Ferries link Guaymas, on the Sea of Cortez, to the Baja Peninsula's sandy shores. As Sonora's big port city, Guaymas offers a few historic sights to appease the casual visitor but generally serves as a staging point for trips to some of the region's better beaches and other attractions.

Sun-seekers in a time crunch can head a few miles out of town to the beach, Miramar, though nearby San Carlos is the more popular option. Less than 20 miles up the coast, this small town is framed with dramatic mountain ridges on one side, sparkling sea on another and desert that stretches away south along the shore. Two marinas are dotted with bobbing sailboats. As schedules permit, sail away with the breeze for a day. Less competent seamen can utilize machine power and suck down margaritas on a glass bottom boat tour while complete landlubbers may want to stick to the green of San Carlos' golf course.

Independent travelers can stretch out car-cramped legs with an hour of snorkeling or a scuba tour of San Carlos subsurface sights. Those with a penchant for catching fish, rather than catching a glimpse, can join a charter excursion out of the marinas for some of the region's finest sportfishing.

Guaymas is about 12 miles south of San Carlos, northeast of Santa Rosalia across the Sea of Cortez.