“Let’s ride a camel! It’ll be fun!” She said
Whenever a Pink Bear adventure includes that line, you know something interesting is about to happen. When Pink Bear said she wanted to visit the camels in Cabo, I knew we were in for something outrageous. Little did I know one very determined camel had already picked out the souvenir she wanted to take home…my sunglasses.
This blog tells the story of a camel ride by the ocean, some camel antics, and a lunch that includes a tequila tasting.
If you would like to read about all of Pink Bear’s antics in Cabo go to:
This Blog Includes:
- Overview of Camel Riding in Cabo
- Our Camel Riding Tour with Cabo Adventures
- Camel Riding on the Beach
- Camel Photo Shoot
- Lunch and Tequila Tasting
- Pink Bear Rating
- Final Thoughts
Overview of Camel Riding in Cabo
Camel rides in Cabo are relatively common. They are a unique desert-to-ocean experience that is appropriate for most retired seniors. Tours cost about $80 to $150 USD (plus a required $25 USD park/conservation fee) and typically last 2 to 4.5 hours. Packages often include guided rides along the coastline, cultural activities, Mexican buffets, and tequila tastings. The ride itself is guided and generally takes about 20 to 30 minutes, at a slow, gentle pace. Top tour operators in the Cabo area are Cabo Adventures, Wild Canyon, and Cactus Tours.
Camel Riding with Cabo Adventures
For our tour, Pink Bear selected Cabo Adventures through TripAdvisor. The Cabo Adventures Outback Camel Safari is a popular eco-tour hosted at the oceanfront Rancho Tierra Sagrada. The ranch is about 25 miles north of Cabo San Lucas. It is a bit farther from us at the Westin and took a little over an hour. They offer pickup service in a modern air-conditioned van. The entire experience at the ranch lasts about 3 to 3.5 hours (excluding travel time) and costs around $84 to $119 USD per adult, plus a mandatory $25 USD park entry fee paid at check-in. There is a beach caravan camel ride, photo ops, local cultural activities, tequila tasting, and a multi-course meal.
Animal Sanctuary
As you can tell because we travel with a Pink Bear, we are a very animal-conscious crew. What Pink Bear loved about this tour is that Rancho Tierra Sagrada is the only camel facility in the world to be officially certified by “Global Humane”. This designation ensures strict welfare standards for the animals, including housing, diet, handling, and overall animal care. The herd consists of rehomed and in-house bred camels. The rehomed camels have been rescued from other captive facilities such as traveling shows. Mexico has banned these types of things. Even though camels are not native to Mexico, the arid, hot, and sandy Baja Peninsula mirrors their natural habitat, so they thrive well. Each camel walks about 20 minutes per tour, and herd rotation allows them to get plenty of rest. There are on-site veterinarians, and the camels receive regular veterinary care. Another thing Pink Bear loved is that at Rancho Tierra Sagrada, camels that reach retirement age or can no longer carry weight due to age-related physical limitations remain at the ranch permanently as part of a lifetime care sanctuary program
Our Adventure Pick-up and Introduction
What to wear: For camel riding with Cabo Adventures, you must wear closed shoes. The suggested attire is something cool and comfortable. We chose shorts and a lightweight shirt. It does get very hot on the ride, especially in the summer months, so dress accordingly. Sunglasses are also highly recommended. They provide headgear, so a hat is not necessary.
Our adventure began with a 10:30 AM pick-up for our noon tour. The van arrived promptly, and the scenic ride took about an hour. Cabo Adventures is a large operation offering many different types of activities; our group of about 10 people in the van were doing all different tours. We checked in, paid our park fee, and got our colored wrist bands. Pink Bear was measured, and unfortunately, she was disappointed she was not tall enough to ride the camel. She was happy she could be included in the photo shoot. She did make some new friends while drinking some tequila at the welcome station!
Pink Bear was so disappointed she was too short to ride the camel.
So she stayed behind and drank tequila.
She also made some new friends.
She also got some love from the camels.
Before the tour, we waited patiently at the check-in area. There are plenty of tables and chairs, a small coffee bar, and lovely views.
Camel Riding on the Beach
Our guide Jorge was informative and personable. For rides at Rancho Tierra Sagrada, all riders must wear a helmet. They do decorate the helmet r with a lovely white scarf that looks like oasis attire, so riders look nice in pictures. Nothing is allowed on the camel. Cell phones, cameras, purses, and backpacks must be left in a storage locker. However, Jorge did not strictly enforce the cell phone requirement (wink wink 😉), but riders had to have them safely in their clothing and use them with extreme caution.
Getting on the camels is very different from my previous rides in Egypt and Morocco, where you got on the camel as it knelt on the ground. In Cabo, you are escorted on the camel from a raised platform.
The ride is escorted, and caravan-style. Camels are escorted down a trail to the beach. The ride was about 20 minutes. It was hot but not overly so on the day we rode. There was a photographer taking videos and pictures that could be purchased. We purchased the digital video and picture package for $139 USD.
With our package, we were also provided with a Video of the ride.
Camel Photo Session
Pink Bear was so excited to get to meet a camel. What could go wrong? A well-behaved female with her trainer/photographer seemed totally risk-free. What seemed like a harmless activity turned out to be a laugh riot.
Each group was up to take pictures with the camel one at a time. Everything was proceeding very orderly until it was our turn. I asked if Pink Bear could join, and they replied affirmatively. The camel was supposedly well-trained and would not harm Pink Bear.
Pink Bear getting ready to meet the camel.
We took a few group pictures. Things went well. Pink Bear and the camel got along famously.
Then D went alone, and Pink Bear and I stepped aside. All was still well and going according to plan.
Finally, it was my turn to show the camel some love. I went up with Pink Bear. At first things went smoothly. The camel and Pink Bear still seemed to be getting along.
Unfortunately, the camel decided she wanted my sunglasses, so she proceeded to try to take them from my face, and a bit of chaos ensued.
The trainer/photographer attempted to deter her, and we tried again, but this time she was even more insistent. She was going to get those glasses.
The more we tried to deter her, the more determined she became until she finally won her prize!
I gave up and took some pictures without my sunglasses. Woman and Bear vs camel, the camel won! Look at her smirking!
I honestly never thought I could have so much fun with a camel! Pink Bear wants to take one home.
Lunch and Tequila Tasting
Just when we thought we had enough laughs, they brought out the tequila!
After the camel photo session, we went to the lunch area and were served a delicious buffet lunch before the tequila tasting. Water and fruit punch were free, and they had paid alcoholic beverages. The buffet included chicken, ribs, salads (including a unique cactus salad), rice, vegetables, and fresh-made cheese quesadillas.
My lunch. I think the quesadilla was my favorite.
After lunch, we had a tortilla-making demonstration.
Jorge showing us how to grind the corn to make tortillas the old-fashioned way.
And then it was tequila time. We all had unlimited samples of 2 types of tequila! Fortunately, no one was driving!
Pink Bear did get a little wild and ended up in a cactus!!
After lunch, we got a ride back to the welcome area for our journey home.
Pink Bear Retirement Rating:
- Camel Riding: 9/10 calm, but a bit bouncy, and you need to be able to climb onto the camel
- Photo Session: 10/10, but you need to be aware of sunglasses-stealing camels; we are still laughing
- Lunch and Tequila Tasting: 10/10, but watch out for those cactus; Pink Bear is still pulling thorns out of her butt
- Overall: 10/10, Loads of fun
- Pink Bear Approved: Yes!!!
Final Thoughts
This was a fun day that we will be laughing about for a long time! It is a unique experience riding on a camel and a great opportunity to get some really fun photos. For the price, they provide quite a lot of entertainment. We particularly liked how well the animals are treated and that they have rescued many of these camels from harsh conditions. Pink Bear definitely recommends Cabo Adventures and the camel encounter at Rancho Tierra Sagrada.