Rosarito to Ensenada: Baja Road Log Leg 2 (2026)

Leg 2 of 1251 mi / 82 km1 to 1.5 hTolls: 49 + 53 MXNChecked October 2026
Pedestrian bridge over the parallel free and toll highways along the coast between Rosarito and Ensenada
A footbridge over the free and toll roads between Rosarito and Ensenada. Photo: Chris Hunkeler from Carlsbad, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This is the prettiest hour of the whole trip. The Scenic Road (Mexico 1-D) runs along the cliffs above the Pacific from Rosarito, past Puerto Nuevo and La Misión, then climbs over the headlands at Salsipuedes before it drops into El Sauzal and the port of Ensenada. Two toll booths, plenty of fuel, and a lot of places to pull off for lobster or a view.

Quick answer: Rosarito to Ensenada is about 51 miles (82 km), or 1 to 1.5 hours. On the toll road you pay two booths: Rosarito (49 pesos) and Ensenada at San Miguel (53 pesos). The stretch near km 93 at Salsipuedes has a history of slides, so check road reports after heavy rain.

Route map

Map by Google. Google picks its own fastest line, which can differ from the road log. Open this route in Google Maps to navigate on your phone, and download it for offline use before you lose signal.

The mile log: Rosarito to Ensenada

The original Baja Road Log entries, updated for 2026. Miles count from the Rosarito toll booth. The km column is the nearest toll-road post, estimated from the booths at km 36.6 and km 99; posts the booklet printed itself match within a few hundred meters.

Mile Km post What's there
0.0 ~km 37 Rosarito toll booth (CAPUFE booth No. 35). Cars pay 49 pesos for the section to La Misión.
2.9 ~km 41 Baja Studios, the old Fox Studios Baja where Titanic was filmed, beside the road. It is a working film studio again.
8.9 ~km 51 Calafia/Puerto Nuevo exit to the free road. To the north: Hacienda Rancho Santini, Las Rocas Resort and Spa and Hotel Calafia. To the south: Puerto Nuevo Baja Hotel y Villas and the Puerto Nuevo lobster village, a street of restaurants serving fried Pacific lobster with beans, rice and tortillas.
11.5 ~km 55 Cantamar/Puerto Nuevo exit to the free road, with restaurants and stores.
15.0 ~km 61 Cuenca Lechera exit to the free road and the Half Way House (Medio Camino) restaurant and bar, opened in 1922 as a stop halfway between Tijuana and Ensenada.
18.0 ~km 66 La Misión/Plaza del Mar exit (also called Alisitos) for Dmytri's Original La Fonda and Hotel La Misión. Take the free road south to the ruins of Misión San Miguel Arcángel de la Frontera, the Dominican mission founded in 1787, next to the primary school at km 65.5 of the free road. The free road then winds inland and rejoins Highway 1 just south of the Ensenada toll booth.
19.9 ~km 69 Rest area (área de descanso) with a wide sandy beach and parking.
22.1 ~km 72 Baja Seasons Resort & RV Park at km 72.
22.5 ~km 73 La Salina exit for the La Salina beach community and the Puerto Salina marina.
25.4 ~km 77 Bajamar/Jatay exit at km 77.5 for the Bajamar Ocean Front Golf Resort and Hotel Hacienda Bajamar.
29.4 ~km 84 El Mirador viewpoint. Careful: a sharp curve follows.
30.4 ~km 86 Rest stop with parking.
31.8 ~km 88 Salsipuedes exit. Salsipuedes means "get out if you can", a fair warning about the steep, rocky road down to the bay. Not for RVs.
35.1 ~km 93 Around km 93: the section that sank on December 28, 2013. It was rebuilt within about a year, but slides have closed it since. After heavy rain, check road reports before you set out.
35.9 ~km 94 Turnoff to Playa Saldamando, with beach camping (southbound exit only), at km 94.
36.1 ~km 95 Rest area and whale-watching viewpoint.
39.0 ~km 99 Ensenada toll booth (San Miguel) at km 99. Cars pay 53 pesos. Exit just south for Villa de San Miguel and the surf break at Playa San Miguel. The junction with the free road to Tijuana is just ahead.
40.7 ~km 102 Junction with Highway 3 to Tecate (64 miles). Highway 3 runs through the vineyards of San Antonio de las Minas (7 miles) and Valle de Guadalupe (17 miles), Mexico's best-known wine country.
40.8 ~km 102 El Sauzal de Rodríguez, a fishing port with a harbor, canneries, stores, a llantera (tire shop) and fuel.
43.5 ~km 107 Hotel Las Rosas & Spa, with its pool on the edge of the Pacific.
43.8 ~km 107 Propane (L.P. gas) depot on the left.
44.1 ~km 108 Turnoffs on the right to Punta Morro and the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC) campus.
44.4 ~km 108 Road forks. Keep right on Blvd. Costero along the coast for Hotel Coral y Marina, Quintas Papagayo, the harbor, downtown and the way to San Quintín. The left fork skips downtown on Calles 10 and 9 to Av. Reforma, which runs south past the Benito Juárez monument and becomes Highway 1. For San Felipe, turn east on Calzada Cortez to Highway 3.
46.1 ~km 111 The coastal route forks again; keep left. The right fork (Recinto Portuario) goes into the commercial harbor.
46.7 ~km 112 Ensenada, at boulevards Azueta and Costero (also called Lázaro Cárdenas). Carry straight on for the big open-air fish market and the malecón along the bay.
46.9 ~km 112 Another entrance to the fish market.
47.0 ~km 112 Plaza Cívica, better known as the Plaza de las Tres Cabezas for its giant heads of Benito Juárez, Miguel Hidalgo and Venustiano Carranza.
47.2 ~km 113 Parque Ventana al Mar and its giant Mexican flag.
47.4 ~km 113 Cross the bridge. Ensenada Cruiseport Village and the cruise ship terminal are on the right; the Centro Cultural Riviera, the old Riviera del Pacífico, is on the left.
48.0 ~km 114 Turn left where Blvd. Costero meets Av. Sangines, which leads to Highway 1 south. Straight on, signs lead to the Libramiento bypass toward Highway 3 and San Felipe.
48.6 ~km 115 Av. Sangines meets Highway 1 (Av. Reforma). Leg 3 starts here.

Two lines in the old booklet were pasted over and cannot be read; they are left out.

2026 notes for this leg
  • Tolls: Rosarito booth 49 pesos and Ensenada (San Miguel) booth 53 pesos for a car, CAPUFE rates in effect since April 13, 2026. The Nodo Popotla booth (45 pesos) applies only if you join the toll road from the Corredor 2000 road. Pay in pesos.
  • Km 93: the slide-prone stretch near Salsipuedes. If it has rained hard, check road reports before you leave.
  • Storm Rachel: around October 10 to 11, 2026, flooding hit parts of Ensenada. As of October 22 we found no report of the Scenic Road or Highway 1 still closed; a bridge in the area (Puente Oaxaca) is being rebuilt with traffic on alternate streets (El Imparcial, Oct. 19). Check before you go: road alerts from SICT and CAPUFE, ask at your hotel, or call 078 (24-hour tourist assistance). Never drive into moving water at an arroyo crossing.
  • Fog: sea fog is common on the headlands. Slow down and keep your lights on.

The free road (Libre) alternative

Mexico 1 Libre runs beside the toll road along the coast from Rosarito through Puerto Nuevo to La Misión, then turns inland through the hills and rejoins the main road just south of the Ensenada toll booth. It is free and it is the road you want for Puerto Nuevo, Calafia, Las Rocas and the La Misión mission ruins. It is slower, with topes and town traffic, and the full run is about 51 miles. Many drivers use the free road for the stops near Rosarito and get back on the toll road at La Misión.

Fuel

Plenty of stations on this leg: two at Puerto Nuevo (one at about km 44.5 on the free road), one at La Misión, seven in El Sauzal and more than 30 in Ensenada, according to Mexico's station registry. This is the last stretch where you never have to think about it. Find stations on Google Maps: Puerto Nuevo, El Sauzal, Ensenada.

Video: San Diego to Ensenada: The 90-Minute Baja Road Trip Done Right (Instant Mexico Auto Insurance on YouTube)

Colorful street and restaurants in Puerto Nuevo, the lobster village south of Rosarito
Puerto Nuevo, the lobster village. Photo: Rob Bertholf from San Diego, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Where to stop and stay

Places below showed as operating on Google Maps when we checked on October 22, 2026, under the names they use now. Phone numbers and websites are the ones on their current listings. Call ahead before you count on a room or a campsite.

Tap a name to open it in Google Maps.

Puerto Nuevo

La Misión

La Salina

North of the Ensenada toll booth

Ensenada, north of town

Ensenada, central

New since the last booklet

Coastal hills and ocean seen from the road on the way to Ensenada
The coast on the way to Ensenada. Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What changed from the old booklet

Mile Change
0.0 Booklet listed restrooms and mini-markets at the booth. Not confirmed for 2026, so dropped.
2.9 Fox Studios Baja is now Baja Studios.
8.9 Giorgio Santini Gallery is now Hacienda Rancho Santini (B&B). New Port Beach Hotel is now Puerto Nuevo Baja Hotel y Villas. Grand Baja Resort could not be found and was removed.
15.0 Name updated to Half Way House / Medio Camino.
18.0 La Fonda is now Dmytri's Original La Fonda. Pyramid Resort could not be found and was removed. The May fiesta date was not confirmed for 2026 and was dropped.
22.1 Name updated to Baja Seasons Resort & RV Park.
22.5 La Salina Bar/Restaurant/Motel could not be found and was removed.
25.4 Golf course details dropped (no golf chapter in this edition).
29.4 "No services" note dropped.
31.8 Rancho Salsipuedes campground could not be found and was removed.
35.1 Added: the km 93 slide zone.
39.0 Restrooms, the RV park and the surf contest note were not confirmed for 2026 and were dropped.
43.5 Name updated to Hotel Las Rosas & Spa.
44.1 Punta Morro Resort now listed as Punta Morro.
44.4 Directions kept; hotel names updated.
46.7 Immigration office and tourism bureau directions dropped (not confirmed at the old addresses).
47.0 Current name added.
47.2 Flagpole height dropped (not confirmed).
47.4 Cruiseport is finished (the booklet said under construction). State tourism office dropped.
48.6 Gigante supermarkets are gone (the chain was sold to Soriana in 2007).
Boats in the harbor at the port of Ensenada, Baja California
The port of Ensenada. Photo: cesar bojorquez from Tijuana, Mexico, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Related guides

Previous: Leg 1Tijuana (El Chaparral crossing) to Rosarito
Next: Leg 3Ensenada to San Quintín
Covered from Rosarito to Ensenada and beyond

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Frequently asked questions

How much are the Tijuana to Ensenada tolls in 2026?

152 pesos for a car (about $8.20) across three booths: Playas de Tijuana 50, Rosarito 49 and Ensenada (San Miguel) 53, under the CAPUFE rates in effect since April 13, 2026. From Rosarito to Ensenada you pay the last two, 102 pesos.

Is the Scenic Road open at km 93?

The section near Salsipuedes that sank in December 2013 was rebuilt, but slides have closed the area since. It is the one stretch to check after heavy rain. If it is closed, the free road through La Misión gets you to Ensenada.

How long is the drive from Rosarito to Ensenada?

About 51 miles (82 km), or 1 to 1.5 hours, depending on stops and traffic in Ensenada.

Can I take the free road from Rosarito to Ensenada?

Yes. Mexico 1 Libre runs along the coast to La Misión, then inland to rejoin Highway 1 south of the Ensenada toll booth. It is free but slower, with topes and town traffic.

By Instant Mexico Auto Insurance
Serving U.S. drivers heading into Baja and mainland Mexico since 1973, from our drive-through office at the San Ysidro border. California-licensed (Dept. of Insurance #0516723) and BBB A+ accredited. Our policies are underwritten by established, A-rated Mexican carriers. This edition of the Baja Road Log was re-driven by Hal Andreoli and fact-checked in October 2026.

Photo credits

  • Pedestrian bridge spanning the parallel free and toll highways along the northern Baja. Photo: Chris Hunkeler from Carlsbad, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Puerto Nuevo, the lobster village on the Rosarito-Ensenada coast, 2015. Photo: Rob Bertholf from San Diego, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Coastal scenery photographed en route to Ensenada, 2012. Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • The port of Ensenada at early morning, 2006. Photo: cesar bojorquez from Tijuana, Mexico, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Checked October 22, 2026 against CAPUFE's 2026 toll schedule, the CRE/CNE fuel station registry, OpenStreetMap routing and Google Maps listings. Businesses open, close and change hands; confirm before you go.

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