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TRAVEL CLUB

Join us as we unearth treasures of Mexico together

Mariachi bands, tacos, wide brimmed sombreros, tequila…

Despite its stereotypes, Mexico offers surprises at every turn. Its culture stretches thousands of years from the Maya and Aztec, through three centuries of Spanish rule. In all directions there’s a magical feel with music, color, and mouthwatering cuisine. There is always something new and exciting to discover in Mexico. If there is somewhere you would like to go reach out to the travel committee and let them know!

Club trips take advantage of small, boutique lodging where available using the best local English-speaking guides.

Our trips are planned by travel professionals or club members with a yen for ‘buena aventura’. Travel professionals Mark and Miguel of Ocean Camp are SCYC members and lower down there is a link to their trips. As new trips are planned, we send out information on dates, itinerary and pricing. Here are a couple of our recent trips as well as some of offerings for 2022/2023.

UPCOMING TRIPS...

Guadalajara, Tlaquepaque, Lake Chapala, Ajijic, and optional Tequila

11—16 January 2023

Join our small group of 12 as we explore the region surrounding Guadalajara. Our lodging is La Quinta Don Jose, a small, boutique hotel, for four nights and five days of exploring the region on day tours with excellent local English-speaking guides.

Each traveler makes their own flight reservation and chooses the room of their choice at the boutique hotel. Expenses for the airport bus and tours will be divided by the number of travelers as we get closer to departure date.

Travelers depart San Carlos via bus on 11 January and spend the night at a hotel in Hermosillo to catch an early nonstop flight to Guadalajara. Everyone makes their own flight reservations online for a nonstop flight from Hermosillo to Guadalajara. If you choose to stay longer than our tour dates or travel onward to other destinations that is fine.

Rooms/suites at La Quinta Don Jose ranging from $100 to $190 per night have been reserved for SCYC and the hotel will pick us up at the airport. Travelers call the hotel (English speaking staff) and put down a deposit on the accommodation level of their choice. The sooner you call the more choices you have. There is a toll-free number to call and you can see each room and prices at https://quintadonjose.com/

USA (866) 629-3753

MEXICO (800) 700-2223

Day tours have been organized with Guadalajara tours in two vans instead of one big bus. Each van is driven by an English-speaking guide and the vans enable us to make our way through the narrow streets of colonial towns. All three tours are approximately $170 per person, not including tip.

Please contact Julie Bradley with any questions. redjuliebradley@gmail.com

(US) (928) 369-6781

PAST TRIPS

Guaymas Pearl Farm and Historic Hotel Playa de Cortez

Sometimes we get so caught up in all the fantastic events in San Carlos that we forget to explore our region. In April, a group of us took a tour of the Perlas del Mar de Cortez, followed by a tour and lunch at the Hotel Playa de Cortez, former playground of the rich and famous.

Right across the Bay in Guaymas is the first commercial pearl oyster farm in North America. The Spaniards first came to Sonora in the 1600’s, attracted by the pearls the native Seri and Yaqui Indians possessed. This led to development of the but later turned into the enslavement of natives for pearl diving. More than a century later, the oyster beds dried up, and the pearl market was dominated by Japan and China.

A marine biologist began studying pearl oysters as part of master’s project and got the idea of restoring regional pearl oysters to their former glory. Today he is working with a one-hectare oyster farm just off the coast of Guaymas. Operations are small scale but the oyster farm pearls have received international gem shows around the world. The founder, Enrique Ultimately, Enrique Arizmendi later came to the Yacht Club to give a talk on pearl farming fielding questions on the health of the Sea of Cortez and environmental challenges.

The Hotel Playa de Cortez was a step back in time with the old-world architecture, attentive service and delicious meal. A trip worth repeating for those who could not make it last April.

El Chepe and the Copper Canyon

15 of us, in March of 2022, took a wonderful weeklong trip to the Copper Canyon with Mark and Miguel. We had lunch in Navajoa at Francisco Bonafacio’s beautiful family home followed by dinner in El Fuerte as Zorro entertained us!

The next day we boarded the famous El Chepe train as we climbed up to the quaint mountain town of Cerocahui. The train traveled at about 35 mph as we climbed up and up the mountain towards the Copper Canyon. We had lunch on the train and could sit and relax in our comfortable seats or enjoy the open-air caboose whose rocking seats and lively Mexican music entertained us along the way.

The next day we went to a beautiful lookout in Gallegos, overlooking the canyon and towns below. Some of us continued down to the lovely town of Urique at the bottom of the canyon. We traveled in style on top of the car and had lunch by the river at the bottom.

Divasadero was our next destination. This canyon (one of 7) looked most like the Grand Canyon. The Hotel Mirador, carved right in the side of the canyon, didn’t disappoint.

Activities at the nearby Parque Barrancas were many, from airtram to ziprider to one of the longest and fastest ziplines in the world. All choices allowed us to enjoy the vistas from thousands of feet above.

Creel, another pueblo magico, was our next destination with a stop along the way at an authentic Tarrahumara house.

The ride on El Chepe back down to El Fuerte didn't disappoint. Our last activity allowed us to float down the nearby river and then explore some ancient petroglyphs as we enjoyed the local birds and learned about some of the medicinal uses of the trees and plants.

During the week, we enjoyed great meals, met some new friends and deepened our former friendships. It was a trip of a lifetime.