After the major Christmas wind died down at Ensenada de la Ballena, several of our boating friends in La Paz were coming out, so we picked Caleta Partida as the best anchorage to accommodate everybody and have protection from the next round of wind.

Caleta Partida is definitely the busiest anchorage on the island, with good reason. The protection from the elements is good (the only place we anchored on either island with no swell at all). The anchorage occupies the whole bay between the split islands, Isla Espiritu Santo and Isla Partida. Both islands are nature reserves, abundant with fish, fowl, and fauna.

We stayed 12/28/2022 through 1/1/2023, and our days were packed:

  • Dinghy trip to the reef/rocks at the west for snorkeling – although neither of us got in the water because of all the jellyfish!
  • Dinghy trip through the Partida to check out the east side of the island – with Charles sitting on the front of the dinghy so we didn’t get trapped in shallow water
  • Walking around the Partida to look at the skeletal remains of pufferfish and other animals
  • Hiking in the canyon of the north beach – not easy and no big views, but rewarding time with cacti and lizards
  • Scrambling up the hill on the south waterfront – not easy and no clear trail, but huge views, great saguaro and other cacti, little flowers, fresh air, and a lot of fun picking our way up and down
  • Swimming near Ayala
  • Visiting our friends on Trouble and joining a potluck on their friend-boat Argo
  • Quality time with our good friends Bob and Lynette on Bob’s boat Rachel Lynn – another Fair Weather Mariner!
  • New Year’s Eve dining on the dorado that Rachel Lynn hauled in on their way to the island

We anchored at 24°31.686′ N, 110°22.464′ W.

Notes for boaters:

  • Anchored in ~16 feet of water with ~95 feet of chain.
  • Sandy bottom, good holding.
  • There is no infrastructure for food, water, or trash. There is a small fishing camp on the partida.
  • Beautiful place to stop, and the best protection on the island from pretty much all conditions.