Viva Mexico – Las Gaviotas

This past weekend was spent hanging out in Las Gaviotas, Mexico.  The last time I crossed the border was when my sister, Carina, & I spent a couple days in Rosarito.  That was maybe 14 years ago?!  Needless to say, it’s been awhile. 🙂

My husband has been a little leery about taking a trip down to Baja.  Carina & her husband, Mark, live in San Diego and make frequent trips down to our neighboring country.  They have been trying to convince him to make this trip for quite some time and he finally agreed!

This was a quick little birthday celebration for my bro-in-law and my husband.  My love’s birthday was on August 24th and Mark’s is today (Happy Birthday Mark!).  The group included, us, Poppy (my niece) and my sister Sharon & her boyfriend Evan, who also live in SD.

We got on the road Friday around 10am.  It’s amazing how close they are to the border.  Literally 15 minutes!  Crossing the border is always exciting and you know immediately you are in a different country.  

The sights and smells are so different than here is Southern California.

We made our way down the coast until we stopped at Hotel Calafia which is right on the water.  I told my husband that the only place we could get a view like this in LA was in Malibu and you’d be paying a pretty penny. ;)

We sat outside and enjoyed the weather, the ocean and the beautiful music being strummed on a Spanish Guitar.  Stop #1 was the perfect pit stop.

Stop#2 was Taco Surf at K38.  They serve tacos and tortas.  Our group got the tortas and everyone LOVED them.

I don’t eat meat but this weekend I made an exception to fish as I knew it would be hard to get by.  I walked a few yards away to this other spot and ordered two grilled fish tacos.  You could tell how fresh they were!

Las Gaviotas is a gated community about 45 minutes south of the border over-looking the Pacific Ocean.  It was a beautiful sight to drive into.

The weekend consisted of hanging out, cooking meals, surfing and just enjoying each other’s company in this beautiful location.  

We took a quick trip into Rosarito to do some shopping Saturday afternoon.  

I practiced my Spanish while bartering and ended up with a beautiful Mexican blanket.

There were so many things I wanted to buy!  

Some people (ehem my husband!) are apprehensive about traveling into this country due to safety concerns.  I can honestly tell you I felt safe the entire time and like every place you visit, it all depends on what parts of the country you go to.

Even though the trip was short, it was definitely sweet.  Being in Mexico made me feel close to my dad.  He was born in Jalisco and grew up in an orphanage there.  My mom met him while on a mission’s trip.  To be honest, we didn’t grow up with much Mexican culture (I can barely speak Spanish!) but I absolutely love everything about this country and I can’t wait to go back. 

If you’ve never been to Mexico I highly suggest a visit.

Enjoy your travels!  xo, Jenneke Rose