Spend the Winter Holidays Cruising Baja and the Sea of Cortez on Your Offshore

Spend the Winter Holidays Cruising Baja and the Sea of Cortez on Your Offshore

“One who was born by the ocean or has associated with it cannot ever be quite content away from it for very long”
― John Steinbeck, The Log from the Sea of Cortez

There’s no better way to spend the holidays with your closest friends and family than out on the ocean, on your Offshore yacht.

As the fall days grow cooler and shorter, and the north winds begin to blow, why not head south? Why not experience the contentment of a warm December night aboard your Offshore, at a secluded, starlit anchorage off the beaten path in the Sea of Cortez?

The best time to cruise to Mexico is during the dry season, between November and March every year. The hurricane season is over, the desert has cooled, and the sea is still comfortable enough for swimming and diving.

Jacques Cousteau referred to the Sea of Cortez as the “world’s aquarium,” as it’s home to nearly 900 species of fish and 32 different marine mammal species. And with more than 900 islands, the Sea of Cortez also provides important nesting sites for thousands of seabirds, as well as primary breeding, feeding, and nursery grounds for a wealth of migratory and resident birds – not to mention endless possibilities to explore.

The most wonderful thing about cruising Baja and the Sea of Cortez? You can be as social or as isolated as you want to be. You can enjoy the fancy marinas and glittering nightlife of Cabo San Lucas after just three long hops from Ensenada  – or you can gunkhole down the coast and “around the corner” to the peaceful capital city of La Paz. Use either Cabo or La Paz as your home base to explore secluded anchorages, isolated beaches, and great dive spots enjoyed by only a privileged few.

You won’t find a warmer, more welcoming culture than that of Baja. People here are kind, helpful, hard-working, and respectful of one another. There’s very little of the manic “hustle” you can sometimes experience in more established tourist towns like Mazatlán or Puerto Vallarta. And the food?

Fresh clams, shrimp, scallops, spiny lobster, dorado, and snapper?

Don’t get us started!

Three Long Hops to Los Cabos

Ensenada, just 60 miles south of the US/Mexico border, is the starting point of three long  hops down the Baja Peninsula to Los Cabos. In Ensenada, you’ll need to get a slip, formally clear yourself into Mexico with immigration and customs, top of your fuel tanks, and organize any last-minute provisions.

Hop 1: Ensenada to Turtle Bay

The first hop will be a 285-mile run to Turtle Bay, 19-20 hours cruising at 15 knots, depending on the weather.

Turtle Bay is basically a rest and fuel stop. While it’s a great refuge anchorage to wait out weather, there isn’t much in the way of provisioning, shopping, or fine dining experiences available here. As of this post, there is no marina.

Once you drop anchor off the village, pangas will zip out to your boat and ask if you need fuel, and some of them can transfer up to 1,000 liters of diesel directly into your tanks. Alternatively, if you need fuel, you can med-moor off the east side of the town fuel pier and get whatever you need. Just be aware that fuel prices in Turtle Bay are based on availability.

Hop 2: Turtle Bay to Bahia Magdalena

From Turtle Bay, your second long hop can take you 243 miles to Santa Maria or 270 miles to Magdalena Bay – or you can spend a few days and visit both anchorages (and the San Ignacio Whale Park) separately.

Fall and winter is when the gray whales migrate to their nursery grounds in Magdalena Bay to play, mate, and give birth. Peak whale watching season is January/February, but the mighty animals begin arriving in large numbers in November.

Many licensed tour operators throughout the Magdalena Bay system offer excursions to interact with the whales, and for a once-in-a-lifetime thrill, you can join them as mother whales bring their calves right up to the tour boats for a visit.

Or, once you’ve secured an anchorage, launch the tender, and explore the miles of mangroves, enjoy secluded picnic spots, and hike acres of sand dunes.

Hop 3: Bahia Magdalena to Los Cabos

The last hop, 175 miles, requires a good weather window, as there are no reliable anchorages or possibilities for fuel or provisions. Sometimes this passage is marked by large following seas pushed by the northwest wind which clash with northbound ground swells rolling up from the south. Yet at other times, this run can be like glass. Regardless, this passage is where all the money you’ve spent on autopilots and stabilizers will pay off in spades.

There’s a lot of fishing traffic found on this leg of the trip – commercial nets and floats will keep your watch-standers on their toes. It’s also important to time your arrival into either Cabo San Lucas or San Jose del Cabo in the morning hours for two reasons: first, to avoid the sportfishing fleets that seem to swarm out at first light, and second, to arrive before the afternoon winds that typically begin to build mid-day.

Explore Los Cabos

Once you’ve made the long trip from the border to Los Cabos, you can relax, explore, shop, or party to your heart’s content.

In Cabo San Lucas, you’ll find Los Arcos, the iconic arched rock formation that marks Land’s End. Right downtown, in the midst of hotels, restaurants, night clubs, and high-end shops of the Puerto Paraiso Mall, is Marina Cabo San Lucas. As a home base, it allows everyone onboard the chance to do whatever makes them happiest: fishing, diving, shopping, barhopping, or just hanging out with the “rich and famous.”

In San Jose del Cabo, just 19 miles northeast of Cabo San Lucas, you’ll find the Puerto Los Cabos Resort and Marina in a slightly less busy and commercial setting than Cabo San Lucas. San Jose is known for its many art galleries and artisan workshops, and some of the best restaurants in South Baja.

Enter the Sea of Cortez

Heading northeast from Los Cabos, the Pacific swells diminish as you “turn the corner” and you can take advantage of two fine anchorages on your way into La Paz: Bahia los Frailes and Ensenada de los Muertos.

Los Frailes, just 28 miles from San Jose del Cabo, is a favorite anchorage for yachts headed north as well as for those getting ready to cross to Mazatlán, on the mainland. It’s very close to the Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, home to the only hard coral reef found in the Sea of Cortez and a spectacular spot for diving and snorkeling.

46 miles further north is Ensenada de los Muertos, (Bay of the Dead) known to local developers as Bahia de los Suenos (Bay of Dreams). It’s also a popular anchorage for local fishermen and yachts headed further into the Sea of Cortez or across to the mainland. Bahia de los Suenos Resort has a fine restaurant, a small luxury hotel, a golf course, and great views, and yachters are welcome to stop in for  a cocktail or a meal.

From Ensenada de los Muertos, you’ll round the East Cape to pass Bahia la Ventana (Windy Bay) and transit Cerralvo Channel. La Ventana is a world-renowned mecca for windsurfers and kite boarders, who take advantage of strong, steady winds approaching 25 knots every day and nearly 600 miles of wind-driven fetch that make for spectacular conditions. But yachts should time their transit of La Ventana and Cerralvo channel to take advantage of the morning calm before the afternoon winds and fetch have had a chance to build.

La Paz, a short 48 miles from Ensenada de los Muertos, provides every service a cruising yacht might need, including great provisioning from several large grocery and big-box stores, local produce, meat, and fish markets, and a bi-weekly organic farmer’s market. You can anchor in the channel, or take advantage of the three principal marinas located along the La Paz waterfront.

Marina Costa Baja is located at the entrance to La Paz channel and 4 miles from the city center, and has the only fuel dock available to yachts. Moorage at Costa Baja includes use of resort facilities including the fitness center, swimming pool, wireless internet, and crew lounge. Marina Palmira, about 2 miles from the channel entrance and the city center, offers a swimming pool and cruiser lounge, a restaurant, and several yacht-oriented businesses. Marina La Paz is located just a block from the beginning of the Malecon (waterfront walk) and in easy walking distance to grocery stores, ship chandleries, restaurants, and shops.

Use La Paz as a Base to Explore the Sea of Cortez

From La Paz there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy secluded anchorages, encounter amazing marine life, and explore historic towns and villages as you head north into the Sea of Cortez. Consider taking long-term moorage so you can fly down from San Diego or Tijuana and be within a few short hours of cruising paradise.

With over 900 islands to explore, the possibilities of cruising in the Sea of Cortez are almost endless.

We’d love to help you plan your perfect cruising itinerary or give you more information as you consider your holiday cruising plans. Just let us know what you need.

And if you’ve made the trip down the Baja in your own Offshore and have experiences to share, drop us an email, send us your photos, and tell us your stories so we can feature them on the website.