Carmen Island Tour – Description
On this tour you will get to know a part of the immense Carmen Island, white sand beaches, caves, you will also enjoy the diversity of marine animals, snorkeling, do not forget to bring your camera, you can take incredible photos.
What’s included in this tour.
You can choose one of our 3 available packages
Recommendations to visit Carmen Island
- We recommend you to wear comfortable and special shoes for water, these will be useful if you want to walk among the stones or at the time of snorkeling.
- Don’t forget to protect yourself from the sun, so bring a hat or cap, sunglasses, and sunscreen with you.
- In addition to a comfortable swimsuit and a towel so you can lie on the sand.
- You also can’t forget your camera so you can take photos and videos.
- Transportation to the starting point of the tour is not included, you can add one of our additional transportation services.
About Carmen Island México
It is one of the 5 natural wonders that are part of the Bahía de Loreto National Park. Carmen Island is a true spectacle all year round for locals and visitors. If you still do not know this island of Mexico, we invite you to visit it, it will be an experience that you will never forget.
Off the coast of the municipality of Loreto is the wonderful Carmen Island, which is part of the National Marine Park and is one of the tourist jewels of Baja California Sur.
Visit and get to know the Isla del Carmen, which have a territorial extension of 15,100 hectares, of volcanic origin, its flora is made up of semi-desert and arid populations, on its coasts we find small cliffs and rocky beaches, it has the salt mine of natural origin. Book this tour for your next vacation in Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Where is Carmen Island located?
The location is what gives it its unique charm. It is part of the municipality of Loreto, and is one of the Mexican islands in the Gulf of California region. It is the largest island of the 5 that make up the Bahía de Loreto National Marine Park.
Since December 2022, this island and the entire Park have become part of the green list for nature conservation (IUCN). This gives us an idea of the degree of conservation of biodiversity and the environment on this island.
Carmen Island offers us a whole diversity of marine coastal environments throughout its territory. Thanks to the varied topography, in this area we find:
- Cliffs
- Dunes
- Caverns
- Bays
- Pinnacles
- Seamounts
Those who come to this island are fascinated by its crystal clear turquoise waters, which are home to a rich biodiversity of fauna and flora. Some 30 marine species live on this island, as well as birds, reptiles and other animals. The average temperature of the climate on the island is 23 °C, a pleasant environment in summer and winter.
Ecotourism on carmen island
The attraction of Isla del Carmen is in the conservation of its history, and its natural environment. There are even some places on Isla del Carmen that seem suspended in time, almost virgin, and that are just beginning to be discovered.
Tourism in this region of Loreto is something special, it is ecotourism in all its dimensions. Tourists who arrive at Isla del Carmen enjoy incredible seascapes and sightings of migrating fish and whales.
Some travelers who have visited Isla del Carmen say that a week is not enough to tour the entire island. Next, we present some of the most attractive activities and places in Isla del Carmen:
Visit Salinas Bay
This is one of the obligatory stops when visiting Baja California Sur. The island is only 18 kilometers from Loreto and 8 kilometers from Puerto Escondido, and in its territory it still preserves the vestiges of what used to be an important salt mine, these ruins give it the appearance of a ghost town, contrasting with the blue light of the sea and the desert.
Just 27km long and 9km wide, Isla del Carmen is home to a wealth of natural beauty; On the north side is “Bahía Salinas”, where there are still salt deposits, which were exploited until 1984. Since then, the facilities that belonged to the salt mine are an attraction for tourists, some constructions still remain standing there, including houses, a school, a cemetery, sports facilities, workshops, warehouses, fuel facilities, as well as a church.
Now, Isla del Carmen is an uninhabited conservation area for wildlife and has an area of 15,100 hectares.
Some structures that attract attention due to their construction are still standing. It is a beautiful and quiet place to visit with the family and see up close the history of Carmen Island and the people who lived there a long time ago.
Tour Balandra Port
This is a fantastic bay where you can do a variety of family activities: hiking, snorkeling, picnicking on the beach, bird watching, kayaking, swimming, and camping. Even pets are welcome at this Isla del Carmen port, as dogs are allowed to run off leashes in some areas.
If we go up to the top of the area, we will have an incredible view of the landscape for a souvenir photo. Bighorn sheep walk throughout the island, you can probably see one from above in this area of the island.
Stroll through Bahía Marquer
It is one of the lesser-known bays in Baja California, but it is worth reaching this bay to observe the charm of its turquoise blue waters and its natural limestone constructions. Its cliffs leave observers speechless.
In addition to the spectacular rock formations, in this bay it is common to see sea turtles, rays, and a wide variety of schools of fish, an ideal place for snorkeling.
watch whales
The arrival of the sea giants in Baja California Sur is the event that attracts the most visits to the Bahía de Loreto National Park. The first months of the year we can see the large number of lovers of marine life that come to this area of Baja California to watch whales.
From Isla de Carmen these spectacular creatures can be seen with their little calves playing in the Sea of Cortez. We can see gray whales, perhaps orcas and of course, the biggest of all, the blue whale. If you want to enjoy these sightings to the fullest, the recommendation is to choose a tour with experienced captains.
Flora and fauna
The variety of environments together with its geographical location have favored the presence of 8 vegetation communities.
The fauna is very diverse, however the best represented group is that of birds, being an important habitat for seabirds such as: Brown pelican. Earwig.
It is also a nesting site for resident seabirds such as the yellow-legged gull, the osprey and the American oystercatcher. It has a reserve of bighorn sheep.
Choosing the Tour to discover the charm of Isla del Carmen
The activities in Isla del Carmen are varied and unlimited, and for the whole family: diving, hiking, snorkeling for the little ones, walks on the beach, sport fishing. In addition to the sighting of whales, dolphins, sea lions, turtles and various species of birds.
In the area there are providers of guided tours to Isla del Carmen; most with complete packages that include:
- Snorkel equipment
- Expert guides.
- Food.
- Tour of the most interesting and unknown sites of Isla del Carmen
- Whale watching from the northern part of the Island.
Certified guides know when is the best time to watch the whales and know every corner of Isla del Carmen well. We have tours with native and experienced guides, you will be able to fully enjoy the experience of visiting this jewel in the Sea of Cortez. Book above this post!
