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MexicoTed
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This Seaside Baja Town Is Wilder Than Star Wars’ Cantina
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But with its newfound popularity, Baja also has lost many of its traditional haunts, which have been replaced by gastronomically adventurous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
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BajaBlanca
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Can't say I have ever been to Popotla. I wonder what the name means?
anyone been there and eaten ?
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pacificobob
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what a load of s**t
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mtgoat666
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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.
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bajaguy
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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.
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mtgoat666
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| 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.
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I disagree.
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DENNIS
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Popotla means, "Midnite Cruiseport," where pangas are loaded with migrants waiting for dark to cross north and become illegal aliens.
"YOU CAN'T LITTER ALUMINUM"
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David K
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Thanks for sharing that article here, Ted!
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SFandH
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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.
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bajaguy
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Disagree all you want
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SFandH
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google images of popotla:
https://www.google.com.mx/search?safe=off&hl=en&site...
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Hook
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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.........
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woody with a view
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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!
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willardguy
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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]
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Barry A.
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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.
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Barry A.
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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!!!
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willardguy
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do tell bob, which part is a load of s**t?
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mtgoat666
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| Quote: Originally posted by Barry A. |
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.
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Bank robbers rob things called banks.
Merriam-webster dictionary says rob is "to take money or property from a person or place illegally..."
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willardguy
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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]
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AKgringo
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"Let it be"
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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