Santa Barbara or Ensanada?

Question

My husband and I are trying to plan a week vacation in December and are trying to decide b/w Santa Barbara, CA and Ensanada, Mexico. I will be 7 months pregnant... any thoughts on which one is prettier, more enjoyable, safer, etc, etc? Thanks.

Answer 1

Santa Barbara! Stay out of Mexico, it's not safe there. Seven months pregnant... I wouldn't want to be in Mexico at all but certainly not that far along in a pregnancy.  

Answer 2

Santa Barbara is actually pretty boring but since you're pregnant, Santa Barbara will be a safer place for you than Ensenada.

Answer 3

Definitely Santa Barbara.  

Answer 4

Santa Barbara - especially because you are pregnant. Now is not the time to get any bacteria in your system. Besides - Santa Barbara is beautiful.

As the other answerer said, crime in Mexico is very real these days - I would wait until it settles down. Not the time to visit in your condition.

Answer 5

A week in Santa Barbara from out of town is a long time..especially when you can't party.........more like a place for a long weekend. Baja  is not really a safe place right now.

Answer 6

I've visited both places and Santa Barbara is the better place.  There's really not a whole lot to see and do in Ensanada.  There's plenty to do in and around Santa Barbara.  If you're flying into L.A., the drive up PCH is spectacular.  Many scenic lookouts where you can stop, enjoy, and take pics.  Old Mission Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara Zoo, Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens are just a few attractions worth seeing.  Also you can take a cruise to the Channel Islands which is nice.  That usually takes a full day.  There's also sailing and whale watching.  Have fun!

Answer 7

I'm guessing you haven't actually been to Ensenada.

There are a number of reasons to pick Santa Barbara, if only by default. If you take the cruise to Ensenada, you don't see all the cardboard houses by the road, piles of trash, and trash being burned. Second, the area from TJ to Ensenada used to be safe. Now, however, Americans (and wealthy Mexicans) are being kidnapped for ransom. In fact, on local businessman's son was kidnapped. The man paid the ransom, but the boy was killed anyway. I used to go to this area of Mexico, but no more until the crime problem is better.

Santa Barbara is very beautiful, has wonderful mission architecture, a lovely clean beach, and you don't have to worry about being kidnapped and/or killed.