We had a great year for Rocky Point in 2013. Visitors to our town rose considerably, home prices began to increase and a lot more homes were sold. Puerto Peñasco was removed from the travel warning by the US State department, the new airport began actually receiving commercial flights (I even flew into town for the very first time) including one international flight coming from Las Vegas, there was less conflict, very little bad news, the military checkpoint coming into and out of town was removed, there were no rumors of deadly viruses spreading anywhere or terrible economic crisis striking our neighboring countries, au contraire, the US economy as well as the housing market stabilized and improved, even the stock market rose to new highs, and job market recovery was notable with unemployment falling to a 5 year low.
All of the above increased consumer confidence which also increased travel to Mexico; even fuel prices decreased which helps people driving from our neighboring cities of Tucson and Phoenix and frees extra cash for entertainment and vacationing. Every major holiday in 2013 had the town completely packed, and the Annual November Bike Rally saw more bikers than we had seen in many years, maybe it was the biggest rally of them all. I don’t think I had ever seen so many bikers having so much fun, and the whole long weekend was free of any deadly accidents.
All of this and more bodes very well for a fantastic 2014
Visitors can expect great weather this New Year, as they have every year before this one: with over 300 sunny days a year, you are almost guaranteed a nice day if you visit, yes winters can be chilly and windy sometimes but there are plenty of nice days to stroll on the beach with many days close to 70 degrees and feeling even warmer with the sun shining, another great reason to come in the winter is the chance to see some whales at play, some sunset cruises have pictures of fin whales already and we expect a repeat of last year’s great whale show throughout the winter months that thrilled many visitors and even made it to the US news when one whale bumped a small boat on camera (no whales or fishermen were harmed).
Beautiful, clean beaches and friendly people greet the tourist as they always have. New and repeat visitors can feel at home with most restaurants and hotels offering bilingual menu’s and dollars being accepted all over town, also the exchange rate has been fairly favorable for American tourists lately which makes a visit to the town even more affordable than before. Just be aware that exchange rates can vary quite a bit so you might want to pull cash (pesos) from an ATM or ask your bank ahead of time to buy some pesos thus receiving a fair bank exchange rate minus the currency conversion or ATM fees. Credit cards are accepted in most restaurants and some major businesses, but don’t be caught in town without cash as some places just will not take a credit card.
We have seen a switch from mostly American tourism to a lot more Mexican National tourism and, on my latest visit to the old port, I also saw a big group of Asian tourists, this might have to do with the new Aeromexico flights into town, perhaps we will receive some visitors that go to Las Vegas primarily and take a couple of days detour to this Mexican beach town. Flights are quite affordable, so we might become a more international destination even before any cruises set anchors on the “Home Port”.
Cheers to Everyone for a 2014 full of promise, excitement, new friendships. I wish you all good health and lots of vacation days to recharge your spirit and resolve, strengthen the bond with loved ones through the great memories created at the beach and build new stories to be told many years later:
Feliz Año Nuevo y Salud a todos: for an unforgettable and prosperous 2014!
