Day 1- Arrive Loreto, we will meet you at the airport and transfer to Loreto. This afternoon we drive a few hours north past beautiful Conception Bay and stay over in the quaint town of Mulege on a tropical river. Dinner on your own in town.

Day 2 – Today we head for Rancho Santa Marta in the Sierra San Francisco. After settling into our base camp tucked away in a desert garden valley, we’ll meet our local guides and ride to Cueva el Palmarito, a World Heritage site with a spectacular variety of classic mural art designs. In the evening we are treated to a campfire under starry skies and entertainment with some local musicians. Hearty meals and comfortable, roomy tents are ready for us in camp at night.

Day 3 - In the mountain tops surrounding us are small ranches tucked into canyons. We’ll have a chance to learn the local lore and see some of the traditional crafts of the area. Riding into the hills we’ll visit Rancho Las Calabazas and enjoy the hospitality of the Arce family.

Days 4- Seldom visited and just recently opened to public viewing is Las Tinajas cave. Great views to the gulf as we ride over the ridges and then drop into a scenic canyon to ride above a series of classic desert "tanks" or tinajas - traditional catchment-type naturally formed water holes.

Day 5 - Today we ride a section of El Camino Real - one of the original trails heading from Mission San Ignacio, north to the high country. Up and over a ridge and into narrow canyons there are beautiful views and some interesting rock formations and art in the canyon draw. In the afternoon we bid goodbye to mounts and guides to begin to head back to Loreto.

Alternately, some years our early Dec. ride coincides with a festivity in the small ranching valley; the "Cabalgata de La Virgen de Guadalupe", a traditional pilgrimage on horseback to deliver the statue of a saint to the community chapel. In the evening we begin our return to the coastal towns, for dinner and a quick tour in the old mining town of Santa Rosalia on the way, and an overnight in a favorite hotel.

Day 6 - A return to Loreto this morning will deliver us back in time for a quick lunch and airline departures in the afternoon. Guides will help with information and arranging for your flight connections. You’ve just enjoyed a glimpse of the peninsula’s famous treasures. We hope to see you again for more adventures in Baja!

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