Snowbird 101: Great first trip to Mexico -- Puerto Penasco

You're ready to try a trip into Mexico.  You're right on the border in Organ Pipe Cactus NM, why not for it!

Head out of the National Monument campground and turn right.  Five miles to the Border Crossing in Lukeville, you're on your way.  Oh, don't forget to take your passport.  Stop at the Quickstop in Lukeville to buy Mexican auto insurance if you haven't already purchased a policy.  Follow the signs through Sonoyta for Puerto Penasco and you've got it made.

Follow Mx Highway 8 through Sonoyta watching for signs directing you to Puerto Penasco.  You will make a left at the intersection with Mexico 2 and a right onto Mexico 8 a block later then straight ahead to Puerto Penasco.

Approaching the border crossing into Sonoyta.

The crossing at Lukeville is pretty hit or miss.  Typically you will be asked if you have anything to declare.  Unless you are a professional exporter with resale goods, you will have nothing to declare.  Chances are you be waved through without stopping.  I have a cover over the bed of my pickup and if I get stopped, it will be to open the cover to show what is in the bed.  I have yet to have Mexico Customs ask to inspect the inside of our trailer.

Gas is no longer the bargain in Mexico it once was.  I recommend filling up in Lukeville if you need gas.  If you drive a diesel truck, be sure to bring ample DEP, it is not easy to find below the border.  As of 6/18/2018 regular gas is just over 20 pesos/liter.  That is ~ $3.75/gallon.  On the same day, at the Lukeville Gastrak you would pay $3.48/gallon.

Puerto Penasco is 60 miles from Lukeville, an easy one hour drive.  It is a good road, built by the American war effort during the early stages of WWII.  Concern over a Japanese submarine blockade of west coast ports resulted in picking Puerto Penasco as a potential supply base for incoming/outgoing goods to our allies/forward bases in the South Pacific and ANZA.  This map shows PP's proximity to Tucson and Phoenix.

Arizonans refer to Puerto Penasco as Rocky Point, the rock outcrop at the upper left.  There is a sizable America ex-pat community out there that dates back to the 1920s and includes such colorful residents as Al Capone in the day.  

Enjoying the fine food and views from La Casa del Capitan on the bluff overlooking the harbor and Bahia Penasco.

The background "Sandy Beach" is home to high rise condos (and some derelict building projects victims of the 2009 real estate crash) and three of the four beach front RV parks.

We like to stay at the simple beach front camp "Concha del Mar."  For $12/day you get a parking place close to the beach (if you want front line plan to arrive in October or early November) access to reasonable bathrooms/shower rooms and 24 hr. security.  For small fees the proprietors will empty your holding tanks, refill your fresh water or arrange for any number of other services at ridiculously affordable Mexican labor rates. 

This is what you became a Snowbird for -- warm winter days, plenty of sand and sun and a life-time supply of Canadians (many bitching about the price of oil).

You'll wonder why didn't I do this sooner.

The Concha del Mar "parking lot" is really very haphazard.

In our many stays we have at best had a "peek-a-boo" view of the water.

Next door to Concha del Mar is Play Bonita, a much more regulated and more 'high-brow' RV park.  Full hook ups run $25/day with weekly and monthly rates priced accordingly.

Playa del Oro is on the south side of town seems fairly laid back with a very nice beach.  The Canadians were swimming in the ocean the day we investigated, even though it was only 70 degrees and the water temp in the 60s.

There are many long-term resident Snowbirds in Playa del Oro testifying to its chummy vibe.  Rates are similar to Playa Bonita.

Way out towards the tip of Rocky Point lies the newest RV camp, "The Reef."  You get a little more exposure to the ocean, less crowding, but at the cost of being far from town.  There are two Cantinas next-door so you are not totally withdrawn from civilization.  Prices similar to Bonita and del Oro.  A Cruise Ship dock is going in next door, so it remains to be seen how that will impact the currently peaceful, wide open beach setting.

Winter 2018 saw several front roll through Puerto Penasco.  Mostly just stirred up the sand.  Here we and our friends Cathy and Andy Graetz from British Columbia are trying to block the wind with our trucks.

Snowbirds should not have to put up with more than two or three days of unpleasant weather, after all we didn't come here to sit in our trailers and read books...

We heard lots of good things about San Carlos, near Guaymas, from travelers along the way.  Question was what were the roads like between Puerto Penasco and San Carlos.  Since nobody could get accurate information about the state of Highway 3 from Puerto Penasco to San Carlos fellow Snowbirds at Concha del Mar were going to go miles out of their way to backtrack to Santa
Ana to pick up the toll road south towards Guaymas.  We decided to chance it and take Highway 3 on the word of a couple locals who said the road was in good shape.  Heck, if it has pavement what is the problem?

It wasn't the worst road I've ever been on.  One stretch was under construction with no signage to tell you which fork in the road to take.  One section between Puerto Libertad and El Panuelito had potholes big enough to blow a tire or two.

But it did pass through some incredibly beautiful coastal scenery.  One little fishing village, Puerto de Lobos looked especially deserving of a repeat visit.