Baja Ha-Ha to La Paz: Sailing the Length of the Baja Peninsula

Eight hundred fifty nautical miles. The Baja Peninsula is longer than most sailors expect — it takes longer than it looks on a small-scale chart. The Pacific side is exposed offshore sailing: NW to NNW swell at 8–14 feet for much of the passage, consistent northerly winds, flying fish off the bow at night, and stars that fill the sky once you’re south of Ensenada’s light pollution. The Sea of Cortez side, once you round Cabo San Lucas, is a different ocean — turquoise, warm, ringed with desert mountains and empty beaches. La Paz is the payoff.

This account follows the Baja Ha-Ha rally route — the standard southbound passage, departing Ensenada in November. The rally is the sensible way to do this passage for the first time: a fleet of 150+ boats, regular radio nets, coordinated fuel stops at Bahía Tortuga, and a social infrastructure that makes an offshore passage feel less isolated.

Pre-Departure: Ensenada Clearance

Mexican clearance for offshore sailors begins at Ensenada — the last major port before crossing into Mexican waters south of the US-Mexico divide at 28°N (where the Mexican Navy expects a zarpe for the Sea of Cortez).

Zarpe: At Ensenada, after completing the Port Captain clearance, you receive a zarpe — the official document authorizing your passage to the next Mexican port. The zarpe specifies your departure date and next port of call (Bahía Tortuga for the Ha-Ha). Do not deviate to unlisted ports without amending the zarpe at each stop.

Ha-Ha prep: The Baja Ha-Ha rally organizes all clearance procedures for rally participants as a group; individual boats still need their own paperwork but the process is streamlined and assisted. Rally briefings cover the passage routing, communication procedures (SSB and VHF nets), and emergency contact protocols.

Leg 1: Ensenada to Bahía Tortuga — 370 nm / 3–4 days

The first leg is the longest — 370 nm of open Pacific. Most of the fleet does it in 3–4 days, departing Ensenada and motorsailing or sailing south in the consistent NNW wind. The coast of Baja is visible to port for most of the passage, but there are no harbors between Ensenada and Bahía Tortuga; once you leave, you go.

Offshore conditions: November NNW swell runs 8–12 feet with a 14–18 second period — uncomfortable at first, workable once you find the angle. The boat motion settles into a rhythm. Flying fish come aboard at night in the first two days; they’re astonishing in numbers south of the border. The night skies from 29°N south are exceptional — no coastal glow, dry air, and the Milky Way overhead.

Punta Eugenia: At 27°40’N, Punta Eugenia is the westernmost point of the Baja Peninsula. The passage inside (between the point and Cedros Island) is shoaler and subject to accelerated wind; most offshore boats take the outside passage west of Cedros Island. The currents around the point can be confused in NW swell; allow extra sea room.

Bahía Tortuga: The arrival after 370 nm offshore is one of the more rewarding moments in the passage. The village is small — a fishing community of perhaps 1,500 people with a fish processing plant, a few restaurants, and the pangas that work the rich fishing grounds offshore. The anchorage is excellent: 20–40 feet over sand, well-protected from NW swell by the headlands.

Fuel at Tortuga: The fuel stop here is the reason the Ha-Ha includes Tortuga. Panga operators come alongside (negotiate the rate beforehand in advance of the rally going in; the rate is set cooperatively for Ha-Ha boats). Allow 4–6 hours for everyone in the fleet to refuel; this is also a provisioning stop (limited fresh produce from the village).

Leg 2: Bahía Tortuga to Bahía Santa María — 230 nm / 2 days

The second leg is shorter and conditions generally improve — the peninsula blocks more of the NW swell as you go south and the wind becomes more consistent and less gusty. Bahía Santa María, on the Pacific side just north of Magdalena Bay, is the rally’s second stop — a completely empty bay with no facilities and one of the best anchorages on the Baja coast.

Open-ocean passage: The route south stays 15–25 miles offshore — clear of the kelp beds and rock pinnacles on the coastal chart. This is ocean sailing in the full sense: no landmarks, traffic separation schemes, or light towers in range. AIS monitoring, radar watch, and proper watch-keeping are standard. The professional fishing fleet (mostly Mexican long-liners) works these waters; they show well on AIS and are predictable in their patterns.

Magdalena Bay: Mag Bay is the largest estuary on the Pacific coast of Baja — a protected lagoon 60 miles long where the gray whales calve December through March. The bay entrance is navigable for cruising boats (10 feet minimum, marked channel); the anchorage at San Carlos (the village at the mouth of the bay) is good. The Ha-Ha route bypasses Mag Bay, but boats that want to see gray whales at close range should time their return in February–March and include Mag Bay as a stop. Mother and calf pairs approach pangas and sailboats in this bay in a way that doesn’t happen anywhere else on earth.

Bahía Santa María: 30 nm north of the Cabo leg, Santa María is a perfectly protected bay with a sand beach at the head and absolutely nothing else — no village, no services, no docks. The fleet anchors in 20–30 feet over sand, 100+ boats swinging together in flat water. The beach party the night of arrival (organized by the Ha-Ha rally) is one of the social highlights of the passage. The snorkeling off the rocky points at the bay entrance is exceptional.

Leg 3: Bahía Santa María to Cabo San Lucas — 150 nm / 2 days

The final Pacific leg to Cabo rounds the tip of the peninsula — a dramatic transition from Pacific offshore sailing to the protected waters of the Sea of Cortez.

Land’s End: The arrival at Cabo San Lucas is iconic. The rock arch at the tip of the peninsula — El Arco de Cabo San Lucas — is visible from miles offshore. Rounding the point, conditions change immediately: the Pacific swell is cut off, the water turns from dark blue-grey to turquoise, the temperature rises, and the sea flattens. Boats cheer on the radio net when they round the point.

Cabo anchorage: The anchorage off Cabo is a large open roadstead — comfortable in light conditions, exposed in any significant SE wind. The marina (Cabo Marina, Pedregal) has limited transient availability and is expensive; most boats anchor in the main bay. The ferry terminal, the restaurant strip, and the nightlife that defines Cabo’s reputation are all immediately adjacent. The harbor is busy with whale-watching pangas, water taxis, and sport-fishing boats; keep a watch in the anchorage.

Time in Cabo: One to two nights. The tourist infrastructure of Cabo exists for a reason — it’s remarkably well-organized. Clear Mexican customs and immigration formalities at Cabo if you haven’t fully cleared at Ensenada. Get fuel at the fuel dock (marine diesel available at the marina). Stock up on provisions; the big-box stores and commercial provisioning options in Cabo are the best until La Paz.

La Paz — The Destination

La Paz is 135 nm north of Cabo, up the Sea of Cortez — a full-day motorsail in the light and variable winds that characterize the lower Sea in November. The route transits Canal de San Lorenzo between the Baja mainland and Isla Cerralvo; the anchorage approaches La Paz through Canal de la Paz, a dredged channel marked with ranges.

The anchorage: The anchorage off the La Paz malecon (waterfront promenade) is one of the most comfortable in Mexico — 12–18 feet over sand and mud, excellent holding, protected by the canal and the surrounding shallow water from any significant swell. In November, the anchorage holds 100–150 boats from the Ha-Ha fleet plus year-round residents. The malecon is a 10-minute dinghy ride to the nearest landing.

Marina de La Paz: In the inner marina — a 20-minute walk from the anchorage landing — complete marine services, haul-out, engine work, and provisioning are available. The cruiser community in La Paz is established and helpful; the net (morning radio net) announces services, rides to the chandlery, and social events. This is a good place to provision for the Sea of Cortez and do any deferred boat maintenance.

The Sea of Cortez: From La Paz, the Sea of Cortez extends 700 miles north to the Colorado River delta. The islands of the lower Sea — Espíritu Santo, Los Islotes, Isla Partida, the Coronado Islands, Isla Carmen, Isla Danzante — are the reason offshore sailors make the Baja passage. Sea lion colonies at Los Islotes that approach snorkelers without hesitation. Whale sharks cruising the bays near La Paz from October through February. Manta rays breaching offshore. A desert landscape descending directly to clear water, anchorages empty on a Tuesday, and a night sky unspoiled by light pollution for miles in every direction.

The Baja Ha-Ha gets you to La Paz. The Sea of Cortez keeps you there.