Anchorage· Mazatlán· Mexico
Mazatlán Marina Outer Anchorage (Sábalo Entrance)
23° 16.0′ N · 106° 28.4′ W · approximate
The open roadstead off Playa Cerritos and Punta Sábalo, just outside the breakwaters of the shared El Cid and Marina Mazatlán entrance channel. It's where you'd wait for daylight, a rising tide or the Port Captain to reopen the channel before running the dog-leg entrance.
Practical
This is a waiting spot, not a sheltered anchorage. It's fully open to the Pacific from SW to NW, and no published depth, holding or cruiser anchoring report was found for it, so sound before dropping and stay well clear of the breaking water at the channel mouth. Why you might need it: the entrance channel carries currents up to 4 kn and has measured about 8 ft at zero tide, so marinas advise entering at high or slack water. In 2022 the Port Captain closed the entrance for several days because swell was breaking across it. Call your marina on VHF 16 for current depth and channel status, and check in with the Mazatlán cruisers net on VHF 72 at 8 am, Monday to Saturday. In any real swell, go round to the old-harbor anchorage inside the El Crestón breakwater (about 5 nm south) instead. Coordinate is derived from the El Cid entrance waypoint (23°16.062'N, 106°28.119'W), set about 550 m to its WSW in open water, and is not surveyed.
Best for
Waiting for tide, daylight or a reopened channel off the marina entrance
Season
Settled weather only; untenable in SW–NW swell
Nearby
- Marina El Cid (Mazatlán)0.5 NM away
- Marina El Cid Fuel Dock (Mazatlán)0.5 NM away
- Mazatlán Billfish Fishing0.5 NM away
- Mazatlán Whale-Watching Tours0.5 NM away
- La Marina Restaurant (El Cid Marina Beach Hotel)0.6 NM away
- Chile's Pepper (Mazatlán)0.7 NM away
- Isla de Pájaros (Mazatlán)0.7 NM away
- Mazatlán Haul-Out Yards1 NM away