Located one mile due north of Punta San Francisquito Resort (Bahia Santa Teresa) and separated from it by a 50 foot sand and dirt rise above the ancient dry lakebed to the south, "Puerto" San Francisquito is a spectacular natural harbor that has been used for centuries by sailors and boaters in need of protected waters.
The bay is completely protected from Sea of Cortez swells coming from all directions. The mouth of the bay faces north, but the area outside of the bay is located in a larger bay, which prevents most swells from entering the outer bay.
A 200 yard long sandy beach awaits visitors who traverse the bay to the inner shoreline. The bottom of the bay drops off gradually here, so a small pier has been erected for pangas and skiffs to tie up to. For those who want to take their dingies all the way to shore, an engine block sits in about 2 feet of water (at high tide) with a metal chain to tie up to.
If you thought things were a little quiet at Punta San Francisquito one miles away just wait until you spend 24 hours at "Puerto". For a destination in Baja that has some degree of civilization, it doesn't get any more relaxed than Puerto San Francisquito.
In 2010 there were four houses located just up from the water at Puerto San Francisquito. Two of them are located close together near the middle of the bay, including Rancho Terry, and the other two are located at the north end of the bay on a small bluff above the beach. The larger of the two homes has direct access down the hill to the water by cement steps.
The Mexican Army sometimes occupies the other end of the beach. Lately they have been gone. Most of these soldiers are 18 year old or under and are usually happy to wave at you if you initiate the process.
For many years a shark camp was located at the location where the Army currently resides. Although this made for an interesting view of the shark world and photo ops, the downside was that much of the shark debri was left on the shore or in the shallow waters of the bay. With this shark camp now gone the bay has once again become a nice, cleaner place to visit.
Sailboats using this beautiful bay to hole up for a few days usually anchor near the very center of the bay. The water is deep enough there for a solid anchorage and it's just a short dingy ride to the pier or to the sandy beach.
Snorkeling in the bay is not particularly good, but taking a mask and snorkel out to one of the many sandy beaches just outside the bay is a great way to enjoy the undersea side of Puerto San Francisquito.
There are three sandy beaches just outside the harbor, Playa Puerto is just south of the entrance of the bay, and just around the corner and a bit further south are the sandy coves of "18 Year Old Beach" and then "21 Year Old Beach". We could tell you how these beaches got their names, but then we would have to shoot you.
Fishing in the waters off of the point can be productive. Yellowtail seem to like the area, especially from May on, and Dorado are frequent visitors, and a variety of other types of fish call this area home. Even a few sharks still ply the waters keeping things interesting.
Once of the main reasons for visiting Puerto San Francisquito is to drop out from society. However, basic services such as beer, ice and even warm meals can be obtained at the small rustic resort one easy mile to the north, Punta San Francisquito. An emergency telephone is also available there.
When flying in to Puerto, Carlos Fiesta prefers the lakebed runway on the east side of the broken paved runway.
For pilots looking to drop into paradise for a day or two there are two runways near Puerto San Francisquito.
Runways 33/15 were paved at one time but have not been maintained. There were many pieces of broken asphalt on it when Carlos Fiesta walked the field in 2010. The taxiway is mid-field.
For birds needing a bit longer strip this 3,725 foot long strip (40 feet wide) is still an option. However runways 30/12 are hard packed dirt (unless it has recently rained) and more often used by pilots who are comfortable with it's 3,300 foot length (60 feet wide). The taxiway to ramp parking is about mid field. Park on the south end of the ramp near the restaurant and bring your own tie-down ropes.
The airstrip is located at 28 degrees 24.616 minutes north latitude and 112 degrees 51.603 minutes west longitude. Pattern altitude for all runways is 800 feet MSL and the south approach is recommended (winds permitting) to avoid the 50 foot hill at the north end of the runways. Field elevation is approximately 10 feet MSL. Air frequency is 122.8 here as well as all of Baja, but rarely monitored here. A cement run-up area is located at the south end of the parking area.
Most pilots use the CH-22 WAC chart which includes all of the Baja Peninsula. Radio frequencies are 122.8 for Unicom (not always monitored) and 126.3 for Mazatlan Center. The GPS location is N 28 degrees 24.6 and West 112 degrees 51.6. The airstrip parking is less than 200 feet from the main resort area.
The majority of pilots from the US use San Felipe as an Airport of Entry on the way down and an Airport of Exit on the way home. It's best to take on enough fuel in San Felipe for the full round trip, although in an emergency auto fuel can be rustled up in Puertecitos on the fly home. Carlos Fiesta found this out the hard way when a stiff headwind ran the tanks low prior to reaching San Felipe. Yikes!
For further information on flying in Baja visit the web site of BAJA BUSH PILOTS or get the best publication on flying Baja AIR BAJA by Galen Hanselman. Both the Baja Bush Pilots and MacAfee and Edwards offer Mexican insurance for flying into Baja.
Puerto San Francisquito can be reached by vehicle by taking the 75 mile dirt road south
from Bahia de los Angeles, or by taking the recently improved 67 mile dirt and
gravel road from Baja Highway One, just south of Guerrero Negro, through El Arco.
The resort is located 290 miles south of the US border, 180 miles south of San Felipe.
For more information on the area north of Puerto San Francisquito check out
the PUNTA SAN FRANCISQUITO and the BAHIA DE LOS ANGELES sections of Baja Expo.
Pilots or visitors who want first hand information on the area can call Carlos Fiesta directly at (310) 378-0488.
Even those who like to rough it can appreciate a nice cold beer on occassion. It's about a 20 minute walk from the bay at Puerto San Francisquito to the rustic resort at Punta San Francisquito. Host Genaro has passed on, but the new crew will probably be napping near the kitchen, and the cold cervesas are in the refrigerator just inside the kitchen.
PUERTO SAN FRANCISQUITO, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
CARLOS FIESTA'S HOT TIP: