Sonora border remains open for American visitors

art along the border wall in nogales sonora

Editor’s note: Since this article was published, Sonora has closed its border to non-essential travel. Tourists can still cross the border for medical and dental services, and to purchase medication. Read more.

Mexico and Border restrictions are targeted at Canadian and Mexican non-commercial travel

When the White House Coronavirus task force restricted “non-essential” travel from Canada and Mexico (with a few exceptions) last week, many thought the restrictions were reciprocal and also apply to Americans.

They do not.

The State Department also issued an international travel advisory last week that elevated every other nation in the world to Level 4, a “do not visit” recommendation. That advice is relevant but not binding, and the agency further advised that Americans currently in foreign countries should come home immediately or plan to stay where they are for an extended amount of time.

Many who live or have extended stays have started coming back as they realize that their insurance policies have been canceled. And that they do not want to be in the middle of a pandemic outbreak in an area with limited resources and medical care options.

Agreements not reciprocal

As mentioned, the border restrictions have a few exceptions, such as Mexicans and Canadians coming to the United States for medical care or educational purposes.

But Mexico has not enacted any restrictions to foreign visitors. And for reasons listed above, you probably do not want to travel very far into Mexico. But at this moment it seems there are reasons why you might want to visit a Sonoran border city.

Visiting Sonora border cities

The website Planet Nogales has posted some reasons for visiting the border, even during these times of crisis.

Border dentists and doctors use personal protective equipment (PPE), as always, to minimize the risk of pathogen transfer as they care for patients.

Border pharmacies offer discount medications that may not be available in Arizona, such as chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. And it is a place where you can safely practice social spacing in the sparse plazas and shops, and in the short lines to return across the border.

Nogales dentist Dr. Victor Manuel Perez of Dental Advanced in Nogales, who has cut back hours during the border closure, has posted information on his website that explains how Nogales dentists are dealing with the coronavirus. Measures that include offering a medical prescription to clients that they can present at the border to show they were in Nogales for medical reasons.

Conclusion

The border is open, the Mexican peso is inexpensive and all of the reasons to visit the Nogales border tourism areas are still relevant.

Just remember to take the appropriate precautions of washing and sanitizing your hands, not touching your face, and maintaining the appropriate physical distance from others.

So, is it time to make a run for the border?

September 2019 Events in Sonora

September 2019 Events in Sonora, Mexico

September is an active and exciting month in Sonora and the rest of Mexico. It is a month of patriotism, with lots of civic and religious events to celebrate.

The summer heat subsides, monsoon rains have ended and although the weather may still be a bit warm but the skies are blue and the evening temps are fabulous.

This is the mes patria, the month of the homeland in Mexico.

Independence Day is on September 16, and the night before Sonorans will gather at their palacio municipal for the “grito de independencia,” the shout of independence – Viva Mexico!

There are also several major feast days for Catholic saints in September that are observed in Sonoran pueblos. Santa Rosalia, the Virgin of Loreto, the Virgin de los Dolores and the feast day of saints San Gabriel, San Rafael and the Archangel San Miguel. And perhaps the biggest celebration begins during the last month of September in Magdalena de Kino, in advance of the Feast Day of Saint Francis on October 4.

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First Sunday of September – Aunt’s Day (Dia de la Tia)

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Arivechi – Fiestas in honor of the town’s patron saint, Santa Rosalía (3-4)

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Feast Day of Santa Rosalía

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Suagui Grande – Fiestas in honor of the Virgin of the Rosary (Virgen del Rosario)

Villa Pesqueira – Fiestas in honor of the Descent of the Virgin of Guadalupe (Bajada de la Virgen de Guadalupe)

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Feast Day of the Virgin of Loreto (La Virgen de Loreto)

Bacadéhuachi – Fiestas in honor of the town’s patron saint, the Virgin of Loreto (La Virgen de Loreto).

San Miguel de Horcasitas – Fiestas in honor of the town’s patron saint, the Virgin of Loreto (La Virgen de Loreto).

Banámichi – Fiestas in honor of the town’s patron saint, the Virgin of Loreto (La Virgen de Loreto). Baile de coronación de la reina y carreras de caballos

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Day of the Boy Heroes (Día de los Niños Héroes)

This annual event honors the cadets who died on September 13, 1847 defending the castle of Chapultepec in Mexico City from an advancing force of American soldiers.

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Feast Day of the Virgen de los Dolores

Sáric – Fiestas in honor of the town’s patron saint, the Virgin of Dolores (la Virgen de los Dolores)

Grito de Independencia – Grito de Dolores

On the eve of Mexican Independence Day, elected officials throughout Mexico will wave a Mexican Flag while they and crowds gathered below are shouting “Viva Mexico!.” This tradition, also known as the Grito de Dolores, is a tradition that harkens back to when Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla first made the declaration at the start of the Mexican Revolution on September 16, 1810.

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Mexican Independence Day – Dia de la Independencia

A major holiday in Sonora and all of Mexico, with parades and other festivities.

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Empalme – Founding anniversary celebration – Festejo de aniversario de la fundación del municipio

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Day of the Photographer – Día del Fotógrafo

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Festivals of the Sierra Alta

Bacadéhuachi, Bacerac, Huachinera

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Fiestas de San Francisco Javier
Magdalena de Kino

September 27 to October 6. More information.

International Tourism Day – Día Mundial del Turismo

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Feast Day of San Gabriel, San Rafael and the Archangel San Miguel

Santos Arcángeles San Miguel, San Gabriel y San Rafael

Soyopa – Fiestas en Honor de San Miguel

Bacerac – Fiestas in honor of the town’s patron saint, San Miguel Arcángel

Bacoachi – Fiestas in honor of the town’s patron saint, San Miguel Arcángel

Bavispe – Fiestas in honor of the town’s patron saint, San Miguel Arcángel

2019 Annual Events in Sonora, Mexico

January to March Events

April to June Events

July to September Events

October to December Events

Sonora Business Leaders Demand a Solution to Violence

Members of the organization Comparmex, the “business center of Northern Sonora,” met with public officials on August 13 in Guaymas to demand action to address the extreme violence that has gripped the state.

In addition to Comparmex members, the meeting was attended by Sonora Governor Claudia Pavlovich, state and federal security officials and the municipal presidents of Cajeme, Guaymas, Empalme and Navojoa

According to its website, Comparmex is a politically independent group of employers and entrepreneurs founded in 1929. It seeks to establish social conditions that contribute to the prosperity of all Mexicans, to increase equity and social cohesion.

Sonora newspaper El Imparcial reported that Comparmex President Arturo Fernández Díaz recommended that state and federal governments devote more resources to security forces, to include better training, equipment and salaries.

Anti-government and -police violence

Of particular concern is the level of violence against municipal governments, in particular municipal police officers. Their increasing frequency and levels of violence may indicate signs of social instability in the state of Sonora, Mexico.

On June 20, the comptroller of the city of Guaymas, Daniel Morales Pardini, was gunned down with another municipal employee, Enrique Galarza Núñez, as they were driving on Avenida Serdán, the main street in Guaymas. Both men were killed. Pardini had previously been the municipal police director for Guaymas.

On June 28, the eastern command police headquarters in Guaymas was assaulted by an armed gunman. There were three violent murders in Guaymas earlier in the day, and the presidenta municipal (mayor) of Guaymas, Sara Valle Dessens, announced on the radio that because of the violence, people in Guaymas should not leave their homes if they do not need to.

And in July, after seeing his partner slain in front of an Oxxo convenience store, a Guaymas police officer is quoted as saying “They are going to kill us all.”

An August 4 attack on the palacio municipal (city hall) of the municipality of Mazatan, Sonora. Gunment riddled the building with a fusillade of bullets.

The next day, August 5, an Hermosillo police officer was shot to death in his home. He was the 15th police official killed in Sonora in 2019.

Violence within proximity of children

And unfortunately, children have not been spared from seeing examples of violence in the state.

On July 29, a dismembered body was left outside a primary school in Empalme, just 500 meters from the police station.

On August 3, two men were gunned down outside of an Hermosillo McDonald’s where children were celebrating at a birthday piñata party.

And on the evening of August 4, a man entered the Ballpark restaurant, withdrew a weapon and shot a man who was dining at the restaurant, killing him. At a nearby table, several children dove under their table in terror as the man was murdered.

One week later, the manager of the Ballpark restaurant was kidnapped. He was later released.

Conclusion

By August 24, Hermosillo had experienced 160 violent homicides in 2019, just 15 fewer than all of 2018.

Earlier this year the Mexican federal government announced the deployment of federal national guard troops to establish “security priority areas” in Sonora. It is not clear what specific actions have been taken at the state level to curtail the violence in Sonora, but it has continued. We are especially concerned about growing tensions between armed groups and local governments, in particular against local police officials.

We recommend that you exercise extreme caution when traveling to or driving through the cities of Guaymas – San Carlos, Empalme, Ciudad Obregon and Hermosillo. Nighttime travel is definitely not recommended.

More Sonora news and insights

April 2019 Events in Sonora

April 2019 Events in Sonora, Mexico

The first week of the month is a time of celebration in Caborca as the Fiestas 6 de Abril, which commemorate the town’s defense against a group of American “filibusteros” who tried to annex the municipality in 1857.

Easter Sunday is April 21, a major religious holiday in Mexico. The week before Easter is Semana Santa (holy week), when Sonorans flock to the coast and rivers for their spring break vacation, and the week after is the Semana de Pascua, Easter week.

And the last day of the month is the traditional Day of the Children (Día de los Niños), when it truly is good to be a child in Sonora.

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Festival to Commemorate the Heroic Deeds of the 6th of April
Festival Conmemorativo de la Gesta Heróica del 6 de Abril
Caborca

This is the biggest annual event in Caborca, to celebrate the victory of the citizens of Caborca and the Mexican Army over a group of “filibusteros” from California who attempted to annex the town in 1857. Events include a parade, art exhibits, sporting events, concerts and other activities. Sponsored by the Municipal Government (Ayuntamiento) of Caborca and the Dirección de Acción Cívica y Cultural of Caborca. More information.

13 – 20

XIV Profesor Enrique Quijada Cultural Festival
Ures, Sonora

This annual event honors Professor Enrique Quijada and commemorates the 53rd anniversary of the Caravana de Recuerdo in Ures. Activities include music and dance performances, art and photography exhibits, book presentations and other culturally interesting things to see and do. Read more.

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Palm Sunday – Domingo de Palma

14 – 20

Semana Santa – Holy Week

Nationwide, the week prior to Easter Sunday. Most festivities take place during the week leading up to Easter, but many people have the following week, known as La Pascua, off as well, making it a two-week holiday.

Religious processions and other activities are common, but for most Sonorans, it is time to enjoy their spring vacation at the beach or by a river.

The two weeks of Semana Santa are a very busy travel time, so if you plan to visit Sonora during the week before or after Easter, make your plans and reservations well in advance and be prepared for travel congestion and delays (especially at the border).

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Good Friday – Viernes Santo

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Easter Sunday

22 – 29

Semana de Pascua – Easter Week

While the major celebrations for Easter occur during Semana Santa, the week before Easter, many also observe the week after Easter by taking a Spring vacation as well.

19 – 28

International Dance Exhibit: One Desert for Dance
La Muestra Internacional Un Desierto para la Danza
City Theater, Casa de la Cultura
Hermosillo

An annual event since 1993 that is a platform for the creation, diffusion and education of contemporary dance. More information.

25 – 30

Expogan Sonora and Palenque
Hermosillo

This massive exposition and festival will continue through April until May 19 and includes concerts, theater, expositions and other presentations. It is the biggest event of the year in Hermosillo and Sonora. More information.

27 – 29

FestVital Xepe an Cöicoos y las músicas del mundo
Hermosillo

A festival that seeks the positive transformation of the Comcáac Nation (Ethnic Seri), organized by the Rock band Seri Hamac Caziim (divine fire) and carried out with the collaboration of artists, academics and volunteers from all over Mexico and abroad. This will be the sixth year of the festival. More information.

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Día de los Niños – Children’s Day
Nationwide

This very special day is just for the children, celebrated throughout Mexico with parties and other special events.

2019 Events in Sonora

January to March Events

April to June Events

July to September Events

October to December Events

Rules for the October 2018 Puerto Lobos Fishing Tournament

The Sonoran coastal community of Puerto Lobos, Sonora, Mexico

Español

The Third Annual Puerto Lobos Fishing Tournament will be held on October 12 and 13, 2018 along the coast of Puerto Lobos, Sonora.

Following is an overview of the tournament rules. You can view and download the pdf containing the rules here (scroll down to page 2 of the document, the English rules are on the right side of the page).

Summary of Tournament Rules

The tournament is an individual competition, and registration is 600 pesos per person. All occupants of the boat must pay the registration, except for the captain of the boat, if he is not going to be fishing. If the captain will be fishing, then he must also pay the registration.

Registration will be held on October 12 in Puerto Lobos from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Representatives from the Sonora Sub-Secretary of Fishing will sell fishing permits at a booth next to the registration location.

Participants will only use a fishing rod, and only one rod per person is allowed. One extra rod per boat will be allowed.

Only trolling and bottom fishing are allowed. All fish species are accepted, except for species that are endangered or otherwise prohibited.

Competitors are expected to be civil to others. Any threats, vulgar language or other form of mistreatment directed at tournament organizers or competitors will be grounds for disqualification.

Boats will depart from the pier at 6:00 a.m. and must return by 4:00 p.m. The tournament director reserves the right to modify tournament hours based on weather conditions.

The fishing area will be the entire Sea of Cortez area around Puerto Lobos. All boats will have a number assigned and will depart from the pier. Boats will be inspected before leaving and upon their return.

The tournament winner will be the person who lands the heaviest fish. In the case of a tie, the first-weighed fish will win.

Fish may be submitted for weighing throughout the day. The weigh scale judge will give the competitor a weight ticket, and it is the responsibility of the competitor to verify that the time and weight listed on the ticket are correct.

More info about the Fishing Tournament, other events and lodging information

PDF of tournament rules

Puerto Lobos October 2018 Fishing Tournament

Mission Nuestra Señora del Pilar y Santiago de Cocóspera

Mission churches established by Father Kino in Sonora, Mexico

Kino Sonoran Missions

Nuestra Señora del Pilar y Santiago de Cocóspera

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Ruins of Kino Mission Nuestra Señora del Pilar y Santiago de Cocóspera

The ruins of the Kino Mission Nuestra Señora del Pilar y Santiago de Cocóspera are located on a hill near the Río Babasac, not far from Mexico highway 2 east of Imuris.

The mission ruins are representative of an original Kino mission that was built over and renovated decades later by the Franciscans. Its structural history has been preserved by front scaffolding installed several decades ago by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) to help prevent the unique structure from collapsing.

The original Kino mission built at the end of the 17th century was made with basic adobe bricks. When the church was renovated a century later by Franciscans, they reinforced the adobe walls and buttressed the front with fired clay bricks held together with lime mortar. The new brick walls were then plastered over on both the interior and exterior facades.

The front side of the church had bell towers on both sides. Window openings were reinforced by wood around their exterior sills and wood posts inside the window opening. Wood was also used for the original flooring and construction of the roof and structural reinforcements. The Franciscans constructed wooden circular staircases in the bell towers, like the mesquite staircase in the Mission of San Ignacio.

The church interior was adorned by bas relief plaster impressions of commonly used mission symbols like scallop shells, used to represent pilgrimage as the symbol of the patron saint of Spain, San Santiago. Other examples of Kino missions where similar interiors have been restored are the missions at Tubutama and Caborca.

Cocóspera has similarities with the mission church of San Ignacio de Caborica, which is another example of where Franciscans rebuilt a Kino mission over its existing footprint by reinforcing the walls with clay bricks, enhancing the front entrance and towers, and covering the interior and exterior surfaces with plaster.

The reason for the marked difference between the appearance and condition of the structures today is that San Ignacio continued as an active church, where Cocóspera had been a target of Apache attacks since the late 1600’s, and by the early 1800’s the local population had dwindled, and the last Franciscan priest left the mission in 1836.

The small chapel crypt next to the ruins was built in the 1950’s by the family of Colonel José María Elías González, who lived in the Cocóspera area after he retired in 1851 until his death in 1864.