SDClark5

Lots of news and info about Valle de Guadalupe here:

thevalledeguadalupe.blogspot.com

I know some of the people affiliated with BTK and they are solid. If I was on a cruise ship and booking a tour they would be my first choice.

If you're looking for information about the Valle, I have a blog that might of help.

thevalledeguadalupe.blogspot.com

@doug52 I have a news and information blog about Valle de Guadalupe ( thevalledeguadalupe.blogspot.com ). With your permission, I would like to re-post your report about your trip to the Valle.

If you have any questions you can email me @ sdclark5 at g mail d ot co m

I would put Baja's wine country, Valle de Guadalupe, at the top of the list of cool things to do while in Ensenada. A couple resources:

http://www.bajatestkitchen.com/ship-to-shore-excursions/

thevalledeguadalupe.blogspot.com

Puerto Nuevo is no longer what it once was. Almost all the the "lobsters" are shipped frozen from Australia and the Phiippines. At one time there were just a couple places and now there must be more than 50 restaurants catering primarily to tourists.

That being said, ensenada has great sea food. There are a multiple of carts and stands preparing fish and clams right off the boat.

I would suggest walking down to Muelle 3. Very casual and great food,

Bruin Steve is 100% correct, but those on a ship's tours won't see the view of the Valle from Monte Xanic, enjoy Troika's lechon wiith a cold beer, herar Eva Cordero's story of 3 Mujeres, or joke around with Leda Gamboa at the Adobe Food Truck..........

Personally I'd avoid the tours altogether and head to Valle de Guadalupe by Taxi.

Here's some help. https://davemillersmexico.wordpress.com/2014/05/19/cruising-ensenada-making-the-most-of-your-shore-time/

Yes there is. Season runs roughly from mid December through the middle of April. Lots of boats offer tours.

In the summer I'd opt for an an Alaskan cruise.

I have no first hand knowledge, but my friends tell me that almost all of the Cuban cigars sold in town are counterfeit.

It has been awhile but the cafe in the art museum (Centro Estal de las Artes) that had decent coffee and free wifi.

You can't go wrong with either restaurant. Bonito Moilina of Manzanilla actually owned Muelle 3 at one time. Manzanilla is a bit more formal with composed dishes, Muelle 3 is a small informal cafe right on the harbor. Is Manzanilla open for lunch?

The La Guerrense and El Guero food carts also serve super fresh sea food and are worth a visit.

A little off the subject, but I have a blog featuring news and info about Valle de Guadalupe that might be of interest. thevalledeguadalupe.blogspot.com

Ensenada and Valle de Guadalupe are world class culinary destinations. You can find everything from street carts serving excellent and super fresh ceviches to fine dining. Not knowing exactly what you are looking for I'd suggest Muelle 3. It's casual, right on the harbor and the food is excellent. The owner's brother also has a restaurant named Boules which is also excellent. Is's attached to a good wine shop called La Contra that has a great selection of wines from the Valle.

Dave Miller offers some excellent advice for those that visit Ensenada by cruise ship.

http://davemillersmexico.wordpress.com/2014/05/19/cruising-ensenada-making-the-most-of-your-shore-time/

The 1 liter limit is for California residents. I believe that non California residents may bring back 5 cases.

The Dave Miller blog post is only a couple weeks old.

I'm not sure what a cab will cost, but i would make sure the driver knows the Valle de Guadalupe well. The wineries can be hard to find.

I think I would adjust the Dave Miller plan a bit. Perhaps hit the fish market in the morning and get to the Valle about 11:00 AM. Hit a couple wineries (I suggest Garza, Sol y Barra, Tres Mujeres, Vena Cava, or Mogor Badan. Then have lunch at Troika or Almanzara.

You might want to contact Sitara Monica Perez. She's an American winemaker who lives in the valle and does tours. You can contact her here. http://valleygirlbajawine.com/contact/

Dave Miller's blog offers cruise passengers some Ensenada advice. http://davemillersmexico.wordpress.com/2014/05/19/cruising-ensenada-making-the-most-of-your-shore-time/

I have been to the Valle many times and would be more than happy to answer your questions.

What day of the week are you in port? Most of the wineries are open Fri. - Sun. However you can contact them directly and most will open on other days. I would suggest Garza, tres Mujeres, and Vena Cava which are clustered relatively closely. Then have lunch at Corazon de Tierra or the much more casual Troika both of which are located adjacent to Vena Cava. A blog with Valle de Guadalupe news and info. http://thevalledeguadalupe.blogspot.com

Head to Ensenada a day or three early and stay at the Hotel Coral and Marina. They run a shuttle service to and from So Cal. http://www.hotelcoral.com/transportation/transportation

Most people coming to Ensenada looking for a beach choose Estero Beach. Just do a search form Estero Beach up above and you'll find lots of threads full of information about prices, taxis, etc.

If you're looking for a fish taco, El Feix is hard to beat.

FWIW, there are other excellent carts besides La Guerrerense. Mariscos El Guero and Mariscos El Pizon are both worth seeking out.

Talked to one of Javier Plascencia's cooks a while back about the Ensenada food scene. When I mentioned lobsters he just laughed and said that that was tourist food. Evidently the "lobsters" come from the Philappines.