Ensenada

Ensenada – also referred to as the Cinderella of the Pacific - is a commercial fishing port and a popular tourist destination lying along the Pacific coast, in the state of Baja California, in Mexico. It is also the seat of administration of Ensenada Municipality, which is one of the five municipalities that Baja California has been subdivided. Ensenada is located 116 km south of Tijuana, and is home to over 315,000 people. On the cruise map, this city is a port of call.

Most of the tourists flocking into Ensenada are those from the state of California, thanks to the four lane toll road and the two-way free road that runs from the US-Mexico border to this coastal town. For all those looking for a short vacation by car, it is only natural that Ensenada became the nearest biggest enticement. Also, such proximity makes the city a port of call for all short cruise trips originating out of Los Angels ports. The tourist demand is so high that as much as four ships make its way to Ensenada every week, as of June 2006.

Much sought after tourist destinations in the Ensenada are the surfing spots of San Miguel Beach and Todos Santos Island, and the marine geyser, “La Bufadora” (”The Blowhole”). Other major attractions of the city are mostly seasonal, the Ensenada Carnival, the Wine Harvest Festival in August, and the Baja off-road races in June and November, to name a few. Another crowd puller is the annual grey whale migration from Alaska to the lagoons of Baja California Sur that takes place in the period, December - May. The whale movements can be watched from the Ensenada coast itself, or one can take a boat to the sea and watch it from close quarters.

If time permits, every tourist must consider a trip to the vineyards and wineries of Guadalupe. It is one of the best experiences one could get in his/her lifetime. Also, worth paying a visit is the San Pedro Mártir mountain range and National Park, located 240 km south of Ensenada. Cars for rent can be hired from the city itself.

Ensenada has a domestic airport. The nearest international airport is at Tijuana.