Espíritu Santo

Espíritu Santo lies an hour by boat from La Paz, an uninhabited island of pink and rust volcanic rock cut by bays of improbable turquoise, part of the Gulf of California World Heritage area that Steinbeck's companion Ed Ricketts helped make famous. At its northern tip, Los Islotes is a rookery of California sea lions where several hundred animals haul out on the rock and the young ones come to inspect snorkellers at arm's length, which is the single reason most people make the trip. Elsewhere the island has beaches for camping, mangrove channels to paddle, and a desert interior of cardón cactus. Whale sharks feed in the shallows off La Paz in winter.

What you actually see

• Los Islotes - snorkelling among a colony of curious young sea lions.
• Balandra and the bays - turquoise water against pink volcanic cliffs.
• Kayak camping - beach sites on an otherwise uninhabited island.
• Whale sharks off La Paz - feeding in the bay through the winter months.

When to go

October to May for comfortable weather, with whale sharks off La Paz roughly October to April. The sea lion rookery closes to swimmers during the pupping and breeding season, usually from around June to late August, so check before booking a trip built around it.

Honest expectations

The sea lion site closes for months each year to protect breeding animals, and operators do not always make that clear at booking. Crossings are cancelled in the strong winter northerlies. There is no water, shade or facility on the island, so camping is genuinely self-sufficient. Day trips can be crowded with several boats at the same bay.

Nearby

La Paz is the base; Balandra beach on the mainland is half an hour from town.