San Carlos Nuevo Guaymas facts for kids
San Carlos is a beautiful beachfront town located within the port city of Guaymas in the northern state of Sonora, Mexico. It's famous for its clear, warm ocean water in its shallow bays. This lovely town sits right on the Sea of Cortez, which is also known as the Gulf of California.
Even though it's a smaller city with about 7,000 people, San Carlos has lots of places to stay, like RV parks and resorts, plus many stores. It's a popular spot for diving and many people from the United States and Canada live here during the cooler winter months. Summers are very hot and humid.
You can enjoy many fun activities here, such as fishing, scuba diving, and relaxing on the beach. Sailing is also a very popular sport in San Carlos. If you're feeling adventurous, you can even try skydiving over the amazing Sea of Cortez!
San Carlos is about a six-hour drive from the United States if you travel along the Mexican Federal Highway 15.
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History of San Carlos
The area where San Carlos now stands used to be a big cattle ranch called Baviso de Navarro. This ranch was later divided into four large properties. In the mid-1950s, a man named Mr. Rafael T. Caballero bought three of these ranches. He hired City planners to help design a plan for a new tourist area. This plan slowly turned San Carlos into one of the first and most important places for tourists and recreation in the state of Sonora.
To help this vision come true, the government of Sonora officially created the town of San Carlos, Nuevo Guaymas, in 1963. They set aside a large area of land for the town's development. Later, in 1973, even more land was added to help San Carlos grow.
Movies and Tourism
The state of Sonora and its towns, like San Carlos, offer many fun things to do and have a rich history. The nearby city of Guaymas is special because three former presidents of Mexico were born there: Abelardo Rodriguez, Plutarco Elías Calles, and Adolfo de la Huerta.
San Carlos has been a popular location for filming movies and TV shows. Some famous productions filmed here include:
- The classic movie Catch-22, which starred Alan Arkin, Orson Welles, and Martin Sheen.
- The Mask of Zorro, featuring Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
- Lucky Lady, starring Liza Minnelli.
- Camaroneros, a Mexican film.
- The Spanish language soap opera Por Tu Amor.
Large hotels and resorts, like the San Carlos Plaza, were built right on the beach. Many people also choose to rent vacation homes instead of staying in hotels.
Scuba Diving Adventures
The waters of the Gulf of California around San Carlos are fantastic for scuba diving. Divers of all skill levels can find great spots to explore all year round.
The water temperature changes throughout the year:
- From June to August, the surface water is usually very warm, around 85–90°F (29.4–32.2°C).
- In September and October, it's still warm, about 80–89°F (26.6–31.6°C).
- During the winter months, from November to March, it cools down to 63–71°F (17.2–21.6°C).
- In April and May, it starts to warm up again, reaching 72–77°F (22.2–25°C).
The water is often incredibly clear, with visibility sometimes over 100 feet (30 meters)! At places like San Pedro Nolasco Island, you might even see over 200 feet (61 meters). It's always a good idea to talk to a local dive shop or an experienced divemaster to get the most up-to-date information on diving conditions.
Popular Dive Sites
There are many exciting places to dive in the San Carlos area, including:
- San Pedro Nolasco Island
- Martini Cove
- Catalina Island
- Double Point
- Eagle Rock
- The Three Marias
- Cautin
- Frenchie's Cove
- Lalo Cove
- Zorro Cove
- San Antonio Point
- Kevin's Rock
- Emerald Bay
- Painted Rocks
- San Luis Island
- Deer Island
- Window Rock
- Sea Mount
- San Nicolas Island
- Honeymoon Island
See also
In Spanish: San Carlos (Sonora) para niños
