Baja Beaches & Wine Country

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Baja California is not only blessed with dramatic beaches and gorgeous views, but did you know that there is also a wine region nicknamed the Napa of Mexico? The Valle de Guadalupe is the jewel of Baja and is located less than two hours from San Diego. See what Wine Enthusiast Magazine (http://www.winemag.com/Web-2012/The-Mexican-Wine-Revolution/)and New York Magazine (http://nymag.com/travel/weekends/guadalupevalley/) are saying about this place and its boutique wineries and restaurants.

We’ll be doing this adventure with Baja Trek (http://www.bajatrek.com/), who will be providing our transportation for the weekend. If you haven’t been on a trek on the Gus Bus yet, you are missing out! This will make our fifth adventure with Kally and Nico, and it’s always been an amazing time and everyone has come back with great memories and new friends.

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3 Day Baja Beaches & Wine Country

Departs San Ysidro: Friday, September 26, 2014
Returns: Sunday, September 28, 2014
Group Size: 12-20 adults
Day 1 Rosarito/ Los Alisitos

10am Meet at the San Diego/ Mexico border on Friday morning, where we’ll park on the US side and walk across.

11am After crossing the border, we’ll pile onto the Gus Bus for a leisurely drive to Rosarito Beach, where we’ll stop for lunch.

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1pm After a tasty taco and a bit of beach time, we’ll head to one of the most popular surf breaks in Baja — Los Alisitos! Ian and his lovely daughter will be our hosts for the night at the Young Dudes Surf Hostel. Here, you’ll have the option of relaxing on the beach, boogie boarding, taking a surfing lesson, flying an ultralight, horseback riding, or riding an ATV. There’s also a fabulous restaurant next door at the La Fonda Hotel and several live music options.

Day 2: Guadalupe Valley/ Ensenada

10am We’ll leave the beach at Los Alisitos and from there, we’ll delve into the wine experience in Guadalupe Valley. We’ll do a full day of wine tasting with stops at 3 different wineries:

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1. Santos Winery (http://www.bajabound.com/destinations/bajawinecountry/santotomasgpevly.php) has a very large selection of wines as well as a nice outdoor sitting area that overlooks the vineyard. They also offer the most comprehensive tour that takes place every hour between 11 am – 3 pm. The winery is open from 10-5 on Saturday. You will receive 5 varieties of wine (2 red, 2 white, 1 sweet).

2. The second winery, Dona Lupe (http://www.lacasadonalupe.com/) is one of the oldest wineries in the area and is very traditional. The winery offers organic, artisan products for sale at the store (breads, jams, etc). Here, we’ll taste 4 varieties of wine.

3. The third winery is La Cetto (http://cettowines.com/ensenada-cava-wineries/ensenada-wine-winery-cellars.html). It offers tours of the facilities starting at 9 am and taking place every half hour and we’ll taste 4 varieties of wine.

We’ll make a stop for lunch at Finca Altozano (http://fincaltozano.com/), which has a huge outdoor space that overlooks a vineyard with local produce and meat.

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Once we’re done in Guadalupe Valley, we’ll head to Ensenada for the night where we’ll stay in the Ensenada Backpacker hostel (http://www.ensenadabackpacker.com/hostel_in_ensenada.aspx), which is located in the heart of the city and walking distance to lots of attractions. The beach town of Ensenada is famous for old Cantinas, fish tacos and a hospitable waterfront boardwalk. It is one of the most important ports in Mexico and where you can usually find cruise ships just off the shore.

Day 3: Ensenada/ Puerto Nuevo

On Sunday, you’ll have most of the day to explore Ensenada. This beautiful port is full of warmth and tranquility and has something for everyone including diverse activities that are unique to the city such as exploring the culture, fishing, and numerous water sports. If you still need more wine tasting, Bodegas de Santo Tomas is located within the heart of the city and is the oldest winery in North America. You will love its traditional and historical building along with its superb wines and delicacies — it’s truly a wine cellar like no other.

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5pm Before heading back to the border, we’ll try a “Puerto Nuevo” style lobster, served with refried beans, flour tortillas and salsas marinated in rose or white wine. Often called the Lobster Capital of Baja, Puerto Nuevo is home to dozens of restaurants serving up langostas, pan-fried lobsters. Since then people from over the world have come to enjoy the magic of Puerto Nuevo.

What’s Included?

All transportation in Mexico
1 night at Young Dudes Surf Hostel (http://www.youngdudes.co/)
1 night at Ensenada Backpacker Hostel (http://www.ensenadabackpacker.com/hostel_in_ensenada.aspx)
Wine tastings at 3 wineries in Guadalupe Valley

What’s Not Included?

Meals
Optional Activities
Personal Expenses
Parking at the border (costs about $10 per 24 hours at UETA) or you can take the MTS Trolley for $2.50 each way

Note: There are several free parking lots along the blue line where you can park your car and take the trolley to the border http://www.sdmts.com/trolley/trolley.asp . The trolley actually drops you off right in front of our meeting spot and runs every 15 minutes until 1am on Sunday.

Safety

Baja Trek prides themselves on offering a safe, comfortable journey for their trekkers. Though Mexico City and many mainland border towns have a bad rap in terms of crime and safety standards, Baja is a much safer and risk-free place to travel. Furthermore, their level of experience, knowledge and comfort with living, traveling, and guiding tours in Baja, as well as the presence of people on board, assures trekkers a safe and enlightening experience. To learn more, please visit http://bajatrek.com/baja-travel-faq.htm .

By signing up for this trip, you agree to the Legal Disclaimer & Release of Liability (https://www.meetup.com/AdventurePeople/pages/Legal_Disclaimer_and_Release_of_Liability/)