San Jose's Estuary and Bird Sanctuary

San Jose's Estuary and Bird Sanctuary

San Jose's Estuary and Bird Sanctuary
4
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A spectacular beach where tourists come to view the sea lions in the month of June.
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles585 reviews
Excellent
231
Very good
208
Average
94
Poor
36
Terrible
16

urbanmedusa
Victoria, Canada17 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
Staying at The BarcelĂł, the estuary is a 25min walk up the beach toward the now defunct Holiday Inn.
The estuary is a bird watchers paradise.
Brown pelicans, terns, ibis, snowy egret, turkey vultures, herons and black necked stilts to name a few.
It’s a beautiful walk passing local fishermen and Fonatur ecological conservation volunteers. The volunteers were excavating freshly laid turtle eggs to transport to the protected incubation site.
The incubation site is surrounded by protective fencing & netting outside of the old Holiday Inn.
Continue down the beach until you reach the break where the fresh water meets the Sea of Cortez. Locals usually surf the break but the water is deep and the tip is real for us gringos.
Enjoy the walk!
Written February 13, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rebecca P
Santa Fe, NM29 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022 • Solo
The natural beauty of the area includes birds, butterflies and the water itself. The problem is the impact of humans. There was litter and graffiti everywhere, many of the lookouts were broken, and lots of fences claiming private property. I hope they will clean it up and restore it to the oasis it once was.
Written November 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gypsgris
Poughkeepsie, NY477 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2021
As always time of year and day matters! I went several times early in the morning (sunrise) and found lots of shorebirds and ducks, etc. There are really two parts to the Estero: the one accessed through the public beach access from P. Malecon San Jose next to the OMNIA Dayclub. And further north off Blvd Antonio Mijares on either a dirt road to a useless Bird Lookout (but the area there is good for the endemic Yellowthroat) or near the water treatment plant. The area is neglected to be sure. The path along the water is partially under water so you can't connect to the northern part from the beach. But it all is good birding!
Written May 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ang L
Portland, OR222 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
This was a really nice place to walk around. It was a little hard to find, especially after reading older reviews. Basically you follow the road along Zona Hotelera, keep going straight past all the roundabouts until you can't go further. (old reviews stated that you park/enter by the Holiday Inn... there is an abandoned-looking hotel which I'm guessing WAS Holiday Inn). You'll see a small "farm", some goats, chickens, horses (?). The entrance is near the sign reading "Fin de Ciclovia". Follow the path, it will turn into a boardwalk and then continue along the beach. We went close to sunset and saw a lot of different kinds of birds. Worth the visit.
Written November 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Steve B
Portland, OR52 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
We really enjoyed this nature walk. You pick up the path just north of the Holiday Inn, which is located on the beach at the east end of the Hotel district. The pathway is not closed, however debris is still evident as they continue to clean up from a recent storm. The pathway to the right, which we took, takes you towards the ocean, within a half mile of fairly easy walking. Your shoes will get a bit muddy as you encounter some low lying area near the estuary water bodies. You'll see hundreds if not thousands of birds of many species. We saw a hawk dive-bomb hunting for fish in the water (around 10am). The spot where the estuary meets the ocean is a very unique feature, has many birds feeding, and is worth exploring.
Written January 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

janet
Surrey, Canada19 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
It is easy to walk along the river on your own. You will see other birdwatchers/photographers, school groups, runners, horseback riders and locals. Lots of water birds to see and beach to relax and picnic. Not easily accessible for those with mobility issues because of uneven ground, but easy enough for most.
Written February 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Wendy V
Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada1,080 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
We were delighted to find this section of SJdC devoted to wildlife, after the urban experience of staying close to the Zona Hotelera. The river estuary with the bird life and relatively few people was a welcome relief for us on a beautiful day. You can spend hours in there watching the various types of birds both in the sky and on the water. You will be amazed at the variety of birds and the tranquility that you can get spending a few hours there. There are several platforms to get you up off the ground, which provide lovely vistas.
Written May 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Murray L
Richmond Hill22 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022
A wonderful quiet sanctuary in years past , and now even more impressive since the river exit to the Pacific has been blocked, with a small lake near the ocean. So many birds and varieties ! Pelicans, egrets, raptors, many kinds of ducks. See it from the beach , or from the dirt road across from the golf course , south of Finisterra.
Written February 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

tubesteak
Morton Grove, IL56 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
We found this by accident and went back every day we were there. It is very tranquil and we spent a fair amount of time here. We saw lots of different birds, most of which we do not see when we are home. There was a concrete path that went most of the way around the area but it was apparently destroyed by a bad storm a few years ago and has not been repaired.
Written March 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ru D
7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 • Solo
I had a great time bird watching at San Jose del Cabo’s estuary. Joan picked me up from my hotel in Cabo San Lucas and brought me back. She was very knowledgeable of the local species and very friendly and patiently. We were able to spot ca. 40 different species and see all the endemics planned.
I am more than satisfied with the pictures I took !
Written December 16, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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San Jose's Estuary and Bird Sanctuary - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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