Kayaking in Sea of Cortez: Gonzaga Bay & Alfonsina’s – Day 8

I awoke during the night to check the height of the tide. As I got out of the tent I saw an incredible shooting star streak across the dark sky of the Sea of Cortez. Here on the beach at Los Delphines the night sky was so clear and there were millions of stars.  By my reckoning kayaking in the Sea of Cortez had taken me about 85 miles south of San Felipe and a couple of hours after sunset last night I could see a glow in the distance that I think was San Felipe.  Then, suddenly, the glow from San Felipe went dark.  I think they have generators in San Felipe that shut down for most of the night to conserve fuel.  

I was planning to rise early in the morning and when I was up I rushed to get into the water to beat the lowest part of the low tide. But I still had some rocky spots to go through.  Once I floated free in the sea I was able to drift along the shore and enjoy a glorious sunrise over an island in the distance, fish jumping, and birds diving.  

After one and a half hour I stopped at a deserted fish camp where I prepared dehydrated scrambled eggs for breakfast.  Later I landed just north of Point Bufeo at about 9:15 in the morning.  There are some fancy houses here with a bumpy airfield had been cleared on a level area of the desert.  I began checking out my options to see if I should go further or make one more camp; by my calculations, it was about 9 miles to Alfonsina’s in Gonzaga Bay.  I decided to continue on to Gonzaga Bay.

About 5 miles from Gonzaga Bay, a boat passed by with the same two firemen from Huntington Beach that had I met on the beach 6 days previously back in Bahia Santa Maria.  They had come down by road to Gonzaga Bay and they said the fishing was much better at Gonzaga Bay than back in Bahia Santa Maria. They invited me to stop by at their friend’s place which was at a place called Papa Fernandez camp about 1-mile north Alfonsina’s Camp which was my destination for the day. I was getting tired but pressed on until I arrived at their friends house.  I had a margarita and listened to their stories of Baja.  Most stories in Baja either involve bad roads or big fish, usually both! While I was at their house, I saw a fisherman coming in with a 6-8 lb. yellowtail. Gonzaga Bay is convoluted and has some small islands in the center, so the passages are not always easy to see from the low view from the kayak. I got good directions from them on how to get through the islands to the sand bar where I would find Alfonsina’s.  Alfonsina’s is a locally famous camp and resturant on the beach at Gonzaga Bay.  

Gonzaga Bay is an interesting area with a large island protecting the bay, called Isla San Luis Gonzaga.  I squeezed between a pass in the narrow sand spit as the tide was going out and landed at Alfonsina’s. For $10.00 they let me pitch my tent on the beach under a palapa in front of the restaurant. 

I met an American couple, Jim and Daphne, who live in San Felipe during the winter. They were scouting the area down south because the San Felipe area was “getting too Americanized”.  They have solar electricity and the new homes that were being built in their area were all getting electricity from generators.  These new houses have lights on all night and Jim and Daphne don’t like that.  They’re going down as far as Mulage to check it out. 

Jim gave me a ride to the store for food and water.  Up to this point my main evening meal was usually canned stew that I had brought with me from home, but those supplies had all run out.  Although the mini market was well stocked, they didn’t have canned stew, instead they had Spam, so I bought three cans. I wasn’t a big fan of Spam, but I needed something besides potatoes and onions for my main meal.  Groceries cost me $26.00.  

While in the store I met an American who lives just down the beach in a “mud house”. He is also a kayaker who has made the entire trip from San Felipe to Cabo San Lucas three times.  He said that when kayaking in Sea of Cortez, the section of Baja that I was traveling was the best part of the whole coast. While talking to him at the store I forgot to call home, so I would have return in the morning to make the call.

Alfonsina’s is one of the main destinations for visitors and residents enjoying the large, pristine Bahia San Luis Gonzaga.  Alfonsina’s is located at the end of a long sandy beach backed by clapboard beach houses, some of which were elaborate two-story affairs while others were little more than small trailer shelters.  Many were prefab structures that have been trailered down from the United States. Next to Alfonsina’s is an unpaved 2,300-foot airstrip; during monthly high tides it may be partially submerged.  Airplanes, boats, and dune buggies were parked at homes along the beach.  Along the main unpaved road, airplanes have the right of way over cars and trucks. 

Next: Day 9 – Gonzaga Bay

Please comment on Two Miles to the Horizon.

Back to the beginning of Two Miles to the Horizon