Most of the west coast of Baja faces directly at the Pacific Ocean. About two-thirds of the way towards the southern tip, however, the situation changes. At that point, a series of barrier islands form a hundred-plus mile long estuary. This estuary culminates in Magdalena Bay, which is actually a series of several bays that’s similar in size and layout to San Francisco Bay.
The barrier island just north of Magdalena Bay features its own huge bay – Bahia Santa Maria is about 2 miles deep and 7 miles wide. We anchored in the northwest corner under a small fish camp.
It’s a lovely spot – tall, steep hills on the west side of the bay receive enough moisture from the sea air to support some actual green plants, a relative rarity in Baja. On the east side, endless dunes form the barrier between Bahia Santa Maria and the inner Magdalena Bay.
The swell wasn’t large enough to get the well-known surf spot at the mouth of the bay working, but there were plenty of fun beach break waves a short dinghy ride away at the beach next to a mangrove estuary. We shared the surf with folks from 5 other boats, all of whom we’d met either in San Diego or in some of the anchorages on our way down the coast.
All six sets of sailors in the anchorage were more or less the same age, and each had taken the same decision to spend some time away from a traditional land life. So, there was plenty of opportunity to check out the other boats, enjoy some meals together, and even have an impromptu afternoon beach party, complete with frisbees and kites.
