OVERVIEW
Enjoy an inspired wine tasting and gourmet lunch at a winery restaurant in the Guadalupe Valley, a fertile area known as the Napa of Mexico, in part because the vast majority of Mexico’s wines are produced there. During the drive inland, you will notice the terrain becoming hillier with an abundance of sprawling farms and idyllic valleys such as Guadalupe. Its microclimate is similar to that in the Mediterranean as the summers are relatively cool with constant ocean breezes. Red wine grapes, in particular, flourish there, and over the past three decades or so, more than 150 wineries have become established along the valley’s wine route. Your introduction to one of the premier wineries will begin with an enlightening, behind-the-scenes tour. Afterwards, you will sample a wide selection of characteristic wines that beautifully represent the Guadalupe Valley. They will be paired with cheeses and artisan bread, which will perfectly complement the fabulous 3-course lunch that follows.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Enjoy a spectacular scenic drive through the Guadalupe Valley, the Napa of Mexico.
• Gain an understanding of the valley’s terroir by touring a premier winery.
• Sample several representative Guadalupe Valley wines and enjoy a gourmet 3-course lunch.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Learn about the history of the area from your guide while you’ll pass by the city’s highlights. You’ll stop at the elegant Riviera del Pacifico, a once dazzling beach resort and casino. The highlight of your tour will be the 25-mile drive to the south for approximately one hour, along the Baja California countryside to scenic Punta Banda.

This area is known for an impressive blowhole called La Bufadora, a natural sea spout that shoots water from 60 to 100 feet into the air, depending on the tide. You’ll have free time to experience the flavors of Mexico at the open air market, with a wide selection of national art. You’ll also visit Ensenada’s main shopping district, offering everything from Mexican handicrafts to imported items. You may return to the ship with your guide or remain and return on your own.

OVERVIEW

Fly high above beautiful Desert Nest natural preserve on a series of ziplines for the ultimate adrenaline rush. Upon arriving at the residential resort community Cuatro Cuatros, you will be briefed on how to maximize the experience. After being harnessed into the zipline, off you will go on the first of five exhilarating courses that will carry you over a distance of more than two miles. You can expect it to be a nonstop thrill as you race downhill at hair-raising speeds on the dual steel-cable ziplines. Along the way and while pausing on the elevated platforms between the ziplines, you will enjoy a literal bird’s-eye view of the surrounding Guadalupe Valley, one of Mexico’s finest wine-producing regions. Following the adventure, you will pause at the Cuatro Cuatros winery. The vineyards yield mostly red wines with the main varieties being cabernet sauvignon, merlot and zinfandel.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Race over the Desert Nest natural preserve on five exhilarating ziplines.
• Race over the Desert Nest natural preserve on five exhilarating ziplines.
• Visit the winery within the Cuatro Cuatros residential resort community.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Get a literal and figurative taste of Ensenada by visiting historical attractions and sampling locally made mezcal. Your introduction to the city will begin by strolling the grounds of the former Hotel Riviera del Pacifico, a traditional Spanish-style resort built in 1930 with a casino that Al Capone frequented. The margarita was supposedly invented at this landmark. How fitting that you will also visit a mezcalaria to sample mezcal, a spirit similar to tequila but with a greater variety of tastes. After an explanation of the artisanal process, you will try as many as five characteristic mezcals. You may wish to try the traditional accompaniments, worm salt – a blend of sea salt and ground agave worms – and dried grasshoppers. If those offerings are beyond your comfort zone, don’t worry. A dessert of tasty confections follows at a nearby candy shop. Other notable attractions in town include lovely Ventana al Mar park and Flag Plaza.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Meander through the gardens of a former hotel where the margarita may have been invented.
• Hear tales of the Hollywood celebrities that stayed at the hotel in the 1930s, along with Al Capone.
• Sample several mezcals at a mezcalaria and learn how the spirit differs from tequila.
• See landmarks such as Ventana al Mar park on a driving tour of Ensenada.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Bring a swimsuit, towel and sunscreen.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

You’ll be taking an approximately 30-minute drive to the ranch. Upon arrival, you’ll be given a safety briefing and helmet and assigned to your horse. During your one and a half hour horseback ride, you’ll enjoy magnificent view of Salsipuedes Bay, Todos Santos Island and the Gold Coast. Your leisurely trail ride will take you through the beautiful hills of San Miguel. You’ll be treated to a snack before taking the trail back to San Miguel.

OVERVIEW

Snap photos of yourself in the most picture-perfect locations in Ensenada, including Bufadora, the world’s second-largest marine geyser. It’s almost impossible to take a bad picture as the ocean water is furiously forced through the Bufadora blowhole and spews into the air. Even so, a photo expert will be on hand to offer tips on everything from composition to lighting. You will also have the opportunity to capture some of Ensenada’s most vibrant shopping areas and the Cultura Riviera complex. The latter was a Moorish-style hotel and casino until 1935 and attracted celebrities such as Bing Crosby, Lucille Ball and Rita Hayworth. The margarita cocktail was supposedly invented there, so it’s only fitting that you sit in on a margarita tasting. The Monumental Flag is another photogenic spot. This massive flag of Mexico proudly soars high over the waterfront and watching it snap in the wind is quite the sight.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Take spectacular selfies at scenic spots by following tips from the photo expert guide.
• Snap photos of the Bufadora blowhole spewing high into the air.
• Enjoy a margarita tasting at the former hotel where the cocktail was supposedly invented.
• Take a picture of the oversized Monumental Flag as it flies more than 300 feet above.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Sample an inspiring selection of cheese, wine and beer as a prelude to a traditional lunch at a farm in the Valle de Ojos Negros. Agriculture thrives in this fertile valley and the Ramonetti family has been farming there for four generations. Their dairy farm, Rancho la Campana, is renowned for its stone cheese cave – La Cava de Marcelo – which holds as many as 10,000 wheels of cheese. Each wheel must be rotated daily to prevent moisture from building up. You will see how the namesake Ramonetti cheese is produced step-by-step using hormone-free milk from German Holstein cows. You will also sample cheeses such as ricotta, quesos frescos and several aged varieties in the climate-controlled cheese cave, one of the first in Latin America. Locally produced wine and craft beer will be served, as well. To round out this culinary experience, you will enjoy a hearty meal in the farm’s serene gardens.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Visit a fourth-generation family dairy farm in the Valle de Ojos Negros.
• Observe how various cheeses are naturally produced without the use of hormones.
• Sample a variety of cheeses in La Cava de Marcelo, a climate-controlled cheese cave.
• Enjoy a tasting of locally produced wine and craft beer, followed by a traditional lunch.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

See firsthand how two iconic Mexican drinks – beer and tequila – are produced locally and sample a variety of both. Before arriving at the first venue, you will enjoy a panoramic drive around Ensenada that will likely include commentary describing how the town boomed in the 1920s when alcohol was banned during Prohibition in the United States. Craft beers and premium tequila are still major draws. The master brewer at the esteemed Olympo microbrewery will show you each step of the process as a prelude to your sampling of a flight of four beers. The selection may include a triple-chocolate stout and a sushi lager made with Japanese rice. Similarly, an enlightening tour of Tequilera Doña Engracia will reveal its distilling process. During the sampling that follows, you will taste an array of spirits such as a white tequila, a caramel-flavored añejo tequila and an agave-forward reposado aged in whiskey barrels.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a tour of Olympo microbrewery and sample a flight of its premium beers.
• See how various tequilas are produced at a local distillery and taste several of them.
• Settle in for an introductory driving tour and admire Ensenada’s key landmarks.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Bring a swimsuit, towel and sunscreen.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Luxuriate at an exclusive beach club in Rosarito Beach and complement the experience with a classic Mexico meal of tacos and margaritas. As you travel up the scenic coastline, you will see one beautiful stretch of white sand after another, the reason this part of Baja California attracts so many beach lovers. Upon arriving at gorgeous Rosarito Beach, which runs the full length of the resort city of Rosarito, you will spend hours relaxing however you please at the stylish and wonderfully laid-back Sunio Beach Club. Feel free to bask in the sun on a lounge chair, stroll along the wide beach, take a refreshing swim in the sea and watch the surfers that often congregate there to take advantage of the waves. Sipping on freshly made icy-cold margaritas will make the experience all the more enjoyable. The accompanying lunch of chicken and beef tacos will be just as satisfying.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Spend hours relaxing at the exclusive Sunio Beach Club on Rosarito Beach.
• Enjoy a carefree experience doing most anything you please on the wide stretch of sand.
• Savor a classic taco lunch and margaritas at the luxurious resort.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Bring a swimsuit, towel and sunscreen.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW
Take the wheel of an ATV and tear off into the hinterlands of the Guadalupe Valley, one of the most hauntingly beautiful areas in Baja California. As you race through the rugged terrain in a caravan of vehicles, you will enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and indigenous pine forests. Incredibly, almost all of Mexico’s wines are produced in this valley, a land with a microclimate that is similar to but drier than that of the Bordeaux region in France. More than 150 wineries are now located in the valley and in a way they are simply following a tradition, as Jesuit priests first cultivated vines here in the 18th century. Once you return to the ATV base camp, you will enjoy a tasting of wines from the Guadalupe Valley, which has become known as the Napa of Mexico.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Race on an ATV through rugged terrain in a caravan of vehicles. • Enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and indigenous pine forests. • Enjoy wine tasting from Guadalupe Valley.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing. • Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW
Watch a fascinating performance of traditional Mexican songs and dances in a once flamboyant hotel that now serves as Ensenada’s premier cultural center. While driving through town, you will see many of its highlights, but none is quite so historical and prestigious as the former Hotel Riviera del Pacifico. This rambling Spanish-style resort was built in 1930 and originally held a casino that Al Capone supposedly frequented. Upon arriving, you will be greeted by a mariachi band dressed in colorful costumes that will serenade you with songs that reflect the region’s roots. As an accompaniment, you will be served a margarita, an iconic Mexican beverage that is said to have been invented at the hotel. In time, you will settle in for an authentic folkloric performance that is sure to be memorable. Free time follows, during which you may take pictures with the band, shop for handicrafts and see the ballroom where Bing Crosby and Xavier Cugat once performed.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Watch a performance of traditional songs and dances in Ensenada’s cultural center.
• pend free time exploring the venue, a former hotel and casino from the 1930s.
• Enjoy a margarita, shop for handicrafts and discover the property’s notorious history.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Sit back and enjoy the city highlights as you listen to your guide’s narration of the area’s history. You’ll stop at Baja Califonia’s oldest winery founded in 1888 – Bodegas Santo Tomas – for a complimentary wine tasting.

The highlight of your tour will be the 25-mile drive to the south for approximately one hour, along the Baja California countryside to scenic Punta Banda. This area is famous for the spectacular blowhole called La Bufadora, a natural sea spout that shoots water from 60 to 100 feet into the air, depending on the tide. You’ll have free time to experience the flavors of Mexico at the open-air market, with a wide selection of national art. You’ll also visit Ensenada’s main shopping district, offering everything from Mexican handicrafts to imported items. You may return to the ship with your guide or remain and return on your own.