Like most of the other islands of the Sea of Cortez, Isla San Francisco is uninhabited and represents an irresistible natural laboratory.The view from the hills on this island is great. You can see Baja to the West and the Sea of Cortez to the East. You are only about 40 miles from La Paz but you feel like you are in another world. In addition to spotting birds such as yellow-footed gulls, sandpipers, and white-throated swifts, who nest in holes in the cliffs, you may also see the fascinating cacti – including pitaya, opuntia, and cholla – that thrive in this volcanic-rock and salt-flat environment.