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Where is Rosarito
Beach?
Rosarito is 30 minutes south of San Diego, just across the Mexican
border on the Pacific coast of the great Baja peninsula. Downtown Rosarito
is only 18 miles from the border via the beautiful and well-kept
Rosarito-Ensenada toll road, recently renamed the Rosarito-Tijuana Scenic
Road.
What's the best time of year to visit?
Anytime! The weather is similar to San Diego's coastal areas, but with
constant ocean breezes keeping us cool in summer. Year round, we enjoy an
almost perfect climate with mild winters and balmy summers.
Is Rosarito a ritzy, expensive resort town?
No. While we have all the amenities of most top coastal resorts
world-wide, we are considered inexpensive by California standards and lower
in overall cost than Tijuana for entertainment and meals. Your dollars go a
long way in Rosarito and you'll find excellent value for your money
everywhere. The atmosphere is casual, laid-back and informal.
Are Rosarito and the surrounding area safe?
Probably safer than your home town. Guns are illegal in Mexico and Baja
California has had the lowest unemployment rate in all of Mexico for almost
10 years, currently at almost 0%. Thus, violent crime is low and random
violence is practically non- existent. However, it's always wise anywhere to
use the same, normal safety and anti-theft precautions you would use at
home. Lock your car. Use a Club-like device. Don't leave valuables in full
view on car seats and park in well-lit places.
Can I drink the water?
As opposed to mainland Mexico, Baja's water is from wells and has been
considered safe for years. In addition, there is a Mexican federal law
stating that restaurants must serve purified, "drinkable" water, tested free
of contaminants both for drinking and for ice. Most hotels in Rosarito also
provide bottled or purified water in guest rooms and popular international
brands of bottled water are available for purchase virtually everywhere.
What about money and credit cards?
The peso is the official currency of Mexico but being so close to the
border dollars are accepted almost everywhere and credit cards are taken at
most major restaurants, shops and hotels. There are also ATM machines in
town located at the Bital. Banorte, Santander, Banamex and Bancomer banks.
They accept Visa and Mastercard and dispense bills in pesos. If you prefer
to use pesos during your stay, you'll also find several banks and
money-exchange houses in the central downtown area where you can make money
exchanges.
I don't speak Spanish. Will I be able to communicate?
English is spoken almost everywhere in the main tourist areas.
Can I bring my children to Rosarito?
Absolutely! Rosarito is kid-friendly to an extreme. There's lots for kids of
all ages to do in a very safe, small-town environment.
Do I need a passport?
Entering Baja for up to 72 hours and exploring as far south as the seaport
city of Ensenada requires no visa or other paperwork for U.S. or other
citizens. Simply drive across the border (as almost 180,000 people do each
day), head for Rosarito and enjoy the unusual foods, music, festivities and
fabulous crafts of Mexico - without the bureaucratic hassles usually
inherent in foreign travel. For Baja stays beyond 72
hours a tourist card is required. These can be obtained from international
airlines authorized to travel to Mexico, the Mexican Consulate in San Diego
or the Mexican Immigration office just across the border at San Ysidro.
Proof of nationality is required to obtain a tourist card.
Beginning in January 2008, US Customs will require a Passport / Proof of
Passport Application for all entering the US by land at any of the ports of
entry with Canada and Mexico.
Do I need special
insurance for my car?
If you're driving, Mexican auto insurance is strongly recommended since your
U.S. auto insurance is not valid anywhere in Mexico. Inexpensive Mexican
insurance can be purchased by the day, week or month at numerous highly
visible locations near the border on both sides. Getting Mexican insurance
is so quick and easy that many of these places have drive-through windows. A
number of San Diego rental car agencies also rent vehicles to Rosarito and
provide the Mexican insurance.
What can I bring into Mexico?
You can bring your car, personal clothing, camera and other items for
personal use without any problem. For general merchandise, such as food or
medicines, there is a per-person limit of up to $400 U.S. dollars duty free.
Anything over that amount has to go through Mexican customs and pay import
duty. Firearms are illegal in Mexico although special permits can be
obtained in advance for hunting. Check with the nearest Mexican Consulate
for regulations regarding hunting permits.
What can I take home?
You can take back $400 per person duty-free including one liter of alcohol.
Mexican arts and crafts are duty-free and don't count toward your $400
limit. If traveling by common carrier (bus, cruise ship, plane or train)
more than one liter of alcohol is allowed however only the first is duty
free. The following items are legal in Mexico and readily available
everywhere in the border area, but cannot be brought into the United States:
Cuban cigars, turtle products, switchblades, butterfly knives and fireworks.
For full customs information, check the U.S. Customs web site.
http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/
What are the alcoholic beverage and drug laws in Mexico?
The legal drinking age is 18 and most bars and night clubs request an ID
before admittance when they doubt the customer's age. Drinking on the
streets is against city ordinance and fines are imposed on offenders.
Drinking and driving is a jailable offence that also carries a heavy fine.
It is a criminal offense to use, possess or traffic in illegal,
mind-altering drugs (cocaine, marijuana, heroin...etc.). Even the possession
of a few grams will bring a jail sentence of eight years or more. Legal,
medicinal mind-altering drugs (such as Valium) require a medical
prescription for purchase and use. Many common prescription drugs are
available over the counter in Mexico at approximately ½ to 3/4 of U.S.
prices.
What if I get sick while on vacation?
There are five good hospitals and numerous highly trained doctors in
Rosarito. Ambulance and helicopter transportation to the United States is
available in emergencies. Many thousands of U.S. citizens have vacation
homes or full-time residences here. They wouldn't have chosen Rosarito
unless excellent health care was available.
Places to go
The Rosarito
Beach Hotel
The early 1930's were the heyday for most resorts. There was wide-open
gambling in Baja California (prohibited in the United Estates, in California
even horse racing was illegal). Tijuana, Rosarito and Ensenada became a
Mecca for the thousands of visitors, but the bottom began to drop out with
the Repeal of Prohibition in 1933, and later, in 1935 the Mexican government
outlawed gambling in the country. Of the three big resorts: The Rosarito
Beach Hotel, Tijuana's Agua Caliente and Ensenada's Riviera del Pacífico,
only the Rosarito Beach Hotel survived. In 1937 Manuel Barbachano shrewdly
remodeled and greatly enlarged the hotel. Mexican muralist Matias Santoyo
was retained to create the fascinating murals that adorn the lobby. During
this period of extensive construction at the hotel, Barbachano also built an
ornate and spacious mansion next door for his young bride Maria Luisa
Chabert.
Through the years the Rosarito Beach Hotel continued to attract the world's
glamorous people. The beautiful mansion, located at the north wing of the
hotel was restored into a world class spa and the elegant Chabert's
restaurant. The Rosarito Beach hotel boasts now 280 deluxe rooms and suites,
two restaurants, three bars, 4 swimming pools, 3 jacuzzis, museum and a lot
more. Is a place that reflects Mexico's past like no other hotel in the
world. An alluring past is now combined with an exiting present and the
future is just beginning...
The Titanic Museum
In the elegant first-class men's card room, a blackjack hand has been
interrupted in progress. A face-up jack, partly covered by another card, is
a chilling reminder that the players will never return to this game. Every
item in the room is authentic and these very details make the story all the
more real. A small box of Rizla rolling papers for tobacco open on a shelf;
the wooden boxes of cigars from Honduras and the Dominican Republic, some
tied with red ribbons. You'll see them in the movie. It is disconcerting to
see them here in the stillness of the museum.
There are also the simple, carved wooden toys of children, the watermarked
suitcases, including a wicker pet carrier, the alligator purse, with claws,
of a wealthy but doomed passenger, the corroded silver hairbrush brought up
from the bottom of the sea. All are poignant reminders of the human side of
this 86-year-old drama. From the single canvas life jacket marked Titanic to
the eerily lit and empty first-class hallway, the props and sets alone at
the museum bring the history of this tragedy alive. And a short video,
detailing the making of the movie right here on this location, brings
Cameron's larger-than-life retelling of it to life, too. It is definitely
worth a half-hour stop the next time you're in Rosarito.
The "Titanic" Museum is open every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is also
open on Saturdays from 2 to 6 p.m. when there is no production at the Fox
studio. Look for the sign out front signifying that the museum is open.
Admission $5. Find the studio on the Free Road, five minutes south of
downtown Rosarito.
Wa-Kuatay Museum
At the museum of Playas de Rosarito you will find the most important
historical events, divided in several exposition halls. It shows how the
Kumiai tribe lived and you will also find arrows and vessels made from
stone. It's important to mention that descendants of the Kumiai tribe still
live in a reservation south of Rosarito. The museums also counts with
Pre-Hispanic and Mesoamericans objects where you can find pieces from 2300
b.c to 300a.c and from the "post-classic" period from 900 to 1521. The
recent history of Rosarito is well-illustrated with pictures, displaying all
the information in English and Spanish. The museum opens from 10am to 4pm
Monday thru Sunday (Closed on Tuesday). Your host will be Mr. Pedro Arias.
Horseback Riding
One of the most attractive activities for people visiting the beautiful
Rosarito is without a dude, horse back riding. As many other recreational
activities (in my opinion) this is the must do one if you don't' own a
horse. If you are not a cowboy don't worry, a horse back ride can be as
romantic, fun or whatever as you want; it's a complete family activity and
believe me, it will be a wonderful experience for the children.
Horse back riding is easy; the tough part is to get on top of the horse, the
guides will help you to sit looking at the horse head instead of the back
(things can happen!). If you are short they'll help you by doing a step with
their hands so you can climb on the horse. There are the beach rides where
you can enjoy a sunset, the sea breeze, the seagulls and even a pelican! For
the fearless ones there are rides through the ranches and mountains that
will allow you to discover the rural life of the citizens. All guides will
speak English. The horse herds are generally located at the beach and
besides the main street.
Puerto Nuevo - Lobster Village
If you are one of those people with a healthy appetite for good food, a
definite recommendation is this quaint village dedicated exclusively to the
sale of seafood and their specialty is recognized worldwide as lobster based
dishes. Puerto Nuevo is only 10 minutes South of Rosarito Beach
(approximately 45 minutes South of the border with the U. S.) it's
accessible from the toll road as well as the free road. We must mention that
the view from the road is absolutely breathtaking. The spectacular marine
view on one side and the hills on the other, they are an ideal excuse not to
forget the camera.
If you are traveling from North to South, Puerto Nuevo will be on your right
hand side and you will be able to identify it when you see its arched
entrance. The climate is always nice but it never hurts to take a jacket.
It's a small village by the ocean, surrounded by sun and beach, it started
many years ago as a fishing village. There is still some fishing but its
infrastructure has changed. Today its filled with restaurants and store
filled with Mexican craftsmanship ideal for spending a nice afternoon
delighting your pallet and doing a little shopping.
All of the restaurants without exception sell dishes based on lobster Puerto
Nuevo Style, it consists of a lobster cut in half served with a bowl of rice
and beans with delicious hand made flour tortillas with melted butter and
lemon on the side. (mmm) You can accompany the lobster with a pitcher of
Margaritas or your favorite Mexican beer. The ambiance in these restaurants
is very Mexican and for a few dollars you can enjoy some of the traditional
Mexican music, interpreted by mariachis bands there at your table.
Galleries
In down town Rosarito we have many galleries like Mission Gallery & Del
Mar Gallery located in the Rosarito Beach Hotel Shopping Center, the Derby
Gallery on the boulevard and the newest one Goirgio Santini Gallery located
at km 40.5 free road Rosarito- Ensenada where you can also admire artistic
jewelry. All of them have exquisite painting and sculptures of great
quality; select pieces for those who know art.
Information and
History on Rosarito Beach / Playas de Rosarito
Oceanfront Living in Baja California, Mexico
The charming town of Rosarito has long endeared itself to visiting Americans
and International travelers in search of sprawling coastlines with a SoCal
climate. Just 20 miles south of the California border, Rosarito is part of
the Tourist Corridor that includes Tijuana, Ensenada and Rosarito. From
luxury resorts to oceanfront condos, hotels and RV parks, Rosarito has been
a favorite vacation spot for over eight decades. An ideal setting for large
gatherings, Rosarito is the perfect destination if you're planning a special
event, wedding, or anniversary. Only a short drive from San Diego, you will
find the beaches, sunsets and Mexican culture to be a mind altering
experience from the hustle and bustle life-style of the USA. Although a
small town with one main road, you will find the accommodations, excellent
food, bargain shopping and ocean views to make your stay a memorable one. So
relax and browse through the site to help you plan your trip and get a small
taste of life in the "Baja".
ROSARITO
BEACH is a town with quite a history. Much of the tourist business for
Rosarito Beach started in 1926 when Manuel Barbachano opened the Rosarito
Beach Hotel. Above the doors of the hotel is a sign with the words "Through
these doors pass the most beautiful women in the world!". The same could be
said for the city of Rosarito Beach itself, which has been hosting movie
stars and the rich and famous for over 70 years now. Although the Hollywood
stars don't frequent this seaside town as often as they used to, there were
plenty of celebrities in town three years ago during the filming of
'Titanic'. Even without regular visits by movie stars, tourists galore still
flock here for the beaches, bars, beef tacos and of course, oceanfront homes
for sale!
Much of the
popularity of Rosarito must be credited to its location, only 18 miles south
of the U.S. border. It's a great one day getaway for folks from Southern
California, and a great weekend destination for anyone crossing the border
headed south. For most of it's history Rosarito Beach was a part of the
municipality of Tijuana. On December 1st, 1995 Rosarito Beach became it's
own municipality and started a long term program to improve it's
infrastructure for the future.
Those who visit
Rosarito Beach for shopping are usually not disappointed! Ceramics, leather
goods, baskets, clothing, jewelry, prescription drugs and a host of other
items are readily available at the dozens of stores around town. An
increasing number of visitors are utilizing the resources of Rosarito to
have custom furniture made at very attractive prices! Signs of homes for
sale and the lower prices of beachfront real estate when compared to the US
makes many come back to get their piece of ocean front real estate.
When darkness
falls the nightlife begins in Rosarito Beach! The Rosarito Beach Hotel often
features live entertainment on weekends. And just a short hop down the
beach, Papa's and Beer (the largest bar in Baja) fills with dance-crazed
gringos and gringettes on busy weekends. If you can't meet someone here to
talk to, maybe you should buy a parrot! Many other fun-filled bars are
available within walking distance on this south end of town.
Rosarito
Beach also offers plenty of excellent restaurants, from delicious taco
stands to large restaurants featuring Mexican, Chinese...and everything in
between!
On warm days
the beaches are filled with many activities including surfing, body surfing,
volleyball, horseback riding, all terrain vehicles, and that ever popular
past time...sunbathing! An excellent 18 hole golf course is 10 minutes north
at Real Del Mar, with the other golf resort at Bajamar about a half hour
down the coast. Many who come down for a weekend of golf or simple
sunbathing fall in love with the area, stopping in to see a real estate
agent. Their weekend stop turns into a lifelong adventure as they do what so
many have done, looking at homes for sale and buying their dream oceanfront
home or condo.
For a brief
period in the summer of 2000 Rosarito Beach offered a new form of
entertainment...offshore gambling! Featuring the 850 passenger 'Enchanted
Sun' fun boat, it departed from San Diego in the morning for an oceangoing
adventure of slot machines, blackjack, craps, roulette and pai gow. The plan
was to put the gambling on hold and have the party continue as the ship
docked briefly at the Rosarito Beach Hotel's new pier (a new marina is on
the way!). Well, it sounded like a good idea to Carlos Fiesta, but after
having a few problems docking at the pier the whole kit and caboodle was
killed, and the boat was sold. So now, if you want to gamble, you have to
play poker in your hotel room.
In centuries past, the California peninsula was inhabited by tribes
of natives, notably the Pai Pai, Cochimi, Kiliwa, Cucupa and Kumiai. The
Kumiai settled in the area we now know as Rosarito naming it UACUATAY (which
translates to "the big house"). Traces of their everyday life such as
arrowheads, stone kitchen utensils, mortars, etc., have been discovered.
These artifacts provide a rich source of information regarding their
lifestyles and the first stage in Rosarito's evolution. Today, in the area
of San Jose la Zorra just 30 kilometers east of La Mision Village,
descendants of the Kumiai can still be found.
The second stage in Rosarito's evolution, referred to as the "Misional",
began with the arrival of the Spaniards in 1533. So named because it marked
the establishment of missions throughout the peninsula and the
evangelization of the native tribes, a total of 28 missions were founded by
the Jesuit, Dominican and Franciscan monks in what we now know as Baja
California. The Palou Frontier was established in 1773 as the dividing line
between Nueva (new) or Alta (upper) California and Antigua (old) or Baja
(lower) California. In 1788, the De Sales Frontier was established and the
boundary between the two California’s was relocated to the site of the
Rosarito Creek.
The third stage in Rosarito's history began with the establishment
of the big Ranchos. The property of El Rosarito Ranch, granted to Don Jose
Manuel Machado on 1825, stands out as the first in the area. Subsequently
his son, Joaquin Machado, applied for title to the land to then President
Porfirio Diaz, and, on May 14th, 1885, title was granted and registered in
la Ensenada de Todos los Santos, then capitol city of Baja California. May
14 is now recognized and celebrated as Rosarito's Foundation Day by the
Historical Society of Rosarito. The first land grants were made in Rosarito
in the year 1827. And after secularization of the mission lands in 1833, it
has been estimated that over 700 private land grants were made in California
within the nest decade.
Baja California had its share, with many of the grantees being families who
were prominent in Alta California. One of the largest in the northwestern
sector was Rancho El Rosario, or Rosarito. It extended from what is now the
southern edge of the San Antonio Shores development to the Rosarito River
bounded on the west by the ocean and stretching eastward to the peaks of the
mountains. The first grant had been made to Don Jose Manuel Machado in 1827
by the Mexican governor, Jose Maria Echeandia Machado had been born in San
Gabriel and had grown up and married in San Diego. His land grants, along
with the later one of the famous ranchos that marked the "age of the Dons".
It may be said that it was at this time that the people of Rosarito first
learned to party. "The Age of the Dons", the Golden Age, is probably best
remembered for the hospitality and sociability of the people on barbecues
were the order of the day. All classes of society and all people from
surrounding ranchos took part, and though the music was a far cry from the
heart of native musicians and the vigorous stamp of dancer's feet.
Great herds of cattle and horses roamed the brown hills, and it was at this
time that the Rosaritans first became renowned for their fine mounts. Truly
the vaqueros who bring their horses to the beach for tourist to ride and to
splash through the surf are part of those great traditions of the past. It
was at this time also that there was a migration of people from Western
Europe to the ranchos of Baja. Names like Ames, Crosthwaite, Gilbert, and
Ireland, joined the Machados, Yorba's, and Valdez's on the ranches of the
time. Intermarriage was common, and the cultures blended then as they do
today, resulting in families with names Machado Gilbert, Crosthwaite
Machado, Yorba Gilbert, Ames Crosthwaite, etc. even to this day.
The fourth stage of Rosarito's history is known as the "Touristic".
It began with the establishment of Rene's in 1925 and the Rosarito Beach
Hotel in 1926. Rosarito has been visited by tourists since 1874 (Source: San
Diego Union), attracted by hunting (dear, quail and rabbit) and fishing
(lobster, abalone) and of course, real estate / home and property sales.
The "Ejidal" and fifth stage in Rosarito's history began with the
inception of Ejidos (common land for farming) when, on August 17, 1930,
General Lazaro Cardenas, then President of Mexico, issued a resolution
granting 4,671 hectares (over 10,000 acres) of land to a community of local
farmers known as Ejido Mazatlan.
The beginning of urbanization in 1950 marks the sixth stage in
Rosarito's development with the planning and construction of streets and
city blocks. As land sales soared, coupled with the construction of small
restaurants, some shops and two hotels, the city began to take shape. US
citizens and developers began looking to this community as a hidden treasure
in real estate opportunities. Home sales were considered a bargain, even
when compared to the "cheap" prices in California at that time. Many came to
buy the “dirt cheap” oceanfront lots for sale at a dollar or less per square
foot. Even though there were no services available, many speculated on the
promise that one day the land would be developed and property values much
higher. They had no idea how right they would be. Lot sales of beachfront
property along the Rosarito Beach coast is a very hot commodity and if you
can find vacant oceanfront lots the prices are at a hundred dollars per
square foot and higher, based on property location.
In the 1960's Rosarito entered the commercial/industrial era with
the construction of a huge thermoelectric power plant and the later
installation of Pemex, the Mexican Gas Company. The increased investment in
infrastructure locally was a welcome sight as development was on the rise.
This seventh stage in Rosarito's evolution was marked with further
construction and the development of shopping centers as more restaurants and
shops were established along the main street. This street has been renovated
and enlarge to encompass four lanes and a lighted meridian strip and, in
1989, was officially designated Boulevard Benito Juarez. During the
seventies and early eighties, Rosarito's growth was moderate but constant.
The mid-eighties, however, were marked with the strong development of
tourist related businesses of obviously considerable investment. Available
hotel rooms in Rosarito are up from 350 to over 2000 now with more being
built and home sales growing at a faster rate. Real estate was becoming the
biggest business and source of jobs for gringos relocating to Baja. Gringos
who would head down to Hussong's in Ensenada would now stop to enjoy this
growing community and wonder why they would always make the longer drive
down south when so much awaited them here in Rosarito Beach, although many
struggled with the spelling and still call it Rosarita Beach.
In the early 1990's appreciable economic growth was achieved by the
construction and completion of numerous hotels, condominiums and shopping
centers. On December 1, 1995, Rosarito became the fifth Municipality
(county) of the State of Baja California, this being the eight stage of the
history of Rosarito. Today the city of Rosarito Beach serves as host to
thousands of Gringos who have chosen to retire in Baja, finding that the
weather, cost of living and lifestyle is unbeatable. Real estate listings
attract hundreds every day to the scenic coastal community. Homes for sale
here are much more reasonable than the San Diego community just across the
border yet they share the same view, climate and wonderful white sandy
beaches.
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