Walk it, and keep the taxi for the wine valley
The cruise terminal sits on Avenida López Mateos itself, with two docks - a smaller pier and a second dock for larger ships. Distances into town are short: the old Riviera del Pacífico cultural centre is about 0.8 miles away, La Guerrerense's seafood cart less than a mile, Hussong's Cantina about 1.2 miles.
Taxis are easy to find and most fares in town come in under $15. Dollars and pesos are both accepted, and the ATMs at the terminal dispense either. For anything as far as La Bufadora or the Valle de Guadalupe, agree the price and the return time before you get in.
Your fare now includes Mexico's cruise tax
Mexico began charging a per-passenger cruise tax on July 1, 2025, at $5. It doubled to $10 on August 1, 2026, and is scheduled to reach $15 on July 1, 2027 and $21 from August 1, 2028. It is charged once per itinerary, however many Mexican ports the ship visits, and the cruise lines fold it into taxes and fees rather than collecting it at the gangway.
On a short Los Angeles or Long Beach round trip, Ensenada is often the only Mexican stop, so this is the port that triggers the charge.
Sources: cruisehive.com, cruisehive.com