Mexico 2012 RV Trip - Day 90 - March 25, 2012 Puerto Peñasco

Puerto Peñasco is a small fishing village situated on a rocky outcrop next to the Sea of Cortez. This is in the northwest region of the state of Sonora, Mexico. It is only about 62 miles south of the Arizona border. There are lots of “Norte-Americanos” living in Puerto Peñasco. There are several RV parks here and with all the sand dunes around this area, driving ATVs is a very popular activity.

The shortage of fresh water in this area kept permanent settlements at bay until the 1920s. Railroad construction that connected the Baja of California with the rest of Mexico led to a permanent town being developed. Prior to 1920, the bay was a safe harbor for wandering fisherman working the northern waters of the Sea of Cortez. Fishing and shrimping are two of the major industries of the area even today. Tourism also plays a major role in the local economy.

Today we took a taxi to the malecon. This is all new since we were here eight years ago, and it was quite nice. We browsed the shops and fish markets. We were approached to visit a timeshare presentation, and because the weather was cool and windy, we decided to go. After the presentation we received 5kg of fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined, and ready to cook. Yummy, but certainly not a large gift. On the way back to town our driver was telling us that he takes his wife on vacation to other Mexican cities and they visit several time shares and come home with more money than they leave with!

In town we saw this group of musicians with their homemade instruments entertaining a large crowd on the malecon. We have seen homemade drums before, but never a homemade tuba! Further down the street a group of  traditional musicians were performing for the people on the street.

We returned to the RV and the fellows we hired to wash and wax it were finished. It was $430 pesos ($33.75USD) and they provided the wax! It looks great and we will be ready for our trip back to the States tomorrow.

We have had a great time and we are both glad we did the trip, however, we are missing family, friends, and our dog. Once we get back, we will do a final wrap up of expenses, and a map showing all of the overnight stops, so stay tuned. Tomorrow we will cross the border at Sonoyta/Lukeville and head up to Scottsdale.

GPS 31.31636°N, 113.55336°W