Magdalena Bay
A long, narrow bay on the Pacific coast. The town of López Mateos at its northern end offers small-boat gray whale watching in winter and spring, with mangrove channels, sandy islands and dunes inside the bay.
Bahía Magdalena lies on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, in the municipality of Comondú. It is a narrow lagoon system about 200 km long from north to south, separated from the ocean by sandy and rocky islands including Isla Magdalena and Isla Santa Margarita. Mangroves line its shores, and it is one of the three major gray whale breeding grounds in Baja California Sur, the other two being San Ignacio Lagoon and Ojo de Liebre Lagoon. Almost everyone comes for the whales. From about mid-January to early April, mother whales give birth and nurse their young in the calm channels of the bay. Local cooperatives take visitors out in pangas, and it is common to see mother and calf swimming alongside the boat, sometimes even close enough to touch. López Mateos, at the northern end, is the closest departure point to the whale-watching areas and the first choice for most visitors. The town holds a gray whale festival in February. Puerto San Carlos, in the middle, is larger, with more accommodation and restaurants, and serves as a base for exploring the mangroves, dunes and southern islands. Outside whale season, visitors are few, and you can paddle a kayak to watch birds.
Getting there: By road, it is about 2 hours' drive from Loreto and about 3.5 hours from La Paz. Head first to Ciudad Constitución, then take a side road west. Travel agencies in Loreto and La Paz also run day whale-watching tours. Accommodation in town is basic and fills up on weekends during the season, so book ahead. Cash is the norm. A stay of 1 to 2 days is recommended.
Top sights
- Gray Whale Watching at Puerto Adolfo López Mateos – Take a small boat into the Boca de Soledad channel, where gray whale mothers and calves often approach the boat and can be reached up close.
- Whale Watching at Puerto San Carlos – The main port town in the middle of Magdalena Bay. Boats head out into the open bay to watch gray whales, and trips can extend to mangroves…
- Magdalena Bay Mangrove Channels – A maze of mangrove channels inside the bay. From a small boat or kayak you can watch ospreys, herons, and cormorants on calm water.
- Isla Magdalena Dunes – A long sand island separating the bay from the Pacific. Its dunes face calm bay waters on one side and Pacific surf on the other, making fo…
- Isla Santa Margarita – A rocky island in the southern part of Magdalena Bay, where California sea lions gather along the shore. Its beaches and fishing village ca…
Where to eat
- Baja Mar Seafood Restaurant – The most-reviewed seafood restaurant in Puerto Adolfo López Mateos, open year-round. Visitors heading out for whale wat…