Stand Up Paddleboard Yoga/Meditation
with Leigh Claxton
Date: March 30-April 5 (full),
April 20-26(full), April 27-May 3
Cost: $1450 includes: Sunrise meditation and SUP Yoga classes everyday with Leigh. All hotels, deliciously prepared meals, three professional guides, support boat, Marine Park fees, tents, snorkeling gear, wet suits.
SUP YOGA ITINERARY
Day 1
You will be greeted by the friendly folks from C&C Transport when you arrive at Loreto's airport. We load up into vans for the 15 minute drive to our hotel near Loreto's peaceful, palm-lined waterfront. Your specific rooms will be waiting for you. The afternoon and early evening are at your leisure to enjoy strolling the plaza around the historic mission, visiting the shops and small restaurants of the town, or perhaps just relaxing by the waterfront.
The Sea Trek staff will meet with you at 6:00pm at the hotel for a thorough orientation where any and all questions will be addressed.
Day 2
After a hearty breakfast at our favorite cafe, a van shuttles us to our launch site at Puerto Escondido. This natural harbor, Baja's largest, is 16 miles south of Loreto and located at the foot of the Sierra Giganta mountain range.
Depending on the weather conditions we will use either sea kayaks or Stand Up Paddleboards to make the 3 mile crossing to Danzante Island. There will be thorough instruction and the guides will address the safety considerations. We will easily pack our kayaks with just our personal gear and make the two mile crossing to Isla Danzante or if we are paddling the SUPS we will load all our gear in the skiff(aka panga). The panga also carries our kitchen setup, the group commissary, purified water, iced drinks, food coolers and even chairs.
Isla Danzante is a multi-coved island with jagged peaks that look like a dinosaurs back. From the island, off to the west you can see the rising peaks of the Sierra Giganta range and the coast to the south. It's not unusual for dolphins to pass by our cove in the mornings or to see some of the resident Fin whales.
Upon arrival, we can swim, snorkel and will have our SUP Yoga class to stretch and unwind from our paddle. Later there's the magic of Baja's nighttime sky so full of constellations.
Day 3
With the rising sun's orange rays lighting up the Gigantia Mountains and the water glassy calm and warm you can immerse yourself in a tranquil Yoga session on the boards. After breakfast we'll paddle along the south end of Danzante and up the east side before crossing the 4 miles to Isla Carmen. We often see pods of dolphins and whales when we cross.
Landing on the southwestern tip of the Carmen we set up camp on a beautiful white sand beach with views of Danzante, the mountainous Baja penninsula and distant islands. Pelicans, Terns, and Oyster Catchers stand viligently on the rocks in front of camp.
The afternoon schedule is flexible, offering another Yoga session, kayaking, SUPing, snorkeling, swimming, hiking or just relaxing with a book.
Day 4
After another sunrise SUP Yoga and meditation session we'll enjoy a delicious breakfast of Mexican eggs, tortillas, fresh fruit and brewed coffee we'll pack up for a day trip. Exploring the rugged east coast of Carmen, we land on a beach for an afternoon of snorkeling and sunbathing.
Back at camp, while your guides prepare a feast of yellowtail, herbed rice, mixed green salad and tortillas it's time to watch the sunset color changes on the rock faces of the Sierra de la Giganta range.
Day 5
After two nights on Isla Carmen we cross back over to Isla Danzante and a new camp site. We'll explore more of Danzante's shoreline and then set up camp surrounded by massive rock formations overlooking one of the Island's many tranquil coves.
Day 6
It's time to paddle to our final campsite at Punta Coyote as we cross back over to the Baja peninsula. The point itself is a rocky shoreline with monolithic boulders and the snorkeling here is excellent. Here we spend our last night under the stars and for those with an adventurous spirit we'll paddle out after dinner hoping for a light show of bioluminescence.
Day 7
There is still time for early one more sunrise meditation and SUP Yoga session on the glassy Sea as we watch the sun rise turning dawn into morning.
After breakfast we'll pack up and paddle to our take out at Puerto Escondido. We will say our goodbyes to the Sea of Cortez, change into our traveling clothes and repack into our suitcases for our flight home. Our van will drive us to the Loreto airport for the flight to Los Angeles, homeward-bound connections, and your next adventure.
Please note: The itinerary is subject to change.
Leigh Claxton has worked in the outdoor and indoor recreation industries for more than 20 years. Stand Up Paddle is a natural passion of hers. Having been raised in Southern CA, Leigh spent many weekends surfing in Mexico, diving for lobster dinners and sleeping under the stars on the beach.
She has been leading outdoor adventures for 17 years, and has recently added the components of meditation and yoga into her trips. Sharing her knowledge of the outdoors and taking full advantage of all there is around, she opens new dimensions and realities for many who might not have previously been open to mind/body traveling.
Having been trained in and practicing many disciplines of Yoga, over many years, she added Yoga to her list of classes 10 years ago. She also teaches Pilates, Core Dynamics, Spinning, Step and started our SUP Yoga and SUP Fitness classes here at Sea Trek. Leigh is a certified Wilderness Leadership Instructor and volunteers several times a year for Bay Area Wilderness Trainings in the Back Country. She heads up their “winter” program and does the “on snow” trainings as well.