Baja California & Mexico Cruising Guides
Detailed, accurate cruising guides for Baja California & Mexico — written for real conditions.
La Paz and the Southern Sea of Cortez
A city of 300,000 on the eastern shore of Baja California Sur, with three full-service marinas, a five-kilometre malecón, and immediate access to the islands and channels of the southern Sea of Cortez. The destination most Pacific Coast cruisers winter in, and many never quite leave.
- ✓ Ensenada de La Paz — protected anchorage holding 100+ winter cruisers
- ✓ Three full-service marinas: Marina de La Paz, Marina Palmira, Marina Costa Baja
- ✓ Espíritu Santo and Partida islands — UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, 15 nm north
Cabo San Lucas: Land's End of Baja
The southern tip of the Baja Peninsula, where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez. For southbound Pacific Coast cruisers, the finish line of the Baja passage; for Mexico cruisers, the gateway to the Sea of Cortez. Spectacular on arrival, crowded in season, useful as a way-point and a brief destination.
- ✓ El Arco — granite arch at Land's End, visible from 20 nm at sea
- ✓ IGY Marina Cabo San Lucas — full-service marina in the heart of downtown
- ✓ Outer anchorage — free anchoring in the bay, exposed to swell
Ensenada: First Port of Mexico
Eighty nautical miles south of San Diego, Ensenada is the standard entry port to Mexican waters for Pacific Coast cruisers — full marina services, all four clearance offices within walking distance, a working harbour town, and the closest first-time international stop most US cruisers will make.
- ✓ 80 nm from San Diego — the classic first international stop on the Pacific Coast
- ✓ Marina Ensenada — full services, customs / immigration / TIP all within walking distance
- ✓ Bahía de Todos Santos — 50 sq mi bay, easy approaches, decent protection