MEXICO | BAJA CALIFORNIA
Head south from San Diego for authentic Mexican shopping finds
Feeling adventurous? Head for the source. Super shopping awaits a mere 40-minute drive south of the Tijuana/San Diego border.
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Take the Rosarito Beach exit and head south. (First go down main street Boulevard Benito Juarez, then continue on the Carretera Libre Tijuana-Ensenada (free road) for some bodacious bargains. A few of my favorites:
La Mision del Viejo: This small tile-front store features colorful rustic chairs, orange margarita glasses, tin stars and hand-painted sinks. Blvd. Benito Juárez 139; 011-52-661-612-1576.
Acentos de México: Look for the rearing horse out front of this sophisticated emporium filled with candles, pink leather equipale chairs, carved armoires and chartreuse glass balls. Blvd. Benito Juárez 232; 011-52-661-612-0721.
Fausto Polanco Hacienda Collection: Custom rustic Mexican furnishings, wrought-iron chandeliers, colorful napkins and tablecloths and hand-carved doors. Blvd. Benito Juárez 2400; 866-931-0069; faustopolenco.com.mx.
The Metal Corral: An acre of wrought-iron furnishings, guarded by a T-Rex, fills this dusty yard with gates, gazebos, spiral staircases, bull's heads, chaise lounges and row after row of rusty metal cactuses. Km 28.65 Carretera Libre, Ensenada; 011-52-661-613-1894.
Alex Curios: This furniture and accessories gallery features chartreuse and orange gazing balls, pewter dishes and lots of terra- cotta pots. Km 28.5 Carretera Libre, Ensenada; 011-52-661-612-1175.
Ace Tile & Stone: Lion sculptures, fountains, Doric columns, stone balustrades and benches grace Carlos Casillas' tile and stone company. This is where to get Cantera stone, Saltillo tiles and anything else you want made of tile and stone. Km 28.5 Carretera Libre, Ensenada; (619) 661-9210; www.acetilellc.com.
Plaza Santini features a number of artists in a series of modern galleries in the middle of nowhere. Check out painters David Silva (www.silvah.com) and Judith Esparza Hidalgo (011- 52-661-100-8100), as well as glass artist Jorge Luna ([714] 906-8944), www.jorgeluna.com. Km 41 Carretera Libre, Ensenada.
Joanna Jones Galeria y Café. Set in the colorful pink and purple Villa Borja, its three floors are filled with local artists' paintings and photographs, plus great Latin music CDs, Frida Kahlo match books and colorful textiles from around Mexico. When you get tired, have a café and panini in Jones' courtyard café in the Villa Borja. Km 47.6 Carretera Libre, Cantamar; 011-52-661-614-0823.
Stomach Growling? Stop for lunch at La Estancia steak house, Ave. Francisco Villa 316, Col. Obrera, Rosarito; have a drink at the Plaza Santini, Km 41 Carretera; or a coffee at Joanna Jones Galleria y Café.
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