Landmark· Michoacán Coast· Mexico

Lázaro Cárdenas Port (Storm Refuge Only)

17° 57.4′ N · 102° 11.5′ W

A big industrial deepwater port and steel town at the mouth of the Río Balsas - not a cruising stop, but Latitude 38's Cruising Notes call it 'a safe harbor in storms' on the otherwise harborless coast between Manzanillo and Zihuatanejo.

Practical

Position: the city coordinate from Wikipedia (at the Balsas river mouth). Container, bulk and liquid cargo port with an oil refinery and heavy ship traffic; Latitude 38 describes it as dirty and heavily trafficked, and earlier reports called the steel town a poor choice for a stop (1985). Cruisers normally pass about 5 nm offshore (Roads Less Traveled, 2010), where they met tar balls, a yellow patch of water and red tide. If you must enter in an emergency, call the port and the Capitanía de Puerto Regional in Lázaro Cárdenas on VHF 16 before approaching the breakwaters and follow their berthing instructions. It has also been a loading port for yacht-transport ships. The city has an airport (LZC).

Best for

Emergency refuge only - otherwise give it a wide berth

Nearby