10 Fun Things to Do in Puerto Peñasco Mexico

Puerto Peñasco was a Mexican seaside destination of which we were completely unaware, which is a shame since it’s a relatively short 5.5-hour drive from our home in San Diego.  Puerto Peñasco has many names, including Rocky Point and Arizona’s beach, because of its close proximity to the Arizona border.  Puerto Peñasco turned out to be the perfect Mexico beach resort vacation spot for us.  While there are the typical clubs for drinking and dancing and off-color souvenirs being sold on the streets, there are also a lot of fun things to do in Puerto Peñasco for families and couples looking to have a fun or relaxing time.

Visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The turquoise waters of the Sea of Cortez may be the biggest draw of Puerto Peñasco, but another impressive site in Puerto Peñasco is El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve, which was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013.  The reserve has the highest concentration of maar volcanic craters in the world.  It is also the largest active dune field in North America.

Visitors can follow a scenic loop drive around the park which will visit some of the main points of interest including El Elegante Crater and Cerro Colorado Crater.  The biosphere also has diverse plants and wildlife.  A visit to the park takes approximately three hours.

Walk the Malecon

The Malecon is the main street along the water that offers restaurants and shopping.  This is also where you can find one of the Puerto Peñasco signs.  There are some interesting sites just off the main street as well, like old architecture and graffiti art.

Drive ATVs

A popular mode of transportation in Puerto Peñasco is ATVs.  People are driving them everywhere.  Not only can they be driven on the streets, there are also some fun off-roading areas within town.  We got ours from Javie’s ATV Rentals, C. Plutarco Elias Calles Etre 14 y 15, cell (638) 109-8555 or (638) 107-8086.

Enjoy Water Sports

Photo courtesy Elaine Masters, Trip Wellgal 

With so much water around Puerto Peñasco, there are many opportunities for water sports, including snorkeling, kayaking, and paddleboarding.  It’s possible to rent equipment right on the beach.  We visited Puerto Peñasco on a particularly windy weekend, so we took advantage of the calmer water surrounding The Club at Laguna del Mar to kayak and paddleboard.

Play Golf

The Club at Laguna Del Mar is a newer golf course.  Most of the holes are guarded by salt water lagoons or the Sea of Cortez.  Wildlife is everywhere so it’s easy to get distracted. There were only nine holes available at the time Romeo played, but there will soon be 18.  The Club at Laguna Del Mar is a Jack Nicklaus signature course, a title that isn’t easily earned.  The fairways are in immaculate condition and the greens are lush and roll true.

Two other golf courses in Puerto Peñasco are The Links at Las Palomas Golf Club and the Nicklaus Design Course at Puerto Peñasco, which is located at the Verdana Puerto Peñasco resort.

Listen to Mexican Jazz

While in Puerto Peñasco I discovered a new enjoyable genre of music, Mexican Jazz.  We first discovered the Puerto Peñasco band Agua de Coco at El Tapeo Wine Bar.  We found them again at Las Palomas Beach & Golf Resort’s restaurant Citron for Jazz n’ Wine Romantic Fridays, except performing with a female lead singer under the name Avril y Los Vatos Jazz.

Sip Tequila

Puerto Peñasco is in the Mexican state of Sonora, which isn’t one of the five states that can legally call their agave alcohol tequila.  So the Tequila Factory in Puerto Peñasco isn’t distilling tequila onsite, but there is plenty of tequila tasting.  The Tequila Factory’s tequila is made in small batches with no chemicals and 100% blue agave.  There are six different tequilas to taste, blanco, reposado, anejo, triple distilled, antiguo, and gold, plus a selection of flavored tequilas.

Take a Sunset Cruise

Puerto Peñasco is known for its sunsets, and those sunsets can be enjoyed from the sea aboard the Señorita Rita catamaran.  A sunset cruise on the Sea of Cortez is even better while sipping on a margarita or a mai tai and, if you’re lucky, you may see some dolphins.

Eat Delicious Food and Drink Fancy Mexican Cocktails

Practically everybody loves Mexican food, don’t they?  In Puerto Peñasco, with its location right on the Sea of Cortez, there is also a lot of incredible seafood.  There were even a number of food trucks selling seafood on the side of the road.

Our first introduction to Puerto Peñasco’s restaurants was La Casa del Capitan, high on a hill overlooking the impossibly turquoise waters of the sea.  Our favorite dish there was the salpicón de marisco, a ceviche-like dish with calamari, sea snail, cucumber, tomato, and celery.  But the bacon-wrapped shrimp were pretty good too.

My favorite meal was at El Oktopus, which was surprising because it is a restaurant right on the Malecon overlooking the sea.  Sometimes restaurants like that don’t worry too much about the quality of their food.  

Such was not the case with El Oktopus.  Our meal included items like tacos, firecracker shrimp, tuna tostadas, and my favorite, octopus and crab salad.

Another fine Puerto Peñasco restaurant is El Tapeo Wine Bar.  El Tapeo serves wine and tapas, but their specialty is seafood paella, which was Romeo’s favorite meal.  El Tapeo has a large outdoor seating area and features live music.

Las Palomas Beach & Golf Resort has two restaurants, La Maria Bistro & Fine Cuisine and Citron Fine Cuisine.  We ate breakfast each morning at La Maria Bistro, and we ate dinner one night at Citron.  At Citron, we had some very good tortilla soup and a surprisingly amazing vegetarian lasagna.

Surprisingly, Puerto Peñasco is filled with ice cream.  There seemed to be a Thrifty Ice Cream around every corner. 

Another ice cream treat to indulge in is fried ice cream, which is sold just outside of the Tequila Factory.

I was first introduced to the michelada on a trip to Cabo.  It’s such a simple cocktail, yet with complex flavors, and it comes in a number of variations.  Previously, I’ve preferred it with just beer, lime juice, and a salt rim.  The most common michelada recipe includes beer, lime juice, tomato juice, and a sauce, like Worcestershire sauce. 

While in Puerto Peñasco I was introduced to a new version, the Michelada Cubana.  This version is different because it excludes tomato juice and includes Maggi sauce, a rich sauce that makes the michelada more of a brown color.  This Mexican cocktail was so delicious, we decided to try to find the best Michelada Cubana in Puerto Peñasco and decided the best was at La Casa del Capitan. 

Another fun Mexican cocktail which was in abundance in Puerto Peñasco was Mexican sangria.  Sangria is an alcoholic beverage of Spanish and Portuguese origin, made with wine, fruit, fruit juice, and sometimes brandy.  The sangria we had in Puerto Peñasco was a little different because it was floated on a generous portion of lemon-lime soda.

Of course, the quintessential Mexican cocktail is the margarita, and those can be found all over Puerto Peñasco in many flavors.

Stay at One of the Rocky Point Mexico Hotels

During our stay in Puerto Peñasco, we visited a handful of Rocky Point hotels, but we stayed at Las Palomas Beach & Golf Resort, which was our very favorite hotel in Rocky Point.  Las Palomas Beach & Golf Resort is actually a complex of over 800 privately owned and individually decorated condominiums, all with a view of the Sea of Cortez.

The rooms are large and comfortable, equipped with living room, kitchen, and laundry room, as well as large balconies looking over the pool and out to the sea.  What we really appreciated was that it was a family and couples friendly hotel where people have a good time but don’t get too wild, loud, and crazy.

Las Palomas Beach & Golf Resort’s long list of amenities includes an 18-hole golf course, two full-service restaurants, an infinity-edge pool, a swim-up bar, a lazy river, a heated whirlpool, a boutique, a spa, a fitness center, and direct access to the beach.

Booking.com

For travelers arriving by car, Las Palomas Beach & Golf Resort provides protected parking.  For those traveling without transportation, the hotel has their own taxi service.

Another Rocky Point hotel option is Peñasco del Sol Hotel and Conference Center.  While also a nice hotel, it felt more like a place for younger travelers to party.  Peñasco del Sol has a bar in the lobby with live music, restaurant, pool, sand volleyball court, and access to the beach.  The beach by the hotel is also a place to shop as there are vendors selling food and trinkets.

For a boutique hotel experience, we discovered the Dream Weaver Inn just a couple blocks up from the Malecon.  This privately owned hotel has seven rooms with lots of character and outdoor patio areas with views of the sea.

A Note about Rocky Point Mexico Safety

We live in San Diego, near the Mexican border and Tijuana, so safety in Mexico is a frequent topic of conversation.  I remember many years back on a road-trip through Arizona we skipped going to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument because the guidebook said that area near the Mexican border wasn’t the safest.  So while we drove past the cactus, crossed the border, and drove through the Mexican desert to get to Puerto Peñasco in our van with hired driver and group of travel writers, I kept asking myself if I would feel comfortable driving ourselves.  The answer is, I would.  If we drove ourselves, I would rather stay at a hotel with parking rather than in the middle of town, and we probably wouldn’t go wandering around the middle of town late at night, but there was no time during our visit to Puerto Peñasco that we felt unsafe.  In fact, I would feel safer driving our own car there than over our border (there are some crazy drivers in Tijuana!).

Thank you to the Puerto Peñasco Convention & Visitors Bureau for hosting our visit and making this post possible.  As always, all opinions are our own.

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Traditional Vietnamese Food: 15 Dishes to Try in Vietnam

There are so many things to be excited about when traveling to Vietnam, but one of the things we were really looking forward to was trying Vietnamese cuisine.  We were traveling with Viking River Cruises on their Magnificent Mekong river cruise trip, so we weren’t sure how many opportunities we would have to eat traditional Vietnamese food.  We actually had a number of occasions to try Vietnamese dishes, but one of the best decisions we made was to spend some time taking two street food tours in Hanoi with Duc Ivan, owner of Hanoi Street Food Tours. 

We learned from Duc that in order to try the best of a certain Vietnamese dish, you should visit one of those hole-in-the-wall restaurants that only serve that one dish.  So while you can get Vietnamese phở many places, the best phở is going to be at a place that only makes phở.  

Finding the right places could be a little tricky for travelers, so we were happy to have Duc take us to some of the best Vietnamese food places Hanoi has to offer.  It also helps to have someone that speaks the language help navigate the maze of streets filled with tiny eateries with short tables and plastic stools.  But we were able to find a few things on our own too.

We loved that these restaurants usually had the name of the dish they made as the name of the restaurant.  These places don’t have a kitchen in the back, they’ve got a woman at the entrance, squatting on a short stool, cooking the food in plain sight to lure hungry customers in (plus its cooler by the door and the smoke and steam can get out).

Phở (Noodle Soup)

If there is one Vietnamese dish that everybody knows, it is phở.  But before you order phở, you should know how to say phở.  It is not pronounced foe.  It is not even pronounced fu.  Phở is actually almost a two syllable word.  Its pronounced fu-u, and the beginning and end of the word are said at the same tone while dropping a tone in the middle.  Phở is a Vietnamese noodle soup that can be made with either chicken or beef.  Also, phở is most commonly eaten for breakfast, so many hotels serve it in the morning.

Where to try phở: Bún Thang, 33 Hàng Hòm, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Bánh Mì (Vietnamese Sandwich)

While bánh mì is typically the term used to describe the Vietnamese sandwich, the term bánh mì is actually the name of the bread and literally translates to mean wheat bread.  This bread is the French baguette, the extremely flaky and crunchy bread introduced to Vietnam by the French during the colonial period.  Bánh mì can be filled with meat such as pork belly, grilled pork, or grilled chicken, accompanied by vegetables both fresh and pickled.

Bánh Cuốn (Rolled Cake)

Bánh cuốn is a popular dish in Northern Vietnam which we were even able to try in a couple of our hotels.  Bánh cuốn must be eaten fresh and hot.  It isn’t just delicious to eat, it is also fun to watch being made.  Bánh cuốn starts with the most delicate of wrappings made by steaming a thin layer of fermented rice batter.  The sheet is expertly lifted and rolled off of a cloth stretched over a pot of boiling water and then filled with minced pork and mushrooms.  The roll is then topped with fried shallots and cilantro and dipped in a vinegary sauce to which pickled garlic, hot sauce, and kumquat juice can be added.

Where to try bánh cuốn: Bánh Cuốn Nóng, 14B Bảo Khánh, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Bún Chả (Barbecue Pork Noodle Soup)

My favorite Vietnamese dish was bún chả, a barbecue pork noodle soup.  Bún chả starts with barbecue pork, both slices of pork and pork patties.  The pork is served with rice vermicelli, both of which are put into a bowl of “soup” of vinegar, sugar, and lime.  The version we had also had green papaya, garlic, yellow peppers, and black pepper.

Where to try bún chả: Bún Chả Que Tre, 27 Đào Duy Từ, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Bánh Gối (Pillow Cake)

Bánh gối is one of Vietnam’s deep-fried treats that is perfect for a cold winter’s day.  Don’t think Vietnam has cold days?  Well, we agree, but the people of Vietnam think it gets pretty cold when the temperature falls below 80 degrees.  They even wear scarves, gloves, and knit caps!  Whether or not you think it’s cold, Vietnamese pillow cakes are a crunchy delight filled with minced mushrooms and pork.  Quán Gốc Đa in Hanoi near St. Joseph’s Cathedral specializes in pillow cake.  It’s a favorite with tourists, but it is the place to go for pillow cake.

Where to try bánh gối: Quán Gốc Đa, 52 Lý Quốc Sư, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Nem Cua Bể (Crab Fried Spring Rolls)

I wrongly assumed that fried spring rolls were an American version and that fresh spring rolls are what is eaten in Vietnam.  Quite the opposite, fried spring rolls are abundant while we fresh spring rolls didn’t seem to be quite as common.  Quán Gốc Đa in Hanoi has another fried specialty, and that is the crab fried spring roll.  Fried spring rolls are delicious, but the addition of crab takes this version over the top.

Where to try nem cua bể: Quán Gốc Đa, 52 Lý Quốc Sư, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Bánh Tôm (Shrimp Cakes)

Yet another fried treat we tried at Quán Gốc Đa was shrimp cakes.  These were simple fried cakes topped with a whole shrimp.

Where to try bánh tôm: Quán Gốc Đa, 52 Lý Quốc Sư, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Bánh Xèo (Sizzling Pancake)

Bánh xèo is a sizzling rice flour cake, topped with green onion and bean sprouts, which is fried in a lightly oiled pan until crispy, then folded in half and chopped into large pieces.  But there’s more.  Bánh xèo is eaten by taking a translucent piece of rice paper, topping it with green herbs and a piece of the fried cake, which is then rolled tightly before being dipped in sauce and eaten.  Wrapping these is an art form, kind of like rolling a tight cigar, and I was fascinated watching a girl on her lunch break deftly constructing her rolls with the help of her chopsticks.

Where to try bánh xèo: Bánh Xèo, Nem Cuốn, Quẩy Nóng, 22 Hang Bo, Hanoi, Vietnam

Bún Bò Nam Bộ (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad)

I was surprised by how many times I heard the word vermicelli, something I always associate with Italian, in describing Vietnamese dishes.  Bún bò nam bộ starts with beef marinated in sugar, fish sauce, and seasonings, which is quickly cooked upon ordering and combined with vermicelli noodles and vegetables along with a tangy sauce of fish sauce, sugar, lemon, and chili.  The mixture is topped with items such as fried shallots, roasted peanuts, and bean sprouts. 

Where to try bún bò nam bộ: Bún Bò Nam Bộ Restaurant, 67 Hang Dieu, Hanoi, Vietnam

Seafood

Obviously, seafood is not unique to Vietnam, but I didn’t realize until I started doing some research that seafood is a thing in Vietnam.  It shouldn’t have been a surprise since so much of the country of Vietnam is South China Sea shoreline. 

During our food tour with Hanoi Street Food Tours we feasted on clams with lemongrass; cockles; oysters baked with peanuts; sweet shrimp fileted, filled with onions, and grilled over the coals on a barbecue on the sidewalk; steamed ocean crab; and rice vermicelli with bean sprouts and crab.  For a dipping sauce, we used a simple combination of salt, kumquat juice, and red chilies. 

After our seafood feast, our guide showed us how to get the seafood smell off our hands by washing our hands in a tub of water and tea leaves.  During other parts of our trip, we also had stuffed crab and tilapia. 

Where to try Vietnamese seafood: Hải Sản Phương Uyên, 39 Hàng Lược, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Raw Herbs

Something else I wasn’t expecting about traditional Vietnamese food was the abundance of fresh herbs, not used in cooking which I did expect, but used as a fresh side dish.  At many of the restaurants we visited on our food tour with Hanoi Street Food Tours we were provided with baskets of fresh herbs to accompany our ordered food.   Just a few examples of the fresh herbs you’ll find in Vietnam are cilantro, Vietnamese mint, purple perilla, and sawtooth herb (ngò gai).

Cà Phê Trứng (Egg Coffee)

Vietnamese egg coffee was first invented in the mid-1900s by Nguyen Giang when he was a bartender at Hanoi’s Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel and whisked an egg into coffee because milk was scarce during the French War.  In 1946 he opened Giang Café, which to this day is the best place to try egg coffee.  The primary ingredients of egg coffee are egg yolk, Vietnamese coffee powder, and sweetened condensed milk.  Giang Café’s website also mentions butter and cheese.  The coffee is brewed in a small cup and then the rest of the ingredients are whisked in.  The cup is served in a bowl of hot water to maintain the temperature.  Egg coffee can also be ordered on ice.

Where to try egg coffee: Giang Cafe, 39 Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Hanoi, Vietnam

Bingsu Thập Cẩm (Shaved Ice Dessert)

For a sweet treat on a warm day (warm for us but clearly not so for the locals since they were in long sleeves and puffy jackets), we had a refreshing dessert of shaved ice topped with sweetened condensed milk, mango, papaya, dragon fruit, and lychee.  After stuffing ourselves with so many Vietnamese dishes, bingsu thập cẩm was a nice palate cleanser that wasn’t too filling.

Where to try bingsu thập cẩm: Hoa Quả Dầm Hoa Béo, 17 Tô Tịch, Hanoi, Vietnam

Chè Sương Sa Hạt Lựu (Rainbow Dessert)

While strolling through Sa Đéc’s market I noticed trays of knotted plastic bags bulging with creamy white liquid and colorful bits of jelly.  I learned that they were dessert soups called chè, which are made with coconut milk and a variety of ingredients.  I chose the chè sương sa hạt lựu, a colorful mixture of agar jelly, mung bean paste, tapioca and water chestnut faux pomegranate seeds, and coconut milk.  It’s eaten with a spoon after pouring over ice.

Where to try chè sương sa hạt lựu: Sa Đéc Market, Vietnam

Kẹo Lạc (Peanut Brittle)

I have always loved peanut brittle and Asian countries make this sweet crunchy treat.  While in Cai Be we took a tour of a place that makes rice paper and candy.   Vietnamese peanut brittle can be found in many shops.

Bonus - Vietnamese Beer

Not a traditional Vietnamese dish, but beer is a popular alcoholic beverage in Vietnam.  Vietnamese beer is light and fresh, usually a lager.  Vietnamese beers aren’t exceptionally flavorful, rather they are perfect for hot days or as an accompaniment to flavorful Vietnamese food.  Some popular Vietnamese beers are 333, Bia Ha Noi, and Bia Saigon Special.  The best Vietnamese beer experience is having some fresh from the tap, possibly brought to the table in a plastic bottle.  

The Vietnamese equivalent to saying cheers over a glass of beer is một, hai, ba, vô (one, two, three cheers), or simply vô.  In the south the word for cheers sounds like saying yo, while in the north the last word is dzô and the pronunciation sounds more like djo.

Thank you to Viking River Cruises for hosting us on their Magnificent Mekong tour through Vietnam and Cambodia and making this post possible.  As always, all opinions are our own. 

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