Things to do in Ensenada

[kjenaz]

Prior to our cruise I looked for ideas of things to do in Ensenada.  We had not been there in over 10 years and our experiences back then were not positive.

I could not find anything on the boards or facebook so we decided to just walk around.  I wanted to report back that the day was so much better than we had anticipated.  We got off the ship and decided not to take the shuttle to the shopping area, but instead walk so we could go back if we felt it was unsafe or not worth the time.  There were 2 ships in port on Sunday and found the walking path to be very nice with nice plants.  It had obviously been recently updated and cleaned.  We went to the walking bridge along the water front and headed to the HUGE Flag pole and Flag.  They have a water show in the plaza under the flag and it was pleasant to stand and watch the show.  We then turned and headed into town.  There were horse drawn rides offered from the locals and several in our party had never done that so we decided on the short tour and then the drop off at the shopping area.  The tour was along the busy highway and was not what we had hoped for, but still fun.  We quickly walked thru the "Shopping Area" as that is not the type of shopping we like to do.  We set our walking goal to go to the Catholic Church and our timing was very good because we arrived as services were ending.  The Church is BEAUTIFUL and very much worth the walk.  They did not charge for us to go in and look around.  We then headed to the Museum which is also free and has very pretty garden grounds.  Our last stop was very surprising we went to the Don Engracia Tequilera which is just up from the giant flag.  The tour was $10 for those that wanted to taste the various tequila's and free for those that didn't want to drink.  We all loved the 30 minute tour and now know much more about how Tequila is made.  Those that did the tasting loved it.  We Highly recommend even if you are not a drinker it gives you a bit more knowledge of Mexico.  We were back on the ship well before our sail away, but all agreed it was a very good day.

 

[IRMO12HD]

Wow, thank you very much for your great descriptions!  I'll be using them in a week!

[jerseygirlinAZ]

Thanks for sharing!

[csr10236]

Check out Ensenada tours and excursions. 

[JuliaMS]

Thanks, we will stop at the tequila tasting! Are the shops on the dock open again yet?

[KeepCalmBearOn]

On 1/19/2022 at 10:38 AM, kjenaz said:

Prior to our cruise I looked for ideas of things to do in Ensenada.  We had not been there in over 10 years and our experiences back then were not positive.

 

I could not find anything on the boards or facebook so we decided to just walk around.  I wanted to report back that the day was so much better than we had anticipated.  We got off the ship and decided not to take the shuttle to the shopping area, but instead walk so we could go back if we felt it was unsafe or not worth the time. 

 

There were 2 ships in port on Sunday and found the walking path to be very nice with nice plants.  It had obviously been recently updated and cleaned.  We went to the walking bridge along the water front and headed to the HUGE Flag pole and Flag.  They have a water show in the plaza under the flag and it was pleasant to stand and watch the show.  We then turned and headed into town. 

 

There were horse drawn rides offered from the locals and several in our party had never done that so we decided on the short tour and then the drop off at the shopping area.  The tour was along the busy highway and was not what we had hoped for, but still fun. 

 

We quickly walked thru the "Shopping Area" as that is not the type of shopping we like to do.  We set our walking goal to go to the Catholic Church and our timing was very good because we arrived as services were ending.  The Church is BEAUTIFUL and very much worth the walk.  They did not charge for us to go in and look around. 

 

We then headed to the Museum which is also free and has very pretty garden grounds.  Our last stop was very surprising we went to the Don Engracia Tequilera which is just up from the giant flag.  The tour was $10 for those that wanted to taste the various tequila's and free for those that didn't want to drink.  We all loved the 30 minute tour and now know much more about how Tequila is made.  Those that did the tasting loved it. 

 

We Highly recommend even if you are not a drinker it gives you a bit more knowledge of Mexico.  We were back on the ship well before our sail away, but all agreed it was a very good day.

 

There, I fixed it 😁

[kjenaz]

On 2/9/2022 at 12:23 PM, JuliaMS said:

Thanks, we will stop at the tequila tasting! Are the shops on the dock open again yet?

Most are, and we believe they are a lot less aggressive!

[sandyoftheseas]

I did not want to do an organized tour and this sounds great.

[oyme]

Thank you, I'll save for the future. Thankfully, my next cruise hits Mazatlan (new for us we usually hit Ensenada). Been to Ensenada a few times, we never look forward to it, to be honest. I think we even went to Ensenada with our Hawaiian cruises. I could be wrong. I remember them saying they needed a foreign port and so Ensenada was on there.

 

It'll be nice to try out the things you jotted down here for us. Thanks, again. Last time we went we walked a bit and returned to the ship. We noticed a LOT of people seemed to have decided just to stay onboard. More than usual on port days, lol.

Edited May 19, 2022 by oyme

[KeepCalmBearOn]

8 hours ago, oyme said:

Been to Ensenada a few times, we never look forward to it, to be honest.

 

When we are in our Coronado CA home we are about 75 miles north of Ensenada. We actually enjoy Ensenada a lot more than Tijuana. Ensenada still has some charm to it, some good dining and shopping.

 

We like Rosarito Beach even better, but I don't think that is an option when ships stop in Ensenada.

 

The Valle de Guadalupe is an option for an excursion, and we love the Valley. We do quick weekend getaways there for relaxation and wine tasting. The gracious haciendas and hills of vineyards are how I imagine Baja California 200+ years ago after the Spanish arrived.

[Smokeyham]

On 5/19/2022 at 6:18 AM, oyme said:

Thanks, again. Last time we went we walked a bit and returned to the ship. We noticed a LOT of people seemed to have decided just to stay onboard. More than usual on port days, lol.

I haven't been in Ensenada for a couple of years but the last time I went ashore there I was really put off by the offers of "massages" (I was a single guy walking around) and people standing outside drug stores offering to sell things I could not buy in the US without a perscription.

Good to know that things have improved!

[MyTMo777]

I just posted on another thread how much we enjoyed Ensenada in November 2018. I had only heard terrible things about it, but it turned out to be my second favorite port of our entire cruise. We enjoy getting a taste of the local culture rather than doing the typical touristy things. We wandered down to the harbor, took a one-hour boat tour with one of the locals (got some great photos of our ship!), chatted with people, ate local food and drink, enjoyed a Sunday festival in the park/square. I've never felt uncomfortable with any vendors in any port anywhere. I just smile and say, "No, gracias." Stay friendly but firm and they just move on.

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

On 5/19/2022 at 2:55 PM, scottca075 said:

 

We like Rosarito Beach even better, but I don't think that is an option when ships stop in Ensenada.

 

 

RCCL has an all inclusive beach day excursion to Rosarito.  They go to the Sunio Beach Club, which is a really nice area.  

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

How far is the walk from the ship to where I could pick somebody up from the ship?  We have friends doing a port stop at Ensenada in November and we were going to drive down from our place at Rosarito and pick them up.  She has trouble walking very far.  

[KeepCalmBearOn]

8 hours ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

How far is the walk from the ship to where I could pick somebody up from the ship?

 

It depends if the shops docks at Dock 1 or Dock 2. I think private cars are allowed as far in as the "cruise port village", but as I remember it, that is where the turn around area is. Our last Hawaii trip on Princess we docked at Dock 2 and it was a very long walk to get outside the port complex.

[Jeff in Torrance]

Have done the wine valley tour several times, which we enjoyed.  In more recent years we just walk out to the main road, outside the terminal area, and visit the cultural center across the road.  It's an old resort hotel that the Hollywood set used to visit in the 1930's.  Supposedly the margarita cocktail was invented in the bar.  There are often local cultural activities taking place.  It's also a stop on the excursion off the cruise ships.  We partake of any local event, should there be one, then have a very cost effective large margarita before walking back to the ship.

 

There is also an art center, just across the road from the cultural center.  Great Latin art, and local students doing their thing.  Often worth visiting.

 

Total walking distance might be about 1/2 mile each way.

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

On 7/30/2022 at 9:50 PM, scottca075 said:

 

It depends if the shops docks at Dock 1 or Dock 2. I think private cars are allowed as far in as the "cruise port village", but as I remember it, that is where the turn around area is. 

I did a Goggle earth look and that's the impression I get also.  Dock 1 looks like a short walk to the cruise port village.  We were just at Dock 2 a few weeks ago and it looked like a pretty long walk.  They are on Celebrity so hopefully Dock 1.  We are going to take a drive down Wednesday to take a look around.