Anchorage· Cabo Corrientes· Mexico
Ipala Anchorage (Tehuamixtle)
20° 14.3′ N · 105° 34.7′ W · approximate
A tiny rock-fringed cove off the fishing hamlet of Tehuamixtle, tucked behind Punta Ipala about 12 nm south of Cabo Corrientes. Crews use it to split the run between Banderas Bay and Chamela and to time the rounding of the cape for the calm early morning.
Practical
Coordinate is approximate: an open-water point about 350 m west-northwest of the Tehuamixtle hamlet (GeoNames 20.23806, -105.57472) and just north of Punta Tehuamixtle (GeoNames 20.23595, -105.58032). It is not a surveyed anchor spot, so check it against your chart and sounder. Small: one 2017 crew found three boats tucked in and thought that was all that would fit. Holding is poor and the bottom is rock-strewn, so it is hard to find sand (2026 report). Set the anchor carefully and check it; some crews lay a stern anchor to limit swing. At night, swell bounces off the rocks on all sides. On calm days only a 1 ft westerly swell runs in (February 2026). A bright light shines from the beach over the water all night. Tehuamixtle (population about 81) has one cobblestone street and no internet or cell service (2026), and pangas anchor in the bay. Chamela is about 50 nm southeast. Cruisers round Cabo Corrientes from here in the early morning or late at night, because the converging currents raise a 'washing machine' sea. Jalisco was declared a security red zone on February 22, 2026, so check current advisories before you go.
Best for
A fair-weather staging stop for rounding Cabo Corrientes
Season
Nov–May in settled weather; rolly in W swell; hurricane exposure Jun–Nov