BajaNomad - This Seaside Baja Town Is Wilder Than Star Wars’ Cantina

This Seaside Baja Town Is Wilder Than Star Wars’ Cantina

MexicoTed - 7-13-2016 at 11:20 PM

At the height of Mexico’s cartel violence in the mid-2000s, Baja became a no-go zone to American tourists, who refused to cross the California border. In recent years, however, the region has settled down and undergone a transformation with the opening of craft breweries, trendy restaurants and galleries in Tijuana. Just an hour and a half south, Baja’s beautiful Valle de Guadalupe wine country has become a hotbed of culinary and oenological bounties. The Valle’s Ruta del Vino showcases Mexican modernist architectural marvels and boutique hotels tucked among vineyards frequented by telenovela starlets and San Diego pensioners.

But with its newfound popularity, Baja also has lost many of its traditional haunts, which have been replaced by gastronomically adventurous experiments. If you’re searching for the real gem of classic Baja, though, look no further than Popotla, a rough-and-tumble fishing village just a 20-minute drive south of spring-breaker hot spot Rosarito.

The small but bustling town is perched like a barnacle alongside Baja Studios, a 51-acre oceanside movie lot where the mega-blockbuster Titanic was shot in 1996. While the studio is well past its heyday, Popotla rages on — literally in its shadow. Avoid the town’s shoddy, thatched-roof restaurants and head down to the surf, where the real anarchic action is. Food here is best served under an open sky — and straight from the sea.

Although the area is Anthony Bourdain–approved, there’s no buttoned-up elegance here. If fanciness is what you seek — if you’re a little fresa, as it’s said in Mexico — then stay in Alta California. Here in Popotla, it’s all about rustic flavors and a rugged feel.

Try any one of dozens of stalls, each serving up its own spin on al fresco feasts. Shirtless cooks lord over oil-drum grills that cast a smoky veil as fresh lobster, shrimp or octopus roasts upon the flames. Order from a laminated menu, and a woman will come by with a whole snapper or rockfish for inspection. Give a thumbs-up and out comes the machete to fillet it. Onto the mesquite fire it goes. The fresh dish is prepared Zarandeado-style, slathered with garlic and ancho chile powder, rendering it as red as the tomatoes that garnish it. At foldout tables draped with torn awnings, sit elbow to elbow with wizened abuelas and their grandkids, or alongside surfer bros with sunglass tans as they sip Modelos and scarf fish bits with their bare hands.

Pay no attention to the cars parked on the beach, the tide rushing under their tires. Never mind the funky bathroom sitch. And ignore the lack of luxe comforts; they have no place here on the edge of the world. Instead, enjoy the procession of spectacles that surrounds you. Listen to the sounds of kids laughing at a clown who has wandered up, conjuring roses from squeaking balloons. Witness a pair of seals flopping onshore, begging for a spare mackerel, and a little attention, from strolling diners walking off a ceviche-and-frijoles lunch.

If you’re lucky, a baby hippo–sized pig may make a cameo, politely squeezing between the red plastic chairs as her pink fuzzy skin brushes against your leg, then snuffing her snout in the warm sand, searching for scraps. The friendly creature is anything but tomorrow’s carnitas; she’s Filomena, the swine queen of Popotla, whose free-roaming antics are welcomed by all with an almost royal reverence.

Amid the clamor of honking car horns, cracking beer cans and youngsters playing in puddles, there is something peaceful about it all, something almost ancient, that triumvirate of experiences uniting sun-drenched beaches around the world: fish, fire and friends. What more do you need?

POPOTLA, MEXICO

Getting there: Cross the border and drive toward Playas de Tijuana, where you can perhaps grab a seaside michelada, then follow the coastline 1D federal highway for about 40 minutes. You’ll pay a few tolls along the way, but the view of the Pacific is unbeatable. Before you go, remember to pack your passport and pick up Mexican car insurance on the American side, before crossing. Expect a long line on the border on the way back. But the memory of ceviche on the beach is well worth the wait.

What to do: Spend the afternoon sampling traditionally prepared seafood, watching dolphins jump from the water and taking in other aquatic scenes you’ve seen only in tramp stamps and Lisa Frank trapper-keepers. When you’ve had your fill of beer and sunshine, visit the row of furniture shops, featuring insanely inexpensive, handmade works by local artisans.

Where to eat: The offerings are nearly endless. Focus on certain dishes and experiences that are indigenous to the area, such as using a smooth river rock to crack open crab legs (those primordial foodies of the caveman era were onto something).

Where to stay: Skip the nearby resorts and Airbnb a Rosarito beach house. There’s also the funky surf hotel La Fonda, which is an unpredictable but often fun option, with a gargantuan buffet that would make even aspiring gluttons blush. If you want a que romantico weekend, stay at Cuatrocuatros near Ensenada, at the entrance to Baja wine country. Here, visitors sleep in sleek tent cabins positioned among the vines and can ride mountain bikes between the hulking hulls of landlocked fishing boats positioned throughout the expansive campus.

Wild card: Visit the nearby Baja Studios to pay homage to Leo and Kate at the compound’s Titanic museum. Re-enact key scenes and, if the spirit compels you, perform an impromptu Celine Dion song or two.

http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/this-seaside-baja-town-is-wilder-than-star-wars-cantina-7130817

BajaBlanca - 7-14-2016 at 06:32 AM

Can't say I have ever been to Popotla. I wonder what the name means?

anyone been there and eaten ?

pacificobob - 7-14-2016 at 06:33 AM

what a load of s**t

mtgoat666 - 7-14-2016 at 06:47 AM

The article is whacky, glamorizes a gritty fish camp.
I think the author is encouraging tourists to park there so he/she can rob their cars. Car breakins seems to be the local sport in town.

bajaguy - 7-14-2016 at 06:49 AM

A car cannot be "robbed" although it can be burglarized

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

The article is whacky, glamorizes a gritty fish camp.
I think the author is encouraging tourists to park there so he/she can rob their cars. Car breakins seems to be the local sport in town.

mtgoat666 - 7-14-2016 at 06:56 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy

A car cannot be "robbed" although it can be burglarized

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

The article is whacky, glamorizes a gritty fish camp.
I think the author is encouraging tourists to park there so he/she can rob their cars. Car breakins seems to be the local sport in town.

I disagree.

DENNIS - 7-14-2016 at 07:03 AM

Popotla means, "Midnite Cruiseport," where pangas are loaded with migrants waiting for dark to cross north and become illegal aliens.

David K - 7-14-2016 at 07:05 AM

Thanks for sharing that article here, Ted!

SFandH - 7-14-2016 at 07:22 AM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca

Can't say I have ever been to Popotla. I wonder what the name means?

anyone been there and eaten ?

I was there with a few friends last year. Funky old style baja. You can drive onto the beach where there are many pangas and sea side fish markets / restaurants. The place draws large crowds on summer weekends. We had a good time. It's a fun place. Lots of people, families enjoying the beach, surf, and food.

bajaguy - 7-14-2016 at 07:26 AM

Disagree all you want

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy

A car cannot be "robbed" although it can be burglarized

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

The article is whacky, glamorizes a gritty fish camp.
I think the author is encouraging tourists to park there so he/she can rob their cars. Car breakins seems to be the local sport in town.

I disagree.

SFandH - 7-14-2016 at 07:30 AM

google images of popotla:

https://www.google.com.mx/search?safe=off&hl=en&site...

Hook - 7-14-2016 at 07:39 AM

I remember going there a few times. I liked it. The author is using a few flowery words to describe it but I think the description is accurate. It's a cool place.

And I wouldn't be surprised if there are many car break-ins, too.

The Popotla area was one of the original developments of seaside trailers/cottages for gringos to escape, on weekends, the rat race NOB. I think I first went there and visited people in their trailer in the late '60s.

Yeah, once upon a time, the area between TJ and Ensenada was actually a sleepy burg.........

woody with a view - 7-14-2016 at 07:48 AM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca

I wonder what the name means?

Popotl is a Nahuatl word. You'd have to ask an Aztec! We used to park next to the "monument to nothing" and walk in back around 1980. Never got broken into but sure got lotsa waves!

willardguy - 7-14-2016 at 08:35 AM

jose the bartender at vince's lived in one of the stone houses up on the road where blvd 2000 comes out told me the name meant some kind of tree, can't remember...
as for the studios, there hasn't been tours in a long time.

[Edited on 7-14-2016 by willardguy]

Barry A. - 7-14-2016 at 11:39 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy

A car cannot be "robbed" although it can be burglarized

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

The article is whacky, glamorizes a gritty fish camp.
I think the author is encouraging tourists to park there so he/she can rob their cars. Car breakins seems to be the local sport in town.

I disagree.

Goat--------Another lesson for you---------I car cannot be "robbed" unless you as a victim are sitting in it at the time. Things like cars and houses are burglarized, but if a victim is present and involved, then the crime is robbery. You cannot "rob" a thing, only a person.

Barry A. - 7-14-2016 at 11:42 AM

I love this story. This is the way much of Baja was back when I first seriously starting going down there in the mid and late '50's.

Great job, MexTed!!!

willardguy - 7-14-2016 at 12:02 PM

Quote: Originally posted by pacificobob

what a load of s**t

do tell bob, which part is a load of s**t? :?:

mtgoat666 - 7-14-2016 at 12:03 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Barry A.

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy

A car cannot be "robbed" although it can be burglarized

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

The article is whacky, glamorizes a gritty fish camp.
I think the author is encouraging tourists to park there so he/she can rob their cars. Car breakins seems to be the local sport in town.

I disagree.

Bank robbers rob things called banks.

Merriam-webster dictionary says rob is "to take money or property from a person or place illegally..."

willardguy - 7-14-2016 at 12:05 PM

the beatles said "she could steal but she could not rob"

who you gonna believe, lennon/mccartney or merrian/webster?

[Edited on 7-14-2016 by willardguy]

AKgringo - 7-14-2016 at 12:21 PM

"Let it be"

mtgoat666 - 7-14-2016 at 12:22 PM

More robbing of things!

Pot robbing
Train robber
Camp robber
Robber baron
Grave robber

Barry A. - 7-14-2016 at 12:32 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Quote: Originally posted by Barry A.

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy

A car cannot be "robbed" although it can be burglarized

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

The article is whacky, glamorizes a gritty fish camp.
I think the author is encouraging tourists to park there so he/she can rob their cars. Car breakins seems to be the local sport in town.

I disagree.

Bank robbers rob things called banks.

Merriam-webster dictionary says rob is "to take money or property from a person or place illegally..."

My Webster's New World Dict. says your definition is close to the "popular definition", but not the "LAW" (legal) definition (as mine is)-----although it is worded differently than you quote. We all know what you meant, so it is moot, I suppose--------tho it is fun to challenge you as you so often do to others.

mtgoat666 - 7-14-2016 at 12:40 PM

More things robbed

Rob the honey

Cradle robber

motoged - 7-14-2016 at 01:45 PM

Robbing the Queen's English..... :lol:

AKgringo - 7-14-2016 at 02:01 PM

Another robbery, robbing a thread of it's topic (see hijack)!

gsbotanico - 7-14-2016 at 05:57 PM

Back to the meaning of Popotla. Curiously it's not in my Diccionario de Aztequismos. It is the prehispanic name of an area in Mexico City. Closest in the dictionary is "popote," which is a hollow reed or cane and the word that is used for a drinking straw in Mexico. The word comes from the Aztec "pópotl," meaning broom because of the plant stems used to make the brooms. Very likely the plants used to make the brooms grew in the area named Popotla.

Probably someone decided to give the name to the fishing village south of Rosarito. I've eaten there a number times and parked on the sand in the cove a number of times too. It's a rustic experience and helpful to know Spanish. It's very crowded on the weekends, mostly Mexicans, with a fiesta atmosphere. The entrance is patrolled, and it's a good idea to tip the guards on the way out because they are there to prevent thievery.

I recommend a sit-down restaurant, such as La Estrella, which is to the right at the top of the ramp that goes down to the beach. The seafood can be very fresh, tasty, and not high priced. Not an upscale dining experience, but it's authentically Mexican. If you know how to order and tell the waiter how you want the seafood cooked, you'll get a good meal. Be warned that you will be hustled by innumerable shills for the restaurants and stands. A lot like Avenida Revolución in the old days.

Bwana_John - 7-15-2016 at 10:38 AM

Robbery de jure involves the use of "force or fear" against a person.

Theft of money from a live bank cashier at a bank would be bank robbery.

Theft of money from a bank that is closed with no one there would be burglary.

Just because a word that has an exact technical meaning is used incorrectly by many uninformed or ignorant people does not make that usage correct.

[Edited on 7-15-2016 by Bwana_John]

mtgoat666 - 7-15-2016 at 07:29 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Bwana_John

Just because a word that has an exact technical meaning is used incorrectly by many uninformed or ignorant people does not make that usage correct.

[Edited on 7-15-2016 by Bwana_John]

Bwaaaaaa!

Language is fluid, not static. Only a closed mind is static.
Definitions in law have little relevance to the language written and spoken by most of us. Sorry, if you cops, retired cops and wanna-be-cops are stuck on getting your language lessons from Joe Friday, then,... well, it don't really matter, eh?

willardguy - 7-15-2016 at 07:40 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Quote: Originally posted by Bwana_John

Just because a word that has an exact technical meaning is used incorrectly by many uninformed or ignorant people does not make that usage correct.

[Edited on 7-15-2016 by Bwana_John]

just the facts, ma'am

Barry A. - 7-15-2016 at 07:44 PM

Quote: Originally posted by willardguy

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Quote: Originally posted by Bwana_John

Just because a word that has an exact technical meaning is used incorrectly by many uninformed or ignorant people does not make that usage correct.

[Edited on 7-15-2016 by Bwana_John]

just the facts, ma'am

Language, and the understanding of words meanings, is crucial to understanding what people actually think, and how they will react. Perhaps this explains why the Goat does not understand much.

Skipjack Joe - 7-16-2016 at 02:23 AM

And don't forget Rob Petrie.

Udo - 7-16-2016 at 09:12 AM

Hopefully we will get back on track of the original thread.

I have to throw in my two centavos on the original thread:

Now that I live in Baja and my eatery options have widened, I decided to make the hour drive to POPOTLA and try their eateries. After all it has been well publicized in nice reviews in the San Diego and Los Angeles Times.

Our first impression was that perhaps this is what Puerto Nuevo used to look like in the inception days. :bounce:

The first thing we noticed is that there were quite a few restaurant hustlers. But we managed to find a decent parking spot and walked down to the beachside eateries a-la-taco-stand. The choices and variety were numerous: clams fixed several ways, oysters, huge crabs, whole fish, choros, and other seafood varieties (none of these came close to the quality of La Guerrerense in Ensenada), but never the less, the food was appetizing and prepared right in front of you.

After visiting a couple of stands, we opted to finishing our meal at one of the restaurants that offer seating on a deck with the waves breaking underneath you.
That was a mistake: Margaritas were weak and made with some sort of mix. We ordered the shrimp and crab combo and a lobster crab combo. Puerto Nuevo this place was not. The lobster was dripping oil. The shrimp was waaay overcooked. The crab was OK, but when we had to use rocks to crack open the legs and body, stuff started squirting all over the place, including our clothes.

Needless to say, we won't be back. But perhaps you will have a different eating experience and just stick with the stands on the beach.

Here are some photos that we took of the place:

Yes, Popotla does have a motel available.

And there was this huge generator that was large enough to run the entire complex. It was running and perhaps it did.

David K - 7-16-2016 at 10:26 AM

Great pics Udo. That arch entry dates back to the 70s and nothing was ever made at the end of it (typical for many projects). Big fancy entrance and no more money to do the actual resort?

SFandH - 7-16-2016 at 05:32 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Udo

Needless to say, we won't be back. But perhaps you will have a different eating experience and just stick with the stands on the beach.

My wife's first comment on the place was "Ugh, looks rat infested". But she says that about many "local" Mexican restaurants. She's probably right.

It is time for re-development US type health inspectors would burn the place down.

Is Popotla Ejido property?

BajaTed - 7-17-2016 at 09:22 AM

The "monument to nowhere" has been there forever and used to sit in an empty field for the longest time. It used to be one of my favorite Baja icons until the Jesus de Cristo statue was bulit.

About $5k for a panga ride to a surf landing somewhere in the US, finance packages available.

Udo - 7-17-2016 at 10:52 AM

I think you are right about the health inspectors, H.
Burn the place down? I think I would and start over! Perhaps. But there are some people making some good bucks smuggling locals into the USA from the beach.

Yes, Popotla is Ejido property from the last I heard.

Quote: Originally posted by SFandH

It is time for re-development US type health inspectors would burn the place down.

Is Popotla Ejido property?

willardguy - 7-17-2016 at 11:08 AM

the fact is this beach is wildly popular with the locals who are happy as clams just the way it is! plenty of other gringo choice's to be had in this corridor

SFandH - 7-17-2016 at 11:25 AM

That's true and if they redeveloped it they would do it in such a way that would price the locals out. But I've read recently in La Frontera about water quality problems in that nice little bay. The waste removal systems, if any, haven't kept up with the population increase. Toilets, grease from the old restaurants, the remnants from fish cleaning, etc., all going into the surf.

There comes a time for clearing out the 50 year old rotted shacks and cleaning up. The place is frozen in time.

A beach side park area with some modest restaurants, good parking, and the maintenance of the panga fleet would be good for locals and tourists alike. But, it's an Ejido.

[Edited on 7-17-2016 by SFandH]

woody with a view - 7-17-2016 at 11:29 AM

the thought of eating a clam, mussel or oyster from the local waters make me want to puke. actually, eating anything local. with the amount of runoff, sewage and other issues of modern society it just ain't for me.

SFandH - 7-17-2016 at 02:27 PM

Here's the TJ newspaper article about the pollution problem in Popotla in case anybody is interested.

http://www.frontera.info/EdicionEnLinea/Notas/Noticias/17052...

Udo - 7-17-2016 at 03:11 PM

LukeWatts - 8-22-2016 at 08:49 PM

Quote: Originally posted by SFandH

I have never once seen a rat, or even evidence of a rat's presence, anywhere in Mexico. And I have been everywhere, though admittedly I haven't spent much time living around the deepwater ports or investigated the grain silos.

Probably a few flies. And a few of the aforementioned highway robbers visiting from up in Rosarito if you got followed.

chuckie - 8-23-2016 at 04:09 AM

Oxnard?

bajabuddha - 8-23-2016 at 04:53 AM

Quote: Originally posted by LukeWatts

Quote: Originally posted by SFandH

NOW DA'S A MOUSE !

toronja - 8-23-2016 at 10:32 AM

Quote: Originally posted by LukeWatts

Quote: Originally posted by SFandH

We were having dinner in a palapa-style open-air restaurant on the east cape when chavycha yelled "Squirrel!" as a critter ran across one of the side beams of the roof. I'm thinking that Baja does not, in fact, have an odd breed of squirrel with a creepy long naked tail. The enchiladas were awesome; I did not ask what went in them.

durrelllrobert - 8-23-2016 at 03:40 PM

Quote: Originally posted by LukeWatts

Quote: Originally posted by SFandH

Guess you probly haven't been to this unidentified bar somewhere in Mexico.
They only come out when the place is closed at night and run for cover as soon as a light is turned on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohXEOpgAh-Y

durrelllrobert - 8-23-2016 at 04:16 PM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaTed

The "monument to nowhere" has been there forever and used to sit in an empty field for the longest time. It used to be one of my favorite Baja icons until the Jesus de Cristo statue was bulit.

About $5k for a panga ride to a surf landing somewhere in the US, finance packages available.

Udo failed to get pic of one of those pangas or cartel guy was standing guard.

[Edited on 8-23-2016 by durrelllrobert]

Here's part of the cartel fleet. Each one seats 20 comfortly for trip north.

[Edited on 8-23-2016 by durrelllrobert]

durrelllrobert - 8-23-2016 at 04:23 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

The article is whacky, glamorizes a gritty fish camp.
I think the author is encouraging tourists to park there so he/she can rob their cars. Car breakins seems to be the local sport in town.

...and the studio is no longer open to tourists.

wessongroup - 8-23-2016 at 09:40 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Hook

Yeah, once upon a time, the area between TJ and Ensenada was actually a sleepy burg.........

Dittos ... that was my time frame for going down ... without my parents

Was really nice back then

This Same Article is Front Page in the Current Baja Times

GypsyJan - 8-25-2016 at 08:51 PM

At least they credited the author, but not the source, the L.A. Weekly. http://www.bajatimes.com/online/2016/8_16-31/pages/01.jpg

About fifteen years ago, we asked a friend of ours, a Rosarito government official, if the Popotla fishing village was a good place to visit.

He shrugged and said, "Yes, if you want to have your car stolen or get a case of Hepatitis C."

We decided to give it a pass.