ISLANDS AND PROTECTED AREAS OF THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA

Referred to as the "world?s aquarium" by famous sea explorer Jacques Cousteau, Mexico?s islands and protected areas in the Gulf of Baja California were declared a World Heritage Site in the summer of 2005. Nestled between the shores of the northwestern Mexican states of Sinaloa, Sonora and the Baja California peninsula, the 244 islands, islets and coastal areas comprising the area, have been called a natural laboratory for the investigation of speciation. The rugged islands, with their high cliffs and sandy beaches are also home to 695 vascular plant species, more than any other marine and insular property on the World Heritage List. In addition, the aquatic paradise contains 39% of the world?s total number of species of marine mammals and a third of the world?s marine cetacean species.

Destinations: Los Cabos, La Paz,
Loreto, Mazatlán, Nuevo Vallarta,
San Blas, Rocky Point, San Felipe

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