The gateway to your vacation dreams lies just beyond the Mexican border, within the magical peninsula of Baja California. Your journey need not conform to the widely portrayed vision of an expensive retreat to a swank hotel in Cabo San Lucas, because Baja offers something for almost everyone, especially families. The Zona Turistica, or tourist corridor, combines the color and diversity of Tijuana with the Mediterranean -- like the seaport of Ensenada, particularly convenient to visit since no tourist visa is required.

Driving To Ensenada
The Mexican government has gone to great trouble and expense to insure that the picturesque toll road linking Tijuana with the Ensenada is kept in as good, and often better shape than many highways found north of the border. Travelers on this scenic, well-traveled artery can expect to encounter numerous, breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean as well as an occasional line of pelicans casually gliding only a few feet above the surface of the water. While driving south, the frustrations of modern, urban life can literally evaporate with the burning off of the morning fog that often hugs the rugged Baja coast.

The drive toward Ensenada is punctuated by an increasing number of condominiums and other developments designed to cater to Americans seeking a weekend or retirement villa south of the border. There are two upscale golf courses along the trek as well; Real Del Mar located just north of Rosarito, and Bajamar, which is situated about 15 miles north of Ensenada. In the middle of it all is the famed 'lobster village' of Puerto Nuevo, where throngs of hungry turistas go to eat their fill of one of Baja's most popular Crustaceans.

Those seeking a good meal in this section of the peninsula are rarely disappointed. Fresh seafood is readily available, and is one of the area's specialties. In Rosarito Beach, Mariscos de Rosarito Vince's at Blvd. Benito Juarez No.79, is a family based dining establishment that runs their own fishing boat, and is preferred by the locals. A few blocks south, El Nido will delight the steak lovers in your group, with fork tender, mesquite grilled filet mignon that practically melts in your mouth.

Visiting Ensenada
About an hour's drive further south, visitors to the City of Ensenada can take a stroll down the cobblestone sidewalk of the main business district and enjoy such amenities as outdoor cafes, interesting shops and roving Mariachi musicians. The malecon, or seawall, offers a beautifully landscaped walk along the harbor front with its huge flagpole, and there is now even a small craft harbor tucked in the middle of the new cruise ship docks, allowing easy access to the local shopping district. Along with its waterfront attractions, Ensenada offers many other points of interest, including a world-class winery, Bodegas de Santo Tomas, in the city's central district.

Dining
The commercial fish market, or Mercado Negro, is immediately to your right as you drive into town, and is popular with many visitors. Fresh seafoods of practically every description are available from the vendors that line both rows of the building. Waiting outside, small stands offer passersby everything from fish or shrimp tacos to fresh, oyster and clam cocktails. Those who seek a higher-end dining experience also have a plethora of nearby options from which to choose.

Directly across the street from the main plaza, Casamar is a restaurant that has been noted for serving gourmet quality seafood for decades. Another favorite of local residents is Haliotis, the Latin word for abalone, which also happens to be this restaurant's house specialty. Over the past 40 years, the prized abalone has virtually disappeared from the coasts of Baja and southern California. This is one of the only places in Ensenada where you can still order what is arguably one of the most coveted Gastropods on the planet with complete confidence. Diners can expect to be treated to delectable seafood, excellent service, and one of the most stunning displays of beautifully made stained glass in northern Baja.

Estero Beach Hotel
The Spanish word ensenada, which translates to cove, was the city's given name because it sits in the middle of a large, natural harbor known as Bahia de Todos Santos. Just south of town, the bay offers many miles of beautiful, unobstructed sandy beach, broken only by the entrance to a placid, natural estuary halfway between the city and the Punta Banda peninsula. It is here where, over 50 years ago, the Estero Beach Hotel first established what has become one of Baja Norte's most fashionable resorts. The property combines a stylish hotel operation with a small neighborhood tailored to full time and vacation residency. In addition to the tennis courts, swim-up bar and a knockout Sunday Brunch, the resort features a uniquely fascinating display of Mexican cultural art that ranks among one of the finest, and most historically accurate found in the region.

Driving South
A short drive south on the main highway provides access to the fantastic kayaking, sportfishing and scuba diving in Punta Banda and La Bufadora. Punta Banda is a narrow, mostly barren, finger of land that pokes out into the Pacific Ocean at the southern end of the bay. La Bufadora is located near the very tip, and is the place where busloads of tourists are known to munch on fish tacos as they stare out at the myriad of guano covered outcroppings while waiting for the next influx of water to surge through La Bufadora's legendary blowhole, spurt up into the air, and then dissolve into a fine, cool mist.

The hand of nature has carefully scooped a beautiful crescent shaped bay from the land just south of the blowhole, providing a nearly perfect anchorage that is protected from the northern wind and swells. On a calm day, the waters around La Bufadora turn Mediterranean with cool, clear, turquoise hues that anoint the eyes of the weary. Numerous concession stands line the narrow road leading to the blowhole, which eagerly offer visitors everything from the usual array of curios, plaster deities, and metal sculptures, to humble preparations of shellfish, or fried seafood. Some charter captains still make a good portion of their income from commercial fishing, and catering to the needs of anglers, kayakers and scuba divers that come here to observe the abundant marine life that exists in the waters surrounding this rugged peninsula and its many hidden coves. When you stand quietly for a moment in this magical hideaway, it is sometimes hard to remember the traffic gridlock and dense population found only 100 to 250 miles to the north.

This is a very special place where the breeze blows freely through your hair, as seagulls cry out and pelicans dive into the ocean for their breakfast. But one of the best parts of this often overlooked bastion of natural beauty is that it is located just a few hours drive south of the International Border at San Ysidro, California.