Puerto Penasco and Cholla Bay

A Gulf Of California Fishing Port That Is The Beach Of Arizona And The US South West, With Wide Sandy Beaches, Huge Tides That Expose Tide Pools At Cholla Bay, Shrimp And Seafood, Sport Fishing And Sea Kayak Trips. The Pinacate Biosphere Reserve Lies Inland. Hot Summers And A Busy Spring Break Season · Puerto Penasco, Sonora

Puerto Penasco, known to Americans as Rocky Point, is a Gulf of California fishing port about 100 km south of the Lukeville and Sonoyta border crossing. It is the nearest sea beach for Arizona, so the town runs on weekend visitors, condos and seafood. The sand is wide and flat, the water is calm and warm in summer, and the tides are huge: at Cholla Bay, a few kilometres north-west, the sea pulls back and leaves tide pools full of crabs, snails and small fish. The Old Port has fish stalls, shrimp dishes and boats that take people out for sport fishing, sea-kayak trips and sunset cruises. The Pinacate volcanic reserve lies inland and is a separate excursion. It suits families, anglers and anyone who wants a short beach break by car, and it is worth the drive for a long weekend or the tide pools alone. It is not worth it in July and August, when heat reaches 40 C, or in March spring break, when crowds and noise take over. Check current Sonora travel advice before you go and drive by day.

Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point) and Cholla Bay on the northern Gulf of California, about 100 km south of the Arizona border at Lukeville; coordinates approximate, Puerto Penasco, Sonora, Mexico

Beaches and Cholla Bay are open at all hours and cost nothing to walk on, so the sand, the malecon and the tide pools are FREE to visit. The tide pools only show at low tide, so check a tide table before you set out. Fish stalls and restaurants in the Old Port usually open from late morning to evening, and many are CLOSED on weekday mornings in the low season. Fishing and kayak operators run mostly in the morning and need a booking; sunset cruises leave in the late afternoon. Confirm times and prices locally, because they shift with the season.

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