Baja’s Los Naranjos

I have several favorite restaurants in Baja, and Los Naranjos in northern Baja’s Guadalupe Valley is certainly one of them.  It’s address is México 3 22850 Ensenada, Baja, and what that means is the restaurant is about 80 kilometers south of Tecate along Mexico Highway 3 (the Ruta del Vino). It’s on your right as you head south, and if you blink you’ll probably miss it.

If you’re coming north from Ensenada, Los Naranjos will be on your left.  It always seems to me I’m on top of the place before I realize it when I’m riding north.  You have to watch for it.

After you park, head in through the arch and you’ll enter another world.  The grounds are immaculate (like the restaurant).  You can poke around and explore a bit before you go into the restaurant, or you can do so after you’ve had a fine meal (which is the only kind of meal I’ve ever had there).

The food is exquisite and Los Naranjos is popular.  You might see a Mexican riding club parked when you enter; the place is a well-known spot for an excellent dining experience.   You can have breakfast or any other meal, and I’ve never had a bad meal there.   Los Naranjos pies are exceptional, and their orange juice is off the charts.  It’s fresh squeezed, and if there’s better OJ elsewhere, I haven’t found it.

The Los Naranjos grounds are interesting.  There are sculptures in the exterior walls and various poultry species wandering the grounds.  I don’t know if the chickens are committed or simply involved in the breakfasts and other selections (“involved” means they only provide eggs; “committed” means, well, you know), but a walk around is always interesting and full of photo ops.

There is a high end, small hotel directly behind Los Naranjos.  I’ve never stayed there, which is a character defect I intend to correct on my next trip south.  You’ll read about it here on the ExhaustNotes blog.

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