Cruise to Ensenada

[Levin]

Hello all...

I've been toying with plans for a cruise to Ensenada later this summer and wondering if anyone has been there recently. I know the Newport to Ensenada race always ends there each year but I didn't know if this was place worth visiting when the race isn't going on. It's actually hard to find a lot of information on this town outside of the news about the race... which also makes me wonder if it is bad spot to visit for its own purposes.

I've done lots of cruises up the coast to Catalina, Santa Barbara Island and such areas, but have never taken the boat south of the border other than to visit the Coronados for the night. Does anyone here have any advice on whether it would be worth visiting this port for about a week? Unfortunately a week is all I would have to get there and back or I'd be thinking of places further south.

What do you think? Visit Ensenada and the surrounding areas or should I skip Mexico if I only have a week and don't have time to get to other major ports?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

-Levin

 

[Rick D]

Sure, Do It...

My preference is to stay at Hotel Coral & Marina. Simply, it is A. where I always stay B. is a about two miles from town, so there isn't as much noise C. has a great restaurant with a famous brunch D. you can use the gym, jacuzzi & pool E. they can handle all check in and check out for you and they have a fuel dock at about half US prices.

In town, you will find the streets and sidewalks clean & neat. There are good buys on jewelry, leather and art. The streets are well patrolled and you won't have a problem.

If you decide to go, post it and I'll give you the coordinates for the entrance to the marina since even now, the charts don't have it marked. It's a great little trip.

 

[timvg]

Re: Sure, Do It...

I'll second the Hotel Coral. The pool, spa, dining room (and even the wine) are all great. Absolutely do it.

 

[KMm]

I third, I have been there many times and never had any problems, and if you are going to drink the water make sure you eat lots of peppers, and chase it down with mescal.. Have a great time. Fair winds!

 

[zeehag]

i was just in ensenada for a month.
coral and cruiseport and baja naval are usa run corporations that cater to the heavily monied souls who enjoy spending lotsa dough on their travels. have a great time and smooth sailing. i stayed in more down to earth places and enjoyed my self greatly --even during the attemt to remove my outboard from my transom storage mount..LOL... there is no anchoring allowed.
to enjoy the native experience, the usa run corps are not the way to go , but if you are not interested in the local color, is alll goood. have fun and smooth sailing.

 

[Levin]

Hello everyone...

Rick, I would love to get those coordinates from you as it sounds like staying at the Hotel Coral marina is the way to go. I would be interested in finding out if anyone has been able to anchor out anywhere around Ensenada if I did decided to spend a night or two on the hook. From what you are saying Zee it sounds like they don't allow you to anchor in the bay there... does that mean that my only choice is a marina or are there places I can drop the hook occasionally.

I think I would prefer to spend at least part of my time at the marina and then spend the other part of it cruising around the bay there, perhaps spending an night or two anchored out. I noticed from the map that there are two little islands out there in the bay... does anyone know if those are worth visiting or are they much like the Cornoadoes... nice but not something you would spend time going ashore on for any reason.

Anyway if anyone has any thoughts on this stuff or other pieces of advice for how to get in and out of Mexico and have the best time possible I would love to hear more. Thanks again for all your help.

Take care,
-Levin

 

[zeehag]

there is absolutely NO anchoring in the ensenada area. except during the newport to ensenada race, at which time anchoring is only allowed for one week. that is done now. cruiseport marina is less pricey than is coral and is near to downtown for cheap fish tacos--3 for 2 dollars. if ypu are on a budget, the smaller marinas are good and secure but donot use bandidos.(is the one with orange pilings). cruiseport is 350 dollars per week. coral is higher than that. coral is north of ensenada. cruiseport is where the cruise ships go.
cruiseport has showers and laundry and all the frills that most yate gringos enjoy. i didnt need that stuff so i paid 175 per week in botes juanitos--is secure and rickety and i loved it, for a marina. best mechanic for diesel engines in all of ensenada is part of the botes juanitos family. very secure even at night.
have fun and smooth sailing.

 

[Rick D]

Levin, I have the coordinates at the boat. I will PM you with them when I get down to it this week. As far as Todos Santos, I know some people do go there to anchor. You do have to take care with fishing lines strung around. I don't think you can disembark, though. You can call the marina office at Coral and they can advise you. By the way, your insurance probably won't cover you south of the bay. You'll want to check. See the website under 'Marina' for a pull down menu that includes arrival requirements, etc.
http://www.hotelcoral.com/en/html/marina/marina.php

 

[Stu Jackson]

The lat/lon is in the link! http://www.hotelcoral.com/en/html/marina/location.php

 

[Rick D]

Good catch, Stu! I'll send him mine too. Hopefully, this is the breakwater and not the hotel entry! ;-)

 

[Levin]

Hello all...

Thanks for all the info. And Rick, please do send me your coordinates when you get down to your boat so I can make sure to head towards the breakwater and not plow into the hotel itself

Also Rick you mentioned the "Todos Santos" as the islands near Ensenada but when I Googled this I got a port near the southern tip of Bahia California. Is this the name of those islands or do they go by some other name? Also how long does it take to get around them? Lastly, are there good anchoring spots anywhere just slightly south of Ensenada bay? My hope would be to spend 1-2 nights of my cruise anchored somewhere and most the rest of the time at the marina.

Thanks again for all the good info.

Take care,
-Levin

 

[Rick D]

I think they are actually Isla Todos Santos and they are two islands totalling about four miles length by maybe two miles wide. They are ten miles WSW of Ensenada harbor. I know cruisers sometimes anchor off them. You can see them on Google Earth. I think the thing to do is to check in and then stay a few days and talk to the live aboards who will give you the scoop. South of Ensenada is the Army base, so I'm not too sure you can anchor off it. The point further south is, if I recall correctly, the cut off for many domestic insurance policies, altho you could probably get an extension without any big deal. I know there is an on-line forum for boaters in Ensenada. If I can find it, I'll post a link.

Here is the description of the islands:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Isla Todos Santos is a pair of islands about 19.3km (12mi) off Ensenada, Baja California at

31°47′59″N 116°47′20″W / 31.79972°N 116.78889°W / 31.79972; -116.78889Coordinates:

31°47′59″N 116°47′20″W / 31.79972°N 116.78889°W / 31.79972; -116.78889 best known for surfing. Access is only by boat, which can be rented out from Ensenada, or La Bufadora. The waves off the smallest island are some of the biggest waves in the North American continent, rivaled in size only by Maverick's and the Cortes Bank. The islands are also home to an endemic subspecies of the Rufous-crowned Sparrow. There is also a subspecies of Kingsnake, the Todos Santos Island Kingsnake, Lampropeltis zonata herrerae (Van Denburgh & Slevin, 1923). The type species of the fish genus Bajacalifornia, Bajacalifornia burragei, was discovered during the USS Albatross deep sea expedition off the coast of Todos Santos Bay in 1911.


As you can see, you don't want to anchor anywhere near the west side!

 

[Joe]

Levin... here's a nice link regarding Ensenada attractions: http://yachtpals.com/ensenada-mexico-boating-3071

There are a couple of anchorages on todo santos sur... check the cruising guides. The show on the mapchart maps. Check with the locals regarding going ashore. Here's a short article and a pic: http://www.sailorschoice.com/Ensenada/etodos.htm

and another: http://www.moon.com/destinations/ba...sario/vicinity-ensenada/islas-de-todos-santos

 

[Levin]

Hello again...

Rick & Joe, thanks for the additional information about the islands. Sounds like they would be a great place to visit for 1-2 nights of hanging out on the hook. It also sounds like you are allowed to go ashore and hike there, so I'll have to check that out as well.

I think I'm definitely going to try to make this work in July or August of this year... it has been on my list of places to visit for a while and just haven't gotten around to it. It feels like I've gotten most of what I want to find out at this point other than perhaps whether I should plan to exchange money before I go down there or whether I'm fine with dollars. Anyone know if there is any point in getting pesos before I go?

Thanks again for all the help.

Take care,
-Levin

 

[Rick D]

No problem with dollars, credit cards, or ATM's. If you use an ATM, use one at a bank. You will get pesos, but they will convert them there. You don't need pesos, but take plenty of smaller denomination US bills since cab drivers and shops sometimes don't have enough change (or try make-believing they don't).

 

[zeehag]

i had no problem using pesos or dollars-- things are a lil less pricey with pesos, as the exchange rate is 12-ish pesos(11.48-12+) to 1 dollar. quarters are acceptale in the 3/2dollar fish tacos place, also......

 

[Levin]

All ready to go...

Hello again all...

So after planning and preparing I'm all ready to head out this weekend to Ensenada. Planning to head out this weekend and make my way down the coast. Thinking I might stop in the Coronados and anchor for a night and then work my way south, or might make the whole trip down in a single go... depends on how I feel.

Already have reservations at Coral Marina and plan to stay there for about 5 days or so and then make my way out to the Todo Santos islands for a few nights on the hook. Perhaps if I feel really adventurous perhaps head down to La Bufadora for a night before working my way back north.

If anyone has any last minute advice I'd love to hear it... and Rick I could use those coordinates if you have them for Coral... have the ones they give on their website but don't know if that's for the hotel or the breakwater So if you have exact coordinates it would be helpful.

Anyway thanks everyone for helping me plan this out... I'll let you all know how it was when I get back.

Take care,
-Levin

 

[Rick D]

Re: All ready to go...

Hi, Levin. Sorry I didn't see your post until now.
The coordinates follow. One word of caution; the Coral Marina sits behind a point, so you cannot head directly to it from the bay. You should rather put in a coordinate for the Ensenada breakwater or use the one for approach I will give you. Then watch for a clear path to the Coral.

Coordinates for Coral:
N 31 51.716
W 116 39.634

Position for approach to Coral:
N 31 50.432
W 116 39.443

Of course, use your good judgment and don't rely on these coordinates alone since, while I believe they are correct, I'm not with you using your equipment, etc, etc, (usual disclaimers).

Have fun!

 

[Levin]

Rick,

Thanks for the help. These will help (as will the advice about how to approach). Looking forward to the trip immensely.

Take care,
-Levin

 

[Stu Jackson]

Fair winds, safe journey, have a great trip. Please tell us how it went, by adding to this topic. Great information exchange.

Stu