Here is our Sea of Cortez map that accompanies this post. It has a typical mega cruise route and boutique cruise route, including port of calls and shore excursion options.
Many Baja Mexico cruises start at Cabo San Lucas, with its massive cruise port and the Los Cabos International Airport. The flights are reasonable, too, with direct round trip tickets from several US cities costing less than $200 and taking less than 3 hours in the air
Like our Baja UnCruise, boutique cruises utilize Cabo’s well-developed infrastructure differently than mega cruises. They have partnered with the Barceló Grand Faro Los Cabos, an all-inclusive beach resort,
Do you remember that “Cruise Triangle ” between Cabo, Mazatlán, and Puerto Vallarta? Here’s the rub. Two of those three ports (Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta) aren’t in the Gulf of Mexico or the Baja at all.
Puerto Vallarta, or PV for short, was a sleepy village until American tourists discovered how beautiful it was. Even though its bay, Bahia Banderas, is one of the largest bays on the Pacific Coast, the port up the coast in San Blas handled the majority of the traffic because of overland routes to Guadalajara.
La Paz is a much less frequented destination for mega cruises than the “Cruise Triangle.” It saw 21 cruise ships arrive during 2022, which is fewer than dock in Cabo San Lucas every month! However, that will soon change as the newly expanded Pichilingue Cruise Port gains popularity.
One of the biggest draws for the archipelago is a sea lion nursery on Los Islotes dubbed La Lobera, the Wolf’s Den. This area can be reached by small boats leaving from the cruise port, but that shore excursion isn’t currently offered on mega ships. Boutique cruises sail out from La Paz and explore the archipelago for a day or two.
Isla San Francisco is about 20 miles NW of the Espiritu Santo Archipelago. It’s a popular destination for small boats because of its crescent-shaped bay on its southern tip that forms a natural anchorage called Half Moon Bay. Populer activities include snorkeling, kayaking, and SUPing, and exploring the mile-long beach. Be sure to take the hike to the Mirador de la Isla San Francisco overlook!
Bahia Agua Verde is the next port of call up the coast for boutique Sea of Cortez cruises. It’s a cherished stop for UnCruise because of their close relationship with the Romero family, local rancheros who bring their mules down to Agua Verde for guided trail rides. Other highlights include paddling the bay to Roca Solitaria, a rock pillar that “guards” the entrance to the bay and home to many blue-footed b00bies.
Puerto Escondido is another iconic stop for boutique Baja adventure cruises. It’s the launch point for an epic overland adventure to the gray whale birthing lagoons. Eastern Gray Whales travel over 2,500 miles yearly to one of three birthing lagoons on the Baja’s pacific coast for the winter.
Whale-watching tours in these lagoons differ from anything else you’ve ever experienced!
Traditional mega cruises travel farther and faster with highly curated and synthesized shore excursions. Boutique cruises stay closer to shore and travel through the protected islands and coastlines. If you love adventure and desire a deeper experience, you’d want to travel less and see more on a small-ship adventure cruise.