Bahia de Kino – Sonora – Mexico

Bahia de Kino and Alcatraz Island

Bahia de Kino – Sonora – Mexico

Bahia de Kino (Kino Bay) is a broad, shallow bay on the Mexican mainland side of the long, narrow Sea of Cortez, and situated in the dry, hot state of Sonora. On the other side of the Sea of Cortez is famous Baja Peninsula. Sonora state lines the eastern side of the sea.

Bahia de Kino is situated about halfway down the Sonoran coast, directly west of Hermosillo city.

Kino has a rather desolate, end-of-the-world feeling, which begins well before you even arrive – thanks to the long dusty highway that accesses Kino from Hermosillo. The vast empty land is completely flat and wide open all the way out to the coast.

From Hermosillo, the highway first passes through huge agricultural lands full of low plants hydrated by irrigation systems. The highway stretches straight as an arrow, seemingly with no end, on ahead westward towards the pancake flat horizon.

Sonora Desert between Hermosillo and Kino

Eventually, after more than an hour, agricultural fields give way to flat sandy desert with scattered cacti until, eventually, one begins to see low jagged hills or mountains on the distant western horizon . Those razor-like peaks turn out to be rocky islands just off shore.

Two long, monotonous hot hours out from Hermosillo, the highway suddenly reaches the tiny, scruffy seaside village of Kino. Traditionally a fishing village, Kino now attracts tourists for seafood, mostly clams, its modest beach, seaside hotels & condos and views of oddly-white Alcatraz Island, just offshore.

Kino’s end-of-the-world feeling continues when you finally reach the water. Jagged Alcatraz Island looks as dry and desolate as an island or chunk of rock could possibly look.

Alcatraz Island glowing at sunrise

From Kino town, the coastal highway heads north to Kino Nuevo (new Kino), where a strip of low condos, hotels and even an RV park stretch along the back of the 8-mile-long pale beige beach.

Weather in August exaggerates Kino’s desolation with impossibly broiling temperatures, dangerously intense sun and intermittent stiff winds that blow palm leaves horizontal, whip up the sea into frothy whitecaps and can make strolling the beach a struggle rather than a pleasure.

I’m told that Kino’s weather is actually pleasant from about October to April, and that would certainly make a visit more enjoyable. August is clearly a month to avoid, not only in Kino, but along the entire Sonoran coast.

Kino beach at the village

Weather aside though, Kino isn’t exactly what I’d call Mexico’s best beach or seaside town. The little town itself is scruffy, with broken-up roads, many buildings half demolished, ugly cement restaurants and houses, lots of walls and fences and barbed wiring, and few businesses.

Kino’s modest claims to fame seem to be its short metal pier lined by rickety souvenir stands, a handful of basic seafood restaurants serving primarily clams, views of offshore islands and a rather small beach.

Mexico certainly has much more attractive piers and beach-side seafood restaurants, beaches and seaside towns & villages with attractive architecture.

Kino’s pier

Kino’s beach does have pretty beige sand and lovely island views. But it’s backed by metal fences, stone & cement walls, barbed wire and scruffy buildings. Further along, at the northern edge of town, a tall wall backs the beach, and the sand disappears entirely at high tide.

Beyond the edge of town, stretching northward into Nuevo Kino, except for a short section of dunes, the beach is entirely lined by boxy white condos and hotels. The beach is narrow and gets crowded on weekends and during Mexico’s various annual holidays, such as Christmas, Semana Santa (Easter weeks) and the summer school holidays in July & August.

Completely aside from the stifling August weather that I inadvertently stumbled upon, I would actually rank Kino as one of the least attractive beaches in Mexico, perhaps even at the very bottom of the list.

Every other beach I’ve visited in Mexico (and I’ve visited at least 20 all around the country) is more beautiful than Kino. That’s in terms of beach quality, views and beach-side development.

ugly Mazatlan

The only beach I can think of worse than Kino is Mazatlan, further south in Sinaloa state, and that’s because it’s so horribly over-developed. Mazatlan actually has a much better beach – longer and wider – and stunning coastal views. But the awful development and obnoxious crowds just kill it.

Still, despite the horrendous August heat, ferocious winds and unimpressive beach, I did manage to mostly enjoy my visit to Kino for four days. In early mornings before about 9-10 am and in evenings after 6 pm, I could enjoy being outside surrounded by nature without broiling.

I was camping at a spacious beach-side RV trailer and cabanas park. In early mornings I did my daily yoga, strolled the beach and read a National Geographic magazine under the shade of a palapa with a stiff breeze keeping the temperature cool enough to sit pleasantly.

Lash camping at Bahia de Kino

Midday, the staff graciously allowed me to sit inside their air-conditioned office to escape the heat. That turned out to be most of the day from about 10 am to 6:30 pm. Lol

That afforded me time to do some online work, eat in comfort, read and plan my next travel steps southward through broiling Sonora state.

Considering all the beautiful beaches and other natural places to visit in wonderful Mexico, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend Bahia del Kino. But for travelers who like more out of the way places, it could be worth a quick visit as long as you skip the hot summer months of July and August, possibly September as well.

Here are several Mexican beaches I’d recommend well over Kino –

Punta de Mita Cape

San Blas Beach

Cuyutlan – Colima

Beach Hopping Along Mexico’s Central Pacific Coast

Tulum Beach– Yucatan Peninsula

======================================

Has anyone else here been to Bahia de Kino?

If so, what were your impressions?

===========================================