Anchorage· La Paz (city and bay)· Mexico
La Paz Anchorage (El Mogote / Malecón)
24° 9.5′ N · 110° 19.4′ W
Up to 200 boats winter in La Paz harbor, anchored in rows off the Malecón and along the El Mogote sandbar - free apart from a small daily API fee, with the whole city a dinghy ride away.
Practical
Position: Online Cruising Guide map pin for the La Paz waterfront anchorage; its mid-channel anchorage pin is 24.16022 N, 110.32840 W. Club Cruceros zones: City Waterfront (watch the depth), Mogote side (only cross the sandbar at the connecting channel), and the sandbar between the two channels. Cruiser spots: the 'Boneyard' NE of Marina Cortez (15-25 ft, mucky sand, good holding) and a wedge W/SW of Marina de La Paz (12-20 ft) - do not anchor east of the Marina Palmar dock or in front of the navy base. No-anchor zones: the main channel, the connecting channel (Green A 24°09.802'N 110°19.356'W to Green B 24°09.934'N 110°19.524'W), the Mogote north channel and outside marina entrances. The 'La Paz Waltz': tidal currents (up to about 3 kn) run against the wind and swing boats unpredictably - leave double swing room, never bow-and-stern, avoid empty mooring balls, and re-set weekly. Submerged wrecks to avoid: Tabasco II (24°09.418'N 110°20.562'W), Beyond (24°09.950'N 110°19.643'W), Seascape (75 m south of Beyond), old steam wreck (24°09.146'N 110°20.329'W). Anchor light required. Pay API daily (about 19 MXN/day under 20 GT from Sept 2025). Dinghy: Marina de La Paz dock 30 MXN/day. Exposed to Coromuel (S-SW) gusts on spring and summer nights.
Best for
Free in-town anchoring all winter
Season
Nov-May; Coromuel nights in late spring and summer