and TailGunner to help you organize your required visas for tourist entry into Mexico. Once all the paperwork is completed, there’s a little time to ‘siesta’ before tonight’s fiesta! This evening’s orientation and get-acquainted dinner are just the first of many siestas and fiestas on our journey!
Over the border we go to Vicente Guerrero, traveling caravan style with Fantasy’s WagonMasters and Tail Gunners, a luxury enjoyed by many on travel days. Once we arrive, we start with a ‘Bienvenidos a Mexico’ dinner.
Heading safely south on Federal Highway 1 brings us to Catavina for the night. Here in the middle of the desert, it may look like the middle of nowhere, but you’re actually in the heart of the Catavina Desert National Preserve, and it feels like home. We enjoy a campground cookout under the sparkling lights of a Baja sky – a peaceful night with new friends.
A new day finds us in the unassuming and sleepy town of Guerrero Negro. We camp in comfort and convenience for several nights. After our arrival, Fantasy suggests an optional excursion to a bird estuary and historic mission – just before the gray whale migration historical briefing and dinner at the campground restaurant. It’s the company goal to show you the world and enrich your knowledge by carefully taking ownership of your tour experience.
Here are some interesting whale factoids you may want to know before the whale briefing:
- Gray whales are baleen whales, characterized by having two blowholes
- Fully grown gray whales are more than 50 feet long and can weigh as much or more than five adult elephants, which is 30-40 tons
- Average lifespan is between 50 and 70 years
- These amazing beasts can stay submerged for up to 30 minutes
Our second day in Guerrero Negro is the one you’ve been waiting for! Our first whale-watching boat tour and gray whale encounter! Cross your fingers for an actual moment with a big, beautiful baleen. Nothing on earth is more thrilling than seeing these magnificent mammals in their natural habitat!
The largest salt factory on the planet is located here in Guerrero Negro, and we’ll tour this open-air plant. The adrenaline starts running again for our second whale-watching boat tour, another chance for an up-close and personal look at these gentle giants.
Our caravan then takes us just a few hours away to the gulf coast of Baja to Bahia De Los Angeles for two ‘easy-peasy’ nights of camping. Once we’re all in and settled, Fantasy suggests the following optional activities: a visit to the Cultural & National History Museum, an eco- boat tour or even a primo fishing trip.There’s no wrong choice here! Just be back in time for a fabulous Fantasy beach fiesta, full of food, beverages and fun! We celebrate a great stay here with dinner at Villa Vitta’s famous restaurant.
Bahia de los Angeles
On to the ever-popular Vicente Guerrero for a superb camping and dining experience. This RV park has been family owned and operated since 1970, and the friendly staff are masters at welcoming visitors.
‘Where did the time go?’ we ask ourselves as we circle back to Ensenada for our last few nights at our resort. After parking, Fantasy suggests the optional activity of visiting the highly rated Ensenada Cultural Museum. Here, the fascinating story of the Baja Peninsula and its colorful cast of characters is told through interactive displays and exhibits.
A planned and guided bus tour takes us to explore the city’s highlights. We also visit the trademark marine geyser of La Bufadora. This is one of the largest blowholes in North America – the blowhole to end all blowholes! Next we call on the Riviera del Pacifico, Al Capone’s historic hangout AND the official birthplace of the margarita. We’ll wander through the colorful Town Market and finish with a stop at the Old Casino Museum.
Sing the song of the whale as we say adios to our Baja Whale Watching Caravan with dinner at the Las Terrazas Beachfront Restaurant overlooking the moonlit bay. Here on the balmy oceanfront terrace, we silently reflect on the magnitude of this grand whale adventure. After a goodbye continental breakfast, we pause to thank everyone we met who contributed to this exhilarating experience. We reluctantly leave the warmth and hospitality we’ve treasured in this country, vowing to return.