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Carlos Sonora or Nuevo Guaymas is a small town just north of Guaymas
(pronounced WHY-mus), Mexico. Guaymas is a large commercial
fishing/shrimping port and is where most of the local Mexican's
live and work. In contrast, San Carlos is a small Gringo community
that claimed a beautiful chunk of Mexico as their home-away-from-home.
The homes are beautiful, the water is clean, the trash is
contained, the stores are stocked, the restaurants are excellent,
and the boater services are extensive. Many Mexicans from
Guaymas are gainfully employed in San Carlos service businesses.
Since San Carlos Sonora is only 7 hours south of Tucson, many Arizonan's
have discovered this area for diving, fishing, and/or a winter retreat
on the water.
Here, the subtle beauty of the harsh Sonoran
desert takes a cooling plunge into the azure Pacific. The San Carlos
Marina is one of the top 5 marinas in Mexico. The nearby Marinaterra
resort hotel provides restaurants, a bar, a pool, and several small
shops. July, August, and September are the "hot" months
in San Carlos. The daily temperatures soar into the 100's,
and nighttime temps plummet to the 80's. As un-acclimatized
gringos -- these temperatures were unbearable by late June.
In
August and September, the Monsoon season arrives to bring rain and
humidity. Because of the heat, you must completed chores early in
the day, then hibernated in an air-conditioned restaurant for lunch.
Sometimes, you would end up hanging around until dinner time!
The San Carlos Restaurants and at least two in ten are exceptional.
The rest are above average. The local "Marina Cantina"
has great sandwiches and soups. As a side benefit, they also
offer free high-speed wireless Internet access. This is a
great deal. Nightclubbing. Tequila's -- the marina night-life hot
spot. A live band does great covers of Santana and other popular
bands, as well as some authentic Mexican ballads.
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