Here's an example of a Sea of Cortez cruising itinerary provided by The Moorings.
By Pierce Hoover
Each year a handful of adventurous powerboat owners venture south from California and complete a thousand-mile passage that takes them into the Sea of Cortez. But there's an easier way to experience the magic of Baja California, Mexico. By booking a power charter through The Moorings, your crew can enjoy the best of the Sea of Cortez during a week's vacation. Here's an example of a one-week cruising itinerary provided by The Moorings. You can also see more videos and photos at the company's website: www.moorings.com.
With deep-blue seas juxtaposed against a rugged desert landscape, Mexico's Sea of Cortez offers a spectacular setting for power cruisers. It is a realm of soaring mountains that change from yellow to red to purple as the day progresses, gleaming white-sand beaches set in secluded coves fringed with forests of massive cardon cactuses and brilliant blue waters so clear it's like looking through glass to the seafloor below.
The rocky, sandy and sometimes coral-studded seabed supports millions of tropical fish and provides ample opportunities to snorkel and scuba dive on steep drop-offs, along canyon walls, into caves and among stone pinnacles. California gray whales, dolphins, sea lions and herds of shy antelope ashore are all in evidence.
The waters are generally clear of hazards, and the anchorages are secure with good holding in sand. With a Moorings Powercat capable of cruising at a fuel-efficient 14 to 16 mph, it's possible to easily cover a lot of ground quickly, assuring plenty of time to enjoy numerous destinations every day before heading to an overnight anchorage. Basic navigational skills are all that's required.
The Sea of Cortez is pleasant year-round. The Coromuel winds often blow from the southwest at night from early spring through late fall, creating a pleasant, cool breeze. The average daytime temperature in the summer is 95 degrees, while temperatures during the rest of the year range from 70 to 85 degrees. In the winter months, it can get chilly at night. Expect sunshine most of the time, roughly 300 to 340 days per year. The tide ranges from 2 to 6 feet.
Starting Point: La Paz
Your Baja powerboat itinerary begins in La Paz, which is located about 137 miles north of Cabo San Lucas. With a population of about 300,000, La Paz is the largest city and capital of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, yet it retains a small-town ambience. A scenic boardwalk runs along the edge of the harbor, with its historic grand hotels on the north and south end of the waterfront. Cafes, restaurants, nightclubs, shops, art galleries, and the Juarez Theater are downtown. The museums in the city — National Art Museum, Museo de Oro, Casa Murillo, to name a few — present a fascinating tableau of Mexican history.
Nearby is the world-class CostaBaja Resort & Marina, the site of The Moorings' base in La Paz. Amenities at the resort include a full-service, modern marina, an excellent restaurant, an infinity pool, a championship golf course and a business center with high-speed Internet access. It's an ideal location to begin a Baja yacht charter.
Day One: La Paz to Caleta Lobos — 7.5 miles
Heading north from La Paz takes you to numerous uninhabited islands that are often designated as protected areas with white-sand beaches and beautiful coves to explore. Day one begins at noon when you board your luxury power yacht and cast off the lines for a short passage north across Bahia de La Paz. A peninsula jutting into the Sea of Cortez forms the bay, and along its western shores are a number of intriguing anchorages. The one at Caleta Lobos (Lobos Cove) is well-protected and quite scenic. There is good shallow-water snorkeling on fascinating coral formations teeming with tropical fish. As the sun sets, relax in the spacious cockpit of your power yacht and watch the shades of color illuminating the high hills turn from red to purple. Feel the stress of a busy life rapidly fade away.
Day Two: Caleta Lobos to Ensenada Grande — 17 miles
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast, watch the birds and get into the slow pace of Baja time, then get your luxury Powercat under way for a splendid cruise into the Sea of Cortez. As you progress, the waters of Bahia de La Paz widen. Ahead are the twin islands of Espiritu Santo and Partida, both very popular stops on a Baja powerboat itinerary. Espiritu Santo is a protected area with numerous bays and coves, and Isla Partida is home to the bay of Ensenada Grande, your overnight anchorage. Check out either island as a lunch stop. Just north of Isla Partida is Los Islotes, a formation of rocks and cliffs where you'll find hundreds of golden sea lions frolicking and sunning themselves. The snorkeling and scuba diving off Los Islotes is excellent, and swimming with the sea lions, which are curious and generally friendly, is lots of fun.
Day Three: Ensenada Grande to Isla San Francisco — 18 miles
The third day of your Baja itinerary takes you north on an open-water passage to the beautiful and remote island of San Francisco. As you enter the horseshoe-shaped bay at the south end of this small isle, the pristine white-sand beach is bound to impress you. High hills climb to the east, and it's possible to scale the heights to enjoy stunning panoramic views of the Sea of Cortez. The swimming and snorkeling are great in the bay, and there are lots of shells on the beach.
Day Four: Isla San Francisco to Puerto Los Gatos — 32 miles
After a restful night at scenic Isla San Francisco, get under way for your next passage, a beautiful cruise north up the rugged coast of Baja. As you drive your powered catamaran you enjoy the scenery from the spacious flybridge. To starboard is the expansive coastline of the large Isla San José, but soon you emerge into open water again, with the shimmering Sea of Cortez stretching ever eastward. The remote island of Santa Cruz is off the bow, and you start looking for the cliffs and plateaus near San Telmo, where you'll anchor overnight at Puerto Los Gatos, a picturesque bay with high reddish bluffs and a spectacular white-sand beach. There are impressive sand dunes, some more than 50 feet high. You can also buy fresh fish and lobster from Manuel, a local fisherman operating out of Puerto Los Gatos.
Day Five: Puerto Los Gatos to Puerto Escondido — 46 miles
Your Baja powerboat itinerary takes you on the last full day of heading north along the scenic coast to Puerto Esondido, which is nearly landlocked and considered the best-protected harbor in the Sea of Cortez. Its narrow entrance is behind a headland, which is how the harbor got its name (escondido means hidden). The harbor itself is worth visiting, but other reasons to stop include the chance to snorkel off Candeleros Point, visit Yellowstone Beach at Isla Montserrate or go fishing off the north or south points of Isla Santa Catalina. Escondido is a sleepy little harbor with two small stores and a restaurant about half a mile from the pier. It's possible to arrange a taxi ride into historic Loreto, which has a number of shops, bars and restaurants.
Day Six: Puerto Escondido to Caleta San Evaristo — 77 miles
Plan an early start for your passage south to build in some intriguing day stops. If you didn't check out Montserrate or Santa Catalina, they're worth a visit, depending on whether you want a beach or fishing experience. Point Bellana offers superior snorkeling, and Bahia Agua Verde is beautiful, featuring a rare oasis of green vegetation and trees surrounding a small village. An option is to power on south to Caleta San Evaristo, which lies due west of Isla San José. The bay is ringed with white-sand beaches and sand dunes and offers excellent protection for northerly and southerly winds. There's also a small village to explore.
Day Seven: Caleta San Evaristo to Puerto Balandra — 49.5 miles
On the last full day of your Baja powerboat itinerary, throttle up the twin engines of your Powercat and head nearly due south back across the open waters, the yacht moving easily through the gentle waves and your view of the scenery as stunning as ever from the spacious flybridge. Soon you leave the wide expanse of the Sea of Cortez in your wake and snug up along the west side of the peninsula that forms Bahia de La Paz. Your last overnight anchorage is in the quiet and scenic Puerto Balandra. It's just north of Caleta Lobos. White-sand beaches proliferate and the setting is spectacular with excellent views of the mountains to the west.
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