Summer Fun
As I prepared to write an August column, which is due the second week of July, I was thinking about summer fun. Puerto Peñasco is no longer a ghost town in August and September. Our hotels and condos are still filled with tourists who come for the beaches. While many of our winter residents and California, Arizona, Colorado tourists have headed for the cooler climates, many Mexican National tourists from the non-coastal areas are coming to enjoy our beaches. So what do they do after they get here? Answer – anything water associated you can think of.

Another one discovers Paradise
Maru, originally from Puebla and a prior resident of Puerto Vallarta, has traveled all over Mexico. When her best friend married a man from Puerto Peñasco and moved here, she suggested Maru come and check out this community where she felt there was lots of opportunity. Like many others that I have written about, she came and she stayed. As for opportunity, I think it was Maru’s creativity and energy that made her opportunity.

An idea
After working in real estate and time shares she decided to stay home with Mike, the 4th and their son Mike, the 5th, and help with Mike’s business, the Baja Hotel. Mike spent time on the Maya Golf Course and Maru had worked for Mayan and both had heard complaints about not enough to do while folks spent a week there at the beach. So after some discussion they came up with the idea for an entertainment program. This program included a rock climbing wall on the beach, trampolines, bikes, kayaks, and boogie boards. After 7 months of negotiating they were able to start the business, E.F. Land and Sea Excursions, known locally as Eco Fun. After getting started they added the banana boat rides, jet skis and an excursion boat for trips to Bird Island for snorkeling.

Maru, one busy CEO

A plan comes together
As they used to say on an old TV show – I love it when a plan comes together! After being in business for just 1 month, staff members from the Mayan corporate entertainment department came to Puerto Peñasco and were so impressed with Maru’s program that they asked her to expand to all Mayans. Maru turned them down as she felt they just weren’t ready to expand. Well 3 months later Mayan Corporate made her – an offer she couldn’t refuse. Ok, so I’ll stop with the TV/movie quotes. Mike and Maru got busy buying equipment and hiring local managers for Mayans in Acapulco, Playa del Carmen, Mazatlan, Nuevo Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas. They now provide the non-motorized portion of their program in all those locations. As I was interviewing Maru for this article, she was getting ready to start the program on Sandy Beach at the Las Palomas resort. She stays on top of her operation by getting daily reports from her on-site managers as well as reports from the Mayan resort managers. And, of course, there will be the occasional visit.

Fun on the beach at the Puerto Peñasco Mayan

Love of Community
Maru is proud that their company is supportive of the environmental efforts the Mayan has established and that they also work with CEDO and other community groups to raise awareness of this unique environment. After living in places like Puebla and Puerto Vallarta, and now with the company located in other cities, I asked if she planned to stay in Puerto Peñasco. She said yes. She likes that it is smaller than the previous places she has lived. She feels it has a great sense of community and is a wonderful place to raise her son.

Eco Fun 1

At this time, Puerto Peñasco is the only place that they have a large excursion boat but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Eco Fun 2, 3, etc. in the future. In fact, you might even see Maru as the captain. She is one energetic, creative woman. Eco Fun 1 provides all day trips to Bird Island where you can kayak and snorkel. They provide food and beverage. They also do sunset cruises. You don’t need to be staying at Mayan, Las Palomas or Baja to enjoy a trip on Eco Fun 1. You can contact them at (011-52-638) 388-9699 or visit their office in the Baja Hotel on Avenida Matamoros in the Mirador neighborhood.

Eco Fun 1 awaiting the day’s passengers

And there you have it, one more success story from our paradise, Puerto Peñasco.