The Nautical Stairway constitutes a network of nautical scales with basic services and infrastructure for towable boats. The project would contribute to the regional development of the Gulf of California. This article analyzes the context of the megaproject as a tourism policy. The bibliography was compiled through search engines, books, technical and government reports. Three versions of the same project were found (1960-2017): Maritime Tourist Stairway, Nautical Stairway, and Sea of Cortez. Justifications, objectives, strategies, and scale distribution of the different versions of the project were compared. A timeline of institutional planning was carried out, as well as events associated with sectoral sexennial policies. The first version had 20 scales for nautical tourism. The second version, transformed into tourism policy, considered 24 scales, land, and air infrastructure to promote real estate development and golf courses. The last version, a 28 scales coastal tourism megaproject, failed, mainly due to pressure from tourism and environmental policies.
Escalera Náutica. Balance para la conclusión de un megaproyecto de larga data en el Mar de Cortés, México