In the not so distant past, the only places to stay in Rocky Point were the RVs and tents that stretched along Sandy Beach, west of downtown Puerto Penasco, also known as Rocky Point. In the present, the new Rocky Point is completely different. There is now a permanent and much taller presence, luxurious high rise condo towers which line the pristine beach.
The new Rocky Point resorts high rise condo developments are turning Rocky Point – once a small town that started as home to shrimpers and fishing industry and grew to become a hot spot for U.S. expatriates and a college-student party spot – into a booming tourist destination. The place that symbolizes this growth the most is Sandy Beach, and the Sandy Beach resorts. Sandy beach is approximately a 5-mile stretch of sand west of town that until recent time had no form of permanent residence. Sandy Beach has moved away from the college party atmosphere and morphed into a family vacation destination. This is evidenced by the rules adopted by the resorts along the beach which require guests checking in to be 25 years of age or older. There are few exceptions to the age requirements and they are generally when a younger couple is on a honeymoon.
The condominium count has reached roughly 5,000 new units that have been built over the last five years in Rocky Point. The new projects have amassed billions of dollars worth of private investment. According to Real estate experts, there currently exists more than 25 developments with plans for at least another dozen. Jay Keohane of Mesa enjoys his family outings to Rocky Point. Jay states, “We love going to Sandy Beach as it is just a 4 hour drive to a beachfront family vacation.” There are many others like Mr. Keohane that are looking for a weekend get away for their family.
As the condo count rises, so does the population of this once sleepy village. The population of Rocky Point in the mid 1990’s was 20,000 people. This number has reached 65,000 as people move to Rocky Point where there is an increase of jobs due to the ongoing development and growth of the travel industry. In turn, the infrastructure in Rocky Point is improving for the locals as the Mexican National Government pours dollars into Rocky Point to keep pace with the booming growth of the travel industry.
The development of the new projects have definitely brought change and the growth is expected to continue. Many people make their Rocky Point condo reservation daily to get away to Paradise in the making.