Puerto Penasco, Mexico

Three “wild and crazy guys” descended upon Puerto Penasco, Mexico on a fact-finding tour last weekend. Puerto Penasco or Rocky Point is south and west of Tucson, Arizona on the Sea of Cortez or Gulf of California. It is a seven hour drive from Las Cruces. Gene, James and I drove over there last Thursday. Gene and I had never been there so we wanted to see if this was a place to vacation. James speaks fluent Spanish so we were set.

Puerto Penasco is a fishing community that is being transformed into a vacation hotspot for gringos. Apparently it has been a spring break location for the college crowd from Phoenix, Tucson, etc. for some time. I can’t tell you how large a community it is. It is sprawled out along the water. Like so many other places big money is buying up prime property and building condo’s resort hotels, eating spots and shopping areas and people are coming.

For a number of years when we lived in Wisconsin I would take my family to Florida during Christmas or Easter break. It was a hard two day drive but then we were in the sun and next to the ocean. Since moving to the high desert here in Las Cruces where the Rio Grande is dry part of the year (irrigation dams siphon it off) we've had the sun but we haven’t been around water and we dearly miss it. For us the south Texas gulf coast is a 12 hour drive east. The San Diego area is 10 to 12 hours west. So when I heard about Puerto Penasco I wanted to see it for myself.

Well the weather was perfect with blue skies and warm breezes.

Thursday night we ate a great seafood late dinner in an open-air restaurant not far from our accommodations. At sunrise Friday morning we were walking the beach which was 75 yards away. After picking up a few shells and generally just relaxing we got ready to see the town.

James drove us to see some developing areas ($350,000 condo’s), the coast line from a different perspective and then to some local shopping areas. It was a bit of a contrast. Everywhere we went the people were warm, friendly and helpful if needed. I didn’t feel ill at ease at all. We rented ATV’s for an hour and scooted around sand dunes in the area. Then we toured a great looking hotel to see what it would be like. Rooms there are only $80 a night. We went on an evening harbor cruise with 40 of “our closest friends” and finally got home mid evening. It was a full day.

Saturday we went shopping again, found a great open-air bbq chicken place to eat and then headed for home.

I wish Cindy could have been with us but it was Symphony weekend so she was working. I know she will enjoy it and we go there sometime. At Christmas I am taking my family (Laura & BJ and Matt) to San Carlos, Mexico which is about the same distance from Las Cruces as Puerto Penasco.