Seasonal· Michoacán Coast· Mexico
Michoacán Coast Passage Planning (Manzanillo to Zihuatanejo)
18° 18.0′ N · 103° 12.0′ W · approximate
The roughly 190-nm stretch from Manzanillo to Zihuatanejo is the loneliest coast in Pacific Mexico - steep, few harbors, little wind - and most boats do it in one 30-hour run, while others hop Cabeza Negra, Maruata and Caleta de Campos.
Practical
Position approximate: a reference point off the middle of the Michoacán coast. Distance Manzanillo to Zihuatanejo 190 nm (Latitude 38 First Timer's Guide 2026); Roads Less Traveled covered about 180 miles in four days with three overnight anchorages (December 2010). Expect almost no wind and a lot of motoring; 10-20 sea turtles a day and schools of fish; very little traffic apart from tankers and an occasional Navy patrol. Charts are based on old surveys and chartplotters have been off by up to half a mile - cross-check with radar and guidebook waypoints, and do not close the coast at night. Michoacán has a history of drug-running and of the only two armed boardings of cruising boats in Mexico (Bufadero area) - travel in company if you can and keep night watches at anchor. Only storm refuge: the commercial port of Lázaro Cárdenas. Do it in the Nov-May season; the coast is open to summer hurricanes and southerly swell.
Best for
Deciding between a nonstop run and coastal hops
Season
Nov-May; avoid Jun-Nov hurricane season
Nearby
- Bahía Maruata Anchorage (Bufadero)8.3 NM away
- Caleta de Campos Anchorage (Bahía Bufadero)28.7 NM away
- Faro Bufadero (Caleta de Campos Light)28.7 NM away
- Cabeza Negra Anchorage (Michoacán)34.3 NM away
- Lázaro Cárdenas Port (Storm Refuge Only)61.1 NM away
- San Pedrito Commercial Harbor (Port of Manzanillo)77.5 NM away
- Manzanillo Port of Entry77.6 NM away
- Manzanillo Mercado Municipal (Downtown)77.9 NM away