What the day looks like
Boats leave from the marinas on the north side of La Paz in the morning and run up the island's west coast, past red cliffs and empty bays, to Los Islotes. Here you slip into the water with a guide while the sea lions swim around you. The pups are curious and will nibble at fins; the big bulls stay on the rocks and bark. After that most trips stop at a beach such as Ensenada Grande for lunch, a swim and some shade.
The island has been a national park since 2007 and is a UNESCO World Heritage site, so every visitor pays a park fee. In January 2025 that fee doubled to MXN 217.32 per person (children under 12 are exempt). Most operators include it; some collect it in cash at the dock.
When you can swim with the sea lions
From June through August, during breeding season, swimming and snorkeling at Los Islotes are not allowed. Boats still go and you can watch from the water, and operators swap in a reef snorkel elsewhere, but if the swim is the point, come between September and May.
Winter brings cooler water (bring or rent a wetsuit) and the northerly winds that can cancel boats for a day or two. Early autumn is often the sweet spot: warm water, calm seas and no swim ban. Check our hurricane season guide if you are traveling in September or October.
Tour options and prices
The cheapest way is to get yourself to La Paz and join a local boat. Sunrider Tours lists USD 150 per adult and USD 102 per child (4 to 10) for a six-hour trip on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, plus about USD 20 in cash for dock and park fees. With round-trip transport from Los Cabos it is USD 259 per adult. Fun Baja runs a similar 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM trip from Marina Palmira.
If you would rather not drive, Cabo Expeditions sells a 12-hour expedition from Los Cabos at USD 370 per adult (minimum age 8, April to September), and Cabo Trek runs small groups of up to eight on request. Prices were checked in September 2026.
Kayaking the island
Espíritu Santo is one of the best sea kayaking areas in Mexico, but serious paddling here means camping. Indómito, the company that grew out of La Paz's long-running Baja Outdoor Activities, runs guided multi-day expeditions, including a nine-day circuit of the island. For a taste on a day trip, some boat tours carry kayaks and paddleboards for use at the lunch beach (Fun Baja includes them in summer and charges extra from November to March).
Getting there from Villa 1
La Paz is about two hours from Médano Beach on Highway 19 through Todos Santos. Leave by 6:30 AM to make a 9 AM departure. If you have a rental car, you can stay the night and pair this with the whale shark swim in winter or a La Paz day trip on the malecón. For rentals and drivers, see our guide to getting around Cabo.
Bring reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, a towel, a warm layer for the ride home, cash for fees and tips, and seasickness tablets if you need them: the open-water stretch can be bumpy.
