 | Ensenada Off the Beaten Path | Tips 1 - 10 of 15 |  |
Popular Off the Beaten Path | Other Off the Beaten Path Tips | All Tips (15) Punta Banda is a rocky peninsula jutting into the Pacific Ocean, about 20 miles (32 km.) southwest of Ensenada. It forms the southern end of Todos Santos Bay, and the waters on here are popular with scuba and skin divers. There are also said to be an abundance of hot springs in the area. We saw a couple of RV parks along BCN 23, the paved road that traverses the peninsula. These were apparently occupied in large part by campers from the United States. Several unmarked hiking trails beckoned us off the road, if only we had had more time to explore them. Leave a Comment
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Tara is a large colorful statue built on a small hill, just beneath the municipal water tank, in the northeast part of the city. It was built by sculptors from Nepal and Bhutan on the original site of the 1930s Fort Keki, and presented as a gift of peace and friendship by a Nepalese international cultural organization in 1993.
This exotic landmark, symbolizing Mother Nature, is set in what tourist brochures call an ecological park. If I had not read the brochure I never would have guessed as much. The dirt road up to the monument was very badly eroded, there were huge piles of cans, broken glass, and other litter about the base of the statue, weeds were neck high, and graffiti covered much of the statue. The statue and site, with good views of the city, has an outstanding potential, but we found it sorely neglected.
With map in hand, Karen and I walked about 20 blocks from our hotel to find Tara. We felt the walk would be good exercise, and it also gave us good opportunity to get away from the tourist areas and see some of the local business and residential neighborhoods of Ensenada. In that regard it was worth the effort.
Directions:Northeast of downtown, on Calle 13, between Ave. Obregon & Moctezuma. Leave a Comment
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No doubt the #1 natural attraction near Ensenada is La Bufadora (The Buffalo Snort), a magnificent tidewater blowhole that roars like a hugh animal at bay, then spews seawater and foam into the air, often to heights over 70 feet. It is formed by a hollow rock formation that acts as a sea spout. During incoming tides, water rushes into an underground cavern, sending spray shooting into the air like a geyser. La Bufadora is near the tip of Punta Banda, a rocky peninsula forming the southern end of Todos Santos Bay.
La Bufadora is about a hour's drive south of Ensenada, and can be reached either by bus, taxi or private vehicle. We splurged and took a taxi, and I was rewarded with a wonderful opportunity to practice my limited Spanish, with a driver who knew less of my language than I did of his.
There is a small fee to visit La Bufadora. Leave a Comment
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Mexican wine is such an undiscovered secret right now. The quality of some of the wines is just amazing, especially the merlots and cabernets.
A great place to get your introduction to Mexican wines is at Sede Vino in Ensenda (located right across the street from Husong's Cantina, which, trust me, you will be able to find). You can taste almost every Mexican wine here, and they have nice food and atmosphere as well. They also are super friendly.
http://www.ensenada.airseago.com/sedevino/
Also worth a stop for wine shopping (and also for their art) is La Esquina de Bodegas, Avenida Miramar at Calle 7 in Ensenada.
Most of the wineries themselves are about a 30-40 minute drive from Ensenada, in the Valle de Guadalupe.
If you are interested in visiting some of the wineries, you may want to ask the staff in Sede Vino for help in arranging a visit. One of my favorite wineries in Case de Piedra. They only see people by appointment, so see if the nice people at Sede Vino can arrange a visit for you.
Other wineries to visit include Monte Xanic and Chateau Camou. Both of these places have stellar wines and I have never needed an appointment to visit on a weekend.
For a more touristy winery (but with a good gift shop) and lots of selections, head to L.A. Cetto. Leave a Comment
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Go for a short walk from the tourist zone shopping area (Lopez Mateos) past Mango Mango Restaurant to Ryerson, then about one block into the city to Calle Segunda, you will be able to turn left and walk up to some nice homes on the hilltop and a great view of the city. Note that the walk up Calle Segunda is a bit physically challenging. Leave a Comment
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If you are driving down to Ensenada, you may enjoy the scenic view from a rest stop between Rosarito and Ensenada.
Look for an exit that says "El Mirador" with a large orange building at the top. Here there are rest rooms and also a picnic area. Leave a Comment
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Scuba Diving, Whale Watching, or rent Kayaks at La Bufadora. Leave a Comment
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You can Rent a horse by the hour or join one of the Horseback Trail Riding Tours with views of the Bay of Ensenada, Todos Santos Islands and the Salsipuedes Bay. Leave a Comment
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For a place way off the beaten path, try El Taco de Huitzilopochtli. They serve food from the Aztec region of Mexico, including this fantastic barbequed meat. It is so homey feeling and I promise there will not be an American for miles. Very very unique place. Only open Sat and Sun, 9 to 5. It is located at Ave de las rosas 5 and Col. valle verde. To get there, take Ave. Reforma north from the Juarez statue for 1.6 miles; rt on calle ambar, take it to its end, then turn left, go two blocks, make another left. Leave a Comment
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Las Caņadas is located 30 minutes south of Ensenada and provides Eco Tours, Biking, Hiking, Camping, Cabins, Swimming Pools, Water Slides, and Lake Fishing. Leave a Comment
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on June 25, 2005
on May 16, 2004
on June 10, 2005
