It’s been a while since I’ve done an “overnight” trip of the week. But after several months of stress and ongoing problems, I was able to escape for three days and two nights south of the border!

I love Mexico..be it border towns or deep in the heart of Mexico. I’ve been to Mexico more than any other country. My journey took me to the town of Rosarito half way between Tijuana and Ensenada and less than 3 hours from Los Angeles. I’ve been through Rosarito but have never stayed there.

Crossing into Mexico is a breeze…you don’t even stop…I drove through Tijuana and over to the Playas de Tijuana and scoped out the Bull Ring By the Sea and the Border Fence which literally runs into the Pacific Ocean.

Tijuana is the only location in the world that has the advantage of being immersed in two worlds. One Mexican and the other American.  This window of opportunity opens to the average tourist an experience of two worlds for the price of one.  This is the location were the bullfights take place.  World renowned as "the world's most visited border city", the construction of the Bullring by the Sea started early in 1960. By June of the same year, the bullring was completed. It took a record of only 116 days to finish building it. It held its first bullfight on June 26, 1960. With a capacity of over 21,000 spectators, Tijuana's Bullring by the Sea occupies the title of second largest bullring in Mexico. The bullring can be emptied entirely from full in only 6 minutes. It is situated at approximately 30 yards from the US/Mexico border and its parking lot can fit 3,000 cars parked comfortably. The Bullfights start in May and run through the summer.

I then forged south along the coast of Baja on route 1 which is very scenic. I drove through Rosarito to a little village south of the city formerly name Calafia where I was staying. I stayed at the Calafia Hotel which was an old California Mission. It’s resort living, over looking the cliffs of the Pacific Ocean for the price of Motel 6 in the states!

Calafia, according to an old legend, was the Queen of a mythical island named California.

In 1773, Friar Francisco Palou established the first division of the New and the Old California. Father Palou divided the territories of the Franciscan and the Dominican Missions by putting the border exactly on the hill in front of Calafia, making this site a very important landmark in the history of both Californias .

Today, Calafia has become a magical and spectacular Historical Village and tourist destination -- the only one of its kind in Baja California.

Calafia's complex includes the hotel with its panoramic views of the ocean along with many terraces, bars, bazaars, discos, five restaurants and four banquet rooms.

The complex was wonderful to stay at and I learned a lot about Baja California History and the early Missions of Baja California. I’ve already visited all 21 of them in the state of California so now it was time to venture to the southern chain of missions. In addition the hotel which is next to Fox Studios has memorabilia from the movie Titanic that was filmed entirely at the Fox Studios in Baja.

After settling into my room, I ventured into town to go grocery shopping at the local grocery store and stock up on some food and beverage. While there I ate at one of the local taco stands which was excellent. I always get warning about eat at stall food and sanitation of those place, but knock on wood, I’ve never gotten sick in Mexico and I find the taco stands have the best tasting food plus I enjoy chatting with the locals and taking in the local color.

The next day was my big “Rosarito Day”. I had stopped in Rosarito once before when I did the Rosarito to Ensenada bike ride a few years ago but I didn’t really learn much about the city. I headed into town to do some exploring. My first stop was the tiny but informative museum in Rosarito where I learned about the history of this fishing city.

In centuries past, the California peninsula was inhabited by tribes of natives, notably the Pai Pai, Cochimi, Kiliwa, Cucupa and Kumiai. The Kumiai settled in the area we now know as Rosarito naming it Uacuatay (which translates to "the big house") and trace of their everyday life such as arrowheads, stone kitchen utensils, mortar, etc., have been discovered. These artifacts provide a rich source of information regarding their lifestyles and the first stage in Rosarito’s evolution. Today, in the area of San Jose de la Zorra just 30 kilometers east of La Mision Village, descendents of the Kumiai can still be found. 

 The second stage in Rosarito’s evolution, referred to as the "Misional", began with the arrival of the Spaniards in 1533. So named because it marked the establishment of missions throughout the peninsula and the evangelization of the native tribes. A total of 28 missions were founded by the Jesuits, Dominican and Franciscan monks in what we know as Baja California. 

 In 1767 the Jesuits were expelled from Mexico in a political-religious decision, the Franciscans were asked to take over the administration of the missions. In 1772, a concordat (agreement) was signed between the King of Spain -with the support of the Viceroy of New Spain (Mexico) and the Pope- and the leaders of the Dominican and Franciscan monks resulting in the division of California in 1773, using the local mountain range that meet the sea at Calafia. The Palou Frontier was established as the dividing line between Nueva (new) or Alta (upper) California and Antigua (old) of Baja (lower) California. 

 The Franciscans took control of Alta California and everything north of the Palou Frontier (including what we now recognize as the State of California, USA) was their domain. Alternately the Dominicans controlled everything south of the frontier in Baja California. Fifteen years later, en 1788, the De Sales Frontier was establish and the boundary between the two Californias was relocated to the site of the Rosarito Creek. 

 The third stage in Rosarito’s history began with the establishment of the big Ranchos. The property of El Rosarito Ranch, granted to don Jose Manuel Machado on 1825, stands out as the first in the area. Subsequently his son, don Joaquin Machado, applied for title to the land to then President Porfirio Diaz, and, on May 14th, 1885, title was granted and registered in la Ensenada de Todos los Santos, then capitol city of Baja California. May 14 is now recognized and celebrated as Rosarito’s Foundation Day by the Historical Society of Rosarito. 

 The fourth stage of Rosarito’s history is known as the TOURISTIC. It began with the establishments of a place by the name or Rene’s in 1925 and the Rosarito Beach Hotel in 1926. Rosarito was visited by tourist since 1874 (San Diego Union), attracted by hunting (dear, quail and rabbit) and fishing (lobster, abalone). 

 The "Ejidal" and fifth stage in Rosarito’s history began with the inception of Ejidos (common land for farming) when, on August 17, 1930, General Lazaro Cardenas, then President of Mexico, issued a resolution granting 4,671 hectares (over 10,000 acres) of land to a community of local farmers known as Ejido Mazatlan. 

 The beginnings of urbanization in 1950 marks the sixth stage in Rosarito’s development with the planning and construction of streets and city blocks. As land sales soared, coupled with the construction of small restaurants, some shops and two hotels, the city began to take shape. 

 In the 1960’s Rosarito entered the commercial/industrial era with the constructions of a huge thermoelectric power plant and the later installations of Pemex, the Mexican Gas Company. 

 This seventh stage in Rosarito’s evolution was marked with further construction and the development of shopping centers and more restaurants and shops were established along the main street. This street has been renovated and enlarge to encompass four lanes and a lighted meridian strip and, in 1889, was officially designated Boulevard Benito Juarez. 

 During the seventies and early eighties, Rosarito’s growth was moderate but constant. The mid-eighties, however, was marked with the strong development of tourist related businesses of obviously considerable investment. Available hotel rooms in Rosarito were up from 350 to 700. 

 In the early 1990’s appreciable economic growth was been achieved by the construction and competition of numerous hotels, condominiums and shopping centers. 

In addition to the natural appeal of Rosarito’s coastline, tourists are attracted by the more than 30 yearly sporting/touristy events, specifically designed for the visitor’s participation. The traditional Rosarito-Ensenada bike ride, for example, has drawn up to 19,000 entrants and finally became so popular that there are now two rides, one in April and the original held in September. Three-wheeler competitions on the very famous Cantamar sand dunes in Primo Tapia, Bi- and Tri-athalons, 5 and 10K runs, nice volleyball on the beach tournaments, sand castle contests, sky-gliding and horseback riding are some of the other attractions to Rosarito. In addition to the nearly 500 shops for the acquisition of souvenirs of truly one-of-a-kind special remembrances of Rosarito, we can also find hand crafts market with more that 150 different shops, where you can find: sterling silver, leather goods, blankets and many other hand crafts from all over Mexico

After a visit to the local museum, I was recommended to go on a walking tour in the heart of Rosarito which I did. I admit, I skipped a few stops but made it to most of the stops on the itinerary. My starting point was the famous Rosarito Beach Hotel.

Founded in 1925, the Rosarito Beach Hotel is one of the oldest historical structures and tourist complexes in Baja California. Built in the mid 1920`s by the "Los Angeles Investment Group" and then purchased by the business entrepeneur Manuel Barbachano, this structure was transformed into a tourist complex with casino, hotel, restaurant and private beach. since then, this has been one of the favorite hot spots for holliwood stars such as Orson Wells, Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth, Dolores Del Rio, Gregory Peck, Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and many more.

The colonial style architecture of the lobby and the main building structure still preserve their original states. Authentic 1920´s mosaic and mural paintings portray various stages on Mexican History. I then took a walk inside the hotel, walked through the gardens and headed to the Rosarito Beach Hotel Pier

The pier is one of the mos recent additions to the Hotel. The 591 yard pier was built to serve as a landing point for tourist cruise ships arriving from de US. Due to unboarding complications, the pier has become a great spot for fishing an excellent place to enjoy the sunset.

From the pier there were numerous tourist partaking in physical activities on the beach from surfing to sunbathing and horseback riding to dune buggy driving! I stopped and had a fabulous lunch for only $5 including my favorite...a Chile Relleno.

A short walk north of the Rosarito Beach Hotel is the heart of the night life (though I was there at 1 pm so it was a bit dead). The area located between Rosarito Ave. and Corona Ave. runs horizontally to Blvd. Benito Juárez, is considered the bar and nightclub area of Rosarito Beach. A place where you have a beach and nightclub combined atmosphere 7 days a week. Here you will find worldly renowned noghtclubs such as Sr. Frogs, the legendary Papas & Beer, Club Vibe, Bannanas, Rock and Roll Lobster, Club Maya, among others. This area did not hold my interest but feel it is worth mentioning since I know many of my readers are all about “where’s the party?”

Further north was the area I like...the Artisans Market, A commercial passage with multiple corridors that houses over 200 hundred shops where you will find jewelry, arts & crafts, rock art, leather and bone artifacts among other things. A common practice here is to bargain with the shop vendors to get the best prices on every item sale.

The final stop on the walking tour was Dulceria Alaya. Multiple and colorfull "piñatas" lead you into the entrance of the mos popular and typical Mexican Candy store. A Place where you can find authentic Mexican candy, milk chocolates, caramels, glorias, jamoncillos, mazapanes,tangy tamarinds, a variety of cheeses, dry fruits, chiles and other Mexican spices.

At this point I headed back to my room for a little relaxation. As the sun was setting I headed south of Rosarito and Calafia to the tiny fishing village of Puerto Nuevo!

Puerto Nuevo, the self-described "Lobster Capital of Baja," where you can choose from dozens of restaurants serving up langostas. Pan-fried lobsters. According to tradition, the lobsters are pan-fried in lard, so the meat stays soft and tender with beans, rice and homemade flour tortillas served on the side. Puerto Nuevo Baja was founded in 1956 with the opening of Puerto Nuevo II Restaurant, which is still one of the most popular restaurants in Puerto Nuevo. Today Puerto Nuevo is home to over 30 restaurants all serving the same thing. Almost a million lobsters are served in the Rosarito coastal area each year. "Puerto Nuevo-style" is now a world-famous synonym for the exquisite lobster offered in local restaurants. Mexico Lobster in Puerto Nuevo Baja California is a long-standing tradition for those visiting from the states. In Puerto Nuevo Mexico you can enjoy incredible ocean views in most of the restaurants, however make sure you don’t judge the restaurants by appearance alone, you might miss out. Puerto Nuevo is locally known as the "Lobster Village". Puerto Nuevo is a great little village with plenty of little shops and arts and crafts stores. I happened to come across Ortega’s original, one of the original lobster stores and chatted with the owner who gave me a history lesson on this region. For $15 I got 8 lobster tails and all the rice, beans and tortilla I could eat and a beverage! As I ate, Mr. Ortega explained the history of this sleepy village.

In 1954 Rosa María Plasencia’s father came to live in what’s now the famous lobster village of Puerto Nuevo. He came because he’d heard there were lobsters there—lots of them. There were. A year later Rosa María’s mother’s family came. The two young people met, fell in love, married and built a tiny house across the street from what is now the family restaurant, Puerto Nuevo II.

At that time there were only two or three families living on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific. Every day the men went out to sea in their pangas. Every afternoon their wives would scan the waters until they saw their husbands’ boats materialize on the horizon. Once a positive sighting was made, they’d rush to heat up beans and rice, pound out some fresh tortillas and put a kettle of lard on the fire. The men always came back ravenous, and when they unloaded their catch of lobsters, they’d slice a few in half, drop them into the bubbling lard and fry them up. There was no refrigeration back then, so the now-famous meal of fresh fried lobster, beans, rice and tortillas came into being purely out of necessity. The sea provided the lobsters. Beans and rice didn’t need to be refrigerated, and the tortillas could be made on the spot. Even to this day, Rosa María and her husband, Enrique Murillo eats mayonnaise with their lobster instead of melted butter.
Occasionally some Americans would show up and ask the men to take them fishing in their pangas. When they came back in, they’d join the Mexicans in a big meal. As is typical still today at fish camps up and down Baja, no money ever changed hands. The Americans gave soda, ham, sandwiches, cookies, candy and whatever else they had to spare in return for the fine food. In about 1956, Rosa María’s father sent to Guadalajara for his brother and sister. They came and joined in the fishing and cooking. A few more families migrated to the area. One built a little stand next to the bus stop, where the welcoming arches are now. They sold sodas, snacks and burritos. Next to their stand was a billboard advertising New Port cigarettes. The Americans named the village after that sign, which, translated into Spanish is Puerto Nuevo!

Over the years more and more people came from central Mexico. Some were intent on making their way to the USA, but stayed to fish and serve lobsters to the ever-growing crowds of visitors. A political activist, Señora Rentería, helped the families in Puerto Nuevo to get a grant from the government so they could have additional land to build on. She succeeded in getting 17 plots of land assigned to the locals and in gratitude for this; they named the village’s main street after her. Restaurant Puerto Nuevo I founded by Rosa María’s aunt and stepfather was built on the first lot assigned. Puerto Nuevo II was built on the second lot, and got its name because of it. A third family built yet another restaurant. All of them charged about 50 cents for a lobster dinner back then. According to Enrique Murillo, people didn’t just order a dinner apiece. They came in large groups and ordered lobsters by the half or full dozen. They picked the live lobsters out themselves and watched, as they were sliced open and cooked in sizzling lard. Even though their husbands have passed on, all three ladies who helped found the first three restaurants are still alive today to witness their thriving village with its current total of 34 restaurants.

A major growth spurt occurred in Puerto Nuevo in the ‘70s when the Ortega family came to town and built four restaurants, which they publicized widely. The signs for all the Ortega’s are easily visible from the toll road and these days, three to four thousand people make the trip to Puerto Nuevo to enjoy lobster dinners each week. Some come after a shopping trip to Rosarito, others on their way to or from Ensenada, some come on their way to or from southern Baja, but most come just for the food.

My last day, I left early from Rosarito. I left early..and there is a reason. Getting back across to the US since 9/11 often takes 3 to 4 hours!! I called the border crossing which has a voice message (in Spanish) telling the length of time to cross at San Ysidro, Otay, and Tecate. San Ysidro was already a 3 hour wait at 9 am!! I opted for Otay which is a bit east of Tijuana. Once I got to the border the wait was only about an hour! After crossing the border…I made a bee line for LA and was home in 2 hours!

If you are in southern California area and want to venture to Mexico but don’t feel like dealing with the chaos of Tijuana, I highly recommend driving another 30 minutes south of TJ to Rosarito for a city filled with history and traditional Mexican flavor!