Puerto Penasco Mexico

Affectionately called Rocky Point by the thousands of Arizona residents who use it as their beach, the sleepy fishing village is awakening.

This tiny fishing village of Puerto Penasco Mexico, sits on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Cortez. It’s a magical place, where desolate desert surprisingly meets azure waters and deserted beaches.

Puerto Penasco, Mexico one of the few places on earth where you can watch the sun rise and set over the same sea.

Just 68 miles south of the Arizona boarder, it’s a quick getaway on Highway 8, a paved two-lane road with a wide shoulder.

Getting to Puerto Penasco

Driving into the Puerto Penasco area, don’t expect to see water or beaches—yet. Don't forget to check on auto insurance. Mexican auto insurance is a must. Some American auto insurance companies will cover your car for a certain number of miles into Mexico. Some auto insurance won't cover you at all. Short term car insurance is available in the border towns. Discount auto insurance is more likely available in Tucson or Yuma.

As you approach Puerto Penasco, you can turn west to Sandy Beach, where high-rise resort construction dots the skyline north of town. Or, continue into town and go into the old, original village where the tourist area hosts restaurants and shops—here will be your first glimpse of the Sea of Cortez. Dirt roads are being paved and new sewer lines were installed in the Spring of 2006, but it’s still a dusty area of just a few blocks with a short malecon (boardwalk) and an impressive statue honoring the shrimp fishermen, which is the livelihood of the village.

Alternatively, before you get to the tiny old town area, turn east to reach the long, south-facing shore which is home to hundreds of beach homes and after 20 miles, the Mayan Palace. Again, you won’t see azure blue waters yet. You’ll feel like you’re trekking across one of the most desolate places on earth where there’s so little rain that vegetation can barely hang on. To access any of the beaches, you must turn off the paved road and take one of the wide, well-maintained dirt roads a couple of miles south. Then you’ll climb the rise of sand dunes to be rewarded with the beach and sea at your feet.

The houses all along this 20-mile section of Mexico real estate, operate on solar power, some with generators, and water is trucked in to fill gravity-fed cisterns. There are no phone or cable TV lines, and cell phones don’t work, so you feel like you have truly gotten away from it all.

This lack of utilities has kept development from running rampant making for deserted beaches—one rarely sees another person on this wide, endless stretch of sand and shells. There are however, two high-rises under construction during the spring of 2006 with more scheduled to break ground and properties in and around the Rocky Point / Puerto Penasco area are already selling rapidly.