Tour Information
Note: The information presented here is an abbreviated version of our formal General Information for Tours to Mexico: Baja California. Its purpose is solely to give readers a sense of what might be involved if they take this tour. Although we do our best to make sure that what follows here is completely accurate, it should not be used as a replacement for the formal document which will be sent to all tour registrants, and whose contents supersedes any information contained here.
ENTERING MEXICO: All U.S. citizens must present proof of citizenship and photo identification for entry into Mexico. U.S. citizens traveling to and from Mexico must have a valid passport or other secure, accepted document to re-enter the United States. Your passport should be valid for at least six months after the date the tour ends. Tourist cards are required, and are obtained on entry at the border custom or from your airline.
Citizens of other countries may need a visa and should check their nearest Mexican embassy. If required by the embassy or visa-granting entity, WINGS can provide a letter for you to use regarding your participation in the tour.
LEAVING MEXICO: For those flying into Mexico, the tourist tax is included in your flight ticket by the airline. For those entering by land, the tourist permit must be paid for at a bank before exiting the country; this can usually be done at the border when you get the permit.
MAP AND COUNTRY INFORMATION: Maps of Mexico from the collections of the University of Texas can be viewed on line. The US Department of State’s Background Note on Mexico should also be consulted.
CLIMATE: The southern Baja California Peninsula is usually warm and dry in early February. Early mornings are pleasantly cool, and rain is possible but very unlikely.
HEALTH: No specific inoculations are necessary, although up-to-date tetanus protection is always a good idea. Special medications may be unavailable, so bring enough to cover your particular needs for the entire trip.
We have found that with careful eating habits, intestinal problems can be largely avoided. Bottled water is now widely available in motels, restaurants, and even the simplest stores.
The sun in Mexico can be very intense. Please bring adequate protection, including a sun hat and a strong sun screen.
Biting insects and arachnids are seldom a major nuisance, although chiggers and dawn- and evening-flying mosquitoes can be present at some locations. Careful application of repellent provides good protection.
Please note that any health/medical information contained herein is gleaned by WINGS from websites that are dedicated to traveler’s health issues. Advisories and recommendations by agencies such as the CDC can and do change frequently. We urge you to consult with your physician, local health department, or the Centers for Disease Control.
PACE OF THE TOUR: As with all tours in the tropics, we’ll try to be in the field around dawn, which means about 5:30 am. Some days will feature a picnic lunch, with an hour or two off at the hotel before dinner. Other days will feature a return to the hotel for lunch and then an afternoon siesta of two or three hours, followed by some optional late afternoon birding. Walking is mostly along roads and wide trails that are level or gently sloping, with the possibility of some short stretches on steeper grades. We’ll also occasionally be walking off the road and trails in wide washes. Good footwear is essential, and many people find a collapsible hiking stick invaluable for walking over rough ground. Since birding often involves standing still for periods, some people like to have a small travel stool to sit on.
FOOD: Baja California is on the leading edge of Mexico’s “food revival,” and restaurants here take full advantage of an abundance of fresh local seafood, artisan olive oils, gourmet breads and pastries, organic produce, mussel farms, premium coffee beans, and high-quality local cheese. Spicy food can be avoided easily by those who wish. We’ll have several picnic breakfasts and one picnic lunch; other lunches and all dinners will be in restaurants.
ACCOMMODATIONS: Our hotels offer standard amenities.
DRESS: Informal throughout.
TRANSPORTATION: Transportation during the tour is by van.
SMOKING: Smoking is prohibited in the vehicles or when the group is gathered for meals, checklists, etc. If you are sharing a room with a non-smoker, please do not smoke in the room. If you smoke in the field, do so well away and downwind from the group.
If any lodge, accommodation, or location where the group is staying or is gathered has a more restrictive smoking policy than the WINGS policy, the more restrictive policy will prevail.
GENERAL INFORMATION AND CONDITIONS OF WINGS TOURS: Please take a moment to read the General Information and Conditions on the WINGS website; if you do not have access to the internet, please contact the WINGS office for this information. This section contains important information about how we conduct tours, e.g., what is included in the tour price, refund and cancellation policies, pace of the tours, and other information that will help you prepare for the tour.
FINAL INFORMATION: Final information with instructions for meeting the group, hotel addresses, etc., will be mailed about three weeks before trip departure. Other news will be communicated as necessary. If you have any questions, please let us know.
Updated: March 2012