Loreto & Honeymoon Cove, Isla Danzante
We woke to a sunny and calm morning in the Sea of Cortez on board the National Geographic Sea Bird. Soon after breakfast we headed to the town of Loreto, site of the first mission in all of California (both the state we know as California today and Baja California, Mexico). The town was all decked out for the holidays, as was the mission chapel, with lights and colorful piñatas. As we looked around the mission grounds, we could hear local children practicing songs they were to perform later that day. The sun shone through the green palm leaves and the shadow of the steeple fell on the multi-colored brick and stone walls of the mission … lovely! We enjoyed a full morning exploring the mission and town and returned to the ship for a hearty lunch.
Afternoon found us anchoring in the turquoise waters of Honeymoon Cove at the north end of Isla Danzante. Kayaking, snorkeling and hiking were all on the docket. Pete and William led our hikers inland, exploring the intricacies of this desert island and summiting several small overlooks. Our snorkelers were rewarded with the sighting of an octopus and our kayakers enjoyed the afternoon exploring all the nooks and crannies of the cove and adjacent coastline. As the setting rays of the sun shone over the peaks of the coastal La Giganta mountain range, we returned to our floating home and an evening of celebration and camaraderie with our fellow shipmates.
We woke to a sunny and calm morning in the Sea of Cortez on board the National Geographic Sea Bird. Soon after breakfast we headed to the town of Loreto, site of the first mission in all of California (both the state we know as California today and Baja California, Mexico). The town was all decked out for the holidays, as was the mission chapel, with lights and colorful piñatas. As we looked around the mission grounds, we could hear local children practicing songs they were to perform later that day. The sun shone through the green palm leaves and the shadow of the steeple fell on the multi-colored brick and stone walls of the mission … lovely! We enjoyed a full morning exploring the mission and town and returned to the ship for a hearty lunch.
Afternoon found us anchoring in the turquoise waters of Honeymoon Cove at the north end of Isla Danzante. Kayaking, snorkeling and hiking were all on the docket. Pete and William led our hikers inland, exploring the intricacies of this desert island and summiting several small overlooks. Our snorkelers were rewarded with the sighting of an octopus and our kayakers enjoyed the afternoon exploring all the nooks and crannies of the cove and adjacent coastline. As the setting rays of the sun shone over the peaks of the coastal La Giganta mountain range, we returned to our floating home and an evening of celebration and camaraderie with our fellow shipmates.
