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 interact with them and their newly born calves. 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 magical 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.
A great way to see the Baja landscape scenery from the air on this two-and-a-half-hour flight via our commercially chartered aircraft. Our trip begins in San Diego and our experienced staff guides you to your destination. You’ll spend four days and nights at Campo Cortez Ecolodge in clean, comfortable, wooden cabins with views of the lagoon, comfortable beds, and electricity to charge your camera or other small devices. Enjoy whale watching twice daily with our local guides and boat captains who are residents of the lagoon that share with you their local knowledge of this peaceful Gray Whale Sanctuary. Days are spent whale watching, strolling the beach, joining guide led excursions, while evenings are spent discussing the day’s events with informal lectures and discussions. Enjoy delicious authentic meals made with fresh locally sourced ingredients and you’ll love the sunsets, sunrises, and dark sky constellation gazing at night.
§ 6 up close whale watching trips - two per day
§ Round trip charter air direct to San Ignacio Lagoon
§ 4 days and 4 nights at our private Ecolodge
§ 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
§ Mangrove tour
§ Evening presentations
§ Bird watching and dark sky constellation gazing
Situated at the heart of the Vizcaino Biosphere, Campo Cortez solar powered Ecolodge lies on the shores of San Ignacio Lagoon, at the mouth of one of the largest bird estuaries in the area, offering spectacular opportunities to view breeding and birthing Gray whales throughout the day. A variety of species of migrating birds take refuge in the mangrove forest along our shoreline, which provides excellent bird watching and tide-pool walks. The local shoreline here is covered with millions of years of ancient whale fossils, bones, and shells.
7:00am Coffee, cereals, fruit
8:00am Hot breakfast
8:45am Whale watching
12:00pm Lunch
2:00pm Whale watching
5:30pm Happy hour
6:30pm 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 & interactions
§ 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
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.
4 Nights at Campo Cortez Ecolodge in seaside solar cabins.
Enjoy a short ride to the whale observation area from our location. Enjoy a morning and an afternoon whale watch daily.
All transporation from San Diego to San Ignacio Lagoon including privately charted commercial flight to San Ignacio Lagoon
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.
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)
Transportation to & from San Diego
Hotel stays in San Diego
We recommend you eat breakfast before our morning departure
There are several restaurants at the Tijuana airport if you want to get a quick lunch before boarding the flight.
Premium liquor or call drinks are at a separate cost
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.
We meet the morning of departure at a local San Diego hotel and shuttle to the Tijuana airport via the Cross Border Express (CBX). Your experienced guides lead the group to meet our privately chartered plane which flies directly to San Ignacio Lagoon. Upon arrival in the lagoon, you are greeted by our guides and staff and the next stop is Campo Cortez, our Ecolodge. Once at Campo Cortez, you’ll experience the first-class personal service of Maldo Fischer and his family and our devoted guides as they host 4 days and nights with 2 whale-watching trips daily and a variety of other guide-led expeditions.
As the sun begins to set, join us for a festive happy hour in our open-air dining palapa, featuring fresh homemade guacamole, salsa, and chips, along with margaritas, beer, wine, and refreshing non-alcoholic beverages. It’s the perfect time to take in the colors of the lagoon, meet the staff, and connect with fellow travelers.
Dinner follows, prepared with fresh local ingredients and served with warm hospitality—an inviting end to a remarkable day.
Enjoy twice-daily whale watching, with six outings in total, giving you excellent opportunities to see the whales up close. In between excursions, relax and take in the timeless rhythms of the lagoon and its remarkable 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.
On our final morning, after an early breakfast and farewells to the Campo Cortez staff, we board our privately chartered flight from the lagoon airstrip to Tijuana. From there, our ground team guides you across the border via CBX to a local hotel in San Diego, concluding an unforgettable journey.
Seemingly perched on the edge of civilization, Campo Cortez is a fully off-the-grid, solar-powered ecolodge offering clean, comfortable, modern amenities with minimal environmental impact. Built using local materials and traditional methods, our palapa serves as the heart of daily life—where guests gather for meals, activities, presentations, and connection.
Powered by advanced solar generation systems, the lodge provides 110 AC and 12-volt DC electricity for charging phones, cameras, and other devices in the palapa and cabins during daylight hours. While we encourage guests to unplug and immerse themselves in nature, we also offer Starlink internet access and a cellular antenna booster for those who wish to stay connected.
Our eco-friendly facilities include hot showers, flushing marine toilets, hand-washing stations, and clean reverse osmosis drinking water. The palapa is stocked with coffee and tea, fresh fruit and snacks, sodas, beer, and wine. Guests also enjoy a Baja-focused book library, a large-screen TV for daily presentations, a science and weather monitoring station, and a gift shop featuring locally crafted goods.
Our beachside cabins are equipped with electricity, comfortable beds, and sturdy construction that protects from coastal winds and desert elements. Ten cabins accommodate two guests with a mix of single and double beds, and three cabins accommodate three guests with one double and one single bed. Two deluxe cabins offer a private in-room toilet for nighttime convenience (available for an additional fee).
All cabins include fresh linens, pillows, shelving, and a countertop with a mirror. Charging stations provide one standard USB and two USB-C connections. Designed to be cozy and efficient, each cabin maintains a small footprint on the land.
Special Accommodations: If you have specific needs, please let us know—we will do everything possible to ensure a comfortable stay.
CPAP Users: Two cabins provide standard A/C power throughout the night for medical devices.
Special Diets: We gladly accommodate vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and other dietary needs with advance notice.
One thing we are passionate about is respecting and honoring the whales that come here each winter. Our boat captains are all local residents of San Ignacio Lagoon and they each have decades of experience. Why does that matter? Well, maneuvering close to whales and keeping the panga steady and in perfect position is truly an art. They make it look easy but if you observe less experienced captains, you can see the difference. We respect the rules of the Lagoon to not overcrowd the whales and are considerate of other boats. Not many other camps own their own pangas or are as fortunate to have the excellent captains that we have. Our pangas are specially designed with low sides and cushioned benches to make the up close experiences easy and comfortable for our guests. Owning our boats ensures that we can keep small group sizes on each whale watch.
