Ensenada Shopping

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The Brick feels like an open air bazaar with the stalls and the eclectic offers throughout the store. The part that makes it different is the unbelievable art work of a local artist Enrique Avilez. His artwork is a sculpture of great happenings with a futuristic look but an age old theme. The art titled "The Origin of Life" is about 26 feet by 23 feet in size and is both a mural and sculpture. He has several pieces of art on pedestals on the stores walkways that you can get up close and personal for all the detail work. He has been a noted artist in Mexico and is now getting world recognition. I come into this store to visit the mural more than to shop for a trinket.

Don't get me wrong, there are many fine things to buy in the stall areas, but how much tourist style shopping can one do?

What to buy: Silver is always a good buy in Mexico and there are many jewelry selections in silver. In alcohol, Tequila and Kahlua are priced low.

What to pay: Prices of goods are from a little to a lot depending on what you buy. There is no set price.

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Casa Colonial is an Assortment of Small Shops selling assorted local mexican craft and a lot more and also has inn type of rooms for the budget tourist here in Avenida de Blancarte Street just facing the harbor. What you can see here is an assortment of Mexican Rugs and carpets with different designs, mexican clothes for men and women (not the touristy t-shirt kind ok), assorted mexican haberdasheries and potteries and assorted wooden handicrafts, mexican ceramics like plates and other kitchen utensils plus the regular touristy stuff like ref magnets, t-shirts, shot glasses and others.

What to buy: depens of what you want to buy like a mexican stone statue or a mexican aztec style pottery or a mexican blanket or others, the choices are numerous. don't forget to haggle though.

What to pay: haggling is a must and they accept both mexican pesos and US Dollars!

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first a clarification, Hussong's Official Store in not in anyway connected to the popular Hussongs Cantina ok, this Hussong's Official Store is own by a different family and they say that this family (the Ampudia Family, prominent in the ensenada area) also owns the other famous bars like Papas & Beer and Mango Mango Bars (unfortunately i have not been in these bars since i was here for just a day ok). Hussong's Official Store sells what else but assorted souvenirs like t-shirts, caps, shorts, towels, beach wear, flip flops, shot glasses, ref magnets and a lot more. they have 3 branches in the area.

What to buy: depends on what you want to buy likje a hussongs t-shirt costs 160 mexican pesos, caps costs 110 mexican pesos, shot glasses costs 60 mexican pesos, reg magnets at 6o mexican pesos and a lot more. again no haggling is allowed here.

What to pay: depends on your budget

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well this T-Shirt Shop in the ensenada area is very popular since their logo is a little mexican devil sign. They sell authentic t-shirts of ensenada and baja mexico designs and the varieties are endless like multi colored t-shirts (most have their little devil icon as part of the design) and they also sell bags, caps, jeans and other stuffs. They don't allow haggling here since this is a shop and not a street stall (the price of an ordinary ensenada t-shirt is the same as a chamuco if you don't know how to haggle for the ordinary t-shirts ok).

What to buy: what else but buy an original little devil chamuco t-shirt for 150 mexican pesos (i got it at a 20% discount so it only costs 120 mexican pesos) for me. (about the same price as an ordinary ensenada souvenir t-shirt if you don't know how to haggle ok). my friend also bought 2 t-shirts at the discounted 120 pesos each. you can pay in either US Dollars of Mexican Pesos.

What to pay: 120 mexican pesos for a t-shirt (if on sale), caps are 100 mexican pesos and bags starts at 80 mexican pesos

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the liqour joint in ensenada area called licores plaza is popular for assorted mexican and international wines and spirits and liqours but their specialty is what else but the tequila! when you say tequila in mexico, they ask you what kind (like ordering a dimsum in china, they ask you what kind?) of tequila. There are two basic categories of tequila: mixtos and 100% agave. Mixtos use up to 49% of other sugars in the fermentation process, with agave taking up the remainder. Mixtos use both glucose and fructose sugars.

With 100% agave tequila, blanco or plata is harsher with the bold flavors of the distilled agave up front, while reposado and añejo are smoother, subtler, and more complex. As with other spirits that are aged in casks, tequila takes on the flavors of the wood, while the harshness of the alcohol mellows. The major flavor distinction with 100% agave tequila is the base ingredient, which is more vegetal than grain spirits (and often more complex).

What to buy: licores plaza is specializing in 100% Blue Agave Fine Tequilas and the cheapest ones are 300 mexican pesos for a 750 ml bottle (hey this is not the cheap Jose Cuervo Kind ok but the premium kind and more expensive than patron) and depending on the brand goes up to 700 mexican pesos for a 1 liter bottle.

Tequila is usually bottled in one of five categories:

Blanco ("white") or plata ("silver") – white spirit, un-aged and bottled or stored immediately after distillation, or aged less than two months in stainless steel or neutral oak barrels;
Joven ("young") or oro ("gold") – is the result of blending Silver Tequila with Reposado and/or Añejo and/or extra Añejo Tequila;
Reposado ("rested") – aged a minimum of two months, but less than a year in oak barrels;
Añejo ("aged" or "vintage") – aged a minimum of one year, but less than 3 years in oak barrels;
Extra Añejo ("extra aged" or "ultra aged") – aged a minimum of three years in oak barrels.

What to pay: again it can be as low as 300 mexican pesos a bottle to as high as 700 mexican pesos a bottle depending on the brand and depending on the kind of bottling if anejo or reposado, etc.

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the mexican equivalent of the 7-11 convenience store and is found all over mexico, it has more than 5,500 branches around mexico. it is the largest chain of this kind of store in the country. It is wholly owned by the beverage company FEMSA (Fomento Económico Mexicano), a company best known as brewers of Carta Blanca, Tecate, Indio and Sol beer. The store layouts follow a pattern similar to American convenience stores such as 7-Eleven and is also open for 24 hours and 7 days a week.

What to buy: groceries, wines and liquors, frozen goods, produce, cold cuts, snacks, bottled water. Prices are affordable, although a little bit higher than in supermarkets. Oxxo is an American type convenience store, with practical and nice facilities, and good service from the staff. they also accept US Dollars since ensenada is a tourist area and the current exhange rate is $1 = 13 mexican pesos.

What to pay: cheap but is slightly more expensive than the supermarkets.

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the mexican equivalent of the 7-11 convenience store and is found all over mexico, it has mnpre than 5,500 branches around mexico. it is the largest chain of this kind of store in the country. It is wholly owned by the beverage company FEMSA (Fomento Económico Mexicano), a company best known as brewers of Carta Blanca, Tecate, Indio and Sol beer. The store layouts follow a pattern similar to American convenience stores such as 7-Eleven and is also open for 24 hours and 7 days a week.

What to buy: groceries, wines and liquors, frozen goods, produce, cold cuts, snacks, bottled water. Prices are affordable, although a little bit higher than in supermarkets. Oxxo is an American type convenience store, with practical and nice facilities, and good service from the staff. they also accept US Dollars since ensenada is a tourist area and the current exhange rate is $1 = 13 mexican pesos.

What to pay: way cheaper in supermarkets than in here but you get a 24 hour convenience of buying food stuffs and basic necessities

From the outside the Art and Craft Center seemed to hold promise, and a man at the Ensenada Tourist Information office said we definitely should not miss it. However, we felt the selections offered by the handfull of individually owned shops were limited and the prices a little high. Maybe it's because we aren't educated to properly appreciate "art." But if you are a real connoisseur of such items perhaps you will find something here of interest.