A Week in the Sea of Cortez Aboard the Valentina
Martin Gomez Sep 29, 2026
A Week in the Sea of Cortez Aboard the Valentina
Day 1 – From Chicago to La Paz: The Adventure Begins
After months of planning and anticipation, the day had finally arrived. Our week-long adventure exploring the Sea of Cortez aboard the Valentina was about to begin.
Our journey started at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, where we boarded our flight to San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
We had approximately four and a half hours in the air ahead of us. Between a short nap, reading a few pages of a book, watching a movie, chatting with our seatmates, and sipping some coffee, the flight seemed to pass surprisingly quickly.
We crossed the United States and eventually entered Mexico from the north. Then came one of those special moments that tells you the adventure has truly begun.
Through the airplane window appeared the immense blue waters of the Sea of Cortez.
As we approached our destination, the scenery became increasingly spectacular. From the air, we could see Espíritu Santo Island, Cerralvo Island, and the beautiful coastline of Baja California Sur, with its mountains, beaches, and secluded bays.
Down there was the setting for the week ahead.
Soon, we would be navigating those waters and discovering what was hidden beneath the surface.
Welcome to Baja California Sur
We finally landed in San José del Cabo.
After collecting our luggage, going through customs, and making sure all of our dive gear had arrived safely, we headed outside to meet the transportation that would take us to La Paz.
We still had approximately two and a half hours on the road ahead of us.
Once everyone was settled into the vehicle, we made an almost mandatory stop at an OXXO, a Mexican convenience store similar to a 7-Eleven, to pick up drinks and a few snacks for the drive.
The road to La Paz gave us our first opportunity to really appreciate one of Baja California Sur’s most distinctive landscapes:
the desert meeting the sea.
But this time, the scenery was a little different.
The region had received considerable rain in the weeks before our arrival. Mountains that normally display the dry brown and golden colors of the desert were now painted green.
The desert vegetation and impressive cacti stood against the mountains, creating a spectacular contrast with the blue sky and the waters of the Sea of Cortez.
Arriving in La Paz
At approximately 2:00 PM local time, we finally arrived in the beautiful city of La Paz.
Our transportation took us directly to the main dock, where the Valentina was waiting while the crew completed the final preparations for our journey.
After so many hours of traveling, finally seeing the boat was a special moment.
There it was—our floating home for the next several days, waiting to take us deep into the Sea of Cortez.
We dropped off our luggage aboard the boat, but since we still had a few hours before departure, there was something else we needed to take care of first:
Mexican seafood!
Our First Taste of La Paz: El Toro Güero
We headed to El Toro Güero, one of our favorite places in La Paz for fresh seafood.
The restaurant was packed with people. Local families, groups of friends, and tourists filled the tables while plates of fresh fish, seafood, ceviche, and Baja California Sur’s famous chocolate clams made their way around the restaurant.
The food was fresh and delicious, but the experience was about much more than the meal.
A live norteño-style music group provided the soundtrack, giving us a true taste of the local atmosphere.
After hours of airports, flying, and driving, we were finally sitting around a table together, enjoying fresh seafood, laughing, talking, and realizing that our diving adventure had officially begun.
We also had the opportunity to meet and say hello to some friends in La Paz before it was time to return to the boat.
Boarding the Valentina
At around 5:00 PM, we officially boarded the Valentina.
The crew welcomed us aboard and began organizing the group. Cabins were assigned, luggage was stored, and we started setting up and organizing our dive equipment.
BCDs, regulators, computers, masks, fins, wetsuits—everything needed to find its place because beginning the next morning, our daily routine was going to become very simple:
Eat. Dive. Rest. And dive again.
We were also introduced to the dive guides who would accompany us throughout the expedition.
For me, there was an especially meaningful reunion.
One of our guides had more than 30 years of experience diving in this region, and I had had the opportunity to work with him several years earlier.
Now, after all those years, we were working together again—this time with our group of divers from Loves Park Scuba.
Knowing that someone with decades of experience in these waters would be guiding our group gave us tremendous confidence. In a place as vast and dynamic as the Sea of Cortez, local knowledge of the islands, currents, dive sites, and marine conditions is invaluable.
Safety Briefing and Life Aboard the Boat
Once everyone was settled in, it was time for introductions and our first safety briefings.
We met the rest of the crew, learned about the boat, reviewed onboard safety procedures, discussed diving protocols, and became familiar with the routine we would follow during the coming days.
The Valentina was scheduled to leave La Paz at approximately 9:00 PM, which meant we still had a little time to enjoy the city before departure.
Saturday Night on the Malecón
After the briefing, we stepped off the boat once more and went for a walk through downtown La Paz and along its beautiful Malecón.
It was Saturday night, and the waterfront was full of life.
Locals and visitors shared the same spaces, strolling along the waterfront, stopping at restaurants and bars, enjoying something to eat or drink, or simply sitting and watching the evening unfold.
As the sun moved toward the horizon, the sky slowly began to change colors.
It was one of those moments when you really didn’t need to do much.
Just walk.
Look at the sea.
Feel the warm breeze.
And enjoy a beautiful sunset in La Paz.
After months of planning the trip, we were finally there.
Tonight, We Sail...
Eventually, it was time to return to the Valentina.
Our luggage was stored, our dive equipment was ready, and our cabins were waiting. We had met the crew, listened to the safety briefings, and learned how our floating home would operate for the coming week.
Now there was only one thing left to do:
get some rest.
While we slept, the Valentina would leave La Paz and begin navigating the Sea of Cortez, carrying us toward our first diving destination.
The next morning, we would no longer wake up alongside the Malecón of La Paz.
We would wake up somewhere in the Sea of Cortez.
After airplanes, airports, highways, desert landscapes, seafood, old friends, and a beautiful evening in La Paz, the traveling portion of our adventure was over.
The diving was about to begin.
Day 1 was complete.
✈️ Chicago → San José del Cabo
