Kino Bay

While waiting in the Kino Bay Recreational Vehicle (RV) Park's office, a resident RVer entered with a plate of freshly barbecued chicken as a gift for the receptionist. While the RVer was expounding on the unsurpassed qualities of his home-made barbecue sauce another RVer entered and was immediately invited to "come on over and try some". These few words of friendly, easy going banter were my introduction to a relatively small group of snowbirds who, with their Mexican neighbours, enjoy a laid-back lifestyle on the edge of the Sonoran Desert overlooking the Sea of Cortez. This friendly bonhomie is contagious and therefore widespread among the sportfishing RV community that returns every year to this "end of the road" destination. Correctly called Bahia de Kino or Bahia Kino, the anglicized name, Kino Bay, has become an interchangeable moniker among Mexicans and is almost universally used by North Americans.

The RV community continues to thrive but now many have put down more permanent roots along the sweep of the ten kilometre sandy bay that fronts Kino. One and two storey homes line that marvellous beach and afford spectacular vistas of the Sea of Cortez.

To get to Kino one must drive the 110 kms. due west from Hermosillo, capital of the state of Sonora, until the paved road terminates at the Sea of Cortez. One leaves the same way. Perhaps, because of this, it has retained its "down home" charm. It is the closest seaside resort to Hermosillo and, as such, has become a popular weekend and holiday destination for city residents escaping the summer heat of the Sonoran desert. At the same time it is less than 5 hours drive from the Arizona border so attracts US and Canadian snowbirds each winter.

Most snowbirds, however, don't bother to divert from the highway south. Its dead-end location is its drawback There is so much to see in Sonora, the second largest Mexican state, that a 220 km round trip from Hermosillo to see one place can be a luxury for time-constrained travellers especially when one can explore a dozen interesting places in other directions. I should explain. All major roads in Sonora radiate from Hermosillo, and all - except the road to Kino Bay - will eventually take you to just about anywhere in Central and North America. I was one such traveller until I recently bowed to pressure from a number of Kino Bay aficionados and decided to risk a few valuable days on a one-way trip to Kino Bay.

 The newly paved and widened highway is as straight-as-a-dye and is an easy one hour drive passing through irrigated fields, orchards, orange groves and, finally desert scrub before reaching Kino. One's arrival is heralded by the uninviting sight of a stop sign and the adjacent Pemex station. To counter this inauspicious introduction take a left here for a side trip to the Mexican fishing village of Kino del Mar (Old Kino) and continue on to visit the expansive estuary with its very attractive condominium development and great views of the bay. Back in Old Kino local fishermen sell their fresh catch-of-the-day from colourful pangas and small huts and a good bakery, small tiendas, craft shops and beer outlets (expendios) can be found. Time to return to the stop sign, where, turning left one follows the road to the tourist heart of Kino Bay. As the road curves north to parallel the coastline it follows a high sand dune for about 10 kilometres and becomes one very long street lined with whitewashed buildings effectively (and disappointingly) obscuring much of the shoreline.

The somewhat unfavourable first impression is quickly dispelled when one walks through one of the numerous public access points to behold a sweeping bay of golden sand lapped by the calm waters of the Sea of Cortez with the breathtaking backdrop of the distant Baja coast shimmering on the horizon. Perfect! These waters are renowned for their fish, shrimp, shellfish and wintering whales. No wonder the area was "discovered" by gringo RVers and sport fishers.

This coast was Seri Indian territory. They settled here - and on the nearby Isla de Tiburon - centuries ago, but were nearly wiped out by the Spanish conquistadors. The few survivors clung to this barren coastline relying on subsistence agriculture, some hunting and the bounty of the Sea of Cortez. They were expelled from Tiburon Island when the Federal Government declared that island a Nature Preserve. They now live in a couple of villages up the coast and some have migrated to Old Kino itself but their culture is largely intact as can be seen at the Seri Museum in New Kino.

With little or no infrastructure in place it was inevitable that any modern "tourist invader", would have to bring their own supplies and accommodation with them. Thus the first influx of the RV community began and, while most returned home to the US each summer, some eventually stayed year round and began constructing permanent homes. To organize and provide services to the growing RVers, RV Parks were soon established. Today there are a number of well-run sites including the aforementioned Kino Bay Park which includes an extensive and secure storage facility for their guests' many sports fishing boats. A number of hotels, condominiums and private residences offer accommodation to this growing group and this in turn has spawned a few real estate companies to cater to those visitors who are looking for a permanent investment in the community. One such agency, El Seri Real Estate, was begun by Maria de Pinelli in response to a growing number of requests about purchasing property by guests at her ex-husband's Parador Bellavista RV Park. Interestingly middle class families from Hermosillo are now buying properties here with the result that Mexican families without a recreational vehicle are becoming a major part of the community.

One aspect of life that is different here from larger resorts is the paucity of restaurants. Maybe this is a result of the self-catering nature of the RV community (especially with fresh caught fish a daily feature of their life). Luckily, two of the few restaurants serve excellent food. El Pargo Rojo is popular with locals and Hermosillans alike for its cuisine. Its one drawback is its location on the inland side of the street and therefore no view! This is not a problem at Jorge's Restaurant at the far end of the town. On the beach with a patio attached it serves great seafood with the Sea of Cortez as a backdrop. Dining at sunset is particularly popular and Jorge is a delight.

Finally, three unique places that sum up the community and pioneering spirit still evident in the town. The Club Deportivo (a gringo Sporting Club where everyone gets together for their weekly pot luck suppers); the nine hole dirt golf course in the desert just behind the Club, and, a mile north of the golf course, a brand new Pemex gas station built in the middle of nowhere! (It actually is part of a modern boat storage complex and provides a handy fuel supply for boat owners as well as the occasional vehicle.)

My conclusion can be summed up by the following. I now understand why so many people encouraged me to visit Kino - it can be a surprisingly difficult place to get to, an equally difficult place to love at first sight, but an easy place to be seduced by its people, its ambience and its magnificent bay. I have returned - often!

 Now, just to the east of the Bay's most northerly point, Kino's first gated community is taking shape. Sleepy backwater Kino with it's affordable seafront living may now become just a memory. So visit it before it changes and perhaps you might decide to stay and become one of the factors that will cause it's growth......and change!