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Puerto Peñasco or Rocky Point is sometimes called Arizona’s Beach due to its proximity to major Arizona cities. A four-hour drive from Tucson or Phoenix or five and a half hours from San Diego, California, this small town on the eastern shore of the Sea of Cortez puts at your disposal beautiful beaches, charming islands, excellent fishing, and stunning natural landscapes on land. Here is a list of the top places to visit in Puerto Peñasco.
Enjoy its Beaches
One of the top things you can do in Puerto Peñasco is to enjoy golden sand beaches. Sandy Beach is the ideal beach for those who enjoy diving and admire the marine fauna of the region. Playa Bonita is another of the most popular beaches in Puerto Peñasco; here, you can rent umbrellas and enjoy delicious dishes and drinks. Playa Las Conchas is the ideal place for lovers of fishing and collecting shells. This is where you can enjoy marine species that can be discovered in pools formed naturally by the tide and rocks.
Tucson Beach is a small portion of beach with sand and many rocks; if you are lucky, you can appreciate a beautiful reef of 24 kilometers submerged in front of the bay when the tide goes out. Mirador Beach is where you will find the most night parties on the seashore due to the presence of a variety of bars and restaurants.
Water Sports and Golf
There are plenty of activities on the beaches of Puerto Peñasco, including snorkeling in the Sea of Cortez, where you can enjoy this activity and find beautiful species of fish on site. On the beach, you can rent your equipment if you’re not bringing your own. If your thing is not to dive under the sea, we recommend that you try paddleboarding, where you will have to test your balance and patience. Again, you can easily rent your gear on the beach and even sign up for a class or two if you’re a beginner in this challenging water sport. You can also go kayaking on a saltwater lagoon surrounded by breathtaking scenery, highlighted by the Golf Course designed by Jack Nicklaus at the Laguna Del Mar Club. It is easy to see why sports activities are popular in this picturesque, tranquil lagoon.
Biosphere El Pinacate
In Puerto Peñasco, you will find the El Pinacate Biosphere and the Great Altar Desert, named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. The site is formed by enormous fields of changing dunes (the largest in North America) and volcanic craters such as the Crater the Elegant. The Reserve has the highest concentration of “maar” type craters in the world; in addition to its volcanic shield, it has impressive lava flows, among many other natural wonders.
The Great Altar Desert is the largest active dune field in North America, where the unusual star dunes only exist in a few locations around the world. This reserve is part of the Sonoran Desert, considered the most biodiverse desert in the world. We recommend exploring this site with a local expert or guide for this desert adventure.
Explore San Jorge Island
San Jorge Island is an extraordinary place you must visit. Here you will have the opportunity to see sea lions very closely in their purest habitat. This archipelago is considered a Federal Reserve to preserve bird species and is the most important national breeding site for California’s sea lion.
The island is home to nearly a thousand species of fish. It is ideal for different activities such as fishing, diving, snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding. Plenty of boats offer tours that reach this place where they remain close, without being invasive, protecting the species that live there. Do not miss the opportunity to escape to this place and live the experience of this magical island.
Explore the Town Riding ATV
All around town, it is very common to transport yourself in ATVs, and all over the place, you will find different companies that rent these vehicles. ATVs are great for riding in town, but we also recommend you explore a little more and ride through the dunes of the desert; this experience will delight you. Some companies are dedicated to making these tours safely and at affordable prices. This is another of the fun things and activities you can do in Puerto Peñasco.
Rocky Point offers many surprises and is a region with many amazing things to do. From its exotic desert landscapes, crystalline azure waters to its magnificent beaches and stunning sunsets, this Mexican destination is worth a visit.
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