Baja Bound

Good buddy Tuan asked me for a suggested 4-day itinerary for Baja, and I referred him to our Baja page and its included suggested Baja rides.  Here’s another 4-day ride that would make for a great 4-day Baja visit:  Tecate, Ensenada, San Quintin, and home again.

Tecate is one of the better best-kept secrets in Baja, and it’s one of my favorite towns.  It’s about 150 miles south of the Los Angeles area and getting there is an easy ride.  I like to stay at the El Dorado Hotel, have dinner at the Amores restaurant, and then breakfast at Malinalli’s, which is right next door to the El Dorado.

After breakfast, it’s an easy run through Tecate to Ensenada along the Ruta Del Vino, maybe with a stop at El Naranjo’s for lunch.  It’s about an 80-mile ride and it’s quite scenic.  Ensenada is touristy, but I like the place.  You can get fish tacos at any of several taco spots along the embarcadero and have breakfast at Velero’s (world-class dining; it’s where knowledgeable Ensenada business folks take their morning meal).   I’d stay in the Best Western and have dinner at Birrieria La Guadalajara.  It’s a family style place my good buddy Tim introduced me to, and it’s great.

From Ensenada, it’s another easy run through northern Baja’s wine country and the agricultural region down to San Quintin.  There are two great hotels in San Quintin.  One is the more modern Mision Santa Maria.  The other is the Old Mill Hotel right on Bahia San Quintin, which is the one I prefer.  The Old Mill has a new restaurant called Eucalypto’s, and it’s world class.

After San Quintin, it’s about a 300-mile run home to get back to the Los Angeles area.  It’s a long stretch, but it’s doable in a day, and it would nicely wrap up a great 4-day run.

If you do a ride like the one I describe, or any other, don’t forget to pick up your Mexican insurance, and for that, BajaBound is the best there is.

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Want to learn more about traveling through Baja?  Check out Moto Baja!