Posted by Roxanna McDade on Thu, Aug 12, 2010 @ 07:00 AM
From the Baja Times
International Seafood Fest, Aug. 21:
Some of the finest restaurants in a city known for great seafood will be at this 22nd annual event in the garden/beach area behind the Rosarito Beach Hotel. More information at www.caniracrosarito.com.
Governor’s Cup Fishing Tournament, Aug, 21:
You can even compete at catching seafood the same day you sample some prepared by experts. More information on this event out of Puerto Salina is at www.apescar.net.
Rosarito Beach Pro-Am, Aug. 21-22:
If you love the ocean and surfing is your thing (either watching or competing) this event near the Rosarito Beach Hotel is for you. For more: 800-962-2252 or www.rosarito.org.
Rosarito “Q” 2010, Aug. 27-29:
If you never thought you’d see a Kansas City Barbecue Society-sanctioned cook-off in Rosarito featuring U.S. and Mexican teams, you were wrong.
That’s’ just what will take place this year, with $20,000 in prize money and events for the whole family --- not to mention some tasty food to sample.
But make no mistake, the meat might be tender but the competition will be tough, with some masterful teams trying to out cook each other in various categories.
Not everyone who competes can win, but anyone who attends this great event will be a winner. For additional information: hsilvestre@aol.com or 951-445-1903.
Remember more event details, including ones in upcoming months, plus great deals always are available on the Rosarito Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau website: www.rosarito.org.
Posted by Roxanna McDade on Mon, Aug 09, 2010 @ 10:55 AM
By Andrea Julian
Summer time is here, and things are heating up. It’s time to hit the beach, where cool ocean waters, and cooler beer for those that indulge, offer a refreshing change from the city streets and the backyard pool. In August, there are two fishing tournaments in Baja worth coming out to. So get together your gear and your crew, pack up the boat and come on down, there's some serious fishing to do!
2nd Annual Big Family Sport Fishing Tournament, Ensenada Bicentennial 2010
Ensenada is a mere 100 kilometers from San Diego, more or less, so it’s hard to find an excuse not to head out to this family fishing tournament. There are several categories for contestants to compete in, including shore fishing, kayak fishing and sport vessel fishing. A special father and son category is available but limited to 50 participants. Kids must be 5 to 14 years of age to be eligible for this category. Every participant must have a valid Mexican Fishing License, which can be obtained on the day of registration. All fish are “catch and release” to help conserve the species.
The fishing tournament is Saturday August 14th and Sunday August 15th. Registration is at the Ensenada Malecon, in front of the Monumental Flag. The opening ceremony will be held at 7:00 PM where the rules and regulations will be presented. The official tournament starts at 5:00 AM on Sunday, and ends at 5:00 PM. The awards ceremony will be held at 6:30. Participants can win cash prizes totaling $50,000 pesos, trophies, and rod and reels.
For more information on the Big Family Sport Fishing Tournament go to:
http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/baja-mexico-fishing-reports-discussion/255919-2nd-bigfamily-sport-fishing-tournament-ensenada-bicentennial-2010-a.html
The 2nd International Baja California Governors Cup 2010
The Baja California Governors Cup is held at multiple locations throughout the months of July and August. On August 21st, the tournament will be held at Rosarito, just 20 miles south of the U.S. Border.
There are two categories, surface and bottom, and over $500,000 pesos in prizes will be awarded. Registration forms can be downloaded on line [http://apescar.net/torneos10/circuitobajacalif10/circuito_bajacalifornia.htm] and need to be emailed to the organization for registration, along with the $500 peso registration fee (that's about $40 U.S. Depending on the exchange rate).
To register, go online to the official website and download the official form. Instructions are available in both English and Spanish. Once you send in your reservation form and registration fee you will be good to go for the August 21st tournament.
For More Information try these two websites:
http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/mexico/242865-baja-californias-governors-cup-tournament-2010-35-000-prizes-up-grabs.html
http://www.apescar.net/torneos10/circuitobajacalif10/circuito_bajacalifornia.htm
Besides registering for the tournament, there are a few details you will need to consider when planning your fishing trip. One is to be sure and get Mexican auto insurance for your car before you leave. If you will be bringing your boat, you will also want to get Mexican boat insurance. If heading out with a group, be sure and ask about group rates on Mexican auto insurance. Ensenada and Rosarito are within the “free zone” and don't require extensive immigration paperwork to enter, but your U.S. insurance will not cover you in Mexico.
There's no better way to beat the heat than to hit the beach, especially when a fishing tournament is involved. So get ready to bag a big one, and go home happy with a pocket full of cash and a freezer full of fish!
Posted by Roxanna McDade on Sat, Jul 17, 2010 @ 07:00 AM
By Ron Raposa, Baja Times
ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO--The Rosarito Beach Hotel, Baja`s largest and most famous oceanfront resort, is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year with special events and special prices.
The 500-room hotel which has hosted movies stars, leading politicians and millions of people since opening in 1925 has as its theme: It`s Our Anniversary --- And We`ve Got Gifts For You.
“We could not have grown as we have without the support of so many people over decades and generations,” executive director Laura Torres said of the hotel which remains owned by its founding family. “We wanted to thank them as well as celebrating.”
Events range from concerts to fireworks. Weekday specials include a limited number of rooms for $85 in the new Pacifico Tower, and a $79 dinner and room special in the Coronado Tower, including free lodging for two children.
In addition anyone born in 1925 or before can receive a free night. Tours have been added, including the nearby wine country. Friday check-in time has been moved to 1 p.m. so people have three free hours to start their weekend.
What was then a 12-room hunting lodge opened in 1925. The first advertisement for the new hotel ran in the San Diego Union in May that year.
Entrepreneur Manuel Barbachano bought it in 1929 and began stylish expansions, including a mansion for his wife, actress Maria Luisa Chabert. What once was the mansion now is elegant Chabert`s restaurant and graceful Casa Playa Spa.
The beautiful oceanfront hotel attracted Hollywood royalty --- including Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Kirk Douglas. Britney Spears spent the day a couple years ago.
“For decades, it was the hot spot for the Hollywood crowd,” said owner Hugo Torres, who also is the current mayor of Rosarito.
The hotel added its Playas tower in 1984, the Coronado tower in 1994 and a wooden pier in 2000. The 271-suite 18-story Pacifico tower --- which offers ownership as well as luxurious lodging --- opened in 2008.
“We hope that many of those we have hosted during the years help us celebrate and that others will discover us this year,” Laura Torres said.
For more information visit the Rosarito Beach Hotel at www.RosaritoBeachHotel.com.
Posted by Roxanna McDade on Fri, Jul 16, 2010 @ 07:00 AM
From Baja Times
ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO--The second Opera By the Sea event will be begin at 3 p.m. on Saturday July 17 at the park at the Rosarito’s center for the arts and culture (CEMAC).
The free event this year will include Bizet’s Carmen and Strauss’s Die Fledermaus. In addition to the operas there will be Irish and Russian ballets, living statues, an art exhibit, face painting, clowns and workshops. Mexican food and drinks will be sold.
Closed circuit television also will be available to provide enhanced viewing for those attending the event.
Opera By the Sea is sponsored by the city in coordination with the Municipal Institute of Arts and Culture and with the support of Isaac Name, director of the School of Music Northwest in Rosarito and the Institute of Culture of Baja California.
As well as residents, Opera By the Sea is open to visitors to this popular Mexico tourist city. More than 3,500 attended last year’s inaugural event, created to promote culture as well as provide a beautiful outdoor event in a lovely setting that can be enjoyed by all.
Posted by Roxanna McDade on Wed, Jul 14, 2010 @ 07:00 AM
By Ron Raposa, Baja Times
ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO, JUNE 22, 2010--This city in a Tuesday ceremony honored the Mexican military for its role in fighting organized crime, an effort that has helped bring crime in this city to at least a five-year low.
The noon event at City Hall plaza gave special recognition to Brig. Gen. Alfonso Duarte, commander of Army units that have helped local authorities from Tijuana to Ensenada in efforts against organized crime, including drug gangs.
Tijuana Mayor Jorge Ramos, Rosarito Mayor Hugo Torres, Baja Attorney General Rommel Moreno and US Consul General in Tijuana Steven Kashkett attended the ceremony, at which an audience of more than 400 filled City Hall plaza.
Crime in northern Baja declined by 10 percent last year and by 21 percent to a five-year low in Rosarito, where the crime rate continues a dramatically sharp decline through May of this year.
Rosarito Mayor Torres credits the military’s work for much of that, in conjunction with major improvements in city and state police departments. Rosarito, for example, has increased force size by about 50 percent while replacing more than half of its officers.
“We’re hoping that the successes of Baja can serve as a model for all of Mexico,” Torres said. “The Army cannot do this alone; local agencies also must make improvements to make this work.”
Torres praised the military and Duarte for exemplifying courage, commitment and integrity.
Public safety and building an excellent police department were top priorities of Torres when he took office in December of 2007. One of his first actions was to appoint Jorge Montero, an army captain, as chief of city police.
Posted by Roxanna McDade on Wed, Apr 14, 2010 @ 08:42 AM
By the BajaTimes.com
Next Rides
-- April 17, 2010
--September 25, 2010
Rosarito Ensenada began in 1979. It is an award-winning 50 mile bicycle ride along the Pacific Coast and inland through rural countryside from Rosarito Beach to Ensenada, plus a Finish Line Fiesta on the Ensenada waterfront with food, drinks and live music until sunset.
Time Limit to Finish
Avid cyclists will finish in 2 hours. Casual cyclists average about 4 hours. You must complete the 50 mile course in less than 6.5 hours and by 4:30 pm and reach each Aid Station before its closing time:
Aid Station 1 at 16 Miles closes at 1 pm
Aid Station 2 at 27 Miles closes at 2:30 pm
Aid Station 3 at 42 Miles closes at 3:30 pm
50 Mile Mark Aid Station closes at 4:30 pm
Aid Stations provide free Powerade and Ciel purified water, clean restrooms, and bike repair. Food is not provided. Major medical support is provided throughout the course.
Course Record 1:52:54
The course record was established April 21, 2007 by Peter Andersen of San Diego with his teammates Karl Bordine, Chris Dimarchi, Matt Johnson and Nate Diebler.
Difficulty
The Rosarito Ensenada event course is rated "Moderately Difficult" by BRDAA, the Bike Ride Directors Association of America. Before participating you should be physically fit, you should have sufficiently trained for this event, and you should not have been advised otherwise by a qualified medical person. It`s a fun ride, but it is not easy.
Traffic Control
The Federal Highway Patrol controls traffic, providing you with a non-stop fun ride. The first 40 miles of the course are closed to vehicles except local residents whose homes are blocked by the event. On the last 10 miles, where the old road rejoins the new highway, vehicles are restricted to the left lane and cyclists to the right lane. If the Highway Patrol and local police keep their promise, you should have very little traffic to deal with.
TRAFFIC WARNING: We try to make your ride traffic-free, but there will be some cars on the course. We do our best to eliminate vehicle traffic, but unfortunately some drivers do not respect the road closure. The Free Road is closed to all vehicles except local residents whose homes are blocked by the event course. Spectators are not allowed to drive on the Free Road during the event. Please do not drive on the event course from 10 am to 5 pm.
Course Description
The 50 course is entirely paved, heading south on the old Free Road from Rosarito Beach to the city of Ensenada.
For the first 22 miles, you`ll cruise beside the ocean, through charming beach towns and over rugged, undeveloped coastline. This first part of the course is mostly flat with some rolling hills. Aid Station 1 is along the way at 16 miles.
Then you`ll turn inland, heading east for 2 miles through a wide river valley to the base of El Tigre. The Hill is a mesa that towers 800 feet above the valley floor. The climb is 2 miles long and a 7.5% grade. Shift into your lowest gear and you might be able to ride all the way to the top. If not, don`t be too proud to walk it with everyone else. If you are not an advanced cyclist, this really is the perfect place to get off the saddle and walk, giving your legs a good stretch and mentally preparing for the second half of the ride.
Registration Check Point - Once atop the mesa, you`ll pass through a single-file chute for the Registration Check. Make sure that your ride number is visible and that your helmet sticker number is on the front of your helmet so it can be seen by event staff as you approach the check point. Riders who do not have a registration number on their bike and on their helmet must pay $50 to continue beyond this point.
After the check point you`ll arrive at Aid Station 2, located at 27 miles.
Next, you`ll ride through 8 miles of rural countryside. The terrain is rolling hills with long flat stretches and is reminiscent of how California was a century ago with quaint ranches among meadows filled with wild mustard and sage.
Then hold on for an exhilarating 8 mile descent back down to the ocean. Have fun, but please stay in control. The south side of El Tigre is steep and corners can be dangerous if you don`t maintain a safe speed. Near the bottom of the hill you`ll find Aid Station 3 at 42 miles.
One mile after Aid Station 3, the old Free Road rejoins the Toll Road, where vehicles are restricted to the left lane and cyclists to the right lane for the rest of the course.
The last 10 miles are flat along the waterfront, with the official 50 Mile Mark just outside the city of Ensenada, north of the harbor. There is more water available at the 50 Mile Mark. Use the last mile or so into town to cool down and get ready to party at the Finish Line Fiesta.
Finish Line Fiesta
Party at the legendary Finish Line Fiesta with food from Ensenada`s finest restaurants; Corona beer; sodas from Coca Cola; great prices on T-shirts, posters and other souvenirs; massages; clean restrooms; secure bike storage; and live rock-n-roll until sunset on Ensenada`s beautiful waterfront.
Meeting Places
The best place to meet friends or family at the Fiesta is the information booth by the main entrance.
Hours
12 noon to sunset
The Finish Line Fiesta is located at Plaza Ventana al Mar, on Boulevard Lazaro Cárdenas, under the giant Mexican flag.
Elite Start
Our elite start is not a race - but it`s very fast! It separates the fastest riders from those less experienced, making the event safer for all riders. Elite riders are staged in a corral in front of the main field and begin at the same time as the main field.
Elite status is only for experienced riders and means you can and will average at least 17 mph over the course of the event, finishing in less than 3 hours.
The extra fee for Elite Status gets you a unique entry number, allowing you entry into the Elite Corral, and a better timing position for the gun start.
Finish Line Clock
PLEASE NOTE YOUR OWN TIME
The official time is available on the electronic clock at the finish line. We don`t record times of the elite riders.
Course Record 1:52:54
The course record was established April 21, 2007 by Peter Andersen of San Diego with his teammates Karl Bordine, Chris Dimarchi, Matt Johnson and Nate Diebler.
Bicycle Storage
Guarded, secure Bicycle Storage is available inside the Finish Line Fiesta. You can eat, drink and relax without worrying about your bike being stolen.
As you enter the Fiesta, take your bike and belongings to the Bicycle Storage area where you will receive a claim ticket. Your bike and belongings will be kept together and stored inside a fenced area that is staffed by event personnel and security guards.
Price
$5 for the day
Hours
12pm to 7pm
Official Bicycle Storage is located inside the Finish Line Fiesta.
Round-Trip Buses from San Diego
Outback Adventures provides same-day, round-trip transportaion from San Diego on luxury party buses for just $89 USD per passenger. Save on gas, Mexican auto insurance, tolls, parking, and eliminate the stress of driving in Mexico! If you have already registered for the bike ride, you can still sign up for only the round-trip bus from San Diego. Shuttle from Ensenada to Rosarito $20 USD. Bus round-trip from San Diego $89 USD
For more information log onto: www.rosaritoensenada.org
Posted by Roxanna McDade on Mon, Dec 21, 2009 @ 12:25 PM
Playa de Rosarito
The Mexican auto insurance professionals at Mexpro.com have a recommendation for the Holidays...Rosarito Beach. Located just a short 20 miles from the U.S. border with California Playa de Rosarito offers four miles of white, sandy beaches and so much more!
Playa de Rosarito, Rosarito Beach, was first inhabited by the Kumiai Indians, who called it "Uacatucay" meaning "the big house". In the 1920's the first highway was built linking San Diego to Rosarito. Easy access and prohibition in the U.S. encouraged travel there. A glamorous hotel and casino soon took the place of the little fishing huts that had previously dominated the village, and it's grown as a tourist destination since then.
Until December 1, 1995 Rosarito Beach was considered one of Tijuana's suburbs. But on that date, it was officially incorporated and became the city of Rosarito.
Click here to read more on the history of Playa de Rosarito.
Rosarito has tons of activities to keep you busy during your stay there. Shopping, surfing, ATV riding, horse back riding, bicycling, beach volleyball, wine tours and tasting, whale watching, fishing and golf offer more than enough action and entertainment.
Shopping:
Rosarito has nearly 500 souvenir shops, so save your Christmas shopping for when you get there.
Avenida Revolucion offers eight blocks of shopping and over 150 shops. You can purchase almost anything Mexican hand-made at bargain prices, including: sterling silver jewelry, leather goods, baskets, pottery, blankets and more. You can use U.S. dollars to purchase, making it very convenient.
Plaza Rio is a shopping center with several boutiques, leather goods and electronics shops. Items bought here can be purchased duty-free.
Plaza Zapato meaning "Shoe Shop" is a two-story mall offering half-price deals on a large array of shoes and boots. You can't beat that!
The local market Mercado Hidalgo offers all sorts of Mexican cooking utensils, Aztec grains and a variety of chilies, spices, Mexican candies and much more.
Fishing & Eating:
Puerto Nuevo (Newport) is a fishing village located only 15 miles south of Rosarito. The lobster from Puerto Nuevo is famous and is served there, as well as in numerous restaurants in Rosarito.
Events/Activities:
Each year Rosarito hosts around 30 sporting/tourist events. These include the annual Rosarito-Ensenada bike ride, which has drawn nearly 20,000 riders in past years. In addition you can find ATV competitions that take place at local dunes, beach volleyball tournaments, biathlons, triathlons, and 5 and 10 K runs.
Nochebuena (ChristmasEve) - December 24
Nochebuena celebrates the eve of the nativity of Jesus. Tamales and atole or champurrado are the traditional food served for this holiday.
Other Holiday Celebrations Include:
- Navidad (Christmas) - December 25
- Los Santos Inocentes (Day of the Holy Innocents) - December 28
- Año Nuevo (New Years Day) - January 1
- Dia de los Santos Reyes (Day of the Holy Kings - three wise men) - January 6
No matter what time of year you visit Rosarito; you're sure to have a great visit. Yet, the holiday season is one of the most festive and jovial times to enjoy this quaint town by the sea.
Don't forget your Mexican auto insurance offered by the professionals at Mexpro.com. Purchase and print online just minutes before you drive south!
Resources:
http://www.rosaritobeach.net/
http://www.rosarito.org/
http://www.rosaritoinfo.com/
http://www.rosaritobeach.net/calander/12december.htm
http://www.globosapiens.net/mistybleu-travelogue/Rosarito