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Ensenada is a coastal city in Mexico and the third-largest city in Baja California. It is located 125 kilometres (78 mi) south of San Diego on the Baja California Peninsula. The city is locally referred to as La Cenicienta del Pacífico, or, The Cinderella of the Pacific.[1] One of the first cities founded in the Californias, Ensenada is now known as a cruise ship destination, aerospace center, and as the heart of a wine country regarded as the best in Mexico and the Americas alongside Napa Valley. It is said that the first Vitis vinifera made it to the peninsula (specifically to the 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 Gold Coast — the Port of Ensenada is an important commercial, fishing, and cruise ship port. Residents often refer to themselves as "porteños" (port-dwellers), in reference to the historic harbor. The city is home to a navy base, army base, and military airfield; functioning as an airport of entry into Mexico. Ensenada is the municipal seat and cultural and commercial center of Ensenada Municipality; one of the five municipalities into which the state is divided. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 279,765; 59% of the total population of Ensenada Municipality.

Ensenada is backed by small mountain ranges. Due to its location on the Pacific Ocean and Mediterranean latitude, the weather tends to be mild year-round. Although the rainy season during the winter is short, and the area is prone to prolonged droughts, Ensenada sits in renowned wine country. The National Park Constitution of 1857 created the Sierra de Juarez and San Pedro Martir National Parks. These parks maintain one of the best astronomical observatories in the country.

Ensenada is located some 108 kilometers south of the border with the United States, connected via a four lane toll road MX-1D and a two lane free road, which makes it a natural destination for tourists on short vacations by car. Ensenada's proximity to California also makes it a destination for short cruise ship trips from Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach. As of 2005 four cruise lines maintained ships that docked in Ensenada weekly. The world-renowned Baja 1000 off-road race is held in Ensenada every year in late November, while the Baja 500 race is held in early June. Off-road enthusiasts use Ensenada year-round as a starting point to explore Baja California.



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