The Moorings 474PC, a larger version of the author's 37 footer, is now available for charter in Baja.

It was absolutely, exquisitely, perfect. I was sitting on the flying bridge with my feet propped up on the rail, an icy cerveza at my elbow, watching the sun drift downward toward the distant mountains that looked like cardboard cutouts. The silence was absolute, if you didn’t count the occasional pop from the glowing charcoal in the barbecue on the transom, and I fancied I could hear the faint hiss from the wings of a hawk gliding on the ridge above our cove, no doubt looking for his own dinner.

The water was absolutely still, the air breathless after the warm afternoon, but the sun had no strength as it sank redly behind the jagged mountains. The only other boat in our anchorage had left at midday and, not counting the hawk, we had the cove to ourselves. It was a fitting end to an idyllic week: our chartered powerboat would be returned the next morning and, by late afternoon, we would be heading back to civilisation.

Sunset and its reflection, on the Sea of Cortez.

dIf your experience with bareboat cruising is a daily race against dozens of other boats to the next anchorage, which will probably be filled to brimming and churned by dinghies ferrying crews to a beach dotted with Styrofoam cups, well … think again. The Sea of Cortez may just be the last great unsullied cruising ground, but don’t dally because the word is getting out.

Less than two hours south of California by jet, Puerto Escondido is a good starting point to explore the Gulf of California, known to insiders as the Sea of Cortez. Two hundred miles north of Baja’s capital, La Paz, it offers several offshore islands to explore as well as a number of superb coves along the peninsula. We chose to take a 37’ powerboat, since she would give us the speed to sample the area without having to rely on the wind, which can be an iffy proposition in these parts. What we found were nearly empty anchorages, beaches that bear none of the ravages of civilisation, incredible fishing and perfect weather during our mid-May cruise.

We started at El Presidente Hotel in Loreto, a luxurious all-inclusive resort. The next morning, we were whisked to the charter base nearby. Because supermarkets don’t exist in Baja, the charter company provisions the boat for charterers, allowing them to tailor their desires by trading food before departure. Because of the vagaries of Mexican deliveries, you may find some surprises; ours was that a case of lemon-lime drink had been substituted for the Diet Coke we had ordered. On the other hand, the meats and fish were absolutely fresh and the Mexican wines were superb.

A radius of 25 miles from the charter base provided plenty of pleasant anchorages - and shells.

The charter briefing, using projected slides to show the cruising area, was extremely thorough and competent, the package of instructions and charts were more than we needed for the entire cruise, and the checkout on the boat was pleasant but comprehensive.

We’d heard about a pocket anchorage called Honeymoon Cove that holds only a single boat and headed there on our afternoon departure but, finding it already occupied, we moved 15 miles north along Isla Carmen to Puerto Ballandra, where we anchored with three cruising ketches. The cove, protected from all but westerly winds, which the locals say almost never blow, was calm as we grilled chicken on the mesquite coals, sipped pina coladas, and tucked in for the night. Naturally, that “rare” westerly popped up at 0100, making us pitch uneasily on the rode, but it died away before dawn.

The next morning, we were visited by Lou and Jeannie Corwin from Southern Cross, their pretty Angleman ketch that had been used to film the movie, “Overboard”. After exploring a deserted shark-fishing encampment ashore, we left mid-morning to head across the glassy waters to Isla Coronados. Along the way we were watched by seals and sea lions that seemed unafraid as we slid past.

Isla Coronados is a volcanic island with lovely sand beaches and a lava cone that radiates heat at high noon. After cruising slowly through the anchorage area, which held several other yachts, we went south to a separate bight and dropped the hook in 15’ of crystal clear water. Taking the dinghy ashore, we explored the volcanic rocks and then moved back to the more protected anchorage later.

As we prepared to anchor, another cruising skipper came alongside in a dinghy to suggest that if we waited, another boat would be leaving from a more desirable spot. It was the sort of cruising camaraderie that seems to have been lost in the more popular cruising grounds but still thrives in Baja.

A camp of Mexican fisherman was on one of the beaches, and there was a constant arrival and departure of their pongas, a local skiff. At dusk, the smooth water was constantly broken by the splash of fish and, at one point, the fish were so active that it sounded like water running. It was a noise to make an avid fisherman salivate.

On the following day, we explored a radius of perhaps 25 miles from the charter base. You don’t have to travel far to find pleasant anchorages, and our shell collection grew to cover the entire dinette.

Caleta de San Juanico is a spacious and protected bay known locally simply as Juanico. It is notable for weird rock formations and several all-weather nooks, as well as the “shrine” where yachtsmen have contributed rough-hewn artwork and carved signatures on an ever-growing monument to cruising.

The offshore side of Isla Carmen is called the “Painted Coast” for its multi-coloured cliffs. A Bahamas-style striped lighthouse guards the entrance to Salinas Bay. Originally a company town for harvesting the huge salt flats, all that remains is a ghost town of heat and glare as a reminder of the workers’ miserable existence. Rusted train tracks once carried the salt to a now-ruined wharf near a beached tugboat, and the only population other than the single guard is a squadron of red-necked turkey buzzards that watch over the decaying houses and church. A wrecked freighter offshore makes interesting diving, but the light breeze was building, turning the bay into a lee shore that encouraged our departure.

Cruising camaraderie still thrives in Baja.

Honeymoon Cove was once again occupied, but we picked so-called “Cousteau’s Cove” a few hundred yards south, where Jacques Cousteau’s Calypso had once anchored for a filming session in Baja. A huge rock overlooks the cove, and Calypso’s helicopter used that as a natural landing pad. We snorkelled along the reef, amused by the colorful fish that would cluster inches from our masks to peer in at the invaders. At dusk, we found that Lou and Jeannie had brought Southern Cross into an unmarked but protected cove south of Honeymoon. They joined us for dinner when we discovered that we were overstocked with food and our boat was due for return the next morning.

As we prepared to leave the next day, Lou came past in his dinghy and asked us to stop by. We came alongside later and Jeannie, who is an inveterate and highly successful shell collector with many museum contributions, presented us with a rare olive shell as the crowning touch of our new collection.

The world needs more cruising areas like the Sea of Cortez, and more cruising friends like the Corwins.

Editor’s Note: For more information on charters in the Sea of Cortez, view the La Paz listings.