For other places with the same name, see Hermosillo (disambiguation).
Hermosillo is the capital city of Sonora, Mexico. It's a modern city with many services. Tourism is mostly limited to the coastal communities of Bahia de Kino, Kino Nuevo and Punta Chueca, where there are cave paintings and a recreational park named La Sauceda. Shopping, eating and tourist attractions are found throughout the city.
Hermosillo is one of the largest cities in Mexico, with a population of around 812,000 people (2015).
Industry and manufacturing has been the most dynamic sector of the economy. Much of this began in the 1980s with the establishment of the automobile industry. Electronics and IT are the largest employers by both revenue and number of employees. Manufacturers employ about 30% of the population.
Temperatures can reach 52 °C (125.6 °F) in the summer months, making it one of the hottest cities in the country. Temperatures can drop as low as freezing in December and January. Rain falls mostly between July and September, with annual precipitation between 75 and 300 millimetres (3.0 and 11.8 in).
Also, small regional and charter airlines provide service from cities like Guasave, Guaymas, and Guerrero Negro.
If you are close to the border (Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez) check flights leaving out of those airports in Mexico, they are generally cheaper than flights from US cities into Hermosillo.
Aeromexico (and its affiliate Aerolitoral that uses smaller aircraft) has many flights to Hermosillo from national and international destinations.
Low airfare providers are Volaris and Viva-aerobus. The latter is the cheapest of them all, but beware of the airline's policies for it won't give any protection for any delays or cancellations.
The road from Nogales (on the border) down to Hermosillo is a paved highway. The portion of Highway 15 between Magdalena de Kino and Hermosillo is a toll road, keep your receipt as this is a form of insurance. To file a claim you will need to return to the toll booth (either in Hermosillo or Magdalena). If you are bringing a car in from the United States, or Canada (including rental vehicles) you must have insurance through a Mexican company, if you have an accident call these companies immediately, in most cases a representative from the insurance company will be dispatched to the scene of the accident, be prepared to wait for them, though no more than 2 hours, especially if you are in the middle of the desert somewhere. If you are involved in an accident which requires a police report, the vehicle may be impounded overnight. Most police officers (federal and local) are very courteous and helpful; some of them may be willing to forego the report in order to help you out.
On your Mexican insurance forms there should be a number for the "Angeles Verdes" (Green Angels) which is a roadside assistance service similar to AAA in the United States. Keep that number handy when you travel, Angeles Verdes drivers are bilingual and are very helpful.
Going to or coming from Hermosillo from Nogales you will encounter several checkpoints. On the north bound side there is a checkpoint staffed 24 hours a day by the Mexican military. The soldiers posted at the stop sign who speak to the drivers are almost always able to speak enough English to deal with American and Canadian tourists. They will ask you where you are going, where you are coming from, and may ask to see your ID. Random and suspicious vehicles will be directed to a parking area to be searched, if you are selected to be searched the process normally takes less than 5 minutes (assuming you aren't carrying anything you shouldn't be). They will search through your bags, and the interior of your car. There may also be Federal Preventative Police (PFP) checkpoints, these checkpoints are often set up in different locations. Most PFP Police Officers will speak English, but will normally wave through any vehicles with American or Canadian plates, so long as the occupants are obvious tourists (break out your straw hats, brown shoes, and black knee socks!)
Hermosillo is about a 7½ hour drive from Phoenix, Arizona, 4-4½ hours from Tucson, and about 3 hours from Nogales, Sonora. That is assuming you drive the speed limit. It is not unheard-of to have the previous mentioned times to be much less when the border crossing is not congested. Also (and this applies for all of Mexico) The Mexican highway patrol has a modern fleet of Dodge Chargers, all of them have video cameras and many of them have K-Band radar. So bring your radar detector. Mexican regulations don't explicitly prohibit detectors nor are they sold in the country, however, that does not mean cops aren't familiar with these devices. So if you get pulled over with your detector, don't expect the cop to be so nice anymore if he notices it (just like in the US). As with any cop either side of the border, be nice to them and they'll be nice to you.
When you arrive in Hermosillo be on the lookout for topes, or speed bumps. Not all topes are marked (a yellow sign with a black speed bump) or painted yellow, pay particular attention at night as they are not always visible, and you may leave your engine on the street.
People in Hermosillo tend to drive somewhat recklessly, particularly the bus drivers. Red lights, stop signs, and speed limits are often treated as suggestions rather than law. Be careful of vehicles coming from side streets, they normally have stop signs, but sometimes will not stop until their car is already halfway in the nearest lane. Traffic lights are like most others in Mexico, where the green light will flash before it turns to yellow, and then red. Passing through a yellow light is a violation, there is no delay from when your light turns red to the other light turning green as there normally is in the United States. When you see the light flashing green be prepared to stop. Many intersections will have stop signs in addition to the lights, if the light is green you do not have to stop, this can be confusing to some people who have never encountered this setup before.
TUFESA bus line runs from Arizona (Tucson, Phoenix, etc.) to Hermosillo. Fares are around US$49 one way from Phoenix, and vary based on other cities. The Hermosillo stop is on the Ciudad Obregon route.
There's a trolley bus tour that goes out just in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Hermosillo right in the city center. It will take you to the best sight seeings and landscapes of the city.
Unlike most cities in the USA or Canada the bus in Hermosillo is a simple (and cheap) way to get around. The buses will run every few minutes, so if you miss one just wait a few minutes for the next one. Bus service is not recommended for tourists as you can get lost or end up in an outskirt zone. Do not use buses if you are not familiar to the routes. Some buses do not have air conditioning, so take precautions as temperatures may reach more than 40 °C (100 °F). Fares are approx. US$0.50.
Taxis are widely available and are a cheap way to get around. Use those ones from a Taxi site, or ask for one in the Hotel front desk. Cheapest taxi fare in Hermosillo is US$4.50.
Car rental offer several models starting about US$50 per day. If you move in this city by car take a GPS with you as some streets may have dead-ends, some wide avenues stretch suddenly to 2-lane alleys and other streets may change circulation way with no advice.
Most of the city's important avenues have marked lanes for bicycles, if you choose it as a different way to go around.
Most people in Hermosillo speak some English and almost everybody in the service and food industry speaks English. While visiting the parts furthest from the city only some people speak some English, though certainly not enough to have a philosophical conversation with you. They will likely be able to help you find places, directions, gas stations, etc.
Young people will certainly know more than average as most of the universities here require to approve a certain level of English in order to complete their studies and title. Young ones can talk as well as you, so don't hesitate to ask for directions or just start a conversation.
Visit downtown Hermosillo (El Centro). In El Centro you will find many shops, selling anything you can think of. There are also food stands if you get hungry or thirsty. Be careful though, the streets in El Centro are always crowded, and traffic is heavy. Also the sidewalks are higher off the street level than you may be used to, this will be a difficult area to traverse if you are in a wheelchair, or have a baby carriage. A heavy police presence is maintained in the area due to its popularity, and constant crowds, help is never far away.
There are many good universities here. Some of the best known are: University of Sonora, University of Valle de Mexico and "Tecnologico de Monterrey". The University of Sonora has a very good school of foreign languages, where you can enroll for a moderate price to receive Spanish lessons.
Vangtel Mexico provides opportunities for English speakers.
Hermosillo is slightly more expensive than other parts of Mexico, as life quality is slightly higher than other Mexican cities. However, prices are still good compared to the United States. There are lots of American stores, including Office Depot, Blockbuster, Office Max, Costco, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, and others. Also, Hermosillo is full of shoe and clothes stores (boutique).
ATM & banks. Hermosillo has branches of all the major banks operating in Mexico, some of them are related to foreign banks:
Toys can cost almost 1.5 times more in many parts of Mexico than in the US, don't expect deals there. Restaurants, food, bars, liquor, hotels are excellent in price and with the average exchange difference, can cost 2/3 of the same in US.
The following are some interesting stores you may find in town:
Hermosillo is full of great restaurants, including American ones such as Applebee's. There are lots of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other ethnic restaurants as well. The best, though, are the Mexican-run taco stands.
There are beer stores everywhere in Hermosillo. The most popular brands are Tecate, Pacifico, and Modelo (Corona). In a hurry? Look for a "Tecate Six" you can buy your beer in a drive-thru. Coke and Pepsi are available at almost every restaurant and store, DrPepper is available at Extra, Santa fe and Super del Norte stores. Tap water is safe to drink, as Hermosillo is the only city that purifies the water before it goes to the pipes. While it is safe to drink, many of the locals suggest drinking purified bottled water, as the tap water contains some minerals which after years of drinking may cause (or may not) teeth stains.
Smoking is not allowed in closed public places including restaurants, night clubs and bars. Today most of the city's fun places have terraces outside to allow smoking people without breaking the law. Also you must know that bars and night clubs close at 14:00 and beer and liquor stores have to close at midnight if you plan to drink all night have this in mind when you go to buy booze, even if midnight is the time to stop selling liquor most of the stores stop selling at 23:45.
Hotels and accommodations abound around the city.
Very nice hotels in Hermosillo cost about the same as a mid-range hotel in Phoenix. For around US$50 per night, you can find a hotel that would cost around $100–200 in the U.S.
In case of emergency, call 066 or 911. Both numbers work as emergency numbers. 911 is exclusively for tourists and you will be answered in English. State your emergency and if you know where you are give proper directions, if not, just give a general location or where you were in the past couple of hours, and if you have no idea where you are or are lost they can trace your call. Try to stay on the line for as long as possible or until help comes. If you are disconnected, having called will help since emergency services will now look for tourists and locals can usually spot you and tell them where you are. The Hermosillo Municipal Police can also be reached at+52 662 250 4882 .
If you need to contact US authorities, call the U.S. Consulate. The consulate is at Avenida Monterrey #141 and can be reached via telephone at +52 662 289-3500 .
Hermosillo is safer than the rest of Mexico, far from being a dangerous place, but there is criminal activity in the city. Use common sense and if you wouldn't do something in your home city, don't do it in Hermosillo, lock up your car, don't wave money around, keep your purse close to you, etc. Tourist attractions are very safe and police are always close by in case of emergency. Usual response time for paramedics is under 5 minutes.
If you or anyone in your party is drunk, do not drive. Drunk drivers are easily spotted and you will get pulled over. If you find yourself in this situation, be nice, be patient, and even if taken to the police station only the drunk driver will be locked up in case he gets rowdy. If this happens, wait for him to be sober up, give him coffee, and you'll be on your way. If you visit the city in December, beware of an increase on police checkpoints all over the city, this time of the year the officers will find any excuse to try and arrest people in order to get money out of them via bribes. Be very careful.
For the most part, Hermosillo has been spared the drug violence which is plaguing much of Mexico, especially the border areas. Sporadic violence related to the drug cartels does happen in and around Hermosillo. While drug cartels are certainly active in Hermosillo, it has not seen the levels of violence that cities such as Tijuana or Ciudad Juarez have been subjected to. As a tourist you do not have much to worry about as the drug cartels mostly target rival members, the police and the military, even though Sonora had a spate of murders in 2020. But crime fears predominantly are the same as they are at home (for example, pickpockets, thieves, drunks, etc.)
TelCel and MoviTel also have emergency numbers, check your cell phone's display screen to see which service your phone is using.
If your phone is not on one of these two networks use one of the other numbers listed above.
Most likely you will have to have a basic knowledge of Spanish to communicate on these lines, or ask if there is anyone available who speaks English (Hablas Ingles?).
Although Hermosillo is home to more and more American companies and businessmen visiting from the north side of the country's border, you will still get stares and second looks, especially if you are of African or Asian heritage. But have no fear, most people are very friendly and welcoming to tourists and business visitors and will do anything they can to make you feel at home.
Hermosillo is probably more liberal than other parts of Mexico, however, Mexico is a conservative Catholic country. If you are a gay or lesbian person, people will stare at you and your partner or may even make comments. So, if you have purple hair, a nose ring and six earrings, expect the same.
Even in the hottest of the hot Hermosillo weather, men and women will still wear jeans. You will rarely see a local wearing shorts unless they are involved in an athletic activity. Even if it is , wearing shorts will still expose you as a tourist. Most men wear jeans and different types of shirts, many the cowboy style with a sombrero (cowboy hat) and cowboy boots. Women mostly wear jeans and different types of shirts as well. Trying to fit in with the local population will make you less of a target for those who prey on tourists, e.g., criminals, some taxi drivers, corrupt police. After normal working hours are over you will notice this practice is relaxed and more people will wear shorts in the evening rather than the traditional jeans.
From Hermosillo you can access points all over Sonora, or continue south to Sinaloa. Mexico's Route 15 goes all the way down to Mexico City, though flying is the better option if you plan on heading to that area.
Hermosillo is only about 1 hour east of Bahía Kino, a small town with a beautiful beach, and access to Isla Tiburon. About an hour and 15 minutes south of Hermosillo is Guaymas and San Carlos. San Carlos is more developed than Bahia Kino, with many condo/resort facilities, however there are some areas of secluded beach. San Carlos is also home to Tetakawi, a large mountain right on the water that is sometimes referred to by locals as "Goat Tits" due to its unique shape. Not far from San Carlos is the port city of Guaymas, smaller than Hermosillo, it is a bustling and growing city with excellent restaurants, and access to a largely unknown Mexican maritime culture. Continuing past Guaymas one can also reach Ciudad Obregon from Hermosillo, which is also a city on the rise, and home to a beautiful lake frequented by locals. Most American and Canadian tourists are just passing through Hermosillo on their way to one of the nearby beaches. Unfortunately for them they do not know what they are missing in this clean, modern, and beautiful city.
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division