The First of Its Kind

By Cecilia Escribano

SunRider Tours, a pioneer business in Los Cabos that offers boat tours around the Sea of Cortés and the Pacific Ocean with meals on board, recently introduced the SunRider 100, a 100-foot catamaran that boasts green technology.

Mario Villa-Michel has always worked in maritime affairs. Yolanda Cortés is a maritime lawyer and Mario's wife. For 15 years now they've been running SunRider Tours — a pioneer business in Los Cabos that offers boat tours around the Sea of Cortés and the Pacific Ocean with meals on board.

Lovestruck with Baja California and staunch defenders of its ecosystem, three years ago the couple founded Baja Building Boat in La Paz, a shipyard building catamarans for export. SunRider 100, a 100-foot catamaran able to accommodate 260 people and boasting green technology, was born there. The catamaran was built with a compound of PVC, fiberglass and resin, and with no harmful emissions by using a composite technique called vacuum bagging "resin infusion." This is the first ship of its kind built in Mexico.

Industrious and aware of the tourism needs of the region, this couple maintains a pioneering spirit. They just opened SunRider Tours in La Paz to offer tours with meals included to Espíritu Santo Island aboard Adventure, a recently remodeled 100-foot catamaran.

Cortés — who also serves as president of the Cabo San Lucas' Flora and Fauna Protection Council — says that they try to set themselves apart from the rest of the whale-watching, snorkeling and sunset tours in the area by offering personalized service customized to the needs of each client. SunRider 100 is equipped with high-tech tools such as projectors and sound and lighting systems for weddings, presentations and other events.

With employees trained in first aid, whale-watching and each one of the services they offer, the company has everything under control. Villa-Michel is in charge of boatbuilding, and Cortés is in charge of administration. They've created a great team both personally and professionally in order to operate two successful Baja California businesses — offering excellent service and, more importantly, preserving the region's rich and awe-inspiring ecosystem.

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