|
San Carlos started it all for me. About seven years ago I began travelling there on
dive trips and fell in love with this little town and the Sea of Cortez. I was blown away by the beauty, both above and below the water, and
equally impressed by the kindness of the people. When I bought my first boat, I headed straight for San Carlos.
San Carlos is basically a tourism oriented extension of Guaymas
(which is only 10 miles away), and many of the locals who work
here actually live in Guaymas. Almost all of the business here
is oriented towards the tourism, with an emphasis on
sportfishing and diving. There is a large population of
retired americans living here, and the two marinas support
quite a few permanent liveaboards.
Marinas and Facilities
| Marina San Carlos |
|
011-52-622-6-12-30 |
| Marina Real |
|
011-52-622-7-01-10 |
Marina San Carlos is a modern, full service marina.
Haul-out, dry storage, mechanical and fiberglass work are
readily available. There are several marine stores in San
Carlos (including one that is a short walk from the marina)
and parts availability is good.
An alternative to the very busy
Marina San Carlos, is
Marina Real, just around the corner at the south end of
Bahia Algodones. It is also a full service marina, though
some facilities are more limited. The advantage to Marina
Real is that it is substantially more peaceful, being off
the main track. This is also it's biggest disadvantage.
Marina San Carlos has stores, restaurants and bars within
walking distance (and it can be very noisy at night). At
Marina Real you will need some form of transportation into
town, but for many the quiet is worth it.
Currently I keep Stella Mari in the Marina San Carlos Dry
Storage facility. It costs about $50 a month. When
arriving in San Carlos, I get a slip at Marina San Carlos (a
30' slip runs $10 a night) and have them put the boat in the
water with their tractor, which costs about $10. This takes
very little time, and though it is not quite as convenient as
keeping the boat in a slip full time, it is a lot less
expensive and really saves on maintenance. Marina Real also
has a small dry storage facility.
Cruising Grounds
The San Carlos area attracts cruisers for good reason. Besides the
excellent facilities and storm protection, there are at least
40 anchorages along the 55 mile stretch of coast that
stretches from Guaymas to Estero Tastiota. Want an isolated cove or beach
all to yourself? You will find them, in abundance. Caleta Venecia and
Caleta Amarga are my favorite spots, but there are many more. See the
San Carlos Cruising Grounds map for more detail.
Fishing and Diving
If you are looking to dive or fish, there are great spots
all along the coast. But for world class underwater action,
San Pedro Island is just 17 miles
from San Carlos. There are at least three dive shops operating in San
Carlos and an endless supply of boats available for charter.
| GPS waypoints |
| Marina San Carlos |
N 27°56.854' |
W 111°03.306' |
| Bahia San Carlos entrance |
N 27°55.751' |
W 111°03.288' |
| Martini Cove |
N 27°55.836' |
W 111°03.644' |
| Punta San Pedro |
N 28°02.860' |
W 111°15.042' |
| Caleta Amarga |
N 28°03.939' |
W 111°15.276' |
| Caleta Venicia |
N 28°07.820' |
W 111°17.692' |
| Roca Acero |
N 28°11.050' |
W 111°21.669' |
| Lighthouse Cove, Isla San Pedro |
N 27°58.402' |
W 111°22.663' |
|
