A Weekend in Puerto Peñasco: Where to Eat, Stay & How to Get There

So I Finally Went to Puerto Peñasco…

I’ve been living in Phoenix for about two years now, and I finally decided to check out Puerto Peñasco — aka Rocky Point for all you gringos.

I love Mexico. I used to live in Mexico City. I’m half Mexican. So I feel like I’m allowed to have opinions here.

Here’s my honest weekend breakdown: how to get there, where we stayed, what was worth eating, and what was… meh.

🚗 The Drive From Phoenix to Puerto Peñasco

It took us about 4 hours and honestly? Not bad at all.

Route we took:
Phoenix → AZ-85 South → Why, Arizona → Lukeville Border Crossing → Sonoyta → Puerto Peñasco

There is absolutely nothing going on during that drive. Desert. More desert. That’s it.

Pack your snacks.
Fill up your gas in the U.S. — it’s cheaper.
Download your music because service gets spotty.

Border Crossing Experience

I went over Super Bowl weekend and there was literally no wait at all.

Entering Mexico:
The officer asked us to open the trunk and show the back seat. That was it. No passport check. Very chill.

Sonoyta?
Respectfully… boring lol. We drove straight through to our hotel.

Coming Back to the U.S.

Heads up — there are technically two stops on the way back.

Stop 1: The actual border crossing
This is where you show your passport. Super easy. Standard questions. Took a few minutes.

Stop 2: Arizona checkpoint further up the road
This one is more like, “Are you all American?”

We didn’t have to show anything there, but just know it exists so you’re not confused when you see another checkpoint.

Overall, the border situation was way easier than I expected. No chaos. No long waits (at least when I went).

🏨 Where We Stayed: Playa Bonita

We stayed at Playa Bonita Resort.

It was about $86 a night, which felt suspiciously cheap. I was fully prepared for janky vibes… but it was actually way nicer than expected.

They have:

• A pool

• A jacuzzi

• Direct beach access

• Walking distance into town

The location was honestly perfect.

The only thing? The hotel food was definitely on the pricier side and I wasn’t into it. We ordered nachos one night and… nahhhhh.

Skip it. Eat in town.

🌮 El Poblano #1

El Poblano #1
Blvd. Benito Juárez García, Centro, Puerto Peñasco

The photos got me. I won’t lie.

You see stacked tacos in pictures and you’re like… how could this go wrong?

But if I’m being honest? Meh.

Not bad. Just not memorable.

 

💅 The Real MVP

The next day we got mani pedis and it was so worth it.

But the best part? The manicurist gave me ALL the food details.

And this is where the trip leveled up.

🍗 Pollo Express

We originally wanted pollo rostizado. Everyone talks about Pollo Lucas.

But when I mentioned it, she was like NOOO. Dry chicken. Hella touristy.

She told us to go to:

Pollo Express
Blvd. Benito Juárez García, Puerto Peñasco

And it was the move.

We got:

• Chicken

• Rice

• Beans

• A bean soup situation

• A whole baked potato

For about $19 total.

It was DELISH.
Very local. Very comforting.
Honestly something I wish we had in the States.

 

Cenaduría Yoli

Cenaduría Yoli
Calle 13 & Luis Encinas, Puerto Peñasco

DANKKKK.

The pozole? Incredible.
The vibe? Very neighborhood.
The prices? Insane.

We ordered:

• 2 Cokes

• 2 tacos dorados

• 1 chimichanga

• 1 tostada

All of that for $16.

UMFFF. Delish.
Authentic. Casual. 10/10 no notes.

 

Mi Hacienda

Mi Hacienda
Blvd. Benito Juárez García, Puerto Peñasco

Very cute inside. Nice spot.

We got:

• A plato mexicano (enchilada, chile relleno, taco dorado)

• A steak plate with onions

Total was about $23.

Solid. Good sit-down breakfast option.

 

On My List for Next Time

The manicurist also suggested:

Mariscos El Parguito
Blvd. Benito Juárez García, Puerto Peñasco

Didn’t make it there this time, but it’s top of my list for next visit.

🏖 The Beach Vibes

The beach is nice.

You can:

• Get your hair braided

• Buy a piña colada

• Walk into town from Playa Bonita

But overall? Rocky Point is not super walkable. You’ll likely drive most places.

It’s more of a:
Beach. Eat. Relax. Repeat.
Kind of trip.

Is Puerto Peñasco Worth It?

Yeah. It’s fine.

For a 4-hour drive from Arizona, it’s a sweet little getaway.

Do I need to go back? Not necessarily.
There are other Mexican towns I love more.

But it was nice.
It’s easy.
And I’ll always love the Mexican vibes.

A Quick Note

If you go as a tourist, just be respectful of Mexico and the people who live there.

It’s not just Arizona’s beach playground.
It’s someone’s home.