Money & Gratuity

For traveling to Baja and while in town

Current passport
Credit / ATM card (Visa, Master Card and occasionally American Express are accepted by most larger restaurants and shops but not by the smaller ones.)
Cash
Multiple face masks or coverings and hand sanitizer

The amount of cash you bring is subject to how much you plan to spend. Expenditures may include rental gear requested for your trip with our office, shopping for gifts, meals in town, services in town and for tipping the crew of your trip*. Travelers checks are NOT recommended as they are difficult to cash. We recommend bringing a minimum of AT LEAST $300 cash. Please keep in mind you might want to bring twice that much if you are on a kayak trip and plan to generously tip your crew as well as spend money on equipment rentals at our office, meals, drinks and souvenirs in town. ATM’s are available in both La Paz and Loreto. The ATM’s will give you pesos and at time can be unreliable. Many shops and restaurants accept US dollars but this can vary depending on where you are. Once in La Paz or Loreto you may want some pesos for purchases around town. You can change your dollars into pesos at the airport and banks (closed on weekends and holidays). Please note, no more than $300/US can be changed into pesos per month at the banks.

You may also want to bring some nice clothes you can leave behind in a bag in our storage room while on your trip that you can wear upon returning to town. For cooler months (Dec-Feb) we suggest long pants and long-sleeved shirts. During the warmer months (Oct, Nov, March-May) we recommend shorts and short-sleeved shirts or casual skirts or dresses.

Gratuity

Many people ask, “should I tip the crew and how much?” Tipping is voluntary and any amount you leave is greatly appreciated! However, the main comment we receive from guests at the end of their trip is, “Oh, I wish I had brought more cash to tip the crew”. Therefore, we HIGHLY recommend you budget for this and bring enough cash for leaving a generous tip. If you are unsatistfied with the service take the money home with you. More likely you will want to leave your crew a generous tip showing appreciation for an excellent job. Just like restaurants this ranges from about 10-20% of the trip cost depending on how satisfied you are. Therefore, on a $1,500 trip that is $150-300 which is standard in the adventure travel industry. Gratuities should be given to the head guide of the trip on the last night at camp so bring this cash with you on the trip. This head guide will then pool the money from all guests on the trip and distribute it among ALL guides and staff evenly. If you do choose to leave a tip, please leave cash in either pesos or US dollars. No travelers checks, personal checks or credit cards can be accepted as tips. One last note, if you participate on a Best of Baja trip in which you’ve spent time at two of our camps and received service from two different crews you can still leave one tip on the last night at camp and the head guide will divide it according to the number of days spent in each camp and among all crew.

Suggested Packing List

Luggage

Dry bags are NOT necessary. Soft duffle type bags work best for your gear and PACK LIGHT! We prefer not to overload our boats with lots of excess baggage. Bring only what you will use. For example bring a small to mid-sized duffle (approximately 14x14x24inches (35x35x60cm) for clothing and personal items. If bringing your own sleeping bag, you may want to combine it into one larger duffle approximately 18x18x35inches (45x45x90cm). Plus you will want to bring a day-pack for extra clothing, water bottle, sunscreen and camera to have with you daily – details below.

Snorkel gear and a wetsuit is another bag you may have while on the trip. We provide a mesh bag for this gear if you rent from us.

Clothing

Broad brim sun hat with strap and/or visor, baseball cap and/or buff for sun protection
T-shirts/rash guard/synthetic short sleeved shirts
Shorts (quick dry are best)
Long sleeve shirt
Fleece jacket or sweater
Waterproof windbreaker/rain jacket with hood – mostly used to keep dry on boat rides when windy and the water is rough with boat spray entering the boat
Swimsuit(s)
Lightweight long pants
Socks – Bring an extra pair that can get some sand in them to put on your feet while sleeping at whale camp to keep the sand out of your sleeping bag.
Sneakers or lightweight day-hiker boots
Water sandals OR aqua shoes – This is a personal preference. Sand and small pebbles will get into whatever shoe you wear. Sand in aqua shoes and semi-closed water shoes is difficult to remove and your feet remain wet inside so most of us prefer open water/river sandals like Teva’s, Chaco’s or Keen’s (with no siding). When worn loosely sand and pebbles are easily removed by rinsing your feet in the sea.
Casual town clothes – can leave behind at our hotel in La Paz for something clean to wear upon returning to town
Sarong or sundress (for the warmer months of October, November, March, April and May) to wear at camp or in town
**Mid-weight long underwear or warm pants – see below
**Warm hat and light weight fleece gloves for evenings – see below
**Rainpants – see below

** Please note the weather in Baja varies greatly from month to month. **These double asterisk items are recommended for trips taking place mid-winter, from December through early-March. Keep in mind the weather in Baja can be VERY unpredictable. We prefer you have enough warm clothes (but may never use them) to keep warm IF the weather turns unseasonably cool on your particular trip. This can occur in March, April and November although these months normally present a milder, warmer climate. October and May are most certainly the warmest months of our kayak season and warm clothes (warm hat, fleece, long underwear, rain pants) are usually NOT necessary during these months – Note: Synthetic fabrics (ie. polar fleece & capilene) not cotton are best for keeping warm in wet environments.

Miscellaneous

Sunglasses with strap
Day back or fanny pack and/or dry bag for kayaking, hiking and snorkeling to store dry clothes and towel in the boat. Keep in mind gear in our boats tends to get wet. A water proof style backpack/dry bag is ideal as it can be used for hiking, kayaking AND snorkeling. Or you can bring a regular day pack for hiking and use large zip-lock bags for keeping items inside dry when using it for snorkeling or kayaking excursions.
Water bottle x 2 so you can always have one in the cooler
Bandana for using as sun protection or to get the sand off your feet before getting into your sleeping bag
Small beach towel
Toiletries
Flashlight/headlamp
Reef Friendly Sunscreen (ie Stream2Sea. Sunscreens containing oxybenzone, Octinoxate, or octocrylene kill corals in even tiny doses. These harmful sun creams include Neutrogena, Aveeno, Banana Boat, Coppertone, and Hawaiian Tropic, among others). Check the ingredients and respect Baja’s corals and new government regulations.
Lip balm with sunscreen
Ziploc bags for personal garbage in tents
Earplugs in case of snoring neighbors and wind flapping tents and/or city noise in La Paz
Biodegradable soap/shampoo for salt water (Campsuds, Joy or Dawn work great)
Multiple face masks or coverings and hand sanitizer (while not required, masks are still recommended to stay healthy on planes and in crowded areas). We can not allow you to participate if you have Covid, see policies on Reservation Form.

Equipment – available to rent from us OR bring your own. For prices https://www.kayakbaja.com/what-to-bring/#gear-for-rent

-Snorkel gear (mask, snorkel & fins) for Sea of Cortez trips ONLY. NOT necessary at whale camp in Magdalena Bay.
-Wet suit (for snorkeling on Sea of Cortez trips from late Nov-May – NOT for paddling). Most our wetsuits are 3mm thick, long-sleeved, short pants with a front zipper. If you tend to get cold easy you should bring your own 4mm-plus full wetsuit OR bring a fleece lined skin to wear under our wetsuit.
-Sleeping bag. We rent summer weight sleeping bags, professionally laundered between each guest, and includes a light sheet to cover the included sleeping pad.

Optional

-Kayak seat pad. A kayak seat pad can add a great deal of comfort to your paddling experience, especially on extended paddling trips such as the Baja Coast & Islands. If you are less that 5’3″ tall, you may want a thick kayak seat pad to elevate you in your seat while paddling for extra comfort.
-Small dry bag approximately 10×20 liters or 10″ wide x 20″ high for your small personal items that you want to keep handy, such as camera, binoculars or extra clothes while paddling.
-Paddling gloves. Some people use these to protect their hands, especially on our longer kayak trips.
-Super light weight slippers can be very handy especially at whale camp when walking to the toilet at night so you don’t get your feet sandy.
-Underwater flashlight. On our fall trips in October and early November, when the water is the warmest, we sometimes offer a night snorkel outing to observe the nocturnal creatures of the sea. If you are interested, bring an underwater flashlight with fully charged batteries.
-Extra snacks. Although we provide plenty of food and some snacks, you are welcome to bring along a few of your own favorite snacks.
-Camera. Don’t forget your camera (and if NOT waterproof some sort of waterproof case) with plenty of memory and extra batteries or charging unit.
-Phone charging brick. We have limited ability to charge devices at camp or on the boats using standard 110v plugs. These are available on a shared and limited basis in the day time only. It is likely preferable for you to bring your own brick so you can recharge your phone / camera when you need or at night. Be sure to keep your phone on airplane mode to conserve battery.
-Binoculars for bird watching (not necessary for whale watching).
-Pocket knife (must be packed in checked luggage, not carry-on).
-Reading materials
-Insect repellent which may be essential during the months of October and November following the rainy season.
-Diving Skin. During the warmer months of October, November, late April and May when the water is warm and you don’t want to use a wetsuit for snorkeling you may want to bring light weight long sleeved shirts and pants (quick-dry, light weight rash guard, capilene or merino wool work well) or a lycra skin to snorkel in for sun protection and possible “stingy things” in the water. These can also be used under wetsuits for added insulation during cooler months.
–Neoprene / nylon socks to wear with rented fins. Any thin, tight fitting, quick dry material will do to prevent chafing from the fins. A bootie with a sole does NOT work.

Personal Gear for Rent in La Paz

Personal Gear for Rent

Sleeping bags, wetsuits and snorkeling gear may be rented in Baja. Costs per trip are:

Sleeping bag $20
Snorkel gear (mask, snorkel and fins) $15
Mask, snorkel or fins separately $10
Wetsuit $15

Note: Wetsuits are highly recommended for trips in late November through May. The wetsuits we rent are 3mm thick, long-sleeved, with short pants and a zipper up the front. If you tend to get cold easily, we recommend you bring a thicker and/or long sleeved wetsuit during December, January and February. There is no snorkeling at Magdalena Bay. Therefore the only rental to consider for Magdalena Bay is a sleeping bag.

Payment for rentals will be collected in Baja prior to your trip departure. Cash is preferred.

Important Note for Baja Coast Trips: Since the Baja Coast trip originates in Loreto, the PFDs and rental gear must be brought up from our La Paz office. Therefore, you must provide your accurate size on the trip application form so we can assure a good fit for your PFD and wetsuit and snorkel gear if you requested them.

For all trips originating in La Paz, we will fit you with your rental gear the morning of your trip departure here at our office.

Fishing Information

We offer fishing as a side activity on both our Sea of Cortez kayaking trips and Magdalena Bay whale watching trips. If you want to fish, please come prepared with your own lures for trolling or spoons for spin casting. Medium to small, minnow-type, sinking lures are suggested such as a Rebel jointed Fastrac or mid size Rapala Magnums (4.5 to 5 inches or 9-12cm in length). Suggested colors include: blue/silver, black/silver, black/gold, green mackerel/gold or blue mackerel/silver. We carry a few of these in our small store at the La Paz office should you need some at the last minute.

Sea of Cortez Kayaking Trips: We supply 2 rods and reels for trolling. The most successful fishing on our kayak trips is done by trolling behind a motorized skiff (two rods at a time) for up to an hour before breakfast on certain mornings. On trips to Espiritu Santo Island only, we sometimes go fishing in the evenings as well. Another option for fishing on any trip is spin casting or fly fishing from shore or your kayak. You must provide your own spinning rod, reel and spoons (silver are best). When fishing from a kayak you must always be within view of camp.

Magdalena Bay Whale Watching Trips: Fishing from our whale watching camp can be done using a fly or spinning rod (you must bring your own) from shore. If interested you may be able to hire a local fisherman and boat (at your own expense) from Lopez Mateos to take you fishing in the mangroves. You can arrange this with our guides once at camp.

The best fishing season in the Sea of Cortez is summer through fall. Therefore, the best months for fishing on our sea kayak trips are October and November. Typical catches during these months include tuna, dorado and sea bass. During winter months sierra mackerel are commonly caught. Spring provides varied options for catching a variety of fish depending on where you are and what lures you use.

Any fish you catch can either be released OR brought to camp for our talented staff to prepare and serve as a tasty Mexican style appetizer or meal.

IMPORTANT! FISHING PERMIT INFORMATION

Fishing permits are required for anyone 13 years or older who plans to fish during our trips. This includes fishing from either our motorized skiff, kayak or shore.

You can purchase your fishing license/permit on line at your home in advance by going to the website below OR at our La Paz office with the assistance of our staff upon your arrival in Baja. Licenses are sold by the day only and cost about $12-13/person/day (depending on the exchange rate of dollars to pesos). Keep in mind you will not fish the first and last day of a trip. For example if you booked a trip to Espiritu Santo Island and the dates are Dec 15-21, the first and last days (Dec 15 and 21) are arrival and departure days to and from La Paz.

https://www.sportfishingbcs.gob.mx/