Baja California Highway 1 is a scenic highway that hugs the Pacific Coast for much of the distance between Tijuana and Ensenada.  For great local flavor, turn off the toll road and take the camino libre, and you'll get the opportunity to visit many small, coastal towns and savor the beautiful scenery.

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I have to admit that prior to this trip I had never driven in Mexico.  After the last evening's visit to Tijuana and observing the vehicular "law of the jungle" that seems to prevail in Tijuana, I wasn't looking forward to driving in Tijuana.  Plus, I'd heard that the turnoffs are poorly marked and the roads require tricky maneuvering.  Saying I was nervous was an understatement; my state of apprehension could be described as bordering on sheer terror. But, if I was to make it to Ensenada, Tijuana had to be negotiated.  So after consulting many maps, praying to God and giving myself  last rites, I was as ready as I was ever going to be.

Left:  A border sunset, as Mexico is the the left, with all the folage, and the bare U.S. side is to the right.  Right: Rosarito, around10 miles south of Tijuana, what more can I say?

I'd read several articles on the web about finding your way from Mexican customs to Highway 1, and every article advised to position yourself in the 3rd lane from the left.  WRONG! As fate would have it, the night before I was to leave, my buddy Jerry Flinn called me up to chit-chat.  Well, I knew that he'd negotiated the Tijuana maze several times, so I asked him for his advice on the best strategy to pursue.  He emphatically advised me, as you approach Mexican customs, to stay in the right-hand lane, as you will be making a couple of right hand turns shortly after entering Mexico.  I followed his advice and I'm glad I did.  For more information on crossing the border by car, and driving around Tijuana, click on this link, as I explain the border crossing in great detail and provide a vew photos of the majestic event.

Photos:  Indian paintbrush and lupine are quite evident in season along Mexican Federal Highway 1, along the scenic coast of Baja California.

Despite Jerry's pep talk, I was very unsure of myself, as I'd never driven in Mexico before, and the aggressive driving habits of Tijuana locals was burned into my memory from the night before.  So in order to level the playing field a little bit, I chose to make my foray into Mexican driving early on Sunday morning, to avoid most of the traffic.  Oh yes, I had purchased Mexican automobile insurance on the web a couple of days before the trip.  The need to carry Mexican auto insurance is a whole other discussion, however, I wouldn't set a tire into Mexico without it.  The "what-if's" are just too staggering to think about...  The bottom line is:  Don't drive in Mexico without Mexican auto insurance!

At 07:15 A.M., December 5, 2004 I crossed into Mexico driving slowly in the right-hand lane, under the Mexican customs building over the ex-freeway, with the big red, white and green letters M-E-X-I-C-O above me.  I didn't even see any of the customs officers, so I basically just drove through customs, and the Mexican border, very slowly.

Photos:  Cantamar, south of Puerto Nuevo, a rather charming beachside community.

Taking Jerry's advice, I stayed in the right hand lane.  I had heard all sorts of horror stories that signs are missing, the route is poorly marked, what signs there are misleading; you know, all of the "gringo" tales.  I'd like to clear this rumor up:  NONE OF THIS IS TRUE!  There are signs; the signs are in good condition, and the route is well-marked and easy to follow; all you have to do is keep your cool, follow the signs and you won't get lost, so now the "gringo" rumors are buried...

Basically, after passing through Mexican customs, you make a series of three right turns, and yes, they are in rather quick succession.  But, it's no cause for worry.  Take it easy, drive slowly, don't panic, and, above all FOLLOW THE SIGNS that direct you to the ENSENADA SCENIC ROUTE.  Keep your eyes on the road, watch your speed, use your turn signals, and drive defensively!  As they say in Mexico, "No Problema."

The road takes you up and over the Tijuana River, then heads north to the U.S. border.  The highway then turns to the west, and parallels the U.S. border, running only, in some places, a few feet south of the U.S. border. Sadly, the United States has erected a substantial steel fence to prevent unauthorized access without passing through U.S. customs.  The border is further blighted by an ugly corrugated steel fence on the Mexican side, that has become a canvas for local grffiti-types.  (I can't bring myself to call them "artists")  The road is a 4-lane, limited-access highway, in good condition, with signs directing you to your destination. Because of the fact that it's limited access, you avoid Tijuana's horrific traffic. As previously mentioned, the highway closely parallels the border, and then joins the Pacific Coast, allowing access to Las Playas de Tijuana and the Bullring by the Sea. By doing this, the highway avoids the unruly congestion that Tijuana is noted for..x

Left:  The often described as "funky" La Fonda hotel, at La Fonda, Baja California.  Right:  The small town of La Mision, where Highway 1 leaves the ocean and jogs inland, until it joins the toll road at El Sazual.

Right before the turn-off to the beaches, the free road branches off to the left. The turnoff is accomplished by a large overhead sign that reads "Ensenada Libre."  Now, this was the route that I wanted to take, as I like to stop and explore the local towns, but alas, I wasn't paying attention and missed the turnoff.  Complacency on my part at it's finest!  

Just south of the Bullring is one of the more affluent areas in Tijuana.  There are some houses that can only be described as beautiful, most of which come with a spectacular ocean view.  If you want to tour this area, take the exit that's signed by "Playas de Tijuana" and you'll be where you want to go.  That wasn't on my itinerary, as I was heading south.

Shortly after passing the playas, the first toll-booth is reached.  At the time of my trip, the price was $24.00; about $2.15 in U.S. dollars.  The friendly folks at the toll booth will accept either dollars or pesos, but you can't mix the currency.

Left:  A very serene ranch scene is photographed in April 2005, along highway 1 between La Mision and El Sauzul. Right:  Looking east along highway 1, with wildfowers in bloom, as evidenced by the mustard flowers in the foreground.

South of the toll booth, the road hugs the ocean cliffs, and affords spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean.  There are quite a few coastal developments and subdivisions, most of which are quite up-scale, but there are many isolated houses and ranches that could be described as, well, "rustic" in character. When you look to your left on the coastal hills, you'll notice the antenna arrays of several AM commercial stations, the most northern of which belongs to XERPS, English Sports-talk Tijuana radio station, 1090 on the dial.  This radio station runs a power of 50,000 watts, and perhaps it's most famous claim-to-fame is it is where the famous "Wolfman Jack" originated from, back in the '60's, when the station held the call letters of  XERB.  As I kid, I used to enjoy listening to "the Wolfman" at night, when the skip would bring the signal to my old 5-tube superheat receiver. Even in Merced, 500 miles north of XERB, we'd drag the main and listen to the "Wolfman." Ah yes, those were the days...

I turned off the toll road at Rosarito, as I wanted to check out the town and I prefer the more "local" and relaxed pace that the Ensenada Libre road provides.

At the first (northernmost) Rosarito exit, I turned off the toll road and continued south on Ensenada Libre, Mexican Highway 1, the original, and free highway.  It immediately heads west, towards the beach, and into town, and becomes the town's main street.

Like in most Mexican towns, the main street is named Blvd. Benito Juarez, who is one of the greatest heros in Mexican history.  It features a median island that separates the lanes, and it's landscaped with bushes and small palm trees. Blvd. Benito Juarez is lined with shops, hotels and restaurants and features brick sidewalks that add a very nice touch to the street, and make pedestrians feel at home. Judging by the number of restaurants and hotels present, tourism plays an important part in Rosarito's economy.

Of course the most dominant building in town is the Rosarito Beach Hotel, a destination resort of choice for many Americans.  It's quite an impressive resort and even has it's own sport-fishing pier jutting out 500 yards into the ocean!

Photos:  Roadside shrines seem to be a fixture along Mexican highways, and Baja California Highway 1, just south of the small town of La Mision has it's own shrine.

I parked my car, got out and hiked around Blvd. Benito Juarez, savoring all the sights and sounds that the town had to offer.  As in most Mexican towns, there are phone booths on every corner, as not everybody in Mexico has a private phone number, and even at 08:00 on a Sunday morning, many of the phones were in use.  I took a hike a few blocks east of the main street, and explored some of the residential areas.  One commercial block that interested my featured some very colorful buildings.  There were many restaurants open, most of which featured tacos, either cooked over a propane-fired griddle, or a charcoal grill.  Usually I can't pass up a taco stand, but for some reason I wasn't hungry.  Perhaps it was the cloudy, ominous weather that put a damper on my appetite, or the urge to explore...

It was a pleasure to get out and walk, as Rosarito is a walker-friendly town and there was little traffic.

As Highway 1 Libre leaves Rosarito, it narrows down into a 2-lane road.  It was interesting to note that the primary traffic consisted of taxis, actually mid-80's vintage Ford station wagons sporting a "taxi" sign on the roof, that were being driven by entrepreneurial drivers. When they would spot a pedestrian hiking along the side of the road, they would stop, a fare would be negotiated, and they'd pick up a passenger.  I saw this scenario replayed many times; it was interesting to watch and observe.

Photos:  Highway 1 swings inland, just south of the small town of La Fonda, as it heads toward La Mision.

Just south of Rosarito, the highway passes the Fox Studios.  I was told that many scenes from the movie "Titanic" were filmed here, and the sailing ship, looking like a veteran from the movie Master and Commander, that was tied-up to the pier and the disconnected turret from a battleship, or what appeared to be a battleship, seemed to support that theory.

At the small town of Popotla, I  came upon what would prove to be, the first of several military checkpoints to be encountered on this trip.  The federales just waved me through, and I gave them a smile and a friendly wave.

I found it interesting that on the toll road, there are as many signs in English as there are in Spanish.  On Highway 1 Libre, all signs are in Spanish.  Hmmm, let me ponder the significance of that one...

Was I dreaming?  A couple of months ago, Sharlene and I visited the town of Newport, Oregon, and now I was in Newport, Baja California.  Ok, wait a minute...it's Puerto Nuevo...

When I saw the arches that announce the entrance to the small village of Puerto Nuevo, I couldn't resist the urge to stop and check it out.  I drove through the arches and parked on the main street in town, named Ave. Renteria. Actually calling Puerto Nuevo a town is an exaggeration; in reality it's a small village that is only a few blocks square in size.  What it lacks in population it makes up for in restaurants; this town is mostly hotels, restaurants and shops, but the BIG thing in town is lobster, as lobster is very plentiful in the area.  Check out the story that I wrote about Puerto Nuevo by clicking on this link.

Just a few miles south of Puerto Nuevo is the town of Cantamar, with it's own beach side development, Baja-style.  Actually, it could be described more as a collection of shacks, or a semi-organized slum that seemed to revolve around an impromptu junkyard.  I took a drive inside the "development" and noticed a few commercial buildings and food stands, many of them advertising mariscos, but nothing was open for business.

After passing the "funky" La Fonda hotel, Highway 1 lLbre swings inland, passes under the toll road, and starts to climb a small grade and head into the mountains and the small town of La Mision.  La Mision is set in a valley surrounded by scrub-covered hills and seems quite peaceful.  There is ample water in the area, enough so that the City of Tijuana has built a pipeline to the city from La Mision, where water is pumped out of the ground to quench the thirst of Tijuana.

Left:  Puerto Nuevo, a small coastal village, is famous for it's lobster and gets a lot of attention from tourists.  Click on the photo and you can read my article about Puerto Nuevo.  Right:  On a rainy day in December, 2004, I visit Mariscos Meno, in the small coastal village of Catamar, along Baja's Pacific coast.

As the highway leaves La Mision, it twists and turns as it climbs through the scrub-covered hills, and you'll encounter many sharp turns, some with posted speeds as low as 15 km.  The road reaches a plateau, and the country turns to ranching country, with ranch houses and barns every couple of miles or so. Traffic was almost non-existent, a good thing, considering the fact that it was raining really hard, with rain coming down in sheets at times.  Coastal Baja California has a brief rainy season during the winter, so I must have been in the middle of the rainy weather.  When it's not raining, coastal Baja California enjoys a Mediterranean climate, similar to San Diego.

By now, I was becoming accustomed to driving in Mexico and was actually beginning to relax and enjoy the drive.  That doesn't mean that I let my guard down or my attention wander; I just didn't feel like a deer caught in headlights anymore.  Mexican driving laws are very similar to those of the U.S., and once outside Tijuana, I didn't see any unusual driving habits.  In general, I feel that Mexican drivers are more courteous and slower drivers than their counterparts in the U.S.

At El Sauzal, a few miles north  of Ensenada, the Mexico Highway 1 Libre and the toll road merge to become a free, four-lane road into the port city of Ensenada. The road skirts along the Pacific Ocean and as you near Ensenada, the ocean becomes Bahia de Todos Santos and you enter Ensenada, the "Cinderella of the Pacific."