Sid Asked: I'm curious about prevailing regulatory conditions paddling Loreto to La Paz. Did you paddle this route? If so, were you on a commercial trip? Did you file a float plan in Loreto and were you allowed to land on Isla Danzante? Were you required to carry a VHF radio? I would appreciate the information. I've made the trip before but things supposedly have changed and I'd like to be prepared. Sid- we were on our own trip. We paddled the Islas Espiritu Santo area. In a regulatory manner, things have changed. In order to camp on the islands a scheme has been instituted wherein each camper must pay a 12 dollar US fee per day. Yes, you read that correctly $12 USD per day. It may as well have been 100 BILLION DOLLARS! (pinky dangling from the corner of their mouths.) We used an outfitter, Mar Y Aventuras, so that some in our group could rent boats and all of us a shuttle to Tecolote Beach. They are supposed to collect fees of all boat renters or guide clients and deposit them in a bank account. Otherwise, they have to tell you where to go if one is entirely self supporting. But, all is not lost. The environmental regulatory agency responsible for the scheme has heard how steep the fees were for the area and they elected to not enforce the rule until the cost and collection issues are resolved. We never paid the fees, though we would have had they compelled us to. If you are going it alone and not using the services of a guide, kayak rental, etc. you will be required to get a permit at the bank with a particular account number and make the payment there. Keep in mind that on weekdays this can be accomplished, not weekends. None of this however, is supposed to affect mainland travel. Camping on mainland beaches is not subject to regulation as I understand it. Going from Loreto to La Paz will only require permits on the Loreto Islands or Islas Espiritu Santo. We filed no float plan, nor were we compelled to carry a VHF radio, though we had 2. Solid waste removal to La Paz is mandatory. Send an email to Mary at <A HREF="www.kayakbaja.com">www.kayakbaja.com</A>. She might offer information to you as no doubt she has the latest. But you didn't ask about the weather! It was low to mid eighties. Everyday. E-V-E-R-Y-D-A-Y. Very few clouds. Hot sand under the feet. Mid fifties at night. Challenged the tropical sleeping bag I brought, but I made do. Wore polarized sunglasses. Everyday. Something we never do in Seattle (where it's snowing now) in the winter. Star Gazed at night. Something we never do in Seattle anytime of year. Great place that Baja. I'll be going back to do the route you are doing, so please, write us to let us know how it goes. Rob Gibbert *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:28 PDT