The town grew up, sprouting high-rise condos on Sandy Beach and a resort experience. First, the recession in 2008. Book a 2021 package and take advantage of our best ever offer, exclusively for Canadians. The price range would probably be in the $100 to $200 range for short hops from American cities, says Alonso Dominguez, an airport administrator. No wonder, then, that Rocky Pointers don't want to chat about the August shooting of a tourist in the popular Malecon portion of the town's Old Port marina. Many were unpaid for their last three months of work, says Marco Leon, who works the front desk at the Sonoran Sky. Though the city experienced a record year for murders in 2010, with 12, the population of Tempe is nearly four times that of Rocky Point, and it has more yearly visitors. And if a visitor does feel a tingle of fear, it's probably nothing a cerveza can't help. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox, Phoenix Restaurant Directory: Takeout/Delivery/Dine-in, Live in the Phoenix Area? But a post on their Facebook page from Wednesday alluded to the discovery of the mass grave in Rocky Point on that day. It's on the main drag into Malecon, in a popular boat-launch yard next to an ice cream store. Be sure to get in touch with SeaSide Reservations if you have questions. Having been to Rocky Point many times, we can't understand how any gunmen could escape -- there are only a couple of roads out of town. "Now, it's four people in one apartment. Mexi-phobia rules up north in the States, where reports of mass murder, mutilated corpses, and a drug war in Mexico have made former Peñasco fans reconsider their trips. Two Bedroom Bungalow. In reporting this article, no heed was paid to several admonitions in last year's State Department warning about traveling in Mexico: For a few days in December, and again in February, we drove nearly everywhere in Rocky Point both day and night, sometimes alone, and sometimes on infrequently used roads. The idea is clearly a fantasy right now: In January, two huge cruise ships pulled out of the Port of Angeles, ending service to Mexico because of a lack of demand. No arrests have been made in the August murder at the Malecon, the fatal shooting of a Rocky Point taxi driver in January of this year, or even the shooting of the former Rocky Point police chief. I can’t say any other word. Rocky Point, an "absolutely gorgeous place," is closer. A week later, the lead Mexican investigator in the case and one of his officers were kidnapped and killed. Indeed, millions of Americans have visited Rocky Point in the past few years (including repeat visitors) without incident. Looking to the long-term future, Rocky Point boosters talk about a cruise ship possibly sailing out of Old Port. But the main factor in the ghost-town effect is fear. But there are few of them. About Us, During the height of the "feeding frenzy," as Soto puts it, condo towers like the Sonoran Spa and Sonoran Sea, both of which contain more than 100 condo units, sold out just four hours after auctions began. Rocky Point Tourism: Tripadvisor has reviews of Rocky Point Hotels, Attractions, and Restaurants making it your best Rocky Point resource. NOTE: The Lukeville/Sonoyta border closes at 8pm daily. Terms, His mission is to make sure Rocky Point remains a safe destination for tourists, he says. • June — Rocky Point Police Chief Erick Landagaray Macias and his bodyguard were ambushed and shot on a major street in town. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. Emmerman says she recently drove from Phoenix to Hermosillo, southeast of Rocky Point, without incident. All rights reserved. They want to talk about relative safety, how Sonora is the least violent state in Mexico and why major drug cartel activity seems to skip over the town. Support Us Then he saw the killers' vehicle, which he says was a Ford Bronco, not a Cherokee, drive through the lot and leave through a back exit. "It just sucks, seeing a beautiful area like this not get used," he says. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. She's been traveling to Mexico for "years and years," often to Acapulco or Cancún. It's about having the right mindset.". Last year, a series of troubling news articles only served to ramp up the fear of norteamericanos considering a Rocky Point trip: • May — Fake checkpoints reportedly were set up for a few nights on Highway 8, the road that leads from the border crossing at Lukeville/Sonoyta to Rocky Point. Enjoy the journey of a lifetime. El Elegante, which could be Meteor Crater's volcanic twin, is an awesome sight. "People are afraid," scoffs George Camacho, a Tucson chiropractor strolling in the Malecon with family members. Several Tucson middle-school students and their chaperones were lodged on the institute's second floor, where they were staying for a few days to learn about life in the Sea of Cortez and have fun. As news reports in Mexico and, later, the United States detailed, the 47-year-old man had been washing his boat in the marina with his wife, Sylvia, and their 14-year-old son. "We thought real seriously about not going here. Only two Americans have died in Rocky Point in the past couple of years, he says — a motorcyclist who crashed after popping a wheelie, and a young woman who broke her neck in a ATV crash. He claims U.S. cities and vacation spots competing for tourists pump out "malicious propaganda" to make Rocky Point and other Mexican destinations look bad. All rights reserved. Geography helps protect Rocky Point from the worst smuggling-related crime. In June 2009, the U.S. government began requiring passports for all citizens returning from Mexico. I don't like those long stretches of nothing in the desert.". Gonzalo Inzunza Inzunza, a top lieutenant in the Sinaloa cartel, was among six people killed in an hours-long shootout on Sandy Beach in Rocky Point this week, Mexican officials say. At least 226 people were murdered — a 70 percent increase over the 2009 figures, says a State Department source. A checkpoint manned by armed, fatigues-wearing soldiers, some in masks, greeted visitors arriving in Rocky Point from Highway 8 in February (though not in December). The city of about 220,000 used to be teeming with tourists shopping for pharmaceuticals and knickknacks, and the bars were packed on weekends with young Arizonans. "People who travel more frequently are savvier about how to travel and where to travel. The latter problem pretty much is the case in Phoenix. Jose Chavez Ortiz, an 82-year-old resident who lives in a tiny barrio house he built 40 years ago, puts it more bluntly: Son bien miedosos, which translates roughly to "pussies.". Visitors to Rocky Point also spoke of peer pressure they received from friends and family at home when planning their trips. Rocky Point business owners chipped in $1 million of a $2.5 million project to expand the Lukeville port of entry from three northbound lanes to five. These generally charge per person and you can check with hotel and/or local restaurants as to what the “average” taxi rate may be. Rocky Point has been relatively peaceful, though "I don't want to say it's a bed of roses," the official says. The temperature is a perfect 70. If Rocky Point, Sonoyta, or Highway 8 began to experience a drastic uptick in cartel activity and violence, the DEA would work with the State Department to get the message out to the public, Sanchez says. Taxis – Check with hotel/condo rental agency for recommendations as to on site and/or booking a taxi. The nature of crime in Mexico, and especially how law enforcement responds to it, disturbs American sensibilities. You get to practice another language (one that might come in handy in Arizona), meet different people, sample local dishes, and come to know better the world you live in. Going unused this winter ``, ( Plenty of people were murdered a... Right mindset. `` the Sonoran Sky resort, most condo units were unused. To begin in mid-April, you agree to allow cookies to collect and analyze information on site and/or booking taxi... The shadow of an unfinished multi-story building, one man says he 's not worried tours on the important... Left my husband at home, Munro said Beach and a resort experience family has been keeping Americans.... Hundreds of workers rocky point tourist killed 2021 reporters, saying it did occur, just not New... There in December, typically a peak time for American shoppers, found... ( border agents say their policy is to make tourists feel at home this time, 's. Exceedingly safe 's late afternoon on a trip there in December, typically a peak for! They used to have one apartment each, '' says another, miffed at the scene at the boat... Climbing murder rate twice that of America 's most dangerous city `` if, the... Aforementioned perfect storm of problems, which last year broke its own record as a or. 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Policy | California Collection Notice | do not Sell my Info and ca n't get decent medical,. 737S between Rocky Point Mexico is now open for tourists had about 11 murders per year 2007!
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