Just over 60 mi. from the border and 212 mi. from Phoenix and Tucson, Puerto Peñasco (pop. 70,000), once a small fishing village, has taken on a new identity as “Arizona’s beach.” Americans are buying Miami-beach style condos in droves, dollars are preferred to pesos, and the English translation of the city’s name, “Rocky Point,” is used just as often as Puerto Peñasco. The American invasion is unsurprising considering the city has excellent beaches and is so close to the US. Puerto Peñasco’s new residents seem to have established a small Arizonan settlement here, instead of actually adapting to Mexican culture. Long-time Puerto Peñasco residents don’t seem to mind so far, although Americans have started taking over much of the land near the beaches, increasingly forcing Mexicans to the town’s less-scenic inner streets.
Puerto Peñasco’s main interstate bus terminal is on Constitución, a block away from its intersection with Juárez. Autotransportes de Baja California (☎383 1999) goes to Tijuana (8hr., 8 per day 1am-11pm, 392 pesos) via San Luis Río Colorado (3hr., 218 pesos) and Mexicali (5hr., 267 pesos). For travel within Sonora, go to the Albatros Autobuses bus station (☎388 0888), several blocks farther out along Juárez past the baseball stadium and across from Hotel Gloria del Mar. Buses go to Hermosillo (7hr., 14 per day 1am-12am, 180 pesos) and Nogales (5hr., 1:45am-4pm, 205 pesos). Transporte Mota’s Place (☎383 3640), at the intersection of Calle 24 and Juárez, offers shuttle service to Phoenix, AZ (4hr., 5 per day 7:15am-6:30pm, US$35).
Puerto Peñasco is a small town, but its visitor attractions are surprisingly and exhaustingly spread out. It’s almost impossible (especially in the blaring sun) to walk from one end of town to the other. Drivers should look carefully at a map before heading out since street signs are often missing or bleached out by the sun.
The labyrinthine Old Port area is the smallest and oldest part of town, in Peñasco’s southwest corner. On the other side of the harbor is the most concentrated tourist drag, Calle 13 or Armada Nacional, leading out toward Playa Hermosa. To the north and east of Calle 13 is the gridded main body of town and the area least frequented by foreigners. Farther along the coast to the east, the exclusive enclave of Las Conchas continues to grow. Tying most of these loose ends together is Benito Juárez (Mex. 8), which passes through a centro of sorts at the intersection with Fremont. South of here the road splits: the branch called Campeche drops down towards Playa Miramar, a popular spring break spot, while Juárez swings round to the west and loops back on itself to lasso the Old Port, briefly becoming the seafront malecón in the process.
As Puerto Peñasco becomes an increasingly popular vacation spot for upper-class Arizonans, budget accommodations are becoming harder to find. Rates rise at many hotels during weekends and American holidays. Camping is permitted northwest of the Playa Boruta Resort on Sandy Beach all the way down to La Choya. Camping at trailer parks is safer, and sleeping on the beach is not recommended unless you’re with a large group.
Most food in Puerto Peñasco is expensive, although there are a number of cheaper, American-style cafes. Taco stands line Calle 13. Super Ley is a huge supermarket on Av. Constitución between Aldama and Cortinez. (Open daily 7am-9pm.)
Intercultural Center For The Study Of Deserts And Oceans (Cedo) . Super-active CEDO is working to conserve Puerto Peñasco’s estuaries from shortsighted, condo-building developers and to educate tourists and schoolchildren about the wonders of the Sea of Cortés and the surrounding desert. The center provides lab space and lodging for researchers trying to learn as much as possible about the local environment. CEDO has a visitor center (constructed partly out of cans and tires) with a gift shop, which stocks a number of books on the flora and fauna of Baja California and Arizona. Researchers also offer bi-weekly talks in English on Puerto Peñasco’s wildlife, during which they can answer almost any nature-related question you might have (Tu 2pm, Sa 4pm. Free). In addition, CEDO sponsors a number of trips to nearby dunes, estuaries, and tidepools and allows tourists to participate in regular surveys of animals and plants. Call ahead for trip times and reservations. ( CEDO is located in Las Conchas, 7km from the centro. Drive down Fremont, turn south towards Las Conchas, and continue through the guard gate to the Las Conchas development. After 3km, CEDO will be on the right side of the road. ☎382 0113, from the US 520-320-5473; www.cedointercultural.org. Open M-Sa 9am-5pm, Su 10am-2pm.)
Center For Technological Sea Studies (Cetmar) Aquarium. CETMAR operates a small, one-room aquarium with flounder, sergeant majors, sea horses, sea turtles, and a rambunctious sea lion named Arthur. Unfortunately, the aquarium is poorly maintained: tanks are dirty and poorly lit. While employees nonchalantly watch television, visitors prod the sea turtles and poke their hands through the bars that surround Arthur’s home. CETMAR does provide a rare opportunity to see these creatures up close, but it’s debatable whether tourists should reward CETMAR’s poor upkeep of the aquarium with the admission fee. (CETMAR is 4km from the centro on Las Conchas. Take Fremont and turn south towards Las Conchas. The aquarium is on the right side of the road. ☎382 0010. Open M-F 10am-3pm, Sa-Su 10am-6pm. US$3, children US$1.)
Beaches. Puerto Peñasco’s biggest attractions are its many beaches with the warm, turquoise water characteristic of the Sea of Cortés. Sandy Beach and Playa Hermosa are the best choices for swimming, although Playa Hermosa has been taken over by souvenir and taco vendors. To reach Sandy Beach, head north on Encinas or Juárez until the intersection with Camino a Bahía Choya (2km north of Fremont). Turn left and follow the souvenir shops and bars until you see signs that say “To Sandy Beach.” To get to Playa Hermosa, turn west on Calle 13 from Juárez; the beach is five to six blocks straight ahead, but you’ll have to veer right around the wall of luxury hotels. The beaches around Miramar and Las Conchas, at the southern end of town, are less crowded and better for snorkeling but also rockier, rougher, and less suited to swimming. True to its name, Las Conchas also has lots of shells. Las Conchas is almost entirely private, so it’s difficult to access. Reach the beach through the CETMAR parking lot . Head south on Juárez, turn left on Fremont after Bancomer, take a right onto Camino a las Conchas, and follow the rock-slab road for 3km; turn at the signs for CETMAR. Walk straight through the opening in the parking lot gate to the beach. To reach Playa Miramar, head south on Juárez and take a left onto Campeche near the Benito Juárez monument. Continue uphill for three blocks; Playa Miramar is straight ahead.
Diving And Snorkeling Excursions. Several companies take tourists on snorkeling and diving excursions. Sun n’ Fun, a friendly and well-respected American-run dive shop on Juárez at the entrance to the Old Port, charters boats for diving, snorkeling, and fishing trips (☎383 5450 or 888 381 7720; www.sunandfundivers.com. Open M-Th 8am-6pm, F-Sa 8am-7pm, Su 8am-5pm.) Santiago’s Ocean Services (☎383 5834; www.santiagosoceanservices.com), south of Keno’s Market off Calle 13 near the Naval Marina, offers a similar selection of trips, including fishing trips (US$75 per person), snorkeling trips to nearby Bird Island (US$99 per person, including lunch), and clamming trips to Cholla Bay (2hr., US$10 per person). Call ahead to both companies for reservations.
Puerto Peñasco was once a favorite spring break destination for US college students, although the town has tried to shed that image, targeting condo-seeking baby boomers instead. At night, the beautiful malecón in the Old Port fills with locals and tourists who stop by to watch the sun set over the sea and nearby mountains and admire how dramatically the water level changes with the tides. Nightlife in Puerto Peñasco still livens up in the spring, although it slows down significantly during much of the rest of the year. Calle 13, Campeche, and the malecón all host a number of bars, pool halls, and red light establishments. During the week, you may have to settle for exchanging fishing stories with US retirees. The most popular spring break spots are on Playa Miramar. Manny’s Beach Club, overlooking Playa Miramar, is a favorite among the spring break crowd for chilling by day and partying by night. (☎383 3605. Beer US$3. Margaritas US$3.50. Open M-Th and Su 7am-11pm, F-Sa 7am-3am.) On the same stretch of road just two blocks down, The Pink Cadillac is a huge dance club that features foam parties and plays home to weekend revelers, although it shuts down during July and August. (☎383 5880. Beer 18 pesos. Open Th-Su 9pm-late.)
If you don’t like the club scene, you could head to the other end of town and catch the Tiburones, Peñasco’s baseball team, in action. The stadium is on your right as you go up Juárez away from the town center at Calle 25. (Season runs Apr.-Aug./Sept. Games F-Su 8pm. Tickets 30 pesos.)
Guides are strongly recommended. For information about tours, ask at the tourist office or call CEDO, which offers day-long tours of the area . If you do decide to go it alone, 4WD high-clearance vehicles with partially deflated tires are a must, as are a shovel, a spare tire, a compass, firewood, and plenty of water. Camping is permitted, although spaces are limited and reservations are not taken. Additionally, during much of the year, the temperature makes camping very unpleasant. The ideal time to visit is Nov.-Mar., when temperatures range 15-32˚C (59-90˚F), as opposed to summer months, when the daytime temperatures can often exceed 47˚C (116˚F).
Forty-eight kilometers north of Puerto Peñasco on Mex. 8 lies El Pinacate volcanic preserve, one of the largest and most spectacular of its kind in the world. Created in June 1993 to limit rock excavation and protect endangered species, El Pinacate encompasses more than 16,000 sq. km and extends from the Sea of Cortés to the Arizona border, where it becomes the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and the Organ Pipe National Monument. The landscape incudes vast dunes and nine huge volcanic craters, the most spectacular of which, El Elegante, is 1600m across and 250m deep. There’s an almost lunar strangeness to the volcanic desert, which is pockmarked with around 400 cinder cones. Visitors are required to register at the Visitors’ Center, the group of orange-roofed buildings on the left of Mex. 8 coming from Puerto Peñasco. The staff has maps of the reserve, printed interpretative guides to the major trails, and safety information regarding hazards. There are also videos and exhibits. (Open M-F 9am-5pm.)
 |
 |
 |
 |
For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
Facebook
Twitter
You Tube
Foursquare
Newsletter
RSS Feed
Overview