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A good article in todays Arizona Daily Star newspaper sunday edition (tucson) about how Puerto Penasco is booming with Condos and Hotels and master planned subdivisions (5000 acres) etc going up quickly there. In 1994 its population was 20,000 and now its 65,000 and growing with rich americans and rich mexicans going to this port city on the Sea of Cortes in the state of Sonora. They also just started a 375 mile highway to California for more tourists from there. Its about 65 miles south of the Arizona border. Interesting article for those interested....
Is Puerto Penasco a fairly safe area for an American tourist?
We would like to drive down and spend about a week there. I am wondering if driving your own car across the border there is the best way? How about insurance - do you normally go through your own insurance company or do you buy insurance through Mexico once you cross the border?
It's safe and easy to get to. Its biggest draw is that it's within a 4 or 5 hour drive from Phoenix and Tucson, and Arizonans drive there regularly for weekends because it's the closest beach to those cities. And if you live in Phoenix, then PP probably does seem like paradise, though only to folks who've never been anywhere else along the Mexico coast. lol
You must have Mexican car insurance, but that is very easy to get. Stop at one of the places you'll see on the Arizona side of the border that specialize in it. You can't miss them, they're all over the place. Some are more expensive than others; you can shop around online via google for an idea of what you'll pay.
You will cross the border at the towns of Lukeville, AZ/Sonoyta, MX. There will be a traffic light kind of thing as you pull up; if the light turns green they will wave you through, if it turns red they will ask you to pull over to the left for an inspection. This is almost always very perfunctory. They may ask you where you're going, and usually want a quick look in your trunk to make sure you aren't bringing anything illegal into the country (like guns or drugs). Then they wave you on. Follow the signs to Puerto Penasco. Once you are through town and on the highway, it's easy sailing.
It's true the area has been booming, but the boom has slowed down mostly due to Arizona's real estate slump and the fact that currently PP is overbuilt in terms of condos. Last year was dead slow for real estate agents there (they won't likely tell you that, though). It seems that more people have bought for investment than for any idea of actually living there, and the town is dead dead dead during most of the week, year round.
I've spent quite a bit of time there and though it is far from being my favorite place in Mexico (it really is not pretty or charming at all once you look inland from the ocean), the BIG PLAN is rather astounding and 20 years from now it will be unrecognizable-- if they can solve the water problem.
I'm not at all sure that the coastal highway will bring the hordes of southern Californians that they hope for. The northern half of the Baja peninsula has been the playground for SoCal for many years and has so much more to offer in terms of weather, scenery, proximity and affordability than PP does. The new international airport will be more important in terms of broadening the demographic of tourists.
But that's way more info and opinion than you asked for, isn't it.
Thank you very much for your response! After reading about how unsafe some of the other border towns are I feel a lot better about driving to Puerto Penasco now.
Sounds like the area is growing quickly - hope the original charm isn't lost with all the new development.
It is a completely different place than it was just 5 years ago. It is still a big party town during Spring Break and can get rowdy on weekends, but it is not inexpensive any more (relatively speaking), and 20 years from now it will look like a Mexican version of Miami Beach all the way from north of Sandy Beach down past where the Mayan Palace is now.
But right now it is pretty much deserted during the week days, so you can get in some golf or sun yourself on the beach without being crowded. I hope you enjoy yourself!
Personally, I'm heading for San Carlos for some R&R as soon as Semana Santa is over. A bit more of a drive (320 miles from Tucson or about 5 hours from Nogales), but much more to my personal taste than PP in every way. Viva Mexico!
THANK YOU MEXICO FOR ROCKY POINT! I have spent many a summer or spring trip there and LOVE IT! When I lived in Phoenix it was a hop & a skip to paradise. Easy, took kids & what fun! We were NEVER threatened or mistreated. They thrive on our tourism. Watchout for sticky fingers there tho! The kids can snag sun glasses, bags etc from unwary tourists. Lock your car up. We tent beached it but now preferred renting a house for quieter times. Warm water. Enjoy!
Its biggest draw is that it's within a 4 or 5 hour drive from Phoenix and Tucson, and Arizonans drive there regularly for weekends because it's the closest beach to those cities. And if you live in Phoenix, then PP probably does seem like paradise, though only to folks who've never been anywhere else along the Mexico coast. lol
Exactly. It's certainly no paradise, but show me another beach within 4-5 hour drive...
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I'm not at all sure that the coastal highway will bring the hordes of southern Californians that they hope for. The northern half of the Baja peninsula has been the playground for SoCal for many years and has so much more to offer in terms of weather, scenery, proximity and affordability than PP does.
It very well might... Not that I'm looking forward to it. Ensenada is a nice town, but I never saw a beach. There may be one... Spent just a day there. Never stopped in Rosarito Beach, but I'd imagine the water is just as cold as in San Diego. It's on the ocean side and pretty close. San Felipe has an awful sea floor - I'd never seen mud before. That coupled with the strong tides leaves you with a lot of fun hours of walking in the mud. Not to mention the annoying ATVs all over the beach and in town (would hate to see it in Rocky Point). And you better not head to San Felipe on the days most Californians are leaving it if you value your life!
MEXICO CITY "” U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza (search) told Mexican leaders Wednesday he is concerned that growing drug-related violence and kidnappings on the border between the two countries will have a "chilling" effect on trade and tourism.
Garza's comments in a letter directed to Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez and federal Attorney Rafael Macedo de la Concha explained the motives behind a public announcement from the U.S. State Department to citizens thinking of traveling to the region.
The department on Wednesday alerted Americans visiting Mexico that violent crime, including murder and kidnapping, has increased in its northern border region. The alert attributed the increased crime to a war between criminal organizations struggling for control of the lucrative narcotics trade.
Crime and drug wars didn't kill off the boom...the housing crash in Arizona did. The plans developers had for PP and San Felipe were beyond ridiculous. I knew someone who bought into a pre-construction condo that seemed ridiculously overpriced; he bought into it sight unseen! Fortunately for him he only lost a 5% deposit since the building never got out of the dirt, he'd be at least 50% underwater if he actually had a unit.
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Yes, it's safe
