Puerto Penasco, Mexico: Missing Rocky Point

The road to Rocky Point flows smooth and easy.

Soon…sip cerveza, feast on fresh shrimp and gaze at amazing sunsets over the Sea of Cortez…almost by yourself.

“The US Government is mad at Mexico,” a gringo from Prescott, AZ says. “All that news about this place being dangerous is simply not true. That police captain was killed over three years ago, and they make it sound like it happened yesterday.”

The lack of crowds moseying around the Malecon feels eerie. Several years ago, consumers filled the fish markets, shops and restaruants. Most folks from the US are reluctant to visit and they are missing out.

Fresh caught humongous shrimp sell for seven dollars per pound. Fresh flounder and halibut cost only four dollars per pound. Clams, oysters, squid and octopus chime in for even less. “We miss the Americans,” Marcos, a fish dealer, says. “Not just the money, but they are nice and like to have fun. They appreciate the beauty and simple life that is Mexico.”

Walk along miles of barren beach, explore tide pools and watch pelicans and other seabirds dive into the sea. An occasional vender may approach, but the days of high-pressure sales have developed into a simple inquiry, followed by your “No gracias” that ends with a respectful smile.

Mare and I walk the shore while shrimp boats bob in the water. Along the way to Cholla Bay, deserted RV parks await resurgence, and houses appear abandoned. High-rise condos sit idle. Back during the housing boom, resorts and condos sprung up like palm trees. “Now’s the time to buy,” says Johnnie, a real estate agent. “I paid $219,000 for my 2-bedroom  oceanfront and now the same one sells for about $119,000.”

We walk 12 miles and around the barren point of Mummy Mountain. Two men linger ahead, suspiciously. “I think that they’re gutting a deer,” I say to Mare. She says that there are no deer here. Turns out, they are surveyors, mapping ground for the next resort. See what propagands paranoia can do to our thoughts?

Some folks still come, though. Birds migrate to this warmer weather, along with Canadians who flock to the sea, immune to negative hype. They are rewarded with serene paradise and excellent food…Chile rellenos, chorizo, beans and rice and fresh tortillas come to our table but cannot last long enough for a photo. (Sorry)

Rethink a visit to Rocky Point. You can still rent ATV’s to ride through the dunes, or charter a boat to explore and fish.

Shop the eclectic marketplaces, where prices have not been lower in years. Most of all, relax and immerse in the casual beach atmosphere that is uniquely Rocky Point. Give it another chance. You’ll be glad that you didn’t miss out. We were. Ron Mitchell

For hotel or resort vacation rentals, you may want to check out;  https://www.seasidemexico.com/Rockypoint/ 

Rocky Point VenturesRocky Point Puerto Penasco Mexico (puertopenascojoe.wordpress.com)