Cruising boaters know that Ensenada provides more than just free beer. I frequently sail boats (power and sail) to Ensenada, Baja, Mexico, and I've always found lots of cheap, fun and interesting adventures - from red-hot sportfishing to tranquil spa treatments, from sipping local wine and tequila to watching a movie being filmed. Best part? It's all in English.
We recreational boaters from Southern California (known as "yatistas" in Spanish) think of Ensenada as our foreign port right next door. Each fall, nearly 1,000 yachts head south, and Ensenada is the easiest place to clear into Mexico. Each spring, more than 2,000 yachts cross the finish line for the Newport Beach to Ensenada Race. Safely north of hurricane alley, Ensenada is an ideal "hurricane hole" for yatistas on a tight budget. And until California tax laws change, about 500 newly purchased yachts join the theoretical "90-Day Yacht Club" each year.
Cruising to Ensenada via the Coronado Islands
Ensenada lies 75 nautical miles (n.m.) down the coast from Point Loma Light at San Diego, or 60 highway miles south of Tijuana. Either way, it's doable in a day.
Sailing down, you pass the Coronado Islands, owned by Mexico. You can anchor to fish, dive or rest for the night, but you can't go ashore on this 4-island nature preserve. Mexican Navy patrols based at Smugglers Cove on Coronado del Norte are helpful to yatistas. My favorite anchorage is on Coronado del Sur.
If you drive down towing a boat, buy Mexican auto insurance at San Ysidro and take the toll road. The presence of new Tourist Patrols prevents security problems, and they help gringos in English.
Ensenada Marinas
Mexico has really developed its marinas lately: the Ensenada region has 1,400 full-service slips catering to nautical tourists. In geographic order, they are Marina Puerto La Salina and Marina Coral (both north of town), Cruiseport Village Marina, Marina Baja Naval, Sergio's Sportfishing and Bandito's Dock (inside Ensenada harbor). Puerto Hussong and another marina are in construction.
Anchor Freedom
The Port Captain installed new moorings in the harbor in 2008, but if you prefer to anchor for free, check out the coves at south Todos Santos Island or Punta Banda. In calm weather, small boats can anchor off beautiful Playa Estero Beach and dinghy into the bird-watching estuary at high tide.
Jack & Jill in Ensenada
Jack gets up early to join a half-day charter sportfishing boat (found at Marina Coral, Cruiseport Village Marina or Sergio's) that's heading out to Bajo San Miguel or the Todos Santos Islands for winter bass or summer dorado and marlin. If Jack owns a sportfishing boat, a local crew will clean Jack's catch and wash down the boat. Downtown, Restaurante Casa Mar will grill Jack's fish for lunch.
Meanwhile, Jill heads to the spa (Marina Coral) for a menu of hot mineral soaks and massages - from deep tissue to fruit wraps. Invented by the Aztecs, the fabled "temetzcal" sauna is given at Uruapan Hot Springs and most hotel spas in town. On her way to meet Jack for lunch downtown, Jill shops for silver baubles and a Josefa fashion jacket on Mateos Blvd.
Afternoon Delights
Summer is a great time to visit Ensenada by boat, because the marinas are half empty. (They fill up by November when thousands of U.S. cruising yachts begin cruising season in Mexico.) Local culture blooms all summer.
In August, six indigenous tribes from Baja, Arizona, Sonora and California gather near Marina Baja Naval for a "Kiru Kiru" or traditional gourd dancing with songs, music, foods and native handicrafts. At the same time, Ensenada's many vintners put on Fiestas de Vendimia 2008, with free wine tasting tours. L.A. Cetto is my favorite, but others are closer to marinas.
Ensenada Tequila Festival 2008 runs through October. Sample mescals, tequilas and appetizers at the Riviera cultural center (near Cruiseport Village Marina) and see "Culture of Agave and Mezcal" by Hugo D'Acosta. Gourmet dining features unique tequila recipes.
Rosarito Beach
This beach enclave has no marina, but cruise ships anchor off and shuttle folks ashore - it's that famous. Since the 1930s, Hollywood celebrities have been sprinkling stardust at the venerable Rosarito Beach Hotel and Spa. In 2008, stars still come here incognito for wellness breaks, often bringing the whole family for the water park, kids' sand-castle 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 set's smoke stacks were so realistic that the U.S. Coast Guard got hundreds of reports that a cruise ship had run aground!
Xploration lets visitors go behind the scenes and interact with this working movie studio. Play with animation, camera lenses, lighting techniques and makeup. The Props & Wardrobe shop is filled with real costumes from movies past, present and future. For tour times, visit the Xploration website.
Next time you sail down to Ensenada, don't get stuck on the boat.
