Moving on Pt.2: Puerto Los Gatos, Agua Verde, Honeymoon cove on Isla Danzante and Marina Puerto Escondido

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Puerto Los Gatos:

It was time to head off to a new anchorage on our journey north. Los Gatos, was reputed to be an amazing anchorage. It is renowned for its scenic beauty.

We were stunned when we arrived, by its striking scenery, featuring dramatic, red and gold rock, cliffs that contrast with the white-sand beaches and the turquoise water. I had read that this area had been compared to the surface of Mars.

We anchored off of the amazing dark red mounds, cliffs and rock faces the evening and morning light on these surfaces was stunning. I kept having to take photos…..

Later in the afternoon I noticed that at the top of the ridge above us and the red rocks there was a cross and lo and behold people were standing on top.

That became the target for the next day… climbing to the top to the cross.

We went ashore and before we were distracted by the amazing rock formations we headed up the nearby gorge. The climb was a mix of rocky areas, gravel track and sandy shale.

It was a pathway that wound around the side to the back of the slope and wove around again.

The track wove around to the back of the slope and before I knew it I was looking over the other side and out to sea.

Out over the ocean I could see whales spouting water while swimming by. Again the contrast of the land and sea were awesome.

Off up the now narrow path we carefully trekked, using extreme care where we trod as the drop on either side would be unforgiving. We reached the very top where the cross stood and admired the view.

We both enjoyed the wonderful climb with incredible views.

The downhill was, for me, much more challenging, but with carefully placed steps I did it.

We saw Aeeshah way down below us in the bay.

I trod downhill very carefully, the loose rocks and gravel are very intimidating on the way down, at least to me …..

At the near bottom we turned to climb and admire the incredible, rock formations.

Absolutely amazing rock formations!

Afterwards walked a ways inland to see what we could see before turning towards the beach.

Followed by a stroll back to the dinghy. Overall a wonderful outing.

Again it was time to move on and the destination was Agua Verde.

Agua Verde

This is a dramatic, cliff-backed natural harbor with 3 bays offering shelter from most directions. Apparently as of early 2011 you can only get there by boat, or by about a 40 km. dirt road trip.

Now it is still remote, but there is a better track leading there, therefore campers and adventurers now enjoy this large bay. We saw many campers of varying sizes parked up on the top of both beaches.

Due to the bays turquoise waters, dramatic cliffs, and its protected, bowl-shape, with a sandy-bottom it is also a favorite spot for cruisers. We found a spot for us to anchor near the cliff side of one of the bays.

After anchoring we went for a dingy ride around to enjoy the scenery. There was much to see with all the different bays and inlets.

However, it was a weekend and very busy with many other boats anchored, 2 camp sites on or above 2 of the beaches, (I even spied a campsite inside of a cave) plus there was lots of action around the bay.

It had become choppy within the anchorage, so we decided to move on the next day and revisit Agua Verde another time.

Honeymoon cove on Isla Danzante

Was our anchorage the next day. As we approached from the south this island looked to be impossible for anchoring, however further north this changed.

We found Honeymoon to be one of three bays within the northern anchorage and I think the sweetest.

Magnificent scenery surrounded us, with birds roosting on the cliffs and the high slopes above.

Apparently, Honeymoon Cove, is often referred to in Spanish as La Covacha or simply Playa Honeymoon.

Ashore we found well marked trails that lead to vantage points above the stunning, crystal, clear turquoise waters that were surrounded by steep, red cliffs and vantage points.

We could see Chico watching us from the deck of Aeeshah, saying,”hurry up I need dinner”

We enjoyed a few wonderful hour exploring the area. Seeing other pathways leading to the upper slopes we decided we will return.

Puerto Escondido Marina and mooring field

The next day was when we moved back to civilization, the Puerto Escondido Marina and mooring field.

Marina Puerto Escondido sits just south of Loreto. It is a pristine harbor with the towering Sierra de la Gigante above on one side and several Islas on the other, so totally sheltered from all directions.