Anchorage· Sian Ka'an (Bahía de la Ascensión)· Mexico
Bahía de la Ascensión and Punta Allen Anchorage
19° 45.0′ N · 87° 28.8′ W · approximate
A vast, shallow, reef-guarded bay inside Sian Ka'an where you anchor in grass and sand behind Cayo Culebra or Punta Gorda, with dolphins, frigatebirds and the fishing village of Punta Allen a dinghy ride away.
Practical
Coordinate is approximate: Soundings describes the anchorage on the west side of Culebra Cay as about 3 miles due south of Punta Allen village (Wikipedia 19.79972, -87.47639) and about 5 miles inside the reef line; treat it as a placement, not a waypoint. Entry: the reef break is very wide with few or no breakers to show its edges - one crew used three waypoints from a recent visitor (outside, inside, well inside), cross-checked paper and electronic charts, kept a bow watch and passed a sailboat lying wrecked on the reef. Give the shallow bar running almost a quarter mile off the north end of Culebra Cay a wide berth; they carried no less than 12 ft to the anchorage. Holding: thick grass - a CQR would not set, a Danforth did. Protected from swell and the prevailing easterlies. Alternative anchorage behind Punta Gorda, closer to the village; the navy base there was no problem. Noforeignland rates Punta Allen anchorage 4.8/5: sandy bottom, good holding, dolphins. Spanish Wikipedia notes the bay's shallow depth makes it difficult for deep-draft vessels. No fuel or marina; the bay is inside the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve.
Best for
Remote, protected wild-bay anchorage and flats fishing base
Season
Settled trade-wind weather; enter only in good light
Nearby
- Punta Allen Lighthouse1.9 NM away
- Punta Allen Flats Fishing2.9 NM away
- Punta Allen Village3 NM away
- Muyil Ruins and Sian Ka'an Canals21.1 NM away
- Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve21.4 NM away
- Bahía del Espíritu Santo Anchorage25.7 NM away
- Punta Herrero Fish Camp (Bahía del Espíritu Santo)25.8 NM away
- Playa Paraíso (Tulum)27.4 NM away