Ok, well maybe not yet. But it is getting there… really!

You’re probably getting turned off by now, especially if you’ve been watching the news and hearing all those horror stories about the drug wars going on in Mexico. But that’s exactly why it’s becoming the newest vacation hotspot!

Not because of the drugs or the drug wars, no. It’s because Puerto Peñasco (better known to Americans as “Rocky Point”) isn’t like the rest of the Mexican Border States where that kind of thing happens… ok, well not as much.

Safety Issues

The US State Department reluctantly agrees with that last point by urging Americans to get to Rocky Point through the Lukeville-Sonoyta Mexico Border Crossing. Why? Well dig this.  

Using the Lukeville-Sonoyta Mexico Border Crossing will “limit driving through Mexico.” That’s what is says on their website!

Meaning Rocky Point isn’t like the rest of Mexico. And that’s why more Americans are calling it “Arizona Beach.” Ok, fine. So far, only Arizonans are calling it that because of its great beaches.

Growing Numbers

In 2011, some 20,000 college students from Arizona went to Rocky Point on their spring break. According to Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism, the town hosted almost 77,000 in 2012. It’s now 2016 and that number’s gone up since. But they weren’t all students on their spring break.

Puerto Peñasco, aka Rocky Point, aka Arizona Beach is so fantastic they have to give it three names. It’s why the town hosts among the largest number of American and Canadian retirees.

And with the dollar not as great as it used to be, more are flocking in.

Retirement Paradise

Because who wants to spend the sunset years of their lives in some cramped Florida condo, at best, or some trailer park, at worst? Since the US and Canadian dollars go a lot further in Mexico, Americans and Canadians can retire there in style.

Rocky Point is a seaside town by the Sea of Cortez and enjoys hot, balmy weather throughout the year. But if you need to pop back over to the US, it’s just a few hours’ drive away.

It also explains why more northern Europeans have begun flocking there – both retirees and vacationers, alike.

Advantages

Located only 62 miles south of the Arizona border (or a four-hour drive from Tucson and Phoenix), it boasts all the amenities found in America, but at far lower prices. Which is also why English is commonly spoken. Locals in Rocky Point know who butters their bread.

But it’s still pretty much a secret. Because of all the bad hoopla the press has been saying about Mexico, most stay away. And that’s a good thing. That bad rep has kept prices pretty low compared to other Mexican hotspots like Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Maya, or Cancun.

Well, pretty low if you don’t earn in Mexican pesos, that is.

The Mexican Beach Bum…

… is what they call Robin Miller. She isn’t Mexican, but she is a member of the Mexican National Association for Real Estate Agents (AMPI) and the US National Association of Realtors (NAR). Robin specializes in Puerto Peñasco and Puerto Vallarta resorts because of increasing demand from foreigners who want far more on far less.

Rocky Point isn’t the Mexican Monaco yet. But it’s getting there. In the meantime, those in the know are enjoying the low prices and smile when other tourists think of Mexico and head off to other parts, instead.

To the lucky few, Rocky Point is Monaco… but nowhere near as expensive. And given how much friendlier Mexicans are compared to the French, a heck of a whole lot better.