EXCURSIONES EN TIERRA

Your tour begins with an interesting ride along Mazatlan's oceanfront for a view of the lighthouse and offshore islands. Continue into the heart of the old downtown for a short visit to the imposing cathedral before a stop at a waterfront rocky promontory to view the brave cliff divers.

You'll have time to browse or shop at the Golden Zone before heading for a resort for an afternoon of swimming, sunning and relaxing, where you'll also enjoy a delightful lunch with a colorful Mexican folkloric show. Your escort will guide you to a place to change and show you where lunch will be served.

The return to your ship will be by taxi in groups of four.

Learn about the history of the area from your guide while you'll pass by the city's highlights. You'll stop at the elegant Riviera del Pacifico, a once dazzling beach resort and casino. The highlight of your tour will be the 25-mile drive to the south for approximately one hour, along the Baja California countryside to scenic Punta Banda.

This area is known for an impressive blowhole called La Bufadora, a natural sea spout that shoots water from 60 to 100 feet into the air, depending on the tide. You'll have free time to experience the flavors of Mexico at the open air market, with a wide selection of national art. You'll also visit Ensenada's main shopping district, offering everything from Mexican handicrafts to imported items. You may return to the ship with your guide or remain and return on your own.

OVERVIEW

Learn to prepare ceviche from scratch in a hands-on cooking class and then enjoy the freshly made dish for lunch. The venue for this culinary experience will be Manzanilla, one of the city's premier restaurants. Chefs Benito Molina and Solange Muris source the ingredients for every dish in their home state of Baja California. You will accommodate one of the chefs to a nearby market to select the fish for the ceviche that you will make. During the fun and instructive class that follows, you will learn each step in the process. Ceviche originated in Peru millennia ago and there are many variations of this raw fish dish. You will prepare two versions of ceviche using sustainable ingredients such as lime juice, onions, tomatoes, hot green chili peppers, avocado and Manzanilla green olives - the delectable ingredient that inspired the restaurant's name. Afterwards, you will dine on the fruits of your labor.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Prepare two versions of ceviche in a hands-on cooking class lead by a renowned chef.
• Select a freshly caught fish for the ceviche in a local market.
• Learn how ceviche recipes vary from region to region.
• Enjoy a glass of wine and the raw fish ceviche that you have prepared for lunch.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Bring a swimsuit, towel and sunscreen.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

See a remarkable number of historical attractions at a whirlwind pace and enjoy snacks and drinks in between, an experience that will present an authentic picture of Ensenada. You will pause to snap photos at landmarks that include the colorful Ensenada sign, the Tara statue that represents Mother Earth, the dramatic Fisherman's Monument and Bodegas de Santo Tomás, the oldest winery in Baja California. And that is just for starters. A brief but enlightening stop at the Regional History Museum will set the stage for another historical immersion at Ensenada's cultural center, which is housed in the former Hotel Riviera del Pacifico. You will be served an icy margarita, an iconic Mexican beverage that is said to have been invented in the hotel's Bar Andaluz. You will also enjoy a beer at Hussong's Cantina - a fixture since 1892 - and a ceviche tostada and a flavored water at yet another iconic spot.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Visit a surprising number of iconic destinations in just a short period of time.
• Pause for photos at landmarks ranging from the Ensenada sign to Baja’s oldest winery.
• Enjoy a margarita at Bar Andaluz, where this quintessential Mexican cocktail was invented.
• Drink a beer at famed Hussong’s Cantina and snack on a ceviche tostada.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Bring a swimsuit, towel and sunscreen.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Take full advantage of the amenities at the Veleros Beach Club, which include an open bar and a beautiful beach that rims an enviable spot on the Sea of Cortez. It won't take long to reach the exclusive beach club, giving you all the more time to relax as you please. The beach is private and spacious, so you can easily find your own quiet piece of paradise. You might stretch out on a cushioned lounge chair and bask in the sun or lie in the shade under a beach umbrella. If you wish to explore a bit farther, feel free to stroll along the shore. The sea there is one of the few swimmable spots in Cabo San Lucas, so a refreshing dip is another great option. Music will be playing to enhance the ambiance and the bar will be open for the first two hours after you arrive.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Spend hours relaxing at the exclusive Veleros Beach Club.
• Relax on the private beach, which rims one of the few swimmable spots in town.
• Bask in the sun or lie in the shade on a cushioned lounge chair.
• Enjoy the open bar, ambiance music and chips and salsa for a snack.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Participate in a hands-on cooking class at a premier Mexican restaurant and dine on the array of dishes that the chef will help you prepare for lunch. As an introduction to the cuisine of Sinaloa, the state in which Mazatlan is located, you will browse the stalls of a local market that offers every imaginable traditional ingredient. The guide will describe and select the ones that will be used in your cooking class at El Presidio restaurant. The exact menu will depend on what seasonal items are freshest to ensure that the dishes will be bursting with flavor. Because of the proximity of the sea, Sinaloa cuisine tends to focus on seafood - especially shrimp - cooked with fruits and vegetables and seasoned with spices such as chipotle and guajillo chili peppers. Before sitting down to dine, you will sample several tequilas whose tastes are wonderfully complex and characteristic of Sinaloa.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Learn to prepare several signature local dishes in a hands-on cooking class.
• Help select the ingredients for the class in a market that the locals frequent.
• Dine on the dishes that you have prepared in class at El Presidio restaurant.
• Enjoy a tequila tasting to enhance your dining experience.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Cruise the turquoise seas off Mazatlan in a sleek triple-hulled trimaran and enjoy an array of water activities while anchored off Deer Island. While cruising along the coast with a refreshing mimosa in hand, you will pass Bird Island, part of a pristine ecological reserve that is protected from development. Similarly, only wildlife inhabits larger Deer Island, which also lies within the reserve. Depending on where the trimaran drops anchor, you may spot seabirds, pods of dolphin and seals along the coast. You will be free to enjoy the crystal-clear waters as you please. You might take a leisurely dip, float around on a swim noodle, paddle off in a kayak and bask in the sun while stretched out on a water mat. All the gear is available on board as is a box lunch whenever you get hungry. The open bar will make the adventure all the more enjoyable.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Take in the tropical views while sailing along the coast in a triple-hulled trimaran.
• Engage in all sorts of water activities while anchored off uninhabited Deer Island.
• Enjoy a box lunch on board and an open bar throughout the cruise.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

One of the most popular activities in Los Cabos is snorkeling and this is the perfect way to snorkel and so much more! Board one of our inflatable fast boats and head out to the famous Arch and sea lion colony, the famous land mark of Cabo San Lucas. Then hold on tight as the captain opens up the motors as you speed out to a secluded bay. After a short safety briefing, dive into the depths to explore the wide array of ocean life. Enjoy kayaking around the bay, grab a sea scooter and speed through the clear blue waters, try your hand at stand up paddle boarding or spend time snorkeling the area, searching for tropical sea life, star fish and colorful corals. Back onboard, take a fast ride past the homes of the rich and famous as you return back to the marina for an ice cold beverage and light snack.

OVERVIEW

Watch a highly entertaining dancing horse show at Fuego Cocina del Valle, a distinctive and wonderfully atmospheric venue in the heart of Guadalupe Valley, Baja California's wine country. A brief introduction to the estate will set the stage for the performance to follow, but nothing quite compares to watching it in person from a front-row seat. Dancing horse shows are thought to have originated in the court of Imperial China in the 3rd century B.C. and have since spread throughout the world. In this case, the horses are trained to "dance" to a traditional Mexican beat in a beautifully choreographed and dramatic fashion that will leave you mesmerized by their abilities. The accompanying music is an essential part of the pageantry as the horses are trained to respond to it. Dancing horse performances are often reserved for parades and fairs, which makes this exclusive show all the more special.

HIGHLIGHTS

• See a performance of dancing horses at a premier venue in the Guadalupe Valley.
• Gain an understanding of how the horses are trained to perform.
• Be awed by the prodigious talents of the horses and how they respond to the riders.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Bring a swimsuit, towel and sunscreen.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Cruise to the southernmost tip of the Baja Peninsula in a spacious semi-submersible that offers panoramic views from the open deck and through large windows in the climate-controlled cabin just a few feet below the surface. Along the way, you will pass Neptune's Finger, a thin rock formation that rises straight up out of the sea. The sights will be equally spectacular underwater as the rock attracts all sorts of colorful tropical fish. Before long you will reach Land's End, the peninsula's appropriately named terminus. Its dramatically rocky landscape is so photogenic that it has become a Cabo San Lucas icon, especially the huge arch that the sea and wind have carved out of the granite at Land's End. The only inhabitants are sea lions, which you can expect to see frolicking on shore and swimming in the sea. An open bar and nachos on board will enhance the experience.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Cruise in a semi-submersible to the iconic rocky arch at the end of the Baja Peninsula.
• Watch frolicking sea lions from the vessel’s open deck and enjoy the panoramic views.
• Observe the marine life underwater through the windows below the water’s surface.
• Snack on nachos while enjoying the open bar.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Luxuriate at an exclusive beach club in Rosarito Beach and complement the experience with a classic Mexico meal of tacos and margaritas. As you travel up the scenic coastline, you will see one beautiful stretch of white sand after another, the reason this part of Baja California attracts so many beach lovers. Upon arriving at gorgeous Rosarito Beach, which runs the full length of the resort city of Rosarito, you will spend hours relaxing however you please at the stylish and wonderfully laid-back Sunio Beach Club. Feel free to bask in the sun on a lounge chair, stroll along the wide beach, take a refreshing swim in the sea and watch the surfers that often congregate there to take advantage of the waves. Sipping on freshly made icy-cold margaritas will make the experience all the more enjoyable. The accompanying lunch of chicken and beef tacos will be just as satisfying.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Spend hours relaxing at the exclusive Sunio Beach Club on Rosarito Beach.
• Enjoy a carefree experience doing most anything you please on the wide stretch of sand.
• Savor a classic taco lunch and margaritas at the luxurious resort.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Bring a swimsuit, towel and sunscreen.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Are you ready to try Mexican salsa, margaritas and learn how to dance the Salsa? Then this tour is for you. Upon arrival at one of Mazatlan's beachfront resorts, you'll learn the art of making the best Mazaritas "Mazatlan Margaritas" in town and experience a hands-on cooking class. You'll learn about spices and make a variety of sassy salsas while snacking on fresh cheese quesadillas and chicken taquitos. After your cooking lesson, get ready for some real fun. A salsa instructor will show you step by step, the moves and swings of the salsa. By the end of the tour, you'll be ready for the dance floor and armed with fantastic recipes. After the class, you'll have the choice to relax on the beach, enjoy one of the hotel's pools, or shop at the stores of the Golden Zone which is just a short stroll from the resort.