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Estero Beach/Rosarito Beach
Mexican International
Volleyball Tournament
Estero Beach –
now in Rosarito – isa beach party gone out of control.
• 2008 Estero
Beach, June 27-29
New location. Rosarito Beach
On the party landscape, painted not with
the stroke of a brush but with the flow of a tequila shot, is an event
that is simply "set" up to succeed.
It combines beach with bar, bikinis with board shorts and sport with
the sporting activity of romancing.
It's the annual Mexico International Volleyball Tournament. Once simply
known as "Estero Beach" because that sleepy little spot of
Mexican sand hosted the original tournament for years, it is now held
in the more lively and commercial friendly Baja
border town of Rosarito.
 Hundreds
of party goers converge for two days and nights of non-stop socializing.
They emerge better for having been there. Only about half of the people
actually play in the tournament. The others, well, party. And how! This
is living proof that Sex on the Beach is not just a drink, but also
a social activity.
By all accounts, the Rosarito location is far superior to Estero. There's
a kickass bar right by the courts, other bars (and restaurants) are
in sandals-friendly proximity and accommodations are plentiful and in
town. (This solves a major logistical problem inherent to Estero.)
The crowd is primarily well-tanned (and well tanked as the pictures
so clearly demonstrate) mid-20s to late 30s whose normal weekends consist
pretty much of the same activities in beach towns all along the Southern
California coast – Pacific Beach, Del Mar, Newport Beach, Huntington
Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Santa Monica. Most are single
with a fairly even mix of gals to guys and, as one might expect when
the forces of singles and alcohol collide on a road trip, sexual encounters
are their major attraction.
'A
Third World Version of Vegas'
The Wild
Party Scene
It all starts at the beach, with courts
lined neatly in rows along the sand. And it picks up the pace at the
host bar, which happens to be just a few staggered steps away. Papa's
and Beer is Rosarita's answer to Skandianavian
Bar in Mykonos, Sunday at Duke's
in Waikiki, the Roxy
in Vancouver. In other words, the place to start, stay and
finish.
 A
large outdoor bar right at the beach in the heart of the small town,
it has bands, a pool, a VIP area, sand for a floor and hundreds of crazy
volleyball weekenders partying like, well, like they are at this tournament
in Mexico.
But unlike some high-priced entertainment venues in other parts of
the world built around this very setup, it's comparatively cheap.
Drinks are in the $4-6 (USD) range. It's $15 for a volleyball tournament
wristband and that includes access to everything.
In the words of party kingpin and PubClub contributor Dave Munoz,
it's "a third world version of Vegas."
The bar is open at 11 a.m., and doesn't close until 3 in the morning.
Yet Papa's & Beers is hardly the only party place in town. There's
10 bars in the area, among them Rock 'n Roll Taco, Senior Frogs
and Igby's, all of which offer incredible drink specials.
For example, Igby's has $15 for all drinks all day.
Spring break flashbacks!!!
As the James Taylor song Mexico so accurately describes: "After
a while the Americanos have the sleepy eyes, the body's still shaking
like a live wire."
The
Volleyball Tournament
Or, Just
Call it the Excuse for the Party
Play and party play
– the beach environment just invites frolicking fun.
More than 600 people play in the tournament
in men's and women's divisions and an equal number of people come just
for the party. This is beach volleyball, two people per team. The qualify
ranges from mediocre to excellent. Several top-notch players actually
do come here to win and Sunday, big crowds gather to watch the semifinals
and finals.
Yet there's a catch to volleyball success. Those who are unfortunate
enough to win their first few matches suddenly realize that if they
advance to Sunday's final rounds, they must wake up early the next day.
Since this would likely lead to packing it in at a reasonable hour on
Saturday night, they begin tanking their matches.
Now THAT'S a proper party attitude.
•
Official
Event Website
Arrival
and Accommodations
Just the
Facts
The new location in Rosarito makes accommodations
less of an issue than when it was in Estero. There are several choices
in Rosartio – but for those who budget more for beer than rooms
don't expect first-class bedding.
Driving in Mexico requires Mexican insurance ($30USD), which can be
purchased at San Ysidro, the last United States exit off Interstate.
See the insurance link on this page provide information. It is also
advisable to fill up on gas here; some stations also sell insurance.
It is not necessary to have Mexican pesos; good 'ol US greenbacks are
welcome everywhere. Most hotels and bars accept credit cards.
Then again, just take the party
bus to the Rosarito. Leave the driving to someone else.
The drinking, though, it up to you.
For those coming in from parts other than Southern California, here's
some info on Rosarito: It's located about an hour south of the border
in Baja, California. The nearest International airport is in San Diego.
Party
Photos, 2007 Estero Beach
You Should
Have Been There!
From the bars to
the beach, the party is everywhere.
Just how drunk WERE
you!?
This will be a Two
for Tuesday on the PubClub.com
Home Page.
The
Ghost(s) from Estero Past
What it was Like Before Rosarito
This group "pooled"
its resources to maximize its beach party experience.
There is something to be said for the
original site in Estero. A sleepy town 51 weeks a year it came alive
for the volleyball tournament. A campground provided the ideal spot
to stay; it was a short walk to the beach, the outdoor dance deck and
nighttime party, and the lone resort's restaurant and bar. And jacuzzi.
But hey, that's all history now. For nostalgia's sake, we're hanging
onto a few photos. We call it the Ghost(s) of Estero past.
 Next
stop on the Party Bus: PubCluPb.com
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