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Maps, Directions and Basic Travel
Information There are a few good websites for information on Puerto
Peñasco (Rocky Point in English).
Puerto-Peñasco.com
Rocky Point
Mexico.com
These sites have maps and directions
from Tucson, Phoenix, and Southern California.
Puerto Peñasco is
in a free zone for travel - there is no need for a passport or visa or
immunizations. For details, about what is permissible, check with the Mexican
embassy before leaving the States.
Mexican auto insurance is
recommended. It is available in Tucson and Phoenix, but it is also available in
Ajo and Why, before you get to the border, and on the American side of the
border itself, at Lukeville. We are told you can get Mexican car insurance
across the border in Sonoyta and in Puerto Peñasco itself, but weve
never done so.
Drive time from Tucson or Phoenix is approximately 4
½ hours. The Mexican officials at the border randomly inspect vehicles
entering the country, and in all the years weve gone down to Peñasco,
weve never had a problem. They want to know where youre headed and will
generally just give the contents of the car a look-see. They may ask a question
or two about whats this? or whats that? but really thats about the extent of
it. Generally it only takes a few minutes and youre back on the way.
From the border, you will head to the little town of Sonoyta
(pronounced So-no-eé-ta). Just about all services are available in
Sonoyta. Follow the signs to Puerto Peñasco, and you will head out of
town, onto a well-paved road for about an hour. There is nothing between
Sonoyta and Puerto Peñasco, so if youre hungry or have to use the
bathroom, do so in Sonoyta.
Because tourism is a huge part of the
economy in Puerto Peñasco, virtually all shopkeepers, restaurant and
hotel workers speak English and accept dollars (no need to worry about
converting money). If you can speak any Spanish at all, try it - the locals
will be very gracious and forgiving of your accent, your pronunciation, and
your vocabulary. They are happy to help you learn!
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Tourism is a
huge part of the economy in Puerto
Peñasco |
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Peñasco
Lodging When we worked in Puerto Peñasco, we lived in town for a
week out of every month. Oceano Rentals is owned and operated by Charlie and
Sue Salem, and we found them wonderful to work with. Oceano specializes in
beach homes in Las Conchas, a terrific way to visit Puerto Peñasco and
relax. Phone them at 1-888-328-8491 or find them on line at
www.oceano-rentals.com.
Additional links and other sites with rental information can be found at http://www.mostvacations.com/puertopenasco.htm
Do Not Drink the Water. We dont care what
anyone says or what you read on any website. All you have to do is get sick
once and you will join us in saying Do Not Drink the Water. Restaurants and
mini-marts all have bottled water, and if you will be renting a house, have the
rental agency tell you where you can buy a 5 gallon jug for use in the house -
making coffee, brushing your teeth - EVERYTHING! Reyna Water sells a 5 gallon
jug for less than $1 American, and its purified by reverse osmosis. Why take a
chance? Also, the hardware stores in town sell a plastic pump that you can
simply insert into the water jug and pump the water out - no need for a water
cooler set-up. The word for pump is bomba, but miming will probably get you the
right thing if the clerk happens not to speak English (not many tourists head
to the hardware store).
Puerto Peñasco is about the most
American Tourist Friendly place you will ever visit outside the U.S. Be
gracious, and they will be more than gracious back at you.
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Things to Do - A Very Biased List |
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The Intercultural Center for the Study of Deserts and
Oceans
When CEDO teaches, it doesnt feel like learning - it
feels like pure delight. Thats probably because the CEDO staff find it
genuinely amazing that this watery world does what it does, and they share that
enthusiasm and wonder with everyone they meet.
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CEDO - it feels
like pure delight |
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CEDOs tourism activities
include
• Tidepool tours
Hold a starfish in your hand. See
a sea cucumber or watch a turban snail quickly close its hatch. You cant
imagine how many creatures live in the tidepools. Very hands on.
• Estuary tours
The estero is an amazing ecosystem of
halophytes (salt water plants), fiddler crabs, an oyster farm, and mud you sink
into as you dance to bring shrimp to the surface of the sand. It is an amazing
place to visit at low tide, a great tour. We were inked by an octopus at the
estero - how cool is that? Fresh oysters, just plucked from their watery homes,
$2 per dozen when youre all done touring. Try to catch CEDOs special kayak
tours of the estuary, for a different view - the high tide view!
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Fresh oysters,
just plucked from their watery homes |
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• CEDO’s Free
Talk
Given at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays in English / 4 p.m. in Spanish and at
2 p.m.on Saturday in Spanish / 4 p.m. in English, every week, summer or winter,
the tour last about an hour and ½ and is enjoyable from start to finish.
For a close-up view of the tour, see the story here.
Trinket shopping is great in
Peñasco. Old Town includes the area where the fish markets are, as well
as the great shops on the hill. Visit Victorias Hormiga (Victorias Ant,
complete with a hand-painted ant trail leading to her shop), where artist
Victoria Priego hand makes many of the wonderful items in her shop. Victorias
is not cheap, but its also not the ordinary stuff youll find all over
Peñasco. Check out the covers she hand-crochets for keeping bugs out of
your margaritas on a summer night - absolutely elegant. Victorias tarjeta de
presentación (business card) is a clamshell, with her own hand-drawn
ant. She is a charming woman and a terrific artist.
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Old Town
includes fish markets as well as great shops |
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In addition to Old Town,
there is a row of shopping stalls on the route to Sandy Beach, which the
regulars call Rodeo Drive. Its not high end, so if you hear that expression,
dont believe it. You will pass firewood sellers on the way, and so if you want
to pick up some firewood, thats where to do it. Rodeo Drive has the same
trinkets as everywhere else, with a couple of larger pottery and glass stores
tucked in. Worth checking out, just dont expect anything more special than
youll find in town.
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Rodeo Drive has
the same trinkets as everywhere else |
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Fireworks
Fireworks are always fun, and there
are places where you can buy and shoot off fireworks in Peñasco. (There
are places, like Las Conchas, where fireworks are prohibited and carefully
monitored, so beware.) Be warned, however, that weve not seen high quality
fireworks in Peñasco - as a matter of fact, the kids have purchased
packages that were 100% duds. We know that there are fireworks that work,
because we see and hear them. Caveat Emptor. |
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We confess, wed rather take
all the fresh fish and clams and shrimp and mix it with all the produce and
sauces we cant readily find in the states, and whip up our own dinner. But when
we dont, heres where we go:
Sr.
Amigo’s- in Old Town, just as you make the bend onto the
main street where the fish vendors are located. Sr. Amigos has an outdoor patio
upstairs and downstairs, that fronts on the ocean. The breeze upstairs is
delightful (bring a sweater, even if youre warm everywhere else). Wonderful
fish tacos and shrimp tacos, and their 7 Seas Soup is amazing. Their
chicharones are not really pork rinds, so eat up! Sr. Amigos is our favorite
for lunch, but they serve all 3 meals.
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Sr.
Amigo’s has an outdoor patio that fronts on the
ocean. |
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Costa Brava Restaurant - at the other end of the
long street of fish vendors is the Costa Brava. Minerva Nuñez De Piquero
is the owner and you will not find a more delightful and gracious soul. The
food is good solid Mexican fare in great huge portions. We especially love
Costa Brava for breakfast or dinner - its hard to eat that much for lunch!
Costa Brava is reliable - a lot more than you can say for many restaurants in
Puerto Peñasco, which may serve a great meal one day and that same menu
item horribly the next. The locals frequent Costa Brava - say no more!
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We especially
love Costa Brava for breakfast or dinner - it’s hard to eat that much for
lunch! |
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Casa del Capitan - We cant leave out
the Casa del Capitán, the place most Gringos eventually find for
margaritas at sunset. Casa del Capitán sits atop the highest point in
Puerto Peñasco, and the view is truly breathtaking. Its breezy and cool,
a great place to rest when the weather gets warm. They cater to American
tourists (not that they dont appreciate them everywhere in Peñasco, but
there is barely a Mexican customer to be found here), and they know the sunset
is their bread and butter, so the service is good. Get there early - the good
sunset tables go fast. Great for drinks and appetizers, and the Mexican fare is
reliable if you just dont feel like leaving after the sun goes down.
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The view at
Casa del Capitán is truly
breathtaking. |
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