Puerto Peñasco

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Puerto Peñasco is a relatively small city in the northern state of Sonora, Mexico, on the shore of the Gulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortez). The town is known for its fishing and tourism industries.

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Puerto Peñasco, alternatively known among many of its English-speaking visitors as "Rocky Point," is a popular destination for tourists, particularly those that reside in the U.S. state of Arizona, for whom it is the nearest beach resort. It is also a popular Spring Break destination with students from Arizona, New Mexico, and California. Puerto Peñasco is located in the 'free zone' where tourists are not required to obtain immigration papers in order to visit (however, U.S. border agents advise that as of January 2008 a passport will be required to re-enter the United States).

Puerto Peñasco has two main beach areas. To the west of the Old Port area, there is a wide, flat area known as Sandy Beach. This is the home to several large hotel/resorts, and more are under construction. East of town, there is a long coast with several areas known in parts as La Mirador, Playa del Oro and then Las Conchas, an area of beachfront and near-beach condos, homes and timeshares.

The area features wide variations between high and low tides. With the shallowly sloping sea bed, this can lead to dramatic changes in the waterline twice a day. At the eastern beaches, this reveals a rocky reef with abundant sea life.

Old Port has a variety of shopping and dining, from roadside taco stands to restaurant-style dining, from an Italian bistro to rooftop seafood. There are stalls with souveniers and traditional items -- many of which you can haggle for -- as well as artist shops.

Puerto Peñasco has a small airport that, although open to the general public, does not have the capability to allow airliners to land. Because of this people who have to fly to vacation in Puerto Peñasco must often fly either to nearby Hermosillo, Guaymas-San Carlos, Sonora, or Mexicali, Baja California. A major highway is currently underway that will connect Puerto Penasco with San Luis Rio Colorado and Yuma, Arizona

As of 2005 there are a few charter airlines in Phoenix, Arizona, that offer flights to Puerto Peñasco. Their ability to do so is questionable due to post-9/11 security issues, many of which were cited as the reason for closure of similar charter airlines in late 2004.

There is a statue of Benito Juárez in a plaza near the beaches.

There are at least two SCUBA diving operations in Puerto Peñasco although the waters near to shore tend to be quite shallow.

Puerto Peñasco's fishing zone lies in the Gulf of California, and there has been much concern about growth-related overfishing and the ocean's ability to sustain the town's fishing industry into the future. [link]

Puerto Peñasco is also slated for upcoming marina and other boat-related developments as part of the country's 'Escalera Nautica' efforts, which call for a chain of 'tourist-class' marinas sprinkled up and down the Baja coast in an effort to promote nautical tourism.

Although commonly known in English as "Rocky Point", this is not an accurate translation. In Spanish, "Puerto Peñasco" literally means "Rocky Port". Rocky Point in Spanish would more accurately be Punto Peñasco.

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