Playa Ensenada

Crazy touristy Too many people trying to sell stuff every where. If you don't buy, they are rude

Playa Ensenada is a very cool beach. It stretches about 12 miles (15 km) from the Malecon (boardwalk) near the port of Ensenada down to the Estero Beach Resort on the edge of Todos Santos Bay (which is as big as San Diego Bay). On a huge stretch along the middle there are no structures to be seen from the beach, which makes it very scenic and natural. Just a long stretch of sand with a gentle slope into the Pacific Ocean. The water stays shallow for a long ways into the ocean. You could probably still stand up about 50 yards out there, but the water was too cold in April to stay in that long to find out. We'll be back in Summer to try. People walk their dogs unleashed and the sun glistens off the water. Pure sand and no rocks, this beach is a delight. Wide open to the ocean, there can be strong rip currents. For a beach dude like me it rates a 4.5 stars, so I'll round it up to 5 stars.

I lived in San Diego prior to moving to North Baja, Ensenada. Playa Hermosa has the same aesthetic, wave pattern, white sand, wave patterns etc as Ocean, Mission, and Imperial Beaches of San Diego County. Believe it or not, the big difference is that most South of Tijuana beaches are clean and free of the masse of flies, biting sand fleas, gnats, fishy stench, contaminated looking water, rubbish, plastic, cans, old piles of rotting seaweed, and animal waste smothering San Diego's. I have been revelling in the luxury of affordable Baja beachfront living for a couple of years now and feel fortunate to be here at this peaceful, uncrowded time. My large pitbull and I love to play and run barefoot in the white sand. Parking is free and easy, even on weekends. Beach motels are budget oriented, basic and welcome walk-in customers. Accessible is beer, tequila, wine, ice, taco stands, palapas for beachers use, public restrooms, and various mom n pops eateries all dotting this boardwalk/ malecon. Police rarely pass on quads defying their menacing stereotype common in Cali by turning a blind eye toward anything peaceful including but not limited to contained bonfires, low key booze drinkers, and non-agressive, dogs playing off-leash.