If you love lobsters, beautiful beaches, cheap drinks, and shopping, then the coastal town of La Mision in Ensenada is the hidden gem you need to take a road trip down to. My crew and I headed down to La Mision, Baja California, Mexico from Los Angeles for a little weekend getaway and each of us seems to have left our hearts there.
The Accommodation
The moment we entered our brightly furnished in perfect Mexican fashion Airbnb after driving along dusty roads, we … fell in love.
The owners of our Baja casita spared no detail to create a magical and welcoming space. While you might assume that the best part of our Baja Airbnb was the gorgeous Mexican decor, just wait until you see the view from our patio.
Now check out the ocean view from our patio. The ocean is a stone’s throw away and there is a walking path that leads you straight to the beach. We also had the option to kayak in the estuary, which we didn’t get around to doing, but next time for sure!
The Food in Baja California
La Mision is a quiet beach town so you have to drive or take a cab to get to some of the tastiest lobsters in the area, but don’t let that deter you from exploring some of the restaurants in the neighborhood. For one, you’re essentially on the foothills of several vineyards and wineries that have gourmet restaurants, but if you are looking for authentic Mexican food like tacos or tortas, there is a great spot called Maganas Restaurant-Bar. They also serve a mean breakfast. A solid meal for a group of 5 and a round of margaritas cost us about $35 USD. Not bad, right?
About 10 minutes from our Airbnb in La Mision is a popular restaurant called Dmytri’s Original La Fonda Resturant and they have delicious cocktails and seafood. What they seem to be known for are their bottomless Bloody Marys and oceanfront views. In the evenings they have live music so if you want to go somewhere that you can sit back and enjoy a nice evening, Dmytri’s La Fonda should be on your list.
If what drew you to Rosarito/Ensenada in the first place is the lobster, then you’re going to visit Puerto Nuevo aka The Lobster Village. Once you arrive you might be overwhelmed with all of the options, but take your time and walk around, check out the specials and get a good vibe for the area to ease into the amazingness of Lobster Village. Aside from the food, there is a lot of shopping you can do in Lobster Village from blankets, kitchen items to cute purses and beautiful jewelry.
Take a moment to observe this delectable mess from our dinner below… a lobster feast at one of the Ortega restaurants that had an incredible ocean/sunset view in Puerto Nuevo, Mexico! For about $30 USD per person, you get a medium-sized lobster, side of beans, rice and freshly hand-made tortilla and a margarita. Most of us opted for a tamarindo margarita – highly recommend it.
Puerto Nuevo is about an hour drive from the San Diego-Tijuana border so if you’re just craving good food and shopping, you can totally make a day trip out of this even if you’re not staying the night. There are several Ortega restaurants so I would just pick one with the best view and shortest wait time to enjoy your dinner. Other activities that you can do while in La Mision is ride horses on the beach, go wine tasting at one of the local vineyards or a countless amount of other things. In the course of a weekend, you can have a relaxing or adventurous weekend consisting of delicious food and good vibes.
Have you been to La Mision Mexico or planning a roadtrip? Share your comments below!
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