Ensenada Boaters Shore Leave – There’s more to do in Ensenada than drink free beer at the marinas
Cruise shippers know that Ensenada offers more than free beer. I frequently sail boats (power and sail) to Ensenada, Baja, Mexico, and have always found plenty of cheap, fun, and interesting adventures, from red-hot sport fishing to tranquil spa treatments, from drinking local wine and tequila to seeing a movie being filmed. Best part? Everything is in English.
Southern California recreational boaters (known as “yatistas” in Spanish) think of Ensenada as our foreign port right next door. Every fall nearly 1,000 yachts head south, and Ensenada is the easiest place to enter Mexico. Each spring, more than 2,000 yachts cross the finish line of the Newport Beach to Ensenada Race. Safely north of hurricane alley, Ensenada is an ideal “hurricane hole” for yachtsmen on a tight budget. And until California tax laws change, around 500 newly purchased yachts join the notional “90 Day Yacht Club” each year.
Cruise to Ensenada via the Coronado Islands
Ensenada is located 75 nautical miles (nm) down the coast from Point Loma Light in San Diego, or 60 miles by road south of Tijuana. Either way, it is possible in one day.
Sailing down, you pass the Coronado Islands, owned by Mexico. You can anchor to fish, snorkel or rest for the night, but you can’t go ashore on this 4-island nature reserve. The Mexican Navy patrols based at Smugglers Cove in Coronado del Norte are useful for yachtsmen. My favorite anchorage is in Coronado del Sur.
If you are driving with a boat trailer, buy Mexican car insurance in San Ysidro and take the toll road. The presence of new Tourist Patrols avoids security problems and helps gringos in English.
Ensenada Marinas
Mexico has developed its marinas a lot lately: the Ensenada region has 1,400 full-service berths for nautical tourists. In geographical order, they are Marina Puerto La Salina and Marina Coral (both north of the city), Cruiseport Village Marina, Marina Baja Naval, Sergio’s Sportfishing and Bandito’s Dock (within the port of Ensenada). Port Hussong and another marina are under construction.
anchor freedom
The Port Authority installed new moorings in the port in 2008, but if you prefer to anchor for free, visit the coves in the south of Todos Santos Island or Punta Banda. In good weather, small boats can anchor at beautiful Playa Estero and sail into the estuary for bird watching at high tide.
Jack and Jill in Ensenada
Jack gets up early to join a half-day charter sport fishing boat (found at Marina Coral, Cruiseport Village Marina, or Sergio’s) headed out to Lower San Miguel or the Todos Santos Islands to fish for winter bass or dorado. and summer marlin. If Jack owns a sport fishing boat, a local crew will clean Jack’s catch and wash down the boat. Downtown, Casa Mar Restaurant will grill Jack’s Fish for lunch.
Meanwhile, Jill heads to the spa (Marina Coral) for a menu of hot mineral baths and massages, from deep tissue to fruit wraps. Invented by the Aztecs, the legendary “temetzcal” sauna is offered at Uruapan’s hot springs and at most of the city’s hotel spas. On her way to meet Jack for lunch downtown, Jill shops for silver ornaments and a trendy jacket from Josefa on Mateos Blvd.
afternoon delights
Summer is a good time to visit Ensenada by boat, because the marinas are half empty. (They fill up in November, when thousands of American cruise yachts begin the cruise season in Mexico.) Local culture flourishes throughout the summer.
In August, six indigenous tribes from Baja, Arizona, Sonora and California gather near Marina Baja Naval for a “Kiru Kiru” or traditional gourd dance with native songs, music, food and crafts. At the same time, Ensenada’s many winemakers organize the 2008 Harvest Festival, with free wine tasting tours. LA Cetto is my favorite, but others are closer to the marinas.
Ensenada Tequila Festival 2008 runs through October. Sample mezcals, tequilas, and appetizers at the Riviera Cultural Center (near the Cruiseport Village Marina) and see Hugo D’Acosta’s “Culture of Agave and Mezcal.” The gourmet dinner features unique tequila recipes.
Rosarito Beach
This beach enclave has no marina, but cruise ships anchor and ferry people ashore: that’s how famous it is. Since the 1930s, Hollywood celebrities have been spreading stardust at the venerable Rosarito Beach Hotel and Spa. In 2008, stars keep coming here incognito to kick back, often bringing the whole family to the water park, kids’ sandcastle classes, and world-class boutique shopping. Make reservations for the hotel.
But don’t miss the movie! Remember “Pearl Harbor” and “Titanic” and “Master and Commander”? How about “Deep Blue Sea”, “Tomorrow Never Dies” and “In Dreams”? They were filmed at Baja Studios (originally Fox Hollywood Studios Baja). When “Titanic” was filming on this beach, the smokestacks on the set were so realistic that the US Coast Guard received hundreds of reports that a cruise ship had run aground.
Xploration allows visitors to go behind the scenes and interact with this working movie studio. Play around with animation, camera lenses, lighting techniques, and makeup. The costume and prop shop is filled with actual costumes from movies past, present, and future. For tour times, visit the Xploration website.
The next time you cruise to Ensenada, don’t get stuck on the boat.