Mazatlán Sailing
Mazatlán is a vibrant coastal town with plenty of sights, including a beautiful church and a large central market square. The city offers excellent provisioning options throughout, making it a practical stop for offshore cruising vessels.
There are marinas as well as good anchoring locations surrounding the Mazatlán area. Mazatlán also has solid cruiser support, including a boatyard, as well as access to parts and supplies.
For offshore cruising and instruction, Mazatlán usually serves as a stop along the way, whether you are headed north or south. Mazatlán does have an airport for any possible logistical challenges that may arise.
From Mazatlán heading south, the next major cruising destination is Isla Isabel, a fantastic offshore stop often referred to as the “Galápagos of Mexico.” It is known for its large seabird populations including blue-footed boobies, brown-footed boobies, frigatebirds, pelicans, red-billed tropicbirds, and numerous other bird species, as well as frequent whale activity in the surrounding waters. Iguanas are also numerous on the island. The island offers limited anchoring and is only recommended in mild weather conditions.
Continuing south, the next area is San Blas, which includes a historic fort complex with ruins, jungle excursions, and rich coastal scenery. Nearby Matanchén Bay offers a well-known surf break and point break, along with a very scenic and relaxing coastal environment with numerous beachside restaurants.
Farther south along the coast is Chacala, followed by La Peñita de Jaltemba, both offering attractive anchorages, great hiking, and cruising stops.
From there, the route continues to Punta Mita, just inside of Banderas Bay. Mazatlán therefore sits along a key and very active cruising corridor used by many offshore sailors moving along the Pacific coast of Mexico. If northbound, it is the reverse of the southbound trip.
These passages provide a strong platform for developing seamanship skills, including navigation, weather routing, passage planning, offshore decision making in real conditions, standing watch schedules, nighttime navigation, and full onboard systems are all actively utilized, including watermakers, electrical systems, renewable energy systems, safety equipment, and day-to-day onboard living tasks such as cooking underway.
Every aspect of operating a cruising sailboat is engaged during these passages, providing a complete offshore learning environment in real conditions.
One World Sailing Academy offers the most immersive Mazatlán Sailing Course experience through our seven-day and ten-day offshore passages that may take us to the beautiful Mazatlán area and beyond. We look forward to sharing a journey of adventure, learning, and offshore sailing experience with you.