Once a small fishing town in the early 1900’s, Puerto Penasco was just a spot on the map. But in 1920, entrepreneur John Stone opened a hotel and a casino in order to draw people from Arizona into the area. Located just north of the border, Puerto Penasco at Rocky is considered one of the best retirement destinations in the world.
Retirees often overlook Mexico as retirement destination; however, more people are beginning to realize that tropical paradises like Rocky Point offer a perfect destination for retirement as well as vacation getaways.
If you’re considering a retirement destination, Puerto Penasco offers the convenience of a quick drive back a forth between the U.S. and Rocky Point. If you live in Arizona or close by, all you need to do is pack up the car and start heading south for a short drive. Once you cross the border, you enter a hassle-free vehicle zone, which allows you to drive your car through certain parts of Mexico without a vehicle permit.
Not only is Puerto Penasco close to the border, but it’s also culturally familiar. In Puerto Penasco, you’ll find familiar shopping at places like Sam’s Club, Auto Zone, and Burger King. For the most part, the locals speak English, so you can get around pretty easily by speaking your native tongue. To top it all off, you can also spend U.S. dollars in Mexico, or if you want, you can get more bang for your buck by turning your American dollars into pesos. In fact, the American dollar is currently very strong against the Mexican peso, and you can get 16.8 pesos for every dollar.
Real estate trades are usually made with the American dollar, so you can get a great deal on a home in the area. Most single family homes next to the beach start at $175,000, or you can purchase a one-bedroom condo for $109,000.
The Rocky Point area also boasts a very temperate climate, and you can enjoy sunshine at least 362 days out of the year. You’ll also enjoy the warm sandy beaches, as well as the turquoise-blue waters of the ocean. The main beach, appropriately named Sandy Beach stretches approximately 4.5 miles long. During low tide the beach is approximately 200 yards wide in some places.
With plenty of fun activities to enjoy such as water skiing, swimming, surfing, fishing, and scuba diving, you’ll never run out of things to keep you busy during the day. With is accessibility and affordability, it’s really no wonder why so many retirees from all over the country are drawing to the area like a magnet.
