Mexico’s coastal resort towns have become synonymous with rest and relaxation, but outdoor adventures are never more than a Humvee ride away. Myriad tour companies deliver groups to the tops of Mexico’s mountains or the depths of her seas, and journey to secluded beaches, pristine jungle and remote colonial villages.
Baja Outback (www.bajaoutback.com) in Los Cabos offers a number of single-day excursions for groups, including its Rancho La Verdad Expedition, which travels to Baja’s desert to experience its wildlife, cacti and other natural riches, as well as a working ranch.
Another option, the eight-hour East Cape trip, includes kayaking, snorkeling and swimming. One of the company’s most group-friendly activities is the Rally Adventure, which sets up teams with H2 Hummers and clue books, including a map delineating various stations each group should visit. At these stations, the group answers trivia and completes various games, with the goal to discover the culture of different villages in the Los Cabos area.
“It is a great team-building opportunity because groups can explore the outback of Los Cabos on their own and learn about the flora and fauna of the destination,” says Brisa Lopez, manager of Baja Outback. “It’s a friendly competition.”
For team building, Cabo Adventures (866.393.5255; www.cabo-adventures.com) offers sailing competitions, Cup Regatta style, aboard Team New Zealand yachts, genuine America’s Cup contenders from past races. The professional crews demonstrate everything from tacking and jibing to trimming the sails, letting participants take an active role in their own race.
Vallarta Adventures (888.303.2653; www.vallarta-adventures.com), based in Puerto Vallarta, is the sister company to Cabo Adventures, and will also start hosting sailing races starting this summer.
For team building, Vallarta Adventures arranges canopy tours at the company’s private eco reserve. The tours entail traversing the forest from 90 feet in the air along zip lines.
“The canopy tour participants learn a lot about confidence and working with guides,” says Paul Fitzpatrick, marketing director for Vallarta Adventures.
Another option is the Jeep safari tour in the company’s monster trucks, or Unimogs, large yellow Mercedes Benz vehicles. Groups go in a convoy with an eco guide who takes them off-roading to see animals, stop at traditional villages, partake in a 45-minute educational nature walk, and end with a barbecue on the beach.
Beach-based excursions to Deer Island and Stone Island, run by Pronatours (011.52.669.913.3333; www.elcid.com.mx) in Mazatlan, are two of the company’s most requested programs. Large groups of up to 600 people can be divided to participate in different activities, such as kayaking, snorkeling, diving, wake boarding, horseback riding, and parasailing.
Pronatours, the official tour operator from El Cid Resorts, can host up to 120 for land-based programs, such as the tequila tour.
“The tour gives a taste of real Mexico, with cobblestone roads, people doing pottery, and people working with leather,” says Maru Gama, manager of Pronatours.
Another cultural option is a day trip to Cosala in the Sierra Madre.
“It’s a magical town with its own little church and city hall. Just 10 minutes from there, we take groups for canopy tours, rent ATVs and visit waterfalls,” Gama says.
On Thursdays from October through March, Pronatours organizes visits to the El Verde Marine Turtle station, where researchers have been protecting nesting sea turtles for 23 years. Participants can help release young turtles to the ocean.
Along the Mexican Caribbean, Alltournative (011.52.984.803.9999; www.alltournative.com) combines the Yucatan’s cultural and natural riches in its Maya Encounter, including a visit to the archaeological site of Coba, climbing the state’s tallest pyramid—Nohoch Muul temple—zip lining over one cenote (a cavern with an underground river) and rappelling into another, as well as canoeing and swimming in a lagoon. The activities are complemented by a relaxing, traditional lunch prepared by local Maya residents.
The company has the capacity to host up to 450 per tour.
