OVERVIEW
Enjoy an inspired wine tasting and gourmet lunch at a winery restaurant in the Guadalupe Valley, a fertile area known as the Napa of Mexico, in part because the vast majority of Mexico’s wines are produced there. During the drive inland, you will notice the terrain becoming hillier with an abundance of sprawling farms and idyllic valleys such as Guadalupe. Its microclimate is similar to that in the Mediterranean as the summers are relatively cool with constant ocean breezes. Red wine grapes, in particular, flourish there, and over the past three decades or so, more than 150 wineries have become established along the valley’s wine route. Your introduction to one of the premier wineries will begin with an enlightening, behind-the-scenes tour. Afterwards, you will sample a wide selection of characteristic wines that beautifully represent the Guadalupe Valley. They will be paired with cheeses and artisan bread, which will perfectly complement the fabulous 3-course lunch that follows.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Enjoy a spectacular scenic drive through the Guadalupe Valley, the Napa of Mexico.
• Gain an understanding of the valley’s terroir by touring a premier winery.
• Sample several representative Guadalupe Valley wines and enjoy a gourmet 3-course lunch.

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

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

Hike through the hauntingly beautiful desert on the outskirts of Cabo San Lucas and enjoy a sampling of refreshing craft beers afterwards. As you walk through this natural reserve, the guide will describe the abundant flora and fauna. The views will be magnificent the entire time, but especially from where the dirt trail winds along the Pacific Ocean. In time, you will come upon the huge stone arch that the sea and wind have carved out of granite at Land’s End. The beachside arch is so photogenic that it has become a Cabo San Lucas icon. What better way to celebrate the adventure than with a craft beer tasting at Baja Brewing? The exact selection will depend on the day and the season, but you can expect to sample beers that are only available in Mexico and others that are typically exported. The choices may include a blonde ale, an oatmeal stout and a raspberry-infused beer.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Hike through a desert landscape with a guide that will describe the plants and animals.
• Admire the gorgeous views, which only get better as you near the sea.
• Walk along the beach for an up-close look at the iconic stone arch at Land’s End.
• Savor a selection of unique craft beers at Baja Brewing after the hike.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• 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

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

Cruise to Land’s End, the southwestern tip of Baja California, on a catamaran that will bring you to a prime spot for snorkeling the crystal-clear waters. There will be plenty of room to stretch out on the catamaran’s open decks and covered seating while enjoying the open bar. The scenery will be absolutely spectacular the entire way. In time, you will reach El Arco, the natural arch that the tides and wind have cut out of the granite over millennia. Few spots are so photogenic, especially if sea lions are present. They congregate there for the solitude and protection as the barren shoreline is inaccessible by land. The snorkeling will be just as memorable as these waters are teeming with tropical fish. You might also spot sea turtles, frolicking dolphin and manta rays gracefully swimming by. A traditional Mexican lunch will be served on board the catamaran while anchored at a particularly scenic spot.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Cruise to the tip of the Baja California peninsula aboard a spacious catamaran.
• Enjoy drinks from the open bar throughout the cruise.
• Look for sea lions on the rocky shoreline at the peninsula’s tip.
• Snorkel the crystal-clear waters in an area known for its abundant marine life.
• Enjoy a traditional Mexican lunch onboard the catamaran.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing and 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.

OVERVIEW

Ride a camel caravan-style along one of the most beautiful beaches in Baja California and celebrate the adventure while dining on Mexican specialties and sampling tequilas. Camels are well-suited to traveling across sand as they have been used for transportation in the desert for centuries. As you will discover firsthand, camels have a side-to-side gait that has been likened to riding ocean waves. You will not only ride one of these so-called “ships of the desert,” but also learn fascinating facts about their characteristics and behavior. It is a common misconception that camels store water in their humps; rather, their humps are composed of fibrous tissue and fat that reduces heat-trapping and is a source of energy. You will discover more about these extraordinary animals while interacting with them following your adventurous ride. After enjoying some handmade tortillas, beans and salsas, you will enjoy a tasting of classic Mexican tequilas.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Ride along the Pacific Ocean on a camel ideally suited for traveling over sand dunes.
• Learn about the history, characteristics and behavior of camels.
• Interact with the camels following your ride for an insight into their personalities.

HELPFUL HINTS

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

OVERVIEW

Race through the wilds of Canopy River Park in a 4x4 ATV and then toast the adventure with a tequila tasting. After a briefing to ensure that you maximize the experience, you will hop into a 4-person Polaris RZR and take the wheel or ride as a passenger. Either way, it will be a nonstop thrill as you zip down the dirt trails that crisscross the rainforest that blankets the Sierra Madre Occidental, a volcanically formed mountain range. At one point, you will cross the world’s longest vehicular suspension bridge with nothing below but dense jungle and the winding Cuale River. Feel free to pause for photos of the extraordinary natural beauty. Once you catch your breath and return to the base camp, you can relive your ATV adventure while taking part in a tasting of local tequilas.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Zip through the mountains and rainforest in a 4 person 4X4 ATV built for rugged terrain.
• Drive across the world’s longest vehicular suspension bridge.
• Participate in a tequila-tasting class back at the base camp.

HELPFUL HINTS

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

OVERVIEW

Fly high above beautiful Desert Nest natural preserve on a series of ziplines for the ultimate adrenaline rush. Upon arriving at the residential resort community Cuatro Cuatros, you will be briefed on how to maximize the experience. After being harnessed into the zipline, off you will go on the first of five exhilarating courses that will carry you over a distance of more than two miles. You can expect it to be a nonstop thrill as you race downhill at hair-raising speeds on the dual steel-cable ziplines. Along the way and while pausing on the elevated platforms between the ziplines, you will enjoy a literal bird’s-eye view of the surrounding Guadalupe Valley, one of Mexico’s finest wine-producing regions. Following the adventure, you will pause at the Cuatro Cuatros winery. The vineyards yield mostly red wines with the main varieties being cabernet sauvignon, merlot and zinfandel.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Race over the Desert Nest natural preserve on five exhilarating ziplines.
• Race over the Desert Nest natural preserve on five exhilarating ziplines.
• Visit the winery within the Cuatro Cuatros residential resort community.

HELPFUL HINTS

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

This excursion combines the charm of both the old and new Mexico. Begin with a drive through the Marina Vallarta area and a stop at the small village’s local church. Continue to Hacienda Dona Engracia, one of the finest tequila factories in the area for a first-hand look at the manufacturing process of tequila and some free time to explore the grounds of this working hacienda. A short shopping stop will be made on the way into the center of Puerto Vallarta where you can walk along the popular Malecon, visit the Cathedral of our Lady of Guadalupe and see Old Town City Hall, while taking in fantastic views of the waterfront and the charm of the cobblestone streets. You may choose to stay in town on your own or return to your ship.