It has been years since I've been down to Rocky Point, about 7. I use to go regularly, I'm a water baby, grew up in San Diego, beach everyday and then the rest of my youth was spent in the cold waters of Seattle. Moving here was a shock (those lakes are not a remedy for beach cravings) but when we stumbled upon how cheap and close Rocky Point was (and how warm the water is), I was there all.the.time!
What changed? Well, things got kind of shotty between Mexico and us and the last time we went, we were pulled over after entering Mexico and 5 men with very large guns searched our car but they let us go. It just wasn't worth it to me after that. I would rather take the hike to San Diego and hang out on the beach there, even though the cost is a million times more!
When Rocky Point Tourism reached out to me and asked if I wanted to experience Rocky Point through a media trip. I hesitated not one bit. Like I said, I LOVE the beach and I'm willing to give everyone/everything/everyfood/donuts...a second try. A group of us gals met up at a grocery store and caravaned down to our destination. We had 3 cars and the drive went smoothly. We stopped for insurance before hitting the border, you can also get some online and then we hit the line to get through. It took us about an hour, I'm not sure what was going on, nobody that frequents Mexico has had to wait that long.
Once it was our turn, we rolled right through. We drove into town and then down to our resort, Las Palomas. Nobody stopped us, nothing happened, it was no big deal. Las Palomas was perfection. My unit was huge and a one bedroom suite, with a kitchen and a view of the beach outside. You could be happy staying at the resort your entire stay but I suggest hitting the town and grabbing some of the food from there too. We use to go to the grocery store and buy food for the week to cook for breakfasts and for snacks.
I'll mention a few other activities we did and then I'll head into the food list because I know that's what you're all here for. There's everything from riding the banana in the water, fishing, renting atvs, riding horses but we went and checked out the most beautiful golf course about 30 minutes from our resort. Seriously, the beach there is to die for, I'd suggest checking that place out to stay too. A trip to bird island was on our itinerary too but because of choppy water, we refrained from seeing who would have seasickness. I've been before, it's a fun little excursion, the seals are playful and you can do some snorkeling with them and check out all the birds. Lastly, we did the Sunset Cruise Senorita Rita, there's plenty to choose from and people come around on the beach to sign you up. Lots of drinking, plenty of picture opportunities and a good time out on the water.
When it was time to go, we left around 10 in the morning on Sunday. The border situation went quick, there was not much of a line, we handed them our passports and we went through. Be smart, bring your passport. The main questions I got asked:
Did you feel safe? Yes, I felt safe the whole time. This tripped changed my mind from that experience 7 years ago. I'll be back and I'll be happy to bring my family. I will say that stuff happens. Don't keep a ton of money on you in case the police pull you over, they won't be scary but they'll take your money after telling you you failed to follow a traffic law. If you play it safe and aren't out at night or drinking and driving or going into situations you shouldn't, you'll be fine.
Did you get sick? I did not but I'm pretty conscious about making sure I have bottled water. Many of the resorts have filtered water and their ice and water they serve are fine. Be careful about salads that may have been washed by tap water not filtered or other restaurants that serve drinks with ice or blended ice, especially if you can't confirm that it's filtered.
For added background information on traveling to Rocky Point, here are FAQ’s on visiting Mexico including general tourist information and proper documentation needed to enter back into the United States. Since many visitors drive to Rocky Point, here are helpful tips on how to drive in Mexico that can be helpful for your audience to know beforehand.
The warm beaches and the good food and company, is well worth the short trip.
El Tapeo Wine Bar is located at the Playa Bonita Resort. It's cute and quaint but the food is full of flavor and the live music will keep you grooving through the night.
On the beach where we were staying at Las Palomas, there were plenty of things to buy and vendors walking along the shore. One of our favorite treats is the mango con chile. I highly recommend grabbing one of these or some of the other fresh fruits they offer.
Get into town and try the Pollo Lucas. For $16 we got a whole chicken with a couple sides, it was plenty to feed 3 of us. I may have eaten half of the chicken but it was simplicity at its best! Oh man, I wish I had some right now.
Churros! I needed churros and I someone on my Instagram told us about this churro place or maybe it was someone on Six Little Birds Travel. Either way, at night we drove to this stand, that's not on any map and we had fresh, piping hot churros smothered in caramel and condensed milk. They will also fill the churros and they have a few other savory items that you can order as well. Penasco Churros is located in town by one of those large towers with orange on it. It doesn't open until 6pm and that's about as good of directions as I can give you.
I was craving tacos and enchiladas and tortillas and quesadillas and chimichangas and damn! Sonoran Sea delivered. I took their fish tacos and added a few of my own toppings like avocado, pico, may, and hot sauce. I could eat a whole tray of these and the chimichangas right now.
Mayan Palace Hotel & Golf Course deserves a stay or maybe even just a drive. I was a little skeptical of driving all the way out there for a golf course but the property is gorgeous and the beach it's on, is out of this world. The golf course is spectacular and the best one in Rocky Point. The drinks and the nachos after our golf tour, were worth the trip. I just wish we had been able to walk along that beach.