El Pinacate: A Brief History

Before we set off, let’s back up about 32,000 years. That may sound like a long time, but it’s a drop in the bucket on the geologic timeline that spans billions of years.

At the time, what is now the northwestern part of the Mexican State of Sonora was an explosive hotbed of volcanic activity. Unlike traditional volcanoes, the activity at El Pinacate all occurred underground. This distinction lead to the unusual landscapes you see dotted across the reserve.

Underground, molten lava tries to force itself to the surface due to extreme pressures in the earth’s core. As the lava approaches the surface, it comes into contact with moisture in the sediments. That moisture instantly vaporizes when it comes into contact with the lava, creating enormous bubbles of pressure. When the earth’s surface can no longer hold in that pressure, a violent explosion occurs as the volcano erupts.

Following the violent explosion and eruption, one of two things happens.

• On shallow explosions close to the surface, lava will flow out, leaving hardened lava flows dotting the landscape.
• In deeper explosions, the underground cavity will collapse under the weight of the sediment above it, creating a maar crater.

It turns out that maar craters are a lot more common than you think. You can find them all over the western parts of Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The most well-known maar crater in North America is Oregon’s Crater Lake. To give you an idea of just how powerful these explosions are, consider this. Crater Lake is 6 miles (10 km) wide and 2,000 feet (600 m) deep.

Before You Set Off for El Pinacate

If you’re visiting El Pinacate from the United States, you need to have the necessary insurance and paperwork to legally drive your car in Mexico. These are very simple steps, but can land you in a world of trouble if you skip out on them.

Mexican Car Insurance

You must purchase a Mexican insurance policy for your vehicle. Both US and Canadian auto insurance policies are not valid in Mexico. If you’re caught in Mexico without insurance, your vehicle will be impounded.

Many American insurance companies sell Mexican Auto Insurance. You can buy insurance by the day, by the month, or by the year. The most recent time I drove into Mexico was in August, 2019. I paid a little over $20 for insurance from AAA for the one day I was there.

I recommend purchasing Mexican insurance online prior to your departure. If that’s not your style, you can stop at any of the several agencies along Highway 85 in southern Arizona. You can even pick it up at the border as you enter Mexico.

Permission for Rental Cars and Cars with Liens

If you have a rented or leased vehicle, or own a vehicle with a lien on it, listen up. Bringing a vehicle into Mexico without prior permission is in violation of just about every rental, lease, or loan contract. Thankfully, all you need is a written letter of permission from your rental company, lessor, or bank. Do note that many rental car companies in Arizona will not grant you permission to drive their rental cars into Mexico.

Check the language of your contract for what you need to bring the vehicle into Mexico. I own my vehicles outright and have never had to deal with this step. However, the consequences can be severe if you skip it. In some instances, people have been criminally prosecuted for stealing a vehicle they brought into Mexico without permission.

A Quick Word About the Hassle-Free Border Zone

Every country has some version of a hassle-free border zone. It means as long as you stay within a certain distance of the border, you don’t need to fill out the paperwork to temporarily import yourself or your vehicle. In Mexico, the hassle-free border zone extends 20 kilometers (about 12.5 miles) from the border.

Thankfully, the state governments of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur have extended the hassle-free zone to encourage tourism. If you’re going to a popular tourist location in those three states, you’ll still be in the hassle-free zone. Baja California and Baja California Sur have extended the hassle-free zone the entire length of the Baja peninsula.

Sonora uses Federal Highway 15 to define the hassle free zone. Highway 15 runs from Nogales, Sonora to Los Mochis, Sinaloa. If you’re east of Highway 15, the hassle-free zone remains at 20 km. West of highway 15, the hassle-free zone is extended from 20 km to 450 km (the Sinaloa state line). Both El Pinacate and Puerto Peñasco are well west of highway 15, so you remain comfortably within the hassle-free zone.

Bring Your Passport

While you don’t need a passport to enter Mexico, you will need it to re-enter the United States.

How Do I Get to the El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve?

From Phoenix, it’s dirt simple.

1. Take Interstate 10 West to Buckeye, Arizona.
2. Take Exit 112 onto Arizona State Route 85 South.
3. Follow Highway 85 South to the International Border. Cross the border at the Lukeville/Sonoyta Port of Entry.
4. Once you’re in Mexico, follow the signs for Puerto Peñasco. You’ll be on Mexican Federal Highway 8 as you leave Sonoyta.
5. The turnoff for El Pinacate is on the right at Kilometer 52 on Highway 8, about half way between Puerto Peñasco and the border.

What to Expect Entering Mexico

Crossing the border for the first time can be intimidating. Entering Mexico is surprisingly simple, and the Lukeville-Sonoyta border crossing is small, so you won’t feel overwhelmed.

As you exit the United States, you’ll drive through a covered tunnel. During popular travel times, there is sometimes a quick US Customs checkpoint in that tunnel. They are there just to ensure you’re not crossing the border with anything that’s illegal in Mexico. More often than not, they’re not there and you can just drive right through.

You’ll pass through a large gate with a big yellow stripe running across the road. That yellow stripe is the border.

If you’re bringing anything to sell into Mexico or anything over your personal exemption, you must declare it to Mexican Customs. Look for the signs for the declaration lane, which will say “Autodeclaración” or “Carril para Declarar”. For a day trip to El Pinacate, I recommend leaving anything you would need to declare at home. It’s more hassle than it’s worth.

If you’re not declaring anything, look for the “Nada que Declarar” (Nothing to Declare) lane. As you approach the customs agent, you’ll get either a red light or a green light. The lights are assigned at random.

If you get a green light, they’ll wave you right through and you can continue on your merry way. A red light means you’ll need to stop for a quick inspection. If it’s really quiet at the port of entry, you may be stopped for inspection regardless of what color the light is.

The inspections are quick and painless. Mexican customs agents are welcoming, friendly, and speak English. They will have a quick look through your car and send you on your way. The longest I’ve spent at one of those inspections was about 3 minutes.

Obey the Speed Limits in Sonoyta

Just a heads up. Speed limits in the border town of Sonoyta, Sonora are very strictly enforced. The speed limit is 40 km/h (25 mph) through most of the town, but it drops down to 20 km/h (12 mph) in one spot. If you’re going even the tiniest bit over the speed limit, they will pull you over. To avoid an expensive ticket, I recommend driving 5 km/h under the speed limit.

While the local police can set up speed traps anywhere, they are most often set up on the south edge of town near the “Welcome to Sonoyta” sign. On your return trip, this is also where the speed limit abruptly drops from 90 km/h (55 mph) to 40 km/h (25 mph). If you’re not paying attention, they’ll nail you every single time.

Register at El Pinacate’s Estación Biológica

Before you begin your adventure at El Pinacate, you need to register and pay the entry fee. The easiest place to do that is at the Estación Biológica. It’s a ranger station located at Kilometer 52 of Highway 8, which is the main highway from Sonoyta to Puerto Peñasco. There’s a big sign on the highway, so you shouldn’t miss it.

The process is a bit different than at National Parks in the US. You may be confused when you arrive to find a closed gate across the road.

To pay the fee, you have to go into the Estación Biológica, which is located just off camera to the right of the gate in the above picture. When you walk in you’ll be asked whether you prefer English or Spanish. They’ll go over popular places in the park with you and provide you with some tour guides. You’ll also pay the entry fee of 50 pesos (about $2.60) there. Once you’re all registered, they’ll open the gate and let you in.

The ranger will also ask you where in the park you plan to go. Please give them this information honestly. The reason they ask is so that if you get lost or stranded, they know where to find you.

El Pinacate experiences some of the harshest conditions in the Sonoran Desert. There’s a reason they call it the Sonoran Desert’s Death Valley. Summer temperatures routinely hit 115 to 120°F, and the park averages less than an inch of rain per year. If you get lost, you won’t survive for very long.

Explore Maar Craters on the Ruta Cráteres

The Ruta Cráteres (Craters Route) is the crowned jewel of the entire El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve. Starting and finishing at the Estactión Biológica, the 76 km (45 mi) loop brings you through an incredibly diverse display of cacti, desert plants, cinder cones, and craters.

In addition to the natural highlights, you’ll also find interpretive stations every few kilometers. Stop and learn about the park’s history, geology, ecosystem, and much more. Information is available in both English and Spanish.

As you leave the Estación Biológica, the desert sand quickly transitions from its classic beige color to black volcanic soil. Because the volcanic soil is so rich in nutrients, you’ll find a rich diversity of flora. You’ll see cholla, saguaro, and organ pipe cacti, ocotillo and creosote bushes, tumbleweeds, and much more.

Cráter El Elegante

Located at kilometer 27 of the Ruta Cráteres, El Elegante is the largest and most well-known crater in the El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve. From the parking area, it’s just a few steps to the edge of the crater. El Elegante is as close to a textbook maar crater as you can get. I hope you can appreciate it as you stand at its edge taking in the landscapes.

Along with El Elegante’s stunning photo opportunities, I encourage you to hike the short 1 km interpretive trail around the edge of the crater. You’ll learn a lot about El Elegante and gain better perspective. Additionally, the parking area at El Elegante offers some of the best views of the lunar landscapes in the entire park.

Cono El Tecolote

If you have a picnic lunch, just want a place to stretch your legs or have a rest, or further explore, head to El Tecolote. At about the half way point of the Ruta Cráteres, the campground at El Tecolote is a great spot to break up your drive.

In addition, El Tecolote has excellent hiking trails. Hike to the summit of Cono Mayo for incredible photo opportunities of lava flows and volcanic ash-covered fields. I have never actually been to El Tecolote, so I unfortunately do not have any photos of it.

Cráter Cerro Colorado

The Cerro Colorado Crater is the final crater on the Ruta Cráteres. Its reddish color and tuff formation material made of clay and volcanic ash distinguish it from the other maar craters in El Pinacate.

Like El Elegante, you can drive right up to the rim of Cerro Colorado. While there are no hiking trails around the rim, the drive up to the rim of the crater offers diverse photo ops and perspectives of the crater. It’s another spectacular spot at El Pinacate to have a picnic as well.

Please also note that it is prohibited to descend into any of the craters in the El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve.

Additional Activities on the Ruta Cráteres

If you want a little more adventure than just a scenic drive, the Ruta Cráteres offers plenty of outdoor activities.

• Hiking
• Mountain Biking
• Camping
• Bird Watching
• Guided Tours
• Much More

Explore Volcanic Flows and Sand Dunes at the Schuk Toak Visitors Center

No trip to the El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve is complete without a stop at the Schuk Toak Visitor’s Center. The Visitor’s Center is located at kilometer 72 on Highway 8, or about 20 km north of Puerto Peñasco. Like the Ruta Cráteres, the area surrounding the Visitor’s Center offers outdoor activities for everyone. The entry fee you paid at the Estación Biológica will get you into the Visitor’s Center as well.

Visit the Museum at the Visitor’s Center

Inside the Visitor’s Center, you’ll find a modern museum where you can learn about the fascinating history, geology, and biology of El Pinacate. The Visitor’s Center is the first self-sustaining public building in Latin America. It is 100% solar and wind powered and operates completely off the grid.

Did you know that millions of years ago, fish once inhabited what is now Sonora and Arizona?

Hike the Geology and Biology Nature Trails

There are two short nature trails located right behind the Visitor’s Center. On one trail, you’ll learn about El Pinacate’s explosive geological history. On the other trail, you’ll learn about the flora and fauna that make up this incredibly unique and diverse desert ecosystem. The trails are short with no elevation change, but are on the lava flows, so footing in some areas can be uneven. Be quiet and you’ll likely see several birds and reptiles. If you’re really lucky, you’ll see some of the mammals that inhabit the park.

Explore the Dunes of El Gran Desierto de Altar

Located 2 kilometers past the Visitor’s Center, the Gran Desierto de Altar is the largest active dune field in North America. Hike up to the top of the dunes and see the unusual and extremely rare star dunes. El Pinacate is one of just a small handful of places in the entire world where you can find star dunes.

Unfortunately, all of my visits to El Pinacate have been during the summer, when access to the dunes is closed. Exploring the dunes is very high on my bucket list right now, and I hope to be able to do so once the pandemic ends and international travel can resume.

What to Expect Re-Entering the United States

While not a simple as entering Mexico, re-entering the United States is still very straightforward. First, pull up to the primary checkpoint, remove your hat and sunglasses, and hand the US Customs officer the passports of everyone in the vehicle. If you have passengers in the back seat, I recommend opening the back window as well.

When talking to any customs officer, always be friendly, honest, and transparent. Customs officers are trained to spot deception, so if you’re trying to hide anything, they’ll know. The officer will ask you any or all of the following questions.

• Where are you coming from?
• What was the purpose of your trip to Mexico?
• Where are you going? If you’re not a US citizen, they will likely ask what the purpose of your trip to the United States is.
• What are you bringing back from Mexico? You must declare everything you bought in Mexico that you are bringing back into the US, no matter how small and insignificant it may seem.

At this point, one of two things will happen. In most cases, they will send you on your way. If not, you will be referred to secondary for additional inspection. You can be sent to secondary for any number of reasons. Most of the time, it’s just because you’ve been flagged for a random inspection. This is no more out-of-the-ordinary than random bag checks at the airport.

If you get sent to secondary, you will again be asked the questions above. Again, be honest and transparent. The secondary officer will double-check your passports, search your car, and send you on your way. The longest a secondary inspection has ever delayed me was about 10 minutes.

Finally, please note that you will also pass through two Border Patrol checkpoints on Arizona Highway 85 between Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and Gila Bend. They are primarily looking for illegal immigrants and drugs. US Citizens do not need to show any documentation at these checkpoints.

Conclusion

The El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve is one of the most unique, diverse, and extreme ecosystems in the Sonoran Desert. It offers outdoor activities for all ages and hobbies. Indulge in one of the most underrated day trips from Phoenix and Tucson. Add some international flair and culture to your life. The world is your oyster. What are you waiting for?

Top Photo: Lunar Volcanic Landscape near El Pinacate’s El Elegante Crater
Los Norteños, Sonora, Mexico – July, 2017

The post How to Maximize One Day at Mexico’s El Pinacate Biosphere appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.

I need a little time to vegetate my mind, escape from my reality. Just Mexico, tequila, and me.

There’s something truly special about the start of a road trip. The fresh air, the open road, and that sense of freedom. There’s no better feeling in the world. This trip was particularly special for me for reasons I’d rather not go into, so I decided that I would go all out and make this one particularly epic. It will take me through 3 countries, 15 states/provinces, and cover 5,500 kilometers.

A Special Beginning

I couldn’t think of a more appropriate place to start this trip than Puerto Peñasco. The city, which sits at the top of the Gulf of California in the Mexican State of Sonora, is where the desert meets the ocean. Look one way and you’ll see the sparkling azure waters of the Sea of Cortez. Look the other way and you’ll see the stunning mountains and dunes of the Sonoran Desert. It’s about as close to Margaritaville as you can get. And that’s coming from someone who lived in Florida for 6 years.

As I sit on top of the hill overlooking El Malecón, a spectacular sea breeze starts to fill in. It’s instant relief from the 105-degree heat and high humidity. That feeling of freedom and being on vacation finally starts to truly set in. The smell of the salty air coming off the ocean. The smell of the fresh Peñasco shrimp wafting over from the waterfront restaurants and the street taco stands. Then down on the street you start to hear the country and western beach music from north of the border blend with the regional Sonoran music. It puts you in laid back and relaxed vibe. You only need to worry about which taco stand you want to get lunch from.

Jimmy Buffett Would Be Jealous

My favorite part about visiting Puerto Peñasco is indulging myself in the region’s world-famous seafood. The Rocky Point shrimp put the fresh Gulf of Mexico shrimp I would get when I lived in Florida to shame. It’s not even close.

I managed to get a seat on the patio at one of the waterfront restaurants at El Malecón for lunch. It was so hot out everyone was sitting inside in the air conditioning, so the only other person eating on the patio was a local street vendor selling Mexican dulces (candies). While I was waiting for my shrimp tacos to cook, he and I struck up a casual conversation. Like most interactions with the locals, we conversed half in English and half in Spanish.

After a little shopping and a mandatory stop at the local fish market to get a big bag of fresh shrimp to bring home, I made my way back to the truck as excitement started to set in. This is kilometer zero, the official start of my road trip. I can’t wait to see the sights, friends, and new experiences the next 5,500 kilometers bring.

All in all, this was a truly awesome way to kick off the trip and a great way to set the mood and tone for the entire adventure. Puerto Peñasco is a special place, and there is no place more appropriate place at which to start this trip. Let’s hit the road.

View Photo Album

Funny Addendum to this Leg of the Trip

They always say that the funniest things happen when you least expect them. Boy did that ever prove true here. I pulled into the Mexican border town of Sonoyta, Sonora on my way back to Phoenix. I made sure I had my passport easily accessible and went over my mental checklist of everything I had to declare to US Customs as I made my way towards the border.

Shortly before you get to the border, two Mexican federal highways briefly come together. When they fork, one highway runs parallel to the border and eventually brings you to Mexicali and Tijuana. The other highway brings you to the Port of Entry and becomes Arizona State Route 85 once you cross back into the US. Here is a picture of the fork (note the green signs).

Bear Right Towards “Oosah”

As I approached the fork, my GPS said very loudly, “Bear Right towards Oosah”. Apparently acronyms are still a foreign concept to the GPS AI technology. Anyway, I burst out laughing so hard and couldn’t stop. I almost had to pull the truck over to re-compose myself.

Keep in mind the setting here. I’m by myself, laughing my ass off in my truck, less than 500 meters from an international border that’s well known for all kinds of nefarious activity. In the back of my mind, I know I’m going to be driving very slowly – no more than 40 km/h (25 mph) – past the Mexican military, federal police, and customs. They’ll notice.

Thankfully, I was able to play the 40 km/h speed limit to my advantage, and used the extra time to compose myself well before reaching the border. I crossed safely back into the US, and after a brief and friendly stop through US Customs, I was on my way back to Phoenix.

The post Puerto Peñasco, Sonora: A Special Beginning to My 2019 Road Trip appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.

The catch is that the highway is Mexico’s Federal Highway 2. The US-Mexico border runs right between the pond and the highway. You will quickly find that “Feet Away, but Worlds Apart” is a common theme down here.

How to Get to the Quitobaquito Oasis

Access to the pond is off of the South Puerto Blanco Drive. The turnoff is located off of Arizona’s Highway 85, about 1/4 mile north of the Lukeville port-of-entry. Over 70% of the national monument, including the Puerto Blanco drive was closed from 2003 until 2014 due to smuggling and other illegal cross-border activity following a park ranger being shot to death in 2002 by a drug smuggler.

In an incredible reversal of fortunes, the area west of Lukeville has gone from being the most dangerous spot on the border ten to twelve years ago to being one of the safest spots on the border today. Any time you’re near an international border, there are always possible dangers present, but US Customs and Border Protection, the park rangers, and the county sheriff all have a heavy presence inside the national monument.

South of the border, the Mexican Federal Police and the Sonora State Police routinely patrol Highway 2 and Sonoyta, the Mexican border town opposite Lukeville.

You’ll Drive About 15 Miles on a Dirt Road only a Few Feet from the US-Mexico Border

The South Puerto Blanco drive runs about 15 miles right along the border until it turns north to loop back to the visitor’s center. The turn off for Quitobaquito is right where the road turns north. The stretch of road the runs from Highway 85 to Quitobaquito can be passable in a passenger car in dry weather, but I strongly recommend something with high clearance.

A 4×4 is not necessary unless recent heavy rains have washed out parts of the road. Completing the full Puerto Blanco Drive requires a 4×4. Parts of the road have not been maintained since before the park closed in 2003.

At Quitobaquito, See Some of the Rarest Species of Fish in the World

Back at the pond, Quitobaquito is home to some of the rarest species of fish in the world. According to the US National Park Service, the pond is the only place in the world where you can find the Quitobaquito spring snail, the Sonoyta mud turtle, the Sonoyta pup fish, and the desert caper plant. You will also find a wide variety of bird species, especially during the spring and fall migrations, as well as lizards and other mammals. If wildlife isn’t your thing, there are plenty of plant species to look at, too.

Take a Relaxing Stroll Around the Quitobaquito Oasis

If you visit Quitobaquito, I highly recommend you take the short walk around the perimeter of the pond. Even stopping to take lots of pictures, it still only took me about 10 or 15 minutes to make it around. The walk is mostly in the shade. You’ll get to see plenty of wildlife, and you will cross the stream that feeds the pond. It’s only a few inches wide (see the photo below), so you can just step over it. You don’t need to worry about wading through it or anything.

I know that the proximity of Quitobaquito Springs to the US-Mexico border scares a lot of people off. Understand the possible risks associated with being so close to the international border. Obey the signs and pay attention to your surroundings, and you should have a great time there.

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Before becoming such a popular tourist destination, Puerto Peñasco started as a small fishing village. It sits at the far nothern end of the Gulf of California and the Sea of Cortez in the Mexican State of Sonora. Because of its proximity to the United States, it quickly became a popular tourist destination for people from Phoenix and Tucson looking to escape the Arizona heat. Since the desert comes all the way down to the ocean, there is no shortage of outdoor activities to do both on the water and in the desert.

Go Tequila Tasting

After checking into our hotel, our first stop was at the Tequila Factory for some tequila tasting and to learn about the tequila making process. The tequila is not actually made at the Tequila Factory. Mexican law only allows 4 or 5 states to distill tequila and actually sell it as tequila. The other states must sell it as mezcal. Sonora is not one of those 4 or 5 states. The Tequila Factory makes their tequila in the highlands of the Jalisco near Guadalajara.

A Unique Aging Process

The tequila they sell at the Tequila Factory goes through a very unique aging process. Once it comes out of the distillery, it is placed into wooden barrels that have been soaked in vanilla. The wood absorbs that vanilla. If you’ve never had Mexican vanilla before, it’s absolutely incredible, you don’t know what you’re missing out on.

As the tequila ages in these barrels, the vanilla is pulled out of the wood and gets infused into the liquor. The tequila also takes on some very subtle overtones from the wood. The reposado is aged for three to six months in these barrels. The añejo is aged from one to five years. The Tequila Factory tequila is some of the best tequila I’ve ever had.

I lost count of the number of different tequilas we sampled. After sampling the three “traditional” tequilas (blanco, reposado, and añejo), we sampled several fruit-infused tequilas as well as some liqueurs. The samples I remember most were a citrus tequila served with fresh oranges and topped with sprinkled cinnamon, as well as a tiramisu made from the coffee and chocolate liqueurs. We bought a bottle of the tequila reposado and a bottle of the tequila añejo on the way out.

Go Shopping at El Malecón

From the Tequila Factory, we headed to El Malecón to take a walk, do some shopping, and have dinner. El Malecón means “the boardwalk” in Spanish, and it’s a centralized gathering place where people can relax and socialize. Puerto Peñasco hosts many festivals and celebrations there. You can find El Malecón in many Mexican beach towns. On lazy summer evenings like the night we were there, there were some children there playing while their parents socialized. It always has a very happy, friendly, and almost festive atmosphere to it.

Puerto Peñasco’s El Malecón sits where the original fishing village was. The boardwalk is about half a kilometer long and is easily walkable. Fish markets, shops, and restaurants line the waterfront. There is a large parking lot at the west end of the boardwalk where you can park for free.

Naturally, the first thing my sister sees is two brothers selling piña coladas out of a street cart. We got a couple of them and sat on the boardwalk looking out over the ocean and watched the world go by. They were really good drinks. The brothers made the piña coladas with fresh pineapple (no mixers!) that they cut right in front of us. It tasted so refreshing on a hot evening.

Indulge in Puerto Peñasco’s World-Famous Seafood

After finishing the drinks and browsing the street vendors, we were starting to get hungry for dinner. We went into one of the little restaurants right on the water. It was a warm evening, but it was starting to cool off. We sat outside since we had the whole outdoor seating area to ourselves. It was truly a Mexican seafood feast, with margaritas, guacamole, and shrimp tacos.

Many restaurants in Puerto Peñasco’s El Malecón split themselves into two parts. The upper floor is the restaurant and the bottom floor is a fish market. They quite literally back the boats right up to the restaurants to deliver the day’s catch, so the shrimp is as fresh as you could get. The boardwalk is not too shabby a spot to watch the sunset, either. The sunset cruises are probably the only better spot. After dinner, we stopped at the fish market to buy some shrimp to take home with us.

Relax on the Beach

The next morning, we had a tasty breakfast of eggs and chorizo. We took a nice walk on the beach before beginning the drive back to Phoenix. Unlike the rest of the Pacific Ocean, which is very cold, the water in the Sea of Cortez in the middle of the summer is very refreshing. We were there in mid-July, and the water temperature was around 80°F.

If you like seafood or are just looking for a relaxing beach getaway, it’s hard to wrong with Rocky Point. While it can sometimes get a little rowdy during Spring Break, any other time of the year you will be greeted with warm, open arms. You’ll return home recharged and refreshed.

The post A Relaxing Getaway: How to Spend a 24 Hour Visit to Puerto Peñasco, Mexico appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.

When my sister and I traveled to El Pinacate last week, we got really lucky with the weather. The summer monsoon moisture was firmly in place over the northwestern part of Sonora, so the cloud cover kept temperatures right around 100°F. In fact, it even spat rain on us a couple times.

La Ruta Cráteres: A Spectacularly Unique Look at the Sonoran Desert

The Ruta Cráteres is the main loop road through the reserve. It’s a 76 km dirt track that has stops at three of the park’s most famous craters. Other than a some pretty serious washboarding in places, the road was in pretty good shape. It’s probably passable in a passenger car if you knew what you were doing. However, I would recommend something with high clearance and a rugged suspension such as a truck or SUV. Please obey the posted speed limit of 40 km/h or 25 mph.

When you first arrive at the park, you must check in at the Estación Biológica, which is just a ranger station. The park entrance is at kilometer 52 on Federal Highway 8. It’s about 50 km south of the Lukeville/Sonoyta border crossing and about 40 km north of Puerto Peñasco. Pay the entrance fee to the park (60 pesos when we went), and give the rangers your vehicle information. Tell them exactly the route you’re going to take and where you’re stopping. That way, if you have a vehicle breakdown or get stuck, they know exactly where to look for you. The rangers all speak both English and Spanish, and were extremely knowledgeable, warm, and welcoming.

Cráter El Elegante: El Pinacate’s Most Famous Crater

Our first stop was at the reserve’s famous Cráter El Elegante, located at kilometer 27 of the Ruta Cráteres. The craters at El Pinacate are all maar craters. Violent volcanic explosions underground cause the ground to collapse in from the top and fill the void left by the explosion. Crater Lake National Park in Oregon is also a maar crater. The Cráter El Elegante is 1,600 meters (roughly a mile) in diameter, about 250 m (800 ft) deep, and is 32,000 years old. There is a hiking trail around the perimeter of the crater, but you cannot go down inside the crater. We did not hike the perimeter because it was so hot.

Stop at Cráter Cerro Colorado

Our second main stop was at Cráter Cerro Colorado, took on more of a cinder cone appearance. While it wasn’t your classic crater the way El Elegante is, it was unique and beautiful in its own way. It actually looks a lot like Ayer’s Rock in Australia as you approach it from the south.

The drive from Cráter Cerro Colorado back to the Estación Biológica was a spectacular drive out of the volcanoes. As the soil shifts from the black volcanic sand back to the traditional white/tan sand of the desert, you pass through a saguaro and cholla forest, which truly epitomizes an authentic desert experience.

Visit the Schuk Toak Visitor’s Center

After spending the night in Puerto Peñasco, we stopped at the Schuk Toak Visitor’s Center on our way home. The visitors center is quite a ways south of the Ruta Cráteres, sitting just north of Puerto Peñasco. The visitors center runs 100% on solar power, and provides plenty of information about the history of the preserve. Though most of it is in Spanish, there are also a couple of short guided walking trails behind the building. It is also home to the only sand dunes in the Sonoran Desert. However they close the dunes in the summer because of the extreme heat.

If you are ever in the Puerto Peñasco area, I highly recommend a visit to the El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve. If you want in interesting perspective, hop across the border and visit the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona. While El Pinacate focuses on geology, Organ Pipe focuses on biology and botany. Whatever you decide to do, you won’t be disappointed with the sights, sounds, and scenic views.

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