Anchorage· Michoacán Coast· Mexico
Bahía Maruata Anchorage (Bufadero)
18° 16.1′ N · 103° 20.5′ W · approximate
A small bay below the Nahua village of Maruata, with two beaches split by a rocky headland and a major sea-turtle nesting beach - the best-protected stop on the wild Michoacán coast, which Latitude 38 notes is often called 'Buffadero' after a nearby blowhole.
Practical
Position approximate: the GeoNames 'Bahía de Maruata' bay point (18.26852 N 103.34229 W); the village is at 18.274 N 103.348 W. Guidebook anchor coordinates have plotted on land and chartplotters have been about half a mile off here (Roads Less Traveled, 2010) - come in by radar and depth sounder in daylight. A 1985 Latitude 38 report rated Maruata more secure than Lizard Bay about 15 miles north. Security: this is the 'Bufadero' area where the only two armed boardings of cruising boats in Mexico in 40 years (catamarans Capricorn Cat and Moontide) took place, per Latitude 38's First Timer's Guide (2026); three boats left the anchorage in alarm in February 1998 and a sailor was robbed at gunpoint in 1998. Lock up, raise the dinghy at night and do not leave the boat unattended. Ashore: a few tienditas, seafood palapas, drinking water from a truck twice a week, a small marine base east of town; services otherwise minimal (Wikivoyage). Turtle nesting beach - no lights on the sand at night.
Best for
An overnight stop with turtle beaches, in settled weather and with vigilance
Season
Nov-May; settled weather only
Nearby
- Michoacán Coast Passage Planning (Manzanillo to Zihuatanejo)8.3 NM away
- Cabeza Negra Anchorage (Michoacán)28.9 NM away
- Caleta de Campos Anchorage (Bahía Bufadero)35.3 NM away
- Faro Bufadero (Caleta de Campos Light)35.4 NM away
- Lázaro Cárdenas Port (Storm Refuge Only)68.3 NM away
- Manzanillo Port of Entry72.4 NM away
- San Pedrito Commercial Harbor (Port of Manzanillo)72.4 NM away
- Manzanillo Mercado Municipal (Downtown)72.7 NM away