S.V. INTREPID II: Photos: Sights of Guaymas

Overview of Guaymas area - Singlar Marina is upper right "Guyamas Marina project" (courtesy of tourist information office)

Guaymas is a large port city of over 130,000 people, situated about 20 miles south of San Carlos, by both sea or land. It is home to a large shrimp fleet and has a large harbour, around which the city has developed a wide 'malecon' (walkway along the shore) for people to stroll and enjoy the view and take in various local entertainment. The marina is a short walk from the Plaza de los Tres Presidentes which displays the statues of Plutarco Elias Calles, Adolfo de la Huerta and Abelardo L. Rodrigues, commemorating Mexican Presidents who came from the Guaymas area.

According to our cruising guides, the original community, San Jose de Guaymas, was nearby and home to a variety of indigenous people - Guaimas, Seri, Pima and Yaqui Indians. Jesuit missionaries also found their way here in the 1700s and the Iglesia de San Fernando dates from about 1750. This imposing structure is within a short walk of the marina and we often passed nearby. The church suffered severe damage last year in 2009 when the effects of tropical storm Jimena caused the main dome and area above the altar to collapse. We saw mass being celebrated outside and expect the reconstruction will take some time and considerable fund raising. Across from the church is historic Plaza 13 de Julio with its iconic pergola dating from 1910.

Plaza de los Tres Presidentes

Iglesia de San Fernando

Plaza 13 de Julio

Guaymas has been an important port since the 1800s, with ships arriving from all over the world. Apparently the port was even taken over briefly by the United States soldiers during the 1846-1848 Mexican-American war (or the Invasion of Mexico in some records) and returned to Mexico via the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. The background to this event is described on one online site:

"The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) marked the first U.S. armed conflict chiefly fought on foreign soil. It pitted a politically divided and militarily unprepared Mexico against the expansionist-minded administration of U.S. President James K. Polk, who believed the United States had a “manifest destiny” to spread across the continent to the Pacific Ocean. A border skirmish along the Rio Grande started off the fighting and was followed by a series of U.S. victories. When the dust cleared, Mexico had lost about one-third of its territory, including nearly all of present-day California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico."
(excerpt from http://www.history.com/topics/mexican-american-war

The Guaymas harbour itself is very shallow, in the 10 - 12 foot range in some spots and here in our slip we have perhaps 1 - 2 feet under our 6 foot keel. The navy base is nearby and we've been treated to the sounds of a navy marching band practising music we did enjoy. On our walks we've come across several impressive buildings in various states of disrepair, which in some cases still house large banks. The city has posted historical site signs and we've enjoyed viewing the Neoclassical architecture of earlier times.