San Carlos is a beach resort in Guaymas, which is a part of the northern mexican state of Sonora. It is just a 6 hours drive from the US border, and is a favorite location for all kinds of travellers.

San Carlos is especially famous for the warm and clear waves of its ocean water. The sparkling waters of the bay give the impression of a million little sapphires being sprinkled on the sea by a group of dancing angels. The brilliance of the Sun reminds the traveller of the warmth of the Mexican people, and the joys of freedom in the hot Mexican climate.

There are many Americans and Canadians living in San Carlos in winter months. Since the summer can be too hot, there’s always a lot of activity in this destination even during the cool days of winter.

Photos from Sancarlos mexico.com

Scenic San Carlos (photo by Allen B courtesy of Flickr)

San Carlos is located on the Sea of Cortez up the coast from Guaymas. The stunning coastal community offers perfect year round weather and is a wonderful tourist town. Since it is a mere six hour drive from Nogales, many Americans enjoy the escape on weekend and holiday get-aways.

Gorgeous Blue Ocean (photo by Carlos Espinoza courtesy of Flickr)

San Carlos provides the most relaxing setting with exquisite blue oceans and cactus-filled hills and cliffs. Visitors have a choice of ocean waves, calm bay side recreation or time at the estuary. Jet skiing, kayaking, fishing, swimming ans sailing are all very popular ways to take in the sweet sea breeze.  Mammal-watching tours and scenic sunset excursions are truly breathtaking and shouldn’t be missed.

Cactus meets ocean (photo by Allen B courtesy of Flickr)

On land, take in some horseback riding, riding ATVs, mountain biking, hiking or a jeep tour to truly immerse yourself in San Carlos.The area is an exotic mix of “desert meets ocean” and quite similar to Baja California’s coastal climate.

Gray whale's tale in the lagoon (photo by Angatiche courtesy of Flickr)

The area is very toursit-friendly and with so many American visitors, it’s not hard to find someone speaking English. The locals are friendly and quite helpful when looking for eateries and places to stay. Many have businesses that thrive on American tourism, so they want to ensure return visits. There are also many tour companies and water sports groups that can take the planning out of your trip. Many enjoy saving time and energy by using these knowledgable locals. What ever way you chose to get around, San Marcos is definately a getaway you are sure to enjoy.

Magdalena Bay is a special reserve for the protection of the pacific gray whale. The whales migrate here, from their feeding grounds North of Alaska to court, breed, give birth and simply frolic in the warm, calm waters of Baja’s Pacific bays.

Daily excursions into the bay provide close up encounters of the magnificent and friendly gray whale. Motorized skiffs, skillfully and sensitively operated by local boat men, are used for whale watching excursions. Other activities may include exploring the spectacular wind swept dunes and remote Pacific Coast in search of whale bones, bird watching and kayaking in the mangrove estuaries. In the evening naturalists present slide shows on local flora and fauna with a special focus on gray whale natural history and behavior.

But there’s much more going on in Magdalena Bay than just whales. The Bay is also known for its good fishing and the port city of San Carlos host to many different fishing and tourist operations. The smaller areas on the bay on the northern end have recently been discovered for their excellent kayaking and now fly-cast fisher people are discovering the pure joy of saltwater fly fishing in these protected northern bay.

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Located on the Sea of Cortez, the lovely mexican resort community of San Carlos Sonora mexico, offers something for every one. For water sports enthusiasts, there are beautiful sand beaches, spectacular diving and snorkeling, kayaking, and offshore fishing. San Carlos is only a 250 mile, 4 hour drive from Nogales on Mexico highway 15, a four-lane divided highway.

The community hosts an 18-hole championship golf course, tennis courts, a bowling alley and numerous gift shops and galleries for shopping and browsing. For the boater, two marinas are available with paved launch ramps, dry stores facilities, complete marine repair and maintenance services, fuel docks and reasonable rates for ship rental. In this place you also will find numerous restaurants featuring seafood, Sonora beef,  Mexican dishes and American cuisine are located throughout the town.

During the winter and spring, gray whales come up coast and can be viewed closely, the presence of these mammals arouses much interest throughout the world, since this is a natural event of great significance for the study of certain biological behavior, on which the preservation of various species depend.

So if you’ve not experienced the ambiance and relaxing Life style of a Mexican seaside Resort, you owe it to yourself to visit San Carlos. You may never want to leave.

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