Rocky Point

Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, or to us gringos known as Rocky Point, began its life close to 90 years ago. In the 1920s Puerto Peñasco was known as Cerro de Peñasco and was merely a temporary camp for passing fishermen. Over the years that small fishing camp began to develop into a full fledged fishing community and Americans began to notice the potential of the area as a tourist destination. Presently Rocky Point is in a transitional phase, drifting away from its roots as a shrimping town and quickly becoming one of Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations.

Discovered in the early 1920s by two wandering fishermen named Victor and Benjamin Bustamante, Rocky point seemed destined to remain a small fishermen’s encampment. That was, until a well known Mafioso and close associate of Al Capone named John Stone took interest in Rocky Point. In 1929 Stone had built Rocky Point’s first hotel and drilled a well so the town could finally have fresh water. Stone and his guests enjoyed fishing, hunting, gambling, and drinking (this was during prohibition) until 1931 when the Mexican government took away Stone’s business license and forced him out. Once again Puerto Peñasco returned to being a

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was created, less than 50% can be attributed to fishing. Soon to follow was the Playa Bonita resort and the Pinacate Condominiums, which are not as elegant as Plaza las Glorias but still exceeded the quality of existing accommodations. This combined with the popularity of the area with the local fishermen, in five years the fishery in the area was almost completely obliterated.

The foreign trawlers were using long drag nets and GPS systems that allowed them to systematically wipe out shrimp populations in the areas they were fishing. But it appears as though Rocky Point has accomplished this feat and has accomplished it rather smoothly. Music, dancing, karaoke, upscale, downscale, young, and old, it can all be found in Rocky Point night life. In 1997 Rocky Point got its first world-class resort, named Plaza las Glorias. Tourism is now the bread winner for Rocky Point, bringing in the majority of local income. He also began building a railroad to connect Rocky Point with Mexicali and the border. Easily reached by automobile, Rocky Point has become known as Arizona’s secret beach.

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