Would you like to live an experience where leisure, adventure and sea turtle conservation are combined in a place very close to paradise?
With this trip you will have the opportunity to tour some of the Pacific beaches at night in search of turtles to collect and save their eggs from predators. One day you could be visiting coastal villages where you will enjoy the best hippy style beach vibes whilst meeting the locals, whereas another day you could be getting lost around the pine-oak subtropical forests at more than 2,300 meters above sea level.
You will definitely live the adventure of your lifetime in some of the most spectacular destinations of Mexico! Don’t forget that when you travel with us you will only do it in a responsible way, interacting and connecting with locals and like-minded people from all over the world!
Sustainability
What’s Included
INCLUDED :
Accommodation in double / triple / quadruple room or cabin.
All breakfast from day 2.
All dinners from days 1 to 7 (coinciding with the stays at the communities of Ventanilla and Escobilla).
Expert local guides.
Activities and workshops indicated in the itinerary as “included”.
Guided tours in the mangroves.
Night patrols and activities derived from turtle conservation duties.
Public transport indicated in the itinerary.
Local taxes.
What’s Not Included
NOT INCLUDED :
Flights (national or international).
Transfer or flight from Mexico City to Puerto Escondido.
Transfer or flight from Oaxaca to Ciudad de Mexico or any other destination.
Transportation not mentioned in the itinerary.
Food not mentioned in the itinerary, such as lunches or dinners (except from day 1 to 7).
Recommended activities.
Personal expenses.
Tips.
Trip Itinerary
Day 0- Puerto Escondido
Arrival in Puerto Escondido. When you book your plane ticket from home, make sure that the final destination is Puerto Escondido. This way you will stop over in Mexico City to jump on a plane of a local airline to get to this beautiful town. Once is Puerto Escondido, take a taxi from the airport, it is totally safe and very easy!
Check in at your charming hotel and enjoy a free afternoon. We recommend you to take a walk along the beach of Zicatela to watch the sunset set over the Pacific ocean. This coastal town is known for its surfing culture and attracts surfers from all over the world, it is very fun to watch them in action on the beach! We can also recommend you to end your day enjoying a fresh juice at the Café Babylon, a meeting spot for travellers and locals alike.
Activities: none today.
Food: none today.
Accommodation: none today. However you can request to add an additional night to your itinerary.
Days 1 to 7) Turtle beach camp of Ventanilla and Escobilla
During the first week, you will participate in the daily conservation activities of the turtle camps in La Ventanilla and La Escobilla, two Zapotec indigenous communities located near the coast and mangrove forests.
What the work in the turtle camps involves:
Daytime
At dusk you will be doing sea turtle releases (quantity and frequency depends on the turtle nesting season and hatchling processes, although uncommon there is a possibility of not finding any. Climate change and other natural events can delay sea turtle spawning). Always together with a local guide, your work is very important so make sure baby turtles make their way to the sea sound and safe. Turtle releases are scheduled at dusk, when the sun is not too strong and the colours of the sky create the most idyllic scenes for the sea turtle baby to start the journey into the sea. In addition to that, you will take part in environmental education activities with the children of the Ventanilla community.
Nighttime
You will carry out night patrols in search of female turtles that arrive at the beaches to spawn to collect their eggs to take them to safety at the local hatchery. You will learn how to find turtle traces and when you see a female, you will have to wait patiently, keeping a safe distance so that the animal can find her place for nesting. Once she’s lied her eggs and begins her way back to the sea, you will dig the nest taking the eggs to a safe incubation area where they will remain safe from predators until hatching. The schedule of night patrol activities depends largely on the moon cycle, therefore they will be planned each day with the local guides. Patrolling lasts about two hours, although they can be extended if the workload is big.
Day 1) [3rd Sept] Puerto Escondido – Turtle beach camp of Ventanilla
Towards 3 pm, once the entire group has got together in Puerto Escondido, your adventure starts! You will all take a local bus to arrive at Ventanilla, where you will spend four nights taking part in conservation duties with our local guides. The beach of Ventanilla is super long, and some miles it joins together with the beach of Escobilla. The power of the ocean is this strip of coast is spectacular and you’ll find the people very warm.
Check-in to your cabins. At dusk, the group will have a welcome meeting at the beach, as well as an explanation of the conservations duties you will be carrying out during your stay. Enjoy some free time before dinner is served in the community. Recharge your batteries before your first-night patrol begins!
Activities: welcome meeting at the beach and first-night patrol.
Food: dinner included.
Accommodation: shared cabin (between 2-3 people) with bathroom in Ecotourism Center La Ventanilla.
Transport: public transport included.
Day 2) [4th Sept] Turtle beach camp of Ventanilla
You will have breakfast at the community and at around 11 o’clock, you will take a rowing boat tour to visit the mangrove forest of Ventanilla. This is an area of extraordinary beauty, home of different species of crocodiles and nesting birds. You will reach a small island where the members of the cooperative have a crocodile museum and a conservation program for other animals such us deer and coatis. After the visit, you will have some time to chill and eat. At around 5pm you will participate in a beach clean-up activity with the children of the community. If there are baby turtles hatching today, you will take part in their release. Enjoy some time off and after dinner get ready for your next night patrol.
Activities: mangrove tour, beach clean-up activity, turtle release (if possible) and night patrol.
Food: breakfast and dinner included.
Accommodation: shared cabin (between 2-3 people) with bathroom in Ecotourism Center La Ventanilla.
Transport: none today.
Day 3) [5th Sept] Turtle beach camp of Ventanilla
After breakfast, you will have the day off. We will provide you with some recommendations of places to visit nearby: Mazunte o Zipolite are lively coastal towns at approximately 3 km away from the camp (Mazunte is only 3 km away). You will find incredible beaches and very good vibes with many bars and restaurants. In Mazunte you could also visit the Mexican Turtle centre. You should get back to the camp at 5pm to take part in an educational activity with the community children. Free time until dinner to get ready for the next night patrol.
Activities: educational activity with the community children, night patrol.
Food: breakfast and dinner included.
Accommodation: shared cabin (between 2-3 people) with bathroom in Ecotourism Centre La Ventanilla.
Transport: none today.
Day 4) [6 Sept] Turtle beach camp of Ventanilla
After breakfast, you will have the day off. Do not worry, you will not get bored as there is so much to see and do in the area! At 5pm there will be another activity in the nesting area. If there are any baby turtles, you will join their release after 6pm. After dinner you will have the next night patrol.
Upon your return, around 5pm, you will participate in a sea turtle workshop with the community children. Free time and night patrols. Dinner in the community.
Activities: activity in the nesting area, turtle release and night patrol.
Food: breakfast and dinner included.
Accommodation: shared cabin (between 2-3 people) with bathroom in Ecotourism Centre La Ventanilla.
Transport: none today.
Day 5) [7th Sept] Ventanilla – Turtle beach camp of Escobilla
After four days living and sharing with the community of Ventanilla, it’s time to say farewell and head to La Escobilla. The beach here is long and it is on the same strip of coast as the one in Ventanilla. This is a spot where huge arrivals of turtles happen, a natural phenomenon only similar in very few parts of the world. If you are lucky, you can see spawning up to 10,000 sea turtles every hour! In Escobilla you will also meet the researchers of the Mexican Turtle Centre, who work on the beach, and also visit one of the largest nesting hubs in the country. After breakfast, you will enjoy a morning off and in the afternoon you will all take public transport to go to La Escobilla. Check-in to your cabins and after dinner, you will do another night patrol.
Activities: night patrol in Escobilla.
Food: Breakfast and dinner included.
Accommodation: shared cabin (between 2-3 people) with bathroom in Ecotourism Centre La Escobilla.
Transport: public transport included.
Day 6) [8th Sept] Turtle beach camp of Escobilla
After breakfast, you will visit the local mangrove forest by boat to then have the rest of the morning off to explore the area. We will give you recommendations of what to do, such as visiting Puerto Escondido, a world class surfing destination with a famous break in Zicatela beach. This town is the location of one campus of the Sea Science University (UMAR – Universidad del Mar). On your return to Escobilla, you will join some of the community activities and after dinner, you will do a night patrol.
Activities: mangrove visit, community activities, night patrol in Escobilla.
Food: Breakfast and dinner included.
Accommodation: shared cabin (between 2-3 people) with bathroom in Ecotourism Centre La Escobilla.
Transport: none today.
Day 7) [9th Sept] Turtle beach camp of Escobilla
After breakfast, you will join in some of the community’s duties and then have a day off to enjoy as you like. Each day after breakfast you will check with the group how the day will resolve. At night, after dinner, you will do your last night patrol.
Activities: community activities, night patrol in Escobilla.
Food: Breakfast and dinner included.
Accommodation: shared cabin (between 2-3 people) with bathroom in Ecotourism Centre La Escobilla.
Transport: none today.
Day 8) [10th Sept] Escobilla – San José del Pacífico
After breakfast, you will head towards San José del Pacífico, passing through the town of Pochutla. San José del Pacífico is a small mountain village of the Sierra Sur, 136 km from the capital of the state and 2000 meters above the sea level. Here you can enjoy the tranquillity and harmony of nature in its humid forests, where you can enjoy mountain treks and other related activities. Today you will be arriving to the village in the afternoon, around 5pm, to check-in to your cabin and watch the sunset from above the hills. Free time for dinner (not included)
Activities: none today.
Food: breakfast included.
Accommodation: shared cabin (between 2-3 people) with bathroom in San José del Pacífico.
Transport: public transport included.
Day 9) [11th Sept] San José del Pacífico
After breakfast, you will have the day off to relax and explore around the village. Today we recommend you to try a temazcal experience (not included in the price). The temazcal, in Nahuatl called temazcalli, meaning ”sweaty house” and it is a steam bath used in traditional medicine and in the daily life of the people of ancient Mexico. The ritual is a ceremony of healing and purification, as well as being a practice for skin and emotional cleansing, group cohesion and an exercise for cognitive and spiritual skills. This is an experience that is worth trying once in a lifetime and it can be done either in the morning or at night. Dinner today is not included.
Activities: none today (we recommend you to try temazcal).
Food: breakfast included.
Accommodation: shared cabin (between 2-3 people) with bathroom in San José del Pacífico.
Transport: none today.
Day 10) [12th Sept] San José del Pacífico – City of Oaxaca
After breakfast, the group will head to the city of Oaxaca, the capital of the state of the same name, by public transport. Oaxaca de Juárez is located in the region of the Central Valleys and is the largest and most populated city of the state being an important economic and cultural centre of the area. Here you can stroll around its colour streets, visit the zócalo (main city square), the magnificent cathedral, relax in any of the beautiful coffee shops and do some handcraft shopping at the many street stalls and local markets. The town is bursting with restaurants and wonderful gastronomy. You will arrive to Oaxaca at around 1pm. Check-in to your hotel and free time to explore around.
Activities: none today (we recommend you to visit the historical centre of Oaxaca).
Food: breakfast included.
Accommodation: charming ecohotel in the city centre of Oaxaca. Shared room (2-3 people) with bathroom.
Transport: public transport included.
Day 11) [13th Sept] City of Oaxaca
After breakfast, you will have a day off to explore the must-see attractions on the outskirts of Oaxaca. Some of our recommendations include: the ancient Tule tree in the town of Tule, famous for being the tree with the thickest trunk of the planet; the Zapotec ruins of Monte Albán or a trekking activity in the forest of the Nevería and Latuví communities, in the Pueblos Mancomunados area of the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca. The itinerary and travel services end today. However you can extend your stay in Oaxaca if you wish. Please enquire for further information and costs of activities and extra nights.
Activities: none today (we recommend you to visit the Tule tree, Montealbán, Pueblos Mancomunados… and many other things to do around the area).
Food: breakfast included.
Accommodation: none today after check out.
Transport: none today.
END OF TRIP.
NOTE: All the accommodation services are rural cabins or ecotourism lodges that belong to local people and that respect the environment. All accommodations have bathroom, fan and a mosquito net (if necessary)
Program And Price
11 days
