Puerto
Peñasco was founded in 1927 as a small settlement of fishermen. It is located on the
northwest part of the state in a volcanic and desertic zone. It's name comes from a rocky
point that submerges into the sea. In 1928 John Stone, named the place Rocky Point,
perforated a drinking water well and build the Marine Club (Hotel Peñasco).
History says that Al Capone stayed at this hotel many times when he visited the port.
General Lázaro Cárdenas, during a visit as President of
the Republic, change the name as Puerto Punta Peñasco. Cárdenas ordered the
construction of the highway that connects the city with Sonoita, 62 miles, in the border
with USA. Puerto Peñasco appears on Mexican maps since 1940, when the railroad to
Mexicali was built. This railroad now goes thru all Mexico.
The principal
attractions of Puerto Peñasco are the
wonderful and unspoiled beaches and the beauty of the Sea of Cortes. It has a mild dry
climate with temperatures averaging 77°F during July and
August - the rainy
season, while in December and January the thermometer registers a media of
52°F.
During
the first months of the year whales coming from cold waters come to
the Sea of Cortez
to mate and have their cachalotes.The coast line
of Puerto Peñasco offers this unique opportunity to whale watchers and
photographers.
A few miles from Puerto Peñasco, in the Altar desert, you will find the
ecological reserve of El Pinacate, with a landscape similar to the
moon: it's a zone with big craters of more than 1.5 miles of diameter and 400 ft deep.
Puerto Peñasco is a duty free zone
which allows foreign
tourists to easily bring and visit the zone with their vehicles, trailers and boats.
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How
to arrive:
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At
Sonoita, in the Federal
Highway #2 between San Luis Río Colorado
and Caborca, take the highway
to Puerto Peñasco (62 miles).
•
From
USA: Cross the border
at Lukeville, Arizona and take the highway to Puerto Peñasco (62 miles).
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Puerto Peñasco's Chamber of Commerce invites you to
visit this beautiful sea side city.
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