MEDITATION RETREAT AND KAYAK CLASSIC ISLANDS – SKIFF SUPPORTED
Kayak Tour based in Meditation, Self-Discovery, and More with Mark Coleman
Mar 17, 2025 - Mar 22, 2025
Highlights
- Kayaking around the islands near Loreto
- Led by Mark Coleman, founder of Awake in the Wild
- Breathtaking natural beauty throughout your trip
- Experienced guides steeped in local knowledge
- Opportunities to meditate in peaceful natural environs
WEEKLONG KAYAK AND MEDITATION WITH MARK COLEMAN
Sea Trek is happy to offer an Insight meditation and sea kayaking retreat in the pristine wilderness of the Sea of Cortez. When you go on this trip, you get the same experience as our Classic Islands trip, but with a focus on mindfulness meditation within the beauty of nature.
Meditation practitioner Mark Coleman has been practicing Buddhist meditation since 1984. He is a Spirit Rock Meditation Teacher and has been teaching Insight meditation retreats in nature since 2002, based on his book, Awake in the Wild: Mindfulness in Nature as a Path of Self-Discovery. With Mark on this retreat, you have an experienced outdoorsman and meditation guide who can help you see how immersion in nature is a profound way to cultivate awareness, joy, peace and insight.
This mindfulness retreat will be held entirely in serene silence. We will cultivate mindful awareness through sitting, walking and movement meditations (meditating approximately 6-8 times during the day). Mark will guide practices each day to deepen a contemplative relationship to nature. He will also offer talks and group and individual meetings to support participant’s meditation practice. There will also be time to explore the natural surroundings in a contemplative way through paddleboarding, swimming, snorkeling, and walking in this spectacular setting.
ITINERARY
We’ll meet in the evening for a pre-trip meeting and thorough orientation. Your guides will answer any questions you have and share the flow of the coming days.
You are responsible for your own accommodations on this night.
After breakfast, we’ll come get you from your hotel to take you to the put in for the trip. You will receive a basic kayaking lesson and our safety orientation. Afterwards, we all pack our kayaks with our personal day gear, leaving the rest for the support boat, and make the three-mile crossing to Isla Danzante. On the paddle, after getting comfortable with our paddling, we go into silence. We then set up our first camp on the island after lunch. We will camp on this beach for two nights. In the afternoon, Mark will give a more complete orientation to meditation in nature, silence, and the mindfulness practices he’ll be sharing throughout the week. After lunch, there is time to rest, bathe, swim, or explore the water by paddling and snorkeling, all within the context of mindful awareness. We’ll then come together to meditate, hear a Dharma talk from Mark, and practice more. We then have dinner and meditate under the moon and stars.
Every day we will enjoy exquisite, serene, and often breathtaking sunrises. We wake at dawn to meditate as the sun rises over the Sea of Cortez to create a splendor of colors in the sky and on the water. As the sun rises, it casts light on the jagged promontories of Isla Danzante, which is a sight to behold. Then we practice some Qigong and simple mindful movement exercises. We’ll break to enjoy much-awaited hot coffee and tea, then another meditation before breakfast. This is one of three more intensive meditation days where we spend the morning diving deeper into sitting and walking meditation practices. Mark will meet with everyone to discuss meditation practice in small groups. The afternoon/evening unfolds similar to Day 2.
After paddling along the coast of Isla Danzante, we make a second beautiful crossing to the northeast to Isla del Carmen. We will do some floating meditations on the water as we cross. During the crossing, keep an eye out for pods of dolphins or even a whale! We then set up our second camp on the tip of this beautiful, wild and rugged island after lunch. We will camp on this beach for 2-3 nights. After setting up camp on Isla del Carmen after lunch, the afternoon and evening unfolds like in Day 2.
After Isla del Carmen, we’ll paddle in the morning to set up camp on a beautiful, wide beach facing wildly-rugged mountains. There’s more opportunity for exploration and awe as sunset changes the colors on the rock faces of the Sierra de la Giganta range. After lunch, we’ll set up camp, then the afternoon and evening unfold like Day 2.
After a week in silence supporting the meditative process, several periods of daily meditation, opportunities for discussion, talks on the themes of meditation in nature, and opportunities for one-to-one work with Mark, your whole being will be replenished in the spirit and awe of nature. Today will be a day to reflect on your experience and drink in the last days of this rich and unique environment. This is the last of the more intensive meditation days, where we spend the morning diving deeper into sitting and walking meditation practices. Mark will speak meditation practice and taking the practice back into our lives back home. The afternoon/evening unfolds similar to Day 2.
We watch the sun rise over the Sea of Cortez one last time as it makes fiery colors appear briefly on the turquoise-hued water and bid goodbye to this magnificent piece of the planet. We’ll have breakfast, pack up, and paddle back to Puerto Escondido for the take-out where a van will be waiting to take us back to Loreto. After a final seaside lunch or snack, it is back to town, your head filled with the past week’s experiences, your heart looking forward to your next adventure.
Note: We can’t get you to the airport to fly out this day. If you are flying back to the US the earliest return date will be the day after. You are responsible for your own accommodations for this night.
Destination
This trip begins at Loreto. Located on the lower part of the eastern gulf coastline, this town has long been a destination for people seeking a wilderness adventure.
While many people with the time and patience enjoy driving into Loreto from San Diego via Federal Highway 1, the easiest way is to fly into the nearby international airport. Alaska Air/Horizon flies directly to Loreto from Los Angeles, and AereoCalafia offers direct flights into Loreto from Tijuana. There is also now a once a week flight on American via Dallas or Phoenix. You can also try reaching the town by flying to La Paz or Cabo, and getting a connecting flight or other form of transportation from there. Contact us for more information on traveling to Loreto.
MARK COLEMAN
Meditation Teacher
Mark is a life-long nature lover and is passionate about guiding people into the beauty of meditation and nature. He has led wilderness nature retreats for over twenty years worldwide. Through his organization Awake in the Wild Mark leads year-long nature meditation teacher trainings in the US and Europe. He recently founded a non-profit dedicated to helping connect people contemplatively with nature.
Mark has trained extensively in the Buddhist tradition, both in the Insight meditation and in the Tibetan tradition. He is a senior teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and has taught insight meditation retreats since 1997. Co-founder of the Mindfulness Training Institute Mark also leads year long professional mindfulness teacher trainings in Europe and the US. Mark is a sought after speaker, consultant, trainer and coach.
He is author of many books including: Awake in the Wild – Mindfulness in nature as a path to self-discovery; Make Peace With Your Mind – How Mindfulness and Compassion can free you from the Inner Critic; From Suffering to Peace The True Promise of Mindfulness; and his recent book A Field Guide to Nature Meditation – 52 mindfulness practices for joy, wisdom and wonder.
He lives in Sausalito, Marin and likes nothing more than hiking biking and kayaking in the outdoors.
Visit markcoleman.org for more information.
MORE INFORMATION
Accommodations
Hotel accommodations prior to Day 1 of the trip, and for the night of Day 6 are not included in the trip package. You must arrive before Day 1 and the earliest you can fly out is the day after the last day of your trip.
For our confirmed clients, we are pleased to offer the services of our preferred travel planners to assist with all of your flight and hotel needs. Although limited in number, visitors to Loreto have lodging choices that range from luxury to budget. Our travel planners will assist you in determining lodging that fits your preferences. Our travel planners are seasoned Baja veterans, and will help you find the best flight arrangements so your trip planning is smooth and efficient.
Packing List
You’ll be provided a detailed packing list upon reserving a trip with Sea Trek, but you may wish to keep the following list in mind while you prepare:
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JOIN THE ADVENTURE
Ages 18 years old and up. Please call for questions about kids under 18 years old.
If you have any questions feel free to contact us.+
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This was my 3rd trip with Sea Trek in Baja. My wife and I have gone twice and I went once by myself. I love this place. Beautiful water, desert mountains, cool wildlife and it is in Mexico, a warm and charming culture. Steve, the Baja Big Cheese, has a knack for picking awesome staff. These are the kind of people I wish I had here at home to hang out with. My only complaint is that the trip is too short.
Mark S
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The guides were amazing; the scenery breathtaking; the food outstanding. Can't say enough good things - I HIGHLY recommend it!!
Suzy W
kayak coasts & islands & whale watching – expedition style
Our kayaking camping trip from Loreto Mexico was an amazing nature experience. Sea Trek did a great job with answering all the pre-trip questions from my wife and I. The trip itself from Loreto to the islands of Danzante and Carmen was rich in marine and bird life and seeing the blue whales (again and again!) was life altering. The guides were truly experts and a pleasure to be with whether in the water or on a day hike. The meals were yummy, often including a fresh catch of the day. And then there is that celestial night sky…..We want to go back!
Curiosity60282304734
kayak coasts & islands & whale watching – expedition style
The Classic Island and Whale Watch tour was an incredible experience. The guides were pleasant, organized, knowledgeable, accommodating, and excellent chefs! Each individual in our group was asked what they were most interested in doing/seeing during the tour and our guides delivered. We have already recommended Sea Trek to friends and family.
Greg
kayak coasts & islands & whale watching – skiff supported
Excellent food, excellent guides, excellent experience, excellent gear, excellent camping, excellent snorkeling, excellent camaraderie -- everything was wonderful! I had a great time! I feel like a new person! The whale watching was great, we also saw dolphins, pelicans and a variety of other animals. I highly recommend Sea Trek Baja trips for solo, couples and families -- you will be thrilled that you did it.
hhlleeo23
kayak & sup private custom trips
Words cannot express how wonderful this experience was. I went on the paddleboarding excursion with a friend in November. The weather was perfect! The paddling was amazing. The guides were helpful, knowledgeable professional and made sure that every camper got what they were expecting from the trip. We camped on the most beautiful beaches, snorkeled some beautiful spots, went fishing and diving and hiking. Such a full featured experience. I am changed forever. Can't wIt to go back and do it again!!! Worth every penny!!!!
Lisa W
kayak coasts & islands & whale watching – skiff supported
Three friends and I were dazzled by this group of professional, safety minded people. Advice is freely given by all and it is good advice. Amazing food - think fish caught and made into scrumptious meals like clams on the half shell and ceviche. Star gazing with stories about the constellations, going to sleep with the sounds of blue whales, jumping into the boats and racing to get in the middle of a school of dolphins who played in the wake. Kayak trips at different levels for those of us who are not as skilled but still want the adventure. It was all fabulous. I would recommend this trip to anyone who enjoys paddling, sleeping on the beach, and good company. As a group of over sixties, we felt well taken care of and safe. Keep up the good work, Sea Trek. You are a jewel.
Barbara Maher
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Seatrek provided a memorable experience! Joey Heusler, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable about whales and with the Seatrek staff, took us to Magdalena Bay, where we had two trips out to see the Gray whales with their calves, and then on to the Sea of Cortez for a four day kayaking and camping trip on the islands. We saw eight Blue Whales, including one passing right by our island camp! A first time for most of us. The food prepared by the staff was wonderful and everything was done for our safety and comfort. Could not recommend this trip more highly!
RudiDundas
kayak coasts & islands – expedition style
I did a sea trek meditation retreat in Baja this season. From the very start all communication was timely, friendly and organised. Once I arrived in Loreto they were very accommodating. The kayaks were good kayaks and the guides incomparable. Cannot recommend Sea Trek and Baja enough. Thank you for helping making this experience the trip of a life time for me.
Leeanne Ford
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We took the SUP option for paddling out to and around these beautiful islands in the Sea of Cortez. I was very glad we did, as SUPing is what we're used to when paddling at home, and it provides a great vantage down through the clear water, a full-body workout, and for me more comfort than sitting. We definitely weren't slowing down the group, and several others wanted to try it out from camp. It was easy to hop on the SUPs just to get a little morning exercise, to find the best snorkeling, and for an absolutely amazing Bioluminescence paddle. This was a wonderful trip. And a side benefit was how pretty, friendly and easy Loreto is.
bill3west
kayak coasts & islands – expedition style
Sea Trek makes you feel welcomed and cared for as soon as you arrive in Loretto. Actually, as soon as you call them months in advance to ask about trip details. The kayaking is beautiful, the sea life swimming beside and below you - whales, dolphins, eels.... The food fresh and tasty, changing each day. An incredible, experience; easy to make the trip what you want... adventurous or relaxing, you choose... they make it happen.
