Visit La Bufadora

NileGuide Expert Says:

Nature’s own Marine Geyser! This is a phenomenon that should not be missed! T

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NileGuide Expert tip:

Directions: From downtown Ensenada, take Avenida Reforma south (Hwy. 1) to Highway 23 west. It's a long, meandering drive through a semiswamplike area untouched by development; look for grazing animals, bait shops, and fishermen's shacks along the way. La Bufadora is at the end of the road, and once parked ($1 per car in crude dirt lots), you must walk downhill to the viewing platform, at the end of a 540m (1,800 ft.) pathway lined with souvenir stands.

Description:

As far as we know, there are only three such marine geysers in the world and the La Bufadora is the second larges of these! It is located about 22 miles south of Ensenada, although it will take you about 45 minutes to drive there, between traffic and the curving road to the geyser.

This incredible spout of marine water will occur every few minutes and it is dependent on the tide action how high the waters will spout. The geyser is actually created when ocean waves and air are drawn into an underwater cave located in the side of a cliff on the edge of the ocean. This trapped air and water then explode upwards. This interaction creates an upward-shooting spout along with a thunderous noise! The water may shoot as high as 80 feet into the air! The observation point offers incredible (and often wet) views.

There is handicapped access. And, both parking and bathrooms are "fee" areas (minimal). There are restaurants and food stalls located along the entrance road and dozens of souvenir stalls! Some of them offer unique nautical and ocean related treasures. Most are typical Mexican handicrafts shops. Of course, you will also have to face the intrepid vendors who are determined that you do not leave without making a purchase!

Bit of Local Lore: "Local fishermen who ply these waters have a much more lyrical explanation for this roaring blowhole. According to local legend, a mother gray whale and her calf were just beginning their migration from the safety of Baja's San Ignacio lagoon to Alaska. As they rounded Punta Banda, the curious calf squeezed into a sea cave, only to be trapped. The groan that this 70-foot high blowhole makes every time it erupts is the sound of the stranded calf still crying for his mother, and the tremendous spray is his spout."

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