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Recommended Reviews - Ciudad de Ensenada
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11 years ago
Review 51 Ensenada is where you want to go if you drove in from the states, everyone here is relaxed and in another time zone. You'll feel as if you've warped into another world. "Manana" is the attitude here and don't waste your time rushing the locals... you should be doing as they do :D Another noticeable will be the massive drop in food cost! Enjoy your stay and follow traffic laws. Red light means STOP in Mexico: "NO RIGHT TURNS ALLOWED" unless you want to payout some money. Plan B read more
11 years ago
Ensenada (Spanish: ensenaða) is a coastal city in Baja California, Mexico located 75 miles (120 km) south of the U.S. border. It has the peaceful demeanor of a sprawling town that belies the large population of almost 500,000. Locally known as La Cenicienta del Pacífico, "The Cinderella of the Pacific". The port usually has a huge flag (the biggest I have ever see) flying, but in April 2015 it was down for the waterfront renovations in progress. What a cool beach city this is, dominated by the Playa Ensenada along the coast. I really should have come here more often than my sporadic visits since a 1990 trip on the Ensenada Express boat ride from San Diego (lol). Situated on the magnificent Bahía de Todos Santos, the Port of Ensenada is an important commercial, fishing, and tourist port. There is an army base and a navy base with a military airfield alongside Playa Ensenada and sometimes used as Ensenada Airport. Ensenada developed as a safe harbor for Spanish ships travelling between Manila, Philippines to Acapulco, Mexico. The Spanish claimed the coastal "Province of the Californias" as part of the vast colonies of New Spain, established after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in 1521. As one of the first and main settlements of the Californias, Ensenada is a historic link between the United States, Mexico, Spain and the Philippines, as well as other countries. The Kingdom of New Spain (the Spanish Empire) was administered by an appointed Viceroy (representative of the monarch) who resided in the Spanish-built Chapultapec Castle in Mexico City. This is the only royal castle on the American continent as it later became the home of the royalty, the Mexican Emperor and Empress. The Viceroy ruled until Mexico won its independence in 1821, ending exactly 300 years of Spanish domination of this region. The Spanish Empire controlled by the Viceroy included all of present-day Mexico, including Baja California. Also included was all of Central America except for Panama. Also included was much of present day United States west of the Mississippi River, plus the Floridas. The Alta California region included present-day Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, western Colorado, and south Wyoming); Louisiana (including the western Mississippi river basin and the Missouri River basin); Nueva Extremadura (the present-day states of Coahuila and Texas), and Santa Fe de Nuevo México (New Mexico). The Spanish Empire also included the Spanish East Indies (now the Philippine Islands, the Mariana Islands, the Caroline Islands, parts of Taiwan, and parts of the Moluccas). The Empire's Eastern territory included the Spanish West Indies (Cuba, Hispaniola (comprising the modern states of Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Trinidad, and the Bay Islands). In the hilly hinterland of Ensenada are a collection of wineries, a legacy of the first vineyard established by the Jesuit's San Ignacio mission in about 1703. There are some hot springs back there also. This would be a cool place to go horse-riding. Rancho Los Bandidos stables at San Miguel looks good to try. read more
