Spring Break at Rocky Point, Mexico

Puerto Peñasco Sites Host Annual Spring Party

Mar 4, 2009 Thomas Alan Gray

Each year, tens of thousands of students swarm to Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point) for a huge spring break party. Here's how avoid spending your break in a Mexican jail.

Each year, tens of thousands of students from Arizona, California, Texas and New Mexico flock to Puerto Peñasco to celebrate "Spring Break Rocky Point". It's a huge party, and it gets bigger every year; forecasts for 2009 are between 80,000 and 100,000 young people. A good chunk of them end up at The Reef RV Park each year (between spring break parties, it's a little quieter!).

"While the vast majority enjoy their vacation without incident," notes the management of The Reef, "several may die, hundreds will be arrested, and still more will make mistakes that could affect them for the rest of their lives."

Most of the deaths have occurred on highways to and from the spring break parties, but the arrests mostly happen in town or on the roadways to and from the resorts and RV Parks in the area.

Getting Arrested in Mexico

Care to spend your spring break in a horrible filthy Mexican jail, señor?

The Reef's web site makes fascinating reading for those planning to attend during Spring Break. Here are some things that will get you fined or jailed.

These behaviors will land a visitor in Mexican Court to pay a fine:

  • Failure to stop at stop signs ("ALTO")
  • Exceeding the speed limit
  • Failure to wear a helmet when riding quads, golf carts etc.
  • Setting off fireworks on the beach (fined and kicked out of The Reef, too!)
  • Not wearing a seat belt in a car
  • Having open bottles of alcohol in a vehicle
  • Underaged drinking (legal age is 18)
  • Reckless driving

These acts will provide a long holiday with accommodations courtesy of the Mexican penal system:

  • Yelling or swearing at an officer
  • Fighting in bars etc.
  • Being drunk and disorderly
  • Driving while intoxicated (should come as no surprise)
  • Possession of firearms of caliber greater than .22 [per The Reef web site]
  • Possession of drugs is a federal offense

To help control conditions, The Reef and other holiday provides security and enforces strict regulations within the park boundaries.

Dealing with Police in Rocky Point

The Reef management warns their guests not to give money to the police to pay "fines". However, numerous web reviews and comments indicate police corruption, with reports of extortion, threats, and beatings that may make this difficult advice to follow.

Here are some suggestions that may make a Spring Break less hazardous

  1. Travel in groups. A large group may be less likely to be harassed than a small one.
  2. Don't carry a lot of cash. A shakedown may be satisfied if everybody contributes whatever money is in their pockets.
  3. Keep your ego in check. An encounter with los policías is probably not the time to be muy macho.
  4. Drink responsibly, and don't drive under the influence of either liquor or drugs.
  5. Party mostly in your resort or RV park rather than in town, within the rules of your resort.

Enjoy the beach, the sun, the sea, the company of amigos, have a good time - but drive carefully and stay safe during Spring Break Rocky Point at The Reef RV Park.

The copyright of the article Spring Break at Rocky Point, Mexico in RV Recreation is owned by Thomas Alan Gray. Permission to republish Spring Break at Rocky Point, Mexico in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Spring Break at The Reef Bar, Unknown; permission requested Spring Break at The Reef Bar
The Reef RV Park, The Reef RV Park; permission requested The Reef RV Park
 
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