Sailing Mexico is a blast, and for most sailors the cruise starts and ends with a voyage along the Pacific Coast of Baja Mexico. Heading south at the start is easy, with wind and waves behind you. Going back north at the end of the cruise can be treacherous, and you have to time your voyage carefully. This page of our sailing blog lists the links that tell our story or our journeys down and then back up the Pacific Coast of Baja Mexico.
We sailed Mexico from 2010 to 2013, and our cruise began on the Pacific coast of Baja Mexico. In the first half of 2010 we lived in our sailboat at Marina Coral & Hotel in Ensenada, Mexico, just 70 miles south of San Diego while we outfitted our boat for cruising. In the fall of 2010 we sailed down the Pacific coast of Baja Mexico to Cabo San Lucas.
From there we jumped across the Sea of Cortez and began sailing Mexico’s mainland coast. In the winters of 2011-2013 we continued our Mexico sailing cruise along the coast, anchoring along the northern Pacific coast, the southern Pacific coast and venturing inland to see fabulous Mayan ruins, colonials cities and eco-tourism destinations while keeping our boat in marinas and at anchor in Chiapas, Huatulco and Zihuatanejo..
To see where these destinations are on a map, check out our Maps of Mexico’s Popular Anchorages. If you are considering sailing Mexico’s Pacific coast and/or Sea of Cortez, have a look at these pages of our sailing blog:
- Tips for cruising Mexico – Part 1 – Navigation, Weather, Boat Prep, Mexican Culture
- Tips for cruising Mexico – Part 2 – Logistics, Provisioning, Internet, Costs
Mexico sailing is a blast, and the Pacific coast of Baja Mexico is often overlooked in cruisers’ enthusiasm to get south quick. Most of these posts are about our 6 month stay in Ensenada. To read about our voyage south from San Diego to Cabo, the true beginning of our tropical Mexico cruise 9 months later, start with this sailing blog post near the bottom of the list: Pacific Baja – A Voyage South.
If you are thinking about the daunting task of sailing back north from Cabo San Lucas / La Paz to the US or beyond, our Baja Bash was a lively nine day romp, and the story is told in two parts:
- Baja Bash (1) – Puerto Vallarta to Cabo – Sailing on the Coattails of Hurricane Dalila
- Baja Bash (2) – Cabo to Ensenada – Chased by Hurricane Erick
We have created nearly four hours of video describing the anchorages in Pacific Mexico and outlining the climate, weather patterns, navigational tactics and more, in our series “Cruising Mexico Off the Beaten Path” which is available as a DVD or video download at this link.
The anchorages along the Pacific Coast of the Baja peninsula are described in the first video, “Ensenada and the Northern Pacific Coast,” along with strategies for getting south and what to do after you arrive in Cabo.
The following list is all of our blog posts from the beginning and end of our sailing cruise of Mexico as we outfitted our boat in Ensenada, sailed south to Cabo San Lucas and did the Baja Bash north three years later. To locate the blog posts from the rest of our cruise (south to the Guatemala border and into the Sea of Cortez), see the MEXICO menu above or consult these links below.
Happy reading!
- Ensenada – A Triumphant Homecoming! 09/23/13 July, 2013 – Our return to Ensenada in northern Baja at the end of our Mexico voyage was satisfying in ways we never anticipated.
- Baja Bash (2) – Chased by a Hurricane! 08/28/13 Our Baja Bash excitement continued as Hurricane Erick chased us out of Cabo and barked at us all the way to Ensenada.
- Baja Bash (1) – Sailing on the Coattails of a Hurricane! 08/08/13 July, 2013 – We started our Baja Bash in Puerto Vallarta by sailing on the coattails of Hurricane Dalila to Cabo San Lucas. Yikes!
- Cabo San Lucas – Way More Fun Than We Expected! 12/01/10 November, 2010 – After 17 days of sailing down the Baja peninsula, we arrived in Cabo just as the sun was rising – an ideal welcome!
- Pacific Baja – Exploring Mag Bay 11/28/10 November, 2010 – On our way south to Cabo we went ashore at the tiny fish camp of Belcher Point in Magdalena Bay where we found fishermen and shells…
- Pacific Baja – A Voyage South from San Diego 11/24/10 November, 2010 – After the Baja Ha-Ha rally left San Diego for Cabo it was our turn, and luck was with us as we found peaceful anchorages to rest…
- Ensenada’s Baja Naval – An Excellent Boat Yard Experience 08/26/10 August, 2010 – We took our boat to Baja Naval for a few minor repairs and a bottom paint job and found it to be an excellent boat yard…
- Ensenada Inspiration – Let’s Go! 08/02/10 July 2010 – Ensenada is a popular stopover for boaters traveling the coast, and many fascinating travelers breezed through and told us tales of wonder…
- Ensenada Wineries – Beautiful Properties and Great Tasting Wine 07/30/10 July, 2010 – Driving along Ensenada’s famous wine route, Ruta del Vino, we stopped at L.A. Cetto and Adobe Guadalupe, two wonderful wineries…
- Ensenada Gentility (Riviera Cultural Center) and Craziness (Baja 500) 06/20/10 Ornate & dramatic, Ensenada’s Riviera Cultural Center hosts great concerts & Ensenada hosts the crazy and wild Baja 500 race.
- Ensenada – A Gathering Place for Cruisers 05/24/10 May, 2010 – As new cruisers in Ensenada we studied the elusive chain splice knot but found an easier activity in town at La Vendimia’s Cruiser Happy Hour…
- Ensenada’s “La Bufadora” – The Blow Hole 05/22/10 May, 2010 – Ensenada, Mexico, has lots of fun things to do, from tequila tasting to seeing “La Bufadora,” the area’s natural blow hole…
- Ensenada Races – For Bicycles and Sailboats 04/26/10 April, 2010 – Ensenada is the finish line for two terrific races: the Rosarito-Ensenada bicycle race and the Newport-Ensenada sailboat race…
- Ensenada Bay – Day Sailor’s Delight 04/22/10 April, 2010 – Ensenada has a wonderful, big bay that is perfect for daysails, and we took full advantage while we lived in a marina there…
- Ensenada – Crossing fom Mexico into the US at Tijuana and Tecate 03/25/10 Feb/Mar 2010 – Living in Ensenada for 6 months gave us many opportunities to cross the US/Mexico border, an adventure in itself…
- Ensenada’s Carnaval – One Wild Party! 02/28/10 February, 2010 – “Carnaval” is celebrated throughout Latin America, and the parades and parties in Ensenada, Mexico, are not to be missed!
- Ensenada – A Vibrant Mexican Town 02/14/10 February, 2010 – Ensenada, Mexico, is a fantastic town, and our first stroll through the lively streets was a thrill…
- Puerto La Salina & Marina Coral – Maiden Voyage South 02/02/10 January, 2010 – Our first voyage (and fourth excursion) in Groovy took us to Puerto La Salina Marina and a new life at Marina Coral in Enseanda…
To see the links to our sailing blog posts in every region of Mexico, check out these summary pages (you can also find them all under MEXICO in the menu bar at the top of each page):
- Sea of Cortez (La Paz to San Carlos)
- Mexican Riviera & Costa Alegre (Mazatlan to Manzanillo)
- Costa Grande & Costa Sur (Zihuatanejo to Chiapas)
- Southern Mexico Travel (San Cristobal de las Casas, Oaxaca, Monte Alban, Palenque, Morelia)
To follow our sailing travels chronologically, see Our Cruise (cruising links only) or the Route page (cruising and RVing).
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To help you plan your cruise and get you inspired, we created the video series, "Cruising Mexico Off the Beaten Path - Volumes 1-3," shown below. This is a fun-to-watch and easy-to-digest introduction to Mexico from a cruiser's perspective, giving you lots of valuable information that isn't covered by the cruising guides. Each video is available individually at Amazon, either as a DVD or as a download. For discount package pricing on the whole series, visit our page Cruising Mexico Video Series.Volume 1 reviews the geography, weather and seasons in Mexico and shows you what the best anchorages between Ensenada and Manzanillo are like.
Volume 2 gives detailed info that can't be found in any of the guidebooks about the glorious cruising ground between Manzanillo and the Guatemala border.
Volume 3 (right) provides all the info you need to get off the boat for an adventure-filled trip to Oaxaca.
Our Gear Store also has a boatload of ideas for your cruise!