Sea of Cortez Cruise

[PCruzer]

This is our first cruise in this area. If anyone has done this 10-day cruise, could you tell me which ports are easily navigated on your own, without doing a shore excursion. We are stopping in Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Loretto, and Topolobampo (where we already have booked an excursion to the Copper Canyon). Thanks for your help!

[billroddy]

Cabo San Lucas, you will take a tender to shore and can easily walk around the town or take a muni bus to San Jose Del Cabo.
La Paz, a free bus (when I was there) will take you to the town from the port and is an easily walkable city.
Mazatlan, if you just want to see downtown, take a taxi. Open air taxis are fun. Get the rate first.
Puerto Vallarta, an excursion recommended here as the town is pretty far away. I liked Mismaloya tour. See the area made famous in Night of the Iguana.
Loreto, a tender takes you ashore. Very easy to walk to the main street, head left from the landing. Main street is covered with arbors across every block. Many shops either side.
Bill

[cruisinjudy]

Hi PCruzer,
We seldom buy shore excursions in Mexico. In Cabo it is very easy to walk around.

In Puerto Vallarta you can get a taxi to town , then walk around and pick up a taxi back to the ship from wherever you get tired of walking. Or you can walk to a hotel from the ship where you can use the beach and pool and have lunch. The name escapes me right now but you can find it on the Mexican Riviera boards.

In Mazatlan you can go to the shops right at the port or get a taxi into town or to the hotel area.

In La Paz there is a bus into town where you can walk along the malecon and around town.

In Loreto you can walk into town.

So you can see if you like to walk you have lots of opportunities in these ports. With this info you can decide to do a shore excursion in a few ports and do your own thing in the others.
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I see Bill Roddy beat me to the posting. He gives much the same info I did.

[Steve Q]

What is there to do in Topolbampo if you do not do the Copper Canyon?

[O2B@C]

I can't answer your questions, but I did want to suggest you might want to take a look at the Mexican Riviera board in the Ports of Call area for ideas, and even repost your question there as well. That way you'll get responses from everyone, not just HAL cruisers, so you might get more ideas and suggestions.

The only place on your list that I've been to is Cabo, and I agree that it would be easy there to just grab a cab and go to a beach or shopping area for the day. It's very tourist-oriented there, and they are used to cruisers.

[garydm]

Steve-in Topolobampo they run a free bus to a "local's beach" meaning it is not luxurious. There are a half dozen restaurants there and the beach was fine. They also ran a free shuttle/tour into the city (name escapes me) and my wife did this also. She was pretty disappointed. If you are on the water side of the ship, Topolobampo is a good port to just stay onboard, relax and watch the dolphins at play off the ship.

Gary

[mr green]

The last time that I was there, the comedian, Don Sherman stated that Loretto could be toured in ten minutes, this included lunch, and a nap!:cool:

john