Anchorage· Careyes· Mexico
Ensenada Paraíso Anchorage
19° 28.4′ N · 105° 3.7′ W · approximate
A small turquoise cove a few miles up the coast from Careyes, with light sand, palms and palapas ashore and clouds of baitfish that swirl around swimmers — an unexpected tropical oasis on a mostly brown-sand coast.
Practical
Position approximate: Fagan (2013) places Paraíso about four miles past the Bay of Careyes heading north, about 25 nm from Cuastecomate; this position is set in the cove at that distance using the OpenStreetMap coastline and is not a surveyed waypoint — confirm with your guidebook (Pacific Mexico, Breeding and Bansmer) before entering. Anchor in sand, avoiding dark patches (one turned out to be a fish school). Use a stern anchor to keep the bow into the swell; the cove got rolly after a day or two. The beach is private property but a caretaker allowed cruisers to stay on the sand. Clear, jade water in spring; barnacles foul hulls quickly on this coast.
Best for
Swimming with fish schools in clear water
Season
Nov-Apr; untenable in large swell
Nearby
- Playa Rosa (Careyes)2.4 NM away
- Bahía Careyes Anchorage2.5 NM away
- Isla San Andrés (Chamela Islands)3.5 NM away
- Santuario Islas de la Bahía de Chamela3.8 NM away
- Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve (UNAM Station)3.9 NM away
- Isla Colorada Anchorage (Chamela)4.3 NM away
- Copa del Sol (Careyes)5 NM away
- Isla Cocinas Day Anchorage (Chamela)5.1 NM away