Open Bay with Nice Breezes

mapMarkerGrey Open Bay with Nice Breezes...

Serene Large Anchorage with Natural Water Ride

mapMarkerGrey Serene Large Anchorage with Natural Water Ride...

Smallish Pocket Anchorage with Excellent SE Protection

mapMarkerGrey Smallish Pocket Anchorage with Excellent SE Protec...

The Hub of BdLA Life

mapMarkerGrey The Hub of BdLA Life...

Gorgeous Nook-and-Cranny Anchorage with Something for Everyone

mapMarkerGrey Gorgeous Nook-and-Cranny Anchorage with Something ...

An Isla Carmen Classic

mapMarkerGrey An Isla Carmen Classic...

Tiny Speck on Your Way Anywhere

mapMarkerGrey Tiny Speck on Your Way Anywhere...

Off-grid Oasis

mapMarkerGrey Off-grid Oasis...

Quiet Anchorage on the East Side

mapMarkerGrey Quiet Anchorage on the East Side...

One Enormous Chunk of Rock

mapMarkerGrey One Enormous Chunk of Rock...

A Good way to Avoid the Overnight Between SR and SF

mapMarkerGrey A Good way to Avoid the Overnight Between SR and S...

Perched at The Top of Bahia Concepcion

mapMarkerGrey Perched at The Top of Bahia Concepcion...

Gorgeous Open Roadstead with Lots of Room

mapMarkerGrey Gorgeous Open Roadstead with Lots of Room...

Your Hurricane Hidey-Hole in the North

mapMarkerGrey Your Hurricane Hidey-Hole in the North...

Blustery Bay with a Drop-Dead Gorgeous Beach

mapMarkerGrey Blustery Bay with a Drop-Dead Gorgeous Beach...

One-of-a-kind-Landform with Decent SE Protection

mapMarkerGrey One-of-a-kind-Landform with Decent SE Protection...

Best North Protection in Bahia Concepcion

mapMarkerGrey Best North Protection in Bahia Concepcion...

A Dramatically Beautiful Summer Camp Setting

mapMarkerGrey A Dramatically Beautiful Summer Camp Setting...

Open Roadstead with All the Trappings of a Magical Town

mapMarkerGrey Open Roadstead with All the Trappings of a Magical...

Comfy Waiting Room on The East Cape

mapMarkerGrey Comfy Waiting Room on The East Cape...

Cheap Seats at The Gateway to The North

mapMarkerGrey Cheap Seats at The Gateway to The North...

Ultimate Peace and Quiet in Bahia Concepcion

mapMarkerGrey Ultimate Peace and Quiet in Bahia Concepcion...

Welcome Stop on the Outside of Bahia Concepcion

mapMarkerGrey Welcome Stop on the Outside of Bahia Concepcion...

Cool Wedge of Space with Excellent Snorkeling

mapMarkerGrey Cool Wedge of Space with Excellent Snorkeling...

Multiple anchorage options for all weather

mapMarkerGrey Multiple anchorage options for all weather...

The Spring/Summer alternative to San Juanico

mapMarkerGrey The Spring/Summer alternative to San Juanico...

Technical Anchoring Pays Dividends

mapMarkerGrey Technical Anchoring Pays Dividends...

Stay a While If You Can

mapMarkerGrey Stay a While If You Can...

Your Own Private Little Slot Anchorage

mapMarkerGrey Your Own Private Little Slot Anchorage...

The Central Sea Classic

mapMarkerGrey The Central Sea Classic...

Quick Escape from La Paz

mapMarkerGrey Quick Escape from La Paz...

Surprisingly Little Used Stopover

mapMarkerGrey Surprisingly Little Used Stopover...

Raw and Beautiful, With North Protection

mapMarkerGrey Raw and Beautiful, With North Protection...

Drop Dead Surroundings, Drop Jaw Pricing

mapMarkerGrey Drop Dead Surroundings, Drop Jaw Pricing...

Welcome to The Cheap Seats

mapMarkerGrey Welcome to The Cheap Seats...

Sandy Fishing Town with Mellow Vibe

mapMarkerGrey Sandy Fishing Town with Mellow Vibe...

Rowdy Days, Quiet Nights, Gorgeous Always

mapMarkerGrey Rowdy Days, Quiet Nights, Gorgeous Always...

Espiritu Vibe at its Finest

mapMarkerGrey Espiritu Vibe at its Finest...

Shockingly Good Snorkeling Right Off The Beach

mapMarkerGrey Shockingly Good Snorkeling Right Off The Beach...

Spectacular Setting for Settled Weather

mapMarkerGrey Spectacular Setting for Settled Weather...

It’s a Roller Coaster of Red Rock

mapMarkerGrey It’s a Roller Coaster of Red Rock...

Wow! Just…. Wow.

mapMarkerGrey Wow! Just…. Wow....

The Espiritu Classic

mapMarkerGrey The Espiritu Classic...

A Little More Privacy, But Mind The Bar

mapMarkerGrey A Little More Privacy, But Mind The Bar...

In The Heart of This Lively City

mapMarkerGrey In The Heart of This Lively City...

An Incredible Beach, and Welcome West Protection

mapMarkerGrey An Incredible Beach, and Welcome West Protection...

A Mellower Alternative to Cabo Craziness

mapMarkerGrey A Mellower Alternative to Cabo Craziness...

More Room Than You Need, With a Wind Machine

mapMarkerGrey More Room Than You Need, With a Wind Machine...

A Short Hop, But a World Away

mapMarkerGrey A Short Hop, But a World Away...

Sweet Mile of Sandy Anchoring, But Open Roadstead

mapMarkerGrey Sweet Mile of Sandy Anchoring, But Open Roadstead...

Shallow SE Protection with a Wifi Bonus

mapMarkerGrey Shallow SE Protection with a Wifi Bonus...

An All Time Favorite, But Technical Anchoring

mapMarkerGrey An All Time Favorite, But Technical Anchoring...

A Gorgeous Classic That Checks a Lot of Boxes

mapMarkerGrey A Gorgeous Classic That Checks a Lot of Boxes...

Big Pocket Anchorage with Colorful Bluffs and Nutty Snorkeling

mapMarkerGrey Big Pocket Anchorage with Colorful Bluffs and Nutt...

Small Pocket with Big Fish

mapMarkerGrey Small Pocket with Big Fish...

Easy Anchoring for an Entire Armada

mapMarkerGrey Easy Anchoring for an Entire Armada...

Your Return to The World of Connectivity

mapMarkerGrey Your Return to The World of Connectivity...
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We stayed at this wonderful anchorage for three nights. It was beautiful, offered good protecti...

mapMarkerGrey Your Private, Perfect Nook...

Remote and Beautiful Beach with Good Snorkeling

mapMarkerGrey Remote and Beautiful Beach with Good Snorkeling...

Gorgeous, Quiet, and Multifaceted

mapMarkerGrey Gorgeous, Quiet, and Multifaceted...

Sea of Cortez – Baja Side

We have been struck over and over by the number of west coast cruisers who, in a rush to get to the South Pacific, give short shrift to Mexico in general, and in particular to the jaw-dropping Sea of Cortez. Many cruisers who have been at it for decades, and in fact have circled the globe more than once name as one of their key mistakes leaving Mexico too soon. We couldn’t agree more. The Sea of Cortez deserves some dedicated exploration, and not just a rushed month and a half in the winter, post Baja Ha Ha, when the temps are cold and the Northers are howling.

Families and sailors who dread rolly anchorages and surf landings in the dinghy will LOVE the lake-like anchorages of the Sea. Once north of the East Cape, ocean swell drops to near zero. This is not to say there is no wind or weather in the Sea, but in general the conditions are quite benign, and the anchorages delightfully flat.

Sea of Cortez Weather for Cruisers

Weather here is cyclical, dominated by two regimes: Winter Northers and Summer SE/Tropical Storm Season. Cruisers enjoy the Sea year round, but the prime seasons for exploring this area under sail would be April to June, and Late October to December. The middle winter months are riddled with Northers, cold and sometimes fierce winds of 30+ knots that originate in winter high pressure in the southwestern US, and blow the full length of the Sea, often kicking up some serious short period wind waves and swell. These can blow for 1-4 days, with sometimes woefully short periods of lovely cool weather in between. The opposite side of the cycle, starting in April or May, is typified by light SE breezes and calm periods that slowly melt into the intense heat and humidity of summer. In the fall the humidity and heat will finally break somewhere between late October and the middle of November, giving cool sleeping temps and a few glorious weeks of perfect cruising conditions before northers set in again.

Some Excellent Weather Resources for The Sea of Cortez

Typical Cruising Patterns

Most Cruisers move quickly past the introductory anchorages of the East Cape area, and head for La Paz, a proper cruising hub and intro into Baja culture and food. The next sizable city is Loreto, nearly 150 miles north, with some of the most spectacular cruising spread out between. Many cruisers will never venture further north than the Loreto area, but they miss out on a lot. From Santa Rosalia north to the Bahia de Los Angeles area (a common haunt for 10-25 cruising boats for the heart of tropical storm season every year), the Sea gets more remote, raw, and full of sea life as you venture north and leave crowds, and in many cases civilization, behind. The extreme northern sea from Gonzaga Bay to San Filipe and Puerto Peñasco are generally even less traveled, although Puerto Penasco has in recent years become a popular spot to put up the boat for the off season, or take advantage of one of the only DIY boat yards in the region.

No matter how far you venture in to the Sea of Cortez, it will lurk in your memories, with visions of crystal clear waters, towering colorful mountain ranges, and isolated island beaches, and the blow of nearby whales or the whizzz of fishing line peeling off your reel. Unless you’re just not into that sort of thing (?), it will certainly draw you back.

Recent Posts From The Sea of Cortez – Baja Side

Printed Cruising Guides to The Sea of Cortez Mexico

Contrary to popular belief, we’re HUGE fans of printed cruising guides, and consider them essential gear for cruising any coast. Below are the OCG recommended guides for this area. Following the links and purchasing these cruising guides (or anything else) helps fund OCG through a small commission. Thanks!

Shawn and Heather’s Sea of Cortez Cruising Guide