Ensenada Cruise Tips, Activities, and Overview
Food and Drink in Ensenada
Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, enjoyed between 1 - 4 p.m. Restaurants catering to tourists use menus printed in English; local eateries combine Spanish and English. No menus are necessary for the popular street vendors selling churros (deep fried dough dipped in sugar and cinnamon) and fish tacos.
Seafood: For fine seafood and dramatic ocean views, reserve a table at Punta Morro (1.5 miles north of the city at Punta Morro Hotel 800-526-6676).
Mexican: Hungry vaqueros head to Bronco's for breakfast, lunch and dinner where mesquite-grilled steaks are the specialty (Av Lopez Mateos 1525).
Happy Hour: Near Hussong's Cantina, Papas & Beer (Av Ruiz 102) attracts a rowdy college crowd and stays open until 3 am. For a quieter setting, visit the Bar Andaluz at the Riviera del Pacifico.
Brunch: The restaurant at Las Rosas Hotel is a local favorite, serving Mexican and international dishes (north of town on Highway 1, 174-4360).
Best Cocktail in Ensenada
Margarita: Hussong's Cantina (Avenida Ruiz 113), the landmark watering hole, serves small but potent margaritas from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily.
Don't Miss in Ensenada
Riviera del Pacifico: Standing inside this elegant Spanish/Moorish building, one can imagine Bing Crosby crooning to Xavier Cugat's Orchestra. Originally owned by boxing champ Jack Dempsey, this former casino catered to Americans during the Prohibition. Today, it's a cultural center, used for weddings and receptions and mariachi and dance performances.
Mercado de Mariscos (Malecon at Av Alvarado): Admire the day's catch, including yellowtail, tuna, albacore and marlin, at Ensenada's popular outdoor fish market by the sportfishing pier.
Avenida Lopez Mateos and Boulevard Costero: These two parallel streets near the waterfront are lined with shops, from Mexican liquor and duty free perfume to woven blankets, leather goods, pottery, and silver jewelry. Among the nicest for Taxco silver jewelry are Los Castillo and Mario's Silver Shop (Lopez Mateos 815 & 1090). For black pottery of Oaxaca, there's Colores de Mexico (Lopez Mateos 1094) and for Mata Ortiz pottery, Galleria de Perez Meillon (Centro Artesanal, Blvd. Costero 1094).
Plaza Civica: Known locally as Three Heads Park, this shady plaza features giant, gold painted busts of three of Mexico's most revered heroes -- Miguel Hidalgo, Benito Juarez and Venustiano Carranza.
Watch gray whales: From December to March, these magnificent leviathans pass through Ensenada on their annual migration to and from the warm Baja lagoons. Half-day whale-watching excursions leave from the sportfishing pier (Malecon at Av Alvarado). Sea birds, sea lions and harbor seals are an added plus. In addition to trips by Gordo's Sport Fishing and Sergio's Sportfishing Center, the Science Museum sponsors guided tours.