Mountain Top Oceanfront Estate - Ensenada/La Bufadora

• Guestbook Comment

  Guestbook Comment

  • Guest Anonymous
  • Date of stay 06/01/07
  • Review Submitted 06/11/07
  This was a cute little house in an unbelievably scenic area of northern Baja. It's a bit of a drive to Ensenada (the major town nearby), but this is a great place to stay if you love vistas. Lots of local mountain and beach hiking, and there are great tourist areas of curios and tamales and such within 10 minutes. The casita is in an area that's under development, so be prepared for a bit of nearby house construction. All in all, a great vacation.

  Owner response: The construction is almost complete as of August 07. So you won't hear anymore happy, laughing and singing Mexican workers during the day.

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• Great views

  Great views

  • Guest Madonna S.
  • Date of stay 04/17/10
  • Review Submitted 06/15/10
  We stayed here during the April Rosarita to Ensenada bike race. The accomodations were spacious for 3 guests and nicely decorated. The hilltop location offered awesome views of the ocean. The kitchen had everything we needed to BBQ and prepare meals at home. The owner was responsive to our needs and we appreciated that she let us bring our small dog. I recommend this place and would visit again.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, girls getaway, families with young children, pet owners, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• • Guest Maggie27
  • Date of stay 11/06/09
  • Review Submitted 11/06/09
  I stayed in this cozy little casita for two weeks last September, and I had the most peaceful vaction of my life! I had all the ammenities and solitude, if I chose to stay home, as well as a myriad of interesting things to do and see very close by. All of the locals were REALLY friendly and made me feel right at home. And, contrary to the bad publicity Mexico has gotten, I ALWAYS felt safe, even as a single female traveling alone. No problema! Most of all I enjoyed being able to walk right out my door and hike for a hour or more in incredibly beautful mountains which were never out of sight of the ocean. It was also great to wake up in the morning after a quiet night's sleep and be able to step out on my own veranda in my pj's for early morning coffee to watch the sun rise over the mountain ranges on the Ensenada Bay side. In the evening, I was welcome to go down to the deck to watch the sun set on the Pacific side. Yep, water in BOTH directions of this lovely place! Just a very short drive down the hill, I had easy access to a 6 mile-long uncrowded sandy beach where I enjoyed several afteroons...with my dog welcome, too! Once, remembering to borrow a shovel, I dug my own "hot tub" in the sand right on the beach. This was fun, but don't miss out on a day trip to the San Carlos Valley Hot Springs. It takes about an hour of very slow, but scenic, driving and while you don't need 4-wheel drive, you do need some clearance as the road criss-crosses a shallow river bed several times. But, once there, it is WELL worth the trip. For only about $5 you can soak in any of several different outside pools nestled on all sides by steep mountains. Week days are better, for less people/kids. The town of Ensenada is only about 45 minutes away for a nice, cultural experience (not to mention a great $30 massage!) and to stock-up on anything you might need. The tiny town of La Bufadora, which has several good restaurants, is only a few miles away. And while the casita's kitchen is totally great for cooking at home, I especially recommend making it to "Taco Tuesday" to chat with the local ex-pats while eating cheap tacos. But, it is difficult trying to decide between a great Mexican beer or a classic margaria. Hmmm? Sunday morning brunches in La Buf are a MUST, & don't forget the Bloody Mary at Los Gordos. Special thanks to the owner, Janika, who was very friendly, offered lots of suggestions of ways to enjoy the area, and was helpful whenever I asked her input o

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• • Guest MICHAEL_HAC71790
  • Date of stay 01/11/07
  • Review Submitted 01/11/07
  Spent New Year's at Janika's casitas & had THE BEST time. This is the place to stay if you want a romantic getaway for two, but the place is roomy enough for six. The views are great from every room & from the private balcony where we ate breakfast. Janika keeps the place clean & well furnished. There's purified water in the kitchen & the bathroom was clean with plenty of hot water & a tiled shower big enough for two. The bedroom was comfortable with mirrored closet doors & views of the bay & ocean. It get's chilly during winter, but there's a radiator in the unit that helped. We were glad we brought an electric blanket as the weather dropped to about 45 degrees. The location was perfect...very secluded, in fact you couldn't hear anything besides the crashing waves on the beach below & the occasional bark of a seal, but close enough to Ensenada (20 minute drive) to do all the tourist stuff. Wine country was a scenic hour drive & makes a great day trip. Pick up a couple bottles (Vina de Liceaga & El Cetto are a couple good wineries to visit) & stop for groceries on your way home because you'll want to use the fully stocked kitchen with all the utensils, even a charcoal grill (bring your own coals). Granite countertops are a nice touch. The TV gets great satellite reception but who wants to watch TV with all of the surrounding beauty? La Bufadora is a short drive to the end of the point where you can see the blowhole, stop for an oceanside lobster lunch & do some shopping. With the right car you can take rough roads down to the beach on the oceanside of the point & do some tide-pooling, see the tuna fishermen do their thing & watch the seals bask in the sun (we'll definitely bring a better-equipped car next time). Instead we rented a couple of horses on the main road up to the house & took a guided ride on the beach, then came home to enjoy the sunset & make dinner. For great local fare, visit Baja Mama's on the sand-spit; just make sure you know where to find it. They have amazing seafood; I had the best shrimp fettuccine & my girlfriend had halibut that tasted like it was caught a few hours ago, not to mention the fresh oysters. Soup, salad & bread were included for about $40 total, & the service was first-class; one of the most unique dining experiences we've ever had. Sit by the fireplace & enjoy the view as the dining room is about 10 yards from the sand. You'll want to try tamales from vendors along the road leading up the mountain (the pineapple ones

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• Guestbook Comment

  Guestbook Comment

  • Guest MICHAEL_HAC71790
  • Date of stay 01/01/07
  • Review Submitted 01/11/07
  Spent New Year's at Janika's casitas & had THE BEST time. This is the place to stay if you want a romantic getaway for two, but the place is roomy enough for six. The views are great from every room & from the private balcony where we ate breakfast. Janika keeps the place clean & well furnished. There's purified water in the kitchen & the bathroom was clean with plenty of hot water & a tiled shower big enough for two. The bedroom was comfortable with mirrored closet doors & views of the bay & ocean. It get's chilly during winter, but there's a radiator in the unit that helped. We were glad we brought an electric blanket as the weather dropped to about 45 degrees. The location was perfect...very secluded, in fact you couldn't hear anything besides the crashing waves on the beach below & the occasional bark of a seal, but close enough to Ensenada (20 minute drive) to do all the tourist stuff. Wine country was a scenic hour drive & makes a great day trip. Pick up a couple bottles (Vina de Liceaga & El Cetto are a couple good wineries to visit) & stop for groceries on your way home because you'll want to use the fully stocked kitchen with all the utensils, even a charcoal grill (bring your own coals). Granite countertops are a nice touch. The TV gets great satellite reception but who wants to watch TV with all of the surrounding beauty? La Bufadora is a short drive to the end of the point where you can see the blowhole, stop for an oceanside lobster lunch & do some shopping. With the right car you can take rough roads down to the beach on the oceanside of the point & do some tide-pooling, see the tuna fishermen do their thing & watch the seals bask in the sun (we'll definitely bring a better-equipped car next time). Instead we rented a couple of horses on the main road up to the house & took a guided ride on the beach, then came home to enjoy the sunset & make dinner. For great local fare, visit Baja Mama's on the sand-spit; just make sure you know where to find it. They have amazing seafood; I had the best shrimp fettuccine & my girlfriend had halibut that tasted like it was caught a few hours ago, not to mention the fresh oysters. Soup, salad & bread were included for about $40 total, & the service was first-class; one of the most unique dining experiences we've ever had. Sit by the fireplace & enjoy the view as the dining room is about 10 yards from the sand. You'll want to try tamales from vendors along the road leading up the mountain (the pineapple ones are awesome). Grab a bunch for the ride home...they'll come in handy when you're waiting to cross the border back into the states. This was the perfect place for a getaway weekend. We will be back to stay at Janika's again, especially once she is finished with construction of a new eco-friendly unit built out of recycled tires with huge windows overlooking the Pacific. I definitely recommend contacting Janika to anyone looking for the best of everything Baja has to offer.

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• Guestbook Comment

  Guestbook Comment

  • Guest Anonymous
  • Date of stay 09/01/06
  • Review Submitted 09/19/06
  We just spent a week at Janika's casitas. The view of the coastline is spectacular. One side is the rough, interesting shore line (kind of like Big Sir only without the cold weather) and the other side is the sandy beaches. At night are the lights of Ensenda and cruise liners in the harbor. The setting is quiet and has the feel of the southwest with ocean on both sides. The casitas is beautiful, full bedroom, bath, kitchen and living room as well as a balcony with a lovely view every morning and evening. We had the most wonderful week there and highly recommend it to those who want a relaxing and beautiful vacation.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/2

• Guestbook Comment

  Guestbook Comment

  • Guest Janika S.
  • Date of stay 07/01/06
  • Review Submitted 07/31/06
  The casita is totally private from the mainhouse. We are located on a peninsula overlooking the Bay of Ensenada and the Pacific. From the veranda you can see the twinkling lights of Ensenada and the cruiseships, or down the mountains of the Pacific coastline. There is a secluded, remote beach below the property accessible by 4-wheel, a hike along the bluff and a rope to repel down to a wonderful beach. For the less adventuresome, you can drive 10 mins.to the bay where there is a gorgeous white, long, sandy beach with hot springs bubbling from the sand. We are surrounded by water, hiking trails, nature and gorgeous views. La Bufadora (Mexico's most famous blowhole) is only 10 mins. away. You can shop for all the Mexican curios, pottery, clothing, tacos, Margaritas. There are several restaurants where you can party and dance. You can go panga boat fishing, kayaking, snorkling and even take an Ultra-light flight over the entire Bay.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/3

Fees:

• Pet Fee: $50 + tax
• cleaning fee: $40
• Property Damage Protection: $49
• Taxes Included

Cancellation policy:

Rental Agreement: The unit will be left in the condition it was upon arrival. All debris, rubbish, bottles are placed in the trash and placed in the trash recepticles below the stairwell upon departure. All dishes are washed, linens removed from the bed, dirty towels placed on the floor in the bathroom. Key left in the unit unlocked or returned to me. Pet owners are responsible for picking up poop. Pets are not allowed on the furniture, all pets must be up to date on rabbies vaccinations and other vaccinations. Heartworm prevention is highly recommended. All pets treated with Advantage or similar topical flee and tick repellent prior to arrival. Your reservation deposit will be returned to you provided you submit a 30-day notice before occupancy. No refunds on early checkout. Checkout time is 11 AM.

100% refund if canceled at least 30 days before arrival date.