Bahia Coyote (Bahia Concepcion)

Bahia Coyote in Bahia Concepcion is another popular spot.  It has many quiet anchorages available, diving, and even natural hot springs.  I had planned to stop in Bahia Santo Domingo first because it was eight miles closer, but again the wind and chop discouraged me and I pressed on.  Much to my surprise, much of Bahia Concepcion, a very long and large bay is also very shallow.  My overall electronic chart had no soundings for the large bay, only the anchorage areas.  That usually means that there are no hazards.  Usually.  Most of the way in I found myself in twenty feet or less.  I didn't get nervous until it got down to 10.  But I made it without a problem.  I finally found charts with soundings for Bahia Concepcion in my back-up electronic chart on the computer and in my paper chartbook.  The soundings in the electronic chart were wildly inaccurate, but those in the paper chart were right on.  It turns out that you need to be in the western third of the bay for deep water.
As you can see from the chart below, Bahia Coyote is full of navigation hazards, but they are well and accurately charted.  The reef was always a concern because it was visible only at low tide.  I motored around to several of the coves before finding a spot I liked.  Playa Santispac seemed to have too much activity, Playa Coyote was too open to the prevailing wind, Playa El Burro had calm water, but shoals were too near and there was a lot of loud music coming from nearby campers.  I ended up settling in Posada Concepcion, which was quiet in every sense.  Lots of room with only two other unoccupied boats in the large cove.  I did come close to running aground, however, when I mistook some fender buoys for moorings.  I quickly discovered that they in fact marked the shoal area.  I made a hasty U-turn of course when the sounder suddenly showed less than two feet under the keel!  Fortunately I escaped unscathed, and settled into a nice spot in twenty-two feet of water.   After a good night's sleep, I set about to find the hot springs and perhaps some wi-fi at the only restaurant nearby.  I did find the hot springs and the restaurant, but the wi-fi wasn't working.  Alas, paradise ain't fer sissies!

I first dropped the hook at "A," but didn't

like the nearby shallow water and noise

from campers in the campground.  

I found a much better spot at the "X."

Great care must be exercised navigating into and around 

Bahia Coyote as there are many small islands, shoals, 

and a large and hazardous reef in the middle of the bay.

Only one of the islands has a light, so night-time

movement would definitely be a very bad idea.

Isla Blanca

The large reef is visible only at low tide.

Circadian safely anchored.  Beachfront homes

in the background.

One of two neighboring sailboats, both unoccupied.

A panorama around the bay.  Both other boats visible.  

While not as far away as they appear, they were quite

a ways away.

The sun setting behind Isla San Ramon.

The setting sun on the mountains behind the beachfront

homes.

Rugged landscape contrasts with luxurious cliffside homes.

The most unusual home landscaping I've ever seen:

a full whale skeleton!

Taking the dinghy ashore on a quest for hot springs and wi-fi.

Circadian is in the red circle.

I soon met Ron on the beach.  An American retiree, 

he owns this beach house.  He was in the process of

boarding up the house for the season.  Almost all

residents have left by now to escape the heat and

the lack of electricity during the summer.

He finished and left the next day.

Ron told me about the three hot springs nearby and

the temperatures I could expect in each.

"The closest one is right there," he said, pointing

to this small stone pool in the middle of the street.

However, he explained, the plumbing was clogged

and it wasn't very warm.  He was right.

I went on to try this one, which looked much more inviting.

However, as Ron had warned me, the enclosed pool was too

hot.  The outside partially enclosed pool wasn't really hot,

but was comfortable and refreshing.  See Circadian?

Ahhh…..the life!

Feeling like Goldilocks, I went to the third pool,

hoping it would be just right!

At 109 degrees, it was!

This is Mario and Guera, two security guards for the area.

Ron had told them about me, and when I wandered by,

Mario invited me to come join them.  We had a very nice

conversation, mostly in basic Spanish, before I continued back

to the dinghy.

I took the dinghy to the next cove, Playa Santispac,

to find Ana's Restaurant and hopefully wi-fi.

The restaurant was open, but the wi-fi wasn't working.

And of course there is no cell service.  Locals needing

to call drive to a hilltop where they can get a signal

from Mulege.  Carlos, the waiter, was very friendly

and perhaps felt badly that the wi-fi wasn't working.

When I tried again the next day, he offered me a 

ride into Mulege the following day...no charge.

I had to decline because I would be leaving.

The beautiful beaches in the area attract locals for

camping, picnicking and kayaking.

The camping/picnic grounds on the beach

at Santispac.  Yes, the cars drive right 

on the hard sand beach.

The "facilities" are not glamorous, however.