Why you Need to Visit the Popotla Fish Market

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Find yourself in Rosarito on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico? A delicately beautiful little Mexican town that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. And while there are plenty of reasons to visit the town–my personal favorite attraction was the Popotla fish market.

Rosarito is a taste of authentic Mexico. A classic Baja fishing village seemingly untouched by the tourists just 20 minutes up the road. Perhaps, this has something to do with the lack of signage. Maybe the location is just slightly out of reach for the average pedestrian. Or simply that people just don’t really care to venture off-the-beaten-path.

But here’s how & why you should get to the Poplotla fish market on your next road trip to the Baja Peninsula.

Everything you need to know about the Popotla Fish Market

Getting There

About 15 minutes south down the road from the city center of Rosarito, you’ll come across a very long, very graffitied wall on your right side extending toward the beach. This is the road that leads directly to the market.

Travel Tip: To avoid paying for parking just park on the main road (near the tamale stands) and walk from there.

When you reach the dirt road by the water you’ll find more Tamale carts and some seaside restaurants. Take a left down the embankment & you’ll stumble upon the fish market.

What is the Popotla Fish Market?

An open-air market with plastic tables piled high with King crab, Halibut, Yellow Fin Tuna, and Red Snapper. Fish are gutted and cleaned in front of you while locals haggle prices. Oysters and Clams are shucked and bagged and carted away to restaurants and homes all over Baja.

Small beach shacks were serving up the day’s spoils to patrons seated in plastic chairs lining the beach. The favorite seemed to be ceviche served in a coconut. ( & it was my personal favorite meal of the day)

Aside from a surfer family, we were the only tourists in sight. The boats bringing in their catch were still floating just offshore, and fishers began cleaning their equipment in the waves as the sun began to go down.

Why Go to the Popotla Fish Market?

If you’re looking for off-the-beaten-path destinations in the Baja Peninsula this is the perfect stop for you.

• Tide Pools. Time your visit for the late evening when the tide starts to go out and then walk along the rocky shores and see what you can find!
• World’s largest Pig?? I don’t know if he is always there or if he was destined to be on someone’s dinner table this week but he was impressive, to say the least.
• Enjoy a more authentic Mexico. No cheesy vendors, enjoy dirt cheap prices, tasty Mexican food, and just some good old-fashioned beach fun.
• Stop by Mercado Del Mar across the roadway while you’re at it. You can pick up some cheap tequila or maybe some Havana Club Rum straight from Cuba.

Be sure to check out our budget traveler tips & off-the-beaten-path destinations to add to your bucketlist in the Baja Peninsula of Mexico.

The Best Eats at Popotla Fish Market

• Eat dinner by the water. The little shacks serving up fresh seafood from the market seem to have the freshest food and the best seat in the house.
• Tamale Time! The best tamale I’ve ever eaten was a spicy chicken Verde tamale from the “Originales Tamales de Popotla” cart.
• Dinner with a sunset view. Fresh seafood dinner served overlooking the ocean?? Sign me up. All the restaurants along the road have ocean views.
• Interested in other places to eat while in Rosarito? Check out my full guide.

With the market so easily reachable from Rosarito (even if you don’t have a car), you have no excuse to miss this hidden gem.

Planning Your Baja Peninsula Road Trip

If you don’t live on the West Coast of the United States you’ll probably be looking to rent a car for your Baja California road trip. Feel free to browse budget-friendly options below.

Best way to see Baja Mexico? Van Life.

Okay. I might be biased. But van life has changed the road trip game. It’s made it cheaper. More comfortable. & helped me to travel more off-the-beaten-path. But van life isn’t always as glamorous as it’s made out to be. & if you’re on the fence you should test out van/RV travel before you invest in your own rig.

Our Van Life page is filled with conversion ideas, tips, road trip essentials, and inspiration to get excited to hit the open road.

Need More Ideas For Your Next Trip to the Baja Peninsula?

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