2 days · 1 night
Noche de Estrellas
A night of camping under the clearest sky in north-west Mexico.
2027 pre-sale $4,499 MXN · January–June trips, bank transfer only
From $4,999 MXNSee experience
UNESCO World Heritage · Departing from Hermosillo
Sonora Salvaje
Desert, sea and stars. Three protected natural areas, one Mexican state.
A four-day loop from Hermosillo through Tiburón Island, the salt flats and El Pinacate.
- 4 days · 3 nights
- Tiburón Island, the salt flats and El Pinacate
- From $12,999 MXN
The essentials for booking Sonora Salvaje
Price and conditions
From $12,999 MXN per person when booking 30 days ahead or more. Valid September 2026 — June 2027.
2027 pre-sale: $11,999 MXN by bank transfer for trips from January to June; each month has its own closing date.
See all rates and conditionsDuration and departure
4 days · 3 nights. Main departure from Hermosillo at 6:00 AM.
Pick-up is in Hermosillo only.
See the itineraryBefore you pay
Sleeping gear and entrance fees are included. Midday meals are paid separately.
Book online with the form: it only offers dates with places left. The balance is paid 10 days before.
Check what is and is not includedOur tours are guided in Spanish only: at the moment we do not run tours in English. Before you book, make sure you are comfortable following a trip in Spanish.
The place
Three deserts that look nothing alike
Sonora is not one desert. It is several, pressed up against each other, and this journey crosses all of them.
It begins at the Sea of Cortés, where Tiburón Island — the largest island in Mexico — holds coastlines almost nobody has walked, and where the desert runs all the way down to the water.
It continues on the salt flats: plains of salt reaching the horizon that from a distance look like snow under the sun, inside the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta Biosphere Reserve.
And it ends in El Pinacate, where magma looked for a way out millions of years ago and found water instead. The collision opened craters kilometres wide that are still there, next to the largest sea of dunes on the continent, under a sky UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site.
We come only to look. And to leave no trace.
The experience
Four days. One state. Three ways of sleeping under the same sky.
We cross Sonora from the coast to the volcano. We sail to Tiburón Island with the Comcáac community, walk on a salt flat at sunrise, enter the Pinacate Reserve and climb a cinder cone before first light.
We sleep three nights in three different settings: facing the sea, in the middle of the salt flat, and in the heart of the volcanic shield. The first two with a shared bathroom and shower; the last one with no bathroom and no electricity, which is how you really sleep in El Pinacate.
And every night, the sky, and a night photography session you take home with you.
A route outside conventional tourism. The pace of an expedition, not of a tour. It departs from Hermosillo only.
- Sailing
- Interpretive hiking
- Stargazing
- Photography
- Geology
- Ecosystem observation
The same route, two different nights
Choose your version
The phase of the moon on your departure date completely changes what happens at night. That is why we run two versions of the same route, at the same price. Every date in the calendar is marked with its own.
⭐
Starry Nights version
Dark sky, new moon or close to it. The Milky Way rises whole, from one horizon to the other. Astrophotography.
For anyone coming for the stars and deep skies, who prefers a quiet, intimate night.
🌕
Full Moon version
The landscape lights itself. We walk at night with real visibility, among silvered dunes and long shadows. It is the more active of the two.
For anyone who enjoys exploring at night by natural light and photographing landscapes under the moon.
On the Full Moon version you will not see the Milky Way: the moonlight erases it. We say so here, and not afterwards.
Itinerary
Four days, three nights
Day 01
Comcáac territory
Departure from Hermosillo, 6:00 AM sharp.
- Punta Chueca · Comcáac community
- The ceremonial songs of welcome
- Sailing to Tiburón Island, the largest in Mexico
- A beach on the island
- Xepe mangroves
- Arrival at Azul Xerena
Tiburón Island is the territory of the Comcáac people and a protected natural area. You enter with their authorisation and in their company, and you leave without taking anything.
There are no bathrooms, no signal and no restaurants in Punta Chueca or on the island. Bring water, a hat and whatever you will need during the day.
If the sea does not allow the crossing, the day is spent at Campo Filomena, facing the island, and the songs of welcome take place just the same.
Night 1 · between the desert and the sea
Azul Xerena
A camp set in the Sonoran desert, eight hundred metres from the sea. Here we see one of the finest sunsets of the trip, and at dawn we walk down to the beach to meet the sun on the sea horizon.
It is the most comfortable of the three nights and it is still camping: you sleep in a tent and walk to the bathroom.
How you sleep at Azul Xerena Where A tent, in the camping area Bathroom Shared, in the common area. No private bathroom Shower Yes, shared Electricity Yes Mobile signal None Internet At points in the common area. It does not reach your tent Azul Xerena also offers glamping, at extra cost. Ask us about it when you book.
Day 02
The road is part of the journey
Sunrise on the beach, facing Tiburón Island.
- La Costera highway, from Hermosillo to Puerto Peñasco
- Puerto Peñasco seafront
- Playa Ejido Frontera
- Arrival at Campo La Salina
The road starts among dry hills and saguaros, and slowly turns into volcanic country: lava fields, moving dunes and salt flats that look like another planet. And just when the desert seems to have no end, the sea appears.
Night 2 · silence and stars
Campo La Salina
A remote, silent place inside the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta Biosphere Reserve. Sleeping surrounded by dunes and salt, with not one light in the way, is one of the great treasures of this journey.
Power comes from solar panels and batteries that run the internet and some lights. There are no sockets for personal use: bring a power bank.
How you sleep at Campo La Salina Where A room in a small hostel in the middle of the desert, subject to availability Bathroom Shared, in the common area. Rooms have no private bathroom Shower Yes, shared Electricity Solar, no sockets for personal use Mobile signal None Internet At points in the common area. It does not reach the rooms This is the only night when rooms are shared. They are arranged by gender: if you travel alone, you share with someone of the same gender. Couples always have their own room and groups of friends stay together, up to four to a room.
There are seven rooms. They have always been enough so far; if on some date they were not, the rest of the group sleeps in a tent, with an inflatable mattress included.
Day 03
Into El Pinacate
Sunrise on the Sonoran salt flat.
- Entering the El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve
- Sahuaro Danzante · the landmark we put on the map in 2017
- La Laja former mine · the Mars Zone, red lava formations
- El Elegante crater · 1,600 m across and 250 m deep
- El Tecolote camp · campfire, dinner and a night photography session
NASA trained the Apollo astronauts here because this terrain is the closest thing to the Moon on Earth.
Night 3 · the wildest of the three
El Pinacate
We end the crossing in the heart of the reserve, in an authorised camping zone, surrounded by petrified lava, saguaros and a blanket of stars that looks close enough to touch. It is the night people describe when someone asks how the trip was.
When we arrive, the coordinator explains how to handle the bathroom without leaving a trace. It is the only night of the trip without one, and it is the one most people remember.
How you sleep at El Pinacate Where A tent, in an authorised camping zone Bathroom None Shower None Electricity None Mobile signal No signal at camp. There is signal at the high points of the reserve Internet None If you travel alone, the tent is yours alone; couples share.
Day 04
Volcanic sunrise and dunes
Before first light we climb Cono Mayo, about twenty minutes, to watch the sun rise over the volcanic shield.
- Breakfast and breaking camp
- Cerro Colorado crater
- Schuk Toak Museum and Visitor Centre
- Hike to the dunes of the Gran Desierto de Altar · November to March; in October and April, depending on the forecast
- Return to Hermosillo around 10:00 PM
The order may change if the coordinator considers it necessary, or if the sea does not cooperate. Every site is visited unless weather, the sea, safety or official instructions prevent it.
Gran Desierto de Altar
The dunes
The largest field of moving dunes in North America, and the most demanding walk of the trip. Five kilometres in total, there and back: an hour out, an hour back and thirty minutes at the top. Between 2.5 and 3 hours.
The safest months are November to March. In October and April it depends on the forecast: above 30 °C it does not go ahead, without exception. From May to September it is not done, and there is no replacement activity: in that heat no outdoor activity is safe. The rest of the itinerary is completed in full.
Who this trip is for
Four days is a long time with strangers in the desert
We would rather tell you what it is like beforehand, not afterwards.
This trip is for you if
- Getting up early costs you nothing: we watch three of the four sunrises from outside
- You enjoy the long road, the highway and the dirt track
- You sleep well in a tent, and a night without a bathroom does not bother you
- You walk because you like walking, even in the heat and on uneven ground
- You prefer silence and places where there is nobody else
- You can spend four days without mobile signal. The first two stays have internet points in the common area; in El Pinacate there is nothing
- You want to understand how life survives where it almost never rains
Think twice if
- You are looking to rest more than to explore
- You need a private bathroom: there is none on any of the three nights, and on the last one there is no bathroom at all
- Simple food or shifting schedules are hard for you
- You prefer the settled comfort of a hotel
You do not need to be an expert camper or bring professional gear: the equipment is ours. What you do need is to arrive willing for the day not to go exactly as written. Minimum age to travel: 6.
If reading this made you want to come more, this is your trip.
All of this is already paid for
What’s included
Transport and guides
- Round-trip van transport from Hermosillo
- 2 Pinacate guides throughout the trip
- Sailing to Tiburón Island
Access · all paid
- Entrance fees for the three protected natural areas
- Community land access fees
- The crossing to Tiburón Island
Accommodation · 3 nights
- Night 1 · camping at Azul Xerena
- Night 2 · a room at Campo La Salina
- Night 3 · camping in El Pinacate
Camping gear · included, not rented
- Tent, sleeping bag, inflatable mattress and personal lamp
Meals
- 4 breakfasts with coffee
- 3 dinners
- Snacks along the route
- Water throughout the trip
And also
- Daytime photographs at every site and a night photography session
- First aid kit, emergency procedures and coordination with reserve staff
On the two camping nights, if you travel alone the tent is yours alone; couples share. At Campo La Salina, the night of rooms, rooms are shared by gender.
Vegetarian, coeliac or any allergy? Tell us when you book and we adapt your menu.
Transparency
What’s not included
We would rather you do the full sum now and not along the way.
You do not need to carry cash to get into any of the three protected natural areas: entrance fees, community land access fees and the crossing to Tiburón Island are all inside your rate.
The only things you pay for separately are midday meals, tips and your own spending. There are no cash machines inside the reserves and cards are not accepted: bring Mexican pesos in cash.
- Midday meals and any restaurant meal
- Tips
- Glamping at Azul Xerena
- Medical or travel insurance
- Accommodation before or after the tour, and flights: we can help you arrange them
The vehicle carries passenger insurance during transfers. Inside the protected areas and during the boat crossing, activities are undertaken at your own risk: we recommend travel insurance. If you are coming from outside Mexico, make sure it covers medical care abroad and in remote areas.
Before you pack
What to bring
- Toilet paper and a torch (we can lend you one)
- Changes of clothes for four days. There will be two chances to get into the sea
- Swimwear and a quick-dry towel
- Hat or cap and sunscreen
- A flask to refill. We bring the water
- Insect repellent
- Personal toiletries
- A power bank: two of the three nights have no sockets
- A plug adapter if you need one: Mexico uses 127 V with flat-pin type A/B sockets
Suggested outfit
Long trousers and a long-sleeved shirt to cover you from the sun · Closed shoes or trainers · A jacket or sweatshirt · Something to sleep in.
Meals
Included: the four breakfasts, the three dinners and the snacks along the way. They are prepared at camp and already paid for.
Midday meals are on you. We stop at a restaurant every day so you can eat properly, and again on the way back to Hermosillo: you will not arrive at night hungry.
Gear included
You do not need to rent anything
On Sonora Salvaje the tent, sleeping bag, inflatable mattress and lamp are included. If you are flying in, your suitcase is enough.
Pick-up points
Departures
| Town | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Hermosillo | Plaza Emiliana de Zubeldía | 6:00 AM |
This is the only pick-up point of the trip. Return to Hermosillo around 10:00 PM on the fourth day, to the same point.
We wait 15 minutes; after that the van continues and the place is lost with no refund.
You can leave your car at the plaza, but we do not recommend it and cannot be responsible for it.
Coming from further away? Nine out of ten people on this trip are not from Sonora. Arrive the night before: the van leaves at 6:00 AM and no same-day flight gets you there in time. We can help you arrange your hotel in Hermosillo and your flight. If you book the hotel through us, we take you from the hotel to the departure point and, after the tour, back to your hotel. Transfers between the airport and the hotel are not included.
Calendar
Departure dates
⭐ Starry Nights version · 🌕 Full Moon version. Same route and same price for both.
If the dunes are the reason you are coming, choose a date from November onwards: above 30 °C the walk does not go ahead.
2026
- 25–28 NovemberWed – Sat🌕 Full Moon version
- 2–5 DecemberWed – Sat⭐ Starry Nights version
- 11–14 DecemberFri – Mon⭐ Starry Nights version☄ Geminids meteor showerSold outTell me if a place frees up
- 26–29 DecemberSat – Tue⭐ Starry Nights version
- 27–30 DecemberSun – Wed⭐ Starry Nights versionSold outTell me if a place frees up
2027
- 6–9 JanuaryWed – Sat⭐ Starry Nights versionPre-sale $11,999 MXN until 16 NovemberFew places leftBook my place
- 20–23 JanuaryWed – Sat🌕 Full Moon versionPre-sale $11,999 MXN until 16 NovemberSupermoon of the yearAvailableBook my place
- 28–31 JanuaryThu – Sun⭐ Starry Nights versionPre-sale $11,999 MXN until 16 NovemberMexican long weekendAvailableBook my place
- 3–6 FebruaryWed – Sat⭐ Starry Nights versionPre-sale $11,999 MXN until 5 DecemberAvailableBook my place
- 10–13 FebruaryWed – Sat⭐ Starry Nights versionPre-sale $11,999 MXN until 5 December
- 18–21 FebruaryThu – Sun🌕 Full Moon versionPre-sale $11,999 MXN until 5 DecemberAvailableBook my place
- 24–27 FebruaryWed – Sat⭐ Starry Nights versionPre-sale $11,999 MXN until 5 December
- 3–6 MarchWed – Sat⭐ Starry Nights versionPre-sale $11,999 MXN until 2 January 2027AvailableBook my place
- 11–14 MarchThu – Sun⭐ Starry Nights versionPre-sale $11,999 MXN until 2 January 2027Mexican long weekendAvailableBook my place
- 17–20 MarchWed – Sat🌕 Full Moon versionPre-sale $11,999 MXN until 2 January 2027
- 24–27 MarchWed – Sat🌕 Full Moon versionPre-sale $11,999 MXN until 2 January 2027
- 31 March – 3 AprilWed – Sat⭐ Starry Nights versionPre-sale $11,999 MXN until 2 January 2027
- 7–10 AprilWed – Sat⭐ Starry Nights versionPre-sale $11,999 MXN until 6 February 2027AvailableBook my place
- 21–24 AprilWed – SatAvailableBook my place
- 5–8 MayWed – Sat⭐ Starry Nights versionPre-sale $11,999 MXN until 6 March 2027Eta Aquariids meteor shower☄ Eta Aquariids meteor showerAvailableBook my place
- 19–22 MayWed – Sat🌕 Full Moon versionPre-sale $11,999 MXN until 6 March 2027AvailableBook my place
- 16–19 JuneWed – Sat🌕 Full Moon versionPre-sale $11,999 MXN until 3 April 2027AvailableBook my place
Places are updated from our booking system, and the form only offers dates with places left. Questions? Message us
Rates
Per person, on a group tour
Valid September 2026 — June 2027
2027 pre-sale
$11,999 MXN
≈ US$640
- Trips from January to June 2027
- Bank transfer only · 8 places per date
- January trips: book by 16 November
- February trips: book by 5 December
- March trips: book by 2 January 2027
- April trips: book by 6 February 2027
- May trips: book by 6 March 2027
- June trips: book by 3 April 2027
- After that, the advance booking rate applies
Advance booking
$12,999 MXN
≈ US$695
- Booking 30 days ahead or more
- Card payment through Mercado Pago
Standard
$14,999 MXN
≈ US$800
- Bookings 29 days ahead or less
- Card payment through Mercado Pago
Junior Explorers · −$1,000
Off the rate that applies to you, for children aged 6 to 10. Minimum age to travel: 6. The same rate applies to both versions.
Deposit per person
$2,000 MXN
An initial payment of $2,000 MXN per person confirms your place.
The rest is paid 10 days before the trip.
Prices per person on a group tour, in Mexican pesos (MXN), VAT included. Dollar amounts are approximate, at the exchange rate of 12 November 2026; your bank converts at its own rate. Limited places. Entrance fees, community land access fees and the crossing to Tiburón Island are already included. If you would rather travel privately, we can quote it.
What travellers say
4.9 out of 5 on Tripadvisor
139 reviews · No. 1 of 17 tours and activities in Hermosillo · Travelers' Choice 2026
Una aventura de conocimiento… renové mi energía en esos lugares mágicos.
…ver su mar y ser recibidos por Filomena de la Etnia Seri y cruzar hacia Isla Tiburón fue algo muy emocionante para mí y mi esposa…
10/10 en todo
Fuí sólo y en todo momento tanto las guías como otras personas fueron amables, abiertas a platicar de todo y generar buenas nuevas amistades 10/10…
Increíble experiencia!
Un experiencia increíble, el staff perfecto. Si eres fotógrafo la forma en que llevan el grupo, siempre buscan la mejor luz! Lo recomiendo ampliamente!
Fue increíble, no imagine que tendríamos ese cielo y desierto en Sonora…
…Erika, Vanessa y el Sr Julio siempre fueron atentos, nos resolvieron dudas, y nos ayudaron en todo momento, genuinamente saben y conocen el Desierto del Pinacate...
Paisajes emblemáticos del desierto sonorense
Increíble experiencia en un entorno de conexión con la naturaleza con un equipo de guías muy amables que crean un ambiente ameno con el grupo
Excelente agencia para viajar. Increíble Experiencia
…Viajar con ellos se siente como salir con amigos; te hacen sentir en familia desde el inicio…
Enamorada de las estrellas
En el mejor lugar de Mexico para observar las estrellas, guiada y acompañada por el equipo de trabajo de Pinacate Tours. ¡Sin duda volvería viajar con ellos!
¡Genial Experiencia!
…me encantó la noche de estrellas y todos los bellos lugares que nos llevaron, te hace ver al desierto de otra manera…
Cielo estrellado en el Pinacate
…El lugar y el cielo una chulada… no exige un nivel extraordinario de condición pero si vas a caminar, desvelarte, cansarte y todo va a valer la pena…
Before you book
If something changes
Booking months ahead makes anyone nervous. This is exactly what happens if your plans, or ours, change.
If you cancel
If your trip is more than 10 business days away, you have 5 business days after booking to change your mind and get 100% back. After that:
| More than 30 days before | 50% of the deposit and everything paid beyond it is refunded |
| Between 30 and 16 days | The deposit is not refunded; everything paid beyond it is. With fewer than 30 days, no more date changes |
| 15 days or less | No refund and no change of date |
Can’t make it? Pass your place to someone else by letting us know 24 hours ahead. The change of name is free. The date can be changed 30 days ahead or more.
On refunds of card or OXXO payments, we absorb the processing fee: it is not deducted.
If we cancel
Each departure needs at least 6 travellers and we confirm it 30 days before. If we cancel for that reason, or due to adverse weather, safety risks, the closure of natural areas or force majeure, you choose: a 100% refund with no deductions, or a free date change. Refunds are made within 5 business days.
Final payment
Full payment is made at least 10 days before the trip. If it is not paid by then, a $500 MXN penalty per place applies.
This is a summary. Cancellation and refund policy · Terms and conditions; the Spanish original is the version that applies.
How to book
Booking is simple
- 01
Choose your date
The calendar shows the dates with places left, the Moon each night and the rates.
- 02
Fill in the form
About 5 minutes, right here on the site: your details, those of anyone travelling with you and any gear you want to rent. The form only offers dates with places left.
- 03
Pay your deposit
Right after booking you can pay your deposit online by card through Mercado Pago. It is the only payment method for travellers from abroad.
- 04
Hold your place
An initial payment of $2,000 MXN per person confirms your place.
- 05
Receive your confirmation
Your electronic receipt with a reference number arrives within 48 working hours. Between 2 and 5 days before the trip we message you on WhatsApp with the exact time, the meeting point and the final details.
You have 48 hours to make your payment; if the trip is 7 days away or less, 12 hours. After that the booking is released and the place offered to someone else. We reply from Sonora, Mexico (UTC−7, no daylight saving), eight to nine hours behind most of Europe: write at any time and we answer during our day.
FAQ
What people ask us most
How much does Sonora Salvaje cost?
$12,999 MXN per person booking 30 days ahead or more, and $14,999 MXN with 29 days or less. For trips from January to June 2027 there is a pre-sale rate of $11,999 MXN by bank transfer, 8 places per date; each travel month has its own closing date, shown in the calendar. VAT included. Entrance fees to the three protected areas, community land access fees and the crossing to Tiburón Island are already included.
What is included and what is not?
It includes transport from Hermosillo, 2 guides, the 3 nights of accommodation, full camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, inflatable mattress and lamp), 4 breakfasts, 3 dinners, snacks, water, photographs and all entrance fees. The stargazing talk and telescope are only on Noche de Estrellas. It does not include midday meals, tips, travel insurance, or accommodation and flights before or after.
Is there a bathroom where we sleep?
At Azul Xerena and Campo La Salina there are shared bathrooms and showers; there is no private bathroom on any night. On the third night, in El Pinacate, there is no bathroom of any kind.
What is the difference between the Starry Nights and Full Moon versions?
Same route, same price. The Starry Nights version departs close to the new moon, to see the Milky Way. The Full Moon version lights up the landscape at night and lets you explore by natural light, but the Milky Way is not visible. Every date in the calendar shows its version.
What if the sea does not allow the crossing to Tiburón Island?
The crossing is suspended and we go to Campo Filomena, near Punta Chueca, where there is a beach facing the island and the same ceremonial songs of welcome take place. The activity is replaced, so there is no partial refund.
Is there a minimum age?
Yes, 6. Children aged 6 to 10 get $1,000 MXN off the rate that applies to them.
I am coming from abroad. How do I get there?
The tour leaves Hermosillo at 6:00 AM, so arrive the night before. Hermosillo has an international airport (HMO). We can help you arrange your hotel and flight. If you book the hotel through us, we take you from the hotel to the departure point and, after the tour, back to your hotel. Transfers between the airport and the hotel are not included. You need a passport valid for your stay; entry requirements depend on your nationality, so check them with the Mexican consulate before you fly.
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