August is here and don’t we know it! It’s going to be very warm and very humid for the next couple months – so, not much different than last month. The beginning of July was great, especially with a busier-than-expected 4th of July holiday weekend, but then the wind rolled in mid-month and wreaked havoc. Extremely high winds caused damage to houses and buildings around town and sunk a couple boats spreading debris all over Sandy Beach. The EcoFun 1 didn’t fare too well as you can see from this photo that Mario took. She was the one that shuttled us to and from our first cruise out of Puerto Peñasco on the Astoria. (Yes, we actually had cruises out of Peñasco as well as flights – hopefully both will come back someday soon.)
If you aren’t aware of Coastal Warning Displays, Puerto Peñasco uses colored flags. The Port Captain is responsible for determining when it’s safe for boats to go out onto the Sea of Cortez, when it’s safe to swim and when creatures are present. I actually didn’t know we had a flag for creatures – super handy when the jellyfish come to town. Our beaches are also split into 3 zones. You can experience completely different weather in different parts of town. I can get rain at the ranchito with not a drop hitting anywhere else in town. On one trip to Santo Tomas, we left town under sunny skies and were hit with huge balls of hail when we hit the intersection of the Coastal Hwy. and the Caborca Hwy. – just a few miles outside of town – absolutely crazy! Here’s a copy of the SWIMMING flag colors and what they mean as well as what beaches are in what zones. If you rent out your property, be sure to copy this and make sure it’s included in your welcome info. I’ll get it added to our General Information Pages, so it’ll be in every edition.
During August and September many businesses will close for vacation or use the slower months to do some repairs, remodeling and renovation. Some will open back up for the Labor Day holiday weekend and then close again or cut their hours so be sure to check in advance before you head out – and have a plan b and c. For example, Luca and Karina, owners of Pane e Vino up on Whale Hill will be closed from August 3rd through September 21st, but great grub and spectacular views are still available on Whale Hill next door at Las Casa del Capitan. Definitely one of the best places to enjoy a sunset margarita.
Not a whole lot to report this month. Activities have dropped off, but there are still a few staples, happy hours and live music all around town. Check out Events Page and watch out for pop-up events. Please check out Educarte’s article this month and patronize their new Comedor Azul and Mercadito Azul – details listed on the Events Page.
Try to stay cool this August – stay close to the beach and in the pool and see you at the beach!
