Ensenada is the former capital of Baja California. The city, located 35 minutes from Tijuana, is the gateway to the famous Wine Route, the starting point to explore various natural attractions and one of the most important ports in Mexico.

Ensenada is an excellent point to admire gray whales. The season runs from December to the end of March. Unlike other destinations, here the tours can be done in small sportfishing boats.

Tecate is the only “Magic Town” in Baja California, but this place is much more than a denomination. This place is the most rural municipality in the state, it is full of natural wonders, unique gastronomy, vineyards, music, and the magic of this small border town.

Enjoy the natural wonders of the area.

Delve into local history and visit the Tecate Community Museum. Learn about the cultural, historical, and natural heritage of this region. At this museum, you will find a traditional Kumiai house and an ethnobotanical garden.

The museum showcases artifacts used by the ancient inhabitants, photographs, murals, and sculptures that allow you to imagine the three main phases of Tecate’s history: prehistory, the ranching era, and the contemporary.

Tecate is part of the Wine Route and has an important offer of vineyards and restaurants that invite you to live the most Mediterranean experience in Mexico. But outside of Baja California, the name Tecate is associated with beer

At the end of the day, it is one of the best-known Mexican beer brands in the world. The Tecate factory has tours where you can learn about its production processes in detail and learn about its history, which is also the history of the city.

Every year, in May, the Tecate-to-Ensenada bicycle race takes place here, and thousands of cyclists from both sides of the border compete in this race. The summer month of July is the time for a two-week celebration in Los Encinos Park, with dance groups, crafts, food snacks, and exhibits.

It is the ideal destination for practicing water activities such as surfing, mainly in winter. The best beaches to practice this sport are those that are in the coastal corridor that goes from Punta Descanso to Punta Mezquite.

If you want to learn to surf, the best option is El Arenal Beach.

In Rosarito, you can also go scuba diving, snorkeling, water skiing, and taking boat tours.

The nightlife in Rosarito is, perhaps, one of the most vibrant in the entire state of Baja California. And its beach clubs are open until dawn. Some include mechanical bulls, swimming pools, and concert stages.

A visit to Rosarito would not be complete without visiting the Baja Studios Film. These studios have filmed some of the most famous movies in movie history, including Titanic, Planet of the Apes, Pearl Harbor, and Agent 007: Tomorrow Never Dies.

At the Baja Studios Films facilities, you can visit a movie theme park where they teach you some movie tricks and show sets and costumes from Titanic and other movies. If you are a movie lover, this is one of the first things you should see in Baja California.

Puerto Nuevo is a 20-minute drive from Playas de Rosarito and just 1 hour from Ensenada.

Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of this small coastal town and its streets. Tucked away on a beautiful stretch of Baja California’s Gold Coast, Puerto Nuevo offers a wide range of restaurants and hotels, a shopping street, and a beach perfect for surfers.

Try their famous lobster dishes or enjoy the traditional cuisine of Baja California.

Puerto Nuevo is divided into three small areas, and most of the shops and restaurants are in the north. Stroll through the streets of this municipality and you will find more than 30 different seafood restaurants where they prepare specialties of their traditional cuisine.

Many of them serve the local specialty, Puerto Nuevo-style lobster. Pamper yourself with a freshly prepared dish of this luxurious delicacy and enjoy the flavor of pico de gallo, rice, beans, and open lobster fried in homemade flour tortillas.

Leave some time to browse the shops in the area. You will find handicrafts, souvenirs, gifts, and local curiosities.

You can also sit on one of the bustling streets and watch people. The Paseo del Mar, which runs along the coast, offers fantastic views of the Pacific. Watch the waves lap the shore or look up at the towering mountains rising to the east.

The Valle de Guadalupe (“Guadalupe Valley”) is an area in Baja California, that is an increasingly popular tourist destination for wine. Baja California is the most important wine region in the country with more than 150 wineries that produce 90% of Mexican wine.

Even recently, in Valle de Guadalupe there were not even paved roads, but vines from the 20s of the last century were preserved in the area. Its cultivation in this coppery Mexican valley, 335 m above sea level, but only five meters from the coast, predates the 21st century.

The Valley owes its name to the first mission of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del Norte, which the Dominicans built there in 1834.

Its Mediterranean-type microclimate, very similar to the French southwest, led the friars to start cultivating fruit trees and vineyards. However, a few years later the native Indians destroyed the mission and the Dominicans left.

Currently, in the Valle de Guadalupe, there are around 80 wineries (although a new one appears every day). They produce 90% of the wines of Mexico in some 10,000 hectares of cultivation, which unfolds on the banks of the Guadalupe River.

Due to its wineries, the area has become a tourist destination for northern Californians due to its proximity to the border, competitive prices, and the neighboring beaches of Ensenada and Rosarito, a surfer’s paradise.

In the Valle de Guadalupe, there are some small communities, just a handful of houses, but with evocative names.

Ejido, El Porvenir, Francisco Zarco, or San Antonio de las Minas are lost among the dozens of wineries, with modern architecture and sustainable exploitation, that are integrated into the landscape.

Europeans usually are surprised by the aridity of the local landscape, here it does not rain much. Prickly pears, cacti, aloes, and desert flowers line the vineyards, many of them recently planted.

Most of the wineries have a tasting area where they also serve local cheeses, olives, or sausages. The tasting is closed and they look more like a wine cellar than a winery. And, of course, it is possible to buy some wines.

Don’t miss the opportunity to visit San Diego, a sister city of Tijuana. San Diego is a major tourist destination, attracting many foreign and local tourists. Beaches and attractions make San Diego a desirable tourist destination.

One of the best attractions in the area near the border is the seasonal water park Aquatica San Diego. It’s especially great if you’re traveling with kids, but it can be a thrilling and relaxing experience for all ages.

Its setup reminds of a tropical oasis and features numerous rides, from the lazy river to high-speed rides.

But if this isn’t your thing or you get bored at some point, just get back on the road and in minutes you’ll enter Chula Vista, the second-largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area.

Chula Vista offers so much for everyone, whether you seek excitement or relaxation, we are certain you can find it here.

For starters, there’s the Chula Vista Bayside Park where you can rest from your trip. It’s full of interesting attractions, good restaurants, picnic sites, walking/running/biking trails, and bay and city views.

There’s also a small beach here, perfect for swimming, kayaking, or paddleboarding. Furthermore, you can find the Living Coast Discovery Center nearby, a great place to visit if you’re an animal lover.

It’s a nonprofit zoo and aquarium that focuses on animals native to the area and functions as an interactive center, so there’s a big chance you’ll be greeted by a sea turtle, see a bald eagle from up close, observe how rescues recuperate from injuries, and more.

Next to it is the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge, home to many species of plants and animals alike, some endangered, ergo, a place of great natural beauty and an oasis for many.

And if you are interested, there are hiking, biking, and running trails around, all offering lovely views.

Visit California’s pristine beaches and their activities. Relax in the sun, enjoy a drink at a local beach bar, and try surfing, kayaking, or scuba diving. One of the best places for all that, and deservingly so, is the white-sand Coronado Beach.

At the tip of the small peninsula of Point Loma, there is the Cabrillo National Monument. It’s a historic lighthouse and a national monument that offers views all the way to Mexico.

If you’re looking for a magical spot for a date, it’s definitely of one the best ones.

Another must-see near Downtown is the immense Balboa Park, one of the most popular urban parks in the US, and as such, a perfect place for a fun and romantic date or at least a lovely sunset stroll.

It’s home to many art galleries, theaters, museums, gardens, parks, and the world-famous San Diego Zoo, renowned for its endangered species conservation programs.

If you like the Zoo and you have some time on your hands, check out the San Diego Zoo Safari Park as well. Safari tours are available and recommended as it’s a huge area to cover in this wildlife sanctuary for over 300 African and Asian animal species.

The Safari Park is worthwhile for animal lovers as you can experience wildlife up close and enjoy several hours away from the city crowds. If you’re not a fan of zoos and the like, or you still have a day extra, visit the famed La Jolla Cove Beach.

Nestling north of San Diego, this ecologically protected beach features calm waters with extraordinary visibility, perfect for snorkeling and scuba diving. This quaint beach also provides picnic tables and showers, so it can be a great romantic spot for couples.

It takes days to take in everything that the area of San Diego and around can offer. If you have a few free days in your travel schedule, we recommend you stay a few days in San Diego.

If you’re traveling with your significant other, maybe even consider staying in a romantic hot tub suite in San Diego.

Take a few half-day guided tours that take you around the city, from the beaches of La Jolla, Mt Soledad, and Coronado Island, to Balboa Park and Old Town San Diego. However you decide to spend your time here, we are sure you will have a blast.

It’s a lovely area with a rich history, scenic sites, and great entertainment. So just go with the flow, enjoy the waves, the warm weather, and the sandy beaches…and come again, as there’s always more to see and do in San Diego.

Tourist visa requirement

Even if you plan to travel from Tijuana to San Diego for a short visit, you may need a B1/B2 visa.

However, there are some exceptions.

If you are a citizen of a country that is part of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), you may travel to the USA for up to 90 days with just an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) instead of a B1/B2 visa.

It’s important to check your specific situation and eligibility for the VWP or other visa exemptions.

Additionally, border regulations can change, so it’s a good idea to consult the official website of the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for the most up-to-date information before your trip.

Puerto Vallarta has been an expat haven for over 60 years. What was once a small village on Mexico’s Pacific Coast is now a major international resort, with an urban area that runs for nearly 30 miles along the shore of Banderas Bay.

The entire area—from southern Jalisco up to the bay’s northern point at Punta de Mita, in the state of Nayarit—is referred to as Costa Vallarta.

Costa Vallarta offers a seemingly endless number of activities, thanks to the natural attractions and the tourist infrastructure that has built up over time. You can saunter down the malecón (boardwalk) that stretches along the downtown area and look inside the boutiques, cafés, and restaurants.

Or you can spend the day on any of the more than half-dozen golf courses in the Puerto Vallarta area.

If you want to escape the heat, the nearby Sierra Madre mountains offer exhilarating activities such as hiking, biking, and canopy tours that take you swinging from branch to branch.

Near the Bay of Banderas are more options—whale watching, boat tours, fishing, sailing, dolphin excursions, kitesurfing, windsurfing, and parasailing.

Flights from Puerto Vallarta’s international airport can get you back to the U.S. in just a few hours. Puerto Vallarta is also a popular medical tourism destination, with several top hospitals offering state-of-the-art medical care.

Considered one of the prettiest small towns in Mexico, San Miguel is a Spanish colonial jewel glowing in pastel colors.

With a rich arts-and-crafts tradition, San Miguel has small shops a-plenty where you can spend hours admiring (and buying) pottery, painting, sculptures, hammered-tin mirrors, and lamps…the list is endless.

You can also enjoy its many art galleries, restaurants, and scenic plazas.

Like Puerto Vallarta, San Miguel is home to thousands of expats from all over the world. Here you can get by in English if you want, or speak Spanish if you prefer. If you greet folks in Spanish when you enter a shop, they continue in that language unless you decide otherwise.

Most North Americans love its high-desert climate, with warm days and cool nights most of the year, so it’s not surprising that of 140,000 people living in the metropolitan area, it is estimated that around 10,000 are expats.

There’s no international airport right in San Miguel, so choose from two in the region: León, which is about two hours away, and Querétaro, about an hour. Or if you prefer, just fly into Mexico City, three hours away, and take the bus to San Miguel.

Like San Miguel, Mérida is a Spanish-colonial city. But Mérida is a very different animal…

Unlike small-town San Miguel, Mérida is a metropolis of almost a million people, with universities, major corporations, museums, and its own international airport with direct flights back to the U.S.

In addition, Mérida is in the semi-tropical Yucatán Peninsula, at the opposite end of the country from San Miguel. It’s just half an hour from the Yucatán Gulf Coast, where the white-sand beaches are punctuated by little beach towns and you can still find beach homes for around $100,000.

Mérida is one of the safest cities in Mexico. Depending on how many suburbs are included, the population of metropolitan Mérida is approaching 1 million. But when you walk down the city’s tree-lined streets, some paved with hand-laid tiles, you feel as though you are in a city that is much smaller.

Mérida’s expat community numbers about 4,000, but that’s a drop in the bucket for a city this size. As a result, you’ll have more need—as well as opportunity—to learn Spanish here than in Puerto Vallarta or San Miguel. Or learn to sing it—this is a very musical city.

You’ll find bands performing in some plaza or other almost every day of the week. And if you think you know Mexican cooking, think again—Yucatán cuisine is distinctly different, and on display here in Mérida.

Lake Chapala is Mexico’s largest lake, and the surrounding area is also home to the largest concentration of US expats in the world.

Both US and Canadian expats have been attracted to the Lake Chapala area by homes with gentle arches, hand-painted tiles, and adjoining gardens that bloom all year round. It’s a part of the world where it’s easy to afford a cook, a maid, and a gardener.

Lake Chapala, Mexico’s largest lake, is about 50 miles long from east to west but not much more than 12 miles wide at its broadest point.

Chapala is about a mile high—roughly the same altitude as Denver—and the climate is delightful. January is the coolest month around Lake Chapala, with temperatures reaching about 71 F, May is the warmest month, with highs around 84 F.

Guadalajara a city of more than 5 million residents, is only 45 minutes away by car.

Real estate shoppers are often impressed with the Chapala area’s cultural and sporting opportunities, including English-language theater, frequent concerts, garden clubs, golf, tennis, hiking, yoga, and horseback riding.

On the north side of Lake Chapala, villages combine charm with an increasing amount of sophistication.

The town of Chapala itself is the largest, and along its cobblestone streets are taverns, shops, cafés, street vendors, and high-quality restaurants. Close by is the community of Vista del Lago, which has a popular country club and golf course.

Ajijic and Chapala are havens for artists and writers.

Expats and locals often get together on Wednesdays, when Ajijic’s huge outdoor market is open. It’s a great place to shop for hand-made carvings and jewelry, not to mention clothes, flowers, fruits, vegetables, cooked food, and household items.

Not far from Ajijic is San Antonio, a village that keeps a much lower profile. Here, a large percentage of expats live in beautiful houses that are secluded behind high walls.

Tulúm is a charming and growing resort town on the southern end of Mexico’s famed Riviera Maya.

With a palpable Bohemian vibe and a plentiful scattering of yoga practitioners and therapeutic massage businesses, this growing community retains its backpacker roots.

Some say they can feel the presence of the ancient Maya culture which dominated this region over 1,000 years ago.

The adjacent and spectacular archeological site of the same name is a prominent and impressive testament to this once-dominant civilization. At its peak between the 13th and 15th centuries, this ruin was a bustling trade and cultural center and is now a frequent stop for tourists.

The town of Tulúm, bisected by the coastal highway, is a stone’s throw from the sparkling sand and warm waters of the Caribbean Sea.

About 80 miles and two hours south of Cancún, the town is no longer the hidden gem it once was but is now well into the development phase with the construction of homes and condos on the rise to keep up with those wishing to claim their slice of paradise.

Living in the central town area will not require you to own a car, and walking and bicycling are both quite popular.

In fact, it seems there are often as many bikes on the road as there are motorized vehicles. Motor scooters are also quite popular for those who would rather not pedal around town.

Tulúm’s reputation as a spectacular vacation destination and a growing expat community is well-deserved. With a tropical climate, Tulúm offers a Caribbean lifestyle without the need to travel to and from an island.

Residents enjoy warm, turquoise Caribbean waters, a sparkling, perfect beach, and an offshore reef that provides plentiful opportunities for fishing, scuba diving, and snorkeling.

With the introduction of new, modern homes and condos, the population is thought to be well over 20 thousand and continues to rise as more people seek an affordable Caribbean lifestyle a bit off the beaten path.

Huatulco is a development planned by FONATUR, the Mexican government’s national trust fund for tourism development. It was one of five destinations picked by FONATUR more than 30 years ago as having world-class potential.

In many ways, Huatulco is a small town still emerging as a major destination. There are only about 56,000 residents, according to official figures, with about 1,000 being expats or pre-retirement, part-time visitors who own property.

Even during rush hour, you can drive from one side of town to the other in about six minutes.

You’ll see great—and puzzling—contrasts in Huatulco. This was originally a fishing village, and the larger town that has grown up, thanks to investments in the 1980s and 1990s, has a slight Disney-like quality.

In some areas, for instance, you’ll find large public walkways and promenades that have been built with no surrounding businesses to draw tourists and locals to them.

The four-lane highway that hugs the coast here is oversized for Huatulco’s current traffic needs.

The water treatment facilities are some of the best in Mexico.

Fishing, snorkeling, and diving are all very popular here. Every year Huatulco hosts several fishing tournaments. The biggest tournament, the Torneo de Pez Vela Huatulco (Huatulco Sailfish Tournament), attracts professional sports fishermen.

If you don’t feel like cooking, Huatulco has plenty of restaurant options and a variety of cuisines.

And despite its small population, Huatulco has an international airport with direct jet service to the U.K., U.S., and Canada, as well as to other parts of Mexico.

Ensenada is an attractive city that has long been one of the area’s major ports. Today Ensenada is also a top cruise ship destination and the site of numerous luxury housing developments.

Fishing, surfing, swimming, scuba diving, and sunbathing are popular in Ensenada, as they are in most other ocean-side cities in Baja. In Ensenada, there’s also golf, tennis, many excellent restaurants, nightclubs, cafés, theater, and ballet.

The city is host to several important sporting events during the year, such as regattas and the Baja 1000, an off-track race for motorcycles, and a variety of car classifications.

In the winter, the city’s bay (Bahía de Todos Santos) is a great spot for watching gray whales.

What the casual tourist may not know, however, is that Ensenada has several excellent research institutions and Mexico’s highest concentration of scientists, leading many to call Ensenada the “City of Science.”

Although real estate and daily expenses are much less in Baja than in most parts of the U.S., residents here almost always have a car.

Most air travelers either fly to San Diego and cross the border into Mexico or fly to the international airport in Tijuana.

A recently opened “air bridge” now connects San Diego with the Tijuana Airport. Travelers have reported taking a mere five minutes to cross the bridge on foot, avoiding the delays that cars crossing the border can experience.

Many expats in Baja take advantage of healthcare in nearby San Diego, but others use local facilities. Both Rosarito and Ensenada have some fine hospitals.

Facilities in Rosarito include the Clínica y Hospital Bonanova and the Sanoviv Institute, as well as several small hospitals and public hospitals.

In Ensenada, you’ll find the Clínica de Especialidades Médicas San Fernando, the Hospital Santa Rosa de Lima, and the Hospital Velmar, among others.

Ensenada is backed by small mountain ranges. Proximity to the Pacific and a warm Mediterranean latitude create mild year-round weather. The rainy season during the winter is short and the area is prone to prolonged droughts, which can threaten its grape harvests.

Flora and fauna

Many of the terrestrial or marine species inhabiting the surrounding the Greater Ensenada area in the Baja California islands are unique. Guadalupe Island, off the coast of the city, is one of the best places in the world for observing the great white shark.[citation needed] The island has been a wildlife sanctuary since 1975.

The city’s offshore is host to an array of aquatic mammals including the gray whale, the Guadalupe fur seal and California sea lion; terrestrial mammals include various squirrel species, otters, the ring-tailed cat, coyote, bobcat, puma, and ocelot.[citation needed]

Bird species include hawks, pelicans, roadrunners, and various waterfowl and oceangoing species.
Fish include tilapia, rainbow trout, leopard shark, and the great white shark.

Climate

The average rainfall is 280 millimetres (11 in) per year, falling mainly in the winter months. Ensenada has a mild semi-arid climate, much like the rest of northwestern Baja California. During the colder months from November to February, rainfall is scarce and temperatures average 13 °C (55 °F).

On the other hand, the warmer months from June to September are the driest, and during this time maintain an average temperature of 21 °C (70 °F). For Ensenada’s warm summer coastal location, the city’s climate is greatly affected by the offshore cold California Current.

Due to the current, the late summer and early fall seasons are typically the warmest periods for the city. Santa Ana winds – observed in much of Southern California as well – are responsible for temperature rises at any time of the year. During Santa Anas, wind direction changes and brings warm air from the interior to the coast. Snowfall is rare with the last recent one in January 2007, when the hills south of the city received small amounts of snowfall.

Similar to the rest of the Gold Coast and South Coast of California, Ensenada experiences the periodic May Gray and June Gloom marine layer effects.

Ensenada is the third largest city on the Baja California Peninsula, where most of the population lives in Ensenada, Mexicali and Tijuana.

The populace of Ensenada is cosmopolitan in composition. A reflection of the cultural dynamics involved in the city, many ethnic groups and nationalities are present. The city has developed, in part, as a retirement community for snowbirds from Canada and the United States. Young Californians seeking to escape higher costs of living, yet still be able to work in California, have obtained homes in the area.

The predominant language of the city is Spanish, though English is spoken to a degree in tourist areas and the center.

The city was founded under the name San Mateo. In 1602, while mapping the coast of the Californias in search of safe harbors for returning Spanish galleons from Manila to Acapulco, the city was renamed Ensenada de Todos Santos by Sebastián Vizcaíno. Ensenada means “bay” or “cove” in spanish.

When the first European explorers discovered the region, the Yuman Indians inhabited the region, of which tribal groups such as the Kiliwa, Paipai and Kumeyaay still exist. These semi-nomadic indigenous people lived in the bay area and interior valleys of the Sierra de Juárez and San Pedro Mártir.

Bahia Todos Santos, on which Ensenada now stands, was first reached by sea by the Portuguese explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo on the vessels El Salvador and Victoria. The city was founded September 17, 1542 under the name San Mateo. In 1602, while mapping the coast of the Californias in search of safe harbors for returning Spanish galleons from Manila to Acapulco, the city was renamed Ensenada de Todos Santos by Sebastián Vizcaíno.

The first permanent settlement was established by the Jesuits during the seventeenth or eighteenth century. After the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1768, the Dominicans took over the representation of Europe in what is now Ensenada. In 1805, José Manuel Ruiz Carillo obtained permission to establish himself in Ensenada, being appointed governor of Baja California and building in Ensenada a house that survived until the final part of that century, despite being briefly taken by William Walker, the self-declared “president” of the Republic of Lower California, in 1853-54.

In 1882, Ensenada was designated the capital of Baja California, and attempts at developing the area were made by the English Mexican Land and Colonization Company. These were interrupted by the Mexican Revolution, which left the area devastated. In 1915, the capital was transferred to Mexicali, and in 1930 the population of Ensenada was only 5,000. During the early part of the twentieth century, the city’s name was shortened from Ensenada de Todos Santos to Ensenada, a change made in order to avoid confusion with Todos Santos in Baja California Sur.

The twentieth-century development of Ensenada was assisted by prohibition, which sent Americans and Canadians south of their border in search of entertainment and alcohol, developing first Tijuana, then Rosarito, and finally Ensenada as tourist destinations.

The Hotel Riviera del Pacífico was opened in 1930, briefly placing Ensenada on the international glamor map and was visited several times by President Miguel Aleman, international artists and political personalities; yet unlike the Hotel del Coronado, it was never a sustained success (despite giving rise to the claim that the Margarita was invented there).

It really flourished only in the early 1950s, at which time Ensenada’s population had risen to 20,000. The hotel finally closed in 1964. It was later reopened as a cultural center and museum. By this time, other hotels had opened, and the population and economy of Ensenada had grown and diversified towards their present status.

On January 26 of 2007 Pope Benedict XVI created the Diocese of Ensenada with territory taken from the Archdiocese of Tijuana and Mexicali Diocese, making it a suffragan of the Metropolitan Church of Tijuana.

Ensenada is predominantly a mid-rise building beach city. The only high-rise building within its city limits is the Villa Marina Hotel, though new buildings and resorts in northwestern Ensenada such as Entremar, La Costa, and Viento add to the city’s skyline and form the majority of the city’s highrise buildings.

Emblematic sites representative of Ensenada such as the Civic Plaza (or Plaza of the Three Heads as commonly known to locals), containing sculptures of Mexican heroes Benito Juarez, Venustiano Carranza and Miguel Hidalgo, the enormous Mexican flag, and the Malecon boardwalk – and Naval cruise terminal are found on and near the coast of the bay. Several marinas including Ensenada Cruiseport Village, Hotel Coral & Marina, Punta Morro Resort are located on the city’s coast.

The Bajamar Oceanfront Golf Resort at Baja Mar is also located nearby to the north, and is a prominent seaside resort of Baja California.

Watersports and ocean proximity have formed an integral part of the structure of tourism and its relation to economics in the city.

Ensenada and coastal beach towns of Greater Ensenada have several renowned surfing spots, such as San Miguel Beach, California Trailer Park, Stacks and 3 M’s (Tres Emes in Spanish), which are located on the north coast of the city.

Wave faces can reach above 60 feet on the island and in 2006 Brad Gerlach, 2006 winner of Big XXL, surfed a wave of 68 feet in December 2006.

Tourists also stop in the city on their way to their destinations farther south in the municipality where spots famous for their excellent windsurfing are located.

Maritime pleasure in the city also extends to the global Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race, billed as the world’s largest international sailing event, begins in Newport Beach and finishes in Ensenada.

Racing is another yearly tourists attraction; where you can enjoy the Baja 1000 and Baja 500.

Whale watching has also developed as a tourist draw in the city due to the gray whale’s annual migration from Alaska to the lagoons of Baja California Sur.

Between the months of December and March, and back in the months of April and May, whales can be seen from the coast of Ensenada.

The nearby historical mission town of Guadalupe, was revitalized from 1905 to 1910 with immigrant Spiritual Christians, mostly Pryguny from the Caucasus, South Russia. After WWII most moved to California to join more prosperous relatives, while many who remained intermarried with Mexicans and live in Ensenada and Tijuana. Two families remaining in the Guadalupe Valley opened museums, a cafe, and participate in wine tourism.

Ensenada’s diversity as a city is in part attributed to Spanish, Russian, and American influences. Spanish missionaries and Russian settlers began the growth of the wine industry in the city. Reminiscent of this time period are Russian museums in the city.

Many local wine producers offer tours and tastings. Every year during the month of August, the beginning of wine harvest season is celebrated in the Guadalupe Valley and in the city of Ensenada with a two-week-long series of cultural and culinary events, all under the title banner of Fiestas de la Vendimia (Wine Harvest Festival). This event attracts people from all over the world.

There is a street in Ensenada called “La Calle Primera” or Adolfo Lopez Mateos (“1st Street”). It’s a tourism spot in Ensenada due to its many “Curios” (short for “Curiosidades”—trinkets and souvenirs) shops, restaurants, hotels, bars, and popular clubs such as the Hussong’s Cantina, Mini Bar, Shots Factory, Lutzenkirch The Nightclub and Papas & Beer.

La Primera is a very busy street, filled with tourists and locals. La Primera is just one block away from Ventana al Mar (“Window to the Sea”), a boardwalk/seawall avenue where an enormous Mexican flag is located. The Ensenada Carnaval is one of the country’s largest, as thousands of people gather in the streets for six days and nights.

The Port of Ensenada has a large influence on the civic economy. Ensenada is home to the only deep-water port in the state of Baja California and on the Baja California Peninsula. The port is part of standard shipping routes that directly link it with the Mexican cities of La Paz, Manzanillo, Mazatlán, Acapulco and Lázaro Cárdenas; the American cities of San Diego, Long Beach and Los Angeles; the Guatemalan city of Puerto Quetzal, the Chilean city of Valparaíso, the Japanese city of Yokohama, and the Chinese city of Hong Kong.

Just south of the city on Highway 1 is located the second-largest of three known major marine geysers in the world, colloquially known as La Bufadora (“The Blowhole”).

La Bufadora attracts many tourists. The street leading to the viewpoint is a commercial area where a variety of authentic Mexican arts and crafts are for sale; bartering over prices with vendors is customary. There are also seafood restaurants and street vendors selling “churros” (fried pastry with cinnamon and sugar) and other delicacies.

Todos Santos Island is a small island located west of Ensenada (about two hours by boat) and a world-famous surfing spot. Known for natural beauty and consistency, surfing spots of the region have led surfing contests such as the Billabong XXL to be held at Todos Santos Island, part of the city, several times.

The National Park Constitution of 1857 created the Sierra de Juarez and San Pedro Martir National Parks, which maintain one of the best astronomical observatories in the country.

The city is the setting of a song by Neil Diamond titled “In Ensenada” on the album Heartlight.

Lyle Lovett titled his 1996 album The Road to Ensenada as a reference to the spectacular 100 km coastal toll road between Tijuana and Ensenada.

Warren Zevon mentions Ensenada in his song Carmelita.

The Hollywood-based British actor Nigel Bruce, best remembered for his portrayal of Doctor Watson opposite Basil Rathbone’s Sherlock Holmes, was born in Ensenada in 1895 while his parents were on holiday in the city.

Ween mentions Ensenada in the song “Bananas and Blow”.

Actor Brandon Lee and his girlfriend were due to be married in Ensenada on April 17, 1993, but Lee died while filming The Crow.

In an episode of Mister Ed, Ed tries to convince his master Wilbur to take him to Ensenada on vacation and Wilbur tries to convince his wife.

The first episode of TV series Simon & Simon, “Details at Eleven,” was partially filmed in Ensenada at Ruiz Avenue.

South park episode Kenny is hit by a bus that arrives in Ensenada. When he phones home Cartman believes Kenny is calling from hell and mistakenly thinks a description of Ensenada is a description of hell.

In a 2006 episode of The O.C., Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie) and Seth Cohen (Adam Brody) go to Ensenada in search of Kevin Volchok (Cam Gigandet), who committed vehicular homicide (charged as second-degree murder in California) against Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) by running Ryan’s vehicle off the road, causing it to flip over and catch on fire. Ryan wants to confront Volchok, but Seth, fearing Ryan will kill his enemy, gives him the wrong address, and Seth instead visits Volchok, advising him to turn himself in and let his father, Sandy (Peter Gallagher), negotiate a plea. Ryan and Seth are found by Sandy and Kirsten (Kelly Rowan), and the four return to Newport Beach.

Typical food in Ensenada consists of fish tacos, which originated in the city, shrimp tacos, and ceviche. These dishes are usually accompanied by avocado and salsa.

Another dish characteristic of the port city is carpaccio.

The city is known for its festivities and laid-back atmosphere, the city hosts many events including the Wine Harvest Festival (Fiestas de la Vendimia) and Ensenada Carnaval.

The Wine Harvest Festival celebrates the wine harvest season and in the city and nearby Guadalupe Valley, a series of events takes place.

The Port of Ensenada is an international deepwater port and the city’s major water port. It maintains commercial, industrial, and tourist terminals. In addition to the port, the coast around Bahia de Todos Santos is dotted with numerous marinas. In addition to the city’s port, numerous marinas including Marina Baja Fiesta, Marina Cruiseport Village, Marina Coral, and Marina Baja Naval dock pleasure craft and commercial and sport fishing vessels. In order to comply with United States cabotage laws, many cruise ships operating between Pacific ports in the U.S. call at Ensenada en route.

The city lies at a crossroads of major federal highways on the Peninsula that lead to the northern centers of Los Angeles, San Diego, and Mexicali and south to Cabo San Lucas and La Paz. The junction occurs at the meeting of Federal Highway 1 and Federal Highway 3. The main roads of the city include Bahia de La Paz and Lazaro Cardenas, northwest bound, and southeast bound roads.

You can dial 078 from any phone, where you can find free information about tourist attractions, airports, travel agencies, car rental companies, embassies and consulates, fairs and exhibitions, hotels, hospitals, financial services, migratory and other issues.

Or dial the toll-free (in Mexico) number 01-800-006-8839.

You can also request information to the email correspondencia@sectur.gob.mx

MORE EMERGENCY NUMBERS:

General Information: 040 (not free)

National Emergency Service: 911

Radio Patrols: 066
Police (Emergency): 060
Civil Protection: +52(55)5683-2222
Anonymous Complaint: 089

Setravi (Transport Mobility): +52(55)5209-9913
Road Emergency: 074

Cruz Roja: 065 o +52(55)5557-5757
Firefighters: 068 o +52(55)5768-3700