Isla San Francisco

The Isthmus on Isla San Francisco. The island in the background is Isla San Jose, about 5 miles away.

Isla San Francisco is like a jewel in the sea. Only about two miles long and less than a mile wide, it encompasses a beautiful cove on the south side and, across a small isthmus, another picturesque bay on its eastern shore. The isthmus, which is only a couple hundred yards wide, divides the high northern end of the island from the craggy cliffs to the south. It lies at 24 degrees, 50 minutes north and 110 degrees, 34.50 minutes west. If you Google it, you’ll enjoy the aerial views of this place.

Boats anchored in the "Hook".

The Honcho anchored a couple hundred yards off the beach in the southern cove, known as the Hook, in crystal clear water. As soon as we secured the boat, we jumped in for a refreshing swim before joining friends on another boat for cocktails. The following day a group of eight or ten of us climbed to the ridge on the southern edge of the island and were rewarded with splendid views of the boats at anchor below and the dramatically striped cliffs across the channel on the mainland to the west and on Isla San Jose to the north.

Ridge trail on the south side of the island. Isla San Jose in the background.

After a couple of days of sun, swimming and relaxing, we’re now ready to get underway tomorrow morning, bound for the village of San Evaristo, on the coast of mainland Baja. There we’ll pick up some fresh fruits and vegetables, if any are available, then leave the following morning for points north.