Ensenada

Just south of the border, on the Baja Peninsula, lies the flourishing, friendly port and holiday destination of Ensenada. It's a 90-minute drive south of San Diego and joined to Tijuana by the spectacular Trans-Peninsula Highway, with its breathtaking ocean views. The first visitor to this beautiful bay was Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino, who set ashore in 1602 and named the spot Ensenada de Todos los Santos,which means 'inlet of all the saints'. The saints have indeed been kind to Ensenada, which today has progressed from a Spanish mission station through fishing village status to become Mexico's second-most visited port of call for cruise liners and yachts, an extremely popular holiday destination for land-based tourists, and a leading convention centre.The secret of Ensenada's success as a tourist magnet is simple: the resort town basically has it all. The weather is bright and sunny throughout the year, and the Pacific beaches are magnificent. These basic ingredients have been enhanced by some wonderful natural and man-made attractions, great restaurants serving up fresh seafood and local wines, and amiable local tour operators providing a huge array of outdoor recreational activities and excursions. Even the town's industry, which consists mainly of fishing, winemaking and canning, has become a lure for visitors, who can visit factories and wineries and liberally sample the delicious wares.