Americas

Mexican Riviera

Dramatic desert coastline, colonial port towns, and no flight required for the West Coast.

Overview

Sailing the Mexican Riviera

The Pacific side of Mexico trades the Caribbean’s turquoise water for dramatic desert coastline and colonial port towns. Round-trip from Los Angeles or San Diego, with no flight required for West Coast travelers. Whale watching season adds humpbacks and gray whales to the itinerary.

Best time to sail: October – April

Where to Sail

The routes within the Mexican Riviera

A classic week-long run and a shorter long-weekend version. Here’s the difference.

Classic Mexican Riviera

The standard week-long run down the Pacific coast, hitting the three biggest port towns on the route.

Los Angeles or San Diego (round-trip)Cabo San LucasMazatlánPuerto Vallarta

Baja Getaway

A shorter long-weekend version that stays closer to the Baja Peninsula. Easy to book last-minute, and a good first cruise.

Los Angeles or San Diego (round-trip)EnsenadaCabo San Lucas

Did You Know

Why the Mexican Riviera is worth it

1El Arco, the natural rock arch at the tip of Cabo San Lucas, marks the exact point where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez. You can sail right past it or take a short boat ride underneath.

2Puerto Vallarta's Malecón boardwalk runs almost a mile along the bay, lined with bronze sculptures and open-air restaurants, an easy walk straight from the pier.

3Humpback whales migrate to the warm waters off Cabo San Lucas every winter to breed and calve, and the season lines up almost exactly with peak cruise season, December through April.

4Mazatlán's oceanfront malecón is one of the longest continuous boardwalks in Latin America, stretching for miles along the old town's waterfront.

A Closer Look

What the Mexican Riviera actually looks like

El Arco, Cabo San Lucas
The natural arch marking the exact meeting point of the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, visible from the ship or by a short glass-bottom boat tour from the marina.

The Malecón, Puerto Vallarta
One of the most photographed statues on the Malecón boardwalk, an easy walk straight from the cruise pier into town.

Sunset over Mazatlán
Watching the sunset from the malecón wall is a nightly ritual here, one of the longest continuous oceanfront boardwalks in Latin America.

Photos: DestinationFearFan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Another Believer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Eli Duke, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

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