Alcatraz Island in Bahia Guadalupe – Barefoot all the Way Up!

I'm not naked, 

I'm just barefoot all the way up!

Teddy 

Mike and Teddy

Not listed in most sailing guidebooks, this is a magical place. Very fine white sand beaches, nice breeze and cooler water than most places we have been since leaving the Isla Espiritu Santo area. There are thousands of birds fishing the area and you don’t want to be downwind from the rock where they prefer to roost for the smell is very powerful.

Sea lions are also heard barking in the distance. Finding a beach with no true road access, no tourist, no homes, and no sport fishing so we can enjoy it quietly and serenely is a real gem. Nikki gets to chase small crabs and lizards and that is sufficient for her. She is happy.

Back from July 11th - just now getting pix
Mike ready to 'operate' on fish hook stuck in hand
These little pliers didn't do the job
He had to use 24" bolt cutters.

OUCH!

We feast twice on delicious fresh Cabrilla (Mexican Sea Bass – called groupers by some) caught by someone on another sailboat who had too much for their need and were happy to share. It will be difficult to later eat fish/seafood purchased at store after being spoiled with such FRESH fares.

In the morning, we watch a “fin whale” feeding around the bay but staying close to our boat for about 45 minutes moving extremely slow while feeding. Someone snorkeled with it to watch it underwater. I don’t have the ‘huevos’ to do this but he did state that the whale was at least 35+ feet long and that it was really neat to watch it move so calmly and leisurely.

View of bay from sand dune, we are the furthest boat, Lolo in foreground

The beach here is beautiful with a huge sand dune at one end of the bay, probably over 100’ tall. With the prevailing winds we witnessed heading at that end of the bay for the time we were there we can see why it formed that way.

Pristine ridge at top of sand dune

Until Nikki is done with it....
But the winds will quickly erase her tracks

Volcano at left, from same sand dune

We hike it and it’s quite magnificent to see a 1,500+ foot volcanic red cone in the backdrop of all this pure white sand dotted with few desert plants starting to bloom from the latest rains. The dune is flanked on both sides with pinkish and black rocks of a very rugged mountain chain making access a little challenging.


Interesting rock

We spend time helping other sailors while here. We help with sewing, knife and scissor sharpening, and other various items. At the end of the day, the time spent with nice folks helping them is what you cherish and remember the most. In exchange these kind folks shared their vaster sailing experience making us rethink what we might do/see next – we are still trying to figure that out. We also shared great meals, wines, and one of their kids drew a beautiful thank you card. They also made us two great lures, painted a small wooden bowl from Africa with something of significance to us, as well as a shell and a rock in the shape of a heart to accompany it. Awesome exchanges – we feel truly blessed. 

Sewing project to cover Giggles, Lolo's dinghy
Dinghy has clothes on but we are barefoot all the way up!

Having such nice weather, pure clear waters, and remoteness has allowed us to run around naked (less sweating, smelling and washing) allowing some white parts that have probably not seen the sun in a very very long time to turn a little brown… “Barefoot all the way up”