The Nicklaus Design Course
Tee times through the Vidanta pro shop.
Tee times and rates
Arizona's beach
Rocky Point from Phoenix and Tucson
About four hours from Phoenix, three and a half from Tucson, and on Arizona time all year. Here's the drive, what you need at the border, the weather month by month, and where to stay when you get there.
~4 hFrom Phoenix
~3½ hFrom Tucson
MSTArizona time, all year
Rocky Point, or Puerto Peñasco, is the nearest ocean beach to Phoenix and Tucson: a long weekend on the Sea of Cortez without a flight, an airport or a time change. Pack the car on Friday and you can be watching the sun set from the terrace by dinner.
The drive from Phoenix
- Take I-10 west and turn south on AZ-85 at Buckeye.
- Follow AZ-85 through Gila Bend, Ajo and Why to the border at Lukeville. It's two-lane desert highway past Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument; Ajo and Why are the last towns with services.
- Cross into Sonoyta, Sonora, and follow Mexico Highway 8 south for about 100 km (62 miles) to Puerto Peñasco.
All in, it's about 215 miles and four hours without stops. Encantame, where our residences are, is on Playa Encanto just east of town.
Slow down through Sonoyta
Most of Sonoyta is posted at 40 km/h, about 25 mph, and some stretches are slower still, down to about 5 mph. Mexican speed signs are in kilometers per hour, so a “40” sign doesn’t mean 40 mph. Honor every sign, however slow. Local drivers may ride your bumper to push you faster. Don’t give in: keep to the limit and let them pass.
The drive from Tucson
Take AZ-86 west through Three Points and Sells to Why, then AZ-85 south to Lukeville and on through Sonoyta as above. Plan on three and a half to four hours.
At the border
Border rules change, so check the official pages before each trip. Here is where to find them.
ID to come home
A passport book covers both countries. A passport card is accepted for coming back into the US by land, but Mexico's immigration institute limits it to the border zone.
- Documents for crossing by land (WHTI) CBPWhich IDs US citizens can use to re-enter by land
Tourist permit (FMM)
Mexico's permit for visitors. Check whether your trip needs one and apply online before you go.
- Apply for the FMM online INMMexico's immigration institute: the land-entry application
- Driving to Mexico US EmbassyFMM, vehicle permits, insurance and road safety
Lukeville crossing
The crossing isn't open around the clock. Check its hours before a late drive home, and the live wait before you leave.
- Lukeville port hours CBPHours and phone for the port of entry
- Live wait times CBPCurrent northbound wait for cars at Lukeville
Your car
Your US policy isn't enough in Mexico, so buy a Mexican policy before you cross. No vehicle import permit is needed in the Sonora Free Zone.
- Compare Mexican auto insuranceBelow: the insurer we use and others
- Vehicle permits and insurance US EmbassyWhere a vehicle permit is and isn't needed
Mexican auto insurance
We use MexAdventure, and it gave the lowest prices we found: in October 2026, a 3-day weekend for a 2022 sedan quoted from $26.46 for liability and from $43.94 with full coverage (ANA policies). The others below are well-established sellers. Prices depend on your car, dates and coverage, so get a quote.
The insurer we use
MexAdventure
3-day liability from $26.46
Daily, 6-month and annual policies from ANA, Chubb and HDI.
Get a quote
MexPro
3-day liability from $42.56
Policies from GNP, El Águila and Chubb.
Get a quote
Oscar Padilla
3-day liability from $66.63
Policies from Qualitas.
Get a quote
Baja Bound
Policies from one day to one year, from HDI and Chubb.
Get a quote
Sanborn's
Policies from HDI.
Get a quote
Prices are quotes we got in October 2026 and will change; get a quote for your car and dates.
What you can bring
Mexico and the US each limit the food, drink and animals that cross, and both enforce it. The official pages below have the current rules; declare anything you're unsure about.
Food coming home
Declare all food at the US border. Many fresh foods from Mexico aren't allowed in, including most fresh fruit, fresh eggs and raw poultry.
- Bringing agricultural products into the US CBPWhat's allowed from Mexico, declaring, and penalties
- Traveling from another country USDA APHISRules by type of food: produce, meat, dairy, eggs
Food going into Mexico
Mexico keeps fresh meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, and raw shrimp out; packaged, labeled foods have per-family limits.
- Permitted and prohibited products (in Spanish) SENASICAMexico's food rules for travelers
- The traveler product list (PDF, in Spanish) SENASICAEach item and its limit per family
Alcohol
Each country has its own allowance, and Arizona's limit is stricter than the federal one, with beer and wine counting toward it.
- Duty-free allowance for travelers (in Spanish) Mexican customsWhat adults can bring into Mexico, including alcohol
- Customs duty information CBPThe duty-free liter, and duty above it
- Arizona's limit on alcohol from abroad Arizona lawA.R.S. 4-244.02
Pets
Pets aren't allowed in our residences. If a dog travels with you on the trip, it needs paperwork both ways, including a screwworm inspection certificate.
- Bringing a dog into the US CDCThe CDC Dog Import Form and the rules by country
- Dogs coming from Mexico USDA APHISThe screwworm certificate every dog from Mexico needs
- Traveling to Mexico with your pet SENASICAMexico's entry requirements for dogs and cats
Same time as Arizona
Sonora, like Arizona, stays on Mountain Standard Time all year. Check-in from 4:00 PM means 4:00 PM on your phone, in every season.
Rocky Point weather by month
Spring and fall are the sweet spot: warm, dry days with highs in the 70s and 80s. Summer is hot, but the sea is at its warmest, in the low 80s, from July to September. Winter is mild and quiet, with highs in the mid-60s and cool evenings.
| Month | High | Low | Sea | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66°F | 49°F | 63°F | 1 |
| February | 69°F | 51°F | 61°F | 1 |
| March | 74°F | 54°F | 63°F | 1 |
| April | 79°F | 59°F | 66°F | 1 |
| May | 85°F | 65°F | 70°F | Rare |
| June | 91°F | 72°F | 73°F | Rare |
| July | 95°F | 81°F | 79°F | 1 |
| August | 96°F | 82°F | 82°F | Rare |
| September | 95°F | 78°F | 82°F | 1 |
| October | 87°F | 67°F | 79°F | 1 |
| November | 76°F | 56°F | 73°F | 1 |
| December | 66°F | 50°F | 66°F | 2 |
Averages: SMN 1981–2010 climate normals for Puerto Peñasco; sea temperatures are long-run monthly averages. Once you choose dates, the reservation page shows the forecast for your stay.
Golf in Rocky Point
Rocky Point has two 18-hole courses and a nine-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature layout. Check with each course for tee times and rates, and tee off early from May to October, when the afternoons are hot.
The Links at Las Palomas
Open to the public, with tee times by request.
Tee times and ratesThe Club at Islas del Mar
Tee times and ratesIn an emergency
Keep these handy for the trip. Your reservation page lists them too.
There's no hospital out at Playa Encanto: the hospitals are in town, about 30 minutes from Encantame. Hospitals in Mexico usually ask for payment up front, and US health insurance, including Medicare, may not cover care abroad.
- Emergency: police, ambulance, fireMexico's national emergency number911
- Cruz Roja (Red Cross) ambulancePuerto Peñasco, open 24 hours+52 638 383 2266
- Ángeles VerdesRoadside help and tourist information078
- US Embassy, emergencies for US citizens24 hours+52 55 2579 2000
Hospital General de Puerto Peñasco
Public hospital · closest to Playa Encanto
Av. 38 (Río Suchiate), Col. Brisas del Golfo, Puerto Peñasco, Sonora
About 30 minutes from Encantame
Map
San José Clínica Hospital
Private hospital
Blvd. Benito Juárez García 215, Centro, Puerto Peñasco, Sonora
About 30 minutes from Encantame
+52 638 383 5121Map
IMSS Hospital General de Subzona No. 9
Public hospital (IMSS)
Juan de la Barrera y Nicolás Bravo, Col. Centro, Puerto Peñasco, Sonora
About 30 minutes from Encantame
+52 638 383 2777Map
US Consulate General Nogales: covers Puerto Peñasco; US citizen services +52 631 980 0522 · Website
- Hospitals, doctors and air ambulances US EmbassyThe consulate's provider list: choose Nogales District
- Medical care in Mexico US EmbassyPaying for care, and what the consulate can do
- Travel outside the US MedicareWhat Medicare does and doesn't cover abroad
- Enroll your trip (STEP) State DepartmentSafety alerts and a way for the embassy to reach you
A weekend or a week
Rocky Point is close enough for a long weekend and easy enough to stretch into a week. Spring break and the summer holiday weekends fill first, and holiday nights have their own rates and minimum stays, so book early for those. Midweek and off-season stays are quieter and cost less.
Where to stay
Oceanfront condos on Playa Encanto
Three privately owned residences at the Encantame resorts. Book one, or bring everyone: up to 20 guests in a single reservation, with no booking fee.
Encantame Towers
Casa Marea
The house of the tide: a wraparound oceanfront terrace above the lazy river.
From $209 / nightView
Encantame Towers
Casa Alegría
The house of joy: a bright corner residence with glass on two walls and a terrace on two sides.
From $209 / nightView
Encantame Soleil
Casa Pelícano
Three bedrooms on the eighteenth floor, where the pelicans glide past the balcony.
From $259 / nightView
Planning the trip
Driving to Rocky Point: questions
How long is the drive from Phoenix to Rocky Point?
About four hours and 215 miles without stops: I-10 west, AZ-85 south through Gila Bend, Ajo and Why to the Lukeville border crossing, then Mexico Highway 8 from Sonoyta to Puerto Peñasco.
How long is the drive from Tucson to Rocky Point?
About three and a half to four hours: AZ-86 west through Sells to Why, AZ-85 south to Lukeville, then Mexico Highway 8 from Sonoyta to Puerto Peñasco.
Is Rocky Point the closest beach to Phoenix?
Yes. At about 215 miles, Rocky Point on the Sea of Cortez is the nearest ocean beach to Phoenix and Tucson, which is why Arizonans call it Arizona's beach.
What do I need to drive to Rocky Point from Arizona?
A passport book is simplest, since it covers both countries, plus Mexican auto insurance for your car. Rules change, so check the official pages linked in the border section of this guide before each trip.
Is there golf near Rocky Point?
Yes. Vidanta's Nicklaus Design Course and The Links at Las Palomas are 18-hole courses, and The Club at Islas del Mar has a nine-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature layout. This guide links each course for tee times.
What time zone is Rocky Point in?
Sonora stays on Mountain Standard Time all year, just like Arizona, so Rocky Point is on Arizona time in every season.
When is the best time to visit Rocky Point?
Spring (March to May) and fall (October and November) bring warm, dry days in the 70s and 80s. Summer is hot, in the mid-90s, with the warmest water of the year. Winter days are mild, in the mid-60s, and the beaches are at their quietest.
Can a large group from Phoenix stay together?
Yes. Our three residences at Encantame on Playa Encanto host up to 20 guests together, booked in a single reservation with one payment.
Reserve direct
Four hours to the Sea of Cortez
Live availability for all three residences, published rates with no booking fee, and one reservation for your whole group.
Find your dates