With the exception of our blogs on Tecate, most of what we write about Baja is well into the peninsula’s interior, far away from the touristy stuff clustered around Tijuana. Today’s blog on the Rosarito Beach Hotel is an exception. I love this place, and the beauty of it is that it’s only about 20 miles south of the border. It will take you longer to get through Mexican Customs in TJ than it will to drive to the Rosarito Beach Hotel.
To get there from So Cal, just take I-5 south until you run out of road. Before you cross the border, though, make sure your car or motorcycle has Mexican insurance (we always use BajaBound). After you’ve crossed the border you’ll need to stop at the Mexican Customs office (it’s huge and you can’t miss it), get your paperwork squared away, and continue south. Watch the signs for the toll road to Ensenada; that’s the road you want. Driving through TJ isn’t too bad; once you’re on the toll road it’s a pleasant drive along the Pacific Coast and you’ll soon see signs for Rosarito Beach. Watch for the Rosarito Beach Hotel sign, head east, and after a couple of blocks you will be at the hotel entrance.
The Rosarito Beach Hotel goes back to the 1920s when people like Clark Gable stayed there. The bar is great, the restaurant is surprisingly good, their Sunday brunch is incredible (it’s worth the drive there just for that), and the first meal is on the house. The rooms are modern and they are immaculate. The grounds are beautiful and the hotel has secure parking.
Many times when we’re doing group rides, we’ll use the Rosarito Beach Hotel as a rally point after we’ve crossed the border. It’s hard to miss when you’re on the toll road to Ensenada, and if your group gets separated in the complexity that is the Tijuana border area, the Rosarito Beach Hotel is a good place to meet.
As I mentioned above, the restaurant in the Rosarito Beach Hotel is good. If you enjoy world-class fine dining, Susanna’s may well be the best kept secret in Rosarito Beach. It’s just a bit north of the Rosarito Beach Hotel and within walking distance in the Pueblo Plaza courtyard collection of shops at Benito Juárez 4356 (walk north a block or two and turn right). I have at least one dinner there every time I am in Rosarito Beach and I’ve never been disappointed.
There you have it: The Rosarito Beach Hotel. If you’d like to read more about our favorite spots in Baja and some of the fabulous rides we’ve enjoyed south of the border, please visit our Baja page!
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Headed into Baja? Make sure you have Baja insurance (it’s required by Mexican law). Our choice is always BajaBound!
Joe, since you guys have been to Mexico so many times on your motorcycles, (I’m assuming you rode them across the border), it would be interesting to hear your experiences with the local authorities and any paperwork involved. And perhaps with other countries as well. There are lots of stories out there but few good sources.
A splendid recommendation, Marcus! Watch for it in the next few weeks, and thanks for commenting.
For reference, I read “Two Wheels Through Terror” by Glen Heggstad. I’m betting you’ve already read it. It didn’t seem like the happiest trip and would pretty much convince the uninitiated to stay out of foreign countries and off motorcycles altogether. Or maybe he just had an unfortunate run of bad luck.
Got it, read it, it’s one of the best adventure travel books ever, and I know Glen personally. For those of you who haven’t read Two Wheels Through Terror, pick up a copy. You’ll love it. Check out our other favorite reads!
Ha, I just knew you knew Glen. It was my mother who bought that book for me as I was about to take a cycle trip cross country. She read it before she gave it to me and found it fascinating. Knowing her there was an underlying message. Mothers always watch out for their children no matter how old they are. I told her I was buying a scooter to commute to work, which I had earlier, just to get her used to the idea. Then when I hit forty I rode to my parents house with the big bike. My father thought it was beautiful, my mother started calling me every night, LOL.
Glen is a very inspirational man. I think all of us had mothers who worried about us on a motorcycle. I always thought it was silly until I crashed.