Everything GTA San Andreas players should know about Bayside Marina

In terms of rarely-visited locations in GTA San Andreas, players might barely remember Bayside Marina.

Off the coast of Tierra Robada is a small seaside community. Once GTA San Andreas players finish the San Fierro story, they can take a trip to Bayside Marina. Unfortunately, there isn't much to do beyond a boating school. For a relatively populated area, it doesn't factor into the main plot.

Players should look no further than the development history of GTA San Andreas. It turns out it wasn't originally planned for the game. Despite attempts to add missions later in development, those plans were scrapped as well. As it stands, Bayside Marina is rather barren.

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Bayside Marina - everything GTA San Andreas players should know

Bayside Marina is a rather mysterious location in GTA San Andreas; something about it feels incomplete. Nonetheless, the series is all about open-world exploration. The coastal area is a fun place to look around, especially for high-speed boats and oysters in the ocean.

GTA San Andreas players may sometimes feel like there was a missed opportunity here. Given there are no missions in Bayside Marina, it feels somewhat lonely. To figure out why, players will have to look back at the beta release. From there, they may find the answers to their questions.

Early development history

Interestingly, Rockstar Games placed the beta map in a few locations, namely the Lil' Probe Inn and Mike Toreno's ranch. If they look carefully, GTA San Andreas players will notice Bayside Marina is missing. The freeway remains the same, but the cliffside city is gone. Of course, it doesn't change the plot whatsoever.

Instead, there was a small island north of San Fierro. Presumably, this would've been a prison similar to Alcatraz (based on real-life geography and how the game takes huge inspiration from San Francisco). Eventually, the development team decided to add Bayside Marina later on.

On a semi-related note, it would've been interesting to see what kind of mission would've taken place on the prison island. Again, this is only speculation; it's not confirmed otherwise. However, with the criminal history of Alcatraz, it's reasonable to believe Rockstar Games had it in mind at some point.

What's at Bayside Marina?

Based on the real-life Sausalito in California, this area is primarily known for its fishing boats. Unlike most towns in the game, there is a noticeable lack of businesses. Not a single restaurant, Ammu-Nation, barbershop, or clothing store can be found. However, there is one place a player can visit.

GTA San Andreas players can access the boating school here. They can take basic, intermediate, and advanced courses, each with medal achievements. Requirements for the rewards are as follows: all bronze for a Marquis, all silver for a Squalo, and all gold for a Jetmax.

Sometimes a Maverick or Sea Sparrow will spawn at the helipad. Besides the boating school, Bayside Marina does offer a breathtaking view of San Fierro. It mostly serves as a tourist location. There is a secretive beach nearby, where players can find an elusive oyster.

Why isn't there much to do?

GTA San Andreas players can only speculate that Bayside Marina was a late addition to the game. This is proven by the beta map, which lacks the location entirely. Perhaps the boating school was put here so Bayside Marina had some use. Otherwise, it's there for decoration.

However, there was a deleted mission set to take place here - The Truth is Out There. Based on the game files, CJ had to rescue The Truth from government agents. It likely would take place after the events of The Black Project and Green Goo. Strangely, Area 69 is refered to as Area 51.

Disclaimer - note that only the mission text and transcript remain. Nothing else is known beyond that. GTA San Andreas players may encounter online videos featuring this beta mission. However, these are third-party mods and not from the main game itself.

Miscellaneous info about Bayside Marina

Interestingly, players can visit Bayside Marina if they haven't yet beaten the final San Fierro mission (Yay Ka-Boom-Boom). Normally, a premature visit to Tierra Robada would result in a four-star wanted level.

With the use of the Territory Glitch, players can activate gang wars in the Bayside area. However, this only works for the original PlayStation 2 release of GTA San Andreas. For unknown reasons, the Los Santos Vagos have control of the area. They can be easily dealt with in a single wave.

While there isn't much to do in Bayside Marina, it's fun speculating about what could've been. At the very least, it breathes life into a large expansive world. After all, GTA San Andreas players love to explore every nook and cranny.

Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.