Isla Coronados!! Oh my goodness. What an incredibly beautiful, diverse, vibrant, place. For several years when we would mention Loreto BCS Mexico to people they would ask if we had been to Coronados. We have been told time and time again that we simply must go. So one of our goals for this cruising season was to see what all the hubbub was about. We spent ten glorious days anchored at the Island. First on the south side to gain protection from northerly wind and swell and then on the west side which is the favored and a much more picturesque location.

(Correction: We are facing West and the average rainfall is 6 inches per year)

The focal point of the island is a long, long dead volcano which at some point in ancient history blew its top, pushed up the surrounding sea bed and created an island of lava rock, powder white sand, and shelves of fossilized coral and shells. The surrounding waters range in color from royal blue, aqua marine to ice blue in the shallows. The snorkeling around the many small reefs offers a wide variety of underwater sea life and the hiking is particularly rewarding, especially if it’s done before the temperature rises too high.

(correction: we are facing the south anchorage)

We explored each of the the three beaches, went snorkeling a few times, spent evenings on the beach watching the sunset and the birds diving for fish, but the highlight for us was the hiking. One early morning arming ourselves with water and good sun protection we set out on one of our day trips to walk a fairly level path that meandered through the various geological conditions on this small island. Going from lava rock to sand dunes through patches of sweet mangroves, and a sort of forest of Adam’s trees which just fascinated us until finally ending on the south shore which is where the volcano pushed the sea floor up. While the diversity of this landscape was something to behold what astonished us most was how much life was sustained here with such minimal water. There is a wide variety of plants and birds. There are also bats, reptiles, snakes and mice. All of this sustained from just morning fog and dew and the few inches of rain that the area gets per year. Life is indeed tenacious.

All around the rocky edges of the island are the nesting grounds of the Yellow Footed Gull. Everywhere we traveled we were warned by Gull moms and dads to stay clear. However I was able to get in close enough to get a few good pictures. Perhaps one of the most thrilling discoveries for us was the 6 or 7 immature Blue footed Boobies that came through our anchorage twice a day to feed. We did not know that they traveled in this region and it was exciting to see them again. Our last encounter with these unusual birds was in the Puerto Vallarta area three years ago. We are perhaps so enamored with them because we see them so rarely. They are funny little guys with their odd beaks and big feet, but to watch them dive bomb for fish is an incredible sight. They have become a favorite.

We now sit in Puerto Escondido where we are waiting for a storm to pass before we head out again. This time to another “new to us” location. The last of the big goals for this cruising season. We will take lots of pictures and hopefully have some fun stories to share.

Grateful as always!!