Puerto Peñasco was thrust into the spotlight last month with Governor Alfonso Durazo visiting on July 3rd for the groundbreaking ceremony of Encántame Resorts new condo project, Soleil. Mario and I both went to cover the event, and he got the best snaps – great one pictured here with Sonora’s Governor Durazo, Puerto Peñasco’s Mayor Jorge Pivac and Encántame Resorts Developer Miguel Guevara. Encántame Resorts is just on fire with so much development happening all at once. In addition to the groundbreaking, they also had a weekend full of events including free tequila and wine tasting and incredible fireworks show. If you’re new to Peñasco, or just haven’t been out to Playa Encanto yet, I highly recommend you go check out Encántame Resorts – take a tour, grab a latte from the only Starbucks in town and definitely hit Santo Coyote for a bite to eat – great dinner views at sunset. Some of the resorts on Sandy Beach put on their own firework shows, a couple of which I caught from the comfort of my ranchito patio. As I sat there sipping a nice glass of Malbec, I wondered how long it would be until I would no longer have an unobstructed view from my house to Sandy Beach – hard to imagine, but it’s coming.
I’ll spare you from my usual complaints about the humidity and heat in Peñasco because it has just been brutal everywhere. August and September in Peñasco are usually kind of slow with many businesses closing for the summer. I remember the days when the decision about where to go for Happy Hour was based on who was open and who had air conditioning and, on a good day, we maybe had two or three places to choose from and out of those two or three, the a/c was on its last legs in at least one of them. That is definitely not the case these days…so many great new places and so many legendary haunts like La Casa del Capitan who celebrated their 30th anniversary last month. Wow! The Capitan is a go-to spot when you come to Peñasco. The sunset views from atop Whale Hill are unrivaled – heck, the daytime views are just as fantastic too. Stop into the Capitan and wish Javier and Cristina a Happy 30th!
Most of you probably already know that Peñasco lost another treasure with the passing of Barb Mumaugh, founder of Barb’s Dog Rescue. Barb had been fighting health issues for a while and had the foresight to put people in place to continue the rescue running smoothly in the event of her passing. It was a labor of love for her and lucky for the dogs of Peñasco Barb’s Dog Rescue will continue on its very important mission. Please continue supporting them and always stop by the WhyNot Travel Store on your way down to see if they have any donations, you can drop off. Barb will be missed by many, and we thank her for all she has done.
See you at the beach in Sweaty September!!
Photos: Mayor Jorge Pivac, Encántame Resorts Developer Miguel Guevara and Governor Alfonso Durazo
Elevator shenanigans leaving then rooftop Sky Pool at Encántame Towers
Encántame Resorts Team
Barb Mumaugh, founder of Barb’s Dog Rescue