Puerto Peñasco

Travel Guide

Puerto Penasco showing general coastal views and street scenes
Puerto Penasco featuring a park
Puerto Peñasco featuring a coastal town and a bay or harbor
Mexico featuring a bay or harbor
Mexico which includes a coastal town, a sunset and a bay or harbor

Enjoy sunset cruises and watersports on crystal-clear waters, golf and a vibrant nightlife scene at Rocky Point, a popular beach resort in north Mexico.

Puerto Peñasco is major beach resort at the northern tip of Mexico’s Gulf of California (aka Sea of Cortez). The resort attracts visitors with an offer of attractive beaches, enticing water, sporting activities and nightlife. Puerto Peñasco started as a quiet fishing community and grew in popularity during the prohibition years of the 1920s and 1930s. Today, the close proximity to the Mexico-USA border makes it a favored destination of U.S. vacationers.

Start at the resort’s historic quarter, the Old Port. Stroll along the waterfront Malecón Kino, home to handicraft shops, pottery workshops, ice cream parlors and restaurants. Experience the vibrant activity of the Fish Market. Check out Posada la Roca, a hotel where Al Capone once stayed. Legend states that Capone used the city as a base for smuggling liquor across the border.

Stretching north around a curving bay from the Old Port are Puerto Peñasco’s main beaches, Sandy Beach and Playa Hermosa. Discover attractive strips of golden sand lined with beach bars, condo-style accommodation and large hotel resorts. Try kayaking, Jet Skiing, parasailing and snorkeling. Go deep-sea fishing, take a sunset cruise along the coast or visit Isla San Jorge, an island revered for its birdlife and sea lion colony.

Play a round of golf at courses such as the Jack Nicklaus-designed Peninsula De Cortes Golf Course. Enjoy guided nature walks and interactive science exhibits at the Intercultural Center for the Study of Deserts and Oceans. Visit El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve, a spectacular landscape of deserts, volcanic craters and mountains.

Puerto Peñasco is famous for its nightlife, too. The bars, cantinas and nightclubs on Calle Matamoros are favorite hangouts of the Spring Break crowd. Cholla Bay is another busy nightlife district.

Puerto Peñasco is about a 4-hour drive from both Phoenix and Tucson, in the U.S. state of Arizona. Get to the resort with a rented car or catch a bus from Hermosillo, Tijuana or the Arizonan cities. The combination of nature, recreation, entertainment and a balmy climate make Puerto Peñasco a great year-round destination.

Where to stay in Puerto Peñasco

Default Image

Sandy Beach

2/5(1 area review)

If you're spending some time in Sandy Beach, Bonita Beach and Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California are top sights worth seeing.

Sandy Beach
Default Image

Las Conchas

4.5/5(19 area reviews)

If you're spending some time in Las Conchas, Playa del Este and CEDO are top sights worth seeing.

Las Conchas
The sun gives the best goodbyes

Bella Vista

4/5(129 area reviews)

While there might not be top attractions in Bella Vista, you can explore the larger area and discover places like Mirador Beach and Plaza del Malecón.

Bella Vista
Default Image

Peñasco

While Peñasco isn't home to many top sights, La Madre Square and Mirador Beach are some notable places to visit nearby.

Peñasco
Default Image

Playa Encanto

Though Playa Encanto might not have many top sights, you can venture to the surrounding area to see attractions like Encanto Beach and Estero Morua.

Playa Encanto
Default Image

Benito Juárez

3/5(2 area reviews)

While visiting Benito Juárez, you might make a stop by sights like Mirador Beach and Playa del Este.

Benito Juárez
Peñasco del Sol
Peñasco del Sol
4.5 out of 5
Paseo de las Glorias No 1, Colonia Antigua Explanada, Puerto Peñasco, SON
$182 nightly
The price is $200 total per night from Jul 9 to Jul 10
$200 total
Jul 9 - Jul 10
Total includes taxes and fees
Stay at this 4.5-star luxury hotel in Puerto Peñasco. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms ...
8.2/10 Very Good! (1,008 reviews)
"The staff was great and attentive. We came for the 4th of July weekend and it exceeded our expectations. Will definitely be recommending to our friends and family."

Reviewed on Jul 7, 2025

Peñasco del Sol
Las Palomas Beach & Golf Resort
Las Palomas Beach & Golf Resort
4 out of 5
Blvd. Costero 150, Sandy Beach, Puerto Peñasco, SON
$232 nightly
The price is $258 total per night from Jul 9 to Jul 10
$258 total
Jul 9 - Jul 10
Total includes taxes and fees
Stay at this 4-star beach aparthotel in Puerto Peñasco. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and 2 outdoor pools. Our guests praise the pool and the helpful staff ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (3,046 reviews)
"Great for the price"

Reviewed on Jun 26, 2025

Las Palomas Beach & Golf Resort
Costa Elegante Hotel & Suites
Costa Elegante Hotel & Suites
2.5 out of 5
Calle Mariano Matamoros No. 10, Puerto Peñasco, SON
$67 nightly
The price is $74 total per night from Jul 9 to Jul 10
$74 total
Jul 9 - Jul 10
Total includes taxes and fees
Book a stay at this beach hotel in Puerto Peñasco. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and private pools. Popular attractions Mirador Beach and Plaza del Malecón ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (161 reviews)
"Todo muy limpio y los trabajadores muy amables"

Reviewed on Jul 1, 2025

Costa Elegante Hotel & Suites
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Las Palomas Beach & Golf Resort
Las Palomas Beach & Golf Resort
4 out of 5
Blvd. Costero 150, Sandy Beach, Puerto Peñasco, SON
Stay at this 4-star beach aparthotel in Puerto Peñasco. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and 2 outdoor pools. Our guests praise the pool and the helpful staff ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (3,046 reviews)
"Great for the price"

Reviewed on Jun 26, 2025

Las Palomas Beach & Golf Resort
Las Palomas 5-Star Resort
Las Palomas 5-Star Resort
2.5 out of 5
150 Blvd. Dr. Ernesto Guevara del Campo, Puerto Peñasco, Son.
Book a stay at this beach aparthotel in Puerto Peñasco. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and 7 outdoor pools. Popular attractions The Links Golf Course and Rodeo ...
8.2/10 Very Good! (33 reviews)
"This was my family‘s first time driving to los Palomas in Mexico, however, the accommodations, the dining options, the professional customer service, and the ease of getting around the facility, beach, and the entire grounds was seamless. The up-to-date and furnished condo was more than sufficient ..."

Reviewed on Jun 7, 2025

Las Palomas 5-Star Resort
Modern Linda Vista Condos
Modern Linda Vista Condos
3.5 out of 5
Camino A Las Conchas, Puerto Peñasco, SON
Stay at this 3.5-star beach condo in Puerto Peñasco. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and 3 outdoor pools. Popular attractions CEDO and Playa del Este are located ...
9/10 Wonderful! (50 reviews)
"Very nice kept condo. Nothing bad to say about our experience! Would definitely book again"

Reviewed on Jun 22, 2025

Modern Linda Vista Condos
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit

Reviews of Puerto Peñasco

4.4
Top Destination
5 - Excellent
238
5 - Excellent 53%
4 - Good
162
4 - Good 36%
3 - Okay
39
3 - Okay 9%
2 - Disappointing
6
2 - Disappointing 1%
1 - Terrible
6
1 - Terrible 1%

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler

We loved the lighthouse restaurant up on the mountain in Rocky Point.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

The shrimp, fish and oysters are great but we recommend taking a known weight to check their scales. Some are not accurate.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

I love traveling to Puerto Peñasco it’s close from Arizona

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler

Have your pesos ready (MXN). Expect to pay a lot for mix drinks at the Malecon. Also, Peñasco "promoters" every ten feet. Very annoying!

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

Beautifull

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler

Love going into the city to all the shops and to the good food the people Of the city Are wonderful and hustle

Cities near Puerto Peñasco