It’s no secret my wife and I love to travel. We have had our share in the six years we have been together and let me tell you we have very fond memories. Puerto Peñasco is not an exception, living up to all of my high expectations of the perfect Mexico vacation.
We weren’t 100% sure we were going to go at first. We had many reservations. First of all, neither my wife nor son had passports. Second of all, baby had never been in the car for more than 50 minutes (he hates the car seat remember?) And last but not least, the plans I had did not involve having my son with me all day and he’s never been away from me longer than three and a half hours. It’s especially problematic when he remains highly dependent on nursing to nap, go to sleep and STAY asleep. So here’s how it went…
First things first about fabulous Peñasco
Puerto Peñasco, also known as Rocky Point is a very popular tourist destination in the state of Sonora, Mexico. We call it Arizona’s beach due to such close proximity being less than a 3.5 hour ride from Phoenix! It is frequently visited due to it’s safe reputation, welcoming more than 1.1 million visitors from Arizona last year alone. It is also an award winning beach for being the largest certified cleanest beach in the country! Snorkeling, scuba diving, jet skiing, and kayaking is just a short trip away.
Getting to Rocky Point
The ride there was not too shabby at all. Our son watched Sesame Street videos for the first 50 minutes and fell asleep. Luckily it was nap time and he does not veer off his schedule. He remained asleep for another hour or so before waking up and wanting out of the car seat. At this point we had stopped to wait in line to cross the border to Mexico so I took him out to stretch his legs, give him a snack, and some juice. To my even bigger surprise he put no resistance getting back in the car seat to continue our journey. He watched the same four Sesame videos for the last 2 hours of the trip. Hence my mind was blown.
Arrival
We arrived straight to our hotel accommodations; Las Palomas Beach and Golf Resort. My first impression was how clean and elegant it appeared. My second impression was leaving the lobby on our way to our room. Right off the bat you could see the stunning blue ocean along with the most gentle, cool breeze caressing your whole body. “WOW…” I exclaimed. “This is where I belong…” My shock factor did not end there.
As we entered our condo, I again saw the gorgeous beach off our living room. This was home for the extended weekend! We stayed in a two bedroom condo with a fully stocked kitchen, a four seat dining table, a livingroom with leather reclining sofas, two bathrooms and a gigantic balcony accessible via living and master bedroom. I could have spent half the day there if I could. To envision drinking the most delicious cup of coffee in that balcony to the most magnificent sunrise is an understatement. And I wasn’t the only one impressed. Our son was thrilled. He just kept running back and forth pointing out to the ocean and we wasted no time! We headed immediately down to see the stunning property and that beach, just steps away…
A little while later I headed to El Malecón. El Malecón is a boardwalk, 1/4 of a mile long with breathtaking views of the Sea of Cortez. You will find many restaurants, bars, clothing shops, ice cream parlors, coffee shops all while enjoying often live music. My in-laws love to come here for the fresh sea food. It came highly recommended as a must to visit and I can see why now. Would love to return for fresh mariscos!
Afterwards we headed to a wine bar called El Tapeo Wine Bar where I got to enjoy live salsa! All while I enjoyed a cold sangria and the most delicious tapas and artisan cheeses. Did I tell you last time I had a sangria was my wedding? It was the most delicious one I have ever had. Did I also tell you, the last time I was out past 9 p.m. was when I was pregnant? Lol! Yes I’m serious. This mama, loved every minute of it. If you LOVE live music while dining, this is the place for you!
The adventure continues
The following day after a delicious buffet style breakfast at Citron inside our resort, we enjoyed the heck out of the pools and beach. I probably got about five shades darker. ???? Our son loved the kiddy pools! They had these whale and frog fountains he kept running to. My wife loved the lazy river and I, well it’s a toss-up between the infinity pool and the swim up bar. And let me tell you, they had the best micheladas! There were plenty of lounge chairs underneath straw umbrellas at the beach to relax in while your toddler plays with the sand next to you. Gosh I needed that. I grew up spending my weekends at beach front resorts and missed the heck of them!
After nap time and a quick shower, I headed for lunch at Puesta Del Sol restaurant where I enjoyed a delicious fresh salad, streak and shrimp. This restaurant is also beach front with al fresco dining available! I recommend trying their chocoflan, it’s exquisite!
After returning back to some more fun in the sun, we headed to have a beach side dinner at Hotel Peñasco Del Sol. It was just breath-taking. If you have never dined beach side, literally with your feet in the sand, I implore you plan it on your next vacation. Last time I had one was 3 years ago on our honeymoon. I tried for the first time a banderita shot proceeded by a strawberry margarita and the tastiest fish I have had in years!
Last day in the sun
A new day came with a bright and early visit to one most gorgeous property I have been to, The Mayan Palace & Golf Resort. Everywhere you walked through from the lobby to the outdoor and indoor pools to the ponds you felt like you were in paradise. One of my favorite amenities was a child center where kids have ample entertainment from kiddy pools to piñata-making classes to beds to nap in! I left seriously impressed. Afterwards I had the pleasure of going to one of the top 20 most interesting golfing courses in the world; Vidanta Golf. Now, I am not a golfer. I couldn’t begin to tell how to, lol, but that course was unbelievable! It made me want to learn to go back there again! Since I didn’t know how I settled for a glorious margarita there instead. ????
All that glorious sun brought on an appetite that was fulfilled for lunch at The Sonoran Sea Resort. I ate my hearts desire with traditional Mexican food y’all. From enchiladas to chimichangas
After more pool and beach fun, I headed to a sunset cruise! Between another margarita, music and being in the middle of the ocean I was so content. I sat and watched into the sunset with my hair pulled back by the wind. For a few seconds, I closed my eyes and was so thankful to be there.
I finished the day, having the most wonderful dinner at my hotel’s restaurant Citron. The dim lighting and live music set the mood right and the perfect way to end the trip with great conversations and delicious food.
Honestly a long weekend wasn’t enough! I could have spent an entire day dedicated to the multiple activities I enjoyed in one. I was glad my family and I escaped the Arizona heat and our son had a blast in his beloved water. My first trip to Puerto Peñasco blew all my expectations out of the water and more. With certainty, I cannot wait to return.
Oh and what happened to the passports you say? Consequently we paid for expedite, overnight and called every single day since filing to ensure they rushed it! They arrived at 10:30 a.m. the day we left! I know, I know we like living on the edge what can I say. ????
Love,
Angelica
*This post was sponsored by the Tourism & Convention Bureau of Rocky Point. The opinions of my experiences are 100% honest from my point of view.