From the malecón (sea wall) in old La Paz, the comings and goings of two big passenger ferries, which serve the little port of Pichilingue 20km away, can just be made out. Situated on the west shore of the Sea of Cortez (also known as the Gulf of California), Pichilingue marks the western terminus of two routes linking the Baja California peninsula with the west coast of ‘mainland’ Mexico.
Both routes are maintained by La Paz-based operator Baja Ferries. The shorter northern route reaches 200km north east from Pichilingue to Topolobampo, an old fishing port near the larger mainland town of Los Mochis. The longer southern route, which is a 500km passage, runs southeast to Mazatlán, a busy industrial centre and resort town.
