Baja California Report
ARTICULISTAS DE REVISTAS CLASE PREMIER, ESCALA Y MÉXICO DESCONOCIDO RECORREN BAJA CALIFORNIA
• Como parte de las estrategias para promover Baja California en el creciente mercado nacional destacados escritores recorrieron los cinco municipios del estado
TIJUANA.- Martes 1 de febrero de 2011.- Como parte de las estrategias de Promoción y Relaciones Públicas que lleva a cabo la Secretaría de Turismo del Estado (SECTURE), en coordinación con organismos del sector empresarial, articulistas de tres prestigiadas publicaciones de circulación nacional, como lo son las revistas Clase Premier, Escala y México Desconocido, recorrieron Baja California.
El Secretario de Turismo del Estado, Juan Tintos Funcke, explicó que por instrucciones del Gobernador del Estado, José Guadalupe Osuna Millán, en el sentido de reforzar todas aquellas acciones que tengan como propósito la promoción de los destinos turísticos de la entidad, se han intensificado este tipo de viajes de familiarización trabajando de la mano con organismos del sector turístico tales como comités de turismo, cámaras de restaurantes y asociaciones de hoteles.
En primer término el reconocido articulista de la revista Clase Premier y Escala, Nicolás Triedo, realizó un recorrido en el que visitó los atractivos de Mexicali, como lo son sus museos, sus restaurantes de carnes y comida china, así como su vida nocturna, para luego continuar a San Felipe, puerta de entrada del Mar de Cortés.
Entre otras actividades visitó el Valle de los Gigantes, recorrió en panga la zona para el avistamiento de la vida marina y conocer los sitios predilectos para la pesca deportiva como lo es la Roca Consag, para posteriormente trasladarse hacia el sur de Puertecitos a través de la nueva Carretera del Golfo que construye la Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes (SCT).
El titular de la SECTURE indicó que el propósito fundamental de este trabajo será fortalecer la conectividad aérea de Mexicali a través de los nuevos vuelos instaurados desde la Ciudad de México y Guadalajara, tomando a la capital del Estado como punto de partida a una serie de posibilidades en un estado lleno de contrastes, variados climas, paisajes y atractivos a una distancia relativamente corta.
El mismo escritor se trasladó de San Felipe al municipio de Ensenada, en cuyo trayecto visitó la Cava de Quesos en Real del Castillo y el Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857. Posteriormente realizó un recorrido por el sur de la entidad en el que visitó San Quintín, El Rosario y Bahía de los Ángeles, para finalmente terminar su recorrido en el municipio de Tecate.
Por otro lado, la escritora Jimena Acevedo y el fotógrafo Alfredo Martínez de la revista México Desconocido visitaron en días pasados el Puerto de Ensenada para emprender un recorrido que incluyó la ruta San Quintín, El Rosario y Cataviña, lo anterior como parte de un trabajo que se incluirá en una guía denominada “Los caminos escénicos más espectaculares del país”.
Finalmente el Secretario de Turismo del Estado comentó que Baja California se encuentra posicionado cada día mejor como un destino ideal para el turismo nacional aprovechando los vuelos a los aeropuertos internacionales de Mexicali y Tijuana, la combinación de paisajes, climas, atractivos y servicios con la situación geográfica privilegiada, indicando que por ello se promueve la ampliación del Centro de Convenciones de Mexicali y se construye el Centro Metropolitano de Convenciones de Tijuana con recursos estatales y federales.
Secretaría de Turismo del Estado de Baja California
Subdirección de Comunicación y Relaciones Públicas
Tel. (664) 682-3367 Ext. 121
The Rosarito Beach Hotel To Host First International Mariachi and Folklorico Festival
The 1st Rosarito Beach International Mariachi & Folklorico Festival will be held the weekend of October 1-3, 2010 at the Rosarito Beach Hotel. The event will benefit the local Boys and Girls Club.
Friday evening's opening ceremonies will be held in the rooftop Salon Cielo and will welcome all the attendees from both countries with traditional Mexican hospitality. The two-day festivities to follow will be centered on a Saturday evening concert headlined by the Grammy Award-winning Mariachi Divas in their initial south-of-the-border performance. Maya, Timoteo – El Charro Negro, Olga Flores, Folklorico Ixtlazihuatl, Genesis, and Beto Jimenez Maeda will also be performing. Saturday and Sunday's daytime activities will feature an adjudicated competition between the best young musicians and dancers from the USA and Mexico.
All the net proceeds from the Festival will contribute to the $1 million needed to construct The Boys and Girls Club of Rosarito. Upon completion, the Club will provide a myriad of recreational and educational activities for the area's children. The organization's primary purpose is to give the local youth positive reinforcement while keeping them off of the streets and out of trouble.
The entire community of Rosarito is working in conjunction with The Boy' and Girls Club's President, Rosy Torres, and local author Gil Sperry to make this event successful. Sperry's first book, Mariachi for Gringos, is the inspiration for using this beloved music to create the foundations for a strong bridge between the cultures while securing the futures of their at-risk youngsters.
Individual event tickets start from $10 while an advance all-event package, if purchased before September 1st, is $40. The Mariachi Divas and Friends concert begins at 7:00 PM on Saturday, October 2nd. The daily competitions will begin at 10:00 AM. For more information regarding tickets for this event, please contact Rosy Torres at clubrosarito@hotmail.com .
To reserve rooms at The Rosarito Beach Hotel, contact Gina at reserva@rosaritobeachhotel.com .
To phone The Rosarito Beach Hotel Toll Free from the United States, please call: 1-800-343-8582. For Mexico, please call: 011-52 (661) 612-1111.
The Rosarito Ensenada 50-Mile Fun Bicycle Ride is named an "Official Event" of the 2010 Bicentenario
Bicyclists are getting ready to roll on September 25 at the historic bike ride that attracts thousands of riders from around the world.
"I am honored and thrilled to be part of your nation's Bicentennial celebration," said event promoter Gary Foster of San Diego, attending a press conference in Tijuana with Baja State Secretary of Tourism Oscar Escobedo at which his Rosarito Ensenada Bike Ride was named an official event of Mexico's 2010 celebration. "We have been warmly welcomed by the people of Baja for 31 years, and we look forward to continuing the tradition for many years to come."
Rosarito Beach Mayor Hugo Torres, whose city hosts the event said:"The ride is one of the signature events for Rosarito and this region of Baja. It attracts excellent people and creates a great atmosphere. We are greatly looking forward to it."
The Rosarito-Ensenada ride has been called the Original Party on Wheels. Revelers in costume roll along, tossing candy to children along the course. Beach cruisers strap boom boxes to their handlebars.Parents tow children in bike trailers. And racing teams form pace lines, trying to beat the official record of 1:52:54 set in April of 2007.
In addition to the tourism revenue that is generated for the local Baja California economy, the Rosarito Ensenada Bike Ride also benefits the people of Baja with its 'One Way Ride Program,'" Foster explained. Participants have the opportunity of making a positive difference on the life of less fortunate people, by donating a gently used bicycle at the event." Many riders volunteer to bring a bike for donation to the Start Line or Finish Line Fiesta, and event organizers distribute the bicycles to charity organizations. (For more information, contact event organizers through the website at http://www.rosaritoensenada.com/.)
U.S. citizens can register to ride for a reduced price of only $35 USD (available online through September 22, 2010 at http://www.bettersignup.com/), or they can register on the day of the event at the Rosarito Beach Hotel for $40. Mexican citizens can register in advance for $300 MXN at local Baja bike shops and gyms, or on the day of the event for $350 MXN. The event also offers commemorative t-shirts, cycling jerseys, and a free finishers medal for each rider.
"Transportation packages are available from the United States for anyone who doesn't want to drive," Foster said. "Our tour partner buses riders and their bicycles, and because they return to the United States through the rapid SENTRI lane, our riders enjoy a quick trip back across the border." Round-trip bus rides from San Diego's Balboa Park are available with early online registration for $89 USD. Many hotels offer special rates and are also participating in the Border Fast Pass program which can cut border waits in half, especially on the weekends.
Shuttles are available on the event course from the finish line to the start line before and after the event. So if participants stay in Rosarito Beach, they can take the shuttle back to Rosarito after the event, or if they stay in Ensenada, they can take the shuttle to the start in Rosarito before the ride.
The Finish Line Fiesta is free for participants and spectators, overlooking the Ensenada harbor with panoramic views of the cruise ships at sunset. Live rock-n-roll, jazz and salsa plays into the night while local chefs serve their best. The Finish Line Fiesta is located at Hotel Corona, on Boulevard Lazaro Cárdenas, just south of the giant Mexican flag.
Foster continues to see an increase in event attendance compared to years past. "The media is finally reporting that crime has declined and that Northern Baja has never been as dangerous as other areas like Arizona and Texas," said Foster, who expects 5,000 cyclists next month. "The corridor from Rosarito Beach to Ensenada is safe for tourists, and Baja remains a beautiful and affordable destination for travel with friends and family."