Introducing Camp Cuevas!

Camp Cuevas is TOSEA’s new program with the Cuevas Family of El Pardito Island in the Sea of Cortez. The Cuevas brothers Juan and Felipe are 4th generation shark hunters who have turned their unique marine life knowledge and tracking skills into a wildlife protection program. Juan and Felipe will accompany the small group departures on a 4 day/3-night program and share their extraordinary, bred-in-the-bone knowledge of the islands, the Sea of Cortez and its many diverse inhabitants. We will go with them to find hammerheads, swim with sea lions, night snorkel in bioluminescence and meet the large population of eastern Pacific hawksbill turtles in the mangroves near their home that first inspired their journey into conservation. Their parents and extended family on El Pardito will host us for two meals and a tortilla making class. Our camp is on a secluded beach on the breathtakingly beautiful Isla San Jose where we enjoy chef-prepared meals, daily happy hour, large dome tents with real beds, and plenty of kayaking and paddle boarding. A dreamy retreat into the luxury of nature – with some of its most passionate protectors.

Camp Cuevas will operate annually with approximately 12 set departures scheduled from mid-April to late June. The inaugural trip will take place April 17-25, 2025, and will include a visit to Camp Cecil de la Sierra (more new news on this front coming soon!). To get a sense of a visit to Camp Cuevas, here is a brief itinerary overview:

Day 1:
9:00 AM meet at bodega in La Paz
10:00 AM: Board boat for El Pardito with sightseeing along the way. The Sea of Cortez is very active with lots of marine life this time of year
12:30 PM: Arrive at El Pardito, the Cuevas family home on a tiny island in the Sea of Cortez. Lunch with the Cuevas family and trip orientation. In the afternoon we’ll transfer to our secluded camp on a beautiful beach of nearby Isla San Jose – spectacularly beautiful. Afternon activities could include a hike, snorkeling and most certainly happy hour and a chef-prepared dinner

Day 2:
Fantastic breakfast at camp, followed by a trip to Las Animas, a local seamount that attracts hammerhead sharks, fur seals and a vast array of other wildlife that we don’t always see elsewhere in the Sea of Cortez. A fabulous morning of marine life encounters with the Cuevas brothers sharing their deep knowledge of the area. We’ll have a nice lunch and siesta at camp, then a wonderful kayak paddle in the afternoon along the coast of the island, taking in the incredible geological features of the island and the spectacular birdlife. Happy hour awaits us upon our return, followed by dinner. Stargazing tonight (and every night!)

Day 3:
After breakfast we’ll take in one more great activity from camp, maybe a hike, maybe some paddleboarding, maybe more kayaking – we'll see we feel! After lunch Juan and Felipe will then escort us to their home on El Pardito where we’ll jump in the kayaks there and head to the lush mangroves near their home where they will introduce us to the population of Eastern Hawksbill turtles that they discovered and have been protecting from poachers ever since. They had the mangroves declared a no-catch area for fishermen as part of their effort to aid the recovery of fish stocks and species in the Sea of Cortez. They will be sharing their journey from hunters to conservationists along the way.

This evening their mother will lead a tortilla-making class and host us for dinner with the family. Afterwards we’ll go night snorkeling with the Cuevas family and check out the bioluminescence. A truly spectacular day.

Day 4:
Breakfast then transfer to La Paz with sightseeing along the way. We’ll be back in La Paz around 12:30 PM.

Accommodations for Camp Cuevas are in dome tents with real mattresses, nice linens, pillows and comforters, and the camp includes a dining tent with tables, chairs and fabulous meals, as well as a compost toilet cabana and sun shower. You can check out photos and other details in TOSEA’s iBrochure here (this is actually the iBrochure for Camp Cecil but the tents and dining experience are exactly the same. Camp Cuevas iBrochure coming soon!)

Tent dimensions:
Floor: 10 feet x 8.3 feet.
Floor Area: 83.3 square feet.
Height: 6 feet.
Doors: 2 (front and back for good ventilation)

Pricing for Camp Cuevas 4 day/3 nights:
Adults: USD 1,525/person + 16% tax. Maximum 12 pax for departure.
Kids under 12: USD 1,325/person + 16% tax
Pricing based on double occupancy. Single supplement is USD 350

The price includes roundtrip island boat transfer, snorkeling gear and wet suit and all meals from lunch on day 1 through breakfast on the final day. Camp Cuevas’s Espiritu Xantus Café is considered one of the best restaurants in the vicinity of La Paz! It also includes daily happy hour and 2 drinks with dinners; all adventures and related equipment including swimming with sea lions, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, snorkeling, hiking, bird watching, star gazing, spending time with the Cuevas family; accommodations in dome tents with real beds and lovely linens. Tents can have either one king bed or two twin beds. Finally, panga support; bilingual naturalist guides who are certified Wilderness First Responders, NOM-9 graduates, and Leave No Trace certified; and the required national park conservation fee are included as well.

Travelers should plan to arrive in Baja at least one day before trip commencement as we depart for the island at 9:00 AM on the morning of your reservation. Airport options are San Jose del Cabo (SJD) and La Paz (LAP).