As the weather glides from slightly chilly to pleasantly warm, there is nothing better than spending time on the Sea of Cortez in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora (Rocky Point). I can say this with confidence, conviction, and honesty as my wife and I have owned a home in the Las Conchas neighborhood in Rocky point since 1996.

We have travelled extensively on numerous trips in the Baja and other parts of Mexico. We love all of Mexico, but always return to Puerto Peñasco knowing that we indeed are invested in the very best spot in this beautiful country. It offers easy driving access near the U.S. border and a very safe, hard working, and friendly town.

Okay, so then there’s the question of where is the best spot to own in Rocky Point and, once again, I think I can narrow it down. Las Conchas is something special, an exclusive gated community with a rich tradition of American and Canadian residents. The Las Conchas Peninsula is simply the best spot to own and enjoy beachfront real estate. The Tessoro Condominium development is particularly “choice” due to its status as the only beachfront resort in Las Conchas. It offers the privacy of a true family vacation away from the fray on a pristine beach, but is only 10 minutes to town and all the restaurants, shops, and activities that are so quaint and part of the local experience.

Here’s the real attraction for me, though: Tessoro owners are a special, self-selected group. Here you will meet interesting and kind-hearted people with the most amazing life stories and diverse backgrounds. All are so friendly, jovial and inquisitive, with wonderful families. When these amazing Tessoro owners “group up” around the pool or by the seaside hot tub and begin to share life stories, I can see the bonds forming and a community coming together. That is perhaps the most enticing thing about purchasing a beachfront residence at Tessoro. It’s all about the people who love Puerto Peñasco and choose to escape the wall of condos and seek something more, something special.

I know what I am talking about. I myself have enjoyed this experience of living in Las Conchas for 15 years!!!

Please come for a visit!

Q: So when did you first visit Rocky Point?

Over thirty years ago, our family started taking vacations to the beach at Las Conchas. We rented different beach houses and always enjoyed spending time at the estuary. The beautiful wide-open spaces offered something for everyone in our family. We enjoyed body surfing, walking the beach, collecting shells, fishing, exploring the coral reefs, building sand castles, frisbee, picnics, bonfires, and cruising the sand dunes.

Many locals walked the Las Conchas beaches peddling fresh shrimp, jewelry, paintings, blankets, etc. Friendly locals! We would frequently get stuck on the sandy Las Conchas road. Young men who were working on homes under construction would run over and push our car out of the sand. We would offer to pay them but they refused.

Q: That sounds like some good memories.

Yes. All these years later, the five of us kids and our parents still enjoy reminiscing about the fun times we had as a family and with friends. Back when we were playing on the dunes, I certainly never imagined that I would have a home there someday.

Q. How did it happen exactly, deciding to own a home?

Two years ago, I brought my family down to Las Conchas for the first time. We were excited to spend time at the estuary since I have so many fond memories there.  I was surprised (and initially disappointed) to discover the early stages of a building project in what had always been a gorgeous, undeveloped area. Curious as to what was happening at “our” beach, we checked out what was the first Tessoro model. The architecture, design, attention to detail, and overall vision of Tessoro was, to say the least, breathtaking.  If that land had to be developed, we are so glad it is being done so well.
Hey, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!

Q. I understand that when you came down to take delivery at Tessoro in October, your father came with you and reconnected with an old favorite.

Yes, in early October Harry (my father) told Beverly Arrowood, a sales associate at Tessoro and long-time Puerto Peñasco resident, about the great little bakery we used to visit from about 1979 until the late 80’s. A former Las Conchas homeowner, Jack Ward, had told us about the place. Years ago when we visited this bakery we would bring the elderly gentleman who (we think) owned it a can of beer nuts. Don’t know if he liked them but he sure smiled when he accepted them!

On our recent trips to Las Conchas, we were unable to find this special bakery. My dad was obsessed with finding the bakery every time we went down there!  Trust me, we ALL wanted him to find the bakery so he wouldn’t keep talking about it! Plus we remember the really good rolls our mom would fried in butter. Sometimes with spun honey on top…yummy.

Beverly knew where it was and graciously drove us to the great little bakery with the beehive oven heated with wood. The very same bakery!  Needless to say, we will be visiting there in the near future.

Q. Your’s is such a nice story. Your father brought you here and now you are making Las Conchas and Tessoro a part of your family’s lifestyle.

We are thrilled to now own at Tessoro and make Las Conchas a part of our children’s life experience. We look forward to making more memories and feel blessed to be able to share this special place with the people we love.  Taking breaks from our hectic schedules and busy lives to relax here is simply good for one’s soul…..

Tessoro was transformed on Saturday. This time it was not about construction advances, but about people and the start of a community on the Las Conchas Peninsula. For Labor Day weekend, Tessoro invited owners, guests and community leaders to enjoy the resort and see why Tessoro sets a new standard for Rocky Point real estate and resort offerings.

Guests arrived all day at the new Grand Entrance and drove down the elegant paving stone driveway toward the resort pool area. Adults lounged in the sun on Tessoro’s multi-leveled deck areas and soaked in the infinity-edge pool, swimming up to the bar for margaritas and cervezas. Children played under the cascading water fall in the children’s pool, with happy sounds of family fun filling the air. People headed out from the beach to explore the sea and estuary on Kayaks. Others rode horses up and down the fine, sandy shores. And everyone returned at some point to soak in the luxurious bubbles of the large, sea-side hot tub.

Everyone enjoyed the asada and ceviche stands at the El Agave Bar and Grill, Tessoro’s phase one outdoor restaurant. An original member of Las Mujeres fishing cooperative brought the community’s remarkable trigger-fish and scallop ceviche to share and handed out 130 fresh-from-the-water oysters! CEDO leaders accompanied the cooperative and explained the wonderful sea food that can be found in the NaturArte ecotourism corridor in Las Conchas. A local “Asadero” handed out marinated steak tacos and manta-ray fajitas. Nobody left hungry.

Some visitors were there to buy (and sales have been active since Memorial Day!), others there to see what a resort condo in Las Conchas is like, and still others came to take pride in the another advance for the Puerto Peñasco community. The editor of Join Us newspaper, owners of local rental companies and the Puerto Peñasco delegate of Sonora Turismo all spent part of the afternoon congratulating Tessoro’s developers and new owners. There is no doubt this resort is the best news of 2009!

For all those who have not experienced Tessoro or the magic of resort living on the Las Conchas Peninsula, we invite you out to see what everyone is raving about. Tessoro’s proud owners are already living at the resort, so find one and ask them why they cannot stop smiling.

Do you want to spend Labor Day enjoying the most beautiful new resort and finest natural beach in Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point)? Then join us!

Tessoro at Las Conchas will welcome its new owners and the Puerto Peñasco community to enjoy a beach and pool party on Saturday, September 5 from Noon to 7:00pm. You don’t want to miss it! Lounge pool-side under swaying palm trees and enjoy the amazing infinity-edge views as blue water blends into azure sea. Enjoy margaritas and cervezas served from under Tessoro’s towering palapa, Refill from the swim-up bar. Welcome to paradise.

The fun does not stop there. Tessoro will be welcoming a celebrity Asadero to make fresh Sonoran-style tacos poolside and a local fishing cooperative will bring their family ceviche to serve over fresh tosdadas. On the beach, Tessoro will be offering up horseback rides and sea kayaks to enjoy the majesty of the Las Conchas Peninsula and Morua Estuary. You haven’t experienced Puerto Peñasco until you have seen the beach in this part of Las Conchas. Guides from the CEDO ecological institute will be on hand to give nature tours and explain the local environment and sea life. It will be a great learning experience for parents and kids alike.

Tessoro will be delivering between mid-August and mid-September and welcomes our may proud owners who will be moving in that weekend. It is the only major resort delivering in 2009 and the finest real estate project ever seen in Rocky Point. Now is your chance to see what everyone has been talking about. See you by the pool.

Sales Associate Roberto Flores led the happy couple through their walk-through of the property. They toured the resort pool area, marveled at the swaying palm trees, palapa and freshly planted grass and landscaping. Excitement built as they headed up the majestic marble and inlaid-stone stairway from the pool to Tessoro’s lobby. From there, the party rode up on their private elevator to the third floor – a floor that is theirs and theirs alone in the Jade wing.

You can only imagine the joy and pride on the faces of the Muñoz as the elevator opened and they surveyed their beautiful, pristine residence and saw for the first time their one-of-a-kind marble cut onyx mantle. Roberto had this description of the scene:

The condo walk-through was even more exiting. There were workers peeking through the service doors with great expectation trying to catch a glimpse of the Muñoz’s faces. It was a wonderful experience. The Muñoz found their condo impeccable. Alfonso’s comment was: “Roberto I’m overwhelmed, this is beyond my expectations it’s . . . it’s great!”

Tessoro is lucky to have many wonderful owners and would have been proud to welcome any of them as the community’s first residents. But we could not be happier that the Muñoz had the honor. Alfonso is an accomplished doctor and long-time Arizona resident was born in Chile. Sue is a sweet and vibrant mother and grandmother who has been planning for months on how to make her Tessoro condo the perfect place for her family to gather and her young grandchildren to play.

Tessoro takes great pride in the step that took place on Saturday. The whole Tessoro family congratulates Alfonso and Sue and cannot wait to welcome the remaining owners in the coming month.

During the month of July, Tessoro at Las Conchas has enjoyed a number of successes not as visible as the resort pool, swaying palm trees and soaring elevators. Tessoro was proud to celebrate the finalization of its condominium regime and the receipt of its final delivery permit from the State of Sonora. It also sent out its final delivery notices.

The condo regime formally creates the 55 condos in Phase I of the development and this document was filed with the local property registry in Puerto Peñasco. As has been its trademark, Tessoro went above and beyond to assure the highest levels of quality in its core documents, hiring the acclaimed Notario responsible for Punta Mita to formalize its condo regime paperwork. Armed with this document, several Tessoro owners have already begun to prepare their bank trusts.

In mid-July, Tessoro received the inspection team from the State of Sonora to confirm that the residential resort is ready for occupancy. After reviewing Tessoro’s completed residences, functioning electricity, water, safety, elevator and other infrastructure and walking the grounds, the Sub-Secretary of Development awarded what is the equivalent of the development’s Occupancy Permit.

With the development achieving these milestones, Tessoro at Las Conchas was proud to send its owners their formal delivery notices. Tessoro’s owners are eager to move in and the first closings are expected in August. By Labor Day, the Tessoro resort pool area should be full of new residents and their families, enjoying the grandeur of the luxurious amenities on the Las Conchas Peninsula.

Our happy owner remarked about the finishes in his condo, thrilled that they are as every bit as good as the model promised and that he has found nothing to complain about here at Tessoro. He will be leaving us for the summer months but when he returns, he will be in his condo and cannot wait to move his clothes and some personal belongings.

We also walked around the pool area, where the large palapa is being built for the swim up bar. As we viewed the rock wall waterfall for the infinity-edge pool and other common areas, John smiled and said “this is going to be very, very nice.”

It has been fun for me to see Tessoro grow from drawings into the lovely, first-class development that we have today. With its wonderful views and unmatched quality of construction, I could not be more proud as a salesperson. It is a pleasure to help take care of the current owners even as we work to welcome new buyers. It is a family here at Tessoro and even if I did not make the original sale, I have enjoyed caring for each and every owner and walked them to their condos during the last year of construction (and before the elevators went into operation last month, that was a lot of walking at times!). A wonderful community is developing here.

As we headed back to the model I bid John farewell and a safe journey.

By: Beverly Arrowood