Connect With Nature

Enjoy all of the ecotourism activities Los Cabos has to offer

With the rise of ecotourism around the world, Los Cabos is fast becoming a key location for this brand of ecologically conscious, nature-oriented way of recreation. The splendid beauty of Los Cabos — with its desert, mountain and marine habitats — invites us to slow down and marvel at the very things that make it unique, in an unobtrusive and responsible manner. Forget about living the fast life for a few hours and become one with nature. It's time to go green.

Kayaking
Experience Los Cabos' inviting turquoise playground via kayak. Unfathomable scenery is omnipresent paddling across the shallow, crystal-clear waters of the ecologically diverse San José estuary, bustling with diverse aquatic life, all the while serenaded by the songs of any of the 250 species of birds that call the estuary home. Palmilla Bay in the San José Bay are frequent destinations filled with the scenic ecological majesty of the Baja coastline. One spectacular option for kayakers is to hit "Los Chopitos" a magnificent area of the bay containing shallow, vibrant coral bars where you can get an eye-to-eye view of the coral ecosystem.

Turtle Love
Cabo is also turtle-friendly. Noted as one of Cabo's most environmentally friendly resorts, Casa del Mar Beach Golf & Spa Resort has the distinction of being a government-designated protected sea turtle hatching ground, only one of three locations in Cabo to earn the honor. Guests of the resort are treated to a rare and delightful spectacle each year as five types of turtles — loggerhead, black, leatherback, olive ridley and hawksbill — nest and hatch between the months of June and December. Casa del Mar offers special "Turtle Rates" to guests from August through December and offers an extraordinary opportunity for resort guests to observe these singular creatures in their natural habitat. Resort guests can watch adult turtles lay their eggs, observe the hatched turtles in their holding corral, and handle the baby turtles in a supervised setting. They can even personally release them from the resort's pristine beach into the sparkling Sea of Cortés. Casa del Mar released 1,188 live baby turtles from their hatching ground in 2006, and the number is expected to double in 2007.

Swimming With Dolphins
It's time to live your childhood dreams. Remember Flipper? Well, meet his cousins — Ende, Toulouse, Merian, Frida, Renoir, Monet and Dali — seven beautiful and personable bottlenose dolphins at Cabo Dolphins. The fairy-tale realm of free swimming and interacting with the marine mammals is one mind-blowing experience. Cabo Dolphins is a world-class facility designed by prominent global architect Enrique Norten. The complex opened its doors in 2005 with a carefully constructed, self-contained, enclosed aquarium tank for the gregarious mammals. At a cost of $165, participants can enjoy a 30-minute swim guided by an instructor. During this time, you can swim freely with the dolphins and enjoy close-up interaction complete with dolphin kisses, fin shakes and water rides. Pick up a stuffed animal dolphin, souvenirs or even digital photos and streaming video of your experience with the wonderful creatures. No doubt, after communicating with the magnificent mammals, Dr. Doolittle will have nothing on you.

Eco-Hiking
Plodding one foot in front of the other, the Cabo landscape offers beauty at its most ethereal level through hiking. Desert Park, the gateway to the 50,000-acre Cabo Real Ecological Preserve, is filled with treasures such as hidden desert oases with unusual breathtaking waterfalls, myriad colorful birdlife and dazzling roadside flowers. The Sierra de la Laguna mountains are a designated Biosphere Reserve, given that over the centuries its flora and fauna have evolved endemic characteristics that exist nowhere else primarily due to their relative isolation. El Picacho at 6,507 feet is one of Laguna's highest peaks that overlooks the unusual Laguna, a peaceful and 1.5-mile-long meadow located at 5,600 feet. From the vantage, you can lay your eyes on emerald pools, massive rock formations and incredible unspoiled desert scenery.

Another spectacular spot to hike is in the Indian cave paintings at San Francisco de la Sierra. Dramatic earth-tone depictions of man and animal clenched in hunting battles adorn the walls of the caves. Scholars believe that the paintings were used as "hunting magic," as game would be driven to the painted caves where they then would be killed or eaten. Walking amidst the artwork, you can get a real feel for the soul of Los Cabos set 10,000 years ago.

Natural adventure abounds in Los Cabos and you'll find there is no lack of ecologically based sojourns available to the visitor. Take a deep breath, open your eyes and step outside to enjoy Los Cabos' natural beauty.

Why is Cabo so much fun? There is so much to do! Click here for a list of dive, watersports, fishing and tour operators. You'll also find links to Cabo's world class golf courses, spas, adventure tours, horseback riding, wedding coordinators and cruises.