Last Stop: Puerto Penasco Part 1: March 5th - 13th, 2024

Well, we are here. -Up at the top of the Sea of Cortez! We did it! I can’t say I’m surprised. I mean we did put a $200 deposit down at the Cabrales Boatyard to say a spot for us. So, there was that.

In reality, we were really stoked to accomplish this! We knew we could do it. But would all the stars align to allow us to go through with it from start to finish? Thank God they did!

I’ll reminisce more about our whole trip experience in a later blog. However, for now, I’ll show you what went on in our 2 weeks at Puerto Penasco.

The overnight ride from San Felipe to Puerto Penasco was smooth. No wind or waves or any incidents. And Harriet worked! Maybe she thought we were going to throw her away if she didn’t? Who knows? But we should probably still have another backup for her for next season’s voyage.

The sun came up as we approached the harbor. It’s always nicer to get somewhere in the light of day than in the dark. We got a slip at Safe Marina. Michael Angelo is the owner there & is such a nice guy. Very helpful in getting us oriented with Puerto Penasco. I can’t even remember what he charged us for a week but it was an excellent price!

Safe Marina is a little more boat yard than marina but it has everything you need for tying up to the dock for a week or so. -Water, power, etc…The shower & bathroom are a little run down but they were very clean & had hot water. -Which I can’t always vouch for in more expensive marinas in Mexico.

Arriving at Puerto Penasco in the morning.

One thing about Puerto Penasco is that the tidal range is insane! I think sometimes the tidal difference can be 21 feet! You can take a look below at how much the docks rise & lower during high & low tides. I think our keel may have been touching the bottom at low tide. I’m not quite sure. This can all make for an interesting place to get a boat in & out of. I actually ran aground in the middle of our 1st week, when we went to go fishing. It wasn’t too bad. I think we waited like 5 minutes & then I was able to proceed forward. I’m not a total idiot though. There was a place near the center of the channel that was actually on the shallower side than the outer parts of the channel. I’m sure this happens to a ton of boats on a weekly basis. Luckily, the tide climbs back up pretty quickly.

The tidal difference in Puerto Penasco.

Low Tide

High Tide

Once we were settled in, we walked with Zephyr to the Malecon for lunch. It was a little crazy. Very touristy. I guess some people had their spring break during that time so the atmosphere was abuzz with people really letting loose! It actually reminded me a little bit of Tijuana. -If Tijuana were by the ocean. However, I think I only captured that on video. So, you will have to wait for that.

To the north was the newly built mega hotels on the beach section. -Which we’re saving for when we go back to really check out. -It looked kind of far on foot. We’ll head up that way when we’re feeling more fancy!

The north walk photo shoot!

Matt was the superhero once again. He saved a bird from drowning. I think it had been raining hard & this bird was beaten into the water, trying to get out. He caught it with a net & brought it back to our boat to dry off & nurse back to health. I think we kept him 24 hours. He seemed good enough to go. And Matt set him free. We hope he is happily soaring around Puerto Penasco picking up scraps of food from tourists!

Matt saved a bird. We didn’t let Zephyr know.

I don’t have to tell anyone in the U.S. about the healthcare system we have here. I’m not talking about the doctors. -Well, at least not the doctors I have. I’m talking about the system. The bureaucracy. -No es bueno in the states. But in Mexico there are a lot of plusses.

Made a dermatology appointment. (We did get recommendations from other cruisers.) And instead of having to go to a primary care doctor 1st & then waiting 6 months to see a dermatologist, while your skin cancer grows if it does exist…. we made an appointment on a Friday & got in the next Thursday! Not even a whole week later!

The office was lovely. They thought Zephyr was lovely enough to be brought in! (-We were just going to take turns watching him outside.) The doctor was knowledgeable & professional. And even though she knew English well, she brought in a doctor that could speak it better than she could. -Although, I thought her English was fine. We both got checked for skin cancer. I didn’t have any ______. However, she found a spot on Matt, that neither him or I would have noticed. She said he would be fine to wait to have it taken out. But I didn’t want him to wait & asked if she could do it. She took a look at her schedule & said she could take it out right then & there. And you bet we took her up on that offer! She gave him a local anesthetic & cut it right out! I only took glimpses from time to time. Wow! So incredible. She gave him the slice of flesh to take to the pathologist. I think our bill for the 2 full body screenings & Matt’s surgery came to around $300! -Which we both thought was quite a bargain.

We also made an appointment for a dentist. $42 later our teeth were cleaned! We didn’t bring Zephyr there. Didn’t want to press our luck.

The dermatology office allows dogs! -Or at least Zephyr.

So there is a touristy side to Puerto Penasco. -We only went to that side 2 times I think. I’m trying to find more photos of that side. Then there is the more local side to Puerto Penasco. -That is the side that we spent most of our time in.

Most roads were paved. But then, as you see below there are some here & there that aren’t. It didn’t really matter to us since we walked everywhere.

I feel like this photo would be a good opening shot to a movie. So go ahead, start writing, if you feel so inspired…

Matt’s treats. -If he’s a good boy. Okay, even if he’s not, because I have no control over him.

That’s where I’ll leave off for now. The haul-out is a blog in itself. So, I’m saving that for next week! You haven’t lived if you haven’t been on a boat being lifted out of the water! Crazy!

Zephyr chillin’ with his Foxie! -which is actually a giraffe but he can only learn so much vocabulary.

Thanks for following along! Come back next week for Part 2 of Puerto Penasco. Being on a boat on dry land is a little different than being on one in the water! Who knew? Until next Wednesday, bake some cookies for someone you love!