RVing in Mexico has been on our travel bucket list for a few years. And while an extended trip is still in the planning stage, I knew that I’d feel better easing in with a short “test run” first. Luckily, friends in Tucson tipped us off to a resort town just an hour south of the Arizona border where sun-seeking desert dwellers escape for a healthy boost of vitamin “sea” ... along with a margarita or two.
Time to expand our horizons (and my comfort zone) as we cross the border into Mexico to check out the sunny seaside town on the northern tip of the Sea of Cortez ... Puerto Peñasco, Senora.
Surprisingly, there are quite a few tasks to complete before driving across the border into Mexico. If you’re curious about what it takes to prep for a Mexican road trip, this section is for you. Otherwise, feel free to keep scrolling ... your stomach will eventually slam on the brakes when you hit the taco photos!
Mexican Auto Insurance
Since standard US auto insurance isn't valid in Mexico, all drivers are required to purchase a Mexican auto insurance policy to cover the time that they are in the country. At minimum, liability insurance is needed, but depending on your individual policy, you may also decide to purchase a full coverage policy. After checking with our insurance company, Progressive, we decided to get just liability which still cost about $90 for the ten days.
Copies of Important Documents
It's recommended that you carry two or three photocopies of your passport, vehicle title, driver's licence, car insurance, and vehicle registration. That way you can show the copies (instead of the originals) to officials at checkpoints.
Immigration Form for Mexico (FMM Form)
It's kind of complicated, but if you travel more than 20 kilometers from the border, you have to fill out an immigration form and pay a fee in order to spend up to 180 days as a tourist in Mexico. There's no fee if your stay is seven days or less, but you still need to fill out the FMM form. If you have ever flown from the US to Mexico, this fee is automatically added to the price of your plane ticket. But since we were driving in, we had to stop at the immigration office (INM) at the border to fill out the form, and then needed to walk to the nearby bank in order to pay our tourist fee of $46 each since we were staying ten days. After paying, we walked back to the INM office to get our form finalized and passports stamped. When we were leaving the country, we had to stop at the INM office before crossing the border into the US in order to officially "check out" of Mexico. I guess we could be fined if we forget this step. This all sounds "sorta" straight forward, but let's just say that it was a challenge.
Temporary Import Permit (TIP)
This is another fee that needs to be paid if you drive your vehicle into the Interior of Mexico. Happily, it's not needed if you are just going to be driving in the Senora and Baja districts, so we didn't have to try and figure out this process ... yet.
Mexican Money
Because we would be getting on a toll road, we needed to get some Mexican pesos in order to pay the tolls. One would think that they would have had an ATM at the bank where we paid our FMM fee, but no ... that would be too easy. Thankfully, Doug's Spanish came through once again, and we managed to find an ATM a block away in the corner of a small convenience store.
Impressions of Driving
The Mexican version of a "stop sign".
If only they were all this clear and easy to spot ...
Crossing the Borders
The actual border crossings went quite smoothly. The Mexican authorities glanced at our passports and looked in our van, but I suspect that they were just curious about our set-up. Coming back, the only thing that the US border officer asked us after looking at our passports was, "How was your Thanksgiving?" There were no questions about what we were bringing back (food, alcohol, etc) into the US.
Roads
When we crossed the border from Yuma, Arizona into San Luis, Mexico, we were all prepared for less than smooth roads. And while the roads were a bit bumpy and congested in San Luis, they got much better as we got further out of town. Our three hour drive to Puerto Peñasco took us along newly paved and fairly quiet stretches of highway.
Once we got to Puerto Peñasco, we didn't drive a lot, but when we did, we quickly learned to stay on the main roads as much as possible. Almost all side streets were unpaved and very narrow with a fair amount of garbage, low-hanging branches, and dogs to dodge.
On our way back into the US, we had just an hour drive to the border city of Sonoyta, Mexico where we crossed back into Arizona. The roads were good and a bit busy with motorists returning after the long Thanksgiving weekend.
Speed Limits
One thing that was quite confusing is the very low speed limits on seemingly good stretches of highway. On our way to Puerto Peñasco, the posted speed limit was 60 km/hr (42 MPH) most of the way which, at times, seemed painfully slow. But we weren't about to risk getting pulled over ... let the other cars pass us.
Military and Agriculture Check Points
We have read a lot about both legit and fake check points in Mexico. Fortunately, the only one we encountered was the legit agricultural check point. The officer asked about fresh fruits and vegetables, but waved us through before I had a chance to tell him what we had. I think that he was only concerned that we weren't bringing in large amounts of produce ... or maybe he didn't want to take the time to decipher my "less than fluent" Spanish.
After all of the research, planning, and a bit of apprehension on my part, we made it to the spot where the desert dwellers come to get their dose of vitamin "sea" ...
Puerto Peñasco.
Campgrounds
Because of its close proximity to the US, Puerto Peñasco is a popular tourist destination. Hotels, condos, and campgrounds line the beaches. We started out at a "no frills" campground, Concha del Mar. For $22/night we got our choice of a parking spot on their huge gravel lot, nice bathrooms and showers, "hit or miss" views of the ocean, and plenty of nightly party and "generator" music.
Because we weren't driving our van much, we decided to move to the full hook-up campground next door for the rest of the week in order to keep our house batteries charged. For $30/night, Playa Bonita also offered clean bathrooms and showers, full hook-up sites, and a bit more quiet at night. Bonus for me and bummer for Doug ... the walk across the beach into town for our daily taco fix was just a little bit longer.
Restaurants
Never ones to start our day too early, we usually got around to taking our first beach walk around 10:30 with Doug's new favorite coffee shop as the destination. While he enjoyed his latte, we planned our day and watched the Christmas decorations slowly start to make an appearance in the adjacent hotel lobby.
Part of the daily "planning" involved checking out the local restaurant reviews on Google Maps in order to choose our dining spot for later that day. We tried to sample a variety of local eateries ranging from a popular food truck to a higher-end restaurant on the beach that served up spectacular sunset views along with dinner.
Our Mexican "foodie" experiences included ...
Jesse's Carreta ... A small restaurant in the middle of a working class neighborhood, where we enjoyed a delicious flounder and shrimp taco dish
while surrounded by colorful Mexican decor.
Tekela Bar ... a restaurant located on the Malecon, the main tourist area of Puerto Peñasco. They get my vote for the best margaritas and carnitas tacos ... and the view wasn't shabby either.
Tacos El Patron was a local food truck that had a long line when we walked by, so we decided to try it out. As much as we would love to sing the praises about Oscar's tacos and quesadillas, our stomachs couldn't give him rave reviews the next day.
Puesta de Sol takes the prize for best dinner view. Located on the beach next to our campground, the sunset glow seemed to bring the already delicious chicken enchiladas up over the top.
El Mason was a small family-run restaurant that served up the largest and freshest coconut shrimp that I have ever seen. By now we are loving the fact that the shrimp and fishing boats are delivering a hefty portion of their daily catch to all the local restaurants.
El Buzo Seafood & Beer ... with two of Doug's favorites in the name, how could we go wrong with dining here? The crab enchiladas and shrimp tacos were quite yummy along with locally brewed Tecate beer.
El Cabo Taco ... we saved the best for last. The fish tacos and shrimp quesadillas along with their homemade sauces and fresh lemonades were top notch. Add a charming patio setting, traditional Mexican music and decor, and the fact that it was one of the least expensive meals at $26 ... and it's enough to regret that we didn't find this gem sooner.
Entertainment
Tourists flock to Puerto Peñasco in order to enjoy hefty doses of sunshine, sand, and vitamin "sea". As we drove into town we saw many vehicles hauling ATVs, ready to have some fun on the numerous sand dunes that surround the city. But the beach is the main attraction as the cool breeze drifting off the water offers a welcome break from the desert heat.
So naturally, a plethora of water activities invite ...
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the adventurous,
the creative,
and the free-spirited to enjoy some beach time.
The Malecon
"Malecon" is the Spanish word for a seawall, a promenade, or a boardwalk along the water front. In Puerto Peñasco, the Malecon is the main tourist area of the city. There, bars, restaurants, and shops of all kinds tempt visitors to part with a few pesos.
From our campground, it was an hour walk around the harbor in order to get to this touristy part of town. Our first stop was the town’s cathedral, where we were able to experience the beauty of the local community's worship.
From there, we walked to the main hub where tourists and locals alike were out enjoying a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Music filled the square, vendors tempted us with their wares, and the margaritas were big enough to share.
The Beach Scene
As the closest beach to Arizona, many visitors come to Puerto Peñasco to just relax on the miles of sandy beach. While we're not normally "sit on the beach" sort of people, the tranquil vibes convinced us to slow down and enjoy the sand, surf, and sunsets.
Sunset Cruise
Many companies offer sunset cruises, and we're happy that we took advantage of being able to experience Puerto Peñasco from a slightly different vantage point.
Doug booked our tour with Eco Fun Adventures, and for $35 each we enjoyed a two hour boat ride, lively music, and free-flowing tropical drinks.
Our Overall Impression of Puerto Peñasco
As the sun set on our first van adventure in Mexico, we were left with mixed emotions. The beautiful beach scenery was definitely a draw,
but it seemed to lack the Mexican "charm" that we had envisioned. I suspect that's because the city is so close to the US and can get inundated with American tourists. However, each time we stepped outside of the tourist hubs and into one of the local restaurants, we were greeted with the lively colors and warm spirit of Mexico’s people and culture.
Also, Puerto Peñasco wasn’t dramatically cheaper than the US ... especially once we added on the extra car insurance and FMM fees. But it proved to be a convenient destination for an initial sampling of Mexico’s flavorful cuisine, vibrant culture, and desert-meets-sea beauty. For these two curious travelers, it definitely delivered a refreshing dose of vitamin “sea” .
