Are you excited to explore Ensenada during your cruise? This guide will help you navigate the port, find exciting activities, and score great deals on souvenirs.
We went to Ensenada on the Carnival Miracle cruise https://www.carnival.com
I always ask people what kind of a vacation they want when they start to ask me questions. Are you an early bird go-go or a relaxed wanderer? Just so you know I am a go go vacation type person, so when you see posts from me, it will always be a lot.
As always, I like to tell you a little about the places we explore, and I wanted to share about Ensenada.
Ensenada is on the Pacific coast of Baja California, and boasts a rich past with the gold rush boom in the mid-19th century and turned it into a bustling port.
If you are in Ensenada you will know by seeing the massive Mexican flagpole that serves as a central landmark, along with a bus ride to the La Bufadora, a blowhole erupting with ocean spray, that is surrounded by a street of vendors that will over sell you in an annoying way. Also you can explore pristine beaches, whale watching tours, or venture into the Valle de Guadalupe known for olive oil or wine.
Arriving at the Port
For me, I am always eager to explore, and disembark early. However, note that most shops open later and tours often have specific meeting times. We got off early and went through the building to start exploring and realized the excursion we booked through Carnival was next to the boat and we had to go through security and get back next to the boat to wait for the director of our excursion.
Skip the shuttle ride and enjoy a 10 minute walk past 2 Ensenada signs. It is only $4 for a round trip ride, but it is not a bad walk. You also get to walk by the giant flag pole that is visible from across the city and serves as a convenient meeting spot. Just down a little further is the fish market and the large boat statue with a woman and her child looking in the distance for the fishermen that was created as a monument to the fishers who lost their lives. This route avoids the industrial areas and leads directly to the bustling downtown.
Shopping and Excursions
If you take the shuttle they drop you off at the heart of all the vendors selling their excursion. Remember their prices will almost always be cheaper than the cruise ship, but you have to be able to manage your time here as a lot of things are 45 minutes away by bus, taxi or van.
The most popular thing to explore here is the La Bufadora. Once you see it you will wonder why you paid money to go there. You arrive at a long strip of pushy vendors that will try to sell you everything under the sun as you make your way to the blow hole. It is a rock with a hole in it and and as the waves come in, it sprays through the rock. We paid to see it, and regretted it after, but others love it and go back over and over. To each their own. But most people do not like the pushy sales walkway to and from the hole in the rock.
You can also spend the day at Las Canadas Campamento doing ziplinning, a ropes course and much more. It was a good distance from the cruise ship. But it was one of the best places I have been to for a ropes course and ziplinning and we have done it a lot.
If you choose to skip these longer excursions you can go to the downtown area that consists of many businesses that are selling t-shirts, food, hoodies, leather goods, magnets, and much more. Remember, bargaining is expected! You get a hoodie for $40, or if you talk them down we got them for $25. $40 for a cheap hoodie is outrageously expensive. Magnets are $5, but if you offer cash right then I had a few take $3. Tshirts are $20 and I got them down to $10. Now everyone is different, but this is just to share with you some ideas on what we found.
My favorite store was this cooking store that was selling tortilla presses, hand carved wooden spoons, and tortilla warmers. I just wish I would have remembered that most places here only wanted cash. So I had to get cash to pay them. They take Pessos or American Dollars.
I was also pretty determined to find horchata and churros. We found churros from street vendors that were walking around and selling little bags for 2/$5 for mini churros and they only took cash.
If you are looking for a pharmacy this is the place. There is one on every corner. But the thing to do here is plan an hour for shopping and then spend the rest of your time on a tour. Our favorite tour which brought us back to loving Ensenada was not our Segway tour, but it was our Biking and tacos tour.
Not only did we have the best couple that gave us the tour, but they took us to the best taco shops that the locals east at. Things we did not find on the best of Ensenada food when we looked all over. And when I am saying the best tacos, I really mean tacos that you dream about months and years later. It really if the the best taco experience in the port of Ensenada.
Our first stop we ate fish tacos. I don’t eat fish, I don’t eat really anything that lives in the water, but this couple said they were amazing and your tacos are paid for with the tour. So we ate, fish, shrimp, barbacoa, and carnitas tacos and the fish ones were my favorite of them all. Even typing that seems strange, but they were amazing.
After several stops at taco shops we went to a little coffee shop to have a genuine cup of a cold chocolate drink. It was like hot chocolate but cold. We also made it to the best little olive oil and wine store. You can sample all of the oils that are sourced an hour away from where we were. Yes, I bought 3 bottles of all different infused flavors.
Making it back the boat is quite simple here. You pass through one check point at the edge of the industrial part and then another security check at the building next to the boat. Both were very simple and we got right through.
Whatever you do enjoy your Ensenada adventure!
