Hi, we haven't yet made it to Ixtapa... we expect to be there by February. However, we've made the trip from SD to Cabo and up into the Sea of Cortez.
Others had recommended stopping along the way down to see the sights and have a somewhat leisurely cruise south. We enjoyed our stops along the way. A description of the places we visited can be found on our website- cruises, located here:
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Checking in at Ensenada is relatively easy, with all the officials located in one building which is within easy walking distance of the marinas. Bahia San Quintin was one of our favorite places, just because of the beach. Turtle Bay is good if you need fuel and run low on cervesa. Actually, the only place that we didn't enjoy was Cabo San Lucas.... primarily because it's an overpriced, expensive, time-share resort place. Not really what we wanted while cruising. Until Cabo, I never even heard of having to pay to tie up to a fuel dock to buy fuel.
I'm sure others will chime in on where they crossed the Sea of Cortez and places to stop on the mainland side.
Steve