So you cant make it to Rocky Point right now and you want to go for a walk down the beach, what do you do? Well just hit the play button below, close your eyes and go for a 2 minute beach walk down the mirador.

 

Directions to Rocky Point

 Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico

Rocky Point is located on the North West coast of the Sea of Cortez in Northern Sonora, Mexico. Just 60 miles south of the Lukeville, Arizona / Sonoyta, Mexico border crossing

Driving to Rocky Point

From Phoenix:

1. Take the I-10 West to the end of town (Buckeye Area)
2. Take Hwy.85 South to Gila Bend (same exit as I-8 to San Diego)
3. At the end of Gila Bend you will see a McDonald's, right before the Mc Donald's turn right on to the continuation of Hwy.85 South.
4. Follow Hwy.85 straight into Mexico. 
5. In Sonoyta, just follow the signs overhead that point to Pto. Peñasco (that is Puerto Peñasco abbreviated).
6. You now have about 60 more miles until you get there

Phoenix South East Valley:

1. Take I-10 East to Maricopa Rd. If you miss it Queen Creek Rd Hwy.347 will do (they end up the same road.) Head South on Maricopa (347).
2. Travel about 10 Miles & look for Hwy. 238 West. (Mile Post 175).
3. Travel West on Hwy. 238 for about an hour until you get to Hwy. 85 outside of Gila Bend. Turn left heading West into Gila Bend.
4. At the end of Gila Bend you will see a Mc Donald's, right before the Mc Donald's turn right on to the continuation of Hwy.85 South.
5. Follow Hwy.85 straight through into Mexico. 
6. In the town of  Sonoyta, just follow the signs overhead that point to Pto. Peñasco (that is Puerto Peñasco abbreviated).
7. You now have about 60 more miles until you get there.

Tucson:

1. Take the I-10 to I-19 South. You will only be on I-19 for about a mile, then exit onto Ajo highway (also known as Hwy.86).
2. Take Hwy.86 West for about 2 & 1/2 hours until you get to a town called Why.
3. At Why take a left, heading South on Hwy.85 to the border town of Lukeville. 
4. Follow Hwy.85 straight through into Mexico.
5. Drive through the town of Sonoyta following the signs overhead that point to Pto. Peñasco.
6. You now have about 60 more miles until you get there.

Hi                                    Hola
Good Morning                     Buenos Dias
Good Evening                     Buenos Tardes
How Are You                     Como Estas
Good                                Bien
Good Night                        Buenas noches
Good Bye                          Adios
Thank You                        Gracias



Help & Directions:

Can I Help You?                       Podria Ayudarse?
Where is the bathroom?            Donde Esta El Bano
How much is this?                    Cuanto Vale/Cuesta Eso?
Excuse Me                              Perdone/Oiga!


Personal Info:

Do You Speak (English/ Spanish)?         Hablas (Inglés/ Español)?
What's Your Name?                          Cómo te llamas?
My Name Is ….                                Me llamo ...
Nice To Meet You                             Tanto Gusto! / Medio Gusto Conocerte!



Yes/ No                                       Sí/ No
Today/ Now                                 Hoy/ Ahora
Tomorrow/ Yesterday                    Mañana/ Ayer
Good/ Bad                                   Bueno/ Malo
Big/ Small                                     Grande/ Pequeño
Look!                                           Mira!
In The Morning/ Evening/ At Night.    Por La Mañana/ Tarde/ Noche.
Do You Like It?                              Te Gusta? Te Encanta?
Hurry Up!                                      Date Prisa!
What Time Is It?                            Qué Hora Es?
What? Where?                                Qué? Dónde?
One, Two, Three                             Uno, Dos, Tres
Four, Five, Six                                 Cuatro, Cinco, Seis
Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten                     Siete, Ocho, Nueve, Diez

Puerto Penasco, also known as Rocky Point, is a small city near the top of the Sea of Cortez in the state of Sonora Mexico. Relaxed, friendly, unhurried and tolerant it's a live and let live kind of place, with a "no worries" kind of atmosphere. A mere 65 miles or so south of the Arizona/Mexico border at Lukeville, and only a 4-hour drive from Phoenix and Tucson, Arizonans in particular have thought of it as their own slice of heaven for decades.

 

Puerto Penasco is located within the Sonoran Desert, a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest deserts in North America, with an area of 311,000 square kilometres (120,000 sq mi). The desert contains a variety of unique plants and animals.

 

This bustling community has a well established infrastructure; a growing year-round gringo population (many of them retirees); miles of swimmable beaches; reliable Internet service; cell phone service; satellite TV; excellent fishing, diving and boating opportunities; golf courses; great restaurants; affordable real estate (getting more affordable all the time due to the impact of the global economic crisis), and the added bonus of being within easy driving distance from many of the Western states in the USA.

 

The greater Puerto Penasco municipality kind of grew "organically", without much of a

plan during most of its relatively short existence (the city is less than 100 years old). For much of its life it existed primarily as a fishing/shrimping village, with several periods of boom and bust throughout the years.

 

As Arizonans began to discover its charms as a beach and fishing destination, casual "Gringo" enclaves began to develop, first at Cholla Bay to the northwest of town where aficionados were building very basic "vacation homes" and then at other spots as well. (The picture here was scanned from a 1964 Arizona Highways magazine, showing Cholla Bay) Most gringos who came to fish, party and relax simply camped on the beaches. By the time the late 1980s rolled around, when the shrimping industry collapsed, the town was seeing more than 200,000 tourists per year, and the development of beach homes, R.V. parks and tourist zones quickly followed. The attraction was, as it still is, all about the miles of beaches and and the deep blue natural aquarium called the Sea of Cortez.

 

But the real impetus for development started after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington D.C., when people were afraid to fly and drive-to destinations like Puerto Penasco began to capture their attention. Nearly simultaneously came the beginning of the real estate bubble in the USA, with real estate prices in Arizona and California soaring out of control. For a few years the price of oceanfront real estate in Rocky Point looked very good in comparison, and a glut of upscale condo developments began to be marketed primarily to residents of Phoenix and Tucson, but also further afield (all the way into Canada!). Prices during those years rose unrealistically in tandem with the US market, forming a complementary bubble in Rocky Point.

 

Once the collapse of the market in the USA reached Rocky Point, many of the planned real estate projects were subsequently either put on hold or collapsed entirely, in many cases leaving investors high and dry. It remains to be seen what will happen once the world's economies begin to stabilize.

 

 

Development of the area lies in a general northwest to southeast direction, following the curve of the land, but note that the land in the immediate area actually curves in a more west to east direction (slightly north/south) so beaches are often described as being either west or east of town. In fact, from some locations you can watch the sun both rise and set over the Sea of Cortez.

 

To the actual north of town are the planned communities of Laguna Shores and Laguna del Mar (both developments currently on hold), with La Cholla (aka La Choya) just to their south. (La Cholla is where the land begins to curve to the east.) At the extreme south/east is La Jolla de Cortez (more commonly known as the Mayan Palace development), where the new international airport is located. Just past this area, around San Jorge, the land curves back in a more southerly direction again.

 

 

.The oldest parts of town are the Old Port area, also called The Malecon, and Playa Mirador (known locally just as "the Mirador"), which is where much of the restaurants and bars are found. Old Port, which sits beneath Whale Hill, has a fine new Plaza where town events are scheduled; it also has an excellent fish market and many restaurants and shops. The Mirador, kind of around the corner on the other side of Whale Hill, is considered the central part of town as far as entertainment goes. It is definitely the main focus area during Spring Break. But you will also find a well-developed residential area in the Mirador along with several planned condo/hotel/retail projects.

 

So far, the two major master planned communities in Puerto Penasco are Sandy Beach Resorts (just north/west of town and south/east of La Cholla), owned by Grupo SBR, and the aforementioned massive La Jolla de Cortez project, owned by Grupo Mayan/Grupo Vidanta, about 30 miles south/east on the La Pinta Estuary. Between La Jolla de Cortez and the city are several smaller communities, many of which have been quietly growing for at least two decades. The better known of those enclaves include Las Conchas and Playa Encanto, with plenty of small, independent infill in between and within the town itself, especially in the Playa Mirador area.

 

Puerto Penasco today is still a growing city. It is safe, friendly, quirky, funky AND fancy, laid back, fun, and though development has slowed dramatically for the time being it has the potential to become an outstanding destination for vacationers and retirees in its own right.

 

Come on down and look around. It may not be for everyone, but it might be for you...

 

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Grupo Vidanta Launches First International Airport in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico

Mar de Cortes International Airport Opens New Vacation Destination To U.S., Canada and the World

PUERTO PEÑASCO, Mexico, Nov.5, 2009 -- One of Mexico’s best kept secrets is about to be discovered. The first international airport in Puerto Peñasco, and the first completely privately built airport in Mexico, opens today for commercial service. Vacationers across America and Canada, and the rest of the world, will, for the first time, have quick and easy access to Sea of Cortez beaches, natural beauty, wildlife and recreational offerings that, until now, required long drives across desert and mountain terrain for most travelers.

Inaugural festivities are expected to be attended by Mexico’s president, Felipe Calderon, and other high officials as well as representatives from the tourism industry, including Grupo Vidanta, which is building the airport as well as several resort and residential developments in the region.

“The commencement of commercial air service to Puerto Penasco represents a milestone in the development of one of Mexico’s most exciting and now accessible tourism destinations,” said Fernando Antillon, Director of the Mar de Cortes International Airport. “We look forward to continued partnerships with the federal government, the State of Sonora and the private sector to develop this beautiful region along the incomparable Sea of Cortez for generations of new visitors.”

For decades, Puerto Peñasco has been known by residents of the Southwest as Rocky Point or even “Arizona’s Beach,” because of its proximity to Phoenix and Tucson, both three hours away by car. But inaccessibility – Los Angeles is eight hours away by road and air service has been limited to small aircraft – has kept the numbers of visitors low. Now, spearheaded by the Mar de Cortes (Sea of Cortez) International Airport, all that is changing as the Mexican government and the private sector make major investments in the region, building hotels, resorts, recreational facilities, several golf courses, homes and infrastructure. With the new airport, the destination will be less than an hour by air from Phoenix; less than two hours from Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Albuquerque.

Located 20 miles southwest of the city of Puerto Peñasco and approximately 60 miles from the U.S. border, the new airport is being built and will be operated by Operadora Aeroportuaria Golfo de Cortes, S.E. de C.V., a Grupo Vidanta company, which also built and operates the Mayan Palace in the destination and has developed tourism and resorts throughout Mexico. The airport code is PPE.

Commercial service will begin in November with fully functional airport and runway facilities and a modern, bright provisional terminal building, with completion of the entire airport project, including new terminal facilities, expected by 2012. Negotiations are currently underway for charter service from gateways in Canada and the U.S. as well as regional scheduled service from Phoenix, Arizona and Hermosillo, Mexico with such carriers as Aeromexico and US Airways. In the near future, additional scheduled and charter service is expected to provide access to Puerto Penasco from all over the world via major hubs such as Houston, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

The airport’s 1.55 mile concrete runway is currently capable of handling Boeing 737’s and 757’s and similar type aircraft. After a planned extension of approximately 1,500 feet, it will welcome Boeing 767’s or similar aircraft as well. Two taxiways can accommodate three aircraft on the aprons. L861 lighting on the runway, PAPI’s visual aids and wind cones ensure safe landings and take-offs. The airport actually operated for one week in 2007 to accommodate President Calderon’s aircraft on the occasion of the Mexico-USA Border Governors Conference held in Puerto Peñasco. At the time Calderon’s pilot described the new runway as “one of the best in the country.”

Known as “the world’s aquarium” and designated a World Heritage Site, the Sea of Cortez is renowned for its beaches, perfect weather, water sports, fishing and wildlife, including migrating whales and birds. Situated along the northern coastline, Puerto Peñasco, with its distinct character and charm, is undergoing dramatic growth. In 1998, the destination welcomed 1.2 million visitors; in 2008 it was discovered by 2.35 million but that number is expected to swell dramatically with the inauguration of air service and the ongoing completion of numerous four and five star resorts. Appealing to young, active vacationers, over 60 percent of visitors are between 31 and 50 years of age, with high income levels. As Grupo Vidanta and other companies develop luxury vacation home ownership opportunities in the region as well as additional resorts, the population is expected to more than double. Visitor accommodations by 2025 are expected to top 40,000, from the current 6,000 units.

As one of Latin America’s largest developers of luxury resorts and tourism facilities and infrastructure, Grupo Vidanta has 30,000 acres and seven miles of beachfront property to develop in Puerto Peñasco. The luxury vacation mega-plex planned by Grupo Vidanta is equivalent to approximately twice the area of Manhattan island; interconnecting 10,000 luxury vacation homes and 7,000 high-end hotel rooms from estuaries to ocean, by a system of canals to retail, entertainment and beach club centers throughout the complex. The company’s Mayan Palace Resort and Peninsula Golf, a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course, are already in operation, with two additional golf courses – by Nicklaus and Greg Norman – as well as other resorts, including The Grand Mayan, The Grand Bliss and Ocean Breeze are under construction. All facilities are expected to be completed in the next five years.

For more information, please visit www.grupovidanta.com

Contacts

M. Silver Associates
Carrie Hyman, 212-754-6500 ext. 225
carrie@msilver-pr.com
or
Maria Castro, 212-754-6500 ext. 245
mariac@msilver-pr.com

Press Release Source: Grupo Vidanta