page_title: Guaymas
section_title: The municipality
hierarchical_section_title: Guaymas / The municipality
caption_attribution_description: Español: Mapa del Municipio de Guaymas en el estado de Sonora, México. English: Map of the Municipalty of Guaymas in the State of Sonora, México.
context_page_description: Guaymas is a city in Guaymas Municipality, in the southwest part of the state of Sonora, in northwestern Mexico. The city is 134 km south of the state capital of Hermosillo, and 389 kilometres from the U.S. border. The municipality is located on the Gulf of California and the western edge of the Sonoran Desert and has a hot, dry climate and 117 km of beaches. The municipality's formal name is Guaymas de Zaragoza and the city's formal name is the Heróica Ciudad de Guaymas.
  The city proper is mostly an industrial port and is the principal port for the state of Sonora. The city has a well-attended annual carnival, which has been held since 1888. Nearby, San Carlos and its beaches are major tourist attractions.
context_section_description: As municipal seat, the city of Guaymas is the governing authority for more than 1,500 other communities, the most populous of which are Bahía San Carlos, Pueblo Vícam, San Ignacio Río Muerto, Pótam, Bahía de los Lobos and Ortíz. The municipality has a territory of 12,206.18km2. and a total population of 134,153, of which 101,502 or about 75% of whom live in the city proper. The municipality borders the municipalities of La Colorada, Suaqui Grande, Cajeme, Bácum and Hermosillo, with the Gulf of California to the west. Most of the municipality is flat and borders the Gulf of California with 175 km of coastline. Along its coast, there are important bays such as Guaymas, Lobos, San Carlos and La Herradura with 83% of Sonora's piers in this municipality. Major elevations include the Serranías del Bacarete, Santa Ursula, San José, San Pedro, Luis Bland and the Cerros del Vigia. There are two main rivers called the Mátape and the Bácum which empty into estuaries on the Gulf. The municipality has a hot, dry climate with maximum temperatures averaging 31C and minimum temperatures averaging 18C. Maximum temperatures can reach 50C during the summers and from June to October ocean temperatures are in the 80sF. Most of the territory is covered with mesquite trees and cactus. It is also the home of the endangered California Fan Palm, and Washingtonia filifera is found in coastal groves. Other species such as Perityle have been long noted at Guaymas. Desert animals such as the desert tortoise, chameleon, puma, rattlesnakes and others are the main wildlife.
  Almost all agriculture here is irrigated, and depends on wells and the Ignacio Alatorre Dam located in the Guaymas Valley. Fields here yield wheat, soybeans, safflower, corn, cotton with some fruit trees. The most important livestock here is cattle, with goats coming second. However, cattle production has decreased somewhat, with pig and domestic fowl increasing. The most important industry is related to processing fish products, such as canning and freezing, all located in the city proper. A relatively large number of manufacturing operations controlled by foreign companies maquiladoras have opened here employing over 11,000, producing precision machined components for aerospace engines, electrical and mechanical components for automobiles, medical devices, and plastic injection molding for a variety of industries. Construction related to the port is also a major employer. Some mining occurs here, mostly graphite, with some small quantities of gold, silver and lead. The most important economic activity in the municipality is fishing. Most fish the waters of the Gulf but some are involved in aquaculture. Species sold include sardines, shrimp, and squid. In rural parts of Guaymas’ coast, fishing employs over 80% of the population.
  The municipality, especially San Carlos, is popular with visitors from Arizona and Sonora, but much of the coastal area, where the stark desert landscape meets the calm waters of the Gulf of California, is still undeveloped. San Carlos is an important destination for sportfishing with modern piers and 800 species that can be caught including sailfish, marlin, yellowtail and others. This bay holds a fishing tournament each year in July called the Torneo de Pesca de San Carlos. San Carlos also has an aquarium dedicated to dolphins and sea lions, which perform shows.  The most notable peak in San Carlos is called the Tetacawi or Teta de Cabra, which appears to have two horns. Teta de Cabra means “goat’s udder” which it is supposed to resemble. Other sports that can be practiced here include kayaking, sailing, jetskiing, snorkeling, scuba diving, mountain biking and hiking. San Pedro Island off the coast is popular for snorkeling, scubadiving and visiting the sea lions that live there.
  The Bacochibambo or Miramar Bay also attracts some tourism. In this bay there is a pearl growing facility, the only one of its kind in the Americas. Pearls from here come in a range of colors such as grey, gold, bronze, olive green, black and pink.
  On land, there is the Sahuaral D
caption: Map of the municipality in Sonora
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