Where we send our own family.

On site

East side of the pool, with spectacular ocean views. Open for breakfast and dinner.

Our tip · The one thing on the property you shouldn't miss. Reserve, and check current hours.

On site

West side of the pool — the casual hangout. Pool table, big views of the resort and beach, appetizers, burgers, drinks and desserts.

Our tip · Where to watch a game without driving into town.

On site

On the 24th floor of the Viento tower. Adults only, 21 and over — sky pool, hot tub, bar with food and drinks. A second 21+ sky pool crowns the 24th floor of the Verano tower.

Our tip · Go about an hour before sunset, and take a layer. Check current bar hours.

On site

Starbucks coffee, breakfast and lunch, 8am to 3:30pm. Closed Wednesdays.

Our tip · Grab coffee here on the morning you forget to pack pods.

On site

Heated in winter, chilled in summer, 9am–10pm: a huge infinity-edge main pool with the Aqua swim-up bar (11am to dark — tacos, sandwiches, snacks and cocktails without leaving the water), two lazy rivers, two waterslides, two corner infinity pools, oversized jacuzzis, shallow kid areas and fire pits.

Our tip · Bags of ice are for sale at the Aqua bar — faster than the portable maker upstairs. The resort usually has lazy-river floats, and a couple live in the guest pantry.

On site

Professional-grade tennis, pickleball and paddle tennis courts, plus a full-size lit basketball court for evening games. Racquets and balls rent on site, there's a small pro shop, and certified coaches give private and group lessons.

Our tip · Our own paddles and balls are in the guest pantry, so skip the rental. Play early — it gets hot fast.

On site

On the second floor of the eastern clubhouse with panoramic ocean views — treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, machines and a full free-weights section, plus private massage cubicles.

Our tip · Book a massage through the front desk. The view makes the treadmill almost pleasant.

On site

A quiet, light-filled studio in the clubhouse stocked with mats, blocks, straps, bolsters and Pilates reformers. Classes run from Hatha and Vinyasa to Yin, plus mat and reformer Pilates.

Our tip · Check the class schedule at the front desk when you arrive — sessions fill up in high season.

On site

The clubhouse has a game room and golf simulators — indoor rounds when the afternoon wind kicks up or the sun gets serious.

Our tip · A rained-out tee time isn't lost: warm up on the simulator, then rebook.

On site

A personalized menu of spa treatments, plus massage in the private cubicles at the Fitness & Wellness Center.

Our tip · Book through the concierge or front desk a day ahead — same-day slots are luck.

On site

They book beach cabanas, fishing charters, boat and jet-ski rentals, ATVs, sunset cruises, horseback riding, dinner reservations and private events.

Our tip · Usually the same price as booking direct, with none of the WhatsApp back-and-forth.

On site

Convenience store at Plaza Encantame, just past the second set of gates, plus a small satellite store beside the front lobby.

Our tip · Good for the forgotten thing. Real groceries are a short drive.

On site

Towers guests now get the pools next door at Encantame Soleil too — pools with a swim-up bar, a lazy river, a waterslide, a splash pad, a jacuzzi and the Sascha aqua bar.

Our tip · The gate is at the east (Verano) tower, next to the lazy river and corner pool.

On site

The classic Mexican ice-cream counter, in the Soleil pool area.

Our tip · The afternoon pool-break the kids will ask for by name.

On site

Shade palapas line the beachfront; cabanas can be reserved through the concierge in the main lobby.

Our tip · Reserve a cabana the day before on a holiday weekend, not the morning of.

Our side of town

Our family favorite. Everything on the menu is good and the pizza is some of the best in Rocky Point. They brew their own beer now, too.

Our tip · Great place to catch a game or a long dinner with a group.

Our side of town

The newest place on our side of town and we love it. Some of the best tacos and burgers around, with service to match.

Our tip · Live music on weekends.

Our side of town

Local favorite for watching your team. Great pizza, burgers and the rest of the sports-bar canon, at very good prices.

Our tip · Cash only — bring it with you.

Our side of town

Sports bar with good pizzas, cold beer and every game on — casual, friendly, and easy after a beach day.

Our tip · Pizza-and-a-game night without the drive into town.

Our side of town

Newer spot on Fremont at Av. Durango — Mexican plates, seafood and the grill in a modern, colorful sports-bar setting, with live music some nights.

Our tip · Families and dogs are welcome, and it opens early enough for breakfast.

Our side of town

Fine dining without the drive into town — creative takes on Mexican classics, seafood and steaks at Plaza del Sol on Fremont. Chef Mickey is a two-time Iron Chef winner and usually greets the tables himself.

Our tip · The nicest dinner on our side of town. Reserve ahead and ask for the terrace.

Our side of town

Beachfront restaurant and bar on Mirador beach. Multiple bars, tables and chairs in the sand, swings, a gift shop and a pool.

Our tip · Almost always live music. Good food, even better view.

Eat in town

One of the best breakfasts in town — breads, pastries and pancakes at a German-inspired coffeehouse that is literally a house. Blvd Benito Juárez García 216 B, El Puerto.

Our tip · Open early morning to mid-afternoon only. Go early.

Eat in town

The other best breakfast in town, with a serious bakery and dessert case. C. 24 Lázaro Cárdenas del Río, Centro.

Our tip · Cash only, and go early on weekends or you'll wait.

Eat in town

Gorgeous sea views, excellent food, and a downstairs pizzeria that's perfect with kids. In cooler months the intimate balcony is the seat to ask for. Fraccionamiento El Cerro, Lote 2 y 3 Bis.

Our tip · Call ahead — the pizzeria closes on certain days.

Eat in town

An outdoor patio bar tucked under vines and tree canopies, just up the street from the Malecón. Food, service and atmosphere all top notch. Calle Alcántar 49, El Puerto.

Our tip · Live music Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Not to be missed.

Eat in town

New beach bar next to Esmeralda Resort on Sandy Beach. Views, food and live music. Blvd. Paseo de la Duna, Playa Arenos.

Our tip · Pair it with an afternoon on the Sandy Beach side of town.

Eat in town

The legendary beach-bar spot on the bluff above Sandy Beach — the old Wrecked at the Reef has closed and reopened as The Reef, with the same unparalleled views. Camino a la Choya km 3.7.

Our tip · Afternoon into sunset is the window.

Eat in town

A hidden gem in Colonia Nueva — bold, honest Mexican cooking that the locals line up for. López Collado 102B.

Our tip · Trust the specials board.

Eat in town

Open-air oceanfront cantina on the Malecón — breakfast through dinner, generous plates, huge drinks and water views. There's a second location at Mirador now too.

Our tip · The famous deal: breakfast free with a drink purchase. Go hungry.

Eat in town

The white-tablecloth night out — classic Italian and fresh seafood on the Sandy Beach road, with a sea-view terrace, lobster on the menu and live music.

Our tip · Reserve the terrace for sunset. This is the anniversary-dinner pick.

Eat in town

The Rocky Point legend — holding down Cholla Bay since 1984 with cold drinks, good food and a view over the bay. Motto: no sniveling.

Our tip · Pair it with the Cholla Bay tide pools at low tide — best afternoon on that side of town.

Eat in town

Cheerful cantina at the Princesa on Sandy Beach — contemporary Mexican and American plates, artisan beers, a big patio and live music. A locals' favorite.

Our tip · Taco Tuesday and the 2-for-1 burger Monday are the moves.

Bars & nightlife

Beach bar on Playa Mirador — cocktails, tasty appetizers and friendly prices, right on the sand.

Our tip · Pair it with a Mirador afternoon: beach here, dinner up the hill.

Bars & nightlife

A locals' bar near Mirador on Av. Chihuahua — strong drinks, friendly staff and a relaxed neighborhood vibe, no yacht required.

Our tip · Go for the name, stay for the pour.

Bars & nightlife

Newer spot on the Malecón with big views, craft beer, wine, tapas and live music. Calle José Alcántar #20.

Our tip · Good for drinks and small plates before dinner somewhere else.

Bars & nightlife

The Malecón institution — bamboo walls and palm ceilings upstairs above the fish market, half sports bar, half beach bar, with views over the water and the strip.

Our tip · Best people-watching perch on the Malecón.

Bars & nightlife

Lounge bar on the 10th floor of Casa Blanca Golf Villas on the Sandy Beach side — cocktails with a big view of the coast.

Our tip · A grown-up nightcap after dinner on that side of town.

Bars & nightlife

The beachfront bar at the Sonoran Sky on Sandy Beach — bar, tables and bed-style loungers on a wooden platform right in the sand, with happy hour and live music.

Our tip · Toes-in-the-sand sunset drinks. Claim a beach bed early on weekends.

Beach & water

The tide here pulls back the better part of a mile, leaving hard flat sand, shell beds and pools full of life. Dolphins go past most mornings; whales in winter.

Our tip · Check a Puerto Peñasco tide chart the night before. Low tide is the walk, high tide is the swim.

Beach & water

When the water goes out, the bay becomes a rocky maze of pools holding crabs, starfish, anemones and the occasional octopus.

Our tip · Reef shoes, not flip-flops — the rocks are slick. This is the best octopus hunting in Rocky Point, and how the condo got its name.

Beach & water

A quiet turquoise estuary with serious birdlife, easy kayaking, and oyster farms along the edge shucking to order.

Our tip · Kayak on a rising tide so you're not dragging the boat back over mudflats.

Beach & water

Rocky shoreline near the Old Port, which is exactly why the snorkelling is better here than off the open sand.

Our tip · Calmest in the morning, before the afternoon wind comes up.

Activities

Twenty-seven miles offshore, home to thousands of sea lions and twenty-odd bird species. Snorkel, kayak or dive with the pups; dolphins usually escort the boat out.

Our tip · An hour each way by boat. Book the early departure, and take motion-sickness pills before you board, not after.

Activities

UNESCO World Heritage volcanic desert — giant maar craters, lava flows and dune fields. NASA trained astronauts here for moon missions.

Our tip · Go early, take more water than feels necessary, and book a CEDO-guided tour if you want the geology explained.

Activities

Cruises leave the marina most evenings. Dolphins are common, and whales pass through in winter.

Our tip · The concierge downstairs books these, usually as cheaply as booking direct.

Activities

Half and full-day charters out of the Old Port for grouper, snapper and dorado. No license needed if you're fishing from shore.

Our tip · They'll clean your catch. Ask them to, then cook it in the condo that night.

Activities

The working fishing harbour and the strip of shops, bars and taco stands above it. Shrimp boats, curio shops, live music and the fish market.

Our tip · Buy shrimp at the fish market by the kilo. Cheaper and better than anything you'll cook at home.

Golf

The Jack Nicklaus Signature course at the Mayan Palace, on our side of town — 18 holes running between a tidal estuary and the open Sea of Cortez, ranked among the best courses in Mexico.

Our tip · The closest course to the condo by far. Call the pro shop ahead for a tee time — it's a resort course and they'll fit you in.

Golf

The only true links-style course in northwest Mexico — 18 holes through the coastal dunes on the Sandy Beach side, plus a bonus 19th hole they call the Hoyo Bonito.

Our tip · Fully public — book online or through GolfNow. Take the morning slot; the wind builds all afternoon.

Golf

A Nicklaus Design 9-holer out by Cholla Bay with ocean views on nearly every hole — two tee sets let you play it as 18. Closed Mondays.

Our tip · The sleeper pick: quiet, pretty, and quick when you only want half a day of golf. The Crane restaurant at the clubhouse is worth the stay.

With kids

The best free thing to do here with children. Starfish, hermit crabs, sea slugs, sand dollars, all of it in ankle-deep water at low tide.

Our tip · Sand buckets and tools are in the laundry room. Spot the octopus and you've met the house mascot.

With kids

Ours, and yours to use — two boogie boards and the pool noodles live in the laundry room. The shore break on Playa Encanto is gentle enough for beginners.

Our tip · Boards go back rinsed, so the next family gets them clean.

With kids

The resort's indoor kid zone — games, arts & crafts, movie nights and special events, built for the hot hours or a parents' night off.

Our tip · Check the week's schedule when you arrive; movie nights fill the sofa fast.

With kids

Rentals cluster around Sandy Beach, with dunes right there to ride.

Our tip · Helmets, closed shoes, and confirm the insurance terms before you sign anything. Riding on the beach itself is illegal now — the dunes are the playground.

With kids

The desert-and-ocean research station in Las Conchas, with a fin whale skeleton and genuinely good naturalist talks and tours.

Our tip · Check their schedule ahead — tours run on set days.

Groceries

Brand new, just down the street from the resort, and it has everything. Open daily 7am–11pm. Blvd. Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez 112.

Our tip · Bring your own bags. Stop here on the way in from the border and skip a second trip.

Groceries

A smaller Super Ley with most of what you'd need, and closer to the resort than the main store. Open daily 6:30am–11pm. Blvd. Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez 269, Luis Donaldo Colosio.

Our tip · The quick top-up run when you don't want the full Walmart trip.

Groceries

Well-stocked full grocery in Centro with a wonderful bakery and tortillas made fresh daily. Open daily 6:30am–11pm. Av. Constitución No. 530.

Our tip · Go for the bakery and the tortillas even if you shopped elsewhere.

Groceries

Shrimp, fish and scallops straight off the boats, sold by the kilo.

Our tip · Bring a cooler and small bills. Mornings are best.

Groceries

Pharmacies are everywhere in town and handle most minor things without an appointment.

Our tip · Use ATMs attached to actual banks, withdraw pesos, and decline the machine's exchange-rate offer.