One of the great things about living in our little corner of paradise, beside the water sports, fishing, great seafood, abundant sunshine, spectacular sunsets, clear blue seas, tranquil lifestyle, and tequila (I just threw that in…because), is that you are never bored. At least I’m not. A beach house is never ‘finished’ and maintenance is constant. I can spend hours, days, weeks, or months in my shop – making sawdust, welding this or that and ‘fixing’ stuff. My wife, on the other hand, can get a bit antsy living out on the playa, with the sun, sea, and sand. Going to town to “shop” as a diversion is nice, but, apparently, one can only “shop” so much in our little town.
To help keep occupied, in addition to giving me new “honey-do’s”, the queen of my home likes to investigate new adventures to keep us (read “HER”) occupied. The bride has her finger on the pulse of Peñasco through this paper as well as the internet. Whenever some new venue opens, she has the 411. So it was that our weekend began like this:
When Encantame opened the Santo Coyote Ocean Cantina beach restaurant, we were there for the inaugural weekend. Reservations were required then (I do not know if they still are) and our arrival was handled with very pleasant, but precise, protocols as you might expect from a five-star hotel. After receiving our wrist bands, we were ‘escorted’ to the restaurant, which has magnificent beach and sunset views.
The staff was first rate attending our every need with graciousness and courtesy. The food was “different” and tasty. The presentation was first rate. Having the salsa and guacamole prepared tableside was a treat, as were the signature cocktails. We were fascinated to see a mural being painted by Guadalajara artist Oscar Manuel Plascercia Cisneros (Phone: 332-213-1223, Facebook Page: Plascerciavladiartgallery) whose work was spectacular. The ambiance was superb, and our happy “hour” turned into “happy three hours.” Worth your time to go there. That was Friday afternoon. While enjoying our post dinner cocktails, we plotted and planned for the rest of the weekend with our new neighbors on the playa, who had come along with us to experience Santo Coyote!
Saturday was another day, and time for another adventure and our planning commenced with gusto. A new restaurant made it onto the radar, and we simply had to go there. Brahman Steak House (Brahman, Blvd. Fremont y Atil, 210C Colonia Centro Sur, Puerto Peñasco – 52-638-688-0920) was where we took our Saturday evening dinner. A bright, modern, airy restaurant with good food and great cocktails, Brahman is a place that you might try if steak is on your mind. Since the restaurant is very new, staff issues (like slow bar service) can be forgiven. Overall, our meal and the service were fine.
Our weekend was not done yet: My son and a couple of his friends decided to come down for the weekend, and we thought it would be a good idea to do something “fun” with them…and our new neighbors as well (don’t you just love people who enjoy life and go for it with gusto??!!) After calling Del Mar Charters (Calle 4ta y, Recinti Portuario, Puerto Peñasco – 520-407-6054) to find out about doing a sunset cruise, we were excited to find that, although they were not doing sunset cruises on the catamaran until March, they were doing whale watching tours. Without preamble, we booked a cruise with Captain Oscar from Sunday at 11:00 a.m.
10:30 on Sunday morning found seven of us at the dock, boarding the catamaran for a four- and half-hour cruise out into the Sea of Cortez to see whales. We were not disappointed. After a pleasant hour cruising on the sea to about fifteen miles offshore our quarry appeared. First, at a distance, several Fin whales were spotted. Gradually, and with great care, Captain Oscar guided the boat to an intercept path with the behemoths. Eventually, after the captain shut down all motor noise, we were treated to an up close and personal view of four of the fifty-foot giants playing. Fin whales are the second largest whales, coming in just behind the Blue whale, which is the largest animal in the world, and being that close to them really gives one perspective!
Returning to port after whale watching, we decided to go to Margarita Mermaids (on the Malecon) for a fried chicken dinner, and a short drive back home (I was not able to indulge my sweet tooth at Thrifty…sigh, that is on MY radar for next time!).
That was our ‘impromptu’ weekend. So, if you are new to Peñasco, just visiting or thinking about getting a place of your own, know that you will have more to do than just bask in the sun and drink Margaritas…although that’s a pretty good thing to do, too!
