A cruise during the pandemic? These Baja, Mexico, ships have fewer than 100 passengers
You can’t jump on a big ship anytime soon to sail the waters off the Baja Peninsula and the Sea of Cortez — many cruise lines have suspended operations until fall at least — but you can plan ahead. If you’re eager to sail in Mexico with 100 passengers or less, a couple of charter ships would be happy to welcome you aboard.
Travelers who seek wild places and a small-ship experience, and don’t mind flying to Mexico to start their journeys, can tap into adventurous excursions, which include kayaking and snorkeling with sea lion pups, and hiking on remote islands.
Uncruise Adventures offers seven-night island-hopping trips in the Sea of Cortez from January through April 2021 (from $4,495 per person). Lindblad Expeditions’ five-night trips are in December and January and start at $2,880 per person, double occupancy.
Get The Wild newsletter.
The essential weekly guide to enjoying the outdoors in Southern California. Insider tips on the best of our beaches, trails, parks, deserts, forests and mountains.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
Unfortunately, a new Baja cruise line that began to sail in early January has already failed. Operated by Cruise and Maritime Voyages, the company sailed out of Rocky Point, Mexico, offering 11-day Treasures of the Sea of Cortez cruises that visited Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Bahia Loreto and Guaymas. But the pandemic’s timing was a fatal blow to the company.
If you want to explore Cabo San Lucas on your own, and want to go first-class, the Azteca II is available through yacht brokerage Worldwide Boat. This slick 163-foot yacht has six staterooms and holds six guests. The tab: $220,000 for a week. “It’s like a five-star vacation rental on the water,” yacht broker Kim Daubner said. “It comes with a crew. And a wonderful chef. You’d love it.”
Interest in foot-powered adventures has increased since the pandemic began. Here’s what companies are doing to keep walkers safe.
Hope to spend a bit less? Another yacht, the 92-foot Kukureka, accommodates 12 guests in five cabins and is available from Worldwide Boat for $60,000 a week. Charter it to sail the waters off the Sea of Cortez in the La Paz area.
But back to those L.A. to Baja big-ship cruises. Sailings remain on pause at least through mid-September. Also a CDC no-sail order for U.S. ports remains in effect until October.
Sign up for The Wild
We’ll help you find the best places to hike, bike and run, as well as the perfect silent spots for meditation and yoga.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
