Explore The northwest and Copper Canyon
Boasting more than 15km of pristine Sea of Cortés coastline, 110km west of Hermosillo, BAHÍA DE KINO is a popular weekend escape for locals and increasingly a winter resort for Americans. For good reason; the seafront is padded with miles of inviting sands, the placid waters are perfect for swimming and kayaking, the offshore islets and strange rock formations make the sunsets particularly memorable and the resort remains relatively low-key and laid-back – for now. There are two settlements around the bay: the old fishing village of Kino Viejo, a dusty collection of corrugated-iron huts, passed over by the fruits of development, and the younger Kino Nuevo – an eight-kilometre strip of one-storey seafront houses, trailer parks and a couple of hotels and restaurants.
This whole area used to be inhabited by the Seri people, and there are still a few communities living round about: their former home on the offshore Isla del Tiburón (Shark Island), was made into a wildlife refuge in the 1960s but is still administered by the tribal government. You may come across Seri hawking traditional (and not so traditional) ironwood carvings along the beach in Kino Nuevo, though their main settlement is Punta Chueca, 35km north – you can buy genuine crafts here, but you’ll need your own wheels to reach the settlement. The tiny Museo de los Seris (Tues–Fri 8am–3pm; M$6), on the plaza in the middle of Kino Nuevo, gives a little more information on Seri history.
