If you live in Arizona and have never driven to Mexico, we get it. We were you. This page is our "start here" for anyone making that first drive to Rocky Point (Puerto Peñasco), and we'll keep adding to it every time we go back.
Why We Waited 27 Years
Patrick has lived in the Phoenix area for 27 years and never once made the drive. Tamekia had been trying to talk him into it for a long time, mostly because so many of her clients go and love it.
What was holding him back? He had it in his head that you get pulled over by the police and pay a few dollars to get out of it, and that everything gets rough once you cross the border. He also had pretty low expectations for the beach.
None of that turned out to be true for us. We weren't pulled over, the beach was nicer than he expected, and the whole trip was easy. His only regret is that we didn't go sooner.
The Crossing: Lukeville to Sonoyta
We cross at Lukeville, Arizona, into Sonoyta, Mexico. Lukeville is a small border post with nothing around it: no town and no gas. Fill up before you get there. We filled up about an hour out, on the U.S. side.
Going in, we drove right through the U.S. side without any questions. On the Mexican side, they had us pull into a parking spot and looked in our trunk, and Tamekia says the back seat too. That was it. Coming back, there was a bit more checking, but nothing major.
It was simple when we went, and we'd tell you to pick a weekday without a big rush.
The First 15 to 20 Minutes
Patrick drove very, very slowly through Sonoyta, and we'd still tell you to take it slow in town. At his pace, getting through took about 15 to 20 minutes. After that, it was pretty smooth sailing for about an hour to Rocky Point.
In town, the limit is mostly 40 km/h, which is about 25 mph, and it can drop as low as 20 km/h. That is under 15 mph. Treat those stretches like a school zone back home and stick to them.
One thing to know right after you cross: people will come up to wash your windshield. One of us wanted to keep rolling so we wouldn't have to stop and tip. The other was slowing down. Either way, their wipers need replacing, and our windshield came out dirtier than it went in. You can try handing them a dollar to skip the wash.
How We Drive It
- Stop fully at every stop. Every single one, no rolling through.
- Use your turn signal for everything. Yes, even in a roundabout.
- Watch the posted speed. Signs are in kilometers per hour. 50 km/h is about 31 mph, and 80 km/h is about 50 mph. Patrick put it on cruise control and held each posted speed until the next sign. Tamekia found it annoying. We weren't pulled over on that first trip.
- Switch your car's display to kilometers per hour if it lets you, so you can check your speed against the signs at a glance.
- Buy Mexican auto insurance before you go. We paid $70 for three days.
- Fill up on the Arizona side. Nothing at Lukeville, remember.
- Skip the windshield wash, or keep a dollar handy.
Border rules and wait times change, so check current requirements before you go. This is what worked for us.
Once You're There
The drive took us about three hours and 45 minutes from Peoria. The beach was constantly groomed, we spent $42 stocking the condo with breakfast food, snacks, beer and wine, and a steakhouse dinner for two came in under $50. The beach and the resorts blew away our expectations. It might not be the most elaborate or over-the-top place, but it is extremely nice for the value.
For the full story of that first trip, where we stayed and what we ate, read our Rocky Point trip recap. Looking for something to do on the water? We spent three hours on a fishing charter and loved it. Want the short list of what to do? Here are our top 5 things to do in Puerto Peñasco. If you're comparing destinations, our top 3 getaways in Mexico is a good next stop.
Our Trip Log
We keep adding to this as we go. Here is what each drive across has looked like so far.
- Trip 1, February 2025. Our first time across. Patrick never budged on speed the entire way, and the crossing was easy.
- Trip 2, July 2025. We went with a friend who wouldn't budge on speed either.
- Trip 3, 2026. We drove faster once we were out of Sonoyta, but stayed very slow inside the city limits.
We went from hesitant to can't wait to get back.