Immediately south of Pinacate along Federal Route 8, the dusty fishing town of Puerto Peñasco, hugs the Sea of Cortez. Often called Rocky Point by Americans, the town is becoming a popular tourist destination.

A view inside a senita cactus.

Puerto Peñasco is an ideal place to escape the sun and heat of the desert. There are several restaurants, bars, and cantinas hanging over the water, and most sell seafood as well as Mexican and American dishes.

Puerto Peñasco also offers good diving and snorkeling. Just south of the city, spectacular beach entry dives await you. Most are shallow rock dives with some coral. The reefs are teeming with surgeon generals, triggerfish, wrasses, and pufferfish, as well as Cortez groupers and hosts of other species. But beware the sting rays lurking in the sand.

One of the most rewarding sights when diving in this area are the sea slugs (nudibranch). Most are varied and intricate. One common species is adorned with purple appendages and graceful yellow and red dots along its spine.