Townapedia
Ensenada montage
Ensenada montage · matt.h.wade, Gabriel Flores Romero, cesar bojorquez,..., CC BY-SA 3.0
Saludos de Ensenada, Mexico, The "Cinderella of the Pacific" - Large Letter Postcard
Saludos de Ensenada, Mexico, The "Cinderella of the Pacific" - Large Letter Postcard · Steve Shook, CC BY 2.0
Piper J-5A Ensenada May 1946 (4805943663)
Piper J-5A Ensenada May 1946 (4805943663) · Bill Larkins, CC BY-SA 2.0
Antigua Aduana Marítima Ensenada
Antigua Aduana Marítima Ensenada · Javiermkn, CC BY-SA 4.0
Antiguo Cuartel de la Compañía Fija Ensenada
Antiguo Cuartel de la Compañía Fija Ensenada · Javiermkn, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ensenada Cuartel de Policia Centro de Gobierno
Ensenada Cuartel de Policia Centro de Gobierno · Ll1324, CC0

Ensenada, Mexico

Ensenada is a town of 443,807 people in Baja California, Mexico, founded in 1882.

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Population443,807 GeoNames
Elevation30 m 98 ft
Founded1882
Time zoneAmerica/Tijuana
Land area20.0 km²
Nearest airportEnsenada Airport (ESE) 8 km

Why visit Ensenada

Townapedia lists 19 museums and landmarks, 30 parks and trails, 131 places to eat, 19 places to stay and 7 attractions in and around town.

Highlights include Autonomous University of Baja California, Ensenada, Cinepolis Marina, Caracol Science Museum and Fuentes Acuaticas Interactivas.

About Ensenada

Ensenada ('inlet', pronounced [enseˈnaða]) is a city in Ensenada Municipality, Baja California, situated on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Located on Bahía de Todos Santos, the city had a population of 279,765 in 2018, making it the third-largest city in Baja California. The city is an important international trade center and home to the Port of Ensenada, the second-busiest port in Mexico. Ensenada is a major tourist destination, owing to its warm climate and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, and is commonly known as La Cenicienta del Pacífico ("The Cinderella of the Pacific").

From the Wikipedia article Ensenada (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Travel tips from other travellers: Ensenada on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Things to do7

Autonomous University of Baja California, Ensenada

School · 6.3 km

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Cinepolis Marina

Cinema and theater · 2.7 km

La Marina

Mo-Su 12:00-22:00

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Cinepolis

Cinema and theater · 2.7 km

Blvd. Lazaro Cardenas

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Concha Marina

Cinema and theater · 2.6 km

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El Vigía

Scenic view · 3.7 km

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Mirador al Puerto

Scenic view · 2.6 km

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Teatro Riviera

Cinema and theater · 2.2 km

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Museums and landmarks19

Caracol Science Museum

Museum · 2.4 km

3 Club Rotario, Ensenada

Tu-Fr 09:00-18:00; Sa-Su 10:00-18:00

Open in Google Maps · +52 646 177 0897

Fuentes Acuaticas Interactivas

Monument and historic site · 2.6 km

Prol Castillo

Tu-Su 20:00-23:00

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Monumental Flag

Monument and historic site · 2.6 km

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CEARTE

Museum · 2.3 km

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Epocas

Monument and historic site · 2.1 km

314 Dr Pedro Loyola

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Jardin de Niños Teotihuacan

Monument and historic site · 2.9 km

Orquidea, Ensenada

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Porterias

Monument and historic site · 2.9 km

Orquidea, Ensenada

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CEART Ensenada

Museum · 2.3 km

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Centro Cultural Riviera

Museum · 2.3 km

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Centro Social Civico y Cultural Riviera

Monument and historic site · 2.2 km

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Hidalgo

Monument and historic site · 2.6 km

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Historical Archives of the City

Museum · 2.5 km

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7 more on the map.

Parks, trails and playgrounds30

Raul Ramirez Lozano

Park · 2.7 km

Parque en amplacion Hidalgo

sunrise-sunset

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Canchita

Park · 2.9 km

Eventos sociales de Gobierno.

Gardenia y Orquidea, Ensenada

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Area Verde de Uso comun, Los Encinos

Park · 3.9 km

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Area Verde Los Encinos

Park · 4.3 km

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CFE Teneria

Park · 0.9 km

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Cruiseport Marina Ensenada

Marina and boat launch · 2.7 km

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Keki - Parque Ecológico y Cultural

Park · 2.2 km

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Mirador

Park · 3.3 km

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Montaña Llena de Malesa.

Park · 2.8 km

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Morelia

Park · 0.8 km

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Parque 3 Colonias

Park · 1.8 km

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Parque Av Reforma

Park · 1.7 km

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18 more on the map.

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Restaurants and cafes131

El Mesón de Ensenada

Restaurant · Breakfast, Mexican, Brunch, Fries, Burger, Seafood, Dessert, Diner · 2.4 km

914 Primera, Ensenada

Mo-Tu 08:30-15:30, We-Su 07:30-22:30

Open in Google Maps · +526461740155

La Van Chill Food

Restaurant · Burger, Regional, Sandwich, International · 0.7 km

666 Avenida Pípila, Ensenada

12:00-22:00

Open in Google Maps · +52 646 151 8801

Munchister Que se te Antoja

Diner · American · 2.7 km

Ave. Moctezuma

Mo-Su 12:00-22:00

Open in Google Maps · +52 646 204 1253

Negretes Restaurante

Restaurant · Mexican, International · 4.2 km

322 Dr. Pedro Loyola

Tu-Su 08:00-17:00

Open in Google Maps · +52 646 120 8885

Deli Loop

Cafe · Coffee Shop, Regional, Sandwich · 2.7 km

1971 Boulevard Costero Gral. Lázaro Cárdenas, Ensenada

Mo-Su 06:00-23:00

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Breve Café

Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.7 km

380 Calle Segunda, Ensenada

Mo-Su 08:00-20:00

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Cafe Cafe

Cafe · Bagel, Coffee Shop · 2.5 km

Calle Septima

Mo-Su 10:00-21:00

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Cafe Italia

Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.8 km

La Marina

Mo-Su 14:00-09:00

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Cafe Tomas

Cafe · Sandwich, Breakfast, Deli, Coffee Shop · 3.2 km

Teniente Zasueta

Mo-Sa

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Carnes Asadas El Charro

Restaurant · Steak House · 2.1 km

Ave. Gastelum

Mo-Su 10:00-22:00

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Coffe Monster Taste the Roar

Cafe · Sandwich, Bagel, Coffee Shop · 2.7 km

Ave. Moctezuma

Mo-Sa 08:00-17:00

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El Buen Cafe

Cafe · Crepe, Sandwich, Donut, Coffee Shop · 2.2 km

Ave. Ruiz

Mo-Su 10:00-22:00

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119 more on the map.

History

At the time the first European explorers arrived in the region, Yuman–Cochimí speaking peoples inhabited the region. Groups such as the Kiliwa, Paipai and Kumeyaay still exist. These hunter-gatherer indigenous peoples lived in the bay area and interior valleys of the Sierra de Juárez and Sierra de San Pedro Mártir. The Kumeyaay had a village where the city is seated that was called Pa-tai.

Bahía de Todos Santos, which Ensenada now borders, was first reached by sea by the Spanish explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo on the vessels El Salvador and Victoria. The city was founded on September 17, 1542, under the name San Mateo. In 1602, while mapping the coast of the Californias in search of safe harbors for returning Spanish galleons from Manila to Acapulco, Sebastián Vizcaíno renamed the city to Ensenada de Todos Santos. Ensenada means "bay" or "cove".

From the History section of Ensenada on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where to stay19

Churches and places of worship12

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Shopping37

Gas and EV charging16

Schools, colleges and libraries189

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Healthcare22

Map of Ensenada

250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

Getting there and nearby towns

Ensenada Airport (ESE) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 8 km away.

  • Rancho Verde 5 km north, about 5 min by car
  • Colonia Gómez Morín 5 km east, about 5 min by car
  • San Rafael 6 km northeast, about 6 min by car
  • Salvador Rosas Magallón 6 km northeast, about 6 min by car
  • El Sauzal de Rodríguez 9 km west, about 9 min by car
  • Villa de Juárez 12 km northwest, about 12 min by car
  • Colonia Esperanza (Cañón San Carlos) 14 km south, about 14 min by car
  • Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada 17 km south, about 17 min by car
  • Rosarito 69 km northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
  • Tijuana 80 km northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

Reviews, tips and questions

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Sources and licences

Photo credits

Page built November 4, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.