Puerto Penasco, Mexico (Rocky Point) (hotel, house, buy, college)
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Nope. My preference is San Diego (6 hour drive), though I know a lot of folks who swear by Rocky Point, because it's less hours to drive . . . . It depends on what you're looking for in a coastal experience, as to whether Rocky Point is for you or not. It is its own world and its own experience. Fishing is good and cheap, especially if you appreciate the local fishermen's experience and guides.
I stress out over getting back into the states - and I stress out over the car insurance/car vandalism theft issues in Rocky Point - just takes the fun out of my fun there. I just head west to SanDiego and easily find a small, quiet beach with nobody else on it. . . and don't have to worry about crossing the border, etc.
I stress out over getting back into the states - and I stress out over the car insurance/car vandalism theft issues in Rocky Point - just takes the fun out of my fun there. I just head west to SanDiego and easily find a small, quiet beach with nobody else on it. . . and don't have to worry about crossing the border, etc.
I'm with you, Idaho . . .
Rocky Point is beautiful and has many positives but the crime, especially but not limited to the vehicle crime, forces it way down on my list of places to visit. Being a victim of crime has a way of ruining an otherwise perfect vacation.
Bottom line: Crime is everywhere but why go looking for it?
I stress out over getting back into the states - and I stress out over the car insurance/car vandalism theft issues in Rocky Point - just takes the fun out of my fun there. I just head west to SanDiego and easily find a small, quiet beach with nobody else on it. . . and don't have to worry about crossing the border, etc.
I agree-- I'd rather go to San Diego than drive into Mexico any day. Rocky Point is loaded with drunk college students from ASU and UA. I'll pass-- and I'm an ASU student myself! Keep in mind though, you'll get stopped by the border patrol at checkpoints on I-8 and be asked "what country you have residence in?" When you go through Yuma and El Centro, with freeway exit signs listing "Mexico," it almost feels like you're in Mexico!
We've been. The beach is incredible - the San Diego beaches pale in comparison. And the drunk college kids weren't an issue for us. We rented a house right on the beach in a "gated" community, and I use the term gated lightly b/c it consisted of a gate house staffed by a guy who never glanced at us as we drove by. But it was off the beaten path - no bars and drunken kids nearby, very quiet and very relaxing. We REALLY loved it. That last time we rented a beach house in San Diego, the house next to us was crammed full of drunken obnoxious college students. It was terrible. You can get them anywhere.
That said, aside from the beach there's not much to do with young kids in Rocky Point. 3 days is about the max amount of time we'd go for b/c the kids start getting bored. In San Diego, there's a ton to do with kids. If it's just adults though, and you love relaxing on a quiet, gorgeous beach, I could see spending a week there. The town of Rocky Point has many restaurants and shops too.
Just bring LOTS of water if you rent a beach house. They don't guarantee you'll have running water and you obviously shouldn't drink the tap water.
They have a bunch of new high rise condo towers too, staffed with English speaking doctors and closer to town. The area around town is very Americanized, though there are definitely many areas that are a bit sketchy.
Just bring your passports and use your head and make the drive during daylight and you should be fine. Really - the beach we've stayed on is incredibly gorgeous and is well worth the trip.
what do you do when you go to Mexico? a special short term policy to cover you while your out of the country? is that expensive? anyone whos gone, whats it like crossing back over the border? thanks
what do you do when you go to Mexico? a special short term policy to cover you while your out of the country? is that expensive? anyone whos gone, whats it like crossing back over the border? thanks
First, I have to fully disclose that I have lived in and visited all over Mexico, including Rocky Point, and I am biased. Rocky Point is my least favorite place in all of Mexico, for many reasons. Beauty being in the eye of the beholder, to me the only thing pretty in Rocky Point is the beaches; otherwise I find it unattractive with little to recommend it.
Having said that, if I lived in Phoenix and had never been anywhere else in Mexico, then Rocky Point might seem wonderful by comparison. Primarily because it's the closest beach.
Getting to and from there is a snap, particularly if you hit the border early in the morning. You must have Mexican auto insurance, and that can be purchased in several places as you approach the border. Ajo is a good enough place to do that (try Sanborn's), or you can do it in Why as well. You can buy enough for the weekend or to cover you for a whole year. It isn't expensive.
At the border in Lukeville there is a stoplight thingy. When you pull up to it, if it flashes green you are generally waved right through. If it flashes red you will be asked to pull over to the left, where a courteous Mexican border guy will ask where you're going, ask to look in your trunk to make sure you aren't smuggling drugs or guns in, then wave you on your way. It is usually a cursory thing that doesn't take more than a couple of minutes.
It's an easy drive from there to Rocky Point, but be alert. There are drunk drivers on the road, and Americans especially tend to speed both coming and going, passing on curves, etc.-- while they're consuming vast quantities of beer. I swear, once they cross the border they leave their brains behind. Especially on weekends, there are often accidents on the road.
Coming back, you'll have the best experience if you leave RP well before 10 a.m. If you wait much longer than that (especially on weekends) you will have traffic in front of you and the wait at the border will be longer. If an experienced crew is on the American side, they'll size you up quickly and pass you through. Most of the time they don't even ask for ID. But if you get a younger, less experienced guy guarding the security of the United States, well-- sometimes they can be a pain in the you know what. Especially if you're a man without your family in the car, or if you look vaguely Hispanic. Just be courteous, and you'll usually be through in short order.
Maybe you'll be one of those who falls in love with the place, maybe not-- but regardless do have a good time!
Last edited by Baja Boomer; 07-22-2007 at 05:20 AM..
Reason: spelling
Our experience was just so-so. The prices for lodging and food are adjusted for tourists. In other words, if you think tht you will get cheap lodging and meals, forget it. We stayed in a hotel on the Sea of Cortez, famous for its sea life, fishing, etc. When we ordered seafood in the restaurant we paid as much as in the US. In the summer the heat is unbearable, you just sit and sweat. The water in the Sea of Cortez is so warm that going completly under is nauseating, not refreashing at all. The pool at the hotel was also too warm to swim in. The sewer covers in the street are first covered with heavy plastic and then the metal grate is dropped over it because the smell is so bad. For us, it was something to see once. San Diego is a better place if you want to stay near an ocean. We won't go back to Rocky Point.
I go 1-2 times a month during Spring Summer. Girlfriends parents have house down there!!
If you have time, go. Its only a 3-4 hour drive, everything is cheap, you can buy lots of cool stuff, or just kick it on the beach and drink a few beers. There is alot of bars and clubs and stuff in town, but the cops in town are *******s, the house we go to is about 17 miles out of town, its so nice, no little kids on the beach trying to sell you stuff, no annoying people on quads riding 6 inches from your head, its amazing.
Rocky Point is awesome, but I have to agree with other posters, there is much better places to visit in mexico. I personally love the Cozumel area.
Seems like most people are Arizonans on here. As a current Arizonan I much prefer going to Mazatlan when it's not hot it's like 9 hours away but blows Rocky point right out of the water. A lot more developed resorts the nightlife is extremely better the 'malecon' is huge and beautiful and the local women are the best looking in Mexico. If you still can only make a decision from Rocky Point and San Diego well it depends on what you want (I go to Rocky a lot as well). Do you want Mexican cocktails and seafood with cheap beers/micheladas, margaritas and tacos and drive your dirtbike/quad around the whole city? Or do you want want a huge expensive city to visit seaworld, legoland, SD Zoo, Balboa Park, legoland, surf the beaches and go the Gaslamp and Pacific Beach for nightlife? Near San Diego you also have Rosarito Beach and Ensenada with a similar college atmosphere like Rocky Point.
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special insurance?
Especially on weekends, there are often accidents on the road.
