The Cinderella of the Pacific…. Ensenada

A warm and friendly atmosphere, mild climate and accessibility by land, sea and air have made Ensenada a favorite tourist destination for decades. Located 70 miles south of the international border, the city of Ensenada is a 90-minute drive from San Diego along a modern toll highway with breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. Nestled on the shore of Bahía de Todos Santos, Ensenada is Mexico's second most visited port-of-call for major cruise lines and pleasure boats.

The third largest city in the state of Baja California, Ensenada is renowned for its fishing, seafood, canning and wine making industries as well as its excellent restaurants, superb shopping, ample array of services and wide variety of accommodations. In addition to sports and recreational activities, there are many fascinating attractions including historical, cultural and natural points of interest, museums and galleries, wineries and missions.

Beyond the hardcore tourist traps, vineyards, museums, whale watching, and beautiful beaches are some of the attractions to Ensenada. As the third largest city in Baja California, it is one of the most important ports on the Pacific Rim. Don't miss the fish market!

Warm summers and mild winters, sunny days and cool nights are the reason more than 90% of Mexico's wines are produced in Ensenada and its surrounding regions like the Guadalupe Valley. Most wineries offer tours and wine tasting.

And if that's not enough, there's also an extensive calendar of events to suit every taste! Major annual international events include Carnaval (Mardi Gras), Rosarito to Ensenada Fun Bike Rides, the Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race, the San Miguel Surfing Fiesta, and world famous SCORE Baja 500 and Baja 1000 Desert Races. Culinary connoisseurs can savor the International Seafood Fair, Fiestas de la Vendimia (Grape Harvest Festival), the Mushroom Fair, Fiesta del Tequila, the Paella Festival, J.D. Hussong and Los Gordos Chili Cookoffs, San Miguel and La Misión Fiestas, and much more.

Guadalupe Valley is only 30 minutes away and there are lots of wine tours, excellent restaurants and art galleries to visit. In the Valle du Guadeloupe, also known as the "Bordeaux Belt"tou of Northern Baja, you can enjoy wine tasting at L.A. Cetto, Santo Tomas, Domecq, Monte Xanic, Chateau Comou, Cavas Valmar, Vina Liceaga and Mogor Badan.

You can dine at French, Italian and Japanese restaurants if you need a change from Mexican cuisine.

Ensenada has excellent health care professionals including several English speaking hospitals.

The Waterfront of Ensenada is undergoing an enormous change with new condo hotels and developments planned where the existing marinas are being expanded to accommodate larger boats and more tourist related businesses.

Ensenada is just becoming a destination for Americans who are retiring. It offers a much richer lifestyle than Rosarito. Guadalupe Valley is just 20 minutes away from Ensenada with its vineyards and up and coming B&B’s, galleries and restaurants. An afternoon here sitting in a glen of olive trees, sipping local wine and eating family style with the locals is one of life’s greatest moments.

The harbor and marina is a busy place with a combination of cruise ships and tourists, mixed in with Mexican socialites lunching with friends. There are international jazz festivals, seafood cooking contests, galleries and great shopping.

Ensenada’s sister city is Newport Beach and the yearly yacht regatta fills the hotels and cafes with visitors.

This is nothing compared to the amount of visitors who come to town for the Baja 500 and Baja 1000 every year.

This is becoming a “NASCAR type” event that attracts Americans from all over the country as well as locals who race their own style of motorcycles, trucks and jeeps.

Added to these events are marathons, bike races and surf contests. Ensenada is a very exciting place to live and now that Costco, Wal-Mart and Home Depot are here, the one hour distance from the border is not an issue.

Many new developments are in the planning stages or under construction in Ensenada . Communities with ocean view houses are available with title insurance and finance. Ensenada has several real estate companies with excellent agents. Local Mexican agents work with the American agents to offer the best service possible.

This is a hillside community just across from the popular “dunes.” There are no ocean views from inside the houses here, but every home has a roof top terrace with great ocean views. Front yards, garages, wide streets and a community center with a pool and clubhouse are all under construction. These are very affordable, starting at $165,000. There will be a lot of happy homeowners here and it is still a bit of a secret in the area. Get in now before the prices go up.

This is by far the largest community in Baja. Thousands of acres of land with a beautiful oceanfront golf course surrounded by several smaller communities of homes. The development was bankrupted a few years ago, but is now been re-sold to a group of businessmen that are pouring money into it. The country club and golf course are being spruced up and it is going to be a very nice place to live again. Homes that have been built 20 years ago are being renovated, condos are being built and new reasonably priced homes are planned, If you love golf, peace and quiet and a real get away, this Is it.

Just started, this is a huge development (over 2300 homes will be here within 10 years). It sits on a high cliff with spectacular panoramic views of the ocean. This is just the first of the developments that will appear in the Ensenada area. Beautiful hacienda style homes and condos are already selling for less than the typical “American style” developments. This is a good investment and it will be a beautiful place to live.

This is a very well established community just north of Ensenada and has homes on both sides of the highway. There are 20 or so on the ocean and about 200 on the hillside with views of Ensenada Bay. The lots are much bigger than anything you will find in Rosarito and many Americans are buying and building there now. You can still buy a lot here for under $150,000 or buy a re-sale home in the $400,000’s. It has excellent security, incredible views and is expanding as people discover the fantastic location.

Located a little closer to Ensenada, this is going to be the best community in the area within a few years. The homes are mostly custom built and offer some of the most incredible views in the entire region. You still have to travel a little bit of a bumpy road to reach there, but there are a number of homes under construction, the infrastructure will be soon be improved. Homes here with 4,000 sq. ft. and an ocean view from most rooms are available for under $400,000. There will be gated communities with town sewage and water (a big deal in a lot of areas.) The style of the homes is unique with Moorish and Spanish influences as well as very modern touches.

	Local shopping is convenient and very reasonable
	Farmers Market has a large choice of fruits and vegetables as well as homemade “goodies’ to sample
	The fish market is huge and the variety rivals the U.S. for choices.
	U.S. brands are here including Costco, Wal-Mart and Home Depot.

	Jazz Concerts,
	Opera Performances
	Community Theater
	Pottery studios and art classes
	Dance, yoga and Meditation classes are available.

	Sailing
	Sport fishing
	Marina activities
	Community Tennis Courts
	Community Swimming Pools
	Several Golf Courses