Retire Early Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

Puerto de Ensenada

Baja California, Mexico

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

Ensenada is home to the only deep-water port in the state of Baja California and on the Baja California Peninsula. The port is part of standard international shipping routes including cruise lines which bring in tourists daily. This generates large revenue for the city.

The sign for Puerto de Ensenada

After the Spanish conquered the Mexican mainland early in the 16th century, they began searching westward for a fabled island of gold. In 1532, the conquistador Hernan Cortes dispatched two fleets of ships to look for the fantasy island. When they failed to find it, Cortés lead the search himself and landed north of La Paz (near the southern end of the Baja California peninsula) where he discovered black pearls but no gold.

One of the many cruise ships which dock here daily

In "the olden days", the Saint Denis, a 352-ton cargo and passenger ship, came to this port six times a month making the round trip to and from San Diego. No passports were required at this time for Mexican citizens to enter the United States.

They left Ensenada in the afternoon and arrived in San Diego at four or five in the morning, weather permitting. Then they waited until 6pm for the ”Outpost,” a little house in Point Loma, to open. Busy days of shopping and visiting with friends and relatives followed.

Ensenada's proximity to California also makes it a destination for short cruise ship trips from Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach.

The port authority administers two cargo terminals, which manage maritime connections with 64 ports in 28 countries.

Boats docked in the harbor

As the decade of the 1890s continued, other Mexican ships traveled on a regular basis from Mazatlan to Ensenada, to San Diego, and even to San Francisco and back.

 At this time, fishing enterprises run by Americans and Chinese were busy with the catch of abalone. As in San Diego, these were the beginnings of Ensenada's fishing industry.

This port has commercial and sport fishing boats, pleasure craft and marina areas.

Here you see a few private boats and yachts.

A sport fishing center

Ensenada has been known for sports fishing over 50 years. Each year hundreds of anglers head for Ensenada to go fishing and take advantage of the shorter distances needed to travel by sea to get to the big catch.

Fishing accounts for a large part of the economy. More than 90 species of fish are commercially fished here in Ensenada; the most important fisheries are tuna, shrimp, California spiny lobster, abalone, sea urchin, sardine, mackerel and seaweed.

A large percentage of all catches are exported to East Asia.

Benito Juárez, Miguel Hidalgo and Venustiano Carranza.

On the other side of the port and its malecon, is this plaza with the large bronze heads of famous political figures.

Mexico won its independence from Spain beginning its fight in 1810 and was completed in 1821.

Then, in 1848, a radical change in the history of the two Californias, Alta and Baja California, took place.

Due to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico sold an enormous part of its territory, including California, to the United States for fifteen million Dollars. As a consequence, Baja California became the northernmost frontier of the Mexican Republic.

Fountain lit at night

On the other side of the port and malecon, and lining the city street is this fountain beautifully lit in the evenings.

The sounds of the water splashing at various heights and the changing colors of the lights were fun to watch.

We utilized Uber and Didi driving services quite a bit while we stayed in the city, and we picked one up here at the corner.

A concrete boat in tribute to the fishing industry

Walking around the malecon we noticed this rather rusty and cracked concrete boat. With bronze statues inside the boat, this is a monument to the enormous fishing industry here in Ensenada.

Take a look at the fish market, also known as the Black Market here on this video

Bronze statue of a woman and her son

This statue really spoke to me.

For centuries there have been sailors on the sea and the women and families they loved were left back on shore.

Whether it was true that a sailor "had a woman in every port" is anyone's guess, but this statue shows the concern this woman had for the arrival of her husband.

Peering hopefully into the horizon for a glimpse of a ship, there is anxiety and fear on her face. The child senses this and is also uncomfortable for reasons he probably does not fully understand.

Remember, at best there might have been ship-to-shore telegrams but at that time, most likely there weren't any on a fishing vessel.

How long did she wait? Did she come out daily? What kind of income did she have to raise her family other than her husband's wages? Was she fearing a storm on the horizon? Did her husband ever come home?

Chocolate and white colored yacht from Russia

Ensenada's port accommodates cruise ships, bulk cargo, and container ships. This port also maintains specialized shipyards which we saw as we walked along the malecon.

The above ship is from Russia. We had quite the curiosity about this. What was a Russian ship doing here?

Then we found out that during 1905 to 1910 Christians came here from South Russia. After World War II, most of them moved to California to join wealthier relatives but some remained here on the Baja, intermarrying with the local Mexicans. They lived in Ensenada and in Tijuana, opening museums, cafes and took an interest in the onset of wine tourism.

A customs house report from 1899 shows ships came from countries such as Germany, China, Holland, Spain, France, Italy, India, England, Turkey and United States.

Real estate ad from Los Angeles

Ensenada continued to grow and the onset of Prohibition in the United States transformed the city into a popular tourist destination. Americans and Canadians wanted their entertainment and alcohol and Ensenada's reputation as a resort town was cemented by the 1950's and 1960's.

Since Mexico was a good place to quench their thirst, there was a construction boom and the city rose in international prominence outside of North America.

Mural across from the port

This large mural, just across the street from the port and the Black Market shows famous local women. They contributed to Ensenada's cultural heritage through their art, music, weavings or healing knowledge.

Their names are listed on their visage for all to see and recognize.

Private boats in the harbor

More beautiful private yachts here in this deep water seaport.

Different cruise ships docked here every day

Here you see two Princess Cruise ships docked in the deep water port of Ensenada.

A popular and affordable trip, many ships leave from Los Angeles or San Diego for a long weekend, or a quick getaway to Mexico. We met several people from these cruise lines while we were walking around town.

Often, the drivers of horse-drawn carriages asked us if we wanted to "go back to the ship."

These tourists contribute significantly on many levels to the economy of this city.

Retire Early Lifestyle appeals to a different kind of person – the person who prizes their independence, values their time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly follow the crowd.

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