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San Carlos is one of Mexico's celebrated Pueblos Mágicos. Known also, sometimes, as Nuevo Guaymas, it is a little younger than the municipal seat which is a half hour away, along the bay and across the Guaymas peninsula. The town developed as an offshoot of the larger and older Guaymas and today it faces the Sea of Cortez from beneath the spectacular Mount Tetakawi.  The town boasts what may be the most spectacular ocean view in the world, but it's got lots of charms beyond. It's easily the leading destination for travelers within the state of Sonora.

People come for the beaches, islands, estuaries, and nearby canyons and as a home base for trips into the surrounding desert and sea, it's unmatched. The town's beaches are mostly named for the ranches that used to cover much of this territory. Playa los Algodones is probably the most famous. The town is also home to a sea lion sanctuary on the San Pedro Nolasco Island just offshore. It's a favorite for people with their kids along for the trip.

But San Carlos is a world unto itself. With a complicated coastline, there's no end to seaside adventures. Much of the area is protected reserve, for birds, sea life, and those sea lions. The Delfinario Sonora is just down the bay, and the state's headquarters for protecting and supporting dolphins. They'll also present them to the public if you'd wish to visit.   

San Carlos is likely most famous for grilled foods, including fresh fish and other seafood. The influence of the Yaqui people is everywhere apparent, but especially in the handcraft traditions that you'll see everywhere around the town center.  

People get to San Carlos especially from the airport in Hermosillo. It's about 90 minutes to the north. If you end up in nearby Guaymas, the two towns are deeply connected and a taxi or combi will cost you next to nothing. From Los Mochis, down the coast in Sinaloa, the trip takes about five hours. Both Omnibus and Tufesa bus lines make the trip twice daily.