Ensenada Adds to Its List of Tourist Attractions

Not so long ago, visitor activities in this Baja California seaport seemed limited to sipping margaritas at its infamous cantina, Hussong’s, and shopping for souvenirs.

These days there’s much more to do, including a ride along the bayfront boulevard in a horse-drawn carriage. You can tour Baja’s biggest and best winery, Bodegas de Santo Tomas, and watch weekend bullfights in a new arena that opened this month.

Also welcoming visitors for drinks, dining and dancing is the Catalina, the historic Great White Steamer that once transported tourists to Avalon and now is moored in Ensenada’s harbor.

You’ll discover new lodgings in and around the town, plus a tourist information center to help newcomers get oriented. There’s even a parking pass for visitors so you no longer need Mexican coins to feed the meters.

Hotels, restaurants and stores accept U.S. dollars as readily as pesos, and a tourist card is not required unless you stay in Mexico more than three days or drive beyond Ensenada.

Regular Cruise Ships

If you’d rather not go by car, two ships now make twice-weekly visits to Ensenada from Los Angeles. Admiral Cruises’ Azure Seas and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Southward depart every Friday and Monday on three- and four-night cruises that also call at Catalina, plus San Diego on alternate voyages.

The drive to Ensenada is 68 miles from the border at Tijuana along a four-lane toll road. You’ll stop at three stations along the way to pay tolls totaling $2.65 U.S. It’s a good idea to buy Mexican car insurance at offices on either side of the border; U.S. policies aren’t valid in Baja.

Drive south from Los Angeles on Interstate 5 beyond San Diego, cross the border and follow the Rosarito/Ensenada (toll road) signs. Exit 51 miles south at El Mirador, a clifftop turnout that presents a dramatic panorama of the rugged coastline.

Active Fishing Port

The smell of fish canneries on the outskirts of Ensenada hails your arrival at this active fishing port on the enormous Bahia de Todos Santos (Bay of All Saints). Vessels in dry dock tower above the road as it passes the walled-in wharf and curves onto the bayfront drive, Boulevard Costero/Lazaro Cardenas.

Stop at the tourist office for a city map and visitor brochures. Pay $1 for a pass that permits unlimited parking for two days at all street meters.

Nearby is the crowded fish market, filled with stands where you can buy the popular fish tacos and other seafood. A few steps away are Fritz’s and Gordo’s sportfishing piers, where fishing fans embark on deep-sea and party-boat excursions.

Farther along are the horses and open carriages waiting to take passengers for a leisurely trip along the waterfront boulevard.

Among the sights are 12-foot-high sculptured heads of three of Mexico’s heroes in Plaza Civica. You’ll also pass the former 1930s resort casino, Hotel Riviera del Pacifico, that’s been renovated as Ensenada’s cultural, arts and convention center. Inside is an ornate decor and drinks at its quaint bar.

Entertainment Afloat

Just across the boulevard at the end of a new jetty you can have drinks, or a meal, aboard the Catalina, that began a new life this month as a floating entertainment center. Beginning in 1924 the Great White Steamer spent half a century ferrying holiday-makers from San Pedro to Avalon.

Hymie Singer of Beverly Hills bought it at auction as a valentine gift for his wife, Ruthe, but the vessel has long been adrift in legal disputes. In 1985 it was towed to Mexico, the first state and national historic site on record to ever leave California or the nation.

The Singers and their Mexican partners are spending $2 million refurbishing the ship as a tourist attraction. Lunch and dinner are offered in its open-grill restaurant, and the top deck features the outdoor San Valentin Bar with a dancing area. The anchor, baggage and engine rooms will be converted into a disco.

Horseback on the Beach

At the end of the coastal boulevard, saddled horses stand in the sand, ready for rides along the beach. Around the corner is Ensenada’s new Plaza de Toros that was inaugurated on the Fourth of July weekend. Ask the tourist office for dates of bullfights.

Also get directions to the downtown Santo Tomas Winery, 666 Avenida Miramar, where half-hour tours and tastings are offered for $1.50 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily, and 3 p.m. weekdays.

Casamar and Valentinos are two popular places for seafood and Sunday brunch along Boulevard Costero/Lazaro Cardenas, but also go a block inland to Avenida Lopez Mateos, Ensenada’s main avenue of restaurants, hotels and souvenir shops. A top dining spot is El Rey Sol, renowned for fine French cuisine for more than 40 years.

Across the street is one of Ensenada’s new hotels, the 12-story Villa Marina that dominates the city skyline. More attractive is the venerable colonial-style hotel just opposite, Mision Santa Isabel, which is completing an expansion project with new guest rooms and a restaurant. Room rates: $45 to $65.

Family Vacation Resort

A favorite for family vacations is six miles south of town, the Estero Beach Resort featuring water sports and other activities. Rooms and cottages are $48 to $72 double. An adjacent recreational vehicle park has 120 sites with full hookups for $10 a night.

On the way into Ensenada after the toll road ends is the new and impressive Las Rosas, a pastel-pink hotel with all rooms overlooking the ocean. Rates $80-$85, $110 for a suite.

Farther north en route to Ensenada on the toll road you can take the Bajamar exit for a quiet retreat at Villas By the Sea. Guests stay in fully furnished homes in Bajamar, a gated community built on an ocean overlook and surrounding the area’s only public 18-hole golf course.

The property also has three swimming pools and four tennis courts. Bicycles can be rented, also horses for beach rides at nearby La Salina, where there’s a swimming beach.

Ten villas are available, sleeping two to 10 persons. Rates are $50 to $350 for a luxurious four-bedroom house.

Villas by the Sea at Bajamar, along with other accommodations in Ensenada, can be booked by calling a Baja reservation service in San Diego. Telephone (619) 295-3374 or toll-free in California, (800) 522-1516.

Return to Los Angeles via the toll road to Tijuana and Interstate 5.

Round trip to Ensenada is 410 miles.