The SOC is a cruiser's dream...home to neon teal water, unpopulated anchorages, cheap travel, delicious tacos, and kind people.
Interested in learning to sail, or level up your cruising knowledge? Check out our available courses on Lintika in Mexico this season!
For fun, we’ve created this key to give you a quick review of each spot:
🌄Hikes
🤿Snorkelling
🙌Protected areas
🗺️Accurate charts
🏖️Beach
🍽️Restaurant
🥏Other activities
LA PAZ 🗺️🍽️🏖️🥏
La Paz is the Sea of Cortez spot to visit. Not only does it put on the full display of beauty the Sea of Cortez is known to offer, but it also is a great place to provision, do laundry, have a night out on the town, and get boat work done.
In January/February, the anchorage is a bit hectic because of the daily tidal flow which works against the wind, creating what is called the “La Paz Waltz.” As a result, boats at anchor sit in odd and unexpected ways. Be wary of anchoring too close to other boats as they will not always be sitting in the same direction! While you can anchor on either side of the Magote (sandbar), which sits in the middle of the anchorage, the Waltz can make for a very wet dinghy ride. We opted for anchoring much closer to town to avoid getting soaked on our way to shore. Here is the pin where we anchored.
We would usually take the dinghy to shore here where there is a beach and restaurant Estrella De Mar that offers relatively cheap (and large) margaritas, good pizzas, seafood, and sometimes live music. There are two other restaurants, Anzuelo Cocina Del Mar & Cafe Capri, that are also worth eating at.
The Malecon (beach walkway along the town and beaches) is a fun place to walk down given the many restaurants, bars, and cart vendors that exist along it. If you walk from the pin above North East, this walkway stretches across a number of beaches, many of which we pulled the dinghy up to more than once, anchored off, and left for an hour or two while we ate/walked around. We can’t say that this was 100% secure, necessarily, but there weren’t any problems for us.
If you want to go to shore and leave your dinghy in a more secure spot, you can leave it on the dinghy dock at Marina La Paz and for 50 pesos a day. The dinghy dock is right in front of The Dock Cafe which has a good breakfast (but sub par food otherwise). There is also a spot for laundry service right across the parking lot, which isn’t self service but is very cheap. Letty from Lavanderia Lizzi for Laundry will pick up and drop your laundry off for you. Use +52 612 157 6346 on WhatsApp to get in contact.
Next to Marina La Paz, you’ll find The Cruisers Club (Club Cruceros) club house where there are free yoga classes upstairs Mon-Fri at 8:30am and coffee/socializing after in their mini-library. They also offer other classes (sewing, celestial nav, etc) so ask someone at the club for information on current events and class schedules. They have put together a services list here.
In terms of bigger provision trips, those can be done at local markets around town but we always used Chedraui–a huge store with all the good quality necessity items. There’s two locations about equal distance from Marina Cortez.
For getting around on land, we used an app called Didi–basically like Mexican Uber–that is cheap and easy to use. You can also usually find taxis here. And if you ever can’t find a Didi driver or taxi, or are looking to make a longer trip, you can contact a local named Veronica. We used her for some longer rides, coming to and from the airport, etc. She speaks good English and her number on WhatsApp is +52 612 105 5998.
If the timing is right (January-March) we highly recommend renting a car or driver to go to the Pacific side of Baja to check out the Gray Whales! Check out this YouTube episode where we do just that in Puerto Chalet with Camacho Tours.
We also did a mezcal tasting and multi-course meal at Mucho Gusto. You get to try about 10 different mezcals, learn how it's made, and eat dinner. It was a bit pricey but overall a good way to spend a fun evening with friends. Text Robb at +1 727 809 5695 to book.
Here are some other restaurants we liked:
Harker Board Co: good cocktails, pizzas, and burros.
Los Percherones: Bacon wrapped burritos, need I say more? A bit of a walk but it’s worth it!
Dulce Romero: Good breakfast, coffee, and bomb bakery.
Fuego y Lena: Good pizza!
ANCHORAGES ON BAJA PENINSULA/OUTSIDE OF LA PAZ
Bahia Falsa (24°15'36.9"N 110°18'48.2"W) 🙌🍽️
Great protection from Northerlies. A beach with restaurants and some highway traffic noise.
Caleta Lobos (24°18'00.6"N 110°19'45.6"W) 🙌🌄🏖️
Another place to hide from Northerlies or NW. Cool mangroves, little hikes, and a beautiful beach. We anchored near the Eastern Lobe.
Bahia Balandra (24°19'14.4"N 110°19'50.7"W) 🤿🥏🏖️🌄
Beautiful spot for anchoring when there is little to no wind or swell. Incredible for paddleboarding, snorkeling around “the rock,” or for dingying to shore for a hike and sunset beers.
Be hyper aware of the tides; it would be extremely easy to anchor your dinghy in a few feet of water that then quickly turns to beach. We anchored on the Southern side a few times, which is less busy, and dinghied to shore here where you can walk across the bay to a mini hike up this hill for a good view. We also anchored on the Northern side where there are more people at the beach during the day. It has a great sunset hike that's worth the crowds.
This mushroom rock is a big tourist attraction as well; the story goes that it broke apart and was put back together by locals who wanted the formation to live on.
ESPIRITU SANTO/ISLA PARTIDA
We have not been to every anchorage but here are the details for those on the South West side of Espiritu, up from the Northern side of Partida and back down the Eastern side of Espiritu. We don’t believe you can enter Bahia San Gabriel and didn’t make it to Isla Ballenas for the snorkelling, where there is apparently a wreck home to many turtles.
For all these anchorages, beware of bees who are attracted to fresh water out on the deck. We got swarmed once by hundreds of bees and were forced to leave. This only happened once and it seems they come and go but eliminating fresh water seems to be the trick that has worked for others.
In terms of moving from anchorage to anchorage, there’s a pretty sweet course to sail up this zone. We tacked through the islands of Isla Gallina, Isla Gallo, and Isla Ballena which was rad. It leads to one of our favorite anchorages in Candelero. Here is a screenshot of our track:
Caleta Candelero (24°30'18.6"N 110°23'11.8"W) 🙌🥏🌄
Good protection from N/NW. We had a little SW swell when we were here but it was more protected than the Ballenas to the South. There are more protected anchorages to the North.
This spot looks like it’s straight out of a movie set! The big “Candles Stick'' in the middle of the anchorage is a cactus covered with birds–a beautiful sight you can enjoy at anchor. The paddleboarding around the bay is amazing, as are the two sides of the beach, and a hike that is NOT to be missed! The hike takes you on a short trek to crazy red rock formations that you can climb. To find this hike, dinghy to shore while keeping the main rocks to your right, anchor the dinghy, and walk toward the rocks off the beach; you’ll eventually see some trail markers after passing “La Silla” rock formation.
Navionics says there is good snorkelling but we snorkelled around the candlestick and didn't see much. A “reef” may be an overstatement of the surrounding area but, still, it can be fun to explore. There may be some action during different parts of the year.
Caleta Partida (24°31'59.6"N 110°22'45.0"W) 🙌🌄🏖️
The charts here are NOT accurate. You cannot tuck up into the Northern end as it’s only 2-3 feet deep. In the South, however, the dark water makes it clear that anchoring is safe. Good protection from Northerlies and I would imagine Southerlies. This is our other favorite anchorage in this area. It is home to some cool hikes and a mile dingy mission that takes you through the pass of Partida and Espiritu to sea caves.
The North Beach is super beautiful, showcasing a crazy huge cactus (great for pics) and the remnants of an old volcano whose Southern side has eroded. This pin leads you to a “trail head” of sorts, where you can rock crawl/scramble up a dry river bed to get up to caves tucked into the hillsides. You can go up as far or as little as you’d like.
On calm days just before high tide, you can sneak the dinghy through the cut between the islands. You may need to get out and walk as it is extremely shallow, but the water is crystal clear and gorgeous. Once on the other side, the geography is NUTS! Bring cameras for sure. And dinghy along the shore. This may not be an exact pin but you can’t miss the caves. There are two that are big enough to dinghy all the way into. They are absolutely beautiful. But again, you will need a totally calm day. We saw dolphins out here too. On your return, be sure to give yourself enough time to get back through the pass while the tide is still high.
Ensenada Cardonal (24°33'07.4"N 110°22'58.5"W) 🙌🌄🏖️
Another beautiful, super protected anchorage with a very pretty hike through to the Eastern Side of the Island, with an obvious trail starting behind the beach. Protected from the N/NW, I would imagine S as well, but not W.
When dinghing to shore, be careful of potential oyster farming and big rocks that are large enough to hit the dinghy prop. Check the tides before you depart and land the dinghy here, anchored in deeper waters. There are mangroves everywhere and if you walk through them you’ll end up at a beautiful beach with tons of birds. Beware of no-see-ums around sunset! If you feel them start biting, leave as soon as possible–these bites can itch for weeks. If you continue East you’ll see an obvious path that cuts through a marshland of sorts. Throughout the islands there are loads of cacti which make this spot amazing for photo-taking!
Playa El Embudo (24°34'52.4"N 110°23'52.6"W) 🏖️🤿🥏
This is a tight little anchorage but a great spot to stop at for snorkelling with the sea lions at neighboring Los Islotes. You can only stop here on calm days; on windier days, we had one person motor the big boat up and down the island, while a dinghy load of people went and grabbed a mooring for a snorkel. This experience is SUPER cool and definitely worth it!
Surprisingly, there are moorings here. While it might not be technically allowed, as we assumed these moorings were used exclusively for tourist boats, if you go either first thing in the morning or just after 12pm you will avoid the tourist boats that go at 11am. I’ve heard that going at 8:15am is the safest bet. There are also moorings on the other side of the island. Again, I think technically you're supposed to have a guide but we just nodded and waved and didn’t have a problem. Many other cruisers have done the same. Still, when the tourists boats arrive, they may harass you a bit about wearing life jackets (we only had PFDs) and they always bring a ton of people.
For seeing the sea lions, I believe the rule is that you shouldn’t go closer than 15m to the shoreline. This area here is a hotspot but be careful as there are many XL sea lion males so it's safer to stay farther out. They all seemed super friendly and were used to people visiting but, just to be safe, keep your hands close to you as sometimes they become a little too interested in your fingers!
I wouldn’t overnight in this anchorage if I didn’t have to, given the many other options to choose from.
El Portico (24°32'08.6"N 110°21'52.8"W) 🙌🥏
Best spot in this area to hide from the Westerly ‘Corumels.’ We anchored here overnight in 20+ knots and the holding was good; the swell was blocked from the cut through of the islands so we got a full night's sleep! You can also access the sea caves from here and the plus side is it’s not tide dependent!
Playa La Bonanza (24°27'05.1"N 110°18'22.2"W) 🙌🤿
We didn’t make it down here but this spot could be another option for protection from Westerlies. There looks to be a big beautiful beach and I believe there’s some decent snorkeling and hiking!
ISLA SAN FRANCISCO
Isla San Francisco West (24°49'17.4"N 110°34'13.8"W) 🙌
Protected from the North. We were here in 20+ kts tucked in the Northern corner and didn't experience any issues with our holding. This crescent shaped bay is home to stunning clear water. On a windy day, I dinghied to the North side of the Beach, swam to the Southern side, got out and walked back up the beach to the dinghy.
Have you sailed in this area? Let us know your favorite spots below!
EASTERN CAPE
Los Frailes (23.372 N , 109.433 W) 🤿🙌🗺️🏖️
Bahia Los Frailes, south of La Paz, is the perfect jumping off point when making the trip from the Sea of Cortez back to mainland Mexico (or vice versa), or sailing down the Pacific side of Baja.
Frailes is protected well from Northerlies and Westerlies and has good sand holding. When arriving at the anchorage, beware of approaching from the South as there are more shallow areas. It is safer to approach from the East where there is deeper water.
Along the northern wall of the anchorage, there was great snorkeling and in February we saw orcas, humpback whales and hundreds of backflipping devil rays right at from the boat!
On the other side of the North Point, in Cabo Pulmo, there is a Marine Reserve. You can contact a dive company to pick you up and take you for a two tank dive in the Marine Park. Use this number to call if you’d like to be picked up from your boat for a dive: +52 612 288 3890.
On the Southern side, there are a few houses but the main beach area is home only to fishing shacks and RV campers of which there are few. This long and beautiful beach makes for gorgeous beach walks and also serves as a great place for landing dinghies. There are also dunes to hike up behind the beach for a good workout!
On Thursday around 11am/12pm a Jeep Cherokee comes into the RV parking area, at the beach area, with fresh veggies, bread, pies, etc. When we were there, they had full frozen chickens! There are no other stores, shops, or restaurants in Frailes.
Overall, this secluded spot is absolutely stunning and definitely worth a stop if it aligns with your schedule. Also, just north of here in Bahia de los Muertos, there are additional anchorages that we didn’t stop at.For more details, check out our these upcoming courses in Mexico.
If you are more interested in learning the basics of sailing, check out our summer 'Intro to Sailing' course in Lake Tahoe!