Popotla is a real gem in Baja, that I feel people tend to look over. You mostly hear of people taking trips to Rosarito, Puerto Nuevo, and Ensenada. Popotla is a little fishing village that will take you only about 20 minutes to walk its entirety. There aren't any paved roads, and parking isn't the easiest of tasks, especially on a beautiful day like we had. It's located about 10 minutes past the Rosarito Beach hotel, and just past the Fox Studios Baja. We parked along the dirt road leading up to all of the restaurants, and I would recommend that before trying to actually drive down towards the restaurants.

As you approach the restaurants you will have each vendor from a separate restaurant telling you their menu, and what they offer as "courtesy of the house" specials. After looking over all of the choices, we decided to have some lunch at Mariscos La Tia.

The day was absolutely gorgeous, so we decided to dine on their outdoor deck. It was such a lovely experience enjoying lunch while overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I know that I'm from California, but the view never gets old. We were presented with some fresh tortilla chips, their house made salsa roja, as well as a small plate of ceviche. The chips were so light, and I added the salsa to everything I ate. The perfect refreshing drink for this setting was the Micheladas with Clamato that we ordered.

I ordered the Fish Tacos. I don't know if it's been the warm weather or what, but I have had a mean craving for some good fish tacos for weeks now. These fish tacos more than satisfied my craving! Three house made flour tortillas filled with crispy battered fish, chopped lettuce and tomatoes, then drizzled with crema. My mouth is seriously watering just thinking about them. I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to finish all three, but somehow I completely managed to. Ahem!

Our friend ordered the Shrimp which was wrapped in bacon. How can you go wrong with bacon? The shrimps were cooked perfectly, and the added salty and smoky bite was just delicious. His dish also came with fresh flour tortillas as well as rice and beans. I am a sucker for homemade rice and beans, and these were nothing short of delightful.

My husband ordered the Pescado Zarandeado. They do give you a warning that it will take about 20 minutes longer than the rest of the food, but we had enough food and beer to keep us satisfied. What a gorgeous dish! The fresh fish is butterflied, and rubbed with Achiote, and then placed over a wood fired grill. There was also a touch of citrus and chiles added over the grilled fish. If I hadn't been so consumed by my tacos, I am pretty sure that I could have helped Antonio eat the whole thing, but he seemed to do just fine on his own.

Fresh flour tortillas

After we finished our lunch we headed down towards the beach to check out the recent catches, and mostly people watch. Visiting Popotla is something you should definitely put on your to do list. The food, the smell of the fresh salty air, and the views are really something special.