We know that the Mexicans can create a world famous tourist resort from nothing. They did it recently in the Caribbean at Cancun in south east Mexico, which had a population of three and a few coconut trees until 1970. Now they are trying the same trick in the north west of the country at Puerto Penasco, or Rocky Point as it is known to English speakers. An arm of the Pacific Ocean forced its way into north west Mexico, creating a great inland sea, the Sea of Cortez. The northern extremity of this sea creeps to where Rocky Point is located, only 66 miles from the border with the United States. Pat and I visited Rocky Point in May 2012. Until the 1920s, there was nothing here. A few fishermen would sometimes drop anchor, but that was all. Then someone built the first hotel and it was near enough to the United States to attract Americans fleeing from the hardships of prohibition. Gangster Al Capone from Chicago even bought a house here. Opportunistic US realtors, including Long Realty, set up offices here as early as 1926. World War Two helped the recently founded community, when the US government built a road from its border to Rocky Point. Presumably it feared that the Japanese Navy might sail up the Sea of Cortez and attack the unguarded underbelly of America in an encore of Pearl Harbor. At the same time, a railway was built linking the Baja Peninsula to the rest of Mexico. It passed through Rocky Point.
The waters of the Sea of Cortez are superbly blue and the climate is a delight, reminiscent of southern California at its best. The beaches are abundant and sandy. There are now many hotels and restaurants in Rocky Point and plenty of condos for sale. Sams Club is building a store in Rocky Point. Do not worry if your Spanish is less fluent than you would like. English is widely spoken and there are many American visitors. US dollars are accepted everywhere. There is a spectacular golf course with its green fairways vividly contrasting with the grey of the surrounding desert. The area even has its own volcano, El Pinacate, which hasn’t even bothered to erupt for 11,000 years. This is so boring compared with Vesuvius (see this website’s item on Pompeii, Italy) which has erupted on dozens of occasions in the past two thousand years. Rocky Point has focused only for the past twenty years on the idea of becoming a grand tourist resort. Before that its fishing fleet was the major source of income, even though it tended to overfish the Sea of Cortez. The Mexican government has now decreed that fishing stops in March. At the time of our visit, we saw many shrimp boats, but they were all in shipyards having barnacles scraped off their bottoms.
So how is Rocky Point doing in its ambitions to become a second Cancun? Certainly there are positives. A small airport has been opened, even though it is used only by small private planes and no commercial airline has yet been persuaded to operate scheduled flights. Preparations are being made for the building of a passenger liner dock in Rocky Point and the Holland America and Carnival lines have shown interest in operating cruises from that dock into the Sea of Cortez. These would be seven day cruises calling at a small port every day and thereby avoiding long periods at sea. To set against these positives, there are negatives. Rocky Point reminds me of a convict, innocent of the crime for which it has been sentenced, but nevertheless guilty of other serious crimes with which it has not been charged.
It is claimed that, particularly in this border area, Mexico is not safe for US tourists because of violence generated by the drug cartels. Last summer, the US State Department even issued a travel advisory warning its citizens of the dangers of visiting Rocky Point and other border areas. There is no basis for this warning, which has unfairly damaged the tourist industry in Rocky Point. There has been no violence shown towards US citizens. The place is safe. Indeed it is a good deal safer than many US cities, such as Baltimore, where Pat and I have lived. That’s the charge of which Rocky Point is innocent. Now here’s where Rocky Point is guilty. All the well designed, expensive properties here are mixed up in every part of the town with what can only be described either as slum properties or as unsightly undeveloped land. Such land is usually enclosed by rusting fences topped with barbed wire. Many streets are unpaved and lined with litter. How can anyone, either Mexican or American, enjoy a beautiful property when it is surrounded by trash? Until Rocky Point copes with this problem, its hopes of emulating Cancun are zero.
Not to argue the point, but neither of the references to Rocky Point or Cancun are 100% correct. Cancun was developed as a tourist destination since day one. The Mexican government paid for the first hotels to be built. All of the planning and infrastructure was designed to support the tourism trade. Cancun’s expansion was created by tourist demand and a high occupancy of their resorts.
I agree, Rocky Point does not aspire to be another Cancun. It was, and remains a small fishing village. The proximity to the United States border created the draw for tourists. The Mexicans were very happy here without us. Despite what “Bob” posted in his original comments, there are not a number of hotels. There are few actual hotels here in Rocky Point. The recent push (by some) to make Rocky Point an upscale resort was not a government program. This push came from greedy developers anxious to fleece gringos flush with cash from giant increases in their homes value (created by false demand and loose lending practices in the real estate market). In an attempt to play to their greed, the developers of these condos further suggested that that the buyers could make a small fortune renting their condos similar to a luxury hotel once again creating a false demand but this time in the area of tourism.
The city is deep in debt as it struggles to define what it is. We do not have the demand that Cancun has. Craigslist is flooded with those offering their condos at discounted rates in the hopes of attracting customers to the area. We have a large number of unfinished projects that are holding Rocky Point back from becoming an upscale resort community (not to mention the projects that never made it past the planning stages despite taking millions of dollars from buyers). Much like a mall without an anchor tenant (anyone remember the Scottsdale Galeria) Rocky Point will not thrive until some major issues are addressed.
Read just the first few lines of the article at the link below to understand what I am saying:
“Scottsdale Galleria represents the "irrational exuberance" of Phoenix real estate development in the 1980's. It was an ill-conceived project that ended up being a major embarrassment and a "white elephant" in an otherwise healthy Downtown Scottsdale.
The Galleria had no anchors, and that is the main reason it failed. The developers believed that the mall could thrive without anchors, as it was focused on high-end luxury boutiques. The mall did have a food court, some restaurants, and a Cineplex Odeon multiplex (the first, and last, in Phoenix). The developers also promised future improvements such as a "walk-through" aquarium but never delivered"
Exactly my point, David! Why would these people think PP wants to be another Cancun? Between ignorant people like this Bob and Pat couple and the US government scaring the bejeezus out of everyone else, Rocky Point will continue to have an uphill battle. And all things considered, out of the six or so times I've flown into the Cancun airport to visit the Riviera Maya, I've only spent about 3 hours visiting Cancun. It has no draw for me. I sure as hell am glad Rocky Point isn't on that path! In their comments on the video, they were outraged that their hotel room cost $100 per night. Sorry, what year are they stuck in? Hotels with kitchenettes are over $100 everywhere, let alone beachfront. Obviously I am an outsider, and my experience is very limited in Puerto Penasco, but I really love the place and feel some people just need to be set right.
It pisses me off when people get on their soapboxes without making any semblance of effort to be accurate!
Wahoo, I will concede the point on fishing vs. shrimping. In my book (which I fully admit I may be wrong) any living creature pulled from the sea by a human is fishing.
We will have to disagree on the other point. I don't doubt that Rocky Point has seen its struggles and its lean times. I do not doubt that through history more than a few gringos have contributed to the infrastructure of this city. That said to believe that the Mexicans were “happy” to have us just does not ring true. Using your own statement against you, why did the Mexican’s change the name of Rocky Point to Puerto Peñasco if they were so proud of the origins of their town?
I suspect that your viewpoint is from the gringo and/or colonialist perspective. We came here, we made it better, how can they not be "happy" to have us. The problem facing Rocky Point today is that RP has been built up by Americans and now the city is deep in debt trying to create what Americans expect from a municipality. The city has bent over backwards to accommodate our gringo needs while a great number of condo owners avoid their taxes (rental taxes) drawing from the illogical conclusion that if they are not Mexican, they don't have to pay.
It may surprise you to learn that my Mexican wife and many others that I have talked with in Rocky Point don’t enjoy having to pay substantially higher prices for almost everything due to the influx of gringos and our green money. There is a fine line between tolerance (acceptance) and being “happy” with our presence.
The point of my previous post is that Rocky Point is suffering from an identity crisis. It can’t quite seem to figure out what it is. It is not intending to be nor will it ever be a Cancun.
And for the record, this is not a personal issue...I am just expressing my thoughts and opinions on this subject just as you are expressing yours.
Real Estate investments was again the salvation of this town, locals had destroyed shrimping.
In addressing your most recent statement above, if you use this as an argument for our continued presence in RP, wouldn't you also have to lay blame on the gringos for the current economic woes? Is it your argument that the number of luxury condos in Rocky Point (both fully built and partially built) is appropriate for the size of this shrimping village? Your argument simply can't work both ways!
History of Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point) And Cholla Bay, Sonora, Mexico
History of Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point) And Cholla Bay, Sonora, Mexico
With a Synopsis of Silvestre Gustavo Brown Sr.'s Early Life
Rocky Point is located just 66 miles south of the US border on the North and East end of the Sea of Cortez in Mexico.
Approximately 20,000 years ago in the Ajo Valley and continuing to Puerto Peñasco nomadic tribes and their more adventurous members started trading routes along the Sea of Cortez area.
Regular encampments, tools, etc have been found all along the hills and mountains that run from Ajo to the Sea of Cortez. Found in these sites are materials from tribes far to the north and south of the area. During these times the area supported many plants, animals, and water sources that have long since disappeared from the landscape. The downtown mountain nicknamed The Whale, has long acted as a magnet for the different cultures that have settled there.> http://www.orsonprattbrown.com/angela-silvestre.html
Approximately 20,000 years ago in the Ajo Valley and continuing to Puerto Peñasco nomadic tribes and their more adventurous members started trading routes along the Sea of Cortez area.
I remember that. Actually, we weren't nomatic, were were curious and got lost. We were known as the Fugawes.....I'll leave it at that.
Hey now, I posted Bob/Pat's blog and my response as a feel good, how much we all love this place kind of post. Why so negative? I hope PP doesn't become a Cancun, or a Miami for that matter. If I wanted those areas, I'd go there. I just didn't like the tone of these people's blog post and the comment they made about Pinacate was just rediculous and I felt I had to defend the area.
Wahoo, you say "You really have never experienced what this is until you enter a Riuu or Palace, why leave? Rocky point could never command that, it just does not have that kind of beauty sorry to say." I disagree. I hope it doesn't turn into an all-inclusive destination. I absolutely think the area is just as beautiful as anyplace I've visited throughout the Carribean or in Mexico. I've visited them, and I've worked at them. The people who never venture off the resort aren't really getting what the locale has to offer. It could be anywhere. That's all too sanitized and cookie-cutter for me. Clearly it is the right choice for some as evidenced by the successes some of these resorts have. To each his own.
Wahoo--I'm not understanding you: "The Mayan Place is 10X more luxurious than the local Mayan." and "You can not imaging the trash that accumulates on an beach, but that beach needs to be like a new day every day." Please explain.
I despise litter. I wish for nothing more than everyone to dispose of trash properly and make an effort not to make as much as we currently do. We've made it our family habit to pick up trash on beaches wherever we go. Unfortunately, lots of boats/ships litter overboard and it washes up wherever the tide takes it. It's truly a sad sight to see such natural beauty marred by garbage. It was a pleasure to see beaches in PP "littered" with seashells instead of garbage. And where we were walking, you could tell the beaches weren't clean because a crew went around at dawn to rake the sand.
I'm glad PP "could never and will never be like Cancun". Thank God! If I wanted American stores, the Hard Rock Cafe, and Starbucks, I'd stay home. We visit Mexico because I love the culture, the natural beauty, the food, and the warmth of the locals (with whom I can converse in Spanish pretty fluently). Honestly, it's a much easier flight from NY to go to the Carribean. But I fell in love with the low-key feeling in PP, and I haven't found that in a long time. I just hope it lasts.
FYI. The Riuu family owns beachfront land in Las Conchas, bought in 2007 with plans to develop in the future. I was going to tell you what they paid for it, but maybe that shoudn't be public information. Anyway, it was a lot, and as you can imagine, people like that don't spend money like that without doing some homework. The land is just before Tessoro. Some on this forum might recall that I was the Realtor on that transaction.
Denise makes a valid point that much will change/improve in the next 2 or 3 decades. I love this forum, but keep in mind that while the experts on here are arm-chair quarterbacking, there are some people working hard to bring about improved infrastructure, cleaner streets, better education and less corruption...just like in your own communities back home.
Hey Wahoo...Is there a Costco in RP? If so, where?
Denise, I grew up in the fifties, where life was so much simpler. Doin the Shag, Sock Hops, Chevrolet, Apple Pie, you know, the good old days.
Those days are long gone, but you know, things weren't so perfect then either. Lake Erie was dangerous to swim in. Fish dying in the lake and
the Cuyahoga River actually caught fire. Drugs were Asprin and Goodies Powder. The few teenage girls that got pregnant disappeared for a while.
Now the lake is clean and a great fishing area, the river is clean, but it comes with a price. The steel mills are gone, forever.
I guess what I'm saying is that in the world, life is in constant flux. Some things change for the better, some not. I went to the Walmart RP store a
couple weeks ago and it was at least 97% locals shopping there. If they can save money and get good products, more power to them. Frankly,
I prefer Super Ley, Santa Fe and the other mom and pop stores in town. I buy my meat at local small carnacerias that most Americans probably
wouldn't step in. Usually, great steaks.
The hardest part about all this is making adjustments. The older we get, adjustments become more of a chore. My first trip to RP about six years ago,
I was paralyzed in fear. I gradually got over it and after joining this forum, I really learned what life in RP is all about and I enjoy it to the Max's and
wish I hadn't been such a dolt those previous years. Would I like cleaner beaches...you bet. But what I'd really like is to have more RP friends, both local
and visitors.
Unfortunately, time and finances are going to limit my being able to do that, but you know what, here's my attitude about that. As General Custer said,
"Damn those torpedoes, full speed ahead."
I agree with your above sentiments but I have to ask why almost everyone in RP refers to Bodega Aurrera as Walmart? You poke fun at Wahoo for saying there is a Costco here but I don't see any Walmart.
It is not a Walmart, it is a grocery chain that is owned by the parent corporation of Walmart. So is Sam's, VIPS, Superama, Suburbia and many other stores. To me this is like calling AJ's a Bashas or calling a Lexus a Toyota...Can people not pronounce or remember the name? I don't see too many people calling Ley a Safeway so would someone please enlighten me as to why this occurs.
I agree with your above sentiments but I have to ask why almost everyone in RP refers to Bodega Aurrera as Walmart? You poke fun at Wahoo for saying there is a Costco here but I don't see any Walmart.
It is not a Walmart, it is a grocery chain that is owned by the parent corporation of Walmart. So is Sam's, VIPS, Superama, Suburbia and many other stores. To me this is like calling AJ's a Bashas or calling a Lexus a Toyota...Can people not pronounce or remember the name? I don't see too many people calling Ley a Safeway so would someone please enlighten me as to why this occurs.
Or calling Disneyland Walt Land, or a nit picker, a nit picker?
I don't know of too many people who refer to Disneyland as "Walt Land"...maybe it is the company we keep or the circles we run in.
I'm sorry to hear that you run in circles, but it sounds like you have company "we", good. I guess it's nice to be going nowhere as long as you have company?
I too am bothered by people that rent their condos and do not pay the room tax. Those taxes help the city make RP a better place. But look at the ads on craigslist. "Pay no fees or taxes." Those fees and taxes are what keep the area up. I get call all the time for rentals and when I tell them the cost, they say "Oh I won't pay fees or taxes." Good then I do not want to rent to you.
A couple of weeks ago I got a call on a Fri night for a rental. The condo they were staying at had the water turned off. (Rented from owner) They went to the front desk and were told that as "guest of owner" there was nothing they could do. So they were looking for another place to rent. No way I would rent to them.
I charge the renter for the fees the are required by the HOA and Hacienda(tax) and guess what I have had no oepn weekends this sumer or this fall.
heh, heh... yes, my mind was on auto pilot.... Beach; Mexico;... First thing arriving in in Cabo San Lucas is to tell the driver; "Cosco por favor". What a difference that has been for the trip. It pained me to have to buy 3$ bottles of water to make coffee. Having to buy everything at the 'super plus plus premium tourist prices' made us feel abused. Yes Bodega; aka Wally's in PP, no Cosco .... yet.
Some say the "Fruteria Welton" resembles a mini Costco. They say they carry Kirkland brands and that the prices are pretty consistent with Costco prices. Never been there though.
"And Denise you say you do not like American stores?" What I meant by not liking American stores is that that's not what I search for when traveling. For instance in Cancun, there are MANY American stores like Benetton, Guess, Sears, as well as high end boutiques etc. (Plaza Las Americas | Cancun.travel) I suppose it made financial sense to their corporate offices, or they wouldn't have built. It obviously fills a niche since they're still open. With so much beauty and unique things the area can offer, shopping at American stores is not how I'm going to spend my precious vacation time. But for a Mexican visiting from another area where those stores don't exist, I suppose it's fabulous. Or for that matter an American who doesn't have access to those stores in their town either. It just isn't a draw for ME. I agree 100% with what GV Jack said, "I went to the Walmart RP store a couple weeks ago and it was at least 97% locals shopping there. If they can save money and get good products, more power to them. Frankly, I prefer Super Ley, Santa Fe and the other mom and pop stores in town. I buy my meat at local small carnacerias that most Americans probably wouldn't step in." Have I ever shopped in Walmart/Target/big box store ? Of course! I just prefer to support the local places of the area I'm in, given the opportunity. But, I'll never eat at a BK or McD's when there's so much AWESOME Mexican food to be had.
Wahoo, you're absolutely right, PP can't support the enormity of the hotel/resort business that the Riviera Maya/Cancun can offer. I think basically because the lack of international flights into the airport, not because of the lack of beauty. I understand some from Las Vegas will be coming soon, and time will tell if it can be sustained if the market is there. I guess I'm trying to say that there already IS a Cancun, so why would PP want to be another one, which is guaranteed to fail by comparison. That's why I was frustrated with the original poster--that's barking up the wrong tree. I could want to be an Olympian with every fiber of my being, but it's never going to happen.
When GV Jack said "I guess what I'm saying is that in the world, life is in constant flux. Some things change for the better, some not" it's true. A huge influx of people visiting PP would be great for some, but frustrating for others. Personally I hope it doesn't expand into a huge city. But that's a selfish point of view from someone (me) who really likes the small town feel it has now. I suppose restaurants and rental companies would be thrilled though. I'm totally speaking from my point of view here. I really love the way it is without it being overly commercialized the way so many other beautiful destinations have become. With that influx of crowds is the litter, noise, etc. that comes with it.
The beaches maintained by towns/counties in the US are raked every day and I agree, it's lovely being there first thing in the morning with virgin sand. At resorts in the Carribean and Mayan Riviera side of Mexico, the resorts themselves seem to be in charge of raking the beaches. So you can go for a walk on a well-kept area and then get to an area that looks like a dump before getting to another area maintained by the next resort. Litter is my hugest pet peeve! It boggles my mind that anyone would think it's acceptable. I suppose that comes with time as people become more aware and stop the behavior. When we were walking Playa Miramar, Playa Encanto, Playa Dorada, and Las Conchas, I didn't see ANY litter. And I was thrilled that the area was still so unspoiled. We did come upon a rotting turtle and sea lion, but that's just life. If we were at a sanitized resort, I suppose they would've been raked away. Just because people are employed to clean up litter doesn't mean it's acceptable TO litter. It's like people leaving popcorn and sodas on the floor at the movies because there's a person in charge of cleanup. Maybe prices would be cheaper if they didn't have to employ him.
I really like the people I've met on these forums, both the ones I get to spar with and the ones I've met in person and still keep in touch with. I think our love of PP is the tie that binds us all together, or we wouldn't bother being part of the forum at all. That's part of the charm that makes PP unique! Its people!
Oh, and totally off the Cancun track, I thought it was hilarious that they were irritated that Pinacate wouldn't erupt for them. Evidently Vesuvius has every couple hundred years and that's far more entertaining for that couple. :)
