Rocky Point, Sonora – The sound of heavy machinery scraping against rocks and an overwhelming smell of diesel fuel invade an otherwise serene desert beach where Mexico will spend roughly $100 million building its first cruise ship home port.

The Mexican government chose to build the port in the sleepy beach town of Puerto Peñasco, better known as Rocky Point, because of its proximity to the United States and potential as a future international tourism destination.

"It is the most important project the city has ever had," said Miguel Guevara, director of promotion and international affairs for the city.

Construction workers spend their days dumping rocks, making concrete blocks and placing them along the breakwater to prepare the port for a January 2017 opening. Officials said they hope the roughly mile-long port will tap into the growing cruise ship industry by offering passengers an opportunity to explore the Sea of Cortez.

Proponents said the port could attract 3,000 new weekly visitors and transform the city's economy. However, critics said the port could negatively impact local residents, wildlife and biodiversity.

Why Rocky Point?

Rocky Point is about 200 miles southwest of Phoenix and Tucson in Sonora, Mexico, along the Gulf of California. Some have nicknamed the town "Arizona's beach" because it's a three and half hour drive from both cities.

Tourism in the town, historically driven by fishing, is increasing with a majority of the town's visitors coming from Arizona.

Rosie Glover, a co-founder of the Rocky Point Tourism and Visitor Assistance Office, said the increase in tourism has been "surprisingly dramatic and not gradual at all." Guevara said tourism dropped after the 2009 recession and though the city has not fully recovered, some have seen impressive gains. "For the last six months or more, we've been busy every single week," Glover said.

Residents said there's been talk around the town about the home port for decades, but many people didn't take the project seriously until recently, when construction began in December 2013.

The government has already spent roughly $40 million on the port, which is about 50 percent completed, Guevara said.

Mexican authorities support the project because it will benefit the entire country's economy, said Jose Luís Castro, director of port operations for the Sonora government's tourism department.

Castro said money would flow into cities situated on the cruise ships' routes, like San Felipe, Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan.

Joe Houchin, who has followed the cruise industry for decades, said the cities have opportunities for repeat visitors because 80 percent of cruise goers choose land vacations based on the destinations they visit on a cruise trip.

Castro said millions of the country's residents want to take a cruise, but don't have visas — leaving that market largely untapped.

In addition, officials hope to attract millions of international visitors annually. "Our main market is and will always be Arizona, but the home port will bring people from other states to come and start their trip on the Sea of Cortez," Guevara said.

The proximity to the U.S. made the town an ideal location, said Gustavo Brown, owner of Sandy Beach Resorts. "With half a tank full of gas, you've got a whole family at the destination," Brown said of Arizonans.

Brown donated 12 acres of land for the construction of the home port and terminal on Sandy Beach, just west of the tourist strip.

"Our dream is to create a mega tourist resort in which we could have people from all around the world to come see us," Brown said.