La Paz
La Paz, Mexico 2025: Overview
We never thought we would sail in a desert. Not that we didn’t want to; the thought just never occurred to us that it is something a person would do. Enter John from Cruise-n-Learn Sailing International, Johan’s colleague and our sailing instructor for ASA in the Bahamas. John has been telling us about La Paz for a couple of years, and I became very intrigued, particularly about the whale sharks. So when we decided to plan a last minute trip and started pricing out airfares, I was delighted that La Paz made the most sense! Getting there was easy, and we were blown away with the sea life - whales, sea lions, rays, dolphins - and the health of the coral beds. The water was a bit chilly in March so we purchased wet suits for our snorkeling adventures. The days were beautiful and warm and we hiked through canyons, desert terrain, fishing villages and on the side of cliffs. We saw some of the most amazing sunsets of our lives - and we have seen some beautiful sunsets. We came away with some fantastic stories about people and some new knowledge about mending boats. It is funny how life leads you to people and people lead you to new places and adventures. We are so glad we met John and Amber and made our way to La Paz, Mexico. We will definitely go back!
Cabo San Jose to La Paz - Getting to the Marina
We saved some money on the flight by spending the first night in Lexington, KY. One of the kids wasn’t feeling good that night and I spent the night imagining all of the scenarios for the next day - delay by one day, divide and conquer or forge ahead with a sick kiddo - so not a lot of great sleep. Thankfully, he woke up feeling better and we headed to the airport before dawn. From Lexington, we flew to Atlanta then San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. John was kind enough to pick up the whole family at the airport for the 3 hour drive to La Paz. He asked which route we wanted to take and we requested the scenic route! We had tacos in a tourist town called Los Barriles.
As we were approaching El Triunfo on the ride to La Paz, John explained that the village was an old gold and silver mining town that Christy Walton, one of the heirs to the Walmart fortune, fell in love with and has helped to make a tourist destination. She has taken an interest in La Paz and the surrounding region and she also donated money to build the statues along the water in La Paz (Sculptures — Tenaja Holdings ). We were not planning to stop in El Triunfo but we saw a sign for dragonfruit (pitaya) and Alex loves dragonfruit so we stopped. It turned out to be homemade ice cream/sorbet. I didn’t want the kids in Captain John’s car with the treat so we took a short lovely walk around the town and I am so glad we did, because the village was adorable. We even had some live guitar music to add to the atmosphere.
Next stop was the Chedraui grocery store for most of our provisioning. Prior to the trip we had ordered some of the heavier provisions to the boat but we still needed to buy the majority of our food. We had our list ready to go but it still took over an hour bc we didn’t know where anything was! Chedraui was a great grocery store with a very good selection of produce, meats and wine. Our only problem was fitting all the food - and all of us - in the car!! We are so grateful to John for putting up with us as we crammed the 3 kids and me in his second row so we could fit everything else in the trunk.
From there we drove through La Paz to the marina. La Paz is a city of 250,000 people. We planned to return that evening for dinner so I didn’t take many pictures as we drove through town. There were old school busses for city transportation and a beautiful waterfront sidewalk for a nice walk with a view. I am sure there are lots of places to explore but we needed to get to the boat. I expected the marina to be in town, with walking access to the city, but it was actually a bit outside. There was traffic for a triathalon so it was slow going and we figured out quickly we wouldn’t be going back into town as planned. We did not get to explore La Paz this trip, but will definitely schedule in time for it on our next visit. The marina was in a gated community and it was a beautiful place. We got all of our luggage and provisions on the boat and went to dinner.
While we were at dinner in the marina, the kids decided to run back to the boat. They were a little excited and acting a little crazy. Apparently, Alex was in such a rush to get back to the boat that he didn’t see the safety line up and he ran his face into it. He had a pretty nasty bruise and a cut, but nothing that looked like it needed emergency services. He reenacted the whole ordeal the next day once we knew he was ok. We decided that a pirate fight made a better story. What a first day! We couldn’t wait to get the sails up the next day and head out on our adventure.
Heading Out: La Paz to Caleta Lobos with an unexpected stop
Early Sunday morning we woke up and had a boat briefing and a chart briefing. This boat was both bigger and older than usual for us, a 2019 Lagoon 450. We knew that there might be some maintenance issues on an older boat and we were very open to learning something from the boat while we were there. As we headed out to the Sea of Cortez, we were immediately greeted by a sea lion swimming outside of the channel. The weather was beautiful and we couldn’t wait to get the sails out. As soon as we were in an appropriate location we turned into the wind and began hoisting the main sail so we could head to our lunch stop in Balandra. It initially went smoothly, but when the sail was about half way up, we started to encounter some pretty stiff resistance. It seemed that the main sail was getting stuck on the reefing lines, so we checked and re-checked that the reef lines were not in. We started manually pulling the reefing lines that were stuck due to disuse. We took our time but continued to raise the sail. I was at the mast to guide the ropes and to help them move.
All of a sudden, there was a loud bang, and I saw a few small metal parts go flying, at least one of them off of the boat. I wasn’t sure how many parts there were, but we were able to collect a couple of washers and a small piece of metal. We immediately lowered the main and called the base. They met us at Playa Pichilingue, which was a happening spot for locals. Lots of folks camping and even big rigs for show on the beech. We dinghied in to pick up two helpers. I was pretty sure we might be sail-less for the rest of the trip but these guys literally put their backs into to fixing it. They told us the boat hadn’t been sailed in a while and that the gooseneck bolt was the wrong one. The bolt should’ve had a hole in the bottom and a steel pin to hold it in place instead of a nut. It was the nut that went flying when the gooseneck bolt was under pressure. While they were there we got some DW 40 to loosen up the traveler runner and were advised just to keep the reefing lines out instead of struggling each time we put up the main. It isn’t the cleanest look but it works.
After repairs, we knew we wouldn’t have time for our original plan so we headed to Caleta Lobos to spend the night. We passed by “bird poop island”, which actually looks pretty cool, but it is literally a White Island because the birds use it as a bathroom. Can you find the birds?
Once we arrived and anchored, we decided to test out our wet suits at a small island, Roca Lobos. We definitely felt the chill of the water down our back as we acquainted to March in a desert. For the most part we adapted, but I think we fighured out pretty early on that the cold weather wasn’t going to be something for Rory. We observed some pristinely protected coral and fish, including the first pufferfish we saw on the trip (many more of those to come).
At dark, we watched the sun set and ate chicken, bacon, corn and rice. As we reflected on the rough start to our journey, we noticed that we were having trouble getting the generator to charge. This was not shocking since they had told us at the docks that it had 18k hours on it and it was normal for a generator to have 12-15k hours. The generator is not always a critical thing for us to have on a week long trip but it was critical on this trip. Why? They also told us at the marina that our water tanks leak. We have been on several trips without needing to refill water, and we can typically survive without refilling at a dock. On this boat, however, we were down to 3/4ths on each tank after the first short day. Luckily, the boat had a working water maker but it requires a generator to make water. If we were down a generator, we would really be restricted as to where we could go. Sweet Dreams!
Hello? Hello? Espiritu Santo & An Unexpected Visitor
Finally, the true adventure begins! With the time change and a good night of sleep, we woke up VERY early the next morning. We ate some eggs and greeted a morning sea lion visitor. It was a beautiful spot with a single monohaul basking in the sunrise.
We headed over to Balandra, our planned lunch stop for yesterday. As we rounded the bend, we were greeted by a huge pod of dolphins and a stunning view of the Baja mountains. It really felt like something out of the movies; like these dolphins were there to greet us to this magical place. The Sierra de la Laguna mountains tower over the bay. They are a rugged mountain chain standing at >6800 feet. Cliffs and giant rocks line the edges and blue green shallow water is rippled with sand patterns on the ocean floor.
We saw Captain John and his live aboard sailing crew as we dinghied in to an empty beach with a small sand dune. We climbed the dune and the rocks for a 360 degree view of the area. In the direction of the sea and our boat, we saw beautiful dark turquiose shallow water with sand drifts that added a pattern to the color. Lining the shore were towering rocks so big you could barely see the paddle borders passing. Into the mainland there was a large shoal area with very shallow darker colored water and plenty of birds. To the south there were cliffs that had trails from the more crowded beaches where you could get a view of the whole area. We snorkeled around two areas. The first was “pelican island” and we saw trigger fish, angel fish, canyons with large fish, and puffer fish. There were pelicans watching us snorkel the whole time. When you popped your head up out of the water for a break, there they were watching you like it was their job. I took the SUP to our next snorkel stop and it was serene. The spot is not marked on the map, but there are little winding pathways over shallow water through the monstrous rocks. I rounded the corner and could see the shallow water under the rocks teaming with fish and pristine coral. We had crabs watching us at this snorkel spot. After lunch, we reluctantly packed up with plans to return on our way back to base.
We sailed towards our destination for the night on Isla Espiritu Santo, approximately 15 NM from Balandra. The wind was low but our spirits were high to be headed towards the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. Once we lined up with land, we were transfixed by the rock formation produced by volcanoes. Of things that I have seen, it was probably closest to the Grand Canyon in color but the textures were so variable, at times smooth and burnt orange and at times it looked like a kid put some glue on a giant rock and stuck it to the side of the mountain. I understand when I read the description of Espiritu Santo’s formation by a “violent” volcano. There is evidence in the form of pearl oyster fishhooks that humans lived on this island over 9000 years ago and you can almost picture it.
We decided to stay in Ensenada del Candelero for the night. Alex and I took a hike through the canyons and wound up with a canyon framed view of the beach, where kayakers were camped for the night. Other than that that there were only a few boats in the bay. On the hike we observed the crazy patterns of the rock up close and saw giant cactuses, lizards and a goat carcass. Back at the boat, we saw flying rays and plenty of turtles.
We saw the most amazing sunsets in Mexico, the kind where you couldn’t look away and sat for an hour watching it change. I will share them side by side for a vote after I publish them all. Let me just say that when I saw this sunset, I thought it was the most beautiful sunset I had seen. We were facing towards the mountains on the Baja Sur mainland, the clouds were very whispy and the colors were stunning. We saw animals jumping and heard animal sounds. We also heard a repetitive whistling noise, but we couldn’t place it as any particular animal and we did not see anything that could be the source of the sound. We figured it was just the canyons playing tricks on us and headed to make dinner as it got dark.
That is when the night got interesting. Johan was in charge of the steak and I was inside cutting up veggies when I heard him talking outside the boat (he is not the type to sing along to a song so I knew it wasn’t that). I look out the back of the boat to see a local man holding a lifebuoy ring and asking for help. Johan was getting the grill ready when he heard “Hello, Hello!” He said his first thought was that one of two things were going to happen. One, he was going to get to do some night sailing to make a rescue or two, something was going to happen to us and he was going to blame me for encouraging us to take the trip to Mexico. In the end, we learned that the man was crew on a panga boat that transported tourists from La Paz to Los Islotes at the north end of the island chain to swim with sea lions. Only certified boat crews are allowed to go there and it makes for an exciting chance to see babies up close. After the encounter, many of these boats choose a cove and head to the beach before going back to town. This particular boat was two coves over from us and when it was time to leave, the engine wouldn’t start and their cell phones and radio weren’t working over the mountains!! Now is a good time to remind you that we were in a desert in March. Not only does it get chili outside in the evening, we were wearing wet suits when we got in the water during the day. The water was 67 degrees and this man had only his swim trunks. Once we understood what was happening, we made sure to offer him blankets, towels and water, and we let him use our radio to try to recontact his captain. We asked him about the whistling we had heard at sunset and found out that he was the source. He also told us about the Mask of the God Niparaja, a rock formation that could be found in Candelero but it was too dark for us to see that night. In the meantime a small fishing boat entered the cove where his crew’s boat had borken down and started to tow the panga full of tourists, but first they stopped at our boat to pick up their crew. One of the tourists asked if she could join us for happy hour.
Until the moment where they motored away, and even after, I have to say it was a little nerve wracking to have our kids on the boat in this situation. We knew it was likely fine but there was definitely that part of my parent brain that moved the kitchen knife away from the visitor and closer to a place where I could access it quickly. I hate to be like that but it is reality. We eventually got to our dinner, but the night’s adventures stuck with us as we tried to sleep that night.
Heading North to Isla San Francisco!
This will be a relatively short entry as the day was a sailing day to our next destination. We woke up safe on our boat after our exciting encounter last night. We made eggs in a nest and set off to the north under sail until the winds died down. Then we motor sailed and made our way to Isla San Francisco. We saw several jumping rays and the first evidence of a whale - we saw the giant puff of water coming up at a distance.
We couldn’t get the generator to work and spent some time at anchorage charging the battery. Turtles and pelicans everywhere! Pelicans diving sounded like someone fell in the water. While we waited we let the kids take SUP to beach where they met friends from Chicago on a crewed charter boat. They had so much fun and were invited back to their boat for pina coladas! Meanwhile we enjoyed a warm shower and prepared a dinner of shrimp, mushrooms and pasta. Sunset 2.0 was BRIGHT ORANGE and another breathtaking display by Mother Nature. After the sunset and dinner, we played Yahtzee and headed to bed planning to celebrate a birthday on the next day! I am gonna keep this entry short and sweet because tomorrow is another action packed day!! Pay close attention to the powerboat in the sunset pictures. The crew of this boat helped us out the next day!
Adventure Day - Sea of Cortez Style
Today was Rory’s bday!! We woke up extra early because we had a plan for a full day! We watched the sunrise and ate pancakes for breakfast per Rory’s request. We decorated the boat and he had a few small gifts to open. Then, Alex, Johan and I hiked to the top of the mountain ridge next to the anchor field. We dinghied over to the beach and laughed as Johan fell into the water trying to set the dinghy anchor. Before we got to the trail, we saw three small crosses at the edge of the island facing out to see. They were beautiful and mysterious at the same time.
The hike was steep and rocky but very doable. The view from the top was phenomenal with perspectives of the whole island including the beautiful arc of the Playa San Francisquito. There was a monument to Mary and a place to document your experience with a pencil and notebook at the top. In fact there was a pile of notebooks under a protective rock. I literally just realized as I am typing this that Alex wrote “Sund-25” and “Come on you FCC Cincinnati!”. I wrote “Unbelievable. Stunning. Thank you for sharing this place with our family. Most beautiful sunsets. It’s like a painting - vibrant at times, pastel at times. Life is good.” As we hiked further along, we had to focus because there was a breathtaking drop straight down rocky cliffs on the east side of the island out to the Sea of Cortez. We eventually got to a point where the path was less clear and we needed to hike over giant rocks. I climbed ahead of the group and checked it out but didn’t feel good about taking Alex that direction so we returned down the cliff in the same direction we came from. What an amazing hike! Unbelievable!
The pictures don’t really do it justice though. The video gives a much better sense of what it was like up there.
After the hike, we headed back to the boat and took off for Isla El Coyote, the only inhabited island in the Sea of Cortez from what we are told. We weren’t sure if we should stop there or not, but we wound up loving it and would absolutely recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity. It is the home of a fishing family and it falls right in between Isla San Francisco and Isla San Jose.
It is a picturesque place with homes of blue, orange and teal and a couple of pangas lined up on the beach. There were several small pups wandering the island and they got some extra love from our kiddos. We dinghied in to a rocky beach and it was pretty quiet until we saw an older gentleman who waved us up. We tried to communicate by using the text on the google translation app on the phone but it wasn’t working. So I started trying to verbalize some of my own non-existent Spanish using the app as a guide. He eventually took us to the area where a woman was selling necklaces, bracelets and earrings. We bought some souvenirs and asked about pescado fresco (fresh fish) but the answer was no at that moment. We walked around the island to the roofless church and to see the view from the top.
When we came back down to the beach, the kayakers from the ecotour were arriving. We have not seen such kayaking tours at other sailing destinations. They apparently kayak during the days, get transported by pangas, then camp at night. We saw their tents at Ensenada del Candelero and then again at Isla El Coyote. We even met someone on the tour from our home town. If you aren’t a sailor but would love to take an adventure on a kayak, this would be a great place to do it! As we headed back to the beach, a boat came in with fresh caught fish. We were able to buy a whole sea bass for $20. They filleted it and put it in a bag and we took it straight to the boat and to cook it up with some salt and pepper and butter for lunch.
While Johan was cooking, Alex and I snorkeled the reef and saw a nice variety of fish, including two kinds of puffer, angle fish, something that looked like a parrot fish. Then things got interesting again! Johan came out to pick us up. Once we pulled ourselves up on the dinghy, we took the dinghy back to the boat. While we were disembarking, we realized the dinghy was taking on water because the plug came out! Usually the dinghy plug is tied to the dinghy with a rope but this one was not, so it was gone to the Sea of Cortez. We got the dinghy on the davits and lifted it out of the water to let it drain. The dinghy is our daily transportation. When we anchor and we need a way to get to shore for food, beverages, water, adventure - the dinghy is our primary source of transportation - and it was currently out of service.
In the meantime the generator stopped working. This also was not surprising since they told us it had 18k hours and they have one to change it out. Supposedly they usually last 12-15k hours. So Johan talked to the charter company and tried some things on the generator while Annika and I flagged down the tender for the Mai Tai, a large fishing boat, to see if they had an extra plug. The Mai Tai crew went in to Isla Coyote for lunch then came out with the solution to our dinghy problem, what they called “Mexican Ingenuity”. A local guy climbed onto our dinghy while it was in the davit and used a cut piece of buoy and one of our knives so that he could tailor it to the size of the plug hole. It seemed to seal the deal and we added some duct tape for good measure.
As soon as we thanked them and offered a toast, we headed off for the 10 NM sail to San Evaristo. As we were underway, we saw a blowhole puff at a distance and called the kids up. This time, we actually SAW THE WHALE - all 5 of us were there when he brought his hind quarter out of the water and his tail fin was straight up out of the water.
San Evaristo was a magical place and our time to explore was too short due to boat issues. This place gave me the feeling in my gut like I felt in Bora Bora - a combination of mountains, culture, wildlife and soul. The cruising guide says 20 people live here but it was definitely more based on the number of structures. Unfortunately, we spent a lot of our time working on the generator instead of exploring. Johan attempted to switch the battery with the starboard engine but it was unsuccessful. Again, we were not too surprised since the generator had 18 k hours on it. The charter company ultimately suggested that we just bang on it with a wrench and that, of course, was also unsuccessful. We eventually gave up on the generator and spent a lot of time trying to decide if/how we might modify our trip, mainly considering the water concern since we could not use the water maker and the water tanks were leaking.
We enjoyed this whimsical village and watched the fishing pangas come in and out while the seagulls dove for dinner. We saw the occasional truck driving on the dust road through the village and after the sunset, we heard Mexican music coming from the shore. It was lovely. Per Rory’s choice we made gnocchi and pasta sauce for his birthday dinner and I even managed to make a nice birthday cake in a pot! The stars were out and when I went to rinse out the pot off the back of the boat, I saw the most bioluminescence I have ever seen in my life. With each rinse of the pan, they spread out in front of me and they got brighter as the night became darker. It was Rory’s birthday, but it was an amazing day for all of us!
There was alot of adventure on this day, but there is still more coming on the trip! Stay tuned!