INTIMATE WHALE WATCHING EXPERIENCES
Welcome to Laguna San Ignacio’s premier locally owned and operated Ecolodge – Campo Cortez – located along the shores of San Ignacio Lagoon in the heart of Mexico’s largest protected area, El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve. Gray Whales have migrated here for thousands of generations for the purpose of giving birth and mating. Over the years these whales have come to be known as “friendlies” because of their notable behavior approaching our boats encouraging us to scratch, pet and even sing to them and their newly born calves. Over the years, this has become a regular occurrence only at San Ignacio Lagoon. This unique location is the only Gray Whale birthing lagoon in the world that has been left untouched by industrialization and modern civilization and has a local community striving to keep the lagoon a sacred and protected sanctuary. Our low impact Ecolodge is a sustainable way to come and experience this life-changing event and interaction with the whales. We are one of the last remaining family-owned operators at the Lagoon and our friendly and knowledgeable staff have guided thousands of life-changing adventures.
For the avid Baja traveler or those with a sense of adventure we offer a self-arrival program. Whether you arrive by automobile, bus, or private plane you’ll enjoy the hospitality and comfort of our all-inclusive, secluded Ecolodge on the shores of San Ignacio lagoon - with all meals, beverages, natural history excursions and two whale watches daily. Our “off the grid” solar powered Ecolodge offers all-inclusive amenities. Your days are spent whale watching and exploring, while evenings are spent in the company of our local lagoon resident staff in our Ecolodge discussing the day’s events and enjoying informal lectures from our staff and resident experts.
Self-Arrival: TWO Options depending on Dates of Travel
OPTION 1 Schedule your own Arrival and Departure Dates
Dates OPEN CAMP: January 25 - February 12 & March 20 - April 02
Daily Rate: $495.00 per guest, double occupancy, 2 day minimum
Single Supplement fee: $95.00 daily for single cabin
*Group and family discounts of 6 or more and child discounts available
Trip includes:
§ 2 days and nights at camp
§ 2 whale watching trips per day
§ Lodging, meals and camp activities
Arrival Time is 12pm. Upon Arrival you will get checked in to your cabin and then have lunch and an afternoon Whale watch.
Departure Time is 11am. After breakfast we ask you to check-out of the cabins so our staff can prepare the rooms for the next guests. You will have a whale watch and then depart by 11am.
Additional fees for Self Arrivals:
Single Fees: $95usd per night
Biosphere Fee: $30usd per day (Vizcaino Biosphere Fee San Ignacio Lagoon)
Deposit: $200 per person per night
OPTION 2 Join a guided group as a Self-Arrival guest.
Dates to Join Guided Trips: February 11- March 16
Trip Fee: $2650.00 per guest, double occupancy (all-inclusive fee)
Single Fee: $500.00 for cabin (if available)
Trip includes:
§ 4 days and nights at camp
§ 6 whale watching trips
§ lodging, meals and camp activities
§ all excursions and presentations offered during our Guided Air Trips
Details:
Join one of our Guided Trips and enjoy all the amenities of our most prestigious trip as a Self-Arrival guest at a fraction of the trip cost. Not all trips have availability and only a select number of Self-Arrival guests are permitted during each trip. Space is not always available – guided trip guests have priority.
Arrival Time is 3pm. Upon Arrival you will meet the incoming air travelers and then have group orientation to camp and Happy Hour at 5pm. No Whale Watch on Day 1.
Departure Time is 8am. Departure after breakfast usually around 8-8:30am
Dates Available for 2026 -- SPACE IS LIMITED FOR EACH TRIP
To Sign up for OPTION 2 please go to the Guided Trip (either 7 Day Overland or 5 Day Private Air) and Select the Self-Arrival Option on that specific trip.
§ 2 up close whale watching trips per day
§ Solar powered beach cabins with lagoon views
§ Naturalist led discussions & field excursions
§ All inclusive: meals, beer, wine, margaritas & happy hour
§ Hiking, beach strolling, tide pool exploration
§ Experienced and knowledgeable local resident staff
§ Evening presentations
§ Bird watching and dark sky constellation gazing
Seemingly perched on the edge of civilization, Campo Cortez offers modern amenities that are clean, comfortable, and low impact on the environment. Campo Cortez is a completely off the grid solar powered Ecolodge. Constructed from local materials and by traditional building methods, our palapa is the gathering point for all our daily activities and meals. Powered by modern solar generation systems, our electrical system provides 110 ac or 12-volt dc power for all your charging needs. You can charge your phone, video, and camera batteries anytime in the palapa or your cabin anytime during the day. Our facilities include hot showers, flushing marine toilets, and numerous hand washing stations.
While we encourage you to unplug, we know it’s helpful to stay connected. We offer:
Always available in the palapa are:
§ Book and video library of Baja & marine mammals & plants
§ Large screen TV to view daily videos & presentations
§ Science and weather monitoring station
§ Coffee and hot tea
§ Snacks and fruit
§ Sodas, beer, and wine
§ Clean, reverse osmosis drinking water
§ Gift shop of locally crafted goods including t-shirts and headgear
Our beachside cabins come equipped with electricity, comfortable beds and are well protected from the often harsh wind and elements of the coastal desert. Twelve of our cabins are double occupancy with a mixture of single and double beds while three cabins offer triple occupancy with a double and single bed. All our cabins are supplied with fresh linens, pillows, shelving and a countertop area with a small mirror. They are cozy, efficient and leave a small footprint on the land. You’ll find charging stations inside of each cabin with standard USB-A connections as well as two USB-C connections.
Special Accommodations: If you have any special needs, let us know and we will do everything we can to make your stay comfortable.
CPAP users: we offer two cabins that provide standard a/c power throughout the night for your medical device.
Special Diets: We happily accommodate special diets like Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free or others.
7:00am Coffee, cereals, fruit
8:00am Hot breakfast
8:45am Whale watching
12:00pm Lunch
2:00pm Whale watching
5:00pm Happy hour
6:00pm Dinner
9:00pm Lights out-Palapa
Schedule WILL vary day to day based on tide movements and weather
§ Guided tide pool exploration & critter hunts
§ Naturalist led excursions & lectures
§ Up close whale observation & petting
§ Happy hour & incredible sunsets
§ Hike to Gray Whale boneyard
§ Beach strolling and dark sky constellation gazing
§ Bird watching
Because we value a small group size, availability is on a limited basis. Please make your reservations well in advance to secure your spots. Many of our guests plan and book their trips at least six to fourteen months in advance. For your comfort, space is limited at camp and all our reservations are made on a first come basis. Please call or email us to check our schedule for availability.
Before your departure, you’ll receive from us:
§ Comprehensive itinerary package & travel information
§ Camp guidelines & whale watching information
§ Guide information & contact information
§ Detailed packing list
§ Detailed Driving Instructions
We are consistently rated the #1 Travelers’ Choice on Trip Advisor year after year for one reason, our Staff and Owners - who are residents and locals to San Ignacio Lagoon. We are four generations of family living and working in the lagoon since the settlement of San Ignacio Lagoon. We take pride in our efforts at our Ecolodge to have a low-impact environmentally and the responsibility that we carry as Ambassadors to the lagoon and its many wildlife residents.
Meals, snacks, beer, wine & soda while at Campo Cortez
Naturalist led walks & discussions. All of our boat trips have Naturalist guides to answer any questions you may have on whale behavior or activities.
Enjoy a short ride to the whale observation area from our location. Enjoy a morning and an afternoon whale watch daily.
When the tide is low we provide boots for you to use for exploring the tide pools.
Entrance fee to Vizcaino Biosphere – (added to your invoice)
Premium liquor or call drinks are at a separate cost
Transportation to & from Campo CortezEcolodge
We highly recommend purchasing Travel Insurance
If you'd like to leave a gratuity for our staff, you will have the opportunity to do so at the end of the trip.
Arrival Time is 12pm. Upon Arrival you will get checked in to your cabin and then have lunch and an afternoon Whale watch.
Experience Whale watching twice daily to give you the best opportunity to see the whales up-close. After whale watching, simply relax and absorb the ancient unbroken rhythms of the lagoon and its splendid wildlife; wander the shell-strewn beaches; join an afternoon low tide exploration; play games; take a natural history excursion with our guides; or simply relax. All Activities & times will be listed in the Palapa on our Activity Board.
Departure Time is 11am. After breakfast we ask you to check-out of the cabins so our staff can prepare the rooms for the next guests. You will have a whale watch and then depart by 11am. Lunch can be arranged with advance notice and an additional charge.
