All about Pura Aventura's Handpicked holidays.

Whales, Kayaks & Copper Canyon holiday

Active Mexico: Whales, Kayaks & Copper Canyon

One of the great adventure holiday destinations: northern Mexico. Sea kayak around the wildlife rich waters of the Sea of Cortez. Get close to the Grey Whales in their nursery waters off the Baja California. Ride the rain into the heights of the Sierra Tarahumara. Hike into the depths of the Copper Canyon, amongst the most dramatic canyon scenery in the world.

Whales, Kayaks & Copper Canyon at a glance

Sea of Cortez – Baja California – Copper Canyon – swim with sea lions – kayak amidst dolphins – relax on virgin beaches – get close to grey whales – train ride into the Sierra Madre – hike through a canyon – enjoy cultural interaction – comfortable lodges – expert guides – small groups

Grey whales get close in their nursery waters of Bahia Magdalena off Mexico's Baja California | © Journey Mexico

Combine wilderness hiking, wildlife rich sea-kayaking and whale watching in one incredible holiday.

Kayak, snorkel and swim the clear, warm waters of the Baja California whilst camping on pristine beaches.

Meet Grey Whales in their Pacific breeding grounds as expert locals take you out in small boats.

Enjoy one of the world’s great scenic train rides from the sub-tropical lowlands into the high sierra.

Hike through the stunning, untouched wilderness of the Copper Canyon.

This Pura Handpicked holiday is graded Standard comfort and Moderate for activity.

show | hide the itinerary Whales, Kayaks & Copper Canyon itinerary

The full holiday itinerary for Pura’s Kayak, Whales and Copper Canyon adventure holiday to Mexico.

Day 1

Mexico, La Paz

Arrive and relax

Arrive in the city of La Paz on the tip of the Baja California in the north west of Mexico. Please note that international flights for this holiday are quoted separately.

Day 2

Mexico, Baja California

Sea kayak the Sea of Cortez

Start your day with a boat ride to the beautiful island of Espiritu Santo. Enjoy lunch on the beach before heading out in the afternoon to start sea kayaking.

Sea kayaking off the lovely coastline of Mexico's Sea of Cortez

Day 3

Mexico, Baja California

Look for wildlife

The turquoise waters are not only beautiful but allow you to really enjoy today’s kayaking amidst dolphins, sea lions and even, sometimes, Grey and Blue whales.

Day 4

Mexico, Baja California

Sea kayak around islands

Spend today kayaking the coves around the island. Sea birds nest all around the island. Return to camp, relax or swim while dinner is prepared.

Day 5

Mexico, La Paz

Swim with sea lions

Morning trip to a nearby island where you can swim and snorkel with playful sea lions. Head back to your camp for lunch and then load up the boat to return to La Paz.

Day 6

Mexico, La Paz

Day to relax

A day to relax, stroll around and enjoy the town. Your hotel was formerly the town’s courthouse. It’s located in a quiet and secluded spot in central downtown La Paz.

Day 7

Mexico, Bahia Magdalena

Whale watching

Drive to a small fishing village from where you launch into the Bay of Magdalena in a small motor boat to see the nursery waters of Grey whales.

Day 8

Mexico, La Paz

Whale watching

Get back into the boats this morning to spend more time with the whales. On many occasions, the whales swim alongside the boat so close that you can reach out and touch them. Return to La Paz this afternoon.

Day 9

Mexico, Copper Canyon

Cross to the mainland

Morning to relax in La Paz before setting off for the mainland by ferry. On arrival you are collected for the drive across to the village of El Fuerte.

Stay in colourful colonial hotels throughout your time in Mexico

Day 10

Mexico, Copper Canyon

Travel to the canyon

Catch the early morning train into the Copper Canyon, one of the most spectacular and beautiful routes in the world. Get off the train at the top of the canyon and then enjoy a spectacular transfer down into the base of the deepst canyon.

Day 11

Mexico, Copper Canyon

Walk down into the Canyon

Your route over the next four days takes you from the high pine-clad edges of the canyonlands at around 2,500m down to sub-tropical depths of Urique at just 600m above sea level.

Looking out over the Copper Canyon in northern Mexico

Day 12

Mexico, Copper Canyon

Walk along a ridge

Walk down to the Urique Canyon and onto a ridge which leads you towards the main Copper Canyon. The views along this section are stunning.

Relaxing on the rim of the massive Copper Canyon in northern Mexico

Day 13

Mexico, Copper Canyon

Walk on Tarahumara paths

Walk on Tarahumara pathways today as the trail brings you out into the depths of the Urique Canyon. Today you drop down a long way so the vegetation, and temperature, changes drastically.

Your walk into Mexico's Copper Canyon supported by a team of muleteers.

Day 14

Mexico, Copper Canyon

Walk to the deepest canyon

The last day of the hike is a relatively short one as you drop down the last of the climate zones to reach the banks of the Urique River at just 600m above sea level.

Day 15

Mexico, Copper Canyon

Travel to Creel

Take time to relax this morning as your road journey today is less than two hours.Make your way across the high sierra to the bustling small town of Creel stopping along the way to see the area.

Day 16

Mexico, Copper Canyon

Travel to Chihuahua

After a morning exploring this fascinating small town, drive to Chihuahua for a night amidst the bright lights of this big city. Enjoy a farewell fiesta.

Day 17

Mexico, Copper Canyon

Travel home

Transfer to airport for your flight home. Please note that flights for this holiday are quoted separately.

See a full detailed itinerary in PDF format

Whales, Kayaks & Copper Canyon picture gallery

Grey whales get close in their nursery waters of Bahia Magdalena off Mexico's Baja California | © Journey Mexico

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show | hide more quotes Client quotes

"I just wanted to say what a wonderful holiday/adventure/experience I've had in Mexico. It lived up to expectations and more! Congratulations on the organisation (everyone who was meant to be in a certain place at a certain time was!). Thank you also for all your kind attention. I wouldn't hesitate to use your company again, especially with a view to its eco-friendly approach."

Lyn G | Whales, Kayaks & Copper Canyon | 2007

"A once in a lifetime experience. It was like having 3 holidays in one, each week was memorable. I am a 59 year old woman travelling with no foreign language, yet I was collected on time by extremely friendly and helpful locals. Thank you for a superb holiday."

Connie B | Whales, Kayaks & Copper Canyon

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Map of Mexico showing the Copper Canyon Baja California adventure holiday.

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show | hide dates & prices Dates and prices

This holiday is a small group holiday leaving on set dates between January and March.

What's included

Accommodation (twin/double); guiding as per itinerary; private transport throughout; porters in the Copper Canyon;
train and ferry tickets; all activities mentioned; all kayak and camping equipment (except sleeping bags); meals (b,l,d) as per itinerary.

Flights

Flights are quoted separately for this holiday (guide price £700 – £900 depending on season). You can book these directly or we can book them on your behalf.

Notes

Not included: flights; tips; personal expenses; single room supplement of £350.

If you are a solo traveler and want to share we will endeavor to arrange this. However if numbers do not allow then the single supplement is payable.

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show | hide more Further information

Learn more about what to expect on this holiday including group size, when to go and how comfortable you can expect to be.

When should I go?
Baja California Expect day time temperatures 16-32°C with nights on the beaches dropping 4-10°C.
Copper Canyon daytime temperatures 16-32°C; nights 4-10°C in the Sierra Madre. In the high canyon regions temperatures can drop below freezing at night.

How active?
Several days’ sea kayaking, swimming and snorkeling.This is followed by whale watching from small boats.

The four-day hike into the Copper Canyon involves several consecutive full days of hiking in a very remote area.

Whilst no experience is necessary for the sea kayaking, you should be walking fit to enjoy the latter part of this holiday. There are some steep ascents and walking on scree can make the terrain challenging in parts.

This is an active trip from beginning to end and you and you might consider adding a couple of days to relax at the end.

In all, there is quite a lot of travel involved for this holiday. Vehicle transfers are generally under an hour – the exceptions being days 14 (two hours on dirt road) and day 16 (three hours on tarmac).

How comfortable?
Comfortable, characterful hotels. Some camping. Dining tent and camp toilet are provided. You are expected to help pitch tents.

Mules carry the load while you walk in the Copper Canyon but you carry your lunch and water.

How independent?
Guided small group (4 min; 12 max). You may be with one group for kayaking and another for the hiking section of the holiday.

Who is it for?
Groups tend to be made up of a fairly even mixture of singles and couples or friends.

North Americans make up about half of the clients on this trip, the balance being from the UK and sometimes other parts of Europe. English is the lingua franca.

How responsible?
Pura Aventura is passionate about the places it visits. To help preserve the integrity of these destinations we:

• Keep groups small to minimise environmental impact.
• Work directly with local businesses and organisations to directly benefit local economies. We use small, locally owned hotels and restaurants. We know the owners except in the large cities.
• Work with local guides so that our holidays are more interesting for clients and more beneficial locally.
• Make payment to suppliers before our clients arrive.

We also administer a carbon offset scheme to compensate for the impact of your flights.

We are careful to observe environmental regulations, working only with licensed cooperatives that have trained boat drivers. This in turn helps support local fishermen and their families.