Cruising the Cactus Coast- Explorer Chick Style
Hola Explorer Chicas!
Explorer Chick Guide Lauren here, and I want to take a sec to share just what made Explorer Chick’s 2019 Baja Out to Sea Adventure so unforgettable. This adventure was so different from our land-based trips, and with that uniqueness comes some huge perks! So here, in no particular order, are my top 5 favorite things about this trip:
1. We were not tourists- we were explorers
Taxis? No thanks. Tour buses? Gross. Waiting with everyone else to hop onto public transit? Not on this trip! After surf lessons in Cerritos and lunch in Todos Santos, our Explorer Chicks were ready to head towards the path less taken. We climbed aboard our own private 50 ft boat in La Paz and left popular, touristy Mexico behind. For six days we hopped from bay to bay, exploring coral reefs, uninhabited islands, learning how to SCUBA, freediving, kayaking, and swimming with the biggest shark in the sea. After we disembarked, we jumped into the back of a pickup truck and drove deep into the highest mountains of Baja to camp for our last night! While we may have missed out onSeñor Frogs and the Cabo nightlife, our Explorer Chicks wouldn’t have traded the peaceful sunsets alone on the Sea of Cortez for anything.
2. We’re going to be like weird cousins by the end of this
This is HUGE, especially for women travelling solo. Our adventure had six Explorer Chicks, and three crew- so we became family FAST. Explorer Chick Adventure Co. takes an incredible amount of time researching destinations and experiences to curate the BEST of the BEST for our Explorer Chicks, and it shows. The captain and crew on our floating home away from home were unforgettable, and they helped us have the best aquatic adventure we would ask for.
3. Desert cliffs & Turquoise seas – All to ourselves
When you think of travelling by boat, you most likely imagine massive, multi-level ships, where you spend most of your time crowded on board. But our adventure cruise was mainly all on our own- outside of our six Explorer Chicks, there were only 3 crew members on board our 50 ft floating home. And with being on such a small ship, we were able to stop at every bay that caught our eye, kayak whenever we wanted, jump into the sea at night to play in the bioluminescence, hop off onto the panga to take a booze-cruise around the inlets, and make sure that we anchored each night completely alone (so no one could hear our late night top deck karaoke!).
There is so much to else to do like surfing, snorkeling, and swimming with whale sharks in La Paz. Plus, the islets of the Sea of Cortez are considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site so you know there is plenty of great diving sites there and around Mexico.
4. If you know us, you know we like to eat
If you’re like me, you’ve probably added destinations to your bucket list just to sample the food. “Authentic cuisine” and “boat” don’t typically go together, but adventure cruising with Explorer Chick is totally different. Not only did our onboard hosts cook us incredible meals from scratch (in a 4ft kitchen!), we were also able to catch our dinner straight from the sea! Explorer Chick Emily learned how to fish Mexican-style, and we had fresh triggerfish ceviche for dinner on our second night at sea. Thanks Emily and Elias! (Catherine! Can we eat it?!)
Once we hopped off of our boat, you know the incredible food didn’t end! We were treated to delicious enchiladas (a family recipe passed down by her mom, our host told us) as we camped high in the Sierra de la Lagunas on our last night, sipping on margaritas made with the biggest, sweetest grapefruit (plucked straight from a tree!).
5. Sisterhood
These 6 Explorer Chicks bonded instantly through heartfelt conversations held on the bow of a boat, on the beach, in kayaks, and in hot springs after dark. Together they saw the very best the Cacti Coast has to offer, from uninhabited islands to the tallest peaks in Baja- and they walked away with new friends for life. THAT is the power of Explorer Chick.
