Ensenada On Your Own

Getting Around

Orientation

Your ship will dock at the industrial port. You will meet your bus or van to take you on your excursion at the port, and then bring you back to the ship, or drop you off downtown.

It's a short 10- to 15-minute walk from the downtown area back to the ship. Walking is a great way to see Ensenada.

Taxis are probably your best bet in getting around town if you're going further afield or plan to be drinking. You won't have a problem finding a taxi in Ensenada. There will be several at the Cruise Ship terminal.

Taxi Fares Taxis Amarillos operates a fleet of yellow taxis, and offers service in both sedans and vans. They offer city tours for US$20.00 per hour; round trip to La Bufadora (minimum 4 persons) for US$10.00 per person; round trip to the Wine Country for US$60.00; and if you're in the city and want a ride back to the Cruise Terminal, the fare is just US$1 per person (minimum 4 persons).

Shopping

The main tourist shopping area in Ensenada is along Avenida Lopez Mateos. All of the shops catering to tourists speak English, the prices may be fixed (always ask, and then test your negotiating skills), and credit cards are usually welcome.

What's Special in Ensenada

There are some unique things to shop for in Ensenada, including silver from Taxco, Casas Grandes pottery, Kumeyaay Indian baskets, original artworks and other handmade items made by northern Mexican artisans. You can buy these objects from the following shops.

See our Map of Recommended Ensenada Shops for the locations of the shops listed below.

Galeria Perez Meillon
If you're looking for authentic, museum-quality native Pai-Pai and Kumiai Indian baskets, Mata Ortiz (Casas Grandes) pottery and original works by Baja California artists, this is the shop to visit in Ensenada. Each item is personally selected and purchased directly from the artist by gallery owner Adalberto Perez Meillon.
Open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Located in the Centro Artesanal on Blvd. Lazaro Cardenas #1094-40 and Ave. Castillo

Guadalupe Gaos Art Gallery
This fun shop features limited edition etchings and artwork created by the Gaos Ballester family, as well as a collection of photography and other items. Definately worth a visit!
Open daily from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
Located on Ave. Lopez Mateos 850-B, next to the Hotel Bahia

Los Castillo
This shop carries Taxco silver products, including jewelry
They have four locations in Ensenada: Avenida Lopez Mateos #1076, Avenida Lopez Mateos #656, Avenida Lopez Mateos #815, and Avenida Lopez Mateos #435

Ensenada Antiques, Art & Gallery
This shop sells original works by local, regional and international artists. You can also find some quality Mexican antiques in this shop.
Located in Shop #19, on the second floor of Plaza Blanca, at Ave. Lopez Mateos and Ave. Alvarado

Bazar Casa Ramirez
If you're looking for colorful Mexican folk art, check out this shop. They've also got Day of the Dead figurines and original artworks and ceramics created by local artists.
Open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am to 6:30 pm, and Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Located on Ave. Lopez Mateos #496-3, near Ave. Gastelum

Arriaga de Taxco
The two branches of this shop specialize in regional Mexican crafts and folk art, including Michoacan (ceramic dolls), Oaxaca (black pottery), Guerrero (Taxco silver jewelery), Jalisco (glassworks and Talavera bowls, plates and vases) and Baja California Norte (abalone jewelry).
Located at 821 and 865 Ave. Lopez Mateos

If you're looking for a souvenir and can't decide on just what to buy, for $5 or $10 you can pick up a fairly elaborate Luchas Libre (Mexican wrestling) mask from most of the street stalls in the tourist zone.

Baja California Cuisine

Traditional Baja California cuisine consists of simple but nutritious dishes featuring meat (beef or goat), fish, shellfish and beans.

Regional Specialties of Baja California Expect to find the following dishes in traditional Baja cuisine; click on the links for the recipes of each dish.

• Gallo Pinto: minced beef with rice, potato and other vegetables served as a hot stew
• Cabrito al pastor: In this common main course, found throughout northern Mexico, a baby goat is cooked to a crisp, juicy perfection on a spit over glowing mesquite coals and served with guacamole, roasted onions, salsa and totopos (crisp tortilla chips).
• Machaca: dried, salted beef that is re-hydrated, lightly roasted over fire, soaked in water to remove the salt and to soften, then pounded to pieces, ideally over a mesquite trunk using a mesquite pole. Then it's put in water again to get out more salt, and finally squeezed and fried in a skillet. A salsa is made with onion, chili, tomato and oregano; the salsa is then mixed into the fried beef, and the whole thing is cooked for about five minutes. Most people expect to eat this dish with wheat tortillas and beans.
• Almegas Tatemadas: especially in Loreto, local clams are cooked by piling dry wood over them, then downing them with hot sauce, cilantro, lemon juice and salt.
• De Apoyo cheese: a dry cheese especially good for grating, produced mostly during the rainy season
• Chimangos: wheat-flour fritters topped with honey

Cuisine in Ensenada

Ensenada's restaurants run the gamut from the traditional Sonoran Mexican plates (your standard tacos and enchiladas joint) to high end steak and seafood dishes. Most of the restaurants in town are pretty casual places with a laid-back atmosphere.

Restaurants

Recommended Restaurants in Ensenada

See our Recommended Ensenada Restaurants Map for the locations of the restaurants listed below.

Broncos Steakhouse
Ensenada Regional Cuisine
Broncos specializes in mesquite-grilled steaks. They also offer a Mexican buffet on Saturday & Sunday. Full bar. Accepts Amex, MasterCard & Visa.
Ave. Lopez Mateos #1525, at Ave. Guadalupe.
Open: Daily 9:00 am to 10:30 pm
Tel: (646) 176-4900

Victors Restaurant
Ensenada Regional Cuisine
Good local Mexican food, with large portions at reasonable prices.
Blvd. Costero L. Cardenas #178
Tel: (646) 176-1313

El Cid Restaurant
Ensenada Regional Cuisine
Indoor and outdoor dining. Full bar. Accepts MasterCard & Visa.
Lopez Mateos # 995, located next to the Best Western El Cid Motel
Open: Daily 7:00 am to 11:00 pm
Tel: (646) 178-2401

Las Cazuelas
Ensenada Regional Cuisine
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner. Full Bar. Accepts MasterCard & Visa.
Calle Delante and Blvd. Costero. Located about a half mile south of the Cruise Ship docks; take a taxi
Open: 7:00 am to 11:00 pm
Tel: (646) 176-1044

La Embotelladora Vieja
International Cuisine
At the Bodegas de Santo Tomas Winery, this restaurant offers Mediterranean food with a Mexican flair. Beer & wine. Accepts Amex, MasterCard & Visa.
Open: Wednesday through Monday 12:00 noon to 11:00 pm
Miramar and Calle 7A
Tel: (646) 174-0807

El Rey Sol
International Cuisine
Family-run since 1947, this award winning French/Mexican restaurant offers an extensive menu of seafood entrees. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Full bar. Accepts Amex, MasterCard & Visa.
Ave. Lopez Mateos 1000 & Ave. Blancarte, in the America's Best Value Inn/Posada El Rey Sol
Open: 7:30 am to 11:00 pm
Tel: (646) 178-1733

Mariscos Bahia Ensenada
Seafood
This downtown seafood restaurant seems to have been in Ensenada forever, and for good reason. It has a large menu and lively atmosphere, with strolling Mariachis for your entertainment.
Located at the corner of Avenidas Lopez Mateos and Riveroll, in downtown.

Restaurant Casamar
Seafood
Long established eatery patronized by loyal diners. Serves steak and fresh seafood dishes. Accepts MasterCard & Visa.
Blvd. Costero #987, across from the marina.
Open: Noon to 11:00 pm
Tel: (646) 174-0417

Haliotis
Seafood
A favorite of the locals, this family-run restaurant specializes in seafood and steaks, with Pacific abalone grilled in a wine and butter sauce the specialty of the house. Full bar. Accepts Amex, MasterCard & Visa.
Calle Delante #179, about a mile south of the Cruise Terminal; take a taxi.
Open: Daily 12:30 pm to 10:00 pm
Tel: (646) 176-3720

La Tertulia
Seafood
Award-winning restaurant with daily fresh fish selections. Famous for their Tortilla Soup.
Blvd. Costero #448
Tel: (646) 174-6344

Infamous Bars of Ensenada

Hussong's Cantina
Cantina and bar in Baja, established in 1892. Traditional Mexican food; features Mariachi Bands and a lot of very loud music.
Ave. Ruiz #113
Open: Daily 10:00 am to 1:00 am
Tel: (646) 178-3210

Papas & Beer
Across the street from Hussong's, they do their best to be one of the most hard-charging bars in town. They've got an outdoor patio and a sports bar.
Ave. Ruiz & Lopez Mateos

Activities

Museums

Regional History Museum. Housed in the oldest public building in Baja California, the facility was built in 1886. At one time it was a prison, and the cell blocks and the towers remain to this day. The museum's exhibits focus on the city's history.
Located on Ave. Gastelum, just west of Ave. Lopez Mateos.
Open: Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission is around $3.00 US. Tel: (646) 178-3692

Riviera Del Pacifico Cultural Center. In June 1928, the hotel-resort of Agua Caliente opened for business in Tijuana. The lavish resort featured a casino, hot springs spa, championship golf and tennis facilities, its own airstrip and lots of entertainment. Since drinking, gambling and horse racing were illegal in the neighboring U.S., many wealthy Americans and Hollywood celebrities flocked south of the boarder for some fun.

The smashing success of Agua Caliente led entrepreneurs to develop other resort properties that would cater to Americans looking for booze and gambling. This was the impetus for the building of the Hotel Playa de Ensenada, later to be named the Hotel Riviera del Pacifico.

The hotel was inaugurated on Halloween night, 1930. The opening night was an event, featuring Xavier Cugat and his orchestra, and the Hollywood stars and other beautiful people crowded the resort. But the Hotel Riviera del Pacifico was the star of the evening.

The hotel's Spanish interiors were plush and elegant. The ornamentation had been purchased from around the world: the wrought iron grills came from old buildings in colonial Havana, the roofs were made with Florida wormwood cypress, and the chandeliers and lamps were made in Spain. Persian rugs covered the tiled floors, and the furniture was crafted in Spain. Tapestries hung on the walls, and a grand piano dominated the huge lobby that had the Pacific Ocean for a front yard.

The ceilings and many walls were painted with murals by Alfredo Ramos Martinez, a fine Mexican artist whose work caused great admiration. The motifs were varied and eloquent: beautiful women, mythological themes, social themes, and a great variety of eclectic decorations which ranged from Pompeiian to Renaissance to Mudejar. The total cost, during the depths of the Depression, was $2 million.

People did come to the 66-room hotel by car, air and sea; however, the facility was never able to match the success of the Agua Caliente. Ultimately, it was the Depression, the repeal of Prohibition in 1935 and the abolition of gambling in Mexico that spelled the hotel's doom. The hotel finally closed in 1938.

By the 1950's, the hotel had been renamed Hotel Riviera del Pacifico. Ensenada had seen a tremendous growth in its population, from 5,000 in 1930 to 20,000 by 1950. The hotel served as a grand setting for the main events of the city and of the state. International conventions were often held at the Riviera's monumental ballroom, and the Presidents of Mexico were always received at the hotel. The hotel was a cultural and social center for the people of Ensenada, hosting concerts, literary gatherings and the famous "Black and White Ball," organized every year in the month of August by the wives of the Rotarians. But once again the hotel fell on bad times.

The government took over the property and managed the hotel off and on from the late 1950s until January 1964, when it was closed forever. In 1965, the hotel was completely destroyed. The facility was rebuilt by the summer of 1981 as Ensenada's cultural center.

Today, the building also houses Ensenada's Museum of History, featuring artifacts of Baja's earliest days.

Located on Blvd. Lazaro Cardenas (Costero) near Ave. Club Rotario, just two blocks from the Cruise Terminal. The grounds are open daily from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm in the summer, and from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm during the rest of the year. Museum admission is around $10 pesos.

Canopy Tour

Las Canadas, a campground and recreational center located about 30 minutes south of Ensenada, and about 10 minutes south of the road to La Bufadora, has built a challenging canopy tour at their facility. The canopy features 5 zip lines and 5 suspension bridges; the whole course is about 2 kilometers (1 miles) long, and takes about an hour. The suspension bridges are quite challenging, and include a traditional bridge, a Tibetan bridge, a barrel bridge and a challenging "bridge of islands." Each bridge will challenge your coordination and dexterity.
Located at Km. 31.5 Hwy 1
Tel: 011-52- (646) 153-1055 (from the US)

Scenic Tours

La Bufadora. Ensenada's Blowhole is located about 20 miles south of Ensenada. For lovers of odd ocean phenomena, this is a must see. Otherwise, the site around the Bufadora is filled with roving vendors selling souvenirs and trinkets, and a few nearby curio shops. For those who want to celebrate their experience at the Bufadora, there are a couple of bars nearby. The best and safest way to get to the Bufadora would be in a taxi.

Whale Watching

Sergio's Sport Fishing
Sergio's Sports Fishing offers 4-hour whale watching tours, taking place between December 26 and March 31. View the magnificent California gray whales as they migrate from the cold northern waters to the warm breeding grounds of Central Baja lagoons. Check-in time is at 11:15 am, and the daily trips depart at noon and return at 4:00 pm. Advance purchase is highly recommended, as tours and activities sell out well in advance. The cost is US$30.00 for adults, and US$20 for children 12 and under.
Sergio's is located at the Sports Fishing Piers at the northern end of the marina, near the Visitors Information Center and the Fish Market.

Wineries

Spending a day in the Guadalupe Valley wine country can be a very pleasant way to see the side of Ensenada that most people don't see. Most of the following wineries are located in the Guadalupe Valley; Bodegas de Santa Tomas has a facility in downtown Ensenada.

• Bodegas de Santa Tomas. Located in downtown Ensenada, on Ave. Miramar #666, at Calle 7. This is Baja California's oldest and largest winery, with roots stretching back to the Franciscan mission days. One hour guided tours of the facility, in English, are available daily at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. The cost is US $5 to $10.
  Tel: (646) 174-0836
• Casa Pedro Domecq. Located a few miles north of the town of Guadalupe. Tours and tastings available Monday through Friday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, and on Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm.
  Tel: (646) 155-2249
• Chateau Camon. Located off Mex. 3 in the Guadalupe Valley. One hour tour includes lunch. Tours and tastings available Monday through Saturday, 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, and on Sunday, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Cost ranges from $5 to $40.
  Tel: (646) 177-3303
• L.A. Cetto Winery. Located on Mex. 3 at Km 73.5. Tours and tastings available daily 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
  Tel: (646) 177-2352
• Monte Xanic Winery. Located off Mex. 3 near the village of Francisco Zarco. Tours and tastings available Monday through Friday, 9:30 am to 4:00 pm.
  Tel: (646) 174-6155