If Tijuana is big-city hype and hustle, and Rosarito is beach-town easy, Ensenada is something in between. It's a college town, a thriving port, the center of Mexico's wine-growing industry and a commercial fishing center
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The bustling harbor is one of Mexico's fastest growing seaports, and fishing is big business here, from tuna boats the size of tankers to a sportfishing fleet diverse enough to satisfy any ocean angler. But the harbor also hosts an endless armada of international cruise ships, and Ensenada has long been known as Baja's "Love Boat" port.
Ensenada's main downtown area is as tourist-friendly as Mexico gets. The city's merchandise selection is extensive, and most tourist-related shopping is concentrated along a single street -- Boulevard Lopez Mateos. Just a block from the waterfront, this walkable shopping section attracts mostly cruise passengers and day trippers who browse for an afternoon. Many of Tijuana's top stores have Ensenada branches on Lopez Mateos.
But there's far more to do here than shop. Ensenada is the heart of Mexico's wine country, and nine wineries in Baja's "Bordeaux Belt" of sheltered valleys near Ensenada produce almost 90 percent of Mexico's wines. The scenery -- picturesque vineyards surrounded by mountains -- alone merits a trip to Ensenada.
Inexpensive tours and tastings are offered six days a week by several Guadalupe Valley and Ensenada wineries, and the mid-August wine festival, sponsored by the area's Wine Brotherhood, is one of Baja's most popular annual events.
Be sure to check out the popular sportfishing pier area in the heart of downtown. A pair of sea lions (Claudia and Pancho) have been known to leap from the water to the pier to snap a fish from your fingers. Pelicans, hoping for a handout, waddle through the adjacent Mercado Negro, Baja's oldest and largest fresh fish market, where you'll find everything from whole, fresh sharks to brilliant parrot fish. Bring a camera.
The Pacific coast's best deep-fried shrimp tacos are cooked up fresh at colorful stands surrounding the pier. Sit on a stool in the sunshine and enjoy a few, while mariachis serenade you. And while you're there, tour the harbor and see the resident tuna fleet and flotilla of visiting yachts. Small motorboats, with guides, can be rented by the hour for under $15. Sign up on the spot.
And by all means, make the half-hour drive south to Baja's famous "blowhole." Thunderous La Bufadora, one of only three continuous sea spouts in the world, can shoot a geyser-like spray 60 feet in the air. A quaint village of curio shops has sprouted around the spout and makes for pleasant shopping. Try a juicy mango-on-a-stick or buy a bag of decadent, hip-swelling churros, deep-fried on the spot.
Scuba diving and snorkeling are excellent in the La Bufadora area, and surfing is best north of town at San Miguel Beach, immediately after the toll road ends. Ensenada's downtown waterfront area is generally rocky, but good beaches for swimming are a few miles south of town at Estero Beach and a bit farther at Punta Banda.
Kayaking is popular around La Bufadora, where sea caves and sea lion rookeries exist, and around uninhabited Todos Santos Island, five miles offshore. Look for great camping, trout fishing and wilderness getaways at Laguna Hanson, a little-known, mountain-and-pine escape east of Ensenada. And there are two excellent golf courses, one north and one south of the city. And there are two excellent golf courses, one north at Bajamar and one south of the city at Baja Beach and Tennis Club.
The resident intellectual and university communities bring a different flavor to this diverse city than to other Baja towns, and here a Pro-musica choral ensemble and the Cuban Ballet School are widely supported. Spanish missionaries and groups of Russian settlers brought native vines to the area and then settled, leaving their mark on the cultural mix. Today, there are Russian museums, jail museums and a historic gambling casino to explore. Ensenada also boasts Baja's oldest bar, Hussong's (011-52-646-178-3210), one of the most famous drinking establishments in the world. Claims the current owner: "Ain't never charged a cover charge in 110 years, and ain't gonna start now!"
Accommodations
Places to stay run the spectrum, from $8-a-night campsites to $130-a-night resort suites. There are probably more camping sites and RV camps near Ensenada and on the hightway between Rosarito and Ensenada than any other destination on Baja's Pacific Coast.
Restaurants
Choose from fabulous fish and shrimp tacos and seafood cocktails at inexpensive stands near the fish market, or award-winning French food with impeccable service at several restaurants. Standouts on the upscale-but-not-outrageously-priced side are the award-winning El Rey Sol (011-52-646-178-1733) and the two wine restaurants in the restored Santo Tomas Winery.
Don't miss
Sample Baja's fine wines at the downtown Santo Tomas Winery. Both its wine cafe, La Esquina (011-52-646-178-3557), and its gourmet wine restaurant, La Embotelladora Vieja (011-52-646-174-0807), offer best-of-Baja, best-of-California and best-of-South America selections by the glass or bottle. La Esquina sells a wide variety of take-home bottles from numerous wineries at low vineyard prices. Make sure you climb the narrow spiral staircase at La Esquina and sip a glass of vino on the second-floor outdoor terrace. And for great Latin dance music and a cheery atmosphere, stop at La Tertulia (011-52-646-178-1952) on the main street. It rocks with locals Thursday through Sunday after 9 p.m.
- Paula McDonald and Heather Gonzalez for SignOnSanDiego
courtsey: www.ensenada.com
Ensenada's main downtown area is as tourist-friendly as Mexico gets. The city's merchandise selection is extensive, and most tourist-related shopping is concentrated along a single street -- Boulevard Lopez Mateos. Just a block from the waterfront, this walkable shopping section attracts mostly cruise passengers and day trippers who browse for an afternoon. Many of Tijuana's top stores have Ensenada branches on Lopez Mateos.
But there's far more to do here than shop. Ensenada is the heart of Mexico's wine country, and nine wineries in Baja's "Bordeaux Belt" of sheltered valleys near Ensenada produce almost 90 percent of Mexico's wines. The scenery -- picturesque vineyards surrounded by mountains -- alone merits a trip to Ensenada.
Inexpensive tours and tastings are offered six days a week by several Guadalupe Valley and Ensenada wineries, and the mid-August wine festival, sponsored by the area's Wine Brotherhood, is one of Baja's most popular annual events.
Be sure to check out the popular sportfishing pier area in the heart of downtown. A pair of sea lions (Claudia and Pancho) have been known to leap from the water to the pier to snap a fish from your fingers. Pelicans, hoping for a handout, waddle through the adjacent Mercado Negro, Baja's oldest and largest fresh fish market, where you'll find everything from whole, fresh sharks to brilliant parrot fish. Bring a camera.
The Pacific coast's best deep-fried shrimp tacos are cooked up fresh at colorful stands surrounding the pier. Sit on a stool in the sunshine and enjoy a few, while mariachis serenade you. And while you're there, tour the harbor and see the resident tuna fleet and flotilla of visiting yachts. Small motorboats, with guides, can be rented by the hour for under $15. Sign up on the spot.
And by all means, make the half-hour drive south to Baja's famous "blowhole." Thunderous La Bufadora, one of only three continuous sea spouts in the world, can shoot a geyser-like spray 60 feet in the air. A quaint village of curio shops has sprouted around the spout and makes for pleasant shopping. Try a juicy mango-on-a-stick or buy a bag of decadent, hip-swelling churros, deep-fried on the spot.
Scuba diving and snorkeling are excellent in the La Bufadora area, and surfing is best north of town at San Miguel Beach, immediately after the toll road ends. Ensenada's downtown waterfront area is generally rocky, but good beaches for swimming are a few miles south of town at Estero Beach and a bit farther at Punta Banda.
Kayaking is popular around La Bufadora, where sea caves and sea lion rookeries exist, and around uninhabited Todos Santos Island, five miles offshore. Look for great camping, trout fishing and wilderness getaways at Laguna Hanson, a little-known, mountain-and-pine escape east of Ensenada. And there are two excellent golf courses, one north and one south of the city. And there are two excellent golf courses, one north at Bajamar and one south of the city at Baja Beach and Tennis Club.
The resident intellectual and university communities bring a different flavor to this diverse city than to other Baja towns, and here a Pro-musica choral ensemble and the Cuban Ballet School are widely supported. Spanish missionaries and groups of Russian settlers brought native vines to the area and then settled, leaving their mark on the cultural mix. Today, there are Russian museums, jail museums and a historic gambling casino to explore. Ensenada also boasts Baja's oldest bar, Hussong's (011-52-646-178-3210), one of the most famous drinking establishments in the world. Claims the current owner: "Ain't never charged a cover charge in 110 years, and ain't gonna start now!"
Accommodations
Places to stay run the spectrum, from $8-a-night campsites to $130-a-night resort suites. There are probably more camping sites and RV camps near Ensenada and on the hightway between Rosarito and Ensenada than any other destination on Baja's Pacific Coast.
Restaurants
Choose from fabulous fish and shrimp tacos and seafood cocktails at inexpensive stands near the fish market, or award-winning French food with impeccable service at several restaurants. Standouts on the upscale-but-not-outrageously-priced side are the award-winning El Rey Sol (011-52-646-178-1733) and the two wine restaurants in the restored Santo Tomas Winery.
Don't miss
Sample Baja's fine wines at the downtown Santo Tomas Winery. Both its wine cafe, La Esquina (011-52-646-178-3557), and its gourmet wine restaurant, La Embotelladora Vieja (011-52-646-174-0807), offer best-of-Baja, best-of-California and best-of-South America selections by the glass or bottle. La Esquina sells a wide variety of take-home bottles from numerous wineries at low vineyard prices. Make sure you climb the narrow spiral staircase at La Esquina and sip a glass of vino on the second-floor outdoor terrace. And for great Latin dance music and a cheery atmosphere, stop at La Tertulia (011-52-646-178-1952) on the main street. It rocks with locals Thursday through Sunday after 9 p.m.
- Paula McDonald and Heather Gonzalez for SignOnSanDiego
courtsey: www.ensenada.com
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