Ensenada
Baja California
Ensenada has a mild, sunny climate; outdoor cafes, restaurants and bars line the pedestrian-friendly main street. Head inland one or more blocks and you’ll find a typical, unassuming Mexican town.
Highlights of a day or weekend in Ensenada include the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center.
Built in the 1920s as a gambling casino, it’s used mainly for events, but has an inexpensive and well-done history museum,
lovely gardens, and an old-fashioned bar. Ride along the coast highway in a horse-drawn carriage
(look for them by the “Giant Heads” park, which sports giant golden busts of Benito Juarez and two other heroes). Across from the cultural center on Boulevard Costera, Galeria Perez Meillon sells museum-quality baskets and pottery made
by the Kumeyaay Indians. For those so inclined, Hussong’s Cantina, in continuous operation since 1896, has a varied
international clientele and a killer margarita---Mexico’s most famous drink made of tequila, fresh lime, and orange liqueur.
There are a few appealing shops along Lopez Mateos, though, so don’t give up too quickly.
Shop for stained glass, knock-off Gucci handbags, and a surprisingly similar assortment of low-to-medium quality crafts.
South of town a road follows the curve of enormous Bahia de Todos Santos (All Saints Bay) to
Punta Banda and its famous blowhole, La Bufadora.
Baja California’s largest and most important port lies about 120 km (72 miles) south of the United States border---just far enough away to maintain its Mexican identity. Unlike upstart Rosarito 75 km (47 miles) to the north, it’s a city that grew up naturally and slowly over the last several centuries. Explorer Juan Cabrillo claimed it for the King of Spain in 1542.
Nearly 150 years after Cabrillo, Sebastian Vizcaino revisited and named the excellent port on the big beautiful bay Ensenada, or “cove.” Ranchers grazed cattle and sheep, and there was a brief boom when gold was discovered. Mainly the industrious townspeople stuck to farming, irrigating their crops with runoff from the Sierra San Pedro Martir mountains to the south. Today Ensenada’s most important industries are shipping, fishing, agriculture and tourism.
Enormous cruise ships berth here five days a week, and stay all day. The day trippers add to the bustle of downtown Ensenada, sticking mainly to La Costera, the busy boulevard that runs adjacent to the port, and Avenida Lopez Mateos (AKA Calle 1), almost exclusively dedicated to shops, restaurants, bars, and a smattering of hotels. Encouraged by the cruise ship trade, city planners spruced up Avenida Lopez Mateos in the 1990s.
For more things to do as well as hotels and restaurants, check out our Ensenada Travel Guide.
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