Tips for your Drive into Baja, California
Visitng Rosarito in Baja California
Author: Jennifer Kirsch
Road Trip to Baja
CROSSING THE BORDER
“Baja California is not really Mexico” said my friends - really? Baja California is more Mexican than Cancun, Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta and many other tourist traps south of the border. In this post we will talk about why.
My friend Suzanne, from England, wanted to go to Mexico and as we were already in Southern California, Baja seemed the obvious choice for a road trip. Not really thinking any farther than a passport, we crossed the border through the San Diego/Tijuana border control.
Confidently driving my car without knowing that no American car insurance is valid in Mexico, we passed through Tijuana at a speed of knots down to Rosarito and my brother-in-law’s condo on the the beach complete with sea view.
GET INSURANCE AHEAD OF TIME
As he rents through VRBO there was a book of info in the apartment including the fact that extra car insurance should be bought at the border crossing at a rate of $22 dollars per day! Whoops! Even though no American car insurance is valid in Mexico, check-in with your travel credit card. If you purchase the rental service with your travel card some companies will also offer rental car coverage for domestic or international locations. Always worth checking in with what you already have!
Already 50 miles south on the coast road, I managed to insure through a subsidiary of my regular insurance company online at a rate of $23 per day. Whew, it meant that I could largely ignore or smile smugly when reading the many public notices warning of car theft and worse!
The beaches are beautiful but not accessible from our condo which also blocked the sun unfortunately so we used the somewhat deserted pool area to catch some rays. Right next door to our white concrete monolith is the real local Mexico.
You have a choice of small shops held together with tarpaulins, selling brightly painted Mexican pots, a strange assortment of rusty metal dinosaurs and horses, fake Disney cartoon memorabilia and of course sodas and water for sweating it out in the hot sun.
Local goods for sale in Rosarito
SHOPPING AND ENSENADA
American dollars are accepted and maybe preferred but change is always given in pesos. The main highway, Route One, is a great road with a two dollar toll booth every few miles. We ventured south as far as Ensenada which is a large bustling town.
A mecca for the cruise ships, the hustlers are in evidence in the port encouraging the day trippers to follow them into their duty free jewelry shops and Tequila stores (one of which bragged of over 250 different types, some with and without worms!).
Ensenada is a fun city and more western than further north on the peninsula. It even has the obligatory American fast food restaurants, entertainment arcades, many local eateries and margarita bars.
Tortillas and delicious cinnamon coffees at Tapanco in Rosarito
We drove down a little further to see La Bufadora, it is a blowhole or marine geyser situated on the Punta Banda Peninsula. A spout of sea water is the result of air, trapped in a sea cave, exploding upwards.
It is one of the largest blowholes in North America and frequently shoots water more than 100 feet in the air. It makes a thunderous noise occurring every minute or so. It’s quite impressive and the kids love it!
WHERE TO EAT
The food in Baja is amazing. At the recommendation of the locals we ate breakfast every morning at Tapanco; an authentic restaurant practically next door to our accommodation. The Spanish omelettes were fantastic and came with all the usual trimmings. The coffee was fabulous; the cinnamon unusual and tasty.
We had dinner there one night and my sea bass was freshly caught and perfectly cooked. The restaurant is owned by one of three brothers and each of the boys own an eatery on the beach as well.
One we chose to go to called Los Pelicanos, had a beautiful ocean view of the sunset, remarkable food and one of the best margaritas I have ever had. El Nido was another one we did not get to on this trip but its reputation is just as good as the others. I recommend all to anyone visiting these areas of Mexico.
TIJUANA AND THE BORDER
At the border, the Tijuana beaches sit right next to the wall between the US and Mexico; a somewhat immovable and sinister reminder of the current border restrictions and attitudes towards immigration.
However, local children did not seem to notice and were happily playing close by. Market stalls nearby were selling coconuts, papaya juice and gelato ignoring the proximity of the ugly metal structure behind which, the American military personnel and helicopters could easily be seen.
The border wall between the US and Tijuana, Mexico
A FEW THOUGHTS
I would have liked enough time to drive down to Cabo San Lucas on the tip of Baja but after three days it was time to return to the US. It took three hours to cross the border where we were constantly hassled by vendors for everything from large pottery turtles to cheap medicines and cosmetics.
I was told by a more frequent traveler to Baja that I should have stayed south of the border at Tecate and crossed with no wait and no hassle. Apparently Tecate is a good place to spend an extra night; a border town that is not like a border town at all…so great tip for the next road trip!
Lovely beaches, sunsets and horseback riding
CONCLUSION
It was just a quick hop over the border for a few days of sun, fun and great food. Anyone could find things to do and have authentic food better than any so called Mexican food in America. It is different, authentic and delicious by comparison I suggest you give it a try. The video above gives you a lot of helpful tips about Rosarito as well.
Let me know in the comments section what you thought and if you have any plans to travel to Baja; happy to answer any questions. You might also want to read other blogs under Guest Bloggers. Watch here for the next blogs on my various adventures. Until then…
Best,
Jenny
Jenny Kirsch is an expat living in Palm Desert. She travels extensively each year when she returns to the UK and guest blogs about her experiences and tips. Follow her on Instagram.
You might also want to read other posts by me under Explore the World. Follow me on You Tube, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram & Twitter
TO MY READERS: This post was updated with new info, pics and videos on 8/31/20
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