The view of the marina and Pacific Ocean from our Hotel Coral & Marina guestroom's private balcony. |
Life has been a little crazy in the full-time non-travel work sector, so I was ready to spend a weekend of relaxation away from it all. The beautiful thing about having a destination like Ensenada so close to us is that while there are many things to do in Ensenada, there’s no pressure to experience them all in one trip. So for this weekend trip to Ensenada we decided to take things slow, something we rarely do. Our little Baja weekend getaway over the Valentine’s Day weekend included good wine, good food, a lot of relaxation, and a tiny bit of activity just so we didn’t feel like complete lumps.
The coastal views on the way to Ensenada. |
We stayed at Ensenada’s Hotel Coral & Marina, a beautiful place right on the ocean that makes it easy to just sit back and relax. Every single one of Hotel Coral & Marina’s recently renovated 147 guestrooms and suites has a balcony and a splendid ocean view.
If you’re able to tear yourself away from the spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean, an entire Ensenada weekend getaway can be planned just based on the offerings of Hotel Coral & Marina. Here are some of the things you can get up to during a weekend trip to Ensenada.
Exploring Ensenada
After soaking in the view from our balcony while sipping on a complimentary beverage from the mini-fridge (I chose the sparkling water but there were also a couple beers available), we decided to head into town so we didn’t become people that never leave the resort (something that would be very easy to do).
A colorful street in Ensenada. |
Ultramarino Oyster Bar. |
While assisting us to our room with our luggage, Rubén clued us in on a special celebration happening in town that day, the Mardi Gras parade. Having recently been to New Orleans and learning so much about Mardi Gras traditions, we were very excited to be able to join a Mardi Gras celebration. Tourists and locals alike lined the street, cheering when each new float passed by. The parade participants ranged in age from under 10 to over 70, all having a great time dancing to the music and tossing their throw, mostly baggies of colored confetti. Within the first half hour the streets, as well as everyone’s hair and clothing, were covered in pink, blue, white, and yellow confetti.
Hotel Coral & Marina provides shuttle service into Ensenada. The taxi fare from Ensenada back to the hotel cost us $7.00. Be sure to ask Hotel Coral & Marina’s drivers for suggestions as they are all certified tour guides ready to provide recommendations.
Pampering at the C Spa
C Spa relaxation room. |
Wine Tasting in the Valle de Guadalupe
One of Ensenada’s great draws is the Valle de Guadalupe. This is where Baja California’s best wines are being created. We took a Valle de Guadalupe wine country tour offered by Hotel Coral & Marina, guided by another of the hotel’s drivers, Israel, to visit some of Baja’s exciting wineries.
The Valle de Guadalupe, Baja's wine country. |
Related: A Winery Tour Through Baja's Valle de Guadalupe
Finca La Carrodilla's garden balcony with Valle de Guadalupe views. |
The name Malva comes from a simple herb which makes a cameo in all of Malva’s dishes. Our meal started simply enough with octopus sopes, but rather than the traditional green sauce, these were served with a tangy green sauce created with carrot leaves and green herbs. Next came a salad which was slightly reminiscent of food we had in Scandinavia with pickled carrots adding an interesting layer of flavor to the beet and goat cheese salad. Then our meal got really interesting, with a serving of grilled escolar, also known as white tuna, rarely served in restaurants other than sushi restaurants. Next was oxtail, beautifully braised until it was falling apart and yet also with a crispy texture from being seared. The oxtail was served with mole sauce, baby carrots, tomato, yellow squash, onion ash, malva, and peanuts. The pièce de résistance came as dessert, a marshmallow chain perfectly flamed to a crispy melty texture accompanied by malva sorbeet and dots of yogurt. If you want to impress your significant other, take them for a meal at Malva.
Stuffing Your Face at Brunch
Speaking of food, Hotel Coral & Marina has two restaurants from which to choose: BC Bistro & Cava and Marina Grill. BC Bistro & Cava is the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, serving Baja-Med cuisine including seafood and steaks paired with wines from the Valle de Guadalupe. The Marina Grill is the hotel’s more casual restaurant located on the Marina waterfront serving items like fresh shrimp cocktail and ribs. The food served at both of these restaurants is very good, but where the hotel’s food really shines is at the breakfast buffet, especially for Sunday brunch.
What we didn’t know before that weekend is what a big deal Sunday brunch is at Baja hotels. If we had known, we would have arrived at breakfast far hungrier. The spread is unbelievable, and at an incredibly reasonable price. In addition to the items that are always available at the breakfast buffet like omelets, chilaquiles, moles, tamales, fruit, yogurt, etc., at Sunday brunch there are delectable extras like quesadillas made with freshly made tortillas, crepes, raw oysters, chocolate clams, ceviche, and so much more.
Learn from our mistake, head down to Sunday brunch early and hungry!
Pedaling the Marina on a Hydrobike
After all that food you might want to do something active to assuage some of the food guilt. Down at the marina Hotel Coral & Marina rents paddle boards, kayaks, and hydrobikes. We’ve been doing a lot of kayaking lately, so we decided to try something new and test the hydrobikes. Talk about fun! Apparently the hydrobikes are the most popular rental because of how easy they are to manage. They are very stable, easy to propel and navigate, and a fun way to tool around the marina and look at all the boats and yachts.
Exploring the marina on hydrobikes. |
Thank you to Hotel Coral & Marina for hosting our weekend in Ensenada and making this post possible. As always, all opinions are my own.