Tessoro at Las Conchas opens its doors

Marking the beginning of a new phase of the development Tessoro, and quite frankly in the realm of real estate for Puerto Peñasco, an event held on September 5th allowed us to once again relive a bit of the boom of this area, as in years gone by. Tessoro opened its doors with the delivery of seven condominiums to owners, from a total of 30 units sold, demonstrating the unrelenting work they have maintained as revealed in a majestic building located on one of the best beaches of Puerto Peñasco. Read more…

Why September was the Biggest Month in Years for Puerto Peñasco and What this Means for the Market
International Airport, Coastal Highway and Pinacate Center Open
On September 10, 2009, Puerto Peñasco continued to celebrate what has been the best month in over 2 years. Over Labor Day, Tessoro at Las Conchas opened its resort, showing that luxury real estate in Rocky Point continues to progress.
The next week, three celebrations took place in a one-day tour – The new International Airport, Pinacate Visitors Center and Coastal Highway’s final leg were inaugurated. The new Mar de Cortez International Airport was ceremonially opened by then Governor Ricardo Bours, who arrived by plane from Hermosillo. Dignitaries greeted the governor in the new terminal building. This was actually a “pre-opening” event, as the main control tower will not be ready until October. Read more…

This is the first in a 4-part story on Puerto Peñasco’s compelling new beachfront project and the surrounding Las Conchas neighborhood. Please follow us over the next several editions as we take an in-depth look at the latest step in the maturation of our destination on the Sea of Cortez. Read on to see what it means for Puerto Peñasco and for our readers

Tessoro at Las Conchas
A First Review of the Resort Set to Raise Puerto Peñasco’s Image
Does it live up to the Hype?

Every new project claims to be “the best so far” – it is a time-honored marketing tradition. In Sandy Beach, the luxurious resorts Bella Sirena and Puerta Privada did successfully raise the bar for our town in recent years, as did Las Palomas in the condo-hotel category. The developers of Tessoro at Las Conchas have aimed even higher, seeking to make a bold statement that Puerto Peñasco can successfully introduce an elite project on par with the very best of Puerto Vallarta, Cabo or Cancun. Does our newest resort development deliver on its promise?

The answer is a resounding yes so far after witnessing Tessoro’s Labor Day event and seeing the completed resort. The physical building and grounds are superb and unprecedented in architecture and amenities. The location on the Las Conchas Peninsula is simply unparalleled. We will be watching with great anticipation to see how the hospitality services and management are implemented and whether they will continue to measure up to the lofty goals this project has set. Read more…

Owning property in Mexico is easier and safer than ever, because now there are established and well defined rules regarding foreigners owning land in Mexico. These rules are in place to protect your ownership rights and to promote the sale of real estate to foreign investors. The key is a safe, established and perpetually renewable Mexican Property Trust called a “Fideicomiso” (FEE-DAY-E-CO-ME-SO).
With the advent of the North American Treaty Agreement, the Mexican Government recognized that it was critical to make foreign investment in Mexico safer and easier than ever. Because the Mexican Constitution prohibits foreigners from purchasing or owning real estate within 30 miles of the Mexican Coast, a new safe method of holding title was created. This new instrument, modeled after the one in Monaco, allows ownership through a Mexican Property Trust, called a “Fideicomiso.” This is a trust agreement, much like an estate trust, giving you all the rights of ownership. Read more…

Eduardo Bours believes the “boom” of Peñasco is just the beginning of what is in store for the Riviera of the Sea of Cortez .

With an investment topping 450 million pesos, the new international Sea of Cortez will attract more tourism to Puerto Peñasco as a complement to aspects of drawing in visitors by land, air and sea, remarked outgoing Sonora Governor Eduardo Bours Castelo.
During his twenty-second tour through Puerto Peñasco, and his last as Sonora Governor, Bours Castelo assured that the “boom” of Puerto Peñasco is just the beginning of what is in store for the Riviera of the Sea of Cortez.
After reviewing advancements at the airport, which will be officially inaugurated shortly, the Sonoran leader recalled that when the idea was planted to build a new airport in Peñasco, there were those who called Read more…

Challenges community to govern with him.

In being sworn in on the morning of September 16th as Mayor of Puerto Peñasco for the 2009-2012 term, Alejandro Zepeda Munro noted he would provide a pluralistic government, one that is inclusive with open doors and that will work for everyone.
On behalf of Governor Guillermo Padrés Elías, Sonora Secretary of Public Safety, Ernesto Munro Palacio, swore in the new Municipal President as well as members of the City Council.
In the municipal auditorium, which was not sufficient for the number of people who showed up for the event, Zepeda Munro requested the establishment of an agreement to work jointly and challenged the community to govern along with him in order to achieve the objectives outlined by his administration. Read more…

Bours states this is sure to be important trigger for Peñasco and younger generations.

Following nearly four years of intense work and negotiation, around noon on September 10th the modern Visitors Center of the Biosphere Reserve for the Pinacate and Altar Desert was opened to the public, representing an investment of more than 35 million pesos.
Sonora Governor Eduardo Bours Castelo was charged with formally inaugurating the center, which he stated was a trigger for Puerto Peñasco and younger generations.
After going through part of the 1,300 square meters of the fully sustainable project, the Sonoran leader appeared pleased with the final results and stated this is a demonstration as to why he became part of the project that was presented to him in 2006. Read more…

50% of resources applied towards potable water

After proudly stating his satisfaction of having fulfilled his role, Mayor Heriberto Rentería Sánchez gave his third and final administrative address on September 15. During the speech, he highlighted the carrying out of 706 projects, representing an investment of 395 million pesos, over his three year term.
Before an auditorium audience that filled about half of the hall, the outgoing Mayor gave a brief 20 minute message reviewing the actions and projects done during his last year in office. He stressed that half of the entire investments of his administration were put into the area of potable water. Read more…

450 packets of school supplies presented
Support for education on behalf of the Colosio Foundation was reiterated with the presentation of 450 packages of school supplies to children of limited means from the neighborhood of Nuevo Peñasco.
Without formality or much consternation, members from the Colosio civil association gathered at the Luis Donaldo Colosio elementary school for the personal and direct presentation of the school supplies to children who are studying from third to sixth grades at the elementary level.
Guadalupe Sánchez Martínez, president of the local Colosio Foundation, indicated that on this occasion, for a second consecutive year, they were able to gather this support thanks to the enthusiasm of the members and the altruistic contributions of local businesses and companies. Read more…

Culmination of first of three phases.

The first of three phases of the Regional History Museum of Puerto Peñasco was inaugurated on the morning of September 9th, marking another step on the cultural scene and rescue of the history of this city and port.
The project, in which resources of 1.750 million pesos were applied, was put into motion during a simple ceremony held at the grounds located in the Port, on land next to the Luis Donaldo Colosio Plaza where the first City Hall of the port was located.
Municipal authorities and members of the Cultural and Regional History Foundation of the Desert of Altar and Gulf of California, A.C. cut the inaugural ribbon for the Museum, achieved thanks to the joint efforts of the community of Puerto Peñasco. Read more…

Hopes for reactivated signal for continued study.

Since the return of the hawksbill sea turtle “Peñasquita” to the sea on October 24, 2008, its movements have been followed online at the webpage Seaturtle.org. Yet, sadly, there has been no signal for weeks. The last report on this page was May 13, 2009 from Conception Bay in Baja California South.
Through an email release, biologist Alexander Gaos, responsible for the project ¡Carey! Of the Eastern Pacific, reported that the transmitter placed on Peñasquita has probably been damaged (due to the turtle’s normal behavior) and is no longer working, or rather, no longer transmitting a signal. Read more…

35,500 tourists visited Peñasco during summer months.

After meeting expectations and welcoming 35,500 visitors to the area, the summer tourism season for Puerto Peñasco recently came to an end. This period helped breathe life into the local economy, remarked Rafael González Valenzuela, Director of the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau (OCV).
González Valenzuela stated that although the number of visitors decreased in the last two weeks due to the return to classes, there was an increase of between 8 to 10% in the number of tourists who chose to spend their vacations in Peñasco. Read more…

Stressing construction of children’s shelter as principal satisfaction.

Minerva Ramírez de Rentería affirmed her satisfaction with the work and achievements obtained at the Municipal DIF as her term as president of the local organization comes to a close.
The wife of mayor Heriberto Rentería stated there have been many advancements, yet, undoubtedly the principal satisfaction is having completed construction on the children’s shelter for abused children, which is now fully equipped and with cutting edge technology.
She remarked she is quite proud as she exits her role as municipal DIF president, knowing that both she as well as her collaborators really put their efforts into working for Puerto Peñasco, although the residents of this municipality are those that have the last word in evaluating the work carried out. Read more…

Assuring the municipal police of Puerto Peñasco work in adherence to Federal Public Safety guidelines was the objective of a training program recently given to members of the local police force, reported Eduardo Ponce de León Plascencia, Prosecution Police Commander of Sinaloa.
Ponce de León, commissioned as an instructor on behalf of the Secretary of Federal Public Safety, remarked the training course is named “Detention and containment of alleged criminals and management of PR-24.”
He detailed 30 municipalities have undergone the training, which seeks to assure police are trained in the use of weapons given them authorized under law. In addition, the training seeks to assure that at the time of detaining someone, this is done with the utmost safety for the police, the one they are detaining, and victims that may be in the surrounding area. Read more…

A blue alert, the lowest warning measure, was decreed in Puerto Peñasco in light of the threat of hurricane Jimena, which dissipated before affecting this part of the Upper Gulf of California, reported Nicandro Cornejo Torres, director of the Municipal Unit of Civil Protection.
Cornejo Torres indicated that despite the alert level, measures were taken locally and the course of the weather pattern followed to prevent surprises.
He detailed that potential shelters were designated and set up, as well as the pinpointing of zones of the greatest risk, either due to wind or flood, which are on the outskirts in the former case and the neighborhoods of Benito Juárez and Brisas del Golfo in the latter. Read more…

More than 2.6 million meals served over last three years.

Met with the joyful faces of 150 children to benefit from the plan, the school breakfast program was officially launched at the elementary school Club Activo 20-30. Through this program the municipal administration during the last three years has provided more than 2.6 million morning meals.
The central plaza of the school set the stage for the ceremony in which municipal DIF President, Minerva Ramírez de Rentería, symbolically presented the first breakfasts for the 2009-2010 school cycle.
During this academic year they will once again tend to 4,927 pre-school and elementary students who are assured daily cold or hot meals while attending classes. Read more…

All centers to be verified.

zIn response to a special order, all daycares operating in Puerto Peñasco, including some kindergartens, will be subject to a meticulous review in order to guarantee they are operating in adherence to the law and with the minimum safety measures in all areas, reported Roberto Káram Gutiérrez, Chief of the Control and Health Regulation Unit.
Káram Gutiérrez stressed this is a full verification, similar to those done at restaurants, with a form including 90 points that must be met. Read more…

Presentation of ISEA certificates and from Penitentiary Attitude Change program.

The efforts of personal advancement and rehabilitation of inmates at the local Center of Social Rehabilitation (CERESO) were recently recognized in an emotional ceremony with the presentation of certificates from the Sonoran Institute for Adult Education and the penitentiary attitude change program (PROCAP).
Despite the intense heat, the event was held at the athletic court of the local CERESO with inmates and family members on hand.
The General Coordinator of the State Penitentiary System, Saúl Torres Millán, presented 176 certificates for elementary and secondary education and 499 from the attitude change program to members from the inmate population.
Before a large number of graduates who successfully completed their elementary and secondary school studies, he expressed that education is considered to be one of the fundamental means to promote social integration. Read more…

Some teachers fail to report for duties in elementary school zone 97.

In an atmosphere of calm and work, the 2009-2010 school cycle recently got off the ground in Puerto Peñasco, though with reports of absent teachers in the elementary school zone 97 and minor incidents, reported Ramón Hernández Ramos, Regional Services delegate of the Secretary of Education and Culture (SEC).
Hernández Ramos detailed the absence of teachers was most notable at the school Club Activo 20-30, yet they are aware that measures are being taken to resolve this situation.
He detailed that according to reports from reviews of the elementary and pre-school zone, the problems that arose during this return to classes were less than those from last year.
Hernández Ramos explained that the elementary school zone 97 was the only one that reported teacher absences, and this is being attended to. However, reviews indicated there were no serious incidences in zones 34 and 18. Read more…

During a formal ceremony, Heriberto Morales Sobarzo recently assumed the presidency of the Punta Peñasco Association of Attorneys, Civil Association, substituting Joaquín Jáuregui Mercado.
With Mayor Heriberto Rentería Sánchez on hand, along with members of the association and invited guests, the change of board leadership was held. The association is made up of 50 attorneys at law from Puerto Peñasco.
In his message, the now former President of the Association of Attorneys, Joaquín Jáuregui, stressed the commitment of the legal profession and highlighted that during his term they promoted actions to support this important sphere.
He noted they developed refresher courses for members of the organization and also provided conferences for the community, which were held at various educational centers in the area. Read more…