The dive sites at Isla Ixtapa are well known for their exciting caves and swim-throughs as well as the spectacular marine life including white tip reef sharks, turtles and rays. Superb diving and snorkeling as well as great seafood bring tour boats from far and wide to the remote and beautiful beaches of the island.

The anchorage lies on the east side of the island off Playa Cuachalalate but anchoring off Playa Varadero is also a possibility. Both have gorgeous beaches, plenty of tourists and are busy during the day with pangas and tour boats. Luckily the carnival leaves in the afternoon and the bay is remote and empty again by sundown. The anchorage is exposed to wind and swell from all direction but west and is best in calm weather.

Approaches

Approaching from the north be aware of Bajo Tintorera, an isolated rock charted 0.6NM north of Isla Ixtapa. The red light marking the rock is not always working. Passage can be taken either side of the rock after which the route in to the anchorage is straight forward.

The passage to the southeast of Isla Ixtapa is full of isolated and uncharted rocks and reefs and should  not be attempted without local knowledge.

Anchorage

Anchor off the beach in 5.5m on sand. Dinghy ashore taking care if waves are breaking on the beach.

Facilities

There are a couple of restaurants and a natural history museum on the island.

The town of Santa Rosalia was founded by a French company in order to mine copper from the surrounding hills. The mine closed in 1954 but the facilities were never dismantled and plans to resurrect the mine are being considered. Despite it’s industrial heart Santa Rosalia boasts a French influence in it’s architecture, particularly the gothic-inspired Iglesia de Santa Barbara built of galvanized steel and designed by Gustave Eiffel.

Santa Rosalia is a roadstead anchorage but it is possible to anchor inside the harbour wall for protection from the swell. However the harbour is open to the south and during the summer months some swell can get in. Call the Port Captain to request permission to enter the harbour.

Approaches

No info

Anchorage

Anchor inside the harbour wall in 6m on a muddy bottom. Land the dinghy at the small beach northwest of the marina or go tie up at the floating dock at the marina.

Facilities

Santa Rosalia is a big town with plenty of options for provisioning and refueling. There are several grocery stores, banks, a hospital and numerous restaurants and hotels in the town. The Iglesia de Santa Barbara and the Mining Museum are interesting to visit and the El Boleo bakery cannot be missed.

The small town of Bahia de los Angeles lies on the western side of the entrance to the bay. A light marks the end of the 1.3km long sandspit which extends from the northern side of the bay providing a natural barrier to swell from the north, but the wind blows straight across. The anchorage is exposed to the south and east and can be rolly, in these conditions the northern part of the bay is better protected than the area in front of the town.

The first dock was built at Bahia de los Angeles in 1900 for the export of gold and silver obtained from the mines in the nearby Sierra San Borja Mountains. An 8km railway connected the dock to the San Juan silver mine - the largest producing mine in Baja. Today the small fishing town attracts scientists and educators visiting the Bahía de los Ángeles Biosphere Reserve; a conservation area that extends over the sixteen islands north of Bahia de los Angeles as far as Isla Coronadito.

Approaches

No info.

Anchorage

Anchor in front of the town in 6m on sand but head further north behind the sand spit for better protection from the swell. The holding is not as good in the northern part of the bay as the bottom becomes more pebbly. The docks in the town are hard to access from a dinghy, instead pull the dinghy up on the beach in a spot where the waves are not breaking.

Facilities

The town boasts two well stocked grocery stores and several hotels and restaurants, some with wifi. Jerry cans can be filled at the service station just after the roundabout at the start of the highway.  Although small the museum houses and eclectic collection of Indian artifacts, mining equipment and Indian artifacts and a 30-foot-long skeleton of a juvenile gray whale.