Puerto Escondido / San Javier Mission
Calm seas and a cool breeze greeted us to a new day in the Gulf of California. As we entered Puerto Escondido or “Hidden Port,” a nice protected bay near the town of Loreto, the mirror waters reflected the colors of the mountains. Here is where we would start our adventure to the heart of Sierra de la Giganta.
We traveled in vans heading to San Javier Mission; on the way, we stopped to see one of Baja California’s mysteries, its cave paintings. The location we visited is called “Cuevas Pintas” and is located near a small stream called “Arroyo Las Parras.” This site of prehistoric art was discovered in 1697 by the missionaries, and it is believed to be up to ten thousand years old. The picture shown appears to be the representation of what could be a sea turtle, since most of the paintings found throughout the peninsula have marine organisms as a common theme.
Once at the mission, we had a guided visit of the church and the orchard, where gnarled old olive trees have witnessed the last 300 years of history at the mission. Other fruits produced here are guavas, figs, mangos, oranges and grapes; in fact, the first wine ever produced in the Californias was made here at the mission. The orchard, with its ponds, also offers excellent bird watching. Forty one species were seen today, and the endemic Xanthus’s humming bird was one of the highlights for bird enthusiasts. We had lunch in a restaurant near the mission where typical Mexican food from Northern Mexico was served: quesadillas and tacos de machaca with red salsa.
We returned to Puerto Escondido where the ship awaited. Finally, we sailed out of the port to a beautiful protected area near Isla Danzante (Dancer’s Island), where Sea Bird dropped the hook to spend the night.
Calm seas and a cool breeze greeted us to a new day in the Gulf of California. As we entered Puerto Escondido or “Hidden Port,” a nice protected bay near the town of Loreto, the mirror waters reflected the colors of the mountains. Here is where we would start our adventure to the heart of Sierra de la Giganta.
We traveled in vans heading to San Javier Mission; on the way, we stopped to see one of Baja California’s mysteries, its cave paintings. The location we visited is called “Cuevas Pintas” and is located near a small stream called “Arroyo Las Parras.” This site of prehistoric art was discovered in 1697 by the missionaries, and it is believed to be up to ten thousand years old. The picture shown appears to be the representation of what could be a sea turtle, since most of the paintings found throughout the peninsula have marine organisms as a common theme.
Once at the mission, we had a guided visit of the church and the orchard, where gnarled old olive trees have witnessed the last 300 years of history at the mission. Other fruits produced here are guavas, figs, mangos, oranges and grapes; in fact, the first wine ever produced in the Californias was made here at the mission. The orchard, with its ponds, also offers excellent bird watching. Forty one species were seen today, and the endemic Xanthus’s humming bird was one of the highlights for bird enthusiasts. We had lunch in a restaurant near the mission where typical Mexican food from Northern Mexico was served: quesadillas and tacos de machaca with red salsa.
We returned to Puerto Escondido where the ship awaited. Finally, we sailed out of the port to a beautiful protected area near Isla Danzante (Dancer’s Island), where Sea Bird dropped the hook to spend the night.
