The Ensenada-San Diego ferry has now sat idle for more than eight months. The vessel arrived in Baja California on July 25, 2025, but the service has never carried a single passenger. As of March 2026, Azteca Ferries still lacks the US federal and California state permits required to operate, and no firm launch date has been announced.
The project has missed every target date since it was first announced. Officials initially said the Ensenada-San Diego ferry would launch in early 2025. That slipped to March, then April to coincide with the Tianguis Turístico trade show, then “by end of year.” Each delay has been followed by silence on the next timeline.
The Port of San Diego told Border Report that the ferry will not be allowed to operate until it receives both federal and state approvals, and that “additional investigations and approvals from several state agencies” remain before even test sailings can begin. Mechanical issues with the vessel have also contributed to delays.
The roll-on/roll-off ferry can carry up to 330 passengers and vehicles. The 111-kilometer (69-mile) trip between San Diego and Ensenada would take roughly 2 to 2.5 hours, offering an alternative to the often-congested drive through the San Ysidro border crossing. Baja California officials have been refurbishing docking infrastructure in Ensenada to meet the ferry company’s specifications.
Kurt Honold Morales, head of Baja California’s Department of Economy and Innovation, has championed the project as a boost for tourism and cross-border commerce. But Azteca Ferries controls the timeline, and the company has not publicly addressed the current status or projected a new launch window. For now, the ferry sits in port and the wait continues.