Best part of Mexico to go to when travelling from LA?

I will be in LA in 2 weeks and would love to cross the border for a night or two in Mexico. I have heard Tiajuana is too 'touristy' and would love to go to another part that is fun but also safe. Is it best to drive (as we will have a rental car) or take the train and walk across the border as an American person has told me to do?

Thanks!

I used to go all the time to Ensenada and Rosarito Beach and think nothing of it. It used to be safe. However, there has been a huge increase in robberies and kidnappings, and it is no longer safe to drive south.

The road to Ensenada is rather depressing, anyway. People burning trash by the side of the road, living in shacks made of tin, drywall, or whatever can be scavenged. It makes it obvious why they want to come here. The name of one town along the way says it all: Salsipuedes, which means "Leave if you can".

Because of crime, corruption, people smuggling, and violent confrontations between drug runners and Mexican authorities, the State Department has issued an advisory that it is not safe for American citizens to visit Mexican cities along the U.S./Mexico border. If you wish to safely visit Mexico you need to fly to cities well into the interior of the country. Rental companies will not allow you to drive a rental car across the international border into Mexico. If a problem occurred (break down, stolen, etc) they would have no way to retrieve the car. As a tourist in Mexican border towns you would be a target if you looked like you had lots of money on you. For your own safety please rethink the idea of going to Mexico.

San Felipe is a nice beach, but you have to cross Mexicali border so it's about 6 hours from L.A.

Please consider that there is a very bloody and indiscriminate drug battle going on in Tijuana right now and it's no place to visit. It's not touristy when it's surrounded by Federal Police, trust me, though it certainly isn't authentic, either. I really urge you to skip that trip and go to mainland Mexico, no matter where you're departing from. Remember you need a passport even for walking across the border.

Do the Mexico trip at another time and fly into a safe nice area.The areas around the border are not so nice.