[...]... the length of the worldfamous French Riviera Most of the major resorts (and ports of call) are located in the 700-mile-long section between Mazatlán and Acapulco There is almost no coastal plain to speak of along here because two massive mountain chains begin immediately behind the many bays that dot the Mexican Riviera These are the Sierra Madre Occidental in the northern part of the Riviera and the. .. include a port call at Catalina Island, while the three-day versions do not Cruises of anywhere from eight to 14 nights are also available and these typi16 Style cally stop at a greater number of ports along the Mexican Riviera and Baja Itineraries originating in San Francisco or other ports farther from southern California can be anywhere from seven to 11 nights Panama Canal cruises with Mexican ports of. .. book The northern border of the peninsula is contiguous with California from San Diego/Tijuana on the west to just across from Yuma, Arizona on the east at the Colorado River The river empties into the Sea of Cortés The approximately 50mile stretch of land between the US border and the Colorado’s mouth is the only part of Baja that actually abuts the mainland of Mexico The dominant features of Baja are... western side and the Gulf of California coast on the east both have very narrow lowland areas The Gulf of California separates the peninsula from the Mexican mainland and was originally known as the Sea of Cortés Although Americans always refer to it as the Gulf of California, the other moniker is used more frequently while in Mexico and especially in Baja Thus, I will call it the Sea of Cortés throughout... Riviera Itineraries T he primary cruise lines operating in Baja and the Mexican Riviera are Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess and Royal Caribbean This list includes the biggest cruise lines in the industry, names almost all American travelers are familiar with Carnival and Royal Caribbean are the only lines that offer threeand four-night Baja cruises year-round They, along with the. .. mountain ranges The Sierra de San Pedro Mártir is in the northern part of the peninsula and boasts 10,073-foot Picacho del Diablo (Devil’s Peak), the highest point in Baja The southern portion of Baja is comprised mostly of the Sierra de la Giganta Both of these ranges are an extension of California’s coastal mountain system Baja has a varied flora Many varieties of cactus can be found throughout the. .. trip to a foreign country will be enhanced if you have some knowledge of that nation’s history, land and people MEXICO FACTS 4 Official Name: Estados Unidos Mexicanos (United Mexican States) 3 Introduction embarkation and Acapulco, all of which are on Mexico’s Pacific side This encompasses the peninsula of Baja California and the stretch of mainland coast from Mazatlán south to Acapulco known as the Mexican. .. has a very attractive two-level main theater, as Carnival Paradise well as many colorful bars and lounges concentrated on the Promenade Deck The piano bar adjacent to the aft lounge is a beautiful spot to relax As far as other facilities go, Paradise has all of the usual things one would expect on a large ship, but sometimes on a smaller scale The sports deck has excellent gym and spa facilities, along... Mexican Riviera and Baja were step-children as far as the types of ships utilized on these itineraries were concerned The newest, biggest and best ships were almost always sent to the Caribbean or even Alaska, but not to western Mexico This began to change a couple of years ago and now several cruise operators have added top -of -the- line vessels on these routes The number of ships has also increased, as... just off the coast of Los Angeles See page 269 for additional information concerning cruises to other Mexican ports south of Acapulco, as well as the Panama Canal and ports in Central America The Caribbean side of Mexico (on the Yucatán Peninsula) is also an important cruise market but, because of the distance between Mexico’s Pacific and Caribbean coasts, there are no cruises that do both If you are interested . side and the Gulf of Cal - ifornia coast on the east both have very narrow lowland areas. The Gulf of California separates the peninsula from the Mexican mainland and was originally known as the Sea. Cali - fornia and the stretch of mainland coast from Mazatlán south to Acapulco known as the Mexican Riviera. (Al - though there isn’t any “official” designation of what the limits of the Riviera are,. of Aca- pulco, as well as the Panama Canal and ports in Central America. The Caribbean side of Mexico (on the Yucatán Peninsula) is also an important cruise market but, be- cause of the distance