Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Ensenada among the “101 Best Places to Eat in the World”

"La Guerrerense" seafood cart made it to Newsweek´s list
Sabina Bandera during her presentation at the LA Street Food Fest. Micaela Arroyo/SanDiegoRed

Ensenada’s iconic seafood stand “La Guerrerense” made it to Newsweek’s the “101 Best Places to Eat In the World”.

Inside the weekly edition from August 13 to 20, the culinary-themed article featured on the cover, lists gastronomic spots throughout the world, based on recommendations made by 53 renowned chefs including Anthony Bourdain, who early this year visited the stand, owned and managed by Mrs. Sabina Bandera.

“La Guerrerense, a humble street cart, is as simple as it gets. Doña Sabina Bandera Gonzalez serves up the most mind-blowing fresh, sophisticated, and colorful tostadas imaginable. Absolutely phenomenal. Worth drive from L.A.”, said Bourdain in Newsweek. “Incredibly phenomenal, it’s totally worth the trip from Los Angeles.”

The picture of Sabina and her ceviche tostadas leads the section dedicated to Latin America in the magazine’s countdown. The article recommends the clam, octopus and abalone tostadas.

With over 40 years of history, the emblematic stand located between First and Alvarado Streets in Ensenada, is famous for its ceviche tostadas, its salsas and its seafood cocktails.

Last July, La Guerrerense was awarded with the LA Street Food Fest’s highest prize beating over a 100 competitors from restaurants to street food stands.



Original Text: Alexandra Mendoza
Translation: Karen.balderas@sandiegored.com


www.bajainvestment.com

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

For Baja California Winemakers, It's Fiesta Time | KPBS.org


August is the time for festivals in Baja, California - from cheese and bread to salads to seafood. The grandaddy of them all is the Fiestas de la Vendimia, the harvest festivals in Ensenada's lush Guadalupe Valley wine country.
While driving to Ensenada one recent Saturday, I passed billboards advertising no fewer than five foodie festivals: The festival of cheese and bread; the festival of seafood and shellfish—even a festival devoted entirely to salads and salad dressings. But it’s a paella competition that brings me south of the border today.


Credit: Maya Kroth
Above: The pre-paella contest entry from Team Chiapas,Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, July 14, 2012
“If we win we get to go to the big contest in Valle de Guadalupe in the last weekend of August,” said Montserrat Vildósola, an architect from Mexico City and amateur paella chef. “There’s a contest where 100 paelleros go, and this is the contest you have to win in order to be able to contest there.”

Vildósola’s team is one of about a dozen competing today for a spot in the big paella contest that closes out the grandaddy of all Baja gastronomic festivals: the Fiestas de la Vendimia. That’s Spanish for harvest parties, and they’re happening now in Ensenada’s lush Guadalupe Valley wine country, a bucolic place where horses graze amid scenic vineyards surrounded by majestic purple mountains.

“Baja produces about 90 percent of the wine from Mexico,” said Joaquín Prieto, current president of Provino, the coalition of winemakers that coordinates the Vendimia. “Climate is the prime thing. We have the Pacific cold and the heat of the valley so it creates a microclimate.”

Prieto’s own winery, Tres Valles, is one of close to 70 now up and running in the region, operations that range in size from tiny mom ‘n’ pops that produce just a few hundred cases per year to huge commercial behemoths like L.A. Cetto. Over the next few weeks, most of them will be throwing parties to celebrate the grape harvest, anything from wine dinners with famous chefs to winery tours, cheese tastings, bullfights, concerts, circus performances, art exhibitions and, of course, the paella contest.


Credit: Maya Kroth
Above: Chefs Otto Spohn and Juan Carlos Coutiño Ruizof of Team Chiapas with their pre-paella contest entry, in Ensenada, Baja California, July 14, 2012
Another contest hopeful, Chef Otto Spohn, says he’s noticed a change in the clientele at his Tijuana restaurant this year, since US media like The New Yorker and Anthony Bourdain’s travel show “No Reservations” caught wind of what’s happening in Baja.

“Many people are coming from the north, crossing the border. Fortunately we have changed the image of Tijuana on the question of security,” Spohn said. “We are doing very well and people are coming.”

Organizer Prieto anticipates about 50,000 people—including Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who swung through the valley last week to kick off the festivities—will attend the Vendimia this month, a jump of more than 40% from last year. But only about 1 in 5 are expected to come from the United States, with most visitors hailing from elsewhere within the country, like Vildósola, who’s been attending since she was a girl growing up in Mexicali and still travels back every summer despite having moved to Mexico City.

“At first it was very regional,” she said. “There were a few winemakers, and now from the two or three that were here 25 years ago, there are 70. It’s a new life; it’s a new world. It’s changed for the better, but it’s different.”

“I think the big shocker for everyone about Guadalupe Valley is they would naturally be inclined to think that because its south of the border that it’s too hot to make wines that have elegance and finesse, and that’s not true at all,” said Robert Whitley, a San Diego-based wine columnist for Creators Syndicate who’s been keeping tabs on the Guadalupe Valley for almost 30 years. “It’s probably cooler than Napa in summertime. You have that diurnal effect of grapes having sunshine and warmth during the day that they need to ripen, and the cooling at night that preserves the freshness and the acidity. So it’s actually an ideal climate for grape growing.”


Credit: Maya Kroth
Above: Local Valle de Guadalupe wines being served at a Fiestas de la Vendimia pre-party in Ensenada, Baja California, July 14, 2012
The Nebbiolo grape—the same one that makes famously pricey Italian wines like Barolo and Barbaresco—grows particularly well in Baja, says Whitley. In fact, he ranks L.A. Cetto’s Nebbiolo as the best in North America, on par with those from Italy’s Piedmont region, and has even seen it listed on menus in Parisian wine bars.

But if Baja wines are so good, why don’t we see more of them on supermarket shelves in the States? Explanations range from high import tariffs to the fact that most of these wineries simply don’t produce enough to meet even domestic demand, let alone international. Thankfully, U.S. Customs allows individuals to bring in one bottle apiece duty-free, so Americans who taste something they like at the harvest festival can still savor the flavor of Baja back home.

“Everybody comes to Ensenada in the summer,” said Vildósola. “This is part of the heart of Baja California.”
www.bajainvestment.com

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Robert Redford stars as 'perfect guest' at Rosarito Beach Hotel



The Rosarito Beach Hotel considers all visitors to be important guests, but during June and July one guest in particular stood out.

He went by the name of Mr. Miller but there was no disguising who really was staying at the Baja California resort: Robert Redford.

The legendary actor occupied a two-bedroom penthouse on the 17th floor of the Pacifico Tower, and while he undoubtedly enjoyed spectacular ocean views and famous Baja hospitality, this was a working trip.

Redford was across the border for the filming, at nearby studios, of director J.C. Chandor's "All Is Lost," about a lone man's struggles against the sea.

For the spacious seaside hotel, which is still rebounding from negative publicity generated by drug cartel-related violence in Baja California, the business was much appreciated.

Production staff, including Chandor, occupied 140 rooms. Redford, 75, chose to stay at the hotel over a nearby mansion to be closer to his colleagues.

The actor and hotel staff reportedly did a good job of maintaining secrecy. Redford relied largely on room service and attempted to hide beneath a baseball cap when he did stroll about the hotel grounds.

He was described in a news release as the perfect guest.

Jorge Morales, a waiter at the hotel's Azteca restaurant, said that only one guest that he knew of recognized the true identity of Mr. Miller during his many restaurant visits.

"I told the customer that [Redford] was making a movie and was very tired," Morales said. "Please don't disturb him."

Morales was Redford's personal waiter and often served the actor Puerto Nuevo-style lobster and Don Julio tequila.

Before checking out, the actor posed for photos with Morales and other staff members. They, in turn, were struck by how unassuming Redford turned out to be. "The guy being so famous, how could he be so humble?" Morales said.


Redford also displayed a sense of humor. When asked to identify his favorite Mexican food he responded, "My favorite food is tequila."

He's the latest of many Hollywood stars who have visited the Rosarito Beach Hotel. They include Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth and John Wayne.

Of the drug violence among rival cartels, which two years ago made daily headlines and frightened many tourists into thinking all of Mexico was unsafe, Redford said this: "It's unfortunate, since there are so many areas of Mexico that are safe to visit. More people should know."

"All Is Lost" is due to be released in 2013.

-- Top image shows the Rosarito Beach Hotel. Credit: ©Pete Thomas. Second image shows Robert Redford on the pier in front of the Rosarito Beach Hotel
www.bajainvestment.com

Monday, July 16, 2012

Hugo Torres Recognized for his Service to Mexico and the USA

Ron Raposa Media Services, Rosarito Beach, Baja California

Several hundred people attended a July 10 ceremony in Tijuana at which former Rosarito mayor and hotel owner Hugo Torres was honored by the Sales and Marketing Executives of Tijuana as their organization's 2012 Distinguished Executive and Socially Responsible Businessman.
The award was presented to Mr. Torres for his many years of involvement in the social, political and business life of Rosarito and Baja California, including many projects to build stronger relationships between the United States and Baja California.
Mr. Torres, principal owner of the historic Rosarito Beach Hotel, has been a fixture in the Baja California and Rosarito business and political scenes for decades. He led the effort to incorporate Rosarito as a city in 1995, and twice served as city mayor.
As mayor from 2007 to 2010, he reformed the city police department, led Rosarito to its lowest crime rate in history, established a tourist police force, and worked closely with Baja California and San Diego officials on international projects.
"I am very honored to have been selected by this outstanding group, and to receive recognition for the importance of social responsibility," Mr. Torres said.
"As mayor of Rosarito from 2007 to 2010, I did things to make the city more welcoming to our visitors. We cleaned up the police department and started a special tourist police force. Those things were needed and were socially responsible things to do. They led to Rosarito in 2010 having its lowest crime rate ever.

"Aside from that, I have made it my mission in the past few years to spread the message that Baja is safe. That unrest in Ciudad Juarez doesn't mean unrest in Baja. That those who avoid criminal activity also avoid crime, be it in Rosarito or New Orleans. It's a message that needs to be told repeatedly."

"We're starting to see the results of efforts like that," he said. "At the Rosarito Beach Hotel, after several very bad years, we're having our best summer in memory."
The award presentation was preceded by a video featuring highlights of Mr. Torres' life, from childhood to today. Along with business and political leaders, Mr. Torres wife Rosa Maria and the couple's five sons and daughters attended the ceremony, as did several expatriate residents of Rosarito.
Earlier this year Mr. Torres was honored by LEAD San Diego with its Charles Nathanson Memorial Award for Cross-Border Region Building.
Mr. Torres also has been a strong supporter of the arts, education and various social programs. He is president of the Baja Image Committee, a group devoted to promoting a positive and accurate portrait of Baja California on the region and in the United States.
----------
www.bajainvestment.com

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Actor Robert Redford visits Tijuana


Written by
Sandra Dibble
Robert Redford and his wife, Sibylle Szaggars, during a visit to the Tijuana Cultural Center last weekend. — Cecut
9:38 p.m., June 18, 2012


 — Robert Redford, the actor and director, has been in Baja California this month filming a new movie at the Baja Film Studios in Rosarito Beach.
Written and directed by J.C. Chandor, “All is Lost” tells the story of a man fighting for survival while adrift at sea.
The 75-year-old actor took a break from filming Saturday for a guided visit through Tijuana’s Cultural Center (Cecut) in the city’s Río Zone, together with his wife, the German artist Sibylle Szaggars.
The couple stopped by an exhibit of of Baja California artist Angel Valráin the center’s El Cubo gallery, and visited the Cineteca movie theatre, according to a news release. Redford told his hosts that he used to visit Tijuana as a teenager to attend bullfights.
For dinner, the actor and his wife dropped in at Mision 19, the restaurant owned by chef Javier Plascencia that has been the focus of much U.S. media attention in recent months.
www.bajainvestment.com

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Robert Redford returns to the big screen. Will be filming in Rosarito Baja Studios


It was back in 2007 when we last saw Robert Redford on the big screen with Lions for Lambs which he also directed. Now The Hollywood Reporter confirms that the actor will return from the hand of JC Chandor with the film All is Lost, a story of survival at sea a man that Lionsgate will distribute.
Chandor met Redford in the Sundance Film Festival last year when the latter presented Margin Call and after rumors that the actor could participate in his next film, Redford and Chandor finally reached an agreement. The film will have the same producers of her debut, Before the Door Pictures and will begin filming this summer in Baja Studios Rosarita Beach, Mexico, which was built by the Fox Titanic.
The film will be financed also by the almost brand new FilmNation the famous producer Glen Basner, who was highly excited to join a renowned actor and a promising young filmmaker:


"The combination of an exciting, new director and actor Robert Redford is iconic as a collaboration of the audience around the world will take notice.
By the time Redford is the only actor in this release confirmed to take place almost exclusively at sea and I would bet that after the incredible deal that got Chandor for his first film, and considering that now has won itself a large and Redford, names that may arise in the coming months to complete the deal will likely be very striking.
Currently the tireless Robert Redford is in post production the film The Company you Keep in whom also we will see in front of the camera next to Shia LaBeouf and Julie Christie, playing Jim Grant, an undercover activist go after a reporter who has discovered his identity. So here this is probably the role he really get to see the big screen after five years without action. Yet the good news to know that active, both in front and behind the camera, really promising projects.
Personally I will be very attentive to All is Lost having been Margin call a true demonstration of quality management with great performances. I value a director, and screenwriter, who managed what others so far not been able: to understand financial and economic crisis. Furthermore, if All is Lost focuses on a story of survival, as has my attention almost won.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Mexican Officials Hit Road To Promote Baja Tourism


May 4, 2012

Tovin Lapan


Hugo Torres, the former mayor of Rosarito Beach, Mexico, is on a mission to "replace fear with facts" and again lure U.S. tourists to his beloved Baja California.

Torres and Juan Tintos, Baja California's secretary of tourism, were in Las Vegas on Thursday as part of their tour across the Southwestern United States, spreading the word that the Mexican state just south of San Diego is full of great spas, wineries, restaurants, beaches and other attractions.

Thanks to increased border security, travel advisories from the U.S. government and negative perceptions of ongoing violence from drug cartels built over years, U.S. tourists are not traveling south of the border at the same rate as before the Mexican drug war caught the attention of international media.

While violence does exist in Baja California, it rarely touches the state's tourism community, Torres and Tinto told the Las Vegas chapter of the American Marketing Association during a presentation at Bali Hai Golf Club.

The number of tourists entering Mexico by plane hit 22.7 million in 2011, the most ever, according to statistics released in February by the Bank of Mexico. Yet, air travel to Mexico from the United States dropped 3 percent last year. The gains came from other countries such as Brazil, Russia, Peru and China.

Torres said that as news of the war between Mexican authorities and rival drug cartels spread in 2008, tourism from the United States to Baja fell off a cliff -- 70 percent, to be exact. Torres said the region had since recovered about 20 percent of that figure.

"The city of Rosarito had its lowest crime rate ever in 2010, but that is not the perception in the United States," Torres said. "People hear about violence in Juarez and the thought is that all of Mexico is dangerous. Americans don't know Mexican geography."

Torres also pointed to long border waits to re-enter the United States and a new regulation mandating U.S. citizens have passports to visit Mexico that took effect in 2010 as deterrents to increased tourism.

One Las Vegas travel adviser acknowledged wariness about travel to Mexico.

"We are getting a lot of questions on safety in Mexico, and I would say we didn't see as many college students asking about Mexico for spring break as we used to see," said Donna Steele, a AAA Travel counselor. "There is a reticence to go to Mexico. People are wary, and I think parents have been telling their kids, 'No,' when it comes to Mexico."

Steele and other travel agents in Las Vegas said they discouraged travel to border areas, including Tijuana, but have generally told their clients that most tourist areas, including Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City, are safe to visit.

The most recent U.S. State Department travel advisory on Mexico, issued in February, cautions against travel to northern, but not southern, Baja and 18 other states.

"You should exercise caution in the northern state of Baja California, particularly at night. Targeted TCO (Transnational Criminal Organization) assassinations continue to take place in Baja California. Turf battles between criminal groups proliferated and resulted in numerous assassinations in areas of Tijuana frequented by U.S. citizens. ... During 2011, 34 U.S. citizens were the victims of homicide in the state. In the majority of these cases, the killings appeared to be related to narcotics trafficking," the advisory states.

Tintos said he had met with U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and had discussed the travel advisory.

"We told him what goes around comes around," said Tintos, who estimated that Nevada sends the third highest amount of U.S. tourists to Baja after Arizona and California. "If they lift the advisory and we get more tourists, then our economy will be healthier. In turn, our residents will have the money to visit the United States."

The new campaign includes video testimonials from U.S. citizens and celebrities who live in and visit the Baja peninsula. The state hired a U.S. public relations firm and is touting attractions like wineries, top-flight restaurants, bicycle and automobile races, fishing and surfing. The campaign also involves the "road show," which visited 18 U.S. cities last year and has already landed in six in 2012.

The Mexican state also is promoting its film industry. The largest water tank in the world for use in filmmaking is in northern Baja -- James Cameron sank the Titanic there -- and several films are made in Baja each year. If Baja is safe enough for Hollywood, the thinking goes, it should be safe enough for U.S. tourists.

In one testimonial, celebrity chef Rick Bayless talks about filming an entire season of his show in Baja.

"I encourage everybody to come and explore," Bayless says.

Other initiatives the state has advanced and is promoting to prospective tourists are new border crossings and improvements at existing ones, an "enhanced" California driver's license that would allow holders to use that for U.S. re-entry in place of a passport, development of convention centers and resources for large events in the region, and medical tourism.

Rafael Villanueva of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority attended the presentation Thursday and said he was open to collaborative efforts that would draw more tourists from Mexico to Las Vegas and vice versa. Measuring the market is problematic, he said, because those who drive from Tijuana to Las Vegas most likely enter in San Diego and are counted as Southern California visitors.

"We've never negated the fact that there's violence," Tintos said after his presentation. "It is just like any other tourist destination in the world; you have to take precautions and be smart. I was mugged in Philadelphia. It can happen anywhere. ... We have a lower crime rate than many U.S. cities." 
Source: (c)2012 the Las Vegas Sun (Las Vegas, Nev.)
www.remax-baja.com

Monday, May 21, 2012

The Landmark Rosarito Beach Hotel Establishes Easter Weekend Records

By Ron Raposa

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---The landmark Rosarito Beach Hotel this Easter weekend had its highest occupancy rate in a decade and the largest number of guests in its 87-year history.

The Friday and Saturday occupancy rates of up to 88 percent were the highest for the holiday in 10 years. With the hotel expansion in 2008 from 230 rooms and suites to 500, those figures this year gave the hotel its largest number of Easter weekend guests ever.

“This was a wonderful turnout for both the hotel and all of Rosarito,” said hotel owner Hugo Torres. “It’s an excellent indicator that regional tourism should have a strong summer.”

Other parts of Baja also had a strong Easter weekend, which included improvements in domestic tourism, a category that has been especially strong in recent years.

While hotel occupancy increased by 17 percent in 2011 from the year before, the region had seen significant declines in tourism the few previous years, partly because of some highly publicized violence among drug cartels in various parts of Mexico.

“That though was largely confined to the cartels; in fact Rosarito had its lowest crime rate ever in 2010,” Torres said. “However, it’s taken time for people to realize that we are a very safe and extremely welcoming tourist destination.”

“Now that message has gotten out to the U.S. --- largely through our expatriate and other residents --- and U.S. visitors are returning and apparently will continue to do so this year in significantly larger numbers,” he added.

Torres also is president of the Baja Image Committee, a public-private group that works to distribute accurate information about the region.

In addition, the Rosarito Beach Hotel is promoting special packages and rates to attract visitors. Those include some rates as low as $109 in its 18-story Pacifico tower, which opened in 2008 with 271 luxury suites. This Easter weekend was the first time it has been filled.

The hotel offers fast passes to guests for quicker border crossings when they return to the U.S. plus a number of special events to make their stays more enjoyable.

This year, Cinco de Mayo weekend coincides with the spring edition of the very popular Rosarito-Ensenada 50-Mile Fun Bike Ride and oceanfront packages are offered starting at $79. The offer is both for people wanting to spend Cinco de Mayo in the holiday’s home country and those involved in the ride, which has attracted hundreds of thousands over more than 30 years.

On July 7 the Flying Samaritans will hold its third annual July 4th Beach Barbeque at the hotel. The gala seaside event attracts hundreds from the city’s 14,000-member expatriate community as well as visitors from the U.S. All profits benefit the group’s free clinics.

“We’ve got many other promotions this year, including our Spring Romance spa and wine package from $99, plus those who spend a $100 at the hotel get a complimentary Fast Pass to speed their return border crossing,” said hotel sales and marketing director Daniel Torres.

More details on these promotions plus many others offered at the legendary hotel are available at www.rosaritobeachhotel.com

The Rosarito Beach Hotel and Resort is a Baja landmark that has hosted millions of visitors since opening in 1925. With more than 500 rooms and suites, its amenities include restaurants, bars and an elegant spa. A luxurious 18-story tower with 271 suites opened four years ago.

The Rosarito Beach Hotel also offers time shares and full ownership of luxury suites through its condo-hotel program.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Chef Anthony Bourdain dishes on travel, family


The Travel Channel host likes Baja's creative chefs but not his 5-year-old's culinary choices.




Written by
Nancy Mills

Food guru Anthony Bourdain, 55, visits Finland, Portugal, Malaysia and Croatia in the eighth season of Travel Channel’s No Reservations.
But his favorite is Baja, Mexico. “There’s an incredible culinary scene going on there at a time when the tourist industry has been pretty much devastated,” he says. “I was really impressed by the do-it-yourself attitude of the chefs. They’re cooking as innovatively as they can for Mexican clientele. Parts of Baja, Mexico, are really beginning to resemble Tuscany.”
The foreign land he has yet to conquer is the palate of his daughter, Ariane, 5. Her favorite foods are “grilled cheese sandwiches, pasta with butter and hot dogs,” Bourdain says. “I don’t want to twist her arm, but I’d much rather see her eat sheeps’ eyeballs” than fast food.
Because of travel, Bourdain has little time to cook. Exception: “When my wife’s family visits from Italy, I’m ridiculously, goofily happy, and I volunteer to cook every night.”
www.bajainvestment.com

New Reading and Writing Program for Underserved Children

Baja Times


The Rosarito Friends of the Library will sponsor a unique new reading and writing program for underserved children in Colonia Morelos, an area located east of downtown in the far hills. The program, which will be held at the small Morelos public library, will begin on Saturday May 19 and will run for five successive Saturdays, terminating on June 16 with a gala final Fiesta.

Fifth and sixth grade participants will read brief biographies and family histories of selected Mexican heroes, and their comprehension, recall and writing skills will be practiced by providing written answers to prepared questions about those heroes. Each participant will also follow a prepared format to construct and write his or her own family history. The family history will require that the young writers interview parents, grandparents and other family members to gather as much information as possible for inclusion in that history. Spanish speaking volunteers will guide and assist the participants and score the written quiz answers and family history with credit given for penmanship and composition skills, spelling and grammar, neatness, completeness and timeliness.

Participants will compete for prizes such as new bicycles, scooters and roller skates which will be given to top achievers, and there will also be prizes for participants who exhibit the greatest improvement during the program. Snacks of fruit and juice will be offered each week along with numerous door prizes, and the final Fiesta will feature live entertainment, a dance contest, hot dogs, drinks, fruit, cotton candy and more door prizes for all kids who successfully complete the program. Additionally, each family history will be individually bound and displayed at the Morelos library before it is returned to the young author.

The reading programs for kids always generate great enthusiasm and eager participation, and the program is expected to fill up quickly. Because of the small size of the Morelos library the program will be limited to 45 participants.

Donations are requested to help fund the program, and Spanish speaking volunteers are also needed. Contributions to the Friends of the Library can be made by contacting Allan Browne at 661.612.3487 or by email at allan1browne@yahoo.com or at International Mail Center in Oceana Plaza. The phone number at the International Mail Center is 661.612.0155, and board member Elizabeth Carbajal can receive your donation there. Help us to help the young minds of Rosarito - support these youth reading programs.


www.bajainvestment.com

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Rosarito Beach Hotel Plans Specials To Promote Ongoing Tourism Increase



MEDIA CONTACT:                          
Ron Raposa                                                                      
ronraposa@hotmail.com



Following last year's 17 percent increase in U.S. visitors, the landmark Rosarito Beach Hotel has a number of price promotions, packages and special events planned to continue the ongoing upswing this year.

With Easter week a popular time for vacation and holiday getaways, the hotel offers a weekday package from $79 that includes an oceanfront room and two dinners for adults, plus free stay and dinner for two children under 12. The Easter weekend rate starts from $109.

This year, Cinco de Mayo weekend coincides with the spring edition of the very popular Rosarito-Ensenada 50-Mile Fun Bike Ride and oceanfront packages are offered starting at $79. The offer is both for people wanting to spend Cinco de Mayo in the holiday's home country and those involved in the ride, which has attracted hundreds of thousands over more than 30 years.

On July 7 the Flying Samaritans will hold its third annual July 4th Beach Barbeque at the hotel. The gala seaside event attracts hundreds from the city's 14,000-member expatriate community as well as visitors from the U.S. All profits benefit the group's free clinics.

"We've got many other promotions this year, including our Spring Romance spa and wine package from $99, plus those who spend a $100 at the hotel get a complimentary Fast Pass to speed their return border crossing," said hotel sales and marketing director Daniel Torres.

More details on these promotions plus many others offered at the legendary hotel are available at www.rosaritobeachhotel.com

The Rosarito Beach Hotel and Resort is a Baja landmark that has hosted millions of visitors since opening in 1925. With more than 500 rooms and suites, its amenities include restaurants, bars and an elegant spa. A luxurious 18-story tower with 271 suites opened four years ago.

The Rosarito Beach Hotel also offers time shares and full ownership of luxury suites through its condo-hotel program.

www.bajainvestment.com

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

U.S. expats want tourists to return to Baja California


ENSENADA In their campaign to bring back U.S. visitors, Baja California authorities are increasingly looking to a new source of support: testimonials from members of the state’s U.S. expatriate community.

Tillie Foster, 79, is a U.S. expatriate who lives in Ensenada and is queen of her local Red Hat chapter. In the background are dancers from a local high school who served as entertainment for the first Baja International Community Mega Mixer. / Photo by Sandra Dibble * U-T

Through family connections, business contacts, social media, radio programs, promotional videos — any means that are at hand — residents such as Tillie Foster have been gladly stepping up to support their adopted home.

“Baja’s been good to me. I’ve made so many friends here,” said Foster, 79, a member of the Baja Image Committee who moved to Ensenada from Orange County 36 years ago. “I hate to see what’s been happening over the past five or six years.”

Foster was one of the promoters of the first Baja International Community Mega Mixer, held last Thursday at the historic Hotel Riviera del Pacífico, a civic and cultural center in downtown Ensenada. The gathering drew an estimated 300 expats from different parts of Baja California, many of them eager to share their viewpoint about life south of the border.

“It’s more relaxed. We’re done with snow, we’re done with cold,” said Gary Pliley, a 64-year-old retiree from Utah.

“You make friends here that you could call at two in the morning if you needed help,” said Carol Main, 69, who moved to Baja California from San Diego.

Also at the Thursday event was Vivian Scott, a marketing professor from Nevada. She was instrumental in persuading Las Vegas-based radio host Les Kincaid to broadcast his one-hour program, “Wines du Jour,” from an Ensenada hotel later that day.

“We have an investment in Baja,” said Scott, who with her husband owns a condo in San Felipe. “The farther you get from Mexico, the more entrenched the negativity.”

Ensenada, like tourist destinations statewide, has been struggling to bring back U.S. tourism. Hotels, restaurants and other businesses across Baja California have been working to recover from the sharp decline of American visitors since 2006, the result of a combination of factors, including the U.S. economic downturn, clogged border crossings, a new U.S. passport requirement and fears of crime in Mexico.

“The strongest testimony, the best, is from people who live here in our state,” Ensenada Mayor Enrique Pelayo, said as he addressed the Riviera gathering.

North of Ensenada, Rosarito Beach saw roughly a 70 percent drop in U.S. visitors from 2005 to 2010, said Hugo Torres, owner of the hotel and the city’s former mayor. For the first time in years, the downward trend was reversed, he said, as his hotel registered a 17 percent increase in Americans in 2011 over 2010.

Torres, who is president of the Baja Image Committee, has joined state tourism authorities in seeking out the support of members of the expatriate community, made up of an estimated 25,000 full- and part-time residents.

Their endorsements “are one more way of projecting an image that things are right, conditions are right for people to come down,” said Juan Tintos, Baja California’s Tourism Secretary.

Last year, Tintos’ office commissioned a 10-minute promotional video titled, “What is Baja?” The video draws heavily on interviews with U.S. visitors, residents and promoters such as Gary Foster, who runs the twice-yearly Rosarito-to-Ensenada bike ride.

“Turn off the TV and talk to someone who’s been there,” said Foster, whose event has suffered from the drop in U.S. visitors. “The tourists that travel to Baja are the best ambassadors Baja has because they know the real story.”

sandra.dibble@utsandiego.com • (619) 293-1716 • Twitter @sandradibble

www.bajainvestment.com

Mexico's Booming Economy – What Investors Need to Know

By Richard Houghton & Sean O'Neal
Mexico's economy is on fire and now is the time to invest, if today's news headlines are any indication. Check out the impressive array of information below, which we have gleaned from a wide variety of stories written recently by some of the world's most respected financial institutions and reporting agencies. According to Goldman Sachs, Mexico's rapidly advancing infrastructure, increasing middle class and rapidly declining poverty rates will foster a higher GDP per capita than all but three European countries by the year 2050. This estimate might be conservative, when you consider that according to Forbes magazine Mexico's economy and GDP was already 11th in the world as of 2010, which Bloomberg, CNBC and Reuters all noted was a growth of 5.5 percent that year – the most in the last decade. Furthermore, NASDAQ has called Mexico “one of the world's largest developing economies,” pointing out that per capita the Mexican economy is already larger than those of China, India and Brazil. In addition, UK Trade & Investment has announced that it expects Mexico's economy to surpass the UK's by the year 2040, also pointing out that the UK is one of the largest investors in Mexico. A report by the Financial Times compared Mexico's current economic state to that of Spain 20 years ago, while IT exports from the country are expected to surpass $3.5 billion US in 2011 according to a report by Forbes Magazine. In addition, the European Union is working to improve its ties with Mexico by making it a “strategic partner,” while Honda has announced intentions to invest around $800 million according to a report by USA Today. Also of note, Bloomberg covered announcements from Nissan, General Motors, Mazda and Volkswagen to invest more than $400 million each in auto manufacturing facilities throughout Mexico. With all of this growth and international interest, it's no surprise that Bloomberg recently reported that Mexico has raised its forecast for foreign direct investment in 2011 to $20 billion US – a figure that is a full 11% higher than previous predictions. www.bajainvestment.com

How to Find Gas at $1.46 Less Per Gallon (Really)

By Dennis Romero Fri., Mar. 16 2012 at 7:00 AM Comments (6) Categories: Economy
Tricia Wang ​What if we told you we knew of a place where you could save about $1.46 a gallon on gas -- today? What if we told you, while you were in the neighborhood getting your cheap gas you could also dine on meals that have the foodie nation buzzing, get a huge discount on your prescription drugs, and take a picture with a zonkey (that's a zebra crossed with a donkey, but not really)? You'd say we sound like a cheesy salesman using the "what if we told you" ruse? Yes, but other than that you'd be all about this. Well, not so fast. You see, this non-mythical land of gas and gastronomy is 135 miles away, at least. So you'd have to dedicate a day to it. And the savings would do you no good unless you really wanted to go there anyway. But you do:
starlen Tijuana scenery. ​ A round trip drive to Tijuana with a car that gets 20 miles per gallon, with an average L.A. gas price of $4.35, will cost you nearly $59 in fuel. But if you fill her up in TJ (yes, despite what the New Yorker says, even locals have been calling it TJ -- for decades) you can see a savings of $20 on that 13 or so gallons it would take for your outing. The San Diego Union-Tribune says the savings between SoCal gas prices and Tijuana gas prices, given the peso exchange rate, is about $1.46 a gallon. And, yes, people in Southern California are already taking advantage of the discount. Heck, $20 dollars in Tijuana can buy you like a couple buckets of beer, a huge bag of crap weed (don't try bringing it across the border, though), or a nice dinner for two. Of course, Mexican gas is not as complicated as California's clean-burning blends (and that's part of the reason why it's cheaper), and finding Mexican gas with high enough octane for this reporter's car would be a feat. And then there's this: They kill people in Mexico. A lot of them, it seems. But mostly they're people in the business. Yeah, that business. But that's none of your business, so you're probably safe. And some locals now claim that things are much better in Tijuana -- so much so that the rich folks are starting to move back there from their second and third homes in San Diego. Given all that, it's still a little bit of a gamble -- like betting on the greyhounds at Caliente. But $20 certainly gives you a few more chips to play with. [@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews] www.bajainvestment.com

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Affordable Green Homes in Baja, by scenic highway, close to US border!

Located by Tijuana Coastal and Rosarito Beach. Just 15 minutes to the border.
On my last drive down to Baja Mexico for the new year celebration, I took my friends to the incredible new "little" development of "all-green" homes just south of the border! they where amazed.

Thus, I felt compelled to write this blog for you all to read, about the first genuine GREEN HOME development in northern Baja California, Mexico, located just 15 minutes south of the border, in the beautiful Baja California, designed by the Award-winning Architect group led by Guillermo Martinez De Castro.

This development is funded by a joint US-Mexico Development Fund.

Yes, many people and groups are investing and owning beautiful homes and condos in Rosarito Beach, Tijuana coastal and Ensenada real estate again!
Gardenhaus in Baja, is an innovative development of town homes surrounded by beautiful gardens and walkways arranged around a centrally located ocean view pool and deck. Gardenhaus is set in a raised platform 10 feet above the street for maximum exposure to the Pacific Ocean, privacy from the surroundings and access to an underground parking.

All the homes have spectacular ocean views from 2nd and 3rd floor balconies and terraces with some specially situated homes offering ocean views from living areas and 1st floor terraces. They also offer views to the fabulous Coronado Islands, which are right in front!

As you might be aware, our Baja sunsets are espectacular!

Gardenhaus will have state of the art electronic entry and video surveillance systems controlled from the security office located at the entry gate.

GREEN FEATURES

SITE PLAN:

•Low maintenance & low water consumption landscaping

•Recycled decking

•Rapidly renewable construction materials

•Recycled treated water for gardening

•Compact fluorescent and low voltage lighting

•Eco-friendly architectural design

•Park-like grounds

•High efficiency lighting

•On site recycling bins and garbage pick up

•Secluded patios areas

•The buildings are designed and detailed to be durable and low maintenance

HOMES

•Passive ventilation design for climate comfort

•Salvaged and recycled building materials

•Thermally insulated walls and roofs

•Low-E dual pane windows

•Compact fluorescent and low voltage lighting

•Water saving appliances

•Energy star appliances

•Low VOC (volatile organic compounds) & low toxic paints

•Low VOC carpets

•Low-pile of less allergen-attracting carpet

•Recycled Fiber cement siding

•Recycles plastic lumber

•Advance framing/extra insulation

•Superior wall insulation levels

•Sound insulation

•High efficiency water heaters

•Environmentally friendly decking

•Porous paving that minimize water runoff

•Widespread use of daylight and careful space planning

•Natural lighting

•Sustainable wood for cabinetry

These beautiful and affordable Baja homes are located in northern Baja, Mexico, on the scenic highway from Tijuana coastal areas and Rosarito Beach... and their prices start at only $99,000 USDls. for a 3 Bedroom & 3 Bath townhome. Larger units start at only $145,000 USDls. for a 4 Bedroom & 3 Bath townhome, with superior ocean views, next to the swimming pool and decks.

Please do let me know if you would like to see it, I'd be glad to show you these Baja affordable properties.

You may contact me at 619-632-7045 or visit me at www.Remax-Baja.com or for these exact Baja homes click at http://www.remax-baja.com/homes-page09.php
As you might expect, prices for Baja homes and condos are expected to go up around 10% this year!

A Baja homes, condos, lots MLS page is www.BajaInvestment.com

Foreign Buyers See Big Bargains in U.S. Real Estate

Bellow you will find an article that appeared today on Rrealtor.com newsletter.
I find it very interesting.

This is so true that it is going on. And we are not just seeing it in california, but in Baja California real estate too. We are seeing many foregin and mostly national (regional) buyers coming to invest in rosarito beach and Ensenada, Baja homes, condos, lots and even hotels and restaurants.

In Rosarito beach, about 15% of the population is from the United States. They help with city projects, many times as volunteers, they help sustain the Baja businesses with their patronage, they bring friends and family to stay at Rosarito and Ensenada hotels, and to buy Baja homes and condos all over.

As many mines are being "discovered" in central Baja California, we are also getting Chinnese investors here in Baja, mostly in Ensenada. Please read on!

Please visit us for the best of Baja real estate, at www.BajaInvestment.com

thank you, Gustavo Torres


Foreign Buyers See Big Bargains in U.S. Real Estate
Daily Real Estate News | Friday, January 13, 2012

Foreign investors are finding plenty of deals in the U.S. when it comes to real estate, and, as such, more international investors are flocking to key states to buy their piece of the American Dream.

Mexico is the top country of origin for foreign buyers purchasing U.S. homes, according to a recent study by Credit Sesame, which used National Association of REALTORS® data for its findings.

“In this period of tremendous uncertainly globally, real estate here is a safe haven,” Susan Wachter, professor of real estate and finance at University of Pennsylvania, told MSNBC.com.

The top destinations of foreign investors for U.S. real estate purchases are:

1. Florida: Thirty-one percent of all home purchases in that state are made by foreign buyers, with most coming from Cuba, Haiti, and Colombia.

2. California: 12 percent of all home purchases (most coming from Mexico, the Philippines, China, India, and Vietnam)

3. Texas: 9 percent of all home purchases (most coming from Mexico, India, Vietnam, China, and the Philippines)

Mexico: Third largest US Trading Partner


Most people, especially from north of the border have no idea on the amazing commerce and trade numbers between Mexico and the United States.



For example, you might consider that any country in Europe would be a higher trading partner than Mexico.



Well, here are a few facts, taken mostly from the U.S. Department of Commerce:

From: Gustavo Torres, at www.BajaInvestment.com

1. $393 billion. The total value of goods traded between U.S. and Mexico during the 2010 calendar year is a whopping $393 billion.

2. Mexico is the United States’ third-largest trading partner. Only after China (#1) and Canada (#2).

3. $400 billion, approximately. This similar amount is traded between the U.S. and ALL of the nations in the European Union, combined!

4. $230 billion. This is the value of goods imported from Mexico last year. Top items were electrical machinery, vehicles and auto parts, mineral fuel and oil, optics and medical instruments.

5. $163 billion. This is the value of goods exported to Mexico last year. Top items were electrical machinery, vehicles and agricultural products.

6. Mexico is the 13th largest economy in the World, with a GDP of over one Trillion.





Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

So, with this you are now a bit more informed on what the 13th largest economy in the world (Mexico) represents for the United States -the #1 World Economy.

Besides this, there is also a huge market and consumption by residents of both countries.

For example, according to the Tijuana Chamber of Commerce, as well as San Diego’s Chamber of Commerce, Baja California residents spend around 2.9 BILLION purchasing goods and services in the San Diego area every year!

Likewise, California residents (and Nevada and Arizona) spend very large amounts of dollars in Baja’s goods and services, including of course real estate, as Baja real estate is still –or once again, depending how you’d like to look at it- very desirable and sought out by our northern neighbors.

No wonder Mexico's employment numbers are getting better and better as we speak! Specially Baja's unemployment, which has gone down now to around 5.6% !

If you saw for example an article in the San Diego Union Tribune, where it shows how Mexican migration to the United States has slowed considerably, you will see that its mostly as Mexicans are now more educated, finding more jobs at homes, and much more... I will try to find that article and post it here too!

Thank you for reading my post. Now, come and tour our beautiful Baja California and see all the amazing real estate available. Great prices, as Baja real estate, including Rosarito Beach and Ensenada homes and condos, beach homes, etc, had gone down around 35% from 2006 prices. However, in average, Baja real estate properties are now up around 5% from year ago levels! Please, DO NOT miss this incredible opportunity to invest in Baja real estate, as many many Americans and Mexican nationals are now doing.


Let me know if you would like more information, contact me and or also long into some of our pages at www.Remaxbaja.com , www.BajaInvestment.com and www.EnsenadaWaterfront.com

Our MLS Baja webpage is www.BajaInvestment.com , just in case!

Affordable Baja Homes


Affordable Baja Homes right in Rosarito Beach!

Own any of these affordable, fantastic Baja homes for only $59,900 to $79,900, depending on which you choose!

These amazing Baja homes located in Rosarito Beach offer many opportunities!
Such as fantastic ocean views, just steps from the ocean, located only around 35 minutes from the California border, they offer two and three bedrooms settings, and much more.

The only thing not so good about this fantastic piece of Baja real estate is that there are only 12 villas left.

Thus, to get an opportunity to invest in these affordable Baja and Rosarito homes, you must move quickly!

Take a look at this Baja homes and condos MLS webpage: www.BajaInvestment.com

This Rosarito home can be your second home in Baja, or you may call it your "Baja Beach house" or anything you like... but come down to Rosarita Beach, which is just a short 2 hr drive from Los Angeles, and you will discover it!

As you might have heard, the United States goverment is currently investing around $557 MILLION dollars in improving the border crossing area in San Diego Tijuana. This will include new, smart lanes, as well as an astonishing tripling of the lines to cross back into the US, from the current 24 to now 64 lanes.

Yes, it is the largest land crossing border in the world.

This way you can visit your friends in Baja, come for a marvelous weekend getaway in your Baja beach home, or to one of our top start hotels in the area!
Don't miss out on this opportunity to invest in these affordable Baja homes, please!

See you soon!

Gustavo Torres at Remax Baja Realty

www.remaxbaja.com

Rosarito ocean front condos

Affordable Rosarito ocean front condos!
Rosarito Beach Hotel Condominiums, From: $169,000 (USD)
The Rosarito & Baja California landmark, the Rosarito Beach Hotel is growing into the top product: Condo Hotel.

Red-hot opportunity in Baja's first branded condo-hotel.

Here's an opportunity that's set to be a smash hit. The Rosarito Beach Hotel, offering ocean front condos, is the first truly condo-hotel in northern Mexico, in the highly demandable Rosarito Beach center, in the pristine Rosarito Beach Hotel grounds, the condo-hotel opened Spring 2008 and all of its Hotel and amazing Suites will be sold to individual buyers. The number of suites is limited so join the List now to get in on the ground floor.

Here's just a sampling of the amazing Owner privileges:

The Rosarito hotel's oceanfront condos will serve as your stylish Rosarito center. When you're away, the VIP Owner Concierge will take care of all the details. You may place your suite into a rental arrangement, and enjoy the benefits! You'll receive VIP access to all the hotel's amenities and services, with special discounts, and access to owner's indoor swimming pool.

The oceanfront Rosarito Beach Hotel is northern Mexico's first branded condo-hotel, and it's ideal for those who regularly visit Rosarito for rest and escapes, but are looking to avoid the hassles and headaches associated with traditional second home ownership. Join the List to get top billing and additional information on this exclusive opportunity today!

Asking Price from only $169,000


Amenities

•Completely Furnished
•Marble and granite throughout
•Two Plasma TVs per unit
•Top of the line appliances
•Laundry Room
•Outdoor pool
•Private in-door swimming pool
•Full Gym
•European SPA
•Room Service
•Concierge
•Balcony & Terrace
•Patio
•Cable TV
•Wireless Internet
•Oceanfront
•LONG, SANDY Beach
•No HOA fees
•Full Ownership through a Corporation is available (ask for details!)
View more of this and other Baja properties at this Baja MLS website: www.BajaInvestment.com

Search also www.remaxbaja.com

Destino bajacaliforniano de bellas playas y rica langosta, que se puede disfrutar todo el año

Desde que se está camino a la población de Rosarito, en el estado de Baja California, la aventura se hace presente con sólo ver los espectaculares paisajes que se encuentran sobre la carretera que la conectan a la ciudad de Tijuana.

Su inicio como destino turístico se remonta a principios del siglo XX, con la fundación de una hospedería frente al mar, en la que paraban los antiguos cazadores que acudían a la zona. Posteriormente, se convirtió en el Hotel “Rosarito Beach”, que en la década de los 40 ganó fama por recibir a importantes celebridades de la época dorada de Hollywood.

Desde entonces, Las Playas de Rosarito se han mantenido con una incansable vigorosidad turística convirtiéndose en un espacio donde el descanso, la diversión y el mar, se juntan para deleitar a quienes las visitan.

Actualmente es uno de los destinos mexicanos de playa más cercano de Estados Unidos y cuenta con una completa infraestructura turística.

Pesca, surf, paseos a caballo, vuelo en ultraligero o simplemente tomar el sol, son algunas de las actividades que se practican a orillas o sobre las aguas del Océano Pacífico.

Sabor que no se olvida

Para consentir el paladar en Rosarito sólo se necesita viajar hacia el sur y llegar a Puerto Nuevo, donde se puede vivir una inolvidable experiencia gastronómica con sabor a México.

Carnes, pescado, mariscos y quesos son los ingredientes principales de los platillos que se sirven en la región, entre los que sobresale la langosta estilo Puerto Nuevo, cuya popular preparación es única. Se sirve con mantequilla derretida, arroz, frijoles y tortillas de harina recién hechas y se acompaña bien con una copa de vino bajacaliforniano.

También hay restaurantes de comida nacional e internacional, en algunos de ellos hay especialidades hechas con carne de venado, codorniz y borrego.

Después de deleitar el paladar, se puede dar un paseo por esta pequeña comunidad. Al paso se encontrarán algunos establecimientos donde se venden artesanías locales, que se convierten en bellos recuerdos del viaje por este destino.

Magia cinematográfica

A escasos 5 kilómetros al sur de Rosarito y a 45 minutos al sur de San Diego, Estados Unidos, se encuentran los ‘Baja Studios’.

Construidos entre 1996 y 1997 para el rodaje de la película ‘Titanic’, guarda varios tanques para filmaciones acuáticas. En estos estudios se han grabado filmes, como ‘Master and Commander’, ‘Pearl Harbor’, ‘Deep Blue Sea’ y más recientemente ‘Little Boy’.





Entre rutas

Junto a Tijuana, Ensenada, Bahía San Quintín y Cataviña, Rosarito forma parte de la ruta ‘La Costa Dorada de Baja’, que propone un viaje cargado de adrenalina y diversión, gracias a las múltiples actividades que aquí se pueden practicar, una de las principales es el surf, aunque Rosarito también es sede de una de las carreras de ciclismo más importantes de América del Norte.

Para mayor informacion y mas articulos, no olvides visitarnos en www.BajaInvestment.com

Gustavo Torres

Affordable condos in Rosarito Beach at La Jolla

Visit us at Remax Baja Realty www.remaxbaja.com to view more information and also, form a view of Baja MLS online visit www.BajaInvestment.com



These affordable condos in Rosarito Beach, at the beautiful La Jolla de Rosarito towers, offer breathtaking views. Brand new Rosarito Beach condo. Baja and Rosarito Beach's premier oceanfront and Sandy Beach Site.
•In-house, no qualifying financing

Let us take you on a journey to a most gentle world. Amazing Baja real estate.
Where the soothing sounds of the Baja Pacific ocean impart a constant tranquility. Where all the niceties you've come to expect are in their most refined state. Where everything you experience heightens your sense of well-being and desire for gracious living. Come to Rosarito´s affordable condos at La Jolla de Rosarito. In beautiful northern Baja California.

Utter contentment awaits you. Hand made cabinetry, stainless steel cooking appliances, refrigerator, granite countertops, beautiful, ample baths, travertine floors or Mexican handcrafted tile, the list is endless.

The views from this affordable Baja home in Rosarito Beach at la Jolla, are with you from the first light of day to long after dusk. Catch the sun coming up and the day unfolding on your private stretch of beach. See the setting sun coloring the sky pink and purple, the moon lighting up the ocean. Take it all in through your floor-to-ceiling glass walls or from your expansive terraces.

Come experience the grace and splendor of Rosarito Beach.
La Jolla de Rosarito Beach: offering gorgeous oceanfront views from all units, innovative architectural masterpieces, enriched by natural surroundings.

•Rosarito Beach's Best Oceanfront and Sandy Beach Site at La Jolla
•In-house, no qualifying financing, with only 25% down!
•Balance, upon delivery of unit, to be financed for either 7 years at only 8.5% or 10 or 15 years at 9.5% fixed. There are "cash discounts" of course.

Amenities
La Jolla de Rosarito and La Jolla Real, consist of two magnificent oceanfront towers and 13 oceanfront villas, located in beautiful Playas de Rosarito, Baja California, México.

Building
•Beautiful lobby area and 24 hr front desk
•Ample parking
•Outdoor spa
•Heated pools with sun deck overlooking the ocean
•Children Pool and playground area
•Pool Pavilion includes wet bar, grilling facilities
•Private Resident's Club for entertaining/relaxing
•Private fitness center
Residences
•Large terraces with glass railings and beautiful ocean views
•Spacious master bedroom with walk-in closets
•Nine foot ceiling areas
•Tinted sliding glass doors
•Cable TV, computer, and telephone wiring
•Fast internet


Kitchen
•Granite counter tops
•Refrigerator
•Stove and oven
•Under mount stainless steel sink/faucet
•Custom cabinetry
•Casa club
•Magnificent Oceanfront clubhouse
General
•3 Jacuzzis
•Tennis Court
•Beautiful Gardens
•Dramatic garden sections
•24 Hr Security

Don't forget to visit us at www.remaxBaja.com and for all of Baja MLS searching at www.BajaInvestment.com

thank you!

Las Gaviotas Baja Mexico real estate

Rosarito Beach Real Estate is your online source for the best in Las Gaviotas, Mexico real estate. If you're searching for a place to take the vacation of a lifetime, why not consider renting one of the many vacation homes in Las Gaviotas? We have a wide selection of homes for you to consider. Once you spend a few nights in the Las Gaviotas area, you may be looking for a permanent place to call your own.

Imagine waking up every morning with the Pacific Ocean in view. In Las Gaviotas, you'll be able to choose from numerous locations that will simply take your breath away. In fact, many of the available homes have a deck where you can enjoy the beauty of the sun setting over the ocean. Plus, the friendly neighborhoods have every convenience you need to make Las Gaviotas feel like home.

Click here for Rosarito and Baja Real Estate www.remaxbaja.com and also for Baja's premier MLS site: www.BajaInvestment.com
Las Gaviotas is conveniently located about eight miles from Rosarito. This picturesque resort area has everything you need for the perfect getaway. There are golf courses and tennis courts as well as swimming, deep sea fishing, horseback riding, snorkeling, and much more. You also might catch a glimpse of the California grey whales as they migrate!

Find out more about owning or renting Las Gaviotas, Mexico real estate by browsing casaslink.com. Our caring staff of professionals will be glad to answer your questions or assist you in beginning your Las Gaviotas real estate venture. Just call our toll-free number in the United States at 1-866-588-2252 (LUV BAJA). We are also available via email at rosaritobeach@topproducer.com, and our contact number in Mexico is 661-100-2076.

Ballenas en Baja California

Llegan las Ballenas a la Baja California!

Ven y visitanos... desde Rosarito Baja Ca, hasta Cabo San Lucas!


Un gran espectáculo resulta la llegada de la Ballena Gris a las cálidas aguas del Mar de Cortés, evento que no debemos dejar pasar desapercibido, gracias a las grandes travesías que esta realiza desde el ártico hasta nuestro Estado; aspecto que origina la llegada de visitantes nacionales y extranjeros. Aumentando así el nivel socioeconómico de los habitantes del lugar.

Pondremos mas informacion en nuestro facebook de "Re/max Rosarito Beach" https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1103738465 y en la pagina de www.remaxbaja.com , asi como la del MLS www.bajainvestment.com


La ballena gris realiza año con año desde tiempo inmemorial una de las migraciones mas extraordinarias del planeta, viajan desde el Ártico, recorriendo distancias hasta de 1000 kilómetros para llegar a las lagunas sudcalifornianas a cumplir con su ciclo reproductivo y de crianza. Tienen a sus crías en años alternos, en uno quedan preñadas y al siguiente dan a luz.

La ballena gris es un mamífero de la familia de cetáceos.

Su color natural es negro, aunque a distancia parece gris debido a los organismos que se adhieren a su epidermis, así como las cicatrices que dejan estos al desprenderse, su alimento lo constituye el plancton, los anfípodos y crustáceos muy pequeños. En lugar de dientes tienen unas laminas corneas elásticas con las cuales filtran las especies para seleccionar su tamaño, no mayor de seis centímetros, ya que su garganta y su tubo digestivo son muy estrechos. Tienen las aletas anteriores y carecen de la dorsal. Los lóbulos de su cola son anchos, flexibles y los mueve de arriba abajo para nadar. Una ballena adulta mide de 4 a 5 metros y puede pesar hasta 40 toneladas, una ballenato al nacer de 4 a 5 metros y pesa entre 750 kilogramos y una tonelada.
Al finalizar la lactancia, entre los seis y nueve meses, pesan alrededor de 8 toneladas. Se dice que las ballenas poseen un fuerte instinto maternal y que su relación con sus crías es muy estrecha y sensible.
La temporada en que la ballena llega a México y se le puede observar empieza en enero y termina en marzo, aunque no es extraño que algunos grupos permanezcan hasta el mes de abril.
En Baja California Sur existen 4 diferentes zonas para la observación de las ballenas: Laguna Ojo de Liebre, Guerrero Negro, La laguna de San Ignacio y Bahía Magdalena, que se ubican dentro de la reserva de la Biosfera de Vizcaíno, decretada como tal el 30 de noviembre de 1988 por su gran población de ballena gris y por la importancia de su flora y fauna para el ciclo biológico de la zona, es también refugio de otras similares especies, tanto migratorias como residentes. Los otros tres sitios de observación sobre el Pacifico son: El estero de la Soledad, Adolfo López Mateos y Puerto San Carlos en Bahía Magdalena. Los gobiernos mexicanos, federal y estatal, se han preocupado por el mantenimiento de estas reservas, por el cuidado y protección de la ballena gris, así como de las diversas especies que habitan en ellas.

Ven a ver las Ballenas en Baja... visitanos para mayor informacion en www.remaxbaja.com y mls www.bajainvestment.com

Mexico and Baja Health care: Seguro Popular

Mexico and Baja health care is improving by leaps and bounds! Seguro Popular is here to stay.

Here is an article that appeared last year in the NY Times about the new "Seguro Popular" or Popular Health Care System in Baja and all over Mexico that the Mexican federal government is applying. Something like this would be the envy of MANY many countries, including of course, the US, which cannot seem to be able to have one of their own, without all parties bickering.

Anyway, this health care system in Baja and all over the large country of Mexico, is truly helping all kinds of families, and mostly the ones that it was intended for, the working class family!

Please take a look at it, and do email us or follow us on facebook https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1103738465 or at our Baja MLS search engine at www.BajaInvestvent.com, where we will be posting more similar articles.

Just in case you might be interested in visiting Baja, looking for hotels, motels, condos for rent or to own, please visit us at www.RemaxBaja.com

Please read on:

Mexico’s Universal Health Care Is Work in Progress

www.bajainvestment.com