Official Language:
Spanish
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Currency:
Peso & US Dollar
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Population:
Over 350,000 people call Ensenada home.
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Weather:
Climate and current weather information for Ensenada Mexico: Summers are warm and winters are mild and balmy. Ensenada's climate is similar to that of southern California mild and dry. Average daytime temperatures range from around 65°F/18°C in winter to 78°F/25°C in summer. Winter nights sometimes dip into the 40s °F/5-15°C. Although rainfall is less than 10 inches per year, those rainstorms that find their way to the area will generally do so between December and March.
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Have some fun and relax on your cruise vacation! Ensenada is a beautiful hideaway on Mexico's Baja peninsula. It is located just 65 miles south of the U.S. border. This town is known for its busy harbor community and the mountainous agricultural center. Ensenada is the second busiest port in Mexico and the largest port on the Baja California Peninsula. this warm, inviting town is known for its bustling harbor community and agricultural center nestled in the mountains.
In 1602, Sebastian Vizcaino discovered an undeveloped, seaside village and christened it Ensenada-Bahia de Todos Santos. Since then, it has blossomed into the thriving port of call that today is simply known as Ensenada. The coastal area is so thriving, in fact, that it is the second most visited Mexican port city. Ranchers first laid claim to the fertile farmland up and down the coastal area. Soon thereafter, the marina came to mature into what we now see as the ever-expanding Ensenada.
With its rich agricultural region to the east and thriving fishery to the west, Ensenada offers visitors a chance to see modern rural life in action. Flourishing vineyards, famous throughout Mexico and North America, attract thousands of wine aficionados throughout the seasons. Locals and tourists agree that anyone who comes to taste the bounties of the vine will find that Ensenada wines rival the famed vintages Southern France and Northern California. Possibly its most alluring quality, Ensenada's locals keep visitors cheerful and comfortable while exploring the city's numerous treasures. The obliging residents have given this township an outstanding reputation, not only for its multitude of activities, but also for its attentive and gentle atmosphere. Cruise passengers beware, as Ensenada's port is not the most attractive port to dock in. Most cruise lines arrange for shuttles for the short ride into downtown. Once you get into downtown the scene changes and you can either enjoy shopping, partying, touring or relaxing on the beach.
Partying is popular in Ensenada. Here you will find outdoor cantinas, reasonably priced restaurants, super-size margaritas and mariachi bands. At just 90 minutes south of the border Ensenada continues to attract many visitors looking for a place to eat, drink and party!
The cruise ship docks at Ensenada Cruiseport Village at 224, Blvd Tte. Azueta. After you arrive at the Cruiseport Village, you can either take a taxi or bus to any and all of your destinations in Ensenada and its surrounding areas. Once off the ship, taxis are ready and waiting to take you to any and all of your destinations. Local taxis are known for being safe, courteous, and for having fair and steady prices. They are easily distinguished by their traditional yellow color. Since the port is so close to the downtown area, walking is the most efficient mode of transportation. The streets are safe, and since most of the area is located within five blocks of the marina, you'll have no problem finding and reaching every notable site without a hitch.
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Attractions |
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Essentials --The Tourist and Convention Bureau booth (tel. 011-52-646/178-2411) is at the western entrance to town, where the waterfront-hugging Bulevar Lázaro Cárdenas--also known as Bulevar Costero--curves to the right. The booth is open daily from 9am until dusk, and the staff can provide a downtown map, directions to major nearby sites, and information on special events. As in most of the commonly visited areas of Baja, one or more employees speak English fluently. Eight blocks south, you'll find the State Secretary of Tourism, Bulevar Lázaro Cárdenas 1477, Government Building (tel. 011-52-646/172-3022; fax 011-52-646/172-30-81). It's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 7pm, Saturday 10am to 3pm, Sunday 10am to 2pm. Both offices have extended hours on U.S. holidays. Taxis park along López Mateos.
Exploring Ensenada--Although Ensenada technically is a border town, one of its appeals is its multifaceted vitality--it's concerned with much more than tourism. The bustling port consumes the entire waterfront (the only beach access is north or south of town), and the economy is dominated by the Pacific fishing trade and agriculture in the fertile valleys surrounding the city. Try not to leave Ensenada without getting a taste of its true personality; for example, stop by the indoor-outdoor fish market at the northernmost corner of the harbor. Each day, from early morning to midday, merchants and housewives gather to assess the day's catch--tuna, marlin, snapper, and many other varieties, plus piles of shrimp. Outside the market are several stalls--the perfect place to sample the culinary craze sweeping Alta (upper) California, the Baja fish taco. Strips of freshly caught fish are battered and deep-fried, then wrapped in corn tortillas and topped with shredded cabbage, cilantro, salsa, and various other condiments. They're delicious, cheap, and filling, and it's easy to see why surf bums and collegiate vacationers consider them a Baja staple.
A Winery:
Elsewhere in town, visit the Bodegas de Santo Tomás Winery, Av. Miramar 666, at Calle 7 (tel. 011-52-646/178-2509; www.santotomas.com.mx). While most visitors to Mexico are quite content to quaff endless quantities of cheap cerveza (beer), even part-time oenophiles should pay a visit to this historic winery. The oldest in Mexico, and the largest in Baja, it uses old-fashioned methods of processing grapes grown in the lush Santo Tomás Valley, first cultivated by Dominican monks in 1791. A 45-minute tour introduces you to low-tech processing machinery, hand-hammered wood casks, and cool, damp, stone aging rooms. It culminates in an invitation to sample several vintages, including an international medal-winning Cabernet and delightfully crisp sparkling blanc de blanc. The wood-paneled, church-like tasting room is adorned with paintings of mischievous altar boys being scolded by stern friars for pilfering wine or ruining precious grapes. Anyone used to the pretentious, assembly line ambience of trendier wine regions will relish the friendly welcome and informative tour here. Tours in English are conducted daily at 11am, 1, and 3pm. Admission is $2 (including tastings; $3 more gets you a souvenir wineglass), and wines for sale range from $3.50 to $10 a bottle. Note: Most of the winery's product is exported for the European market; none is available in the United States. The Web site is in Spanish.
Plaza Civica:
Statues of some of Mexico's most revered heroes including Miguel Hidalgo, Benito Juarez and Venustiano Carranza are placed proudly around this shady plaza more commonly known as "Three Heads Park." The giant, gold-painted heads of three national heroes: Juarez, Hidalgo, and Carranza are on proud display. The plaza is also home to Mexico's largest flag. The most visible is Plaza Cívica (along Bulevar Lázaro Cárdenas, also known as Costero, at Av. Riveroll), where a wide stone platform dramatically displays 12-foot (3.5m) copper busts of former Mexican presidents Benito Juárez, Miguel Hidalgo, and Venustiano Carranza. A full-figure, mounted representation of Juárez is nearby, in a traffic-stopping monument along the street bearing his name (Av. Juárez at Av. Reforma). Contemporary hero General Lázaro Cárdenas is honored at the corner of avenidas Reforma and López Mateos, and a statue of Miguel Hidalgo, the priest revered as the "father of Mexican independence," stands tall on Avenida Juárez 1 block north of Avenida Ruiz.
A Cultural Center:
Ensenada's primary cultural center is another must-see in my book: the Centro Cívico, Social y Cultural (Bulevar Lázaro Cárdenas at Av. Club Rotario). The impressive Mediterranean building was formerly Riviera del Pacífico, a glamorous 1930s bay-front casino and resort frequented by Hollywood's elite. Tiles in the lobby commemorate "Visitantes Distinguidos 1930-1940," including Marion Davies, William Randolph Hearst, Lana Turner, Myrna Loy, and Jack Dempsey. Now used by the Rotary Club as offices and for cultural and social events, the main building is open to the public. Go on, take a peek: Elegant hallways and ballrooms evoke a bygone elegance, and every wall and alcove glows with original murals depicting Mexico's colorful history. Lush formal gardens span the front of the building, and there's a small art gallery tucked away to one side. Through the lobby, facing an inner courtyard filled with the ghosts of parties past, is Bar Andaluz, which is sporadically open to the public. It's an intimate, dark-wood place where you can just imagine someone like "Papa" Hemingway holding cocktail-hour court beneath a colorful toreador mural.
A Nearby Attraction:
South of the city, 45 minutes away along the rural Punta Banda Peninsula, is one of Ensenada's major attractions: La Bufadora, a natural sea spout in the rocks. With each incoming wave, water is forced upward through the rock, creating a geyser whose loud grunt gave the phenomenon its name (la bufadora means "buffalo snort"). From downtown Ensenada, take Avenida Reforma (Hwy. 1) south to Highway 23 west. It's a long, meandering drive through a swamplike area untouched by development; look for grazing animals, bait shops, and fishermen's shacks along the way. La Bufadora is at the end of the road. You park ($1 per car) in crude dirt lots, then walk downhill to the viewing platform, at the end of a 600-yard pathway lined with souvenir stands. In addition to running a gauntlet of determined vendors (hawking the usual wares: woven blankets and fanny packs, painted wooden masks, leather shoes and wallets, carved soapstone animals, cheap sunglasses, silver chains, and earrings), visitors can avail themselves of plentiful, inexpensive snacks, including freshly made churros, grilled corn, and tasty fish tacos. While some sightseers proclaim the display spectacular, I think you need to have a real thing for geysers to make the drive when there's so much else to see and do. Nevertheless, visitation is enormous, and there are plans to pave the dirt parking lots and build permanent restaurants and shops. If you do go, stop and sample the wares along Highway 1 south of the city before you reach the La Bufadora cutoff. I was impressed by the hard-working ladies on the side of the road selling homemade tamales with a variety of fillings, including the sweet-spicy pińa (pineapple). They also have colorful, eye-catching rows of pickled olives, vegetables, and chili peppers in reclaimed mayonnaise and applesauce jars.
Sportfishing--Ensenada:
Sport fishing reigns supreme here in Ensenada. Charter boats are available dockside.
Visit the fish market. There's no escaping the scent of seafood around this popular outdoor market. Yellowtail, tuna, albacore, and marlin - all are from the Mexican waters, and all for sale. Which bills itself as "the yellowtail capital of the world," draws sportfishers eager to venture out from the beautiful Bahía de Todos Santos (Bay of All Saints) in search of albacore, halibut, marlin, rockfish, and sea bass. A wooden boardwalk parallel to Bulevar Lázaro Cárdenas (Costero) near the northern entrance to town provides access to the sportfishing piers and their many charter boat operators. Open-party boats leave early, often by 7am, and charge around $35 per person, plus an additional fee (about $9) for the mandatory fishing license. Nonfishing passengers must, by law, also be licensed. Two reliable companies are Gordo's Sportfishing (tel. 011-52-646/178-3515; www.gordos.8m.com) and Sergio's Sportfishing Center (tel. 011-52-646/178-2185; www.sergios-sportfishing.com)--look for their distinctive banners on the boardwalk. Those disinclined to comparison shop can make advance arrangements with San Diego-based Baja California Tours (tel. 619/454-7166). In addition to daily fishing excursions, the company offers 1- to 3-night packages that include hotel, fishing, some meals, and transportation from San Diego.
Night Entertainment:
No discussion of Ensenada would be complete without mentioning Hussong's Cantina, Av. Ruiz 113, near Avenida López Mateos (tel. 011-52-646/178-3210). The bar opened in 1892, and nothing much has changed--the place still sports Wild West-style swinging saloon doors, a long bar to slide beers along, and strolling mariachis bellowing to rise above the din of revelers. There's definitely a minimalist appeal to Hussong's, which looks as if it sprang from a south-of-the-border episode of Gunsmoke. Beer and tequilas at astonishingly low prices are the main order of business, but good luck when you need the rest rooms, where hygiene and privacy are a low priority.
Bajamar and the Baja Country Club:
These two 18-hole courses offer spectacular views of the Baja Coast.
Whale Watching:
From November to March, Ensenada is one of the best places in the world to watch the migration of giant gray whales.
La Bufadora:
Waves, rushing in from sea, are channeled into a shoreline cave. With nowhere to go but up, that's exactly where the water goes, blasting out through a hole in the cave's roof. La Bufadora is one of North America's biggest blow holes, shooting water more than 60 feet into the air. The geyser is located about 25 miles south of Ensenada.
Beaches:
While there are no beaches in Ensenada proper, areas directly north and south of the city offer up some of the area's most attractive swimming and sunning spots. As most Mexico-going tourists are well aware of, the coastal water temperature is blissful, consistently hovering at an accommodating 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Beaches are numerous as you head west from the downtown region, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding a good spot. However, Estero and Baja are two beaches that lie a few miles south of the city, offering surfing and spacious stretches of beach. Private tour companies can arrange snorkeling or SCUBA diving expeditions. The most popular spot is south of Ensenada, near La Bufadora. South of the city, 45 minutes by car along the rural Punta Banda peninsula, is one of Ensenada's major attractions, La Bufadora, a natural sea spout in the rocks. With each incoming wave, water is forced upward through the rock, creating a geyser whose loud grunt gave the phenomenon its name (it means "buffalo snort"). From downtown Ensenada, take Avenida Reforma (Hwy. 1) south to Highway 23 west. La Bufadora is at the end of the road. Once parked ($1 per car in crude dirt lots), you must walk downhill to the viewing platform, at the end of a 600-yard pathway lined with souvenir stands.
Shopping:
Most of Ensenada's shops are along the crowded Avenida Lopez Mateos. Within this short yet abundant street mall, one can find more authentic Mexican craftworks than its neighbors in Tijuana and Rosarito. Most of the vendors pieces come directly from nearby rural villages where traditional craft-making skills are still being practiced. Xuchtitl, on the Avenida at Alvarado, is known throughout the area for its wooden masks, hand-painted pottery, and tin knick-knacks. Another well-known vendor is Artesanias Castillo (tel. 782-961). Featuring sterling silver jewelry and accessories, this renowned shop is sure to be a highlight of your Ensenada shopping experience. Ensenada's equivalent of Avenida Revolución is crowded Avenida López Mateos, which runs roughly parallel to Bulevar Lázaro Cárdenas (Costero); the highest concentration of shops and restaurants is between avenidas Ruiz and Castillo. Beggars fill the street, but the sellers are less likely to bargain-- they're used to the gullible cruise-ship buyers. Compared to Tijuana, there is more authentic Mexican art- and craft work in Ensenada--pieces imported from rural states and villages, where different skills are traditionally practiced. Curiosidades La Joya, 725 Av. López Mateos (tel. 011-52-646/178-3191), is a treasure trove of stained-glass lamps, hangings, and other handcrafted curios. The resident craftsman can be found in the shop most days, executing intricate custom designs for private clients. If you're interested in made-to-order pieces, they charge about $40 per square foot. The shopkeepers are stubborn about bargaining, perhaps because they know the value of their unusual wares
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More Information |
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Useful Links About Ensenada:
Ensenada Travel Information
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