Balandra & Tecolote: Hike, Kayak, and Snorkel in Paradise
5.0
133 Ratings
A Playa Balandras
Embark on an unforgettable adventure in Balandra and Tecolote, where you can hike, kayak, and snorkel in paradise. Discover the hidden gems, learn about local history, and encounter fascinating marine life with our bilingual marine biologist guides.
Duration:
7 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Playa Balandra - We’ll do the kayaking and snorkeling in Balandra, and then hike from Balandra into Tecolote. We’ll stop at beautiful beaches and snorkel in a rocky reef. The snorkeling and kayaking part of the day takes around 2 hours.The hike is 9 km on rocky and sandy terrain, with some sections where we might get wet if the tide is high. On average it takes 2.5 hours. We’ll walk through a desert patch, rocky hills, cliffs by the ocean, sandy beaches and intertidal zones. Get ready for spectacular views! We’ll finish the hike in Tecolote beach and we’ll have lunch, and rest until 3 pm. We use tandems sit on top kayaks, and we bring life jackets with us. The kayaks are recommended to up to 90 kilos per person. We’ll close the day with a delicious lunch at the beach of local and fresh ceviche. Ask for our vegan options! The day requires an intermediate fitness level, and we recommend booking on non-windy days.
Please know you will need a car or to hire a taxi to complete this adventure! Let us know if you’d like us to help coordinate pick up with a trusted taxi.
What's Included
- Carbonated beverages
- Kayak equipment
- Bottled water
- Lunch
- Snorkeling gear
- All inclusive fees and taxes
What's Not Included
- Private transportation
- Alcoholic Beverages
Additional Information
While Balandra beach is open to all, there is more to it than the primary beach that most tourists are familiar with. During this excursion, we’ll guide you through the intricate details and elevated viewpoints of Balandra, offering you insight into the local history and the area’s fauna. All our tour leaders are bilingual and have substantial experience as marine biologists.
Location
A Playa Balandras
We'll meet at the queue to enter Balandra at 7:40 am. Since only a certain amount of people are allowed in at 8 am, we need to get on line in time in order to be allowed in.
Your guides will be there in a Honda Pilot with kayaks tied on top.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(133 Ratings)
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479brees
Mar 16, 2024
Fantastic day! - We had a great day with Matteo and Sergio. Very knowledgeable guides who answered all our questions and clearly love what they do which helps! Beautiful vistas of Balandra Bay on the hike and an amazing way to see the beautiful beaches of La Paz. Topped up with delicious ceviche on the beach at the end of the day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sachinm222
Mar 11, 2024
La Paz: A True Baja Gem! - La Paz is a true gem in Baja California Sur. It has the perfect mix of City and coastal town vibe. The international airport in La Paz makes it the perfect starting point for all that B.C.S. has to offer. Great beaches, fishing , desert, oasis…and more like the Food and the people :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
John_k
Mar 5, 2024
The best trip of our time in Mexico so far. - This is a great day out which I can highly recommend. Balandra is a magical place, so beautiful. We loved the whole experience of kayaking in the mangroves followed by snorkelling. The hike to Tecolote was spectacular followed by a lovely cerviche lunch on the beach. Mateo and Sergio were wonderful guides and great fun to be with.
Review provided by Viator
Rebeccalu7330ir
Mar 5, 2024
Fantastic! - Fantastic experience! Our guides, Lorenza and Mateo, were full of interesting information about the birds, marine life, history and landscape. We kayaked in the mangroves which was incredibly peaceful and saw many birds. We enjoyed our short snorkel from our kayaks, then we hiked along the shoreline, saw many beautiful vistas and learned about the history of the area. We capped it off with a lovely lunch on the beach – best ceviche we had all trip! Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Judson_m
Mar 1, 2024
Do not miss this excellent trio!!! - MUST DO! You can go to La Balandra without a guide but why bother! The experience is so so so so much richer on this trip!
Kayak the mangroves at Balandra
Birdwatch from the Kayak
Snorkel from the Kayak
Hike the beach from Balandra to Telocote
Enjoy a delicious (so tasty) ceviche lunch at Tecolote
Chill at Tecolote
Our guides were excellent, informative and easy to find! They bring all the equipment so you just need a water bottle, sunscreen and good beach hike shoes (like a Teva or Merrell)
Do follow their advice to get to the line for Balandra at 745. It really does fill up amd theres only one way in so you cant miss the guides.
Tour lasted about 8 to 3 which gave us the late afternoon and night back in La Paz.
Sooooo glad we did this.
Review provided by Viator
Lashaunda_s
Feb 26, 2024
Amazing Tour!!! - This tour was absolutely amazing!! Balandra Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever visited. First, Sergio took us out kayaking. I have been on tours kayaking before, but I was never given proper instructions until Sergio....thank you! The weather was perfect, virtually no wind, which made kayaking easier, especially through the mangroves....I felt like a pro! We opted out of snorkeling...kind of freaks me out, so we visited some of the other beaches and Sergio became our photographer! After that, we got ready for our hike with Luis Felipe aka Ramon lol. The hike is about 3 miles and I would say relatively easy depending on your level of fitness. Luis Felipe was an awesome guide and funny too! He was very knowledgeable about everything to do with biology. We came across a couple of tiny creatures he spotted...how, no idea! You could tell by his excitement that he loves his job. After the hike we arrived at Tecolote Beach and enjoyed the best ceviche
I have ever had in my life! Complements to
The Chef! Also, thank you to Karen who promptly responded to any questions I had.
MEXICO TRAVEL ADVENTURE is the best!!
Review provided by Viator
Costarica-mexico
Feb 17, 2024
Kayaked through mangroves, snorkeled, snorkeled in crystal clear water, hiked for amazing views - Felipe and Sergiio were outstanding guides. Both are PhD marine biologist who shared their vast knowledge with us. We kayaked in the mangroves, then snorkeled and saw pelicans up close while snorkeling. Finally, we took a hike on the beach and hills for the most breathtaking views. An unforgettable day. Ceviche on the beach under their tent what is the perfect way to end the day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Patricia_s
Feb 16, 2024
Fascinating mangroves, fish, and birds. Beautiful beaches and water - Felipe and Sergio are outstanding guides with vast knowledge of marine life. They are also excellent teachers. The mangroves are fascinating. We saw many pelicans only a few feet from us while snorkeling. During the hike, the views were spectacular. The ceviche lunch on the beach was delicious. Thank you for this unforgettable day.
Review provided by Viator
Becca_t
Jan 29, 2024
The best day - Kayaking in the mangroves was so special seeing all the birds.
Snorkeling was also fantastic.
The hike along the beach and rocks was so entertaining with all the different formations and phenomenal vistas and views. But the best part was our guides, Lorisa and Mateao and all the information and love they shared for this special place.
No wait, maybe the best part was the ceviche picnic at the shore!
Review provided by Viator
Camper750903
Jan 27, 2024
Exploring and learning the bay ecosystem - Kayaking through the mangroves we saw a variety of birds up close and so many fish thriving in their habitat. Snorkled on a small reef area and saw a good variety of colorful fish and so many puffers! Then a hike around the beaches, exploring tidepools and the interesting geology along the way. The views at the top of the hike were amazing! The ceviche lunch was fresh and delicious. I can't say enough positive things about our two guides - just delightful, enthusiastic and personable young people. We had a wonderful time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
