LOCATION
Ensenada is located in the North West part of Mexico in the Ensenada Municipality, Baja California. It is situated on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Ensenada is about a 2 hour drive from the San Diego Airport and about 1 hour 30 minute drive from the Tijuana International Airport. I flew from Michigan to the San Diego Airport then had a transfer service drive me across the border to my accommodations. It was smooth and easy!
GEOGRAPHY
Ensenada has a region called the Valle de Guadalupe. This region has stunning mountains, valleys of vineyards and more.
There is an array of aquatic mammals such as the Guadalupe fur seal, the California sea lion and the gray whale. Mammals in the area include otters, coyotes, pumas, various squirrels, the ring-tailed cat and the bobcat. You can find hawks, roadrunners, pelicans, oceangoing species and various waterfowl. Leopard shark, rainbow trout, tilapia and the great white shark are some of the fish that can be found here.
Guadalupe Island is just off the coast of the city and is one of the best places in the world to observe great white sharks. Since 1975, the island has been a wildlife sanctuary.
*Photo courtesy of Cassidy Robinson Travel
THE HISTORY
The Yuman people inhabited the region when the first European explorers arrived in the region. The Spanish founded the city in 1542 under the name ‘San Mateo’. The Spanish were scouting and mapping the coast of the Californias in search of safe harbors. In 1602, the city was renamed to Ensenada meaning ‘bay’ or ‘cove’.
Ensenada is the third largest city in Baja California. The Port of Ensenada is an important international trade center and is the second busiest port in Mexico.
WINERIES
One thing that makes Mexico wines unique is that there are no laws or regulations on mixing grapes. This creates unique wine flavors and more types of wines in the region. Due to the location from the equator, Ensenada is perfect for producing wine. Wine experts have said that Ensenada is the Sanoma 30 years ago. Here are some wineries that we visited:
TRES MUJERES
This is a very special winery. The owner came out to meet us, she lives on the property, and she gave us a tasting. The food was delicious and was cooked outside in traditional ovens. The owner then took us on a tour of the property which was stunning! She has all kinds of fruit trees and the cutest animals. When we walked through the citrus trees, the aroma of citrus was something I still think about today, it was a little slice of heaven. We were told to pick an orange from the tree and I don’t think I’ve ever had such a ripe and delicious orange! She started the winery with two other women, hence the name which translates to three women, and they want to stay small/homey. At the time of the visit, they only produced red wine however when they make white wine they use grapes from a neighboring vineyard. All of the wine produced is made my hand – no machines are involved!
*Photos courtesy of Cassidy Robinson Travel
EL CIELO
We stayed in villas on this property and I had to pinch myself every time I woke up because it was so beautiful. Villas can be split up into three sections or you can have the entire villa to your party. There is a practicing Catholic Church on property that does weekly mass along with weddings. Speaking of weddings, there are several different spots on site for wedding ceremonies, dinners and receptions. Every weekend the winery has a BBQ and locals come to join in the festivities. You can have a tour of the winery and the vineyards along with tastings. All of the wines are named after star constellations and you can even have a private dinner in the wine cellar! It was gorgeous and the food made me cry it was so good – if you know me, I’m a foodie so when I taste really good food I may cry…There is a falcon on the property too and you can even hold her!
*Photos courtesy of Cassidy Robinson Travel
DOMECQ
This winery was the first in the Valle de Guadalupe. Spaniards came over from Spain to initially make brandy. They soon switched over to wine however they still produce the brandy today. There is a museum on site with a lot of original pieces. Along with the storehouse and barrels of wine. You then continue downstairs to the underground cellar where you learn more about the history and the making of the wine. There is a unique section that takes you through the senses of wine called the Sensory Halls and then into the section with the guard bottles which are wines that have been inside the bottle for at least 5 years, the oldest bottle is from the 1970s!
*Photos courtesy of Cassidy Robinson Travel
MORE INFORMATION
We also ate at two local restaurants. La Cocina de Dona Esthela was for breakfast and Finca Altozano for lunch. Both were absolutely incredible! Valle de Guadalupe has a large selection of restaurants ranging from mom and pop shops to Michelin Star restaurants. The food was impeccable the entire trip and this was one of my favorite trips. Valle de Gauadalupe is about a 20-30 minute drive from the coast and has gorgeous beaches. If you are looking for a different Mexican experience, love wine, are a foodie and love views, Ensenada is the place for you. The best time to visit is in the spring time and September/October for the stomping and harvesting. Temperatures in the summer months are about 110 degrees and dry. June through September is when the wine festivals take place so message me to book your Ensenada trip with plenty of time to plan!
*Photos courtesy of Cassidy Robinson Travel
