About Ensenada

Ensenada is the third—largest city in Baja California. It is located 116 km (about 70 miles) south of Tijuana. Ensenada is locally referred as La Bella Cenicienta del Pacífico (The Cinderella of the Pacific).

Located in the Bahia de Todos Santos — an inlet of the Pacific Ocean — Ensenada is an important commercial and fishing port as well as a cruise ship stop. There is also a navy base, an army base and a military airfield, which functions as an airport of entry into Mexico.

The city is backed by small mountain ranges. Due to its location on the Pacific Ocean and Mediterranean latitude, the weather tends to be mild year—round. Although the winter rain season is short and the area is prone to prolonged droughts, Ensenada sits in the heart of a wine country that is widely regarded as the best in Mexico. It is said that the first vitis vinifera made it to the peninsula (specifically to the San Ignacio Mission) in 1703, when Jesuit Padre Juan de Ugarte planted the first vineyards there.

Commerce

Ensenada is the only deep water port in Baja California and is part of standard shipping routes that directly link it with the Mexican cities of La Paz, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Acapulco and Lazaro Cardenas, as well as the U.S. cities of San Diego, Long Beach and Los Angeles, the Guatemalan city of Puerto Quetzal, the Chilean city of Valparaiso, the Japanese city of Yokohama and the Chinese city of Hong Kong.

Tourism

Ensenada is conveniently located some 120 kilometers south of the border with the United States, connected via a four lane toll road and a two lane free road, which makes it a natural destination for tourists on short vacations by car. Ensenada’s proximity to California also makes it a destination for short cruise ship trips from the Los Angeles area. There are four ships that make weekly trips to Ensenada as of 2005. One of these ships, The Monarch of the Seas, operated by Royal Carribean Cruise Lines will cease operations in the Pacific in mid October 2008.

A few minutes south of town on highway 1 is the second—largest of three known major marine geysers in the world. This one is known as “La Bufadora” (“The Blowhole”).

The world—renowned Baja 1000 off—road race is held in Ensenada every year in late November, while the Baja 500 race is held in early June. Off-road enthusiasts use Ensenada year—round as a starting point to explore Baja California.

The grey whale’s annual migration from Alaska to the lagoons of Baja California Sur between the months of December and March, and back in the months of April and May, can be seen from the coast of Ensenada. Sightseeing tours are available every day during migration season.

Every year during the month of August, the beginning of wine harvest season is celebrated in the Guadalupe Valley and in the city of Ensenada with a two week long series of cultural and culinary events, all under the title banner of Fiestas de la Vendimia (Wine Harvest Festival). This event attracts people from all over the world.

The Ensenada Carnaval is one of the country’s largest, as thousands of people gather in the streets for six days and nights.