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Camping was never like this -- an island to ourselves in Baja
http://www.newsday.com/travel/ny-trbaja0620,0,2438243.story?...
BY KEVIN SULLIVAN
June 20, 2004
Off the port bow, the sea was suddenly boiling with thousands of sardines jumping out of the water.
Our guide, Cuco, a rugged fisherman with skin like old cowboy boots, steered in close. We were after whatever had scared the little fish to the
surface.
We dropped a couple of lines into the water, and within minutes one of them doubled over like a cat's back. My daughter, Kate, reeled the line in as
far as her 9-year-old arms would let her, and then she handed the rod off to our friend Hugh, who finished the job. When the fish got close enough,
Cuco grabbed it by the tail and we cheered the flapping arrival of a yard-long, 16-pound yellow jack. An hour later, the fish hit the dinner table at
our island camp.
Andrea Tamagnini, an Italian campmaster and gourmet chef, had turned it into a silver platter of thinly sliced, blood-red sashimi, served with fresh
limes and a few drops of soy sauce. We ate it with chilled Sonoma Valley chardonnay by the light of hurricane lanterns, at a long wooden dinner table
set with china and linen napkins, under a large tent pitched a few feet from the gently lapping surf.
"Whatever the sea provides," said Tamagnini, crunching a slice of the meaty fish, followed by ceviche made with an octopus caught in the shallow
turquoise water 50 yards from the dinner table.
Technically, the experience at Tamagnini's Baja Camp is "camping," the way that shoveling down a Dunkin' Donuts cruller is technically "dining." What
Tamagnini has created here, on a perfect strand on a completely unspoiled island in the middle of the Sea of Cortez, is something unique and
luxurious. There are tents, but that's about all Baja Camp has in common with our family's previous experiences with roughing it in the wild.
Except for the camp and a few fishermen's shacks, the 38-square-mile Isla Espiritu Santo (Island of the Holy Spirit) is free of human interference.
The island is a rare triumph of conservation and philanthropy in Mexico, where both concepts are relatively new.
Last year, a group of Mexican and U.S. environmental groups, including the Nature Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund, raised more than $3 million
to buy out the group of local residents who were granted perpetual rights to use the government-owned island after the 1910-17 Mexican Revolution.
Now Espiritu Santo remains a sanctuary in the middle of the 800-mile-long Sea of Cortez, also known as the Gulf of California, which Jacques Cousteau
once described as "the world's aquarium" because of its vast array of marine life, including whales, dolphins, sharks, manta rays, turtles and sea
lions.
Tamagnini managed to navigate the complex bureaucratic barriers and won permission from the Mexican government to operate his camp, the only one of
its kind in the Sea of Cortez, from May to October each year; he is now in his fourth season. The vast majority of his customers have been Italians
and other Europeans, while the camp remains largely undiscovered by the throngs of U.S. tourists who come to Baja California, usually to the resorts
of Los Cabos.
Tamagnini's camp sits on a stretch of white-sand beach about halfway up the island's western coast, facing the desert mainland of Baja -- about an
hour's boat ride from the port city of La Paz and its international airport. The beach is at the head of a shallow cove of sparkling emerald water,
protected by steep canyon walls of loose rock and tall green cactuses. The walls rise 300 feet or more, and in the soft light of sunrise and sunset
they become huge canvases of pinks and greens and browns, linking perfect blue skies with the impossibly green and blue sea.
There is a main tent, which is divided into a dining area, with a heavy wooden table that seats 10, and a living area with reclining deck chairs
facing the water. Another tent houses the camp kitchen. Set out along the beach are four guest tents (a fifth is available), each fitted with two
single beds on wooden frames, with crisp fresh sheets and a light cotton spread, and a large wooden trunk for clothes. Canvas-enclosed showers and
toilets sit behind each tent.
It is the kind of place Tamagnini, 43, has wanted to create since he was a boy growing up in Mogadishu, Somalia. His grandparents went to Africa to
flee Mussolini, and Tamagnini lived there well into his teens. Every summer his family set up a safari-style tent camp on a remote beach.
My wife, Mary, and I and our kids, along with our friends Hugh and Cindy and their two boys -- the only overnight guests on the island -- spent hours
every morning snorkeling among yellow, blue and green tropical fish. Each day, we hopped into the launch to see a different part of the island. One
morning we found a pod of dolphins playing right in front of our boat. First we spotted two fins splitting the water, then four, then 10, then a
dozen. They dove beneath the boat and came up on the other side, and we followed them until they finally swam off into deeper water. The look on the
kids' faces was magical.
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Mike Humfreville
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After reading the reports of the recent recreation of the "Log of the Sea of Cortez" voyage and the lack of sealife now and comparing that to this
report, which represents Baja as I know her I have to think it's all relative to what you expect. While, even in my personal experience in central
Baja that started in the '60's, I've seen major changes and reductions of sea-beasts, there is still so much life it is amazing. With the more recent
understandings of the fragility of our environment, lets hope we can, working together, bring the Sea of Cortez back to full richness. You just know
that's the way the locals would have it.
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Juan
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Sounds like these people had fun but I can't help but think of the people who had "perpetual rights to the island".
They may have some money left but their homes are gone. In my opinion that isn't much of a trade.
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wilderone
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It's all about $$$$$$$$$$$. Some Mexican government types got paid off, and the Italian is exploiting the marine sanctuary for profit. I don't think
his camp is what was envisioned by all the groups which paid $3 million for the islands.
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jrbaja
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This is something
I will be looking into. If he has enough Mexican employees, they are happy, and they are teaching people to protect the environment, maybe it's not
so bad.
Or, is it the fact that all those Europeans have beat the neighbors to the north to the punch?
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wilderone
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They can protect the environment all up and down the entire gulf and pacific coast, and leave the islands alone in the process. And: "With the more
recent understandings of the fragility of our environment, lets hope we can, working together, bring the Sea of Cortez back to full richness. You just
know that's the way the locals would have it." Where have you been. The locals are the ones raping the gulf - they are clueless. This is not news.
It now appears that once "we" attempt to bring the Sea of Cortez back to some hope of its past richness, the effort is thwarted by commerical
ventures.
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wilderone
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This is outrageous. No wonder Europeans are the ones paying for this- they don't know any better:
http://www.bajacamp.com/baja_camp/versione_inglese/price.htm...
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jrbaja
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As I was saying,
I will be looking into the matter out of personal curiosity. But it won't be by taking one of their trips.
Being legal in Mexico, I get a might "miffed" when some foreigner trys to stop me from using a beach in Mexico.
But comparatively speaking, how do you feel about the development of 5000 homes by gringos and canadians in Loreto? Or the Mulege River area? Or
Bahia de los Angeles? Or the new Giggling Marlin at the "Bay of the Dead" as it is even more so to me now!
Some Italian with some tents on the beach and getting paid for it seems fairly minor.
But again, that will depend on his attitude, won't it!
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aldosalato
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Bajacamp
First of all I have to admit that I am a friend of Andrea.
Even if not everything he does is perfect I still think that he is doing a good job on the island.
He has 4 full time Mexican employees. One of them spend all winters fishing in Cedros island. Two more are expert fishermen of old barrio of La paz
esterito and another is the Mexican cook.
All the people (including Andrea and rarely even myself that right now follow up on emails) work in the full heat of the summer (no A/C on the island)
to make sure customers enjoy their vacation made of sun , sea and good cooking.
The people that got expropiated the island are the one of Eijido Bonfil (with many local politicians during last few years got in their list).
They received the island granted from government in the 50s and in 50 years never did anything to demonstrate will to improve or work on the island.
The Federal government was forced to expropriate the island and private foundations paid 3 million for something thay should have just declared
National park and pay nothing. The money would have been better spent in researches and education............
If we want to talk about who the island belong to it is better to talk about the many fishermaen that still have shacks on the island and that for
many years fished the coast around the island. Now the federal government and operations like Bajacamp try to integrate and give works to these people
so that they can feel still be part of the area.
If Bajacamp make a profit I will be happy for Andrea because he had the right idea at the right moment and is trying his best to make it work.
Anyway it is not that easy to get all permits, speak three languages (like myself that I am also a registered tourist guide of BCS) if you have to
transport EVERYTHING to the island, pay 6 people, two boats, cars etc etc.
And then last year you have to shut off because TWO hurricanes pass over your head.
[Edited on 6-21-2004 by aldosalato]
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jrbaja
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Thanks for that Aldo
hardly seems worth the worry when there are so many destructive projects going on elsewhere that are going to change Baja forever.
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Margie
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$175.00 per person per night, seems a bit steep. That's $350.00 per night per couple, 4 night minimum.
Wow !
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jrbaja
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american ideas of foreigners
are somewhat confused. Although this seems like a lot to the middle class americans, it's not really that much to the middle class Europeans from
what I have seen and experienced
[Edited on 6/22/2004 by jrbaja]
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aldosalato
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prices
I agree that price is a little steep but it is the only way to assure quality of services and 100% time dedication to client. Maximum people allowed
on the camp are only 8.
In Baja there are plenty of Americans that pay 200+ dollars for 6 hour fishing, for a round on a golf course (in the desert!), several hundreds
dollars for a room only in a poshy hotel or more for some timeshare scam........
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wilderone
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I hear you, Aldosalato, but it still goes back to somebody wanting to exploit an ecologically sensitive marine sanctuary for their own benefit, rather
than conserving the land, as it was recently intended by those who paid $3 million. What the residents did on the islands in the 50's was a
generation ago, and, by not "improving" it, essentially preserved the island, so that it's more or less pristine condition can still be enjoyed today
(by your friend Andrea) and by future generations. Why can't he put his campo on the beach north of La Paz and motor visitors to the island to
snorkle and kayak?
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aldosalato
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preserving the island
Sure my friend Andrea exploit the beauty of the island (paying permits for it) but it is the only way you can exploit natural resources and leave them
the way they are. CAMP, LEAVE NO TRACE AND LEAVE. Regulation is very strict and we even have to take our sh.. back.
Again if we want to talk about real owner of the island we should talk of fishermen not the people of Eijido Bonfil (full of latecomer politicians)
that wanted to sell pieces of the island for permanent building and constructions.
There is still a better way than:
Prohibit everything and let fishermen and locals without chance of jobs and social improvement or Build big resorts, golf courses and condominium
complexes
Bajacamp, Baja Expedition, MAr Y Aventuras, BOA and many other companies are showing the lead.
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Margie
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Well, forget about the golf courses, please, no more ! I wonder if this is how it will go in the future, though, just the upper classes being able to
enjoy the pristine spots ?
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aldosalato
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Nature just for the rich and famous?
Margie that is a real danger all around the world. And I am totally against it.
Look at steep prices that even US charge for any stay in national park.
Now to stay on Espiritu Santo is a 2 USD fee per day but no doubt in a few years it will be much higher.
Now you need to pay to get Visas, camp on the beach (not enforced though) , visit remote areas and much more. Unfortunately in the future it will be
more and more.
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