The second part off our 2-day tour with Sea & Land Tours Loreto was a boat ride to Isla Coronado, a national park 15 minutes off the coast. We waited for the boat with the rest of our group (no tur privada this time) under the blue whale statue and smiled when we saw Nestor sitting in the Captain’s chair of a boat being towed towards the marina. Something told me we were going to see him again as I imagine he had just as a good time with us as we did with him for our San Javier Mission tour. We were also introduced to our official tour guide, Carlos. He was super friendly, helpful and very informative about all things to be found in and around the island. It was with his keen eagle eye that we saw a lone fin whale off-season. This is pretty rare to see at this time of year, but if you remember our month long stay in Cabo, the whales make special appearances for us. As Nestor says, “you guys must be lucky.” Good observation Nestor, we are really lucky!
Shout-out to El Capitan Nestor (who for some reason briefly let my Mom drive the boat) and Carlos (who took the GoPro to depths I was too afraid to go to and encouraged me to swim with sea lions). It was an amazing time on the boat, seeing a large pod of delfines, swimming with sea lions and frolicking in turquoise waters off a pristine and secluded beach. And if you find yourself in Loreto, book a tour with Nestor and Carlos (“hola amigos nuevos” since I know they will read this blog to find out what I wrote about them, jajajaja). Tell them Amy sent you. 100% worth it!
Speaking of new friends, we ended our last day in Loreto with a truly unique culinary experience at Canipole. I say unique because the open floor plan allows you to have a front row seat to the magic of Sofia’s Mexican cooking. She has been operating a fonda for over 20 years and since she’s the boss, she can run it however she wants. From what I gather, a fonda serves food but is less formal than a cafe. At Canipole, it’s reservation-only, there is no menu and you’re served whatever the waitress puts in front of you; you do, however, have a choice in what flavor of margarita you want with your meal. Sofia’s granddaughter makes them for you and I like to think if my Grandma had a fonda, I’d be making the drinks too! Sofia is joined by her daughter and family friends who help her prepare the plates to serve to their customers – a true multigenerational family business! The entire meal costs ~$40 USD and consisted of the following:
- Bottle of water
- Margarita – our choices were mango, strawberry, original or tuna (not to be confused with fish, tuna is a cactus fruit)
- Fresh fruit (apple, pear, kiwi, jicama) and vegetable (carrot, cucumber, celery) salad with chamoy sauce – chamoy is a sweet chili sauce
- Guacamole with chips and flautas
- Sampler entree:
- Chile al nogados – Chile rellenos stuffed with ground beef and vegetables topped with a white crema and pomegranate arils
- Chicken tamale
- Salad with oil and vinegar dressing and pepita seeds
- Chicken mole – THE BEST MOLE I’VE EVER HAD! When something takes 11 hours to make, you know it’s legit. Sofia, this was my favorite part of the meal.
- Rice and frijolitos
- And for dessert, a sweet pudding with pineapple and carrots.
Everything was so good and the experience of having a “home cooked” meal while visiting with Sofia was one I’ve never had before & one I won’t forget. I signed the guest book giving her 10 out of 5 stars and she was happy that our bellies and hearts were full when we left her fonda. If you visit Canipole, be sure to make your reservation in advance! You could probably tell her I sent you as well – she also has the address for this blog so she can make sure I gave her enough stars in my “review.” No se preoccupe Sofia, 10 estrellas por su hospitalidad y su comida rica!
Post blog entry update: we are now back “home” at Catalina’s Condo in San Jose del Cabo. We made good time driving from Loreto in about 6 hours. We were hungry having only shared a small can of Pringle’s between the 3 of us and snacks from a gas station convenience store. I think we all just wanted to get to Cabo – me especially to see my little buddy Catalina. She was shy at first but warmed up pretty quick – after all, I’m her Amy. I missed you too Catalina!
There She Goes... 