Sandy Beach is the main resort area of Puerto Peñasco, a long stretch of sand northwest of the old town where the high-rises and vacation rentals cluster. It is the beach that most visitors from Arizona come for: warm, calm, easily accessible, with vendors selling cold drinks and boat trips up the coast. The water in the Sea of Cortez is warmer and more sheltered than the Pacific beaches further south, which makes it particularly suitable for families and for those who prefer their ocean experience without strong currents.
The beach faces southwest and catches the afternoon light well. Evenings here — the sun dropping into the sea, the Pinacate volcano on the desert horizon — are genuinely spectacular and worth waiting for.