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ENSENADA
Ensenada Map Click Here
WHERE
75 miles south of the border, an easy drive of
just over an hour. Three tolls total about $7.50 one way. Spectacular
coastal scenery en route rivals Big Sur.
BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT
Year-round. The weather is similar to San
Diego's coastal areas, with pleasant ocean breezes in the downtown area
in summer and a balmy, mountain-valley climate northeast of the city in
the wine country.
COST
Inexpensive by California standards. Cheaper,
overall, for hotels and meals than Tijuana, but a bit more expensive
than Rosarito.
CULTURE SHOCK
None. Credit cards are accepted at most major
restaurants and shops. English is spoken almost everywhere in the main
tourist areas. Dollars are accepted everywhere.
KID-FRIENDLY?
Absolutely. Curio shopping in the downtown
area; lots of fun at the fishing pier; beach activities south of town,
with calm water and good shelling along Punta Banda.
In
Ensenada’s
calm bays,
you can go
fishing or
whale-watching.
Every year,
the gray
whale migrates
to the
warm waters
of the Sea
of Cortez
to reproduce. In the
surrounding areas
of Punta Banda, you
can take long walks
along the
beach, while in
La Bufadora, you
can visit an
amazing marine geyser,
go horseback
riding, scuba
diving, windsurfing
or enjoy
and underwater
photo outing.
For nature
enthusiasts, national
parks Constitucion
de 1857 and San Pedro
Martir offer
incredible scenery,
perfect for
mountain biking,
camping, swimming, rock
climbing and
rappelling. There
you can also
observe diverse plant
and animal species. |
MORE ENSENADA INFO
CLICK ON LINKS BELOW
Ensenada's main downtown area is as
tourist-friendly as Mexico gets. The city's merchandise selection is
extensive, and shopping is concentrated along a single street —
Boulevard Lopez Mateos. Just a block from the waterfront, this
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
eight 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 tasting is 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.
Known as the
"Cinderella of the Pacific", Ensenada is located 75 miles south
of the international border, a 90-minute drive from San Diego. Its warm
Mediterranean climate, friendly atmosphere and accessibility by land,
air, and sea have made Ensenada a favorite tourist destination
for many years, and Mexico's second most-visited port-of-call for major
cruise lines and pleasure boats.
Located
in the northern
portion of
the Baja California
Peninsula, the
port of
Ensenada
offers numerous
tourist destinations,
including beaches,
vineyards, mountain
areas and
valley regions.
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