Whether they are on a cruise from Los Angeles, driving from San Diego, or passing through on the way to points south, many travelers find themselves in Ensenada for an afternoon or longer. Those who venture away from the commercial port into the town center find that a surprisingly pleasant Mexican town awaits.

Many of Ensenada’s visual attractions lie out of town—at Estero Beach, Punta Banda, and La Bufadora—but a number of places of interest in the city are accessible by foot.

South of Ensenada, Mexico 1 meanders through a series of farming communities, including the vineyards of Valle de Santo Tomás.

For an inland adventure, explore the 170,000-acre national park at Sierra San Pedro Mártir, the highest mountain range on the Baja Peninsula. Then return to the coast to make your way along three interconnected bays on the Pacific Ocean, which offer numerous surf breaks, good fishing, and solitary beach camping.

The Best of Ensenada to El Rosario

• Riviera del Pacífico
• Valle de Guadalupe and the Ruta del Vino
• La Bufadora
• Islas de Todos Santos
• Clamming Along Bahía San Quintín