Ensenada

Ensenada (Spanish: Ensenada De Todos Santos) is the city seat of the largest municipality in Baja California, Mexico on the Pacific Coast south of Tijuana. It is locally referred to as La Bella Cenicienta del Pacífico (Spanish:The Beautiful Cinderella of the Pacific). It is a popular weekend destination for people in southern California and is a busy cruise ship port, visited by many of the cruise lines that operate "Mexican Riviera" cruises out of Long Beach (and other ports).

Understand
In the Bahía de Todos Santos — an inlet of the Pacific Ocean — Ensenada is an important commercial and fishing port as well as a cruise ship port of call. There is also a navy base, an army base and a military airfield.

The city is backed by small mountain ranges. Due to its location on the Pacific Ocean and Mediterranean latitude, the weather tends to be mild year-round. Although the winter rainy season is short and the area is prone to prolonged droughts, Ensenada sits in the heart of a wine country that is widely regarded as the best in Mexico and the Americas with the Napa Valley in California. It is said that the first vitis vinifera made it to the peninsula (specifically to the San Ignacio Mission) in 1703, when Jesuit Padre Juan de Ugarte planted the first vineyards there.

Ensenada is the only deep-water port in the state of Baja California and is part of standard shipping routes that directly link it with the Mexican cities of La Paz, Manzanillo, Mazatlán, Acapulco and Lázaro Cárdenas, and with the U.S. 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 Hong Kong.

Ensenada has been recognized for its gastronomy and is on the list of UNESCO Creative Cities for its cuisine. Locally sourced fruits and vegetables combined with sustainably harvested seafood and local vineyards are hallmarks of the city's progressive dining scene.

Climate
Ensenada boasts overall very pleasant weather with the sea bringing cold air in hot days and not much cold on the winters. It is also very fickle and you are advised to bring a sweater and pants along with your shorts and shirts.

Ensenada has a dry Mediterranean climate. Precipitation is scarce and is concentrated in the coldest months, from November to February, in which the average temperature is 13 °C and rarely reaches frost. On the other hand, the warmest months, from June to September, are also the driest, and have an average temperature of 22 °C. The end of summer and the beginning of autumn is commonly the warmest time in the city. The Santa Ana winds are responsible for raising temperatures at any time of the year, when the wind direction changes and brings warm air from the interior to the coast. It is in these months that the highest temperatures occur most frequently (between 25 and 30 °C usually).

By bus
Take the bus from Tijuana. The ride is about 2 hours and ticket prices start at M$60 (US$3). ABC operates most buses on this route but ACN operates at least one bus daily and shuttle services and combis are also available.





By car
Drive' across the border from San Ysidro. Go in the morning and you will be going the opposite direction of the nightmare traffic trying to get into the U.S.. Once in Tijuana, follow the signs to Rosarito and Ensenada on route 1. There will be three toll stops en route to Ensenada. These tolls cost M$31, less than US$2, each. You can pay with US dollars or pesos, but no mixed currency. The scenic highway ("carretera escenica") is well maintained and is an enjoyable ride along the beautiful Baja coastline. If you go in spring and early summer, the wildflowers on the hillsides are gorgeous. The ride from Tijuana to Ensenada takes 1-1½ hours. Stop in Puerto Nuevo for a Mexican lobster dinner. There are many rest areas and vista points along the way. AAA and other travel magazines recommend that you only drive in Mexico during the day for safety reasons. The toll road (scenic highway) is somewhat winding compared to divided highways in the United States or Europe, but a great improvement over two-lane roads south of Ensenada.

By bike
Coming from the US, if you want to avoid Tijuana's heavy traffic, you can try biking in from Tecate. As one blogger somewhere suggested, go on a Sunday, there's the fewest cars on the road. The blogger also noted that highway 1 has no shoulder and high motor vehicle traffic. The toll road, 1d, has a shoulder and little traffic, but bikes aren't allowed, so a police officer might tell you to get off at the next exit. Somewhere on the internet, it is also noted that there are hundreds of crosses on Highway 1 representing people who died on that road.

By boat
Cruise ships: Ensenada has become a regular stop for several lines of cruise ships since the 1980s. Although this is certainly the most expensive means to travel to Ensenada, it is also most enjoyable.



Get around

 * By foot Most of Ensenada's downtown tourist attractions can be accessed by foot. Others, like La Bufadora and Wineries are too far away to walk to, but tours will take you there for a fee. If your espanol is "malo" you could take local buses inexpensively out and back to La Bufadora.
 * By bicycle Most of the Boulevard Costero and the scenic highway can be traveled by bike. Take precautions for the scenic highway north of Costero is a freeway and trucks and cars travel at high speeds. Ensenada's South is not very bike friendly. Bloggers typically note that drivers give each other less room in the US, but are more courteous (e.g., sharing right of way, no road rage, etc).  There is safety gear you shouldn't need, but pretty much everywhere in North America, you do anyway.  The driver will be wrong, but you could be dead.  So add visibility:  - Get a high-visibility shirt,  - a "safety wing" that puts a reflector 1 foot to the left of your bicycle (and folds in if it is hit), and  - a slow-moving vehicle triangle.
 * By car The city is easy to navigate by car and parking is free and available everywhere. On highways, the left lane is just for passing and local drivers will tailgate you if you coast on the left lane. You can rent a car at the Rosarito Hotel.
 * Taxis and buses Radio taxis are available and will take you anywhere. Route taxis and buses serve mostly suburban routes and are not very useful for tourists, although are very cheap (US$0.75, M$8).

See





 * Baja Wineries More than 100 wineries are just outside Ensenada in the Valle de Guadalupe. A second area of wineries is about an hour south at Santo Tomas. The Valle de Guadalupe wineries are located along Highway 3 toward Tecate. Most offer tours and tastings, however some wineries require that you make an appointment in advance. Several tour operators in Ensenada offer day trips to the wineries. Some wineries have tasting rooms in Ensenada.
 * Baja Wineries More than 100 wineries are just outside Ensenada in the Valle de Guadalupe. A second area of wineries is about an hour south at Santo Tomas. The Valle de Guadalupe wineries are located along Highway 3 toward Tecate. Most offer tours and tastings, however some wineries require that you make an appointment in advance. Several tour operators in Ensenada offer day trips to the wineries. Some wineries have tasting rooms in Ensenada.
 * Baja Wineries More than 100 wineries are just outside Ensenada in the Valle de Guadalupe. A second area of wineries is about an hour south at Santo Tomas. The Valle de Guadalupe wineries are located along Highway 3 toward Tecate. Most offer tours and tastings, however some wineries require that you make an appointment in advance. Several tour operators in Ensenada offer day trips to the wineries. Some wineries have tasting rooms in Ensenada.
 * Baja Wineries More than 100 wineries are just outside Ensenada in the Valle de Guadalupe. A second area of wineries is about an hour south at Santo Tomas. The Valle de Guadalupe wineries are located along Highway 3 toward Tecate. Most offer tours and tastings, however some wineries require that you make an appointment in advance. Several tour operators in Ensenada offer day trips to the wineries. Some wineries have tasting rooms in Ensenada.

Do
The greatest experiences in Ensenada involve going out early to Bufadora, having ceviche at 1st street, drink at Hussong's, then go to a beach and end back in a club or bar. All of these require independent transportation so it would be wise to rent a car, and have a designated driver.

Hiking, nature and off-road
Hiking can be done on the nearby Canon de Dona Petra, and on the nearby Laguna Hanson. Arrangements with local eco tour companies are needed.

Sleep

 * Playa Saldamando Trailer and campground located 13 km (8 miles) north of Ensenada. Over one mile of coastal property, all fenced and gated to enhance security. Employees are on the property 24 hours/7 days a week providing friendly service. Campsites available on the beach and on the cliffs above. All sites have beautiful ocean views. Large sites available to accommodate large groups. Clean, maintained camping areas and our clean restrooms with flushing toilets and showers.
 * Hostel Sauzal feels like more of a bed and breakfast than a hostel with a gracious host, and a sweeping ocean view from the huge flower garden. Just north of Ensenada in El Sauzal, US$15/night. Don't come here expecting a party. Do come here to relax and recharge.
 * Hostel Sauzal feels like more of a bed and breakfast than a hostel with a gracious host, and a sweeping ocean view from the huge flower garden. Just north of Ensenada in El Sauzal, US$15/night. Don't come here expecting a party. Do come here to relax and recharge.
 * Hostel Sauzal feels like more of a bed and breakfast than a hostel with a gracious host, and a sweeping ocean view from the huge flower garden. Just north of Ensenada in El Sauzal, US$15/night. Don't come here expecting a party. Do come here to relax and recharge.
 * Hostel Sauzal feels like more of a bed and breakfast than a hostel with a gracious host, and a sweeping ocean view from the huge flower garden. Just north of Ensenada in El Sauzal, US$15/night. Don't come here expecting a party. Do come here to relax and recharge.

Go next
The nearby cities of Tijuana, Tecate and Rosarito can be easily visited as a day trip.

The wineries and restaurants that blanket Valle de Guadalupe are highly recommended destinations.

More than a hundred miles into the Pacific Ocean is Guadalupe Island, a desert island. It is a next-to-impossible destination: the closest most people get to the island is a great white shark diving expedition which is based in Ensenada.