rosarito
Rosarito is the first major city if you will, after Tijuana, on the northern pacific coast of Baja. Only twenty minutes south of Tijuana, it is the youngest municipality of Baja California. Rosarito offers an ample choice of things to do for people of all ages. Grand oceanfront hotels with all of the amenities, such as golf course, European style spas, discotheques, large variety of store that offer even the finest Mexican craftsmanship, such as furniture, rod iron artwork, fine jewelry and much, much more. As if this weren’t enough, there exists approximately one hundred restaurant that offer everything from exquisite international cuisine to our traditional Mexican delicacies and of course lets not forget our famous lobster, speaking of which, just a five minute drive south will take you to the village of Puerto Nuevo.
There are various ways to arrive to Rosarito from Tijuana; the most enjoyable is the scenic route, where you have an impressive view of the Pacific Ocean and Coronado islands, there use to be a very exclusive casino there before and now it’s a Marine base for the Mexican Armed Forces; the other option is the free road, this will take you through the City of Tijuana and surrounding towns between Tijuana and Rosarito. If you drive during the afternoon near sunset as you’re driving right before “Cuesta Blanca” you can get a glimpse of the oil tanks and the most marvelous of all sunsets on the Pacific Ocean.
FOXPLORATION Movie Studios: located in beautiful Rosarito!
Since the completion of filming Titanic, more than 300,000 people have called Fox asking for a tour of the set in Mexico. Partly in response to this huge public interest in Titanic, Fox opened Xploration (adjacent to Studios Baja). Consisting of a variety of interactive exhibits, prop displays, filmmaker tips and tricks, a Titanic museum, screening room, a children’s play area, and a completely relaxed vibe, Xploration is definitely worth the trip down into Mexico. Here are some of the blockbuster movies that were made in part or whole in the Studios at Foxploration:
Tomorrow Never Dies
Pearl Harbor
Titanic
In Dreams
Deep Blue Sea
Master and Commander
Weight of the Water
Rosarito has hosted many celebs in its day, so come on down and see one strolling the lovely avenues of town. If you’re a movie buff, how exciting is that? You never know when you’ll rub elbows with Leo or Affleck. Since opening in 1996, eight movies have been filmed here, along with several television shows, commercials and video productions. Fox’s presence in Baja California provides many benefits for the region and promotes film production as well as tourism.
$12.00 p/p at the door. Hours during the summer are 9am to 6pm. If you go on a Saturday or Sunday, make sure you leave plenty of time to get back into the U.S. at the border. For more info, call toll-free 1-866-369-2252. This entrance fee will provide you with an entire afternoon of movie exploration, maybe even a glimpse of someone famous, and a whole lotta fun.
For the Kids: Planet of the Apes Play Room
This is a Planet of the apes-inspired room filled with soft foam balls and a variety of air-shooting devices. It really is a super fun, two-story area filled with a kad-jillion foam balls. Funny scooping devices vacuum the balls and then you can load them into any number of air-shooting devices. TONS of fun for all ages, really. I would go and pay the 12 bucks just to play in this place.
Xploration is an exciting addition to Studios Baja, a one-of-a-kind movie park. Xploration allows visitors to discover tricks of the film making process within the context of a working movie studio. Attractions include film sets, prop rooms and exhibits where visitors learn about the magic of movie making in an entertaining and interactive way. Also on display are original props, sets and costumes from the blockbuster film “Titanic” among other from other studios.
Cinemagico. The exhibits that are set up are designed to show off camera tricks, lighting, perspective shifts, special effects, and some of the more technical aspects of filmmaking. Step into one room and imprint your image on a film-lined wall. Another area might have you starring in a scene with members of the audience working the lights, sound, camera, and effects. There are mini-sets constructed to show green screen effects, forced perspective, and underwater shots that aren’t really underwater. Spend some time on a working foley stage and make sound effects. Learn about the role of miniatures. You even get up close to an animatronics shark from Deep Blue Sea. All of Cinemagico is interactive, simple, and logically laid out. Certainly the highlight of the Foxploration experience!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bit Of History Of Rosarito
The first land grands were made in Rosarito in the year 1827. And after secularization of the mission lands in 1833, it has been estimated that over 700 private land grants were made in California within the nest decade.
Baja California had its share, with many of the grantees being families who were prominent in Alta California. One of the largest in the northwestern sector was Rancho El Rosario, or Rosarito. It extended from what is now the southern edge of the San Antonio Shores development to the Rosarito River bounded on the west by the ocean and stretching eastward to the peaks of the mountains. The first grant had been made to Don Jose Manuel Machado in 1827 by the Mexican governor, Jose Maria Echeandia Machado had been born in San Gabriel and had grown up and married in San Diego. His land grants, along with the later one of the famous ranchos that marked the “age of the Dons”. It may be said that it was at this time that the people of Rosarito first learned to party.
“The Age of the Dons”, the Golden Age, is probably best remember for the hospitality and sociability of the people on barbecues were the order of the day. All classes of society and all people from surrounding rancho took part, and though the music was a far cry from the heart of native musicians and the vigorous stamp of dancer’s feet.
Great herds of cattle and horses roamed the brown hills, and it was at this time that the Rosaritans first became renowned for their fine mounts. Truly the vaqueros who bring their horses to the beach for tourist to ride and to splash through the surf are part of those great traditions of the past.
It was at this time also that there was a migration of people from Western Europe to the ranchos of Baja. Names like Ames, Crosthwaite, Gilbert, and Ireland, joined the Machados, Yorba’s, and Valdez’s on the ranches of the time. Intermarriage was common, and the cultures blended then as they do today, resulting in families with names Machado Gilbert, Crosthwaite Machado, Yorba Gilbert, Ames Crosthwaite, etc. even to this day.
ROSARITO PHONE and Emergency Numbers
State Tourism Info 661 – 612 – 2000
Immigration 661- 613 – 0234
US Consulate 24 line 001 – 619 – 692 – 2650
Foxpoloration 661 – 614- 9444
Gas Company Z Gas 661 – 612 – 1010
Telnor Telephone 01 – 800 – 025 – 2525
CFE Electric Co 661 – 613 – 0686
CESPT Water Co 661 – 613 – 0276 or 661 – 100- 2073
