Mexico yacht charter
The Sea of Cortez is desert meeting the sea: empty islands, sea lions, whale sharks and, in the cooler months, whales. The main season is winter and spring. It suits families and nature lovers most.
The Sea of Cortez lies between the Baja California peninsula and the Mexican mainland. It is desert meeting the sea: red cliffs, empty white beaches and islands with almost nobody on them. The water is full of life. There are sea lions, dolphins, whale sharks off La Paz and, in winter and spring, whales. It suits people who want nature and quiet more than harbour towns.
Why go, and whom it suits
Families
This is one of the best places anywhere to show children wildlife from a yacht. You can snorkel beside the young sea lions at Los Islotes and see whale sharks off La Paz in season. Beaches have no one else on them. Days are calm, and the passages between the islands of the southern gulf are short.
Couples and honeymoons
The anchorages are empty, the sunsets are over the desert, and the nights are dark and starry. Los Cabos at either end gives you a resort if you want one.
Friends and celebrations
It suits a group that likes diving, fishing, kayaking and beach lunches. Cabo San Lucas has the nightlife; the islands have none.
Less suited to anyone who wants a different town for dinner every evening. Ashore it is mostly desert and a few fishing villages.
The areas
Mexico is one of the wildlife coasts on our Central and South America page.
La Paz and Espíritu Santo
The capital of Baja California Sur sits on a sheltered bay. The islands of Espíritu Santo and Isla Partida are a protected area a short passage away. They have deep, sandy coves and the sea-lion colony at Los Islotes. Most charters start here.
Isla San José and the islands north of La Paz
Isla San Francisco's hooked bay, San Evaristo, and long passages between empty islands.
Loreto
Further north, the town of Loreto and the islands off it: Isla Carmen, Isla Danzante and Isla Coronado. The marina at Puerto Escondido is the base.
Los Cabos
Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo at the southern tip have the airport, the resorts and the arch at Land's End. It is a start or an end rather than a cruising ground.
The Pacific side
Magdalena Bay and the other lagoons on the Pacific coast, known for grey whales, lie outside the gulf. They are a separate trip from a week in the Sea of Cortez.
Mexico's Caribbean coast
(page to follow). The Riviera Maya, Isla Mujeres and Cozumel are a different trip, on the other side of the country.
When to go
The main season is winter and spring, after the eastern Pacific hurricane season ends on 30 November.
The whales come in the cooler months, and each species has its own weeks and its own waters. Tell us which you most want to see.
Whale sharks feed off La Paz for part of the year. We can tell you the months for the year you travel.
Summer is very hot, and the eastern Pacific hurricane season runs officially from 15 May to 30 November. Most yachts leave or slow down then.
Strong winds can blow for a few days at a time in the gulf. The captain then keeps to the sheltered shores of the islands.
What it costs
The charter fee is each yacht's own weekly rate. Her page shows it "from", which is her lowest season. Each yacht's rate is in its own currency, often US dollars outside Europe.
- Mexican IVA (VAT) is added to the fee where it applies, and the quote shows it.
- APA, the Advance Provisioning Allowance, is paid with the balance. The captain holds it for fuel, food, drinks, berths and similar costs, spends it on your instructions, and accounts for it at the end; anything unspent is returned. Budget up to 40% of the charter fee; long or remote passages can need more.
- Any park or fishing fees are paid from the APA.
- A yacht that comes from elsewhere for the charter can add a delivery fee.
Our guide sets out what a crewed charter costs, line by line.
The weekly rate on each yacht’s page. "From" is her lowest season.
An advance for fuel, food, drinks and berths, spent on your instructions and settled at the end.
Set by the country the charter starts in, added to the fee.
La Paz and the islands
This is a round trip from La Paz with short passages, wildlife every day and empty beaches every night. The yacht, the wind and the season decide the real route.
- Day 1: La Paz. Board in the afternoon, then the evening walk along the malecón, the seafront promenade.
- Day 2: Espíritu Santo. Cross to the island's western coves, such as Ensenada Grande, for a swim and a night at anchor.
- Day 3: Los Islotes and Isla Partida. Snorkel with the sea lions in the morning. Kayak the coves in the afternoon.
- Day 4: Isla San José. A longer passage north. Mangroves, a beach walk, dinner on board.
- Day 5: Isla San Francisco. The hooked bay, a hike up the ridge for the view, and snorkelling off the rocks.
- Day 6: Back south to Espíritu Santo. Another bay, a last swim from the beach, and dinner on board at anchor.
- Day 7: Balandra, then La Paz. A morning at Balandra's shallow lagoon, then disembarkation.
A one-way week from Los Cabos to La Paz, or from La Paz to Loreto, also works. Each needs a longer passage and may add a delivery fee.
The yachts that cruise here
Most of the yachts we show in Mexico are motor yachts over 40 metres. The Sea of Cortez is served by yachts based in Mexico or on the US West Coast, and by others that come for the winter. We arrange crewed yachts here and look across the market for every enquiry rather than proposing only what is listed here. The yachts on this site are a selection, not the limit of what we arrange: ask about any yacht, of any size.
Practical questions
Rene GaspersicYour broker
Which airport do we fly to?
La Paz for a La Paz start, and San José del Cabo (Los Cabos) for the widest choice of flights. Loreto has a small airport. From Los Cabos, La Paz is a longer drive.
When is the best time for whales?
In the cooler months, and each species has its own weeks. Tell us which whales you most want to see; the month, the route and the start point follow from that.
Can we swim with the sea lions?
At Los Islotes, yes. The crew or a local guide explains how to swim near them without disturbing them. The young sea lions are curious, and children love them.
Is it safe to cruise here?
Check your government's travel advice for Baja California Sur before you book. The crew knows the area and its harbours.
Is the water warm enough for swimming?
It is warmer in summer and autumn than in winter and early spring. Many yachts carry wetsuits for snorkelling. Ask us what yours has.
Can we fish?
Yes. Fishing is good here, within Mexico's rules, and some protected zones are closed to it. The crew arranges whatever is needed.
Is there anywhere to eat ashore?
In La Paz, Loreto and Los Cabos, yes. Among the islands there are a few fishing camps and almost nothing else. Most meals are on board or on the beach.
Do we need a visa?
That depends on your passport. Check your government's travel advice before you book. The yacht's own papers and permits are her crew's and operator's job.
Can we combine Mexico with somewhere else?
Some of the yachts that cruise here also cruise Costa Rica's Pacific coast, so a longer charter can link the two. We confirm which yacht can do it.
If you are also weighing Costa Rica
Both are Pacific coasts with wildlife. The Sea of Cortez is drier, calmer inside the gulf, and better for marine life close up. Costa Rica's coast is green, wetter, and better for rainforest and turtles.
See Costa Rica.
The Sea of Cortez | Costa Rica | |
|---|---|---|
Landscape | Desert meeting the sea: red cliffs, empty beaches | Rainforest down to the sea, volcanoes inland |
The sea | Calmer inside the gulf | Pacific swell; calmer inside the gulfs and bays |
Best for | Marine life close up: sea lions, whale sharks, whales | Rainforest, turtles and surf |
Main season | Winter and spring, after 30 November | The dry season, mid-December to late April |
Talk to a broker
Tell us roughly when, how many of you there are, and what the week is for: a family adventure, a honeymoon, a birthday with friends. Dates and budget can stay loose. We come back with a short list of yachts that fit, say plainly what each one is like, and stay your contact from the first email to the last day on board.
Rene Gaspersic
charter broker
Email info@soretoyachting.com · Phone +44 7342 933198 · WhatsApp +44 7342 933198
Plan
Sea of Cortez and Baja.
Two short steps. Dates and budget can stay loose. We reply personally, by email, phone or WhatsApp.