Things to do in Ensenada

Ensenada is a Pacific port, not a Caribbean resort. It stands on Bahía de Todos Santos, about a hundred kilometres south of Tijuana on the toll road. The water here is cold and the summer mornings are grey.

The port and the blowhole

Cruise ships tie up in the middle of town. That sets the rhythm of the day. Behind the seafront are the fish market and the taco stands the place is known for.

• La Bufadora. A sea cave on Punta Banda, twenty-seven kilometres south, throwing spray up to thirty metres.
• Mercado Negro. The fish market on the harbour, with the stalls and counters around it.
• The malecón. The seafront walk between the cruise pier and the town.
• Riviera del Pacífico. A 1930s casino hotel, now a cultural centre with gardens open to the street.

The valleys behind it

Wine country starts half an hour inland. Valle de Guadalupe is the main one: a dry bowl of vineyards, gravel roads and long lunches. Ojos Negros, further east, is cattle and cheese country.

• Valle de Guadalupe. Most Mexican wine is grown on this side of the country, and most of that here.
• Ojos Negros. A high valley east of the city, known for ranch cheese rather than for wine.
• The tasting rooms. Small and family-run more often than not, and many take bookings only.
• Getting there. No useful bus goes near them, so this is a driver-and-guide day or nothing.

Practical

• Cold water, grey mornings. The Pacific stays cool all year, and coastal fog is normal through May and June.
• Season. Harvest and the wine festivals fall in August. Spring is green, quiet and better for tasting rooms.
• From the border. Ninety minutes from San Ysidro on the coastal toll road, through three toll booths.
• Tasting and driving. Rooms pour generously and the road back is patrolled. A hired driver is the normal answer.
• La Bufadora. The spout depends on swell and tide, so it can be flat. The market gauntlet on the walk in is part of the visit.
• Money. Dollars are taken everywhere here, but the rate offered is poor. Pesos go further.
• Prices. Fish tacos cost small change; a tasting flight costs about what a glass costs in California.
• Tipping. Ten to fifteen per cent, and tasting fees are charged separately from it.