Ensenada Sights

  1. Bodegas de Santo Tomás

    The Bodegas de Santo Tomás - founded in 1888 - is one of Baja's premier vintners. Its varietals include pinot noir, chardonnay, cabernet, chenin blanc, barbera, tempranillo and merlot. The Santo Tomás warehouse and tasting room is located in Ensenada and offers free 30-minute tours and wine tasting.

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  2. El Mirador

    For marvelous views of Ensenada and the Bahía de Todos Santos, climb or drive up to El Mirador in Colinas de Chapultepec, the hilly residential neighborhood west of downtown. The lookout is gated off, but no one seems to mind people slipping through the hole in the fence to the right of the gate. To get there from downtown, head up Av Alemán from the western end of Calle 2a. If you're driving, park in the dirt area across the street.

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  3. Maritime Museum

    Built in 1887 by the US-owned International Company of Mexico, the former Marine Customs House is Ensenada's oldest public building. The Maritime Museum houses rotating exhibitions - from archeological exhibits to contemporary art - with a cultural or historical angle.

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  4. Museo de Historia

    The Museo de Historia traces northern Baja history from the indigenous inhabitants to the mission period. On the building's basement level, the Galería de la Cuidad features Baja California artists.

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  5. Museo del Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia

    Built in 1886 by the US-owned International Company of Mexico, Ensenada's oldest public building houses the Museo del Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, a historical and cultural museum. It has a relatively small but comprehensive collection of artifacts, and discusses (mainly in Spanish) the area's history from prehistoric times up to the modern day.

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  7. Muso Histórico Regional

    This modest museum features the 'People and Cultures of Meso-America' and is housed in an 1886 military barracks that served as the city's jail until 1986. Exhibits feature tools, ceramics and other archeological finds of the indigenous Cúcapa, Paipai, Kumiai (Kumeyaay) and Kiliwa. Also check out the cell block, where several of the tiny, windowless concrete cubicles sport murals by the former inmates. The former dormitory houses rotating art exhibits.

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  8. Riviera del Pacífico

    A waterfront complex with Spanish-Moorish architectural touches, the Riviera del Pacífico opened in 1930 as the Playa Ensenada Hotel & Casino, but closed in 1938 when casino gambling was outlawed. Reborn as the Centro Social, Cívico y Cultural de Ensenada, it now hosts cultural events. The lobby contains a relief map of Baja and Alta California mission sites. Most rooms feature carved and painted ceilings, and the Dining Room and circular Casino Room are impressive.

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