Puerto Peñasco travel guide

Once upon a time, Puerto Peñasco was no more than a middle-of-nowhere fishing village. It has blossomed in recent years to become an overpriced resort replete with high-rise condos and luxury hotels. As with much of the Pacific coast, the pace of development has been astonishing. Visitors usually fall into two widely divergent categories: beach-starved Arizonans and young gringos out to exploit lax liquor laws (expect a healthy array of beer-drenched, North American-style bars – some tackier than others); and retirees and ‘snow birds’ from further north seeking to escape the US and Canadian winters. As a result, the town has an unsightly blend of resort hotels cheek and jowl with RV parks and campgrounds, many overlooking the beautiful, desert-backed beaches – the best of which are La Choya and Las Conchas to the west of town .

Fishing (especially for marlin sole, and yellowtail), diving and sailing are possible popular and best arranged at the old port. Watersports, such as surfing, snorkelling, windsurfing and jet skiing, are also immensely popular.

The Centro Intercultural de Estudios de Desiertos y Océanos (CEDO) (Las Conchas residential zone (stop at guardhouse at property entrance), T638-382 0113, www.cedointer cultural.org, Mon-Sat 0900-1700) has a wealth of information on local wildlife (rapidly diminishing thanks to unsympathetic construction projects). It runs excellent, informative tours of the region’s natural highlights, including to El Pinacate biosphere reserve.