Ensenada Cruise Port
When Self Excursion Gone Wrong
La Bufadora ranks high on many must-do lists for Ensenada cruise excursions, so we decided to give it a shot ourselves. In a place like this, everything is unfiltered.
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Reflections
My thoughts are with the families of those who passed away that day.
Would we do this again? Yes. We have rented in Mexico before and plan to do so again, likely to visit the wine country. But we’ll keep ourselves aware and slightly better prepared next time.
Getting There
La Bufadora is one of the biggest blowholes in the world, located 38 km south on Highway 1 from Ensenada, then west onto Route 23. We took a rental car, and it took us about 45 minutes to an hour, traffic permitting. The roads can be unpredictable, but it’s mostly a wide and open highway along Route 1. Route 23 is a winding mountain road, offering attractions along the way, such as a small eco park and some beaches. Note that once you pass La Jolla Beach Camp, there are no other roads in or out of the area—a lesson we learned the hard way, as you’ll see in our car rental video.
Arrival at La Bufadora
Signage is clear to the blowhole. As you approach, there are several parking options, usually costing about $3 USD. Have some singles ready!
It’s a long walk to the blowhole, about 10 to 15 minutes—longer if you browse. The area is bustling with hawkers; some may enjoy the funky atmosphere, while others might want to walk quickly to the blowhole. We hustled to reach it in 10 minutes.
Once you get past the restaurants, the view is grand: a deep blue sea and rugged coastline. After another 50 yards, you’ll reach the blowhole. There’s a pay bathroom nearby, along with drone hawkers and musicians.
Be careful of the steps leading down to the blowhole, as they can be wet, which is part of the fun! The goal is to peer into the crevice and get dosed with a 100-foot spray—lots of people were enjoying it, and I was too. My GoPro is waterproof, after all!
I didn’t see any rain ponchos for rent, which could do a booming business! You can get as wet here as you would in the front row at a Shamu show, so dress accordingly. But you’ve come all this way—why keep your distance?
The Blowhole Experience
The entire blowhole experience lasted about five minutes. We saw it, liked it, and then headed back to the hawker street.
There were some interesting food stands and even paintball options. For basics, there’s a handy OXXO convenience store at the end of the road next to the parking lot. We decided to try Restaurant La Bufadora, just up the road from the parking area, and the food was delicious! The airy, crisp chips were amazing, and the garden outside was lovely.
To be honest, aside from the viewpoint, there isn’t much else to the trip. It needs to be experienced as a package: the drive (with cool views), the hawker stands (even if the quality of the goods is sometimes questionable), and the food. We’d consider this a check-mark attraction, not warranting a return visit, but we’re glad we made the trip!
The Unexpected Adventure
Our rental car experience getting here turned out to be more adventurous than expected. With an all-aboard time of 4:30, I figured we could make it to La Bufadora, spend an hour there, then head back to Valle de Guadalupe wine country for a quick tour. My son and nephew slept late, adding to the pressure to get going.
We switched drivers and set off for La Bufadora. This part was about going with the flow and having confidence in our driving while staying aware of the conditions. We encountered potholes, hard-to-see traffic lights, and a freeway without painted lanes.
Things took a turn when we encountered a serious accident that blocked the road in both directions. We quickly decided to shoot to La Bufadora and come back, but that was a mistake; the road was completely closed. With no other exits out, we were trapped with a 4:30 board time.
After waiting for an hour, a policeman informed us it would be five hours before the road would reopen due to the investigation. We headed back to a restaurant just outside the Bufadora parking area to regroup.
With the weight of the accident and the fact that we were stranded weighing on my mind, I called the rental car company to check our options if we had to return the car late. I also called the port agent to explain the situation. We did a couple of things right: we took a picture of the port agent's number (which you should always do), and I took pictures of our passports, just in case. I always keep the originals back on the ship, but from now on, we’ll bring our physical passports. Without them, we’d have to go through the U.S. consulate to return home.
Angelia worked on calling the ship to give them a heads-up. In a situation where they won’t wait for you, they usually assemble your belongings, including your passports, in the safe to retrieve at the port when you return. All of this had to be done fairly quickly.
We reasoned we needed at least an hour and a half to drive back, return the car, and walk to the ship. Around 2:30, Angelia decided to do some recon with the boys. They noticed a tour coming in as we were leaving La Bufadora, indicating they were likely stuck, too. They began looking for a tour bus and Princess medallions.
Just then, they spotted a bus coming down the road—was the road actually open now? They checked, and it had just opened! I got the call to settle our lunch bill, pack up, and prepare to leave. It was 2:45.
I left the family near the ship, dropped off the car, and walked back on board with 15 minutes to spare. I was grateful to be back on time, but more importantly, we were grateful to be back at all.
