In 2018, I received the opportunity to go on a press trip to Mexico with a few other journalists for 5 days.
Prior to this excursion, I had been to Mexico three times, twice on family vacations when I was a kid, then once more during my junior year in college for a missions trip. I worked at an orphanage, delousing children and helping around the facility, as well as painting at a park.
However, this trip was different.
We spent the week being spoiled, eating good food and partaking in incredible activities. We swam with whale sharks, snorkeled, went paddle boarding and on a bike tour and ate an absurd amount of food.
Let’s Explore:
To kick off the trip, we went snorkeling off the Isla del Espiritu Santo an incredible nature preserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Isla del Espiritu Santo is about an hour boat ride from La Paz itself, the ride to the island features views of the La Paz shoreline, Balandra beach, and the Sea of Cortez. Our tour and boat to the island was with Tuna Tuna Tours, and I had the best time. First, we stopped at a bird reserve, to look at the Frigate, a red-chested seabird that lives in tropical areas. Paulo, our guide, gave us a history of the birds in La Paz and informed us that mangrove area in which they were resting is a protected site meant to be a safe haven for the birds.
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We continued our ride stopping to check out the sea turtles. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to snap any photos of the turtles but we did get to see them! You could hear the turtles come up for air and take giant gulps before disappearing below the waves. When they breathe it sounds like old men gasping for breath.
Finally, we made it to the snorkeling spot, Isla Los Islotes. Several boats were anchored around a small island of rocks where sea lions lounged and barked. We took a quick turn around the small island, learning about the sea lions and observing them as they sunbathed above water, before dropping anchor and getting on our gear.
The water was warm and so blue and clear it felt like the bottom was just underfoot even though it was deeper than I’d like to imagine. We took some time swimming around the reefs, listening to the coral crackle and snap below us before heading to a cave where the baby sea lions liked to swim.
The baby sea lions were shy and as I moved in the cave struggling against the relentless current pushing us deeper, I caught one staring at me in a little alcove, wondering why I had swum into its home. I was 99 percent sure that one or all of us were going to get attacked by a scared sea lion, but it never happened. After observing for a bit we left the cave and swam back over the reefs, taking in the coral and fish one last time before boarding the boat. The area was abundant with fish in a rainbow of colors from bright pinks, yellow and blue to cool greens and tan.
Once we were loaded up we headed to the beach for lunch. We dried off in the warm Mexican sun as we rode to the beach, enjoying the view and each other’s company. Lunch was fresh ceviche and chips for everyone else, I enjoyed a sandwich –since I don’t eat seafood- and a beer. The beach was covered in white sand that led out into the calm turquoise waters that went on for miles. After lunch, we went snorkeling again, this time in another area full of fish and coral and stopped to see a few more highlights of the island.
The Mask. 
Sleeping, not dead sea lions.
The next day we hopped back on a boat with a different tour company for some paddle boarding. We were set to go on a leisurely paddle along the shore and into some mangroves to observe the wildlife. However, a hurricane had touched down in another part of Mexico and we were feeling the winds and tides pretty hard. We spent a good part of the morning battling waves. I fell into the water countless times before finally making it to the mangroves, which are so beautiful…until you run into them. We paddled against the current taking in all the gorgeous sea life and birds that call the mangroves home before coming to a large clearing where we could rest.
I really enjoyed paddle boarding and this was the first time I was able to get on a board since 2013 when I lived in Bass Lake, CA. The winds and ocean tide caused me to run into my fair share of mangroves, meaning I left with quite a few cuts and scrapes, but it was well worth it.
The last activity we did in the water was swimming with whale sharks. A dream of mine since I was a young girl was to swim with sharks, admittedly I still want to swim with Great Whites but this was equally as amazing. After a long debate on whether or not we had clearance to take a boat out and a week-long battle to find permits, we were able to hop on a boat and take the 15-minute ride to the Whale Shark swimming area.
We searched the seas for about two hours, staring out at the blue waters waiting and hoping for a whale shark to make an appearance before another boat radioed in that they had spotted one, within minutes 6 boats had descended upon the shark. Each with eager snorkelers waiting for their turn to swim.
We had some trouble with the permits and the Mexican Government Protection agency worked hard to make sure the sharks were safe, before giving us the okay to jump in the water. Per government regulations, only 6 people are allowed in the water at once and for 15 minutes but that’s all we needed.
Whale sharks are the biggest fish in the sea and the largest of the shark family, growing up to 40 feet and weighing in at 20.6 tons. They are astonishing creatures, but so, so gentle. Whale sharks are filter feeders and are no threat to humans, yet somehow, thanks to fishing they are on the endangered list.
It was an honestly magical experience, getting to bob around and swim next to this giant of the sea. The shark was calm through the whole experience ignoring us to feed on the abundant plankton in the area. I, however, was freaking out at just how INCREDIBLE of an experience it is.
Our last activity was a bike tour around the “magic town” of Todos Santos. After swimming with whale sharks and the most amazing lunch, we’ll get to food later, we joined Locomotion, a huge bar/bike tour around the city. On the tour, we made mojitos, guacamole, ate ice cream and went wine tasting.
Unfortunately, we missed the first part of the tour, but we were able to catch most of the excursion –much to my delight. Our first stop was wine tasting at a cute little bar on a hill. We enjoyed three large tasting glasses, receiving a light buzz before hopping on the bike and peddling and singing our way to the next stop. On our tour was a family of Americans and Canadians and we all had a blast singing along to the music blasting through the bike speakers.
My favorite stop along the tour was the one where I got to cook. We stopped at a restaurant, La Generala, where we took turns making food, I made guacamole as the rest of the team made pico and tortillas for a quick snack.
The rest of the tour included making mojitos at a rooftop bar, eating ice cream and of course…more singing.
Lets Dish:
We did A LOT of eating on this trip, and when I say a lot I mean it. At every meal, the chefs brought out plate after plate filled with seafood, veggies and chips. We drank more than we should have and had an all-around amazing time with food. I’d share every meal we ate but then we’d be here forever so I’ll go over my favorites.
La Casita. La Casita is a farm-to-table restaurant in Todos Santos, and it’s home to some incredible food. The chef and owner, Sergio, is a wonderful human who shared about his garden and what inspired the amazing food we would be eating. I sipped on a fresh passionfruit margarita while Sergio talked to us about the importance of food and “serving the soul, not the stomach”.
We started our meal with homemade pesto and bread and a mixed salad. The pesto is some of the best I’ve ever had, the basil came straight from Sergio’s garden and the olive oil was local. The salad was incredible with fresh bell peppers and tomatoes and a light housemade dressing. Most of the food we ate in Mexico centered around seafood, something I don’t eat, so Sergio was kind enough to bring me my own plate as everyone else chowed down on fresh Ahi Tuna and baked sea bass. He served me a plate of white rice with braised chicken and arugula, cilantro and other greens, drizzled with sesame oil. Overall the meal was outstanding!
Biskmarcito. Biskmarcito is a cute restaurant along the Malecon, the boardwalk that runs along the beach. Known for fish tacos and an absurd amount of seafood this is the place to be if you’d like a large meal with a view.
While everyone grubbed on fish tacos, shellfish and more I settled for an all veggie and rice plate and I was so pleased. My meal was great, and everyone looked on at my veggies with envy. The resturant had a great vibe, with views of the ocean and people walking by on the boardwalk you felt like you were still enjoying the sun on the beach. The food tasted fresh and full of flavor and made for an all around great dining experience.
Hote. After having dinner at NIM, where I had a truly tasty chicken mole and flan, we went to get street food. During dinner, I had been chatting with our guide, Ivan, and asked him what street food is popular around La Paz, he informed me it’s Hote and I told him, “great let’s get it!”
So the group of us finished our fancy meal at NIM and walked down the street to a cart and ordered Hote. Hote is like the classic “Dodger Dog” in Los Angeles. The ones that street vendors in LA sell after concerts and ball game; hot dogs wrapped in bacon and topped with grilled onions and peppers. Hote is similar it’s a grilled hot dog wrapped in bacon and topped with onions, tomatoes, mustard, ketchup and crema served in a soft bun. They’re messy but oh so tasty.
Damiana. Damiana is an herbal liquor that we drank a lot of while in Mexico. After nearly every meal we ordered a few damiana shots for the table to sip on and enjoy. Damiana is light in flavor and quite herbal as it comes from the leaves and stems of the Damiana plant, that grows in Baja California. It’s rumored to be an aphrodisiac as well as good at healing headaches and other ailments. Its sweet, so the herbal notes don’t quite hit you in the face. It is so, so good. I bought two little bottles at the airport to bring home and enjoy later.
Back to the states.
Eventually, I had to leave Mexico and come back to the states. The trip was amazing, I’ve never been on anything like it before. Thanks for joining me on my trip through memory lane. Happy New Year and remember, EXPLORE ON.
Cheers!
The Great Big Wonder 
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