Puerto Peñasco, Mexico
Puerto Peñasco is a town of 62,689 people in Sonora, Mexico, founded in 1927.
Why visit Puerto Peñasco
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 42 places to eat, 13 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Weather in Puerto Peñasco
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Puerto Peñasco
Puerto Peñasco is a small city located in Puerto Peñasco Municipality in the northwest of the Mexican state of Sonora, 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the border with the U.S. state of Arizona. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 62,689 inhabitants. It is located on the northern shores of the Sea of Cortez on the small strip of land that joins the Baja California Peninsula with the rest of Mexico. The area is part of the Altar Desert, one of the driest and hottest areas of the larger Sonoran Desert.
From the Wikipedia article Puerto Peñasco (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Puerto Peñasco on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks2
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Parque Joséfa Ortiz de Domínguez
Park · 1.9 km
Boulevard Joséfa Ortiz de Domínguez
Restaurants and cafes42
Venecia
Cafe · Bagel, Breakfast, Ice Cream, Cake, Coffee Shop · 1.2 km
444 L1D Avenida Coahuila
Mo-Su 08:00-00:00
Restaurant Rey Sol
Restaurant · 1.6 km
Boulevard Benito Juárez García
Fr-We 08:00-16:00
KOI Sushi & Grill
Restaurant · Sushi, Japanese, Seafood · 1.7 km
Local 4 Boulevard Benito Juárez García y Cuesta del Agua, Puerto Peñasco
Kaffeehaus
Restaurant · German, Coffee Shop · 1.6 km
Boulevard Benito Juárez García
30 more on the map.
History
The city is known by two names, Puerto Peñasco (rocky cliff port) in Spanish and Rocky Point in English. In 1826, retired Robert William Hale Hardy of the British Royal Navy was sailing in this area searching for pearls and precious metals. He named the area Rocky Point, and it was identified as Rocky Point on marine maps until President Lázaro Cárdenas changed it to Puerto Punta Peñasco. To simplify pronunciation, the English name lost the word “Port” and the Spanish name dropped “Punta”.
Prior to the 1920s, the area was just one of the safe harbors for wandering fishermen who worked the upper Gulf of California. During fishing seasons, fishermen from Guaymas, Bahía Kino, Puerto Libertad, and Puerto Lobos began to come here to camp out. The main attraction for these fishermen was a fish called totoaba, which was fished not for its meat, but for its use in medicine. At this time the area was known as Punta de Piedra o Punta Peñasco. The name comes from a large quantity of solidified lava that hit the Gulf. Even as early as the 19th century, fishermen from Arizona came here. Since there was no source of drinking water, it was not settled permanently.
From the History section of Puerto Peñasco on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay13
Churches and places of worship6
Iglesia Católica Sagrada Familia
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.3 km
Avenida José María Pino Suárez, Puerto Peñasco
Rectoría de San Francisco de Asís
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.7 km
322 Calle Josefa Ortiz De Dominguez, Puerto Peñasco
Shopping19
Gas and EV charging9
Schools, colleges and libraries1
Colegio de Bachilleres del Estado de Sonora Plantel Puerto Peñasco
School · 1.5 km
Healthcare13
Map of Puerto Peñasco
109 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Mar de Cortés International Airport (PPE) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 23 km away.
- Adolfo Oribe de Alva 66 km southeast, about 1 h by car
- Álvaro Obregón 78 km southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Poblado San Felipe 87 km southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Sonoyta 89 km northeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Último Esfuerzo 88 km southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Montaje de puerto peñasco, self., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Puerto pesquero de Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, México, Raxa.Kame, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Un hermoso atardecer, MvcAli2305, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Puerto Penasco, Sonora, Mexico, Ron Reiring, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Og Mexican Quesadilla, Harmonyfdz, CC0
- Dirty Neighborhoods - panoramio, kallahar, CC BY 3.0
- Cerro de la Ballena, LIMO 5, CC0
- Statues - panoramio, kallahar, CC BY 3.0
- Monumento al Camaronero, Sonora, México en Fotos, CC BY-SA 2.0
Page built November 4, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.