Tag Archives: sea of cortez

Natural Wonders of Mexico

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Sailors and the Sea of Cortez

Sea of Cortez, the worlds aquarium

Mexico is one of the top 5 countries in the world in terms of ecological diversity and is home to the Paricutin Volcano that is also one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. This is the result of Mexico’s topography which varies significantly and its geographic situation which places it between distinct eco-zones. There are many ways to enjoy these natural wonders found in Mexico including white water rafting, scuba diving, sailing, trekking, mountain climbing, bird watching, biking and a variety of other eco-activities. Naturally, there is some disagreement about which of mexico’s natural wonders are the best, so researchers have conducted surveys to determine which of these is most popular. Copper canyon was determined to be the most popular followed by Sumidero Canyon, the butterfly reserves and the meso american barrier reef..

El Requeson beach is found in the bay of concepcion and is part of the sea of cortez. Great location for camping, kayaking and snorkeling.
Pena Bernal the worlds 2nd largest monliths in the village of Bernal
Grutas del Mamut, one of the great natural treasures of mexico is the extensive network of caves to explore
Sumidero Canon is one of the most popular natural wonders in mexico and was carved out by the Grijala River seen here. In some places the ealls are as high as 1000 ft and its 13 kilometers long. There are thirteen rapids, 5 waterfalls, 3 beaches and 2 freshwater springs.
Playa Ensenada Grande, Espirito Santo,a unesco world heritage site
Blue Agave plants in the State of Jalisco. A cultivated eco-system and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
El Rosario Butterfly Reserve, Michoacan where most all the monarch’s butterflies of north american migrate annually. It is also a unesco world heritage site
There are over 7000 cenotes in the Yucatan peninsula. Tourist and locals alike enjoy swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving in the pools of water created by underground rivers
Isla Cozumel one of the best scuba diving locations in the world found in the midst of the meso american reef system.If your not into scuba diving than try this glass bottom boat
Akumel, Maya Riviera, the meso american reef system is a short swim for this lagoon.
One of two volcanos found in Colima of Jalisco. This one seen in the distant background is called El Fuego and is the most active volcano in Mexico
Cooper Canyon has 6 distinct canyons in the Sierra Madres. It is larger and deeper than the grand canyon of Arizona.
Sea Lion Colony found near isla Espirito Santo, Sea of Cortez
The Sierra Laguna’s is a Unesco Global Biosphere Reserve found in Baja California Sur
Sian Ka’an, entrance to the primary mangrove chanel leading into one of the worlds unesco natural heritage sites.
There are 5 cascading waterfalls with on each side of the river that climbs to the top El Chiflon wateralls
a look downstream the from 250 drop from the Velo de Novia falls.

Beaches in Mexico

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Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres, a top ten travelers choice beach in the Caribbean

Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres, a top ten travelers choice beach in the Caribbean

Mexico has about 6,000 miles of coastline and over 450 beaches with a variety of physical characteristics. These range from desert to tropical environments but while it may be  easy to classify beaches according to these objective characteristics, the choice of which beach resort  is best for a vacation  is much more subjective. A quick internet search will  turn up several sites that rate beaches in Mexico by  a variety of different criteria but there is only one objective system that rates beaches by strict criteria applied the world over and that site can be found at http://www.blueflag.org. Their system for evaluating beaches started in France around 1985 and is now run by the European Foundation for Environmental Education. In general, the Blue Flag criteria used to determine which beaches deserve to be awarded are water quality, safety, services, environmental management and information. As of now, there are 5 beaches that have earned the blue flag award in Mexico. Coincidently, all five of these beaches are also on the list of the best beaches in Mexico as published by websites such as Travelers Choice and magazines such as U.S News and Travel that use tourist opinions or travel writers opinions to rate beaches. So, if finding the best beach is a top priority on your next vacation, it comes down to a decision about the intangibles such as idyllic versus the tangibles such as environmental information signs. In the photo essay below there is a photo of Playa Delfines, a blue flag awarded beach, as well as several photos of beaches in Tulum which Travelers Choice rates as the best in Mexico. All other beach photos below are highly rated by one or more survey about best beaches in Mexico.

Playa Delfines, a blueflag awarded beach in Cancun
Akumal, one of traveler’s choices top 10 beach pics in mexico
Playa Akumal, a top choice for snorkeling and protected area for turtle nesting .
Balandra Beach, a protected biospheres and top ten travelers choice pic for best beach in Mexico
Tulum Beaches, Maya Riviera, U.S. News and Travel rates Tulum beaches as the best in Mexico
Another look at Tulum’s Beaches, Maya Riviera
Playa Cabo Pulmo, Baja California Sur, only coral reefs for scuba divers and snorkeling in this area
El Requeson Playa, Bahia Concepcion, Baja California, Best RV camping on the transpeninsular hwy. Baja California Sur
Gold Coast, Mazatland, U.S. News and Travel rates Mazatland beaches in Mexico’s top 10
La Ventana Beach, Baja California Sur, Best kiteboarding in mexico
Playa Los Muertos, Puerto Vallarta, One of PV’s best beaches
Las Palmas Beach, Todos Santos, Baja California, Best Secluded Beach in Todos Santos
Ensenada Grande, Isla Partida, Sea of Cortez, One of the top 12 beaches in the world
Mamita’s Beach, Playa del Carmen, U.S. News and Travel rates Playa del Carmen as the best apres beach town in Mexico
Los Cerritos Beach, Los Cabos, Baja California, One of cabo’s best beaches
El Corumel, La Paz, Baja, sea of cortez, best sunset beach in the area
Playa Lanchero, Isla Mujers, Another excellent beach a few miles away playa norte

La Paz, Eco-Tourist Center of Baja Sur, Mexico

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Featured in the John Steinbeck novel ¨La Pearl¨, La Paz is the capital of Baja California Sur and has a population of around 250,000 people. It also has one of the highest standards of living and quality of life in Mexico. As a result,  La Paz has become a popular destination for many Canadians and Americans seeking alternative retirement havens.  It is also  favored  by water enthusiasts for its marina´s, boatyards, marine supply stores and cruiser clubs.

La Paz is also Baja´s Eco-tourism center offering a variety of tours guided by professionals dedicated to preserving the environment. Thus, eco-tourism is by far the leading source of tourist income in this area; as most people come to enjoy snorkeling, diving or kayaking in the pristine waters or to explore the 244 islands in the sea of cortez which are under UNESCO protection as bio-reserves such as the Espiritu Santo group of islands only a few miles off the shores of La Paz.

The Balandra Bioshpere, Baja California Sur, Mexico

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The Balandra Bioshpere is a complex of beaches, hills, dunes, and mangroves on the sea of cortez. It is one of many protected environments in Baja California Sur about 20 kilometers from La Paz, Mexico. The  bay of balandra is very shallow with clear, warm water  ideal for snorkeling and kayaking. It also forms several beaches but the main beach offers palapa´s and barbeque pits, in addition to, campsites.

Bahia Pulmo, Baja Sur, Mexico

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Bahia Pulmo is both a national marine preserve and UNESCO world heritage site found on the East Cape of Baja California Sur about 60 miles from the Los Cabos resort area of Mexico. Bahia Pulmo is unique in that it has the only hard coral reef in the sea of cortez and is one of only 3 living reefs in North America. The abundant coral growth on the rocky reefs provides plenty of shelter for a variety of colorful reef fishes, many of which are not found anywhere else. This in turn is what attracts many scuba divers and snorkelers from all over the world to the Cabo Pulmo area.

Isla Espiritu Santo and Isla Partida

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Ensenada Grande, Espiritu Santo an island off the coast of La Paz

 

 

 

 

If you are traveling in Baja California Sur in the vicinity of La Paz, Mexico, don´t pass up the chance to see the islands of Espiritu Santo and Partida. Both of these islands are connected by a narrow isthmus and  can be reached by arranging a powerboat tour or by a kayak trip which is about 4 miles away from the La Paz area.  These islands  are protected by UNESCO as bioshperes and are popular eco-tourism destinations.

While there are a variety of recreational opportunities both in and out of the water; the highlights include diving, snorkeling, kayaking, sea lion colonies and hot springs.  In addition, Isla Partida has  one of the world´s top 12 beaches called Ensenada Grande which has spectacular red rock formations, white sands and clear water.

Bahia Concepcion, Baja California Sur, MX

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Bahia Concepcion is located on the East Coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico. The entire bay is a national marine preserve that is reportedly one of the cleanest bay systems in the world and  commercial fishing is prohibited. However, it is ideal for anglers, small boats, windsurfers, divers and kayakers. The bay area attracts many visitors from the USA, Canada, and Europe who usually stay in tents, palapa huts or motor homes since motels are few and far between.  These photos show just a few of the many beaches in the bay area including Playa El Requeson,  Playa El Coyote and Playa Los Cocos.