JulyAug 2008 Baja Lifestyle Magazine

July/August 2008

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Dear Editor Out and About Baja Style Weddings Baja Country Club Terra Sur Calendar of Events Fiestas de la Vendimia Visionary of Cantamar Insider’s Guide

Photograph of Villa del Valle in Guadalupe Valley

by Doug Gould/Baja Wild

Baja Lifestyle Magazine is published by Baja Media Group Send mail to: PO Box 189101 #307 Coronado, CA 92178-9010 US (559) 302-8702 MX 011-52-1-646-160-7526 info@bajalifestylemag.com www.bajalifestylemag.com Published bimonthly.

Distributed in areas of California, Arizona, Canada and northern Baja California. Š Baja Media Group

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July/August 2008

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Estero Beach E

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T H E P E R F E C T S E T T I N G F O R YO U R D R E A M VAC AT I O N Estero Beach Hotel and Resort has all the elements to

Enjoy the fresh air, cool breezes and the spectacular sunsets

create to the perfect vacation. A four-star, beachfront

from the beach walk or from the balcony of your room. Savor

resort with a private beach on a private bay and estuary.

the tranquility of strolling in our beautifully landscaped gardens.

Estero Beach Hotel Resort is a prestigious resort that has

Or take advantage of the wide array of exciting activities.

been a favorite for families since the 1950’s. Estero Beach

Make Estero Beach the perfect setting for your next dream

is where the cool waters of the Pacific and the warmth of

vacation. reservations@hotelesterobeach.com www.hotelesterobeach.com

Baja California create the memories of a lifetime.

ENSENADA, B.C.

482 W. San Ysidro Blvd. #1186 • San Ysidro, CA. 92173 From the U.S. 011-52-646-176-6225 In Mexico 646-176-6225/176-6230 Fax 011 52 (646) 176 - 6925

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BAJA

Dear Editor

L I F E S T Y L E Vol. 1 Issue 3 Thora Guthrie Publisher/Creative Director

Dear Editor:

My husband and I recently came across a copy of your first issue at the local country club. We were so impressed by the pictures and the subject matter that we began thinking about retiring amid your lovely photographs.

So we decided to spend a few weeks in May at the lovely Estero Beach Hotel.

That visit convinced us. All we need now is an article in your magazine to help us Northerners relocate to the best spot on the planet we have ever seen. We are a little concerned about the legal, cultural, and language barriers.

Sincerely, Edna Catherbury Whistler, British Columbia Thank you for your kind words, Edna.

We’re sure you’ll enjoy your retirement here.

Many thousands of English-speaking North Americans do so already. As to the relocation advice, we have enough to fill a book but we promise to address the issue a bit at a time in each of our issues. —Ed

Dear Editor: I would like to share with your readers an experience my wife and I recently had with the Ensenada police.

We were driving into Ensenada when I noticed a dark blue Izuzu Trooper drive by us. It had a halibut sticker on its bumper – it was our own Trooper, which had been stolen about a year ago. Lynn quickly dug around in her purse for her cell phone to call 066.

The emergency operator passed us on to an English-speaking police officer and he took down our information. He pulled up our previously filed theft report on his computer while he stayed on the phone with us. The guy driving our Trooper had 6

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absolutely no idea what was going on. As we passed Punta Morro, we knew he was headed through the port instead of through the center of town, so the 066 officer assured me there would be a welcoming party ready at the Pemex station. As soon as our stolen Trooper rounded the bend, police cars converged on it from every direction.

The driver of our Trooper was pulled wideeyed from the vehicle. Unlike similar situations in the U.S., the suspect was not forced face-down on the pavement, nor kicked, nor abused in any way. He was simply frisked, cuffed, and escorted into the back of one of the patrol cars. The precision and the calm, professional demeanor of the police astonished us. It was clear that they have been trained very well in this tactic.

One of the English-speaking officers told us they would escort us to the police station.

They were extremely helpful and courteous as we waited for them to process all of the theft and arrest reports; they told us that the guy driving our Trooper said that he had purchased it from someone else and the police promised to track down the seller. In the meantime, they stored our Trooper in their impound for free while we retrieved our title to it from our other home in San Diego. We made a special trip just for that and now we have our Trooper back.

Photographers Doug Gould Melanie Lamaga José Sánchez Pacheco Ilumus Photography/Ramona d’Viola Regional Sales Managers Brent Reuman Susan Mahalick Contributors Ramona d’Viola Melanie Lamaga Sue McDevitt

The mission of Baja Lifestyle Magazine is to reveal the extraordinary lifestyle of northern Baja California through thought-provoking stories and to be the most effective communication vehicle to reach the diverse population choosing to be part of the the human landscape here.

Copyright 2008 Baja Media Group Distributed to select areas of northern Baja, California, Arizona and Canada.

OUR COVER

All that’s left now is to register and to insure our Trooper in Mexico because that’s where we’ll keep it. We have never had such a positive experience with the police of the United States.

Thomas and Lynn Gatch Punta Banda, Ensenada We welcome your letters and comments regarding our magazine and articles.

Letters may be edited for clarity and brevity. Send letters to Baja Lifestyle Magazine, P O Box 189010, #307, Coronado, CA 92178. Email:thora@bajalifestylemag.com.

July/August 2008

This month’s cover shot of Terra Sur’s thirdfloor patio was shot by Ramona d’Viola of Ilumus Photography. More photos of this contemporary home can be seen on page 22.

Melanie Lamaga

Enjoy The Ensenada Experience the finest ensenada has to offer

Legendary French Cuisine Since 1947

Casa de los Siete Patios by

el rey sol

Weddings • Special Events

A Charming Boutique Hotel In The Heart of Ensenada

www.EnsenadaExperience.com LY AU G U S T info@ElReySol.com • Tel MX 011-52 (646) 178-1601 • US (858) 366-4655 • Toll Free 1(888)J U311-6871

2008

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New Developments

Desarrollos Estilo Bahía

Surf the Waves...

Own the Break The region’s top longboard surfers competed in a contest organized by the Professional Longboard Association (PLA).

Kai Salas won first place and Brendan White took second. White also won the limited edition K55 Dewey Weber surfboard for his stylish surfing techniques.

Held at famed surf spot, K55, the contest was the sponsored by the developers of the K55 community. What surfer or beach lover wouldn’t want a home at a break like this?

Architectural design inspired by desert animals that camouflage themselves as rocks? That’s how Edgardo Martínez Aguilar and Filiberto Morales Trujillo described their eco-friendly project, Desarollos Estilo Bahía. The project is designed to blend right into the Baja California landscape by using local materials like sand, rock, and marble without disturbing the surrounding desert.

Construction is underway in Bahía de los Ángeles on the first of eight luxury homes. Each is on a five-thousand-squaremeter lot situated near a private airstrip and each commands panoramic views of ocean, desert, and mountains. By building down into the ground, as well above it, the designs make use of geothermal principles to minimize the need for additional heating and cooling. Each house will have its own system for supplying, treating, and recycling water. Solar- and wind-power options are available. Eight thousand square meters of the development will be dedicated to roads and green areas to be shared by the community.

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Art and Architecture Overlooking the Pacific Take a free shuttle from San Diego on July 19 and visit Terra Sur, a new development just south of Playas de Tijuana. Walk through rooms filled with site-specific visual, auditory, and performance art from Adapta Project, a cross-border arts group consisting of artists from Tijuana, Mexico City, Estonia, and Ensenada. To reserve your place at the opening reception, e-mail adaptaproject@gmail.com, putting “Terra Sur” in your subject line. The show runs through July 27.

Capture The Magic

Hotel • Restaurant • Spa Weddings 619-664-4160 weddings@hotel-calafia Accomodations 619-739-4343 reservations@hotel-calafia.com www.hotel-calafia.com J U LY AU G U S T 2 0 0 8

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Out and About Wine Club Starts Off with a Bang

The Taninos Wine Club started off, literally, with fireworks. Its first meeting was held on the fourth of July at the Viento condominium sales office at Km 104.

The purpose of the club is to create a setting in which local enthusiasts might explore the wines, foods, music, and art of the Ensenada area. It is part of the ambitious Viento condominium project, which will include on-site winemaking equipment, access to the enological school in Ejido El Porvenir, and its own tianguis specializing in regional gastronomical produce such as organic herbs and Russian cheeses.

The club will be holding tastings of local wines every Friday from 7:30 p.m. to 9: 30 p.m. Each of these meetings will feature a sommelier, a chef, or an enologist speaking on everything from food pairings to soil types. There will be live music every Friday as well as art exhbitions on the site that change monthly. Every other meeting will include appetizers by local restaurateurs. The tastings will be limited to fifty people, so reservations are advised.

Membership in the Taninos Wine Club costs five hundred fifty pesos per couple 10

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per year. Members will enjoy discounts at participating restaurants and at the Vientos wine shop and will receive a tasting journal and their own club wineglass.The tastings cost a hundred pesos per person for members of the wine club, two hundred pesos per non-member. Further information call 1-866-4963865 (U.S.) or 646-174-6008 (Mexico), and e-mail sponger16@hotmail.com.

The Rosarito Beach Hotel Turns 500 It started out as a twelve-room hunting lodge in 1925 and for over eight decades it has had a magical hold on Baja California and the millions who have visited or stayed there. With the addition of the seventeen-story Pacífico Tower, the landmark Rosarito Beach Hotel will have grown to become a five-hundred-room resort. This will be the hotel’s third tower and will offer such amenities as an infinity pool and a rooftop restaurant.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on August 2 and will be followed by four concurrent celebrations, on of which will be available to the hotel’s guests. All told, more than a thousand people are expected to attend, among whom will be the governor of Baja California, José Guadalupe Osuna Millán. Extensive renovations to the existing facilities, such as the restoration of the murals in the grand lobby, are being carried out to coincide with the occasion.

The Rosarito Beach Hotel has been family-owned for three generations. Its Pacífico Tower marks the first time that the option of ownership has ever been offered to the public in that fully furnished suites are sold with the option of being included in the hotel’s rental program. Suites in the Pacífico Tower will be available as of August 1 and can be reserved now.

Live Green, See Blue Guests from both sides of the border attended an open house on June 27 at Gardenhaus, just north of Rosarito Beach. Gardenhaus features sixty three- and four-bedroom contemporary-styled townhomes with sun decks that create inside-outside living and pristine views of the Pacific Ocean. The property features a community swimming pool, clubhouse, underground parking, and state-of-the-art security.

Gardenhaus appeals to second-home buyers from both sides of the border who want to be close to the ocean and to other area amenities but can’t afford Baja’s more expensive beachfront developments.

The distinctive garden-themed setting that gives Gardenhaus its name was landscaped by Spurlock Poirier Landscape Architects, a recognized San Diego firm. The architects have designed an innovative plan that consists of gardens and strolling walkways that encourage pedestrian-friendly living. The townhouses are being developed by REDI International and is located at Km. 22 on the Tijuana–Ensenada toll road.

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TA K E O U R TO U R

THE PACIFIC COAST

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hen a couple announces their engagement, one of the first questions everyone asks is “where are you having the wedding?” As both a professional photographer and a recent bride, I have observed the planning process from both sides of the aisle. Usually, once a couple knows “where,” many other decisions follow more easily: what kind of decorations they’ll need, where guests will stay, where to eat, even what to wear.

For couples planning a destination wedding, Baja California’s combination of stunning natural beauty, superb climate, and friendly inhabitants make it an attractive option. However, many people may not be aware of the full scope of possibilities: from a traditional ceremony performed by indigenous Kumeyaay people to casual beach weddings to luxurious wine-country resorts. All of this can be found only a few hours’ drive from the U.S. border and for about half of what comparable venues might cost stateside.

Our tour begins in Rosarito Beach and takes us along Mexico’s Highway 1 to Ensenada and Punta Banda. This spectacular region features sandy beaches and rocky cliffs, deserts and mountains.

Other than occasional fog off the ocean, you can expect hot sun and cool, clear air. Even in July and August, Pacific breeze keep temperatures cool.

Baja

The Rosarito Beach Hotel is only twenty miles from the U.S. border. This sprawling establishment possesses a venerable reputation and was a hangout for Hollywood’s beautiful people from the 1930s through the 1950s. Wedding options include beach, oceanfront gardens, pier, historical ballroom, and Chabert’s Restaurant. All-inclusive packages range in price from six thousand to twenty thousand dollars for groups of fifty to four hundred fifty people. The hotel also houses a European spa, five bars, and two swimming pools.

Continuing south on Highway 1, you’ll soon come to Hotel Calafia at Km. 35.5.

At the Calafia Hotel, which is the only hotel in Rosarito to belong to the Asociación de Chefs de Baja, your wedding banquet can be an unforgettable, professionally organized experience and yet not have to cost a fortune.

The hotel’s chef, Eduardo Piñeda, recommends three courses for your meal and offers eleven menus to choose from.

When you have narrowed your choices to two, the chef can prepare those for

you, free of charge, in order to make your final selection. During your private tasting, the hotel’s sommelier will be happy to recommend the ideal wines to accompany your banquet.

At Km. 38 you’ll find Las Rocas.

This hotel sits atop a dramatic, rocky outcropping, overlooking Pacific waves.

Wedding options include tent, lawn, or reception hall. All venues have ocean views, as do all the rooms. Wedding packages for one hundred to two hundred twenty people start at around six thousand dollars for weekends during high season, with discounts available for mid-week and off-season.

Other features include infinity pools, Jacuzzis, palapa bar with ocean view, and holistic spa with organic products.

Next stop is the Pyramid Resort at Plaza del Mar, Km. 57. Situated on the edge of a massive cliff above the ocean, this venue and offers either standard

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Style Weddings

BY Melanie Lamaga Photos by Melanie Lamaga and José Angél Sánchez willowriverstudio.com

are available for weddings of twenty-five to three hundred fifty people.

hotel rooms or villas with kitchens and fireplaces. Wedding packages are available for groups of one to two hundred. Ceremonies take place on an ocean-view lawn, and a famous local chef will cater your custom-designed buffet dinner. Other features include a swimming pool, two Jacuzzis, gardens, patios, and barbecue areas. A long winding trail leads down the cliff to a secluded sandy beach.

La Fonda, located at Km. 59.5, features a fun, artsy Mexican-style ambiance. The open-air palapa restaurant overlooks the ocean and multicolored tile steps lead down to tiered patios and a sandy beach.

The style of the rooms can be described as “funky elegance,” and each one is unique.

Custom packages tailored to your budget

La Fonda’s wedding menus are pleasingly flexible – everything from taco buffets to steak-and-lobster dinners. Other features include resident pet rooster, spa, a bus to transport guests, a dog-friendly policy, and their own brand of tequila.

If it’s a private estate you’re after, just north of Ensenada you’ll find Casa de los Siete Patios. This striking, circular villa, on two landscaped acres, perches on the edge of a rocky cliff. Built around a courtyard, it features five suites with amazing ocean views. Other features include a two-story playhouse, an antique carousel, a professional-sized croquet court, and ocean-view pool and Jacuzzi. Wedding packages start at $16,950 and include the villa for three nights, breakfast and lunch, massages, and a staff of four. The wedding banquet includes a three-course dinner for one

hundred people, open bar, DJ and a honeymoon suite for the bride and groom on their wedding night at Posada El Rey Sol. This hotel, located in harbor district, is owned by the same family and would be a good option to accommodate additional guests.

A few kilometers south, you’ll see Las Rosas, an airy, charming hotel that combines Mexican and Mediterranean style, with fountains in the lobby, infinity pool, lawns, and terraced steps leading down to a rocky beach. All rooms feature spectacular ocean views. Wedding packages start at $2750 and include all forty-eight rooms, cocktail reception on Friday, wedding event on Saturday and Sunday brunch. Other amenities include restaurant, tennis courts, spa, restaurant, gift shop and fitness center.

Next stop, the Coral Hotel and Marina in Ensenada. This large, lively complex can accommodate wedding parties of up J U LY AU G U S T 2 0 0 8

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the beach or patio, dinner in a tent or the restaurant, DJ, flowers, cake, and live music.

The resort also features a pool, Jacuzzi, gift shops and museum, golf driving range, tennis courts, boat ramp, and rentals of jet skis, wave runners, and kayaks.

to three hundred fifty people. Their wedding packages range from thirty-five to fifty dollars per person and can be customized. Options for ceremony loca­tions include garden with view of the marina or ballroom. Other features include spa, gift shop, restaurant, indoor and outdoor pools, two gardens, and private, security parking.

Continuing south on Highway 1 you’ll pass through Ensenada’s harbor district, south of Ensenada, you’ll see signs on the right for Estero Beach Resort. This large complex sits on a point of land with an expansive view of Todos Santos Bay and the mouth of the Estero de Punta Banda, an internationally recognized wetlands.

Customized wedding packages are priced à la carte. Options include ceremony on

If an intimate, casual beach wedding is more your style, Punta Banda might be the place. This stunning, five-mile stretch of golden beach is one of the best in the region for swimming, biking, and horse­back riding. It’s a bit further south on Highway 1. Turn right at Km. 78.4 in Maneadero toward La Bufadora (a giant natural blowhole located near the tip of the peninsula). The road winds through farmland, then along the shores of the Estero de Punta Banda, toward the tiny towns of Esteban Cantú and Punta Banda.

When you see the sign for Agua Caliente, turn right. This road leads out onto a long sandy peninsula of wild dunes that run between the bay and estuary. There are beach houses available for rent by the day, week, or month. Options range from beach shacks to luxury homes. Baja Cove, for example, offers a number of beachfront homes in a gated community.

Making It Green

ECO STRATEGIES

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Applied whenever possible, these core principles will serve your budget as well as your eco-aspirations.

Buy Organic, Handmade, Free Trade, or Local. All of these strategies can help cut waste, support artisans and local economies, and reduce environmental toxins.

Calculate Your Carbon Footprint. Websites like nativeenergy.com and carbonfund.org will help you to calculate quickly and easily the total amount of carbon energy your event will use.You can then purchase clean energy offsets to cover all, or a portion, of your use.

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Green is not only the hottest trend, but it’s the right thing to do. So why don’t more vendors and planners offer eco-friendly wedding options?

Perhaps the eco-movement is so new that the wedding industry hasn’t had a chance to catch up. Unfortunately, this leaves many would-be green couples without easy answers.

Some may give up, daunted by the prospect of figuring it all out in time to make it to the altar. Other couples may assume that ecoconsiderations mean sacrificing something

they really want: elegance, good food, hot showers … fun.

But the world is changing, and eco-options exist for every item on your list. And going green is not all-or-nothing. Just follow a few simple strategies, do a bit of exploring, and you may be surprised how many green ideas fit into your plans and budget.

Location, Location, Location. Choose a spot abundant in natural beauty. This will enable you to design your event simply, with fewer throwaway decorations that will end up in the landfill. What better way to show your shared commitment to the earth than to say your vows in the presence of the sky, ocean, or green vineyards?

Invitations. What could be greener than an invitation embedded with wildflower seeds that actually grow when planted? Buy recycled paper cards or even make your own. Consider hemp or bamboo papers, which are more sustainable than wood-based. Hire a calligrapher or hand-letter the invitations yourself. For a Mexican touch, choose invitations crafted with amate, a traditional paper handmade from bark.

Rings. Unfortunately, the process of mining gold and diamonds ravages the earth. But you can buy beautiful rings made from recycled gold, titanium, lab-created diamonds, or other gems from

Baja Mama’s, the only restaurant right on the beach, is located in Baja Cove. This homey, lively estab­lishment is famous for fresh seafood dishes and their Sunday brunch. Baja Mama’s features two bars, main dining room, and beachfront patio.

Baja Mama’s chef, Gino, can accommodate parties of up to twenty with advance reservations and can also help arrange catering for your event.

Luxury home sites on the beach at spectacular Rancho Partera

Build your custom dream home or we can build it for you on the beach in one of the most beautiful and pristine natural environments in all of Baja. Just steps to the water.

THE WINE COUNTRY From Punta Banda, retrace your route back through Ensenada and then take Highway 3 northwest toward Tecate. This road has become known as the Ruta del

places like www.greenKarat.com. Another option is to have a jewelry designer rework gold and gems that you buy used, or that your mother has lying in the bottom of her jewelry box. This way you get eco-friendly, custom-designed rings, often for less than buying new.

Clothes. Choose from vintage (which can be redesigned for you), rented designer gowns, or new clothes made with organic cotton, hemp, or cruelty-free silk – even custom made.

Flowers. Look for locally grown, organic flowers with help from your florist or check online yourself for organic nurseries or farmers’ markets to find growers. The organic farmers’ market in Guadalupe Valley is on Wednesday and Saturday mornings at Rancho El Mogor, located at Km. 85 on Highway 3 just east of Ensenada. Potted plants and flowers make another great option for decorating without waste. If you’re getting married in Baja, remember that plants (and produce) cannot be transported across the border without permits – another reason to buy locally.

Meals. Vegetarian is the the greenest option.

Statistics show that if we stopped growing grain to feed livestock and, instead, grew crops for humans, we could end starvation worldwide. But, if you’ve got to have meat or poultry, just look for organic or free-range. For fish choices, check out

• 1/4 acre lots with 78-foot wide ocean front • private airstrip, boutique hotel & restaurant • adjoining lots available • excellent neighbors • near Mulegé and Santa Rosalia

From $100,000

Toll Free 1-866-727-8372

Punto Chivato Vicki & Jim Hagan midwifevicki@ranchopartera.com

the Environmental Defense Fund’s list of Eco Best and Worst choices at edf.org.

Good selections for this area include Pacific halibut, white sea bass, calico bass, yellowtail tuna, all available fresh at the Mercado Negro in Ensenada. Most wedding venues in Baja offer vegetarian options and many can arrange organic produce and free-range meat on request. Finally, whenever possible, choose china, silverware, and glass over disposable. Not only is it better for the environment, nice tableware adds a touch of elegance to even casual beach weddings.

Wine. If you’ve chosen Baja California for your wedding, you’ve hit the jackpot. The Guadalupe Valley has burst onto the international scene as a premier winemaking region, with a number of wineries producing innovative and, in some cases, award-winning vintages. Few of these wines are being imported to the U.S. yet, so this is a treat you’ll have to visit Mexico to enjoy. Request local, organic wines from your Baja wedding planner or check out the wineries yourself. The Ruta del Vino between Ensenada and Tecate has become a popular

...do a bit of exploring, and you may be surprised how many green ideas fit into your plans and budget.

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Vino and leads to the Guadalupe Valley.

Although it is just minutes from the Pacific coast, the wine country looks and feels very different. The rocky hills on rolling hills appear golden in contrast to green vineyards and cerulean-blue skies.

La Villa del Valle is an elegant B&B perched atop a hill several kilometers off Highway 3, a location that provides privacy and tranquility. Built with local materials, this house makes use of many eco-friendly technologies, including the use of natural pigments instead of paint, passive solar, a whole-house fan, and gray-water recycling.

destination and many of the wineries offer wine tours and tastings.

Gifts, Accessories, and Favors: You may want to consider making a donation to a charity or conservation nonprofit in lieu of party favors. The World Wildlife Fund and Nature Conservancy are two highly respected organizations making a difference in Baja California. Gifts for the bridesmaids might include useful luxuries like gift baskets of organic body-care products or massage therapy gift certificates.

There are many Internet sites that offer free-trade items from around the world. Or visit the ultimate online bazaar, Etsy.com, where thousands of crafters sell handmade art, crafts, jewelry, clothes, and more. Many of them create with recycled materials, and the diverse offerings range from elegant to innovative to downright zany.

Eco-friendly wedding requires creativity and a willingness to think outside the box.

However, the answers are out there for those who look. Approach it all with a spirit of adventure and fun and the result will be a unique wedding, created just for you, one that symbolizes your commitment, your values, and the life you envision together.

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La Villa del Valle also produces an astonishing range of earth-friendly foods and other products including a line of bath and beauty products, olive oil, and, of course, their own wine. They will arrange events for up to two hundred guests; wedding packages are customized and start at five thousand dollars. Other features include yoga studio, tai chi and Qigong classes, pool and Jacuzzi, massage room, bikes, and horseback riding.

New to the valley, Hacienda Guadalupe offers weddings for parties of one hundred to three hundred. Packages start at eighty-one hundred dollars and include all twelve rooms for two nights, exclusive use of pool and patios, and a three-course wedding dinner. Other features include onsite vineyard, gift shop, lobby lounge, full-service restaurant, heated pool and Jacuzzi, hiking trails, scenic picnic areas, and massages by appointment.

La Posada Inn, located on Highway 3 at Km. 82.5, is part of Rancho María Teresa, which produces organic wines, oranges, and grapefruit. Although La Posada does not offer packages, they can accommodate weddings of up to two hundred people.

Los Naranjnos Restaurant, also on the property, can accommodate parties of up to eighty. Other features include camping areas, goats, hiking trails through the vineyards, pool, palapa, and Jacuzzi.

San Antonio Necua, a native Kumeyaay community, nestles in a peaceful corner of the Guadalupe Valley. To get there, turn at the exit for the L. A. Cetto winery and follow the signs to San Antonio Necua.

This location offers a shady campground with a view of the mountains. The Kumeyaay will arrange a tribal wedding ceremony and Mexican-style dinner for twenty to thirty dollars per person, depending on the size of your group.

Also included: a guided hike, traditional singers, and folk dancers.

Add some romance and “green” to your Baja wedding with butterflies

Symbolizing the joyous cycle of life and good luck, butterflies make a unique and romantic addition to a wedding.

And releasing butterflies helps keep the earth green by pollinating plants.

Butterfly farms help reduce pollution and, when the butterflies are released into the environment, they become a vital part of the circle of life. As they flutter from flower to flower, they help the plants to breed, form seeds, and start new seedlings. Those plants then help draw carbon dioxide out of the air and process it for food and energy.

Be part of this amazing lifecycle. Add some romance and “green” to your Baja wedding. Releasing live, locally raised monarch butterflies will add romance and a touch of “green” to your Baja wedding or other event! Le Papillon has hundreds of Monarch butterflies ready to fly!

Every year, up to three million monarch butterflies make a remarkable twentyfive-hundred-mile migration between the United States and central Mexico.

The butterflies arrive in Mexico about the first of November – Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. Indigenous peoples believe these are the returning spirits of dead children or the souls of lost warriors. The spring monarch departure signals planting time.

Mariposa

LE PAPILLON Verónica Palafox and Alfredo Cerón, owners Phone: (664) 622-8929 (664) 648-6023; Nextel 152*15*52816 info@lepapillon.com.mx www.mariposariotijuana.com

Visiting hours Monday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Blvd 2000, Km 23 (Rancho Casian) Fee: $3 admission. Under 7 are free.

THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA The eastern coast of Baja is the perfect place for those planning a spring, fall, or winter wedding – or those who like it hot!

To get there, take the southern portion of Highway 3 east from Ensenada and then Highway 5 south. The tropical town of San Felipe, with its calm waters and white beaches, will relax you the minute you arrive. San Felipe Marina, a resort located a few kilometers south of the town center, offers weddings in their gardens or on the beach. They can cater any size of event from an informal barbeque on the beach with a mariachi band to a five-hundred-person multi-course meal.

These are just few of Baja California’s many wedding venue options. Whether you envision your wedding on sandy beach, in a lush vineyard, or overlooking ocean waves, Baja offers something special for everyone.

Baja Cove Beach 1-877-582-4951; bajacovebeach.com

For your Magical Day

Choose a Magical Place

Try our Sunday Brunch

Hotel Calafia (619) 739-4343; (619) 664-4160; weddings@hotel-calafia.com; www.hotel-calafia.com Casa de los Siete Patios (011-52) 646-178-8486 www.CasaDeLosSietePatios.com La Fonda Barbara at (011-52) 646-155-0308 www.lafondabaja.com

U.S. 011-52-646-155-0308 Reservations@lafondabaja.com Km59.5 Tijuana-Ensenada Free Road

Stop Dreaming. Start Smiling.

Modern Cutting Edge Dental Technology

Las Rosas Yvonne at (011-52) 646-174-4310 or 646-175-9029; events@lasrosas.com Native Kumeyaay Contact Horacio Moncada at (011-52) 646-178-8093

• Implants • Root Canals •CosmeticDentistry •Porcelainlaminates • Metal-Free Porcelain Crowns •MaxilofacialSurgery

Some helpful sources and websites for planning your green wedding: Invitations: BotanicalPaperWorks.com.

EarthlyAffair.com TheFind.com.

Clothes: onenightaffair.com Conscious Clothing Faernyn’s Grove Threadhead Creations, Peter Ingwersen Linda Loudermilk Rings: greenKarat.com

Tel (MX (646) 178-3777 Tel/Fax (646) 178-3176 777-7 Gastelum, Ensenada

ENSENADA DENTALGROUP

Dr. Miguel Angel Ortiz Dr. Carlos Gallegos Rivas Dr.JoseLuisVillalobosPeralta

www.grupodentalensenada.com • carsgr@mac.com • mickyo@prodigy.net.mx J U LY AU G U S T 2 0 0 8

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Baja Countr

“Ensenada offers everything we were looking for in a retirement destination. The cost of living is so affordable and we can choose to drive or fly back and forth to Canada.

We love the food, the wine country, the relaxed lifestyle and the easy-going nature of the Mexican people. We bought with confidence at the Baja Country Club because the developer is highly respected and known for building quality homes. We love it here!�

Dwayne and Susan Malone

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ry Club

O

Baja Country Club Golf Resort is a lush and beautiful respite from the hustle of the city and beach areas of Ensenada just minutes away.

ne of Baja’s most precious hidden treasures, Baja Country Club Golf Resort is located just southeast of Ensenada, nestled in the scenic San Carlos Valley. Blessed with abundant water and endless sunshine, the Baja Country Club Golf Resort is a lush and beautiful respite from the hustle of the city and beach areas of Ensenada and yet is just minutes away.

Ensenada is situated on a beautiful natural bay and port, only one hour by car from the San Diego border along one of the most scenic toll roads on the west coast of the continent.

The resort sprawls over three hundred verdant acres surrounded by mountains with nearby hot springs. The picturesque, par 72 championship golf course boasts twelve acres of lakes, mature trees and plenty of challenges to the seasoned golfer. Pro-shop, snack bar, a large modern clubhouse, a practice green and driving range are all part of the club amenities.

There are thirty hotel suites now under construction. Also slated for construction are recreational areas with swimming pools, tennis courts, a spa and gym and additional barbecue areas.

Now, in addition to its strong appeal as a golfing resort, Baja Country Club offers even more. Those who find the beauty too enticing to leave, owning a home at Baja Country Club Golf Resort is an option.

Homes currently being built at the resort start at only $154,500, offering amenities found in the most well-designed and constructed homes anywhere. There are choices of custom home sites around the golf course on the fairway side or across the street under the

shadow of rugged cliffs.

This gated community enjoys twenty-fourhour security, while the valley that contains it enjoys the peace of natural surroundings and tranquil and cooling ocean breezes.

Whether you’re looking for a place to play golf, a place to invest for your future or simply a place to call home, the Baja Country Club Golf Resort offers a wealth of recreational and residential opportunies.

Doug Gould/Baja Wild

Doug Gould/Baja Wild J U LY AU G U S T 2 0 0 8

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terra sur DESIGNED TO INSPIRE

Guillermo Martínez de Castro Topete left for Christmas vacation intending to take a break. But with a habit of limitless productivity and a mind that never stops visualizing new projects, pen and paper took over. He returned to his office in Baja laden with stacks of scribbles and sketches – the designs for Terra Sur. Demonstrating the anti­ thesis of the mañana attitude when it comes to his projects, Mannix (as Guillermo is known) and his team at REDI had working drawings by February … by March he had building permits … he broke ground in April and Casa Aqua, the model home at Terra Sur, was completed in August.

The home is the architectural embodiment of the Pacific Ocean that lies below. Peaceful yet powerful. The exterior blends stark white walls with warm, natural red brick and the splash of vibrant color for which the architect is known. In this case, turquoise is found throughout – blue-green palms in the gardens, aqua tiles lining the pools, the Tiffany blue monolith reminiscent of Luis Barragán and beckoning to the skies overhead from the third floor.

Characterized by commanding views of the ocean from every room, the home’s interior integrates the sharp lines of contemporary architecture with the subtleties of natural, sustainable, local materials. From the entry, earthy cantera floors lead through the living room to an expanse of glass and beyond. On the outside, however, their finish is transformed by a shallow film of water – a reflecting deck with an infinity edge that blends ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN BY REDI INTERNATIONAL LANDSCAPE DESIGN BY SPURLOCK-POIRIER LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAMONA D’VIOLA & CARLOS VARELA 20

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Photo courtesy of Sharkwater

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to the pool below and the sea beyond. The views so captivate that one has to take a step back to notice that plush leather Armani furniture is assembled there for enduring entrancement.

The adjacent kitchen was designed by restaurateur Susanna Stehr of Susanna’s of Rosarito. Carefully crafted zebrawood cabinets add distinction to ultramodern appliances. Rich wooden countertops in the kitchen and informal dining bar are accentuated by the aqua glass tile backsplash. A built-in capuccino machine and a deep steamer that doubles as an extra sink give the kitchen an edge over even the most modern kitchen. A central home computer system and Bose stereo system are controlled from the nearby laundry room, adding music, lighting, and drama throughout the home and outside areas. The formal dining room and adjacent sitting room open up to an outside deck as well as to the living room and kitchen, creating the perfect setting for large inside and outside gatherings.

The home reveals itself as one progresses through it,

green?

What makes it

Mannix is known on both sides of the border for his hands-on problem-solving approach and wide-range abilities for advancing complex coastal projects with efficiency, environmental sensitivity, and cost-effectiveness.

Terra Sur’s ocean clifftop location gives its homes distinct advantages in energy efficiency. Passive cooling allows constant temperature control with no air conditioning. Glass-enclosed rooms are heated by the sun during cooler winter months. On warmer days, air cooled by the outdoor pools is scooped up through open windows and doors on lower floors and forced upstairs to ceiling vents on the top floor. This effectively cools the entire home in seconds.

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much in the mannner that Mexican architect Barragán orchestrated an “architectural striptease” to the visitors of his residential creations. From room to room and floor to floor, there are surprises at every turn.

Dark bamboo floors and wood cabinets contrast with the white walls. Cantilevered stairs seem to float unattached. Atriums and outside gardens and fireplaces create magical places. Onyx lamps and walls illuminated from behind lend an ethereal air. Each floor has outdoor living areas – outdoor fireplaces, cactus gardens, seating areas, built-in refrigerators and barbecues but, most of all, views.

There are two master bedrooms, each with its own magical amenities. Steps wind down from the first-floor master to a secluded corner of the swimming pool. The upstairs master is a statement in minimalism until you get to the bathroom. A huge wall of turquoise tiles is actually an open double shower – but the infinity tub in the very center of the room is the true scene-stealer. Enclosed in rich, dark wood, the white tub allows the water to flow over

In addition, the home was constructed using: • Sustainable materials like: Bamboo flooring Redwood arbors Natural, local stone & brick • Water saving fixtures • Low voltage lighting • Formaldehyde-free cabinetry • Locally manufactured resources • Recycled steel • Thermally insulated walls & roofs • Low-E dual-pane windows and doors • Xeriscaping • Moisture barriers for mold control • Recycled water in the toilets and garden • Porous paving to minimize water runoff

the edge into a trough inside the wooden area.

Nearly every room has doors that lead out to decks overlooking the pools and the great Pacific below.

From above, the ocean, in all its magnificence, seems minimized by the curve of turquoise tile that forms an edge to the Terra Sur domain below. No walls or fences here. Simply an aqua glasss-tiled trough of water that stands as a liquid barrier from the brush and wildlife beyond.

In more than two decades of creating successful projects in Baja California, Mannix has developed an international reputation for embracing his Mexican culture and incorporating it into contemporary architectural developments, often with breathtaking vistas and harmonious structures. Terra Sur promises to be one of his most noteworthy.

Terra Sur’s first phase will include six additional single-family homes designed by Mannix and some of the border region’s most-acclaimed architects like Rob Wellington Quigley, Safdie Rabines, Ocean Pacific Design, Studio E Architects. and Spurlock Poirier, designers of the acclaimed Central Garden at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. The seven-acre development will also include three future phases of villas, condos, a resort-caliber spa and fitness facility, a boutique hotel and a high-end restaurant. all designed to hug the rugged coastline and to offer panoramic ocean views and easy access to cliffs, coves, and private beaches.

Barragán once expressed alarm at the disappearance of certain words that honor the intangible qualities of architecture. It is inevitable that we will hear words like beauty, inspiration, magic, sorcrery, enchantment, serenity, and mystery again soon – used in reference of Terra Sur.

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J U L Y / A U G U S T

C A L E N D A R JULY 13 Twentieth Fish and Seafood Fair Best of culinary arts from region, music & mariachi; Oceanfront gardens of Rosarito Beach Hotel from 1 to 6 p.m; 01152(661) 612.0700; www.caniracrosarito.com

p.m. Centro Artesanal on the corner of Blvd. Lázaro Cárdenas (Costero) & Av. Castillo. FREE. (646) 175-7848; adalbertopm@hotmail.com JULY 19–25 Adapta Art Show – Terra Sur Adapta Project presents ‘A Room of One’s Own: Intimate Art in Contemporary Spaces’ at Beachfront Development in Baja California (see pg.

JULY 19 2008 Summer Lunada!

ProPeninsula Fundraising Event “A Taste of San Diego;” Food, drinks, auction, live music; (619) 574-6643; trisha@propeninsula.org

JULY 13 Kayak Fishing Tournament Hotel Coral & Marina, Ensenada; 6 am; $35 per angler; Prizes; Peskayak, Club de Pesca; www.peskayak.com.mx JULY 13 CEARTE Tianguis Cultural Sundays through October, artisans offer their wares at this cultural marketplace; Plaza de la Estrella; Ensenada’s Centro Estatal de las Artes (CEARTE); Blvd.

Costero (Lázaro Cárdenas) & Av. Club Rotario. FREE. Noon-6 pm; To attend or participate as an artist call (646)173-4307 JULY 18–20 El Rosario Festival Cultural Festival celebrates founding of El Rosario in 1774. Music, food, dance, rodeo, racing, mission tours, beach bonfire. (616) 165-8850; festival@bajacactus.com JULY 18-20 Mexicali en la Playa Beach Fest Volleyball, soccer and a beach run, live music; US (619) 819 6323; www.mexic alienlaplaya.com JULY 19 Bazar Centro Artesanal Every Saturday through August, outdoor art bazaar featuring local artists, Pai-Pai potters, Kumeyaay weavers, Mexican crafts, collectibles, antiques, books, regional foods, beverages and produce; 10 a.m.-6

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JULY 19 Punta Banda Country Fair Neighborhood fair features arts & crafts, chicken dinners, full bar service, music, dancing, activities for kids and contests for all age; Campo La Jolla Salon in Punta Banda, 16 miles south of Ensenada; 11am–5 pm (646) 154-2915. (646) 1542452; heather1@prodigy.net.mx JULY 20 XXVII Annual Fish & Seafood Festival Along the boardwalk of Playas de Tijuana; noon to 7 pm; Wine, beer, food with tickets. Free Admission.

JULY 20 CEARTE Tianguis Cultural (see July 13) JULY 25 Tequila Tasting Tequila tasting with Mexican Gourmet Dinner; Hotel Calafia; 6.30 pm; (619) 664 4160; jaks572003@yahoo.com

JULY 27 Rosarito Beach Hotel Sportfishing Pier Tournament; 8 am–1 pm August 1–17 Fiestas de la Vendimia The annual Grape Harvest Festival (see schedule of events on page 18) AUGUST 1–3 Ceviche Bowl Exhibition/competition of extreme motocross freestyle with international and national riders, skateboard contest, bodybuilding contest, live bands, reggae and much more. At Primo Tapia sand dunes, past Puerto Nuevo. (664) 995361; xtreme_p33@yahoo.com.

AUGUST 2 Neto Lizárraga’s Big Band Concert “Una Cana al Aire” (“throw caution to the wind”); Jazz, Dixieland, More than 15 musicians. Ensenada’s Centro Estatal de las Artes (CEARTE); 8 pm. FREE Admission. difusioncearte@baja.gob.mx; (646) 173-4307.

AUGUST 2–3 Nativa 2008 Festival of Traditional Arts of Baja California 9am–5pm: A cultural gathering of native artists from diverse native communities who welcome members of related tribal groups from CA, AZ & Baja; music, dance, ceramics, basketry, beaded jewelry and other unique handmade items, instruction and traditional foods; Plaza Ventana al Mar on the waterfront, near Blvd.

Costero & Alvarado, Ensenada. Free; ADESU; (646)178-8780;

JULY 25–27 Fourth Annual International ­Artisan Beer Festival Friday at the Hipódromo Caliente from 5:00pm until 1:00am, Saturday on Avenida Revolución from noon to midnight, Sunday on Avenida Revolución from noon to 7:00pm.

JULY 26 Bazar Centro Artesanal (see July 19) JULY 27 CEARTE Tianguis Cultural (see July 20)

AUGUST 8 Tequila Tasting & Gourmet Regional Mexican Dinner Hotel Calafia; Reservations (619) 739-4343; reservations@hotel-calafia.com

AUGUST 9 Guitar Concert with Giulio Tampalini.

One of Italy’s most talented guitarists. Ensenada’s Centro Estatal de las Artes (CEARTE); 8 pm. $10 dlls; (646) 173-4307. difusioncearte@baj a.gob.mx;

Motorcycle Liability Insurance Full Coverage • Drivers License • Liability

AUGUST 17 6th Annual Summer Taco & Beer Festival Beers live entertainment, raffles, and all types of tacos; Plaza Ventana al Mar on the waterfront at the giant flagpole; 10 am–8 pm Ensenada. (646)132-6094.

AUGUST 17 Rosarito Beach Hotel Sportfishing Pier Tournament; 8 am–1 pm;

Since 1994 Exclusive Agent for Motorcyle Insurance

Free Estimates • English Spoken Rosarito Shopping Center #9 • Tel/Fax (661) 612-2641 www.rbeachinsurance.com • info@rbeachinsurance.com

AUGUST 24 Caesar Salad Festival Upholding Tijuana’s Guiness Book record of the biggest Caesar Salad in the world, which weighed in at three tons in 2007. Wines, beers, food. Ave. Revolución in downtown Tijuana.

Baja ’s center for cultural events & the arts

August 29 Wine Tasting Gourmet Dinner Hotel Calafia;Tel: 619 664 4160; jaks572003@yahoo.com SEPTEMBER 4–7 Summer Festival Including the “Steak & Lobster Festival”, “Rosarito Art & Furniture Expo” and “The Pavilion of Tequilas”. Locally crafted furniture, regional food tasting of steak and lobster, fine tequilas, live music, mariachi and folkloric dancing. Rosarito Pavilion; www.bajaevents.com.mx SEPTEMBER 4 Armando Palomas in Concert One of the most controversial pop artist in Mexico, his music is melodic and powerful his theme is political. Mexicali Baja California (venue to be announced); $100 pesos advance, $150 pesos door; Zuco Caffe; www.myspace.com / altavozproducciones

music • art galleries • classes performing arts • movies

Tel 01-646-173-4307 • difusioncearte@baja.gob.mx Blvd. Lázaro Cárdenas y Riviera, Zona Centro, Ensenada, J U LY AU G U S T 2 0 0 8

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2008 FIESTAS DE VENDIMIA Annual Grape Harvest Festival Schedule of Events (partial) AUGUST 1–17 Fiests de la Vendimia The annual Grape Harvest Festival with different cultural and culinary events, concerts and seminars at wineries, vineyards and restaurants in Ensenada, San Antonio de las Minas,Valle de Guadalupe, Tecate, Tijuana and Mexicali. For the program of events and ticket information, visit www.fiestasdelavendimia.com or call Pro Vino at (646)178-3038 or Viajes Damiana at (646)178-3136.

AUGUST 2 Harvest Cup Golf Tournament Four-man scramble with male and female categories; trophies awarded for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place; special prizes for longest drive, closest to the pin; luxury car for hole in one; regional wine tasting at every hole, gastronomic food sampling throughout the course, award dinner with prizes, raffle and art auction. Real del Mar Golf Club, Km 19.5 Carretera Scenic Tijuana-Ensenada; Organiser/Sponsor: Hotel Calafia & Winemakers’ Association of Baja California; Price: $150 per person; special price registration prior to July 15; $135 per person or team of four $500 Beneficary: Rancho del Niño Nueva Vida, Rosarito AUGUST 9 Baja Jazz Festival ’08 Vendimia Festival; LA Cetto Vineyards in Guadalupe Valley; Music by Iraida Noriega, Gilbert Castallanos, Ensenada Jazz, Ache Colectivo, TJ Groove Station; Food by the Saverios Group of Chefs; MX (646) 1552179, www.bajajazzfestival.com; $35

AUGUST 16 Fiesta Colores de la Vendimia L.A. Cetto Winery celebrates its grape harvest with a gala fiesta including the blessing of the first harvest, grape stomping contests, wine tasting, country dinner, bullfights, live entertainment and fireworks at the vineyards in Valle de Guadalupe; noon

For a complete schedule of events, go to www.fiestasdelavendimia.com 26

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O

by Ramona d’Viola

nce, while looking for alternatives to the Tijuana border-crossing, I came upon the Guadalupe Valley, which has become the heart of Baja’s wine country. The area lies along the section of Highway 3 known as the Ruta del Vino, a scenic, ninety-minutelong stretch of road between Ensenada and Tecate. At its southern end, the Ruta del Vino connects with the Transpeninsular Highway in El Sauzal de Rodríguez, the northern suburb of Ensenada known for both fish canneries and postgraduate education. The traditional landmark at the junction of these two highways is a gigantic can of Tecate beer, but nowadays you will also see an official highway sign announcing the Ruta del Vino. Within moments of turning onto Highway 3 you’ll be winding through the purpletinted foothills leading to the valley.

One of the first tasting rooms in the valley is the eye-catching winery of Eduardo Liceaga. The veteran winemaker made his home here in 1971. Surrounded by native oak and sweeping vistas, Liceaga recognized paradise – and the perfect terroir. On my first visit, he poured me his award-winning 2002 Gran Reserva Merlot, lauded as some of the best in the valley.

“Not long ago there were only eight wineries along the Ruta del Vino,” Liceaga told me a few years before he died. “And I was number seven.” The valley now supports about two dozen wineries, with more on the way.

Just up the highway is Casa de Piedra, a minimalist, hyper-modern winery owned

by Hugo Acosta, the valley’s leading renaissance man. Constructed of field stones and corrugated sheet metal and decorated with a patina of orange and brown rust, the earth-hugging building nearly disappears into its tawny-colored surroundings.

At the vanguard of Mexico’s winemaking revival, Acosta is extolled as the region’s most knowledgeable winemaker. He recently turned a longdefunct winery into a school, teaching local and visiting growers how to optimize the region’s unique characteristics to produce premium wines and gourmet olive oils for a worldwide market.

At the north end of the valley, doña Lupe is one of the first women to run a full-scale wine production using sustainable practices. In the shadow of the much larger L.A. Cetto, La Casa de Doña Lupe’s organic products – wines, fruit preserves, olives, fragrant herbs and Kumeyaay handicrafts – make for one of the valley’s biggest draws.

Bouncing around the valley’s dusty

back roads, you’ll find new, tourist-oriented businesses.

Once-sleepy towns have seen ad hoc food stands develop into permanent fixtures, availing themselves of the steady stream of travelers on the road to and from Tecate, a place better known for beer than wine.

Although new development is apparent, there is a dearth of accommodations in the area. Until recently, the traveler’s only choices were hotels or rental properties in or near Ensenada, forty-five minutes away. Adobe Guadalupe, the valley’s first luxury destination, is still only accessible via dirt roads. The elegant inn and equestrian center has met with instant success, and its wines are beginning to garner name recognition throughout the Americas.

Doug Gould/Baja Wild

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DISCOVER BAJA’S WINE COUNTRY

Guadalupe Valley BAJA STYLE REAL ESTATE

Mustafá Restaurant Special Mexican & Arabic Foods Km. 93 Tecate-Ensenada Hwy MX (646) 155-3185 Open daily 8-7 pm.

Specializing in Guadalupe Valley Real Estate Jo Ann Knox MX cell 646)193-0072 (from U.S.) 011-521-646-193-0072 U.S. 619-819-2994 www.BajaStyleRealEstate.com

LOS ENCINOS RESTAURANT Mexican Food Km 95.5 Tecate-Ensenada Hwy San Antonio de las Minas Open daily 8 a.m. 8 p.m.

LA CASA VIEJA Historic Home & Winery

Km 93.5 Tecate-Ensenada Highway Tel MX (646) 155-3153. lacasavieja.baja@hotmail.com 12-6 daily except Mondays

JUST A FEW OF THE DOZENS OF WINERIES AND OTHER GUADALUPE VALLEY DESTINATIONS 28

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Help us find Baja’s best

Wines

Baja’s wine grape harvest is celebrated each year throughout the month of August in Guadalupe Valley.

Doug Gould/Baja Wild

Newcomers to the hospitality business, British-born Phillip and Eileen Gregory recently finished an Italian-inspired villa, the stunning Las Brisas del Valle. Atop a knoll overlooking the fertile valley, the sixroom villa is decorated in an eclectic, thoroughly modern mixture of hacienda meets contemporary Italian, dubbed “Mexiterranean” by the couple.

The warm, erudite proprietors show me their freshly cultivated organic vegetable gardens, orchards, and vineyards before graciously inviting me to dinner. The Gregorys recently retired from careers in the entertainment industry but still maintain their connection to the “biz.” Among the evening’s guests was a German actor, Peter Jordan, whose film had been nominated for an Academy Award the previous night.

Hours later, eight empty bottles preside over seven former strangers, exhausted by laughter. After breaking bread, we become members in good standing of what I’m predicting to be one big happy family - los amigos del valle de Guadalupe.

The Fiestas de la Vendimia is the perfect opportunity to taste all that Baja wineries have to offer amidst celebrations that include food, music and, of course, plenty of wine. With more than fifty wineries now creating wines in Baja’s wine country, the selection is huge and growing.

We at Baja Lifestyle love good wine and overwhelmed by our ongoing search for the best, we decided to turn to our readers.

Help us out by going to our website and submitting the names of your three favorite Baja wines. Discover the results of our Wine Challenge in the September/October issue of Baja Lifestyle magazine.

If you miss the Fiestas de Vendimia, you can taste Baja’s wines at numerous wine dinners and tasting events from Tijuana to Ensenada. Some of these are held by:

Calafia Hotel Capricho’s Rosarito Beach Hotel Taninos Wine Club

Or you can conduct your own wine tasting events. Check our website for stores with the best selections of Baja wines. www.bajalifestylemag.com

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The Mass Weddings of Mexico marriage consisted of both ceremonies and whose second consisted only of the civil ceremony, said, “In people’s hearts the religious ceremony is more imporant but in a practical sense, the civil ceremony is absolutely necessary. We need the government services that we get with the civil.”

To make the civil ceremony more affordable, state and municipal offices of DIF throughout the country administer the matrimonio colectivo program. Valentine’s Day is the most popular date but there are many local variations. This last Valentine’s Day, in Tijuana, the mayor married 1,167 couples on the esplanade of CECUT. In Ensenada, the ceremonies are held throughout the city – in the Registro Civil, at the Riviera del Pacífico, in sports stadiums, and, for the more rural areas, at the local comandancia.

The matrimonio colectivo is the Mexican government’s solution to what was becoming a growing bureaucratic problem: too many people living together in “open unions” because the regular process of getting married is too costly and time-consuming.

As with most countries, Mexico requires the civil wedding ceremony and does not recognize the validity of any religious ceremony. The Catholic Church, on the other hand, requires marriage by a priest and forbids divorce as conditions of receiving the Sacraments. One woman, whose first

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Perhaps the most unexpected location for these ceremonies is the prisons. Not only are prisoners allowed to marry but, after the service, the couple is allowed to consummate their union in small cottages on the prison grounds, following up with conjugal visits on two days each week.

Ensenada has set aside two dates each year for its matrimonios colectivos, charging a single peso for the Valentine’s Day ceremony and one hundred pesos for the ceremony in September. Modest celebrations are held after the ceremonies for which the Compañeros de Baja Norte (a club of expatriates in the area) supply the wedding cake and champagne.

New Tijuana City Tour Every great city offers a bus tour to show off its most famous attractions. Tijuana has taken the next step by allowing its visitors to get off the tour bus at any stop in order to spend as much time as they wish wherever they’d like.

Mexicoach, the big red bus that has been introducing tourists to Tijuana since 1970, unveils its Tijuana City Tour in the middle of July. During the high season, this service will depart from the Mexicoach terminal on Avenida Revolución (on the west side between Sixth and Seventh streets) every day of the week and every hour on the hour from 10:00a.m. to 6:00p.m. The last bus comes home to roost by 8:00p.m. in order to connect with Mexicoach’s final departure to San Diego.

The Tijuana City Tour costs ten dollars per person for the entire day. Children under ten ride for free when accompanied by an adult. Passengers may get on and off as often as they like, at any of the thirteen stops throughout the historic area of Tijuana. Visitors may enjoy wine tastings at Cava L. A. Cetto, beer at Cervecería Tijuana, the museum and bookstore at CECUT, shopping, first-run movies, and dining in Plaza Río and Plaza Fiesta, fine dining in the gastronomic district, and the real, historic Tijuana in and around Parque Teniente Guerrero – all at their own pace.

Someone who never gets off the bus, will be back where they started in two hours. And yet with the City Tour you have the opportunity to experience, at your own discretion, a good bit of the real Tijuana for an entire day.

Passengers who are already in Tijuana may board the Tijuana City Tour from Mexicoach’s terminal on Avenida Revolución and from particular hotels along the tour’s route – Pueblo Amigo, Lucerna, and Camino Real. People driving from the United States may connect with the Tijuana City Tour from San Diego’s Old Town transit station (which offers free parking) and from the Border Station parking lot in San Ysidro (which offers the most reasonable parking at the border).

Visitors entering Tijuana without their cars can join the tour at the Mexicoach stop at the San Ysidro trolley terminus on the U.S. side of the border as well as from the ABC bus station on the southwest corner of the traffic circle just beyond the Mexican Customs pavilion.

Senior living is a priviledge...

Living it in Baja is a dream!

Providing the highest quality of assisted living and property care services for those who are enjoying their retirement years on Baja’s beautiful coast.

U.S. Toll Free (877) 606-0022 • MX Toll Free (01 800) 030-0070 info@serenaseniorcare.com • www.serenaseniorcare.com Calle Mar Mediterráneo 123, Local 1 Arco Plaza, Rosarito 22710

Tel: (661) 612 9090 Fax: (661) 612 9092 J U LY AU G U S T 2 0 0 8

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The Visionary of Cantamar Story and watercolor by Sue McDevitt

A

lmost halfway between Tijuana and Ensenada as you drive south on the toll road, two curious architectural landmarks in the small settlement of Cantamar catch your attention.

The first is the Cantamar lighthouse, which was designed and built by a Tijuana businessman named Alejandro Borja. As a child, Borja loved lighthouses and always wanted to have one of his own, so later in life he built this as a fulfillment of this wish. It’s said that the Mexican navy would not allow Borja to put the lighthouse into operation because it is not properly placed as a navigational aid. The lamp that was to have lit the lighthouse, one of only two such lamps in the world, is now located at a Borja family Pemex station near the Caliente racetrack in Tijuana.

The second landmark is in Villa Borja. The three-story fantasy house and tall steeple stand out of the surrounding palms like a fairytale structure painted pink and purple. Designed and built by Borja in the 1960s, it represents the particular flare of his imagination.

Alejandro Borja was born in Michoacán in 1912. His family moved to San Diego for a period while he was in high school. It was at Hoover High, a brand-new school at the time, that Borja became an extra­

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ordinary athlete. He set records in track and field, led his football team to championships several years in a row, and starred as a boxer. He graduated with the honors of having excelled at all the sports in which he participated and of having won the complete adoration of his classmates.

Borja’s family relocated to Tijuana in the 1930s. There, a young man starting his career, Borja borrowed fifty dollars from his sister and got into the gas station business. Twenty dollars went to rent a Texaco station (prior to the nationalization of gasoline in Mexico) and thirty dollars went to buy the gasoline. From that beginning he went on to build his fortune by accumulating about fifteen gas stations in Tijuana and by purchasing nearby property as well.

Borja married María Elena Robles, whose family was from Ensenada. The couple made numerous trips between Tijuana and Ensenada, each time passing the beautiful estuary and beach where Cantamar is now located. Borja’s wife loved the area so much that he bought the land for her.

Although there is a romantic story that Cantamar was named for the singing of the nearby dunes (an acoustic effect caused by ocean breezes meeting the sand), it was actually named by doña María. She was enchanted with the sound of the ocean and named the site Cantamar (ocean song) after a beach in mainland Mexico she loved. She designated Cantamar for her son Carlos while her husband began to have dreams of how this beach property might be developed.

Borja received no formal education in architecture. His talents as a visionary, a designer, and a builder were inherited directly from his father, don Alejandro Borja González. In the early 1960s, after the younger Borja had become a successful businessman, he began to improve the property. He started by building facilities for the Cantamar trailer park and tourist center, then laying out streets and landscaping. He named the street after objects of the sea, in alphabetical order beginning at the gate: Arrecifes (reefs), Ballenas (whales), Corales (corals), Delfines (dolphins), and Erizos (sea urchins). The main street, Las Palmas, features two palms crossing one another at eye level.

Original menu from the Cantamar Restauurant

Borja designed and built the Cantamar lighthouse between 1964 and 1966. After it opened, tourists began climbing the stairs to observe the spectacular 360° view from about fifty feet above sea level.

At the same time, he also built the restaurant and bar “El Faro” (the lighthouse) and added the community swimming pool and deck. Later in the 1970s, Borja planned and constructed the condominiums.

La Casa Rosa (the pink house) was built in Villa Borja (just north of Canta­ mar) around 1989 and is currently occupied by Galería Joanna Jones, a fineart gallery. One member of the family affectionately refers to it as “El Pastel” (the cake) because of its several layers of bright colors.

The last structure that Borja built in Cantamar is the Palm Grill of 1990. The palapa-style roof, fabricated from dried palm fronds, gives it a tropical-island effect.

During the 1970s and 1980s Canta­ mar had its own power station. The settlement of 138 architecturally unique beach cottages, condos, and houses now receives its power from Rosarito and is part of that municipality.

Today, Borja’s grandson, Atanasio Borja (named after his great-greatgrandfather) and his wife Jazmín run the Cantamar Maintenance Company and live on site. They have hung on to many souvenirs of the earlier era, including a fifty-year-old menu painted on a piece of wood cut in the shape of the lighthouse, a glass ashtray with “Cantamar” etched on it, and a flyer for the tourist center.

Atanasio and Jazmín are also renovating the scale model of the lighthouse constructed by a former Cantamar resident.

The Borja family has recently requested that the city of Rosarito restore the Cantamar lighthouse because it has become an historical landmark. The family wishes that the now crumbling lighthouse might be preserved for future generations and that tourists might easily access and appreciate its history.

Alejandro Borja is ninety-five years of age and lives in Tijuana. He has left a remarkable legacy in Cantamar born of unique vision and ability. The unusual structures he leaves behind emanated from his spirited imagination and these icons live on in the mind’s eye of all who pass by or visit the area.

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Bay View Grand International Pro-Am Invitational

In celebration of the Greg Norman golf course community being developed at La Punta in northern Baja, a kickoff golf event was held at Bajamar a few weeks ago. Organized by ­David Dichi sales manager for BVG La Punta Development and Bajamar pro Patrick Shaw, twenty-five four-person teams of professionals and amateurs competed for a cash prize purse and awards at the neighboring course to Bay View Grand’s new development there. Tours of the model for the new project were

Susanna’s

conducted during the afternoon skins game that drew players from four countries and six states within the U.S. Top individual Pro Robert Christiansen of Beaumont, California had a sizzling 66, six under par. His team subsequently won the team prize. Rumor had it that the winner put down the prize money on a new condo at La Punta of Bay View Grand, but that has not yet been confirmed. Golf by the ocean with Mediterranean weather! Who wouldn’t be tempted?

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BAJA STYLE REAL ESTATE

Jo Ann Knox MX cell 646)193-0072 (from U.S.) 011-521-646-193-0072 • U.S. 619-819-2994 www.BajaStyleRealEstate.com

I N S I D E R S G U I D E TO N O RT H E R N B A J A HOTELS/RESORTS Bobby’s By The Sea Seaside Villas & Casitas for Rent, Restaurant, Bar, Pools, Jacuzzis; US 619-262-2900; MX 661-614-1135; Km 43 Rosarito-Ensenada Free Road; www.BobbysByTheSea.com; Alexis@BobbysbytheSea.com Estero Hotel & Resort Estero Beach, Ejido Chapultepec; From US 011-52-(646) 176-6225; info@hotelesterobeach.com; www.hotelesterobeach.com El Rey Sol Hotel Avenida López Mateos 1000; Ensenada; From US: 011-52-646-178-1733; Fax: 01152-646-178-1405; Deyanira@ElReySol.com www.ElReySol.com Hotel Calafia Hotel, special events, restaurant, wine tastings, spa; Km 35.5 Carretera Libre TiijuanaEnsenada, Rosarito; reservations@hotelcalafia.com; www.hotel-calafia.com

El Rey Sol Avenida López Mateos 1000; Ensenada; From US: 011-52-646-178-1733; Deyanira@ElReySol.com; www.ElReySol.com Fabrizzio’s Gallery Cafe Italian and Japanese Food with ocean view; outside and Inside sitting Free delivery with purchase of $15.00+ purchase; San Antonio del Mar; Tel (664) 638-3811; Nextel 152*14*1736 La Fonda Dine overlooking the ocean. Tues-Thurs taco bar & margarita special; Sunday Mexican buffet & all you drink bloody mary included with buffet. Km 59.9 Rosarito-Ensenada free road; From US 011-52-646-1550307; reservations@LaFon daBaja.com Mario’s Restaurant Locally reknowned chef serves creative local, seafood and pasta dishes. Ejido Chapultepec in Ensenada; near Estero Beach Resort; Calzado Morelo #323; (646) 173-6885; cell (646) 947-8661 ADVENTURE/SPORTS TOURS

RESTAURANTS Café Bohemia A wide selection of delicious coffees, teas, fresh soups, salads, sandwiches and daily specials. Organic vegetables. A popular stopping off point for travelers and a hangout for American residents. A source for local information. Free Internet access and Vonage calls to the U.S. for $1. Km 115 on transpeninsular highway, between Ensenada and Punta Banda, just south of Estero Beach; (646) 120-3361; US (619) 270-2323.

Capricho’s Restaurant 138 Av. Ruiz, zona centro Ensenada (01152-646-178-3433). Open Mon.-Thurs., 1 p.m.-midnight; Fri.-Sat., 1 p.m.-1 a.m.; Sun., 1 p.m.-8 p.m.

Cedros Outdoor Adventures Sport fishing and adventure expeditions to Cedros and San Benito Islands. COA flies you there, which means you will start your sport fishing or eco-adventure the same day! Tel 619793-5419/MX 01-646-154-3085. www.cedrosou tdooradventures.com ARTS/CULTURAL CENTERS CEARTE (Ensenada State Center of the Arts) Blvd. Lázaro Cárdenas & Av. Club Rotario in Ensenada. Opened in 2007, this modern, spacious facility ushers in a new era in public art and culture available at no cost to visitors and citizens. (646) 173-4307; difusioncearte@baja.gob.mx

Urns Vases Furniture Lighting Primitives Hacienda Style Glassware Statues Fountains Ceramics Textiles Local Handicrafts Copper Sinks Interior Design

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INSIDERS GUIDE GALLERIES Joanna Jones Galeria Art gallery & outdoor restaurant. Km 47.6 Cantamar. MX 614.0823. joann.joannajones@gmail.com Polo’s Fine Art Gallery Fine art, paintings; Popotla, just south of Fox Studios; (661) 100 2475; www.polosfineart.com

La Casa Vieja Historic adobe home from the 1800s now serves as an art gallery and gift shop. Wine tasting; homemade jams, candles, soaps and other natural products. Km 93.5 on the Ruta del Vino. Open 12–6 daily except Mondays. MX (646) 155-3153. lacasavieja.baja@hotmail.com

WINE TASTING

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Art & Stuff Folk and decorative art; Framed originals; Km 103.5 Carretera TJ/Ensenada; El Sauzal, Local phone: 646.175.8859; U.S. phone: 949.202.5321; ensbc.com/Art&Stuff

Hotel Calafia Special wine tasting events; Km 35.5 Carretera Libre Tijuana-Ensenada, Rosarito; reservations@hotel-calafia.com; www.hotelcalafia.com

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A Great Place to Eat, Drink & Stay

NO PASSPORTS REQUIRED Until recently, Customs & Border Protection (CBP) was saying that full implementation of the Westerrn Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) could be as early as summer of this year. This is the law requiring passports for travel between the United States and Mexico.

CPB now has posted on its website that full implementation will not take place before June of 2009. This means that land travelers to Baja will not need to show a passport (or similar document) upon their return to to U.S. before that time.

As of this past Jan. 31, a governmentissued photo ID and proof of citizenship (such as a birth certificate) were required for U.S. citizens older than 18. On Feb. 1, applications for the less expensive passport card began to be accepted.

More details are available at http: //www.cbp.gov.

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Thousands Encounter Cows on Tijuana Streets Cow Parade has become the world’s largest public art event.

Even though its basic fiberglass cow remains fundamentally the same in every city Cow Parade visits, the artists of each host city are challenged by the works from past events, inspired by their own cultural influences, and moved by their own interpretation of the cow as an art object to produce their own

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unique works. Twenty of the seventy cows that have been installed along seven strategic areas of Tijuana were produced by local artists.

Cow Parade began in 2002 in Chicago, New York City, Kansas City, and London. It has evolved in its scope and its quality and now operates as a partnership between governments, business interests, and the art world. Throughout Mexico, Cow Parade is sponsored by the Fundación Lala (the philanthropic arm of a nationwide dairy) and has already been seen by more than ten million people in Mexico City and Guadalajara. At the end of each event, some of the herd move on to the next city and others are auctioned off to benefit charities.

On May 27, 2008, Tijuana became the third city in Mexico to host Cow Parade. Its installations can be viewed along Avenida Paseo de los Héroes and ouside City Hall in the Zona Río, downtown along Avenida Revolución and in Plaza Santa Cecilia, at the airport, in Parque Morelos and Parque México, and along the malecón of Playas. While no closing date has been announced, the exhibition should continue at least through August.

Affordable prices on original art by accomplished local artists

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