The Pacific, the vineyards, the road south.
Pacific coast, wine country and the gateway to Baja. Coach Leighty runs this route.
I could see myself here.
Baja is an amazing place. My first big Baja road trip in Thrasher is planned for 2027: surf, wine and tacos.
Between the SCORE Baja races and everything else down here, I could easily see myself having a place in Baja and being here a ton. It's an amazing balance to Portland's seasons.
The road is the teacher. Go see for yourself, and slow down to go far.
The Ensenada career landscape.
Ensenada has one of the most diversified economies in Baja California: manufacturing, the port, fishing, tourism and wine, plus a steady flow of engineers from local universities.
A growing industrial base
The city plans about US$300 million in public works to support nearshoring.
Port of Ensenada
The deepest draft on the Baja peninsula, with shipyards and repair services.
Valle de Guadalupe
Mexico's wine region, about 30 minutes east, with over 100 wineries.
Engineers and scientists
Between 500 and 1,000 engineers graduate here each year, and UABC runs ocean research on campus.
Many people in Ensenada work across the border or remotely for US companies. Plan around time zones and border time from day one.
Networking in Ensenada, done the long way.
Show up more than once. The second visit is where the real conversations start.
Cost of living and housing.
Day-to-day costs differ a lot from Southern California, and pay often does too. Know which currency you're earning in.
In town, near the coast or out toward the valley: the drive and the border wait shape the week.
Numbers change fast, so we link the live sources instead of printing figures that go stale.
Where to clear your head.
Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857
About 90 km east in the Sierra de Juárez. Laguna Hanson sits near 6,400 feet.
Plan it →Valle de Guadalupe
Wine country, about 30 minutes east.
Plan it →Sierra de Juárez
Granite, pines and desert canyons along northern Baja's spine.
Plan it →Basecamp Ensenada on the map.
Coaching runs by video. When Coach Leighty is in town, in-person conversations happen over coffee or on a trail. Book a call first.
Protect it. Live it. Visit it.
Live it
Listed as local resources, not partners or sponsors. Something closed or missing? Email mike@longgamelife.live.
Your long game has its own map.
Every Basecamp starts with the same trail markers. Yours might need a fabric store, a card shop, a maker space, a climbing gym or a quiet place to write. Tell us what belongs on this page and Coach Leighty adds the ones that fit.
What's open right now.
Go see it for real.
Wildlife, landmarks, trees and flowers, night sky and tide pools. Find one, tap it, and it gets a stamp.
Brown pelican
Pelecanus occidentalisWhere to lookDiving along the coast and harbor.
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Osprey
Pandion haliaetusWhere to lookFishing the bay and coastal cliffs.
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Heermann's gull
Larus heermanniWhere to lookGray with a red bill, common along Baja's coast.
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California sea lion
Zalophus californianusWhere to lookLounging around the harbor and the fish market.
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Bottlenose dolphin
Tursiops truncatusWhere to lookOften seen surfing waves near shore.
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La Bufadora
Punta Banda, about 45 min southGetting thereA sea blowhole that shoots spray high into the air. Busy market on the walk in.
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Riviera del Pacífico
DowntownGetting thereA grand 1930s building with gardens, now a cultural center.
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Malecón and the giant flag
WaterfrontGetting thereA huge Mexican flag flies over the seaside walk.
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Mercado Negro
HarborGetting thereThe busy fish market. Fish tacos nearby.
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Sierra de San Pedro Mártir
About 3.5 hr southeastGetting therePine forests, Baja's highest peak, and Mexico's national observatory.
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Shaw's agave
Agave shawiiWhere to lookRosettes of spiky leaves on coastal hills.
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Blue fan palm
Brahea armataWhere to lookSilvery-blue palm that grows wild in Baja's mountain canyons and is planted around town.
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Jeffrey pine
Pinus jeffreyiWhere to lookTall mountain pine in San Pedro Mártir. Bark can smell like vanilla.
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California poppy
Eschscholzia californicaWhere to lookOrange blooms on spring hillsides.
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Coast prickly pear
Opuntia littoralisWhere to lookSpiny paddles and yellow flowers. Keep hands off.
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Big Dipper and North Star
Ursa Major and PolarisWhere to lookFind the dipper, then follow the two stars at the end of its cup up to the North Star.
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Orion the Hunter
Winter constellationWhere to lookLook south after dark for three bright stars in a row: Orion's belt.
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Perseid meteors
Meteor shower, mid-August peakWhere to lookLie back after midnight around Aug 11 to 13. No telescope needed.
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Geminid meteors
Meteor shower, mid-December peakWhere to lookOften the year's best shower. Bundle up around Dec 13 to 14.
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Milky Way
Our home galaxyWhere to lookNeeds a moonless night away from town lights. Summer shows the brightest part. The mountains of San Pedro Mártir have some of the darkest skies in North America.
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Space Station flyover
International Space StationWhere to lookA bright, steady dot crossing the sky in a few minutes. NASA's Spot the Station app lists times.
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Ochre sea star
Pisaster ochraceusWhere to lookOn rocky points around Punta Banda.
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Giant green anemone
Anthopleura xanthogrammicaWhere to lookBright green, low in the pools.
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Purple sea urchin
Strongylocentrotus purpuratusWhere to lookSpiny purple balls in rock holes.
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Owl limpet
Lottia giganteaWhere to lookBig flat shells on the rocks.
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California sea hare
Aplysia californicaWhere to lookA big soft sea slug. Don't pick it up.
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Hermit crab
Pagurus samuelisWhere to lookTiny crabs in borrowed shells.
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Never feed wildlife, stay on trail, and follow posted closures. Hours, permits and seasons change, so check before you go. Months are a guide. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under the free licenses shown. Stamps stay on this device only.
Everybody has a long game. Some head south.
Working across the border, building in Baja or planning the move: start with a free 20-minute call.
Or email mike@longgamelife.live