Puerto Peñasco
Puerto Peñasco is a beach city in the northwestern corner of the state of Sonora in Mexico on the shores of the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California), about 112 km (70 miles) south of the border with Arizona. Puerto Peñasco, also known as Rocky Point, is one of the fastest growing tourist centers of northern Mexico; from 1995 to 2020, the population grew from 27,000 to 63,000, which includes many American and Canadian expats.
The story goes that Al Capone put Puerto Peñasco in the map. During prohibition, he supposedly used the village as a transfer point for liquor to his USA organization. The word in the streets say that he drilled the first water well, constructed a landing strip, and also he frequented the first solid structure building, nowadays known as “Posada La Roca”, the 8-room hotel down at the Old Port.
Puerto Penasco is in the same time zone as Phoenix/Tucson, Arizona, and observes the same rules for Daylight Saving Time as Arizona (that is to say, it is not observed).
The border crossing at Lukeville, Arizona is open from 06:00 to 00:00, daily.
The currency of México is the Mexican peso. The local merchants will typically accept US dollars at the going rate. ATMs are available around town that will allow you to use your US-based bank card and receive Mexican pesos, typically at a more favorable rate than from merchants.
