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Top Attractions in Baja California

Ensenada

Ensenada is a coastal city in Mexico, the third-largest in Baja California. Lying 125 kilometres south of San Diego on the Baja California Peninsula, it is locally referred to as La Cenicienta del Pacífico, "The Cinderella of the Pacific." One of the first settlements founded in the Californias, Ensenada has emerged as a cruise ship destination, aerospace center, and there is a nearby region to the north east where wine grapes are grown. It is said that the first Vitis vinifera made it to the regions San Ignacio Mission in 1703, when Jesuit Padre Juan de Ugarte planted the first vineyards there. Situated on the coastline of Bahía de Todos Santos—an inlet of the Pacific Ocean on the peninsulas Gold Coast—the Port of Ensenada is an important commercial, fishing, and tourist port. The city is home to a navy base, army base, and Ensenada Airport, a military airfield which doubles as an airport of entry into Mexico. Ensenada is the municipal seat and cultural and commercial center of Ensenada Municipality, one of five into which the state is divided. As of 2010, the city of Ensenada had a population of 466,814. Ensenada is backed by small mountain ranges. Proximity to the Pacific and a warm Mediterranean latitude create mild year-round weather. The rainy season during the winter is short and the area is prone to prolonged droughts, which can threaten its grape harvests. The National Park Constitution of 1857 created the Sierra de Juarez and San Pedro Martir National Parks, which maintain one of the best astronomical observatories in the country.

Mexicali

Mexicali is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California, seat of the Municipality of Mexicali, and 2nd largest city in Baja California after Tijuana. The City of Mexicali has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the population of the entire metropolitan area reaches 996,826. The city maintains a highly educated and skilled population, as the city has modernized and become an important population center in the desert region. Mexicali's economy has been historically based on agricultural products, and to this day it remains a large sector of the economy. As time has progressed, however, its economy has gradually gone from being agricultural to include industry, mainly maquiladoras. Companies such as Honeywell, GKN Aerospace, Kellogg's, Gulfstream, UTC Aerospace Systems, SunPower, Rockwell Collins, LG Electronics, National Oilwell Varco, Mitsubishi, Autolite, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Robert Bosch and Goodrich Corporation have built maquiladora plants in the city. Mexicali is the national pioneer for the aerospace industry in Mexico, when Rockwell Collins decided to established an operation in 1966. Rockwell Collins it's the oldest company under the maquiladora program nationwide. Founded on March 14, 1903, Mexicali is situated on the Mexico–United States border adjacent to its sister city Calexico, California, with which it forms a dual-state, international population center, Calexico–Mexicali.

Tijuana

Tijuana is the largest city in Baja California and on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. As an industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics. As the city has become a leading center in the country, so has the surrounding metropolitan area, a major industrial and paramount metropolis in northwestern Mexico. Currently one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in Mexico, Tijuana maintains global city status. As of 2010, the city of Tijuana had a population of 1,300,983. On the Gold Coast of Baja California, Tijuana is the municipal seat, cultural, and commercial center of Tijuana Municipality, covering 23.5% of the municipality. A dominant manufacturing center of the North American continent, the city maintains facilities of numerous multinational conglomerate companies. The 2000s saw Tijuana become the medical device manufacturing capital of North America. Also a growing cultural center, Tijuana has been recognized as a most important new cultural mecca. The city is the most visited border city in the globe; sharing an approximate 24-kilometre-long border with its sister city San Diego, over fifty million people annually cross the border between these two cities. This metropolitan crossing makes the San Ysidro Port of Entry the busiest land-border crossing in the world. It is estimated that the two border crossing stations between the cities proper of San Diego and Tijuana account for 300,000 daily border crossings alone. Tijuana is the 29th largest city in the Americas and is the westernmost city in Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the Tijuana metropolitan area was the fifth-largest in Mexico, with a population of 1,784,034. The international metropolitan region was estimated to be just over five million in 2009 and approximately 5,105,769 in 2010, making it the third largest metropolitan area in the Californias, 19th largest metropolitan area in the Americas, and the largest bi-national conurbation that is shared between US and Mexico. Tijuana is becoming more suburbanized like San Diego; during the 2000s the drug violence had residents moving out of the congested urban core into isolated communities within the municipality and beyond, as evidenced by 2010 Census figures and growth patterns. Tijuana traces its modern history to the arrival of Spanish explorers in the 16th century who were mapping the coast of the Californias. As the American conquest of northern Mexico ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Tijuana's new international position on the border gave rise to a new economic and political structure. The city was founded in July 11, 1889 as urban development began. Often known by its initials, T.J., and nicknamed Gateway to Mexico, the city has historically served as a tourist center dating back to the 1880s.

Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park

Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park is a national park in the Mexican state of Baja California. The Park is part of the municipality of Ensenada, Baja California. The area was first explored by Europeans in 1701 by Eusebio Francisco Kino by Dominican orders. The park is known for its pine trees and granite rock formations. Sierra de San Pedro Mártir is a mountain range that runs north-south along the middle part of northwestern Baja California, Mexico. with its name Spanish for "mountains of Saint Peter the Martyr. Picacho del Diablo is the highest peak in the park and in Baja California with its summit reaching 3,096 meters . Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park is one of the few pine forests that exists on the Baja California peninsula that is important habitat for native Bighorn Sheep. In addition the park is home to the California condor through re-introduction program by several international agencies. The National Astronomical Observatory, built in 1971 on a neighboring peak, Cerro del la Cúpula, is home to Mexicos largest optical telescope, with a diameter of 2.12 meters, and a weight of 40 tons in total. The observatory is the second most important in Latin America.

Initial Point of Boundary Between U.S. and Mexico

The Initial Point of Boundary Between U.S. and Mexico, Monument No. 258, was first established as a cairn of rocks in 1849 following the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. A white marble shaft was manufactured in New York, transported around Cape Horn on the USS Supply to San Diego, and erected and dedicated at the site in Imperial Beach in June, 1851. The marble monument was an obelisk about 20 feet in height, resting on a marble pedestal. On its top was an inverted acorn to symbolize the strength and stature of the California live oak tree. In 1894 it was found that the initial monument had become so mutilated by visitors that its outlines were nearly destroyed, and its inscriptions partly obliterated. The Barlow-Blanco Commission had the monument renovated in San Diego, reconstructed at the site, and protected with an enclosure in 1894. Excepting for normal wear and tear and some slight vandalism, as of 1974 the marble monument as reconstructed in 1894 still stood at its original site. The significance of the monument is stated in the inscription on the west side of the original marble shaft: "Initial point of Boundary between the United States and Mexico, established by the Joint Commission, 10 October, A.D. 1849, Agreeably to the Treaty dated at the City of Guadalupe, Hidalgo, February 2, A.D. 1848. John B. Weller, U.S. Commissioner. Andrew B. Gray, U.S. Surveyor. The monument is the westernmost boundary marker on the international boundary between the United States and Mexico and as such has since its erection and will throughout the future mark the southwestern corner of the Continental United States. Pursuant to President Richard Nixons "Legacy of Parks", Mrs. Pat Nixon in August 1971 turned over 372 acres of surplus Navy land, formerly known as Border Field, to the people of California as a beach park. The area is now known as Border Field State Park.

Tijuana Cultural Center

The Tijuana Cultural Center opened its doors October 20, 1982, with over a million visitors a year. This touristic attraction has been the main center for the regional arts, and represents one of the most important in the northwest of the country. It is located in the Zona Río district of Tijuana, Mexico. The complex features an OMNIMAX theatre, with a 360-degree projector that gives one the impression of being inside the movie. It has a capacity of 308 seats and is popularly known as "La Bola" because of its spherical shape. It was designed by architects Pedro Ramirez Vazques and Manuel Rossen Morrison. Also, this is the current and only IMAX Theater in Tijuana. Since its opening in 1982 it has been the main attraction for the cultural centre and on October that same year it premiered the movie "El Pueblo del Sol" which was made especially for the opening. The movie featured images from the most representative regions of Mexico and got very good reviews. It lasted 13 years as the only movie showing and at full capacity. Today, the centre offers up to three different movies playing daily and it premieres an average of four movies per year. The center contains a big esplanade that can gather up to 6,000 people and is often used for concerts, festivals, performances, and expos of different sorts. It is considered the heart of the centre since it is located exactly at the center. There is also permanent exhibition, called "Museo de las californias" which stores over 200 pieces and is a walk through the history of the Baja Peninsula and the state of California from the prehistoric period until the first half of the 20th century. Also a pre-Hispanic garden, called "Jardin Caracol ", that contains sculptures from the different regions of the mesoamerican cultures that inhabited south Mexico before the arrival of the Spanish Army. Visitors can have the experience of going through the exhibition while enjoying a coffee since there is a little coffee shop in the garden. There is also a scenic theatre which has a room for around a thousand visitors and it is mostly used for private concerts and plays. There are also lecture rooms, video room, café, and a bookshop. There are several spaces for temporary small exhibits. In September 2008, on the eve of its 26th anniversary, CECUT opened its doors to a brand new building called "El Cubo", so named because of the contrast between the popular name of the omnimax theatre "The Ball". This represented the very important opportunity for CECUT to start receiving International Exhibitions, and since then it has been the home for exhibitions that have traveled from other countries including Buda Guanyin, Gabriel Figueroa, Alice Rahon, Venus en Tijuana, Proyecto Civico, and Animated Painting among others. Nowadays this important institution has different programs for all ages, since classes for early stimulation for kids around 2 months and 2 years, plastic arts and artisan workshops for children from 5 to 15 years and concerts, conferences, movies, documentaries, exhibitions, and all kind of services for the whole family to enjoy the day and spend a nice time learning. CECUT is located no more than five minutes from the San Diego-Tijuana international border.

Misión Santo Tomás de Aquino

Mission Santo Tomás de Aquino was founded in what is now Baja California on April 24, 1791 by the Dominican missionary José Loriente, with the authorization of the president of the missions, Juan Crisóstomo Gómez. It was named for Saint Thomas Aquinas. The mission was established in the territory of the Kumeyaay, on the mountainside of the San Solano hills in northwestern Baja California, Mexico. It bridged the 120-kilometer gap between the previously founded missions of San Vicente and San Miguel. The mission was relocated twice, in around 1794 and in 1799. Historians are uncertain concerning the locations of the first two mission sites. The third and final location was at the modern town of Santo Tomás. The population was over 250 individuals in 1800, and it reached its peak of 400 in 1824. The mission was secularized in 1833, but a priest continued to serve the neophytes until 1849. In that year, the native population had fallen to 60, and the mission was abandoned to the military, who used it as a fort and capital for northern Baja California. Deteriorating ruins survive at the site.

Misión San Fernando Rey de España de Velicatá

Another mission bearing the name San Fernando Rey de España is located in the Mission Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Located in Baja California, Mexico about 35 miles southeast of El Rosario, Misión San Fernando Rey de España de Velicatá was the only mission founded by Franciscans in Baja California. The site for the future mission was identified by the Jesuit missionary-explorer Wenceslaus Linck in 1766. After the Jesuits were replaced by the Franciscans in 1768, the latter were charged with extending Spanish control far to the north, into Alta California. Mission San Fernando, at the Cochimí settlement of Velicatá on the route north, was established by Junípero Serra during the early stages of the Portolá expedition, in March 1769. This would be Father Junipero Serra's first mission before moving north to Alta California. In the 1770s, under the Franciscans and then after 1773 under their Dominican successors, the mission quickly reached its peak and went into decline as epidemics decimated the native population. A missionary was no longer permanently resident at the site after about 1818. A few ruined walls and stone foundations survive at the site as well as petroglyphs and some remains of pictograms. Just to the west of the mission ruins you will find an aqueduct and a small dam.

El Vallecito

El Vallecito is an archaeological site located in the city of La Rumorosa, in the Tecate Municipality, Baja California, Mexico. It is believed that Baja California had human presence for millions of years, however the available evidence indicates an occupation approximate from 8000 BCE. The sited mentioned sites are more recent, it is estimated that they were developed in the last thousand years, though the engravings, more resistant to erosion, could be older. The site was inhabited by the Kumeyaay ethnic group whose territory comprised from Santo Tomas, Baja California, to the San Diego coast in California. The eastern region ranged from the Escondido, California, area up to the mountains and deserts in northern Baja California, including the area of Laguna Salada and part of the sierra Juarez known as La Rumorosa. This site has more than 18 sets of cave painting of which only six may be visited. The Vallecito is considered one of the most important of the region. There are several important archaeological zones; however, officially not yet been appointed by the responsible authorities. The site has many cave paintings or petroglyphs made by the ancient peninsula inhabitants. It is known that the territory was occupied by nomadic groups who lived in the region and that they based their existence in hunting and the harvesting of fruits, seeds, roots and sea food. The decorated rocks with white, black and red figures are pictures made approximately three thousand years ago, when various migratory flows penetrated the Baja California region, known as Yuman or Quechan, which came from what is now the United States.

Rosarito Beach

Note: There is also a Rosarito further south along the coast near the southern state border, but is not much more than a few homes. Rosarito is a coastal resort city in the Mexican state of Baja California located approximately 10 miles south of the U.S. border in Rosarito Beach Municipality. Often mistakenly called "Rosarito Beach" because of the wellknown Rosarito Beach Hotel, the town of Rosarito is one part of the municipality named Playas de Rosarito . Its beaches and dance clubs are a popular destination for young people from the United States during the Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. Rosarito Beach is the seat of the municipality of Rosarito Beach. The city is the second largest in the Tijuana metropolitan area and southern beach city of the San Diego–Tijuana international metropolitan region. Additionally, it is the westernmost municipal seat in Mexico, slightly further west than neighboring Tijuana, which lies inland to its north-northeast. As of 2010, the city had a population of 65,278.

Misión de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del Norte

Mission Guadalupe was founded by the Dominican missionary Félix Caballero in June 1834, at the site of the modern community of Guadalupe, Baja California. This was the last of the new Dominican missions in Baja California and the only one begun after Mexico had gained its independence in 1821. The mission's inland site, about 25 kilometers east of Misión San Miguel was presumably chosen for the agricultural potential of its wide valley. Wheat, olives, pears, and grapes were among the crops that were produced. Guadalupe may have had about 400 Kumeyaay Indians in its care. However, conflicts seem to have been frequent, both with the local groups and with Quechan from as far away as the lower Colorado River. In 1840, a rebellion under a local leader, Jatñil, forced Caballero to abandon the mission. Stone foundations and adobe walls from the short-lived mission survived at the site as late as the middle twentieth century.

Agua Caliente Racetrack

The Agua Caliente Racetrack is a greyhound racing and former horse racing track in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. It opened in December 1929 at a cost of $2.5 million. One year before, the Agua Caliente Casino and Hotel opened in June 1928. Like the resort, the racetrack was designed by Wayne McAllister and built by wealthy Americans Baron Long, a Los Angeles nightclub owner, Wirt Bowman, owner of the Tijuana gambling establishment, The Foreign Club, and James Croffroth, a member of the local Tijuana horseracing establishment. Some sources note the fourth partner was Abelardo L. Rodríguez, Military Commander and Governor of Baja California, and future President of Mexico. The lavish resort and racetrack on the Mexican border was popular among Americans, particularly Hollywood celebrities, because drinking, gambling and horse racing were still illegal in most of the neighboring U.S. states. Although President Lázaro Cárdenas outlawed gambling in 1935 and closed the resort and casino, the Agua Caliente Racetrack continued to operate for many years. It was the site of several industry firsts, including starting gates, safety helmets, and “pick six” wagering. Both Phar Lap and Seabiscuit ran and won the Agua Caliente Handicap, which for a time was the richest in North America. Such riders as Aureliano Noguez, Humberto Enriquez, Francisco Mena, Antonio Castanon and David Flores graced the jockeys' quarters throughout the days of horse racing. The race track is the originator of the Pick 6 (on the North American continent). Then known as the 5-10 and later on the 4-9'er. Some racetrackers called it the Big Six. The original grandstand structure was destroyed by fire in 1971, but was rebuilt and continues to operate today, though just a shadow of its opulent beginnings. It is currently owned by millionaire politician Jorge Hank who renamed it "Hipódromo de Agua Caliente". It no longer hosts horse racing but rather greyhound races. The building is currently being renovated and the Estadio Caliente stadium was built in the grounds.

San Quintín Volcanic Field

The San Quintín Volcanic Field is a collection of ten or eleven volcanic cinder cones situated along the Pacific coast of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. The field formed by repeated eruptions beginning in the Pleistocene and ending about 3000 years ago. It is one of several known Quaternary period volcanic fields in Baja. The lava shields appear to have first grown as subaqueous volcanoes that emerged as islands. Currently located in a shallow bay, the cones are found in two groups and two isolated islands. The Northern group is composed of two cones, formed 126,000-90,000 years ago; the Southern group is larger, with two cones in the lagoon itself, and formed over a much larger and undetermined span of time. Most volcanic complexes in the field have a well-preserved scoria cone and lava apron, dotted with eruptive vents and lava flows. 42 eruptive units can be seen on the ground today. The San Quintín field is the only known location of intraplate-type mafic alkalic volcanism on the Baja California peninsula. The oldest cones mainly erupted primitive magmas with occasional small xenoliths. As the field evolved, differentiated magma became more common, although extremely pure primitive magmas – virtually devoid of xenoliths and unusually rich in olivine phenocrysts – still dominated at the young cones. These primitive magmas originated from progressive partial melting of spinel lherzolite at unusually shallow levels in the mantle. The ultramafic xenoliths found are mostly spinel lherzolite, with the final 20% harzburgites, dunites, and pyroxenites. The San Quintín field is also the only source of peridotitic and granulitic xenoliths on the peninsula. The largest and most abundant xenoliths are found in differentiated magmas.
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