Ensenada & Valle de Guadalupe

A Pacific port in Baja California and birthplace of the fish taco, next door to Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico's top wine region, with the La Bufadora blowhole to the south.

Ensenada lies on Todos Santos Bay on the Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico, about 100 km from Tijuana on the US border, and is a major Baja port and cruise stop. Some 30 km to the north, Valle de Guadalupe produces around 70% of Mexico's wine and has recently become a hot food destination thanks to its wineries, farm-to-table restaurants and design hotels. The climate is Mediterranean: mild and dry year-round, with cool summers and winter days around 18–20°C. The grape harvest festival in August is the liveliest time, Dec–Apr brings gray whale-watching trips, and autumn and winter are surf season. The area splits into three: in town, the malecón waterfront, the Mercado Negro fish market and its fish tacos, the Riviera cultural centre and the century-old Hussong's Cantina; to the north, the wineries and wine museum of Valle de Guadalupe; to the south, the La Bufadora blowhole and wetlands on the Punta Banda peninsula. If you're up for more, head into the mountains to the east to Laguna Hanson. Getting there: driving the 1D coastal toll road from San Diego/Tijuana takes about 1.5–2 hours, with stunning ocean views along the way; long-distance buses also run. There's no public transport between wineries, so hire a driver or join a wine tour. Allow 2–3 days. Follow the rules for entering Mexico, and if driving, you must buy Mexican auto insurance.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries