Day 2,581 of Traveling the World | Ensenada, Mexico | February 25, 2025

Jan and Mike

Ensenada, Baja California – is known as La Cenicienta del Pacifico – the Cinderella of the Pacific. Who knows how cities receive these designations, or why? But that’s the story.

Calle Primera – First Street, is the tourist shopping and eating center. It is filled with what locals call Curiosidades – curiosities, trinkets, souvenirs. We certainly found a lot of strange things for sale there, some of which are shown in our photos. Cuban cigars were very popular and ubiquitous, as was tequila and cerveza. Everyone had a shop, and everyone tried to guide us into their store, especially if we focused on any one of their items for more than a second or two.

Breaking our hearts were the 3- and 4-year-old children shyly asking if we wanted to buy bubble gum or bracelets. We wished we could buy something from every single one. They stayed close to their mothers, who were also walking around hoping to sell something to make a little money for the day.

All in all, walking around felt a lot like Tijuana or other Mexican border towns. Ensenada is just under 70 miles from the border, so it almost qualifies. Many cruises stop here to fulfill the cruise ships’ duty of visiting at least one foreign port during a voyage, per the Jones Act of 1920, also known as the Merchant Marine Act.

So, all in all, if you need a last-minute souvenir from Mexico, a beer, or just some fresh air after being on a cruise ship for weeks, Ensenada fits the bill. It is good for moseying around and taking some fun photos.

The main tourist district, with the much-advertised Papas & Beer on the right.
Papas & Beer was quite the busy venue.
Plaza Civica de la Patria, with gigantic busts and the very visible-from-everywhere 160-foot tall flagpole and a 47×82 foot Mexican flag.
It looks like the Munsters’ car!
A cute souvenir shop.
The lion and tequila bottle looked very old-timey with the accompanying sombreros, but it wasn’t until we looked at the photos later that we noticed the hand-drawn sign in the window between the two: Soup of the Day: Tequila!
All things Day of the Dead.
We have never seen a McDonald’s offering cheddar cheese dipping sauce for burgers! And no, we did not partake.
The bar was not open, but it looks like they have a sense of humor.
Chamuco is a name on many things in Ensenada.
A giant insect on your blanket for snuggles, anyone?
…or do you want to snuggle with more Day of the Dead reminders?
Take a look: the Kraken Pharmacy has everything, including generic viagra.
We ran into this friendly man named Robert and told him how much we liked his t-shirt message. He invited us to take a photo of it.
A look down the sidewalk, and a giant tequila chair!
The outside of this store is fun.
Hmmmm….coffee and cigars. Notice what looks like the photo of a man inside on the left wall.
…it’s Jack Nicholson, blowing out a perfect cigar ring.
A pretty hotel on Calle Primera.
Plaza Neptune with its mascot.
In a shop window. Has anyone even seen a television like this in the last 50 years?
Just outside the port was this row of kiosks selling almost everything.
This particular kiosk had more stuff, and more info, than any other – they win!
Elotes – corn. There was corn on the cob, sure, but look at the last item – a corn cocktail! (We didn’t ask.)
And, our laugh for the day – a decorated Christmas tree, at the end of February.

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