Ensenada Shopping – Shops, Stores, Best Buys, & Inside Tips

Ensenada Shopping

Ensenada is a port city along Baja, California, in Mexico, about 78 miles south of San Diego, and it is a place to go to watch gray whales, sea lions, seals, and to shop. Here are some inside tips for the shops and store in Ensenada to help you get the best deals throughout the city.

Exchanging Money

U.S. dollars are generally accepted here. However, the exchange rate may be better or worse depending on the store. If you plan to convert to pesos, the ATM machines at local banks, like Banamex or HSBC, have excellent exchange rates (better than the currency exchange houses). Visa/MC also have good exchange rates, but many banks now charge an additional 2- to 3-percent fee for foreign purchases in addition to the 1 percent that Visa/MC charges to do the conversion. Check your bank’s policy so that you are not surprised after the trip.

Arts & Crafts

The best places to get locally-made arts and crafts items are at the Brick and Casa Colonial. At the Brick, you can get items made with silver. Silver is always a good buy in Mexico and there are many jewelry selections in silver. You can also get low-priced tequila and Kahlua here. Casa Colonial offers an assortment of Mexican-made rugs and carpets, clothes for men and women, assorted haberdasheries, pottery, wooden handicrafts, and ceramics like plates and statues. Haggling over prices is not only acceptable but encouraged.

T-Shirts & other Items

Hussong’s Official Store (which is not part of the popular Hussong’s Cantina) offers among other things low-cost t-shirts, caps, shot glasses, and refrigerator magnets. Hussong’s doesn’t allow haggling, so don’t even try it here.

Editor’s note: The information contained on this page was compiled using real traveler reviews about Ensenada shopping.