La Manga

La Manga is the fishing camp at the end of the road, on the far side of the hill that divides San Carlos from its marinas. The asphalt stops here and a dirt road carries on along the shore. It is a small place: 185 people lived here at the 2020 census (96 women, 89 men), up from 146 in 2010, in tin-roofed houses about 7 meters above the sea, with bare desert mountains behind and a sand beach in front.

Fishing is the living. The village's own fishing outfit, La Manga Restaurante Doña Rosita, has since 2017 been part of a fishery improvement project with two Guaymas cooperatives, 29 de Agosto and El Resbalón, working toward the Marine Stewardship Council's sustainability standard. The boats fish by handline, mostly around San Pedro Nolasco island, for five species: rooster hind, ocean whitefish, gold-spotted sand bass, yellowtail and Pacific red snapper, baited with mackerel, squid and sardines.

The catch ends up on the tables at Doña Rosita's own restaurant, which looks out over the water: whole fish, fillets, shrimp platters and margaritas. It closes early, so plan on lunch rather than dinner. Several houses in the village carry bright murals, among them a shark across a tin wall, and they are a good excuse to walk its dirt lanes.

Past the village the dirt road runs on to La Manga Dos and La Manga Tres, beaches where local families camp on weekends and holidays. Farther along are campsites by the shore and up on the cliffs, a paid campground with services and a hike to natural springs. The climate is desert, averaging about 24 °C over the year with very little rain.