Espiritu Santo

Well, this is the kind of cruising we like. Empty anchorages, clear waters, stunning beauty. Nothing to spend money on. Excellent hiking, decent snorkeling. Less than 10 miles between anchorages. A couple of like-minded kid boats for company. Shazam.DSC_0314DSC_0322

We spent a little over a week cruising along the islands of Espiritu Santo and Parida, protected natural areas just north of La Paz. DSC_0382DSC_0336

Frigate bird rookery on an old pearl farm
Frigate bird rookery on an old pearl farm
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This flock of diving birds was hanging out near us for a while, appearing and disappearing…

No snorkel needed
No snorkel needed
The navy leaving our neighbor's boat
The navy leaving our neighbor’s boat

For the first time, we were boarded by officials—the Mexican navy, doing double duty as park wardens. They were perfectly polite and relaxed, and we were glad we’d paid for our park passes in advance; $100 affords our family unlimited access to the islands of the Gulf of California for one year, and seems like a fair price to protect these natural beauties.

Swimming-pool quality
Swimming-pool quality

DSC_0374DSC_0326Early on, we ran into the folks on Flocerfida, with two kids; the next day, our good friends on Nomi pulled in from Mazatlan. We’re having flashbacks to those golden days in the Bahamas, where the kids rushed through school to spend the afternoons splashing around, with potluck dinners adding up to more than the sum of their parts. Our swim platform and spacious cockpit makes our boat the best one for afternoon hanging out—for the first time, we’re the party boat! Although evening dinners are better spent on Flo.

Ready.....
Ready…..
.....jump!
…..jump!

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Buddy boats in the bay
Buddy boats in the bay

Traveling among these islands is like exploring the canyons of the American southwest…except we have our whole house with us, and we’ve added an ocean. It’s fantastic to look up at the steep cliffs at night, stars glowing above them, while the moonlight shines all the way down through the clear water to light up the ocean floor.DSC_0403DSC_0407DSCF3904

DSC_0421Mainland Mexico has plenty of charm, but this is what we like.DSC_0319

4 Comments on “Espiritu Santo

  1. I’m amazed of the wonderful world that you all are living-in …

    Best wishes

  2. Hi Deb
    Sounds like my friend Lisa ran into while cruising around the gulf of Mexico. Small world!

    • It was so funny…we went past in the dinghy, and they yelled out, “Mendota or Monona?”

  3. Spectacular views on these photos! I bet it will be sad to part with the Milou when the time comes… meanwhile keep on sailin’! We love you and look forward to your return to Mendota or Monona… 🙂

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