Provisioning your cruising boat In the Sea of Cortez
Updated 21 Aug 2022
Our provisioning strategy is generally to do a big shop in the major provisioning ports, leaving with a few weeks of fresh food in the fridge. As our fresh stuff starts to dwindle, we pick up what we can from the various tiendas we pass on our way.
Additionally we try to sneak in a costco or sams run once or twice a year and stock up on the bulk dry food in bulk, toilet paper, our favorite goodies,
What can you buy?
The reality in Mexico today is that you can buy just about anything your heart could desire, and shopping in major population centres isn't much different than shopping in Europe or the United States. Sure, there isn't a whole foods on every corner, but there is a growing industry around healthier, more natural foods, bulk food stores, vegan and asian imports.
Once you get into more rural areas, you will usually be able to find staples and a few home comforts, but the best advice i can give you is to just take what looks good when you find it, and not worry too much.
Big Box Stores
Sams have outlets in most cities in Mexico, inluding Guaymas and La paz. Costco have stores in Puerto Vallarta, Hermosillo, and Cabo San Lucas, and we make sure we never pass one without stocking up on our favorites.
Supermarket Stores
There are a few big sized grocery chains with outlets across mexico, we love Chedraui as they tend to have pretty decent produce and a large gringo section, and you'll find them in most major cities.
Soriana and Ley are also pretty good, and you'll find Walmart, and its subsidiary Bodega Aurrerá all over too.
You'll find Ley in most mid sized towns up and down Baja, the range varies a lot depending on the size of the store.
Tiendas
The tienda is the stable source of groceries in many of the small villages you'll be anchoring nearby to in Baja, they range from a hole in the wall you order through, to a small grocery store and can have the most random and unexpected range of food.
You'll typically be able to get bimbo style bread, tortillas, rice, eggs, milk, soda, and some fresh fruit and vegetables, but it can depend a lot on the tienda as to which vegetables they have and what they have to go with it.
It's always best to keep an open mind and just see what you find rather than fixating on finding a specific ingredient for your favorite dish.
Where to provision
Doing a major provision in Baja really revolves around the towns of La Paz, Loreto, Santa Rosalia and San Carlos/Guaymas. If you are coming from the US, then Cabo is also a good provisioning stop.
La Paz
La paz is a gold mine for provisioning, regardless if you are in the anchorage or marina, you have a plethora of options to choose from. There is a huge Chedraui 10 blocks from the marinas, which has pretty much everything you need for a few months on the hook. There is also a municipal market on Nicolas Bravo, which is well worth a trip.
Further out towards the airport, you also have Soriana, Walmart and Sams. We rarely bother going out there as we can get most stuff we could need from Chedraui. If you are going on a trip around the peninsula by car, there's a Costco in Cabo too.
La Paz also has a farmers market down town every Tuesday and Saturday which has locally grown produce, cheese, tamales, pies, sausages, and olives. If you are doing a big provision, you can usually ask the farmers at the market (some speak english) if you can order something for the next week, and they will bring you out a box full of goodies. The prices are very reasonable and you are supporting local ownership.
There is an asian supermarket, and a bunch of bring your own packaging stores (Tiendas a Granel) which are great zero waste options.
Don't leave La Paz without
Sausages from the farmers market
Your favorite asian pastes and spices from the Asian super market and coconut milk from the big grocery stores.
Better quality pasta and more exotic rices
Tubs of ice cream from La Fuente - they sell by the half litre, I love the lemon pie flavors, and generally their fruity flavors are better than their chocolate based ones, but you can't really go wrong here.
Home comforts from Chedraui and Soriana - we stock up on good quality jams, chocolate hob nobs, and good quality pastas as well as imported sauces and olives.
Loreto
Loreto has a locally owned supermarket called El Pescador, and a Ley all within walking distance form the Darsena. If you don't like hauling a massive backpack full of swag in the midsummer heat, you can usually arrange a taxi at the Darsena, just try not to audibly wince when they give you a price.
El Pescador sells a bunch of kirkland brand stuff, as well as locally grown produce, it's my first stop there, but it can be very hit or miss, and it's more expensive than Ley. I usually go here, stock up on the things I know I really want, then head over to Ley for more of the staples.
Local farmers will deliver fruit and vegetables direct to you at the dock, ask around on the facebook groups or morning nets for the best numbers to call. This is one of the best ways to provision here. If you are out in Coronados, you can probably arrange to pick them up somewhere a bit closer ashore to avoid a trip in the big boat too.
Don't Leave Loreto Without:
Tonic Water - if you like a G&T sun downer, it can be quite tricky to find tonic water in large supply north of here.
Ice Cream - Good luck finding tubs of Ben & Jerry's chocolate fudge brownie to get you through a day of engine maintenance in 40C weather north of Loreto. Stock up now or it will be foamy ice cream and overpriced magnums for you from now on.
Fresh veggies straight from the farm
Home Comforts - El Pescador is the last chance heading north to get any kirkland goodies.
Santa Rosalia
This is the last major provisioning stop going north. There's a decent sized Leys which stocks more or less everything you could need, but not always everything you could want. There's no gringo section here, so if you need any home comforts you're going to want to make sure you get them in Loreto.
That said the supermarket is pretty good and has a reasonable range of fresh produce as well as the basics for pasta, rice, etc including stock, as well as a deli and meat counter - it's not as good quality as Loreto or San Carlos, but its a lot closer to BoLA.
San Carlos
San Carlos is provisioning heaven. In town there's a good sized Ley and right next door is Santa Rosa Carne which is a bit of an Aladdin's Cave of comestibles. Go there for the meats, keep coming back for the kirkland chocolate spread and fresh banana bread.
Santa Rosa is a great place to pick up some prime Sonora steak, they also have an excellent selection of ribs, sausages, bacon (sliced to your liking) and mince. They have a small vegetable section, and also stock a lot of gringo ingredients like molases, and baking ingredients.
Fresh seafood is in abundance here too, El Rey mariscos sells fresh ceviche, shrimp, clams, some of which are preserved and or frozen and will last a while. There is also a fish market past the marina by the lagoon. They will sell you pretty much everything that can be caught, but i usually have to begin the negotiation by explaining that I only want to buy some fish, not the whole fish market, so don't be afraid to haggle if the price seems a bit extortionate.
If you are doing a big shop, you are better going into Guaymas, either take the bus there (20peso) and a taxi back (200peso) or rent a car for around 1000peso/day.
Guaymas has a bunch of big hypermarkets as well as a municipal market. Check with locals as to when its running and if its still safe to go, but Empalme (just passed Guaymas) has an amazing market usually once per week, as well as abunch of sea food stalls which sell fresh (and i mean still wriggling fresh) shrimp of various sizes, shapes and flavors - try the coffee shrimp. (which is a type of shrimp, not a coctele)
Don't leave San Carlos without
Locally caught shrimp from Empalme, or from the fishermans market or El Rey
Sausages and other meat cuts from Carne Santa Rosa
If heading north, stock up on good quality ice cream and mixers
Tiendas and Smaller Groceries
As mentioned, there are a few smaller tiendas in between the major towns in Baja, there are no doubt others we've missed, but these are the ones we've been to at least once. It's always worth taking this list with a pinch of salt, as if you arrive the day before they go to the market you're going to have a very different experience than if they just got back.
San Evaristo
There's at least one small tienda in San Evaristo behind the desalination plant. We picked up some tostadas and chips from there, but they were pretty much sold out when we arrived. We were also able to pick up a couple of vegetables and sodas from the restaurant.
Agua Verde
There are a bunch of small tiendas in Agua Verde, we usuallly are able to get eggs, cheese, potatos, onions, chiles, and that sort of thing without any issue. They have some locally made goats cheese if you are feeling adventurous.
Bahia Candeleros
In the small village of Ensenada Blanca, there is a small tienda, with staples. The town of Ligui near by also has a larger tienda with bigger range.
San Juanico
Whilst not strictly a Tienda, there is a farm along the track from the main beach which sells produce and eggs. The owner often introduces himself if you are on the beach, ask around if you need directions.
Mulege
Provisioning in Mulege is also possible, there are a number of small grocery stores, really just large tiendas in the town, but you'll be able to find everything you'd need for a few weeks easily.
I generally don't bother Mulege because you either end up hitching in from bahia conception, or walking the few miles from the anchorage to the town which gets old if you're carrying a bunch of stuff.
If you are feeling bold, you can dinghy right up the river to the town, but it can be quite a frustrating trip if there isn't enough tide.
Santispac/Bahia Conception
There is a small tienda around from Playa el Burro in bahia conception, and from time to time there is a guy who comes down the beach with a truck full of water and produce, ask around at the restaurant in playa Santispac for information.
You can also hitch from here into Mulege (or Loreto if you are feeling bold) although i've never tried this.
Bahia Los Angeles
Everything is relative in life, and given the size of the town, Bay of LA, has a really well stocked store. Don't expect miracles here, but you can get quite a bit of fresh produce, sodas, beers, pasta, rice, bread, tortillas and other staples.