Hasta Luego Marina Costa Baja

Sparky's beach and our marina for 6 weeks

While staying in La Paz, we chose Marina Costa Baja as our home base for several reasons. First, it is a lovely setting complete with a gorgeous Infinity Pool - which we used daily. 


Mexico knows how create paradise 



  Costa Baja has beautiful lush landscaping, dramatic architecture, happy colors, good cafes, a deli, laundry pick-up, and an army of great guys to expertly varnish, wash, and wax El Tiburon. Did I mention the Infinity Pool at the "cruiser's lounge"?

Looking towards the marina from the pool



Sarah's daily ritual

In addition to all these wonderful amenities, we liked being out of the hustle bustle of the city. Costa Baja offers frequent free shuttle service (a wiki bus painted with palm trees and one great driver who helped us with our Spanish) into town. Since we were only 4 miles away from the hub, we could enter the buzz frequently, and return to Costa Baja to recharge. Another BIG plus was the long strip of beach for Spark to run on with his new friends Brownie, Hershey, and Candy. Above all, we met some wonderful folks, both cruisers and Costa Baja employees. That place knows how to provide service.The marina's cement docks are scrubbed daily! Consequently, when visiting La Paz and the nearby islands many boats and megayachts return each year to enjoy the spa treatment that Marina Costa Baja provides its guests.

Our neighbors

While in La Paz we enjoyed seeing old friends from Marina Village Yacht Harbor - Ana and Steve had a pre-Christmas party at their home with many SF Bay people and a variety of other expat's living in La Paz full-time. Great fun!  Back at Costa Baja we ran into Salt Shaker from the Baja Ha-Ha. We had met Mardi and Rich at Los Frailes and were glad to see them again. We thoroughly enjoyed having drinks and lots lively conversation with them. We look forward to seeing them again either in Mexico, Sausalito, or Tomales Bay. We also got to hang out more with "easy-to-be-with" Art and Jaye from Arione, and spent time getting to know Betsy and David aboard Mystic. All six of us laughed, drank, and ate our way through New Years Eve at the wonderfully chic Corazon restaurant in downtown La Paz.  Cruisers love to sail to foreign ports, but it's the new found friendships that make the adventure the most rewarding.


Arione, Mystic and El Tiburon Celebrate New Years Eve at Corazon

Darrell's Dinner - Pork Leg!



Sarah's choice: Fresh fish in banana leaves.

                      





Our second full moon at Costa Baja



 After two full moons and many awe inspiring sunsets at Costa Baja, the New Year was the right time to head south to the mainland. The winter weather in La Paz was becoming cool and with the onslaught of northers generated in the USA, especially of the Santa Ana variety, El Tiburon and her crew were anxious to anchor in more settled and warmer waters. January 2, 2011 we sailed south towards Mazatlan on the mainland of Mexico.

Spark enjoys one last romp as the sun sets on his beach



El Tiburon sails off into the sunset in search of warmer weather