The kids at Eunime Por Tijuana orphanage are just like other children. Their deep belly laughs, sweaty games of street soccer, and ambitions and dreams for the future are the same. However, one difference sets them apart: Most of the kids at Eunime are HIV-positive.

Just a few miles south of the San Diego-Tijuana border crossing and framed by a rainbow fence, Eunime serves as a safe haven, providing orphaned children the necessary medical care and resources to live a life as unaffected by their diagnosis as possible. Founder Juana Ortiz started Eunime 20 years ago in honor of her sisters Eunice and Noemi, who, according to Juana, were among the earliest diagnosed cases of HIV/AIDS in Tijuana. Ortiz now serves as the general director.

“Eunice did not have the opportunity to receive treatment and be in good health,” Ortiz explains in Spanish. “It is in her memory that we do our best to give attention to all children that may need it.”

While Ortiz and I talk, I hold a 22-day-old baby, still unnamed, in my arms. His fate remains unknown, as the bloodwork that will determine his status hasn’t come back yet. His mother is HIV-positive and doesn’t regularly take her medicine. After he was surrendered at a local hospital, the hospital reached out to the National System for Integral Family Development, which contacted Ortiz for placement help. The baby’s eyes, big and brown, catch mine. He gurgles contentedly and falls back asleep, nestled in my chest.

“Do you think Sebastian fits him?” Ortiz coos, pinching his fat tummy.

“I do,” I reply, trying to swallow the growing lump in my throat. Ortiz and I walk to the abandoned lot next door which, thanks to a recent donation, now contains a playset. The children flock around her with their incessant chirps of Juana, Juanita, Ma.

A little boy swings on the new playset, pumping his legs with all his might to achieve the highest possible arc. The other residents race under him, nearly keeled over with laughter, trying to avoid colliding with the pendulum.

Despite support from donations and government assistance, Eunime is increasingly more expensive to run. Ortiz cites the increased minimum wage and decreased government support following the pandemic as financial stressors.

“We are operating with 70 percent of what we need,” she says. A rotating staff of caretakers and volunteers allow for around-the-clock care and supervision. Between looking after newborn babies, doing laundry for 20, helping with homework, and distributing the children’s medicine, there is never a dull moment.

Once, Ortiz tells me, the kids managed to sneak around 20 dogs into the orphanage, moving the pups from room to room trying to avoid her, hoping she wouldn’t hear the pack.

January 19, 2023

PHOTOS: The Growing, UCSD-Backed Migrant Community in TijuanaRELATED ARTICLE

“We have to have some sort of rule in place,” she laughs. “There can’t be more dogs than kids.”

Since 2004, nearly 70 children have called Eunime home. Eight have been adopted; the rest have grown up entirely under Juana’s wing.

“We will never match the attention [a child can get from an adoptive] family,” Ortiz says. “So we feel deeply grateful that God may grant them the opportunity to have a family.”

Ortiz works closely with the kids to create a life plan for when they age out of the orphanage at 18. Residents have gone straight from Eunime into university. Others have joined the workforce or started their own families.

Ortiz motions to a wall of photos in the waiting room. Alongside images of her sisters are records of all her residents’ young lives, from baby pictures to middle school sports team shots to college graduation photos.

“Here, we are a big family,” she says.

The post Eunime Por Tijuana Provides Refuge for Orphaned Children with HIV appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

San Diego artist Lizzie Zelter knows that trick, too. 

A 2022 graduate of Columbia University’s painting MFA program and the founder of new La Jolla gallery Two Rooms, the 27-year-old, New York–born artist has long been fascinated with space. Her immersive paintings offer an accessible but slightly off-kilter experience of the world: real-life rooms and buildings made strange by tweaks in dimension or color.

Wall Plates, a series of works on view at Tijuana’s Sala de Espera gallery through May 4, is something else. “I had this one light switch cover, and I started realizing it worked as a viewfinder,” Zelter recalls. “I would hold it up in my studio and I would see through it. Little sections of the world would come into focus. I started collecting them because I thought they were an interesting object—something we see every day and don’t really think about.”

The collection became the focal point—no pun intended—of her latest work. The solo show (the first of Zelter’s career) depicts 12 oversized wall plates, the nondescript, usually plastic frames that hide electrical wiring. 

“Making paintings based off of objects versus places was an exciting shift for me,” Zelter says. Still, place has its, well, place. The holes in each plate offer glimpses of worlds beyond, some familiar—a chain-link fence, a skeletal tree—and some strange, a smorgasbord of texture and color.

Though they are cartoonishly large in scale, there is something sobering and even frustrating about the way they block you out from the paintings’ inner worlds. It’s a narrowing of scope in the tradition of Georgia O’Keefe, who used animal bones, camera viewfinders, and even a piece of Swiss cheese to tighten her visual perspective.

Work that denies you full access has obvious resonance at Sala de Espera, an abandoned hospital converted to a living space (gallery co-owner Luis Alonso Sánchez dwells there) and art gallery in a border town. 

The wall plates—domestic objects so common they usually disappear—become portals to places you can neither visit nor fully witness. Only one work, Uproot and replant, brings the inner world’s textures to our side of the wall, muddying the sense that the dimension beyond the plate is one entirely separate from our own.

“There is a lot of power or possibility in switching the focus,” Zelter adds. “I hope it has this kind of layered read about the dangers of flattened representations of spaces.”

After all, there’s a problem with my brother’s trick. Reducing the world to a pinprick isn’t really seeing—not when a whole story exists just past it, blurred beyond recognition.

See Wall Plates at Sala de Espera (Avenida de la Televisión, #2681 Col. Juarez, Tijuana, BC, Mexico) through May 4.

The post Artist Lizzie Zelter Makes the Familiar Strange in New Exhibit appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Inspiration for the book struck Groth—an urbanist, educator, and native San Diegan—after she studied architecture in Helsinki, Finland, just one year before the city was announced as the 2012 World Design Capital. When she returned in 2012 for a conference, Groth picked up a portable, photo-oriented guidebook about Helsinki. 

But it wasn’t until years later, when she was back home in San Diego, that she rediscovered the book and really began musing about creating a similar guide for San Diego and Tijuana. 

Passion for representation, public spaces, and community has been a consistent theme since those early days. The accumulation of all the places in the guide was the result of, yes, lots of research, but also the snowball effect that came from Groth reaching out to “friends and friends of friends and neighbors and just saying, ‘Hey, I’m writing this book. What do you think?’” 

Groth embraced the diversity of locations that came from crowdsourcing. She had just one criterion for inclusion: that each place is free and publicly accessible. “I did make a few exceptions for places like the Mingei and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, because I am an architect and both of those projects have recent amazing, architecturally significant renovations,” she notes. “I felt like it was important that those were celebrated.” 

Though your typical guidebook is penned with a visitor’s perspective in mind, Groth hopes to see Places We Love taken up by locals and tourists alike. “I think the goal was not to restrict it, and so not to write it in a way that didn’t feel accessible to everyone,” she says. 

Her desire for an inclusive look at the area also drove her decision to make the guide a binational one. “I don’t know of any other book that shows both [Tijuana and San Diego] together as one, and that is the reality of so many people that live here,” she says. Blurbs describing each place—regardless of what side of the border it’s on—are published in English and Spanish, and Groth drew visual connections between the two cities by ensuring that Tijuana and San Diego were photographed “in the same vein.”

Groth and her team commissioned more than 15 photographers to shoot the book’s locations, resulting in a beautiful array of styles, including both digital and analog snaps. Though Groth allotted creative control to the photographers, she did stress the importance of capturing the relationship between people and space, which is why you’ll see locals and visitors hanging out in almost every photo. 

A 100-or-so-word blurb packed with history and fun facts accompanies the photograph of each location. Groth also uses this space to urge people to visit and care about these places and to emphasize the importance of public spaces. “We need to further invest in these places and understand how they came to be so that we can make more now and in the future,” she says.

She believes that bringing “more [and] better” public spaces to San Diego and Tijuana requires an equal division of work between top-down and bottom-up policies. “The truth is, you have to have both because, if not, you’ll have communities organizing and working very hard without the support of the city or country, and you’ll have public entities putting resources into policies and plans without community support,” she says. “Neither scenario is effective or sustainable.”

Coincidentally, around the same time that Groth was putting final touches on Places We Love, San Diego and Tijuana were jointly named the 2024 World Design Capital. Groth, however, feels that “it’s not that we are a world design capital as much as I think this is a year that we can really galvanize around [that title] to promote things—you know, move the dial.” And that’s exactly what she aims to do with her book: to guide us not just through the San Diego and Tijuana of today, but to the future of public spaces.

Learn more about placeswelovesdtj.com or check out a panel discussion with Groth on May 18 in Liberty Station.

The post New Guidebook Highlights Our Binational Community appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

“My mother’s friend said, ‘If you go to America, […] you have your rights. If you are afraid that someone is following you and your life is in danger, they accept you there,’” he tells me.

Abu Bakr wears round hipster glasses and has an iPhone in his pocket—a device he used to try to get an appointment to request asylum through the CBP One app. Right now, CBP One is virtually the sole means of accessing asylum—a right recognized by both international law and US law—but the app is proving to be a nightmare for both migrants and advocates at the border. 

“[The CBP One app] didn’t work, so we chose this way,” Abubakr says. By “this way,” he means crossing the border without permission, outside of the official ports of entry. 

Migrants like Abu Bakr who cannot figure out the app, wait, or know about it often find the gaps in the primary border wall to go through, then turn themselves in to the Border Patrol. 

“They have no other option if they want to seek asylum,” says Hollie Webb, a supervising attorney at Al Otro Lado (AOL), a nonprofit that helps migrants navigate the asylum system. “Because if they go to a port of entry, which they have a legal right to do, they will almost 99 percent of the time be turned away.”

The AOL team and their clients, alongside another immigration-focused nonprofit called Haitian Bridge Alliance, are currently embroiled in a class-action complaint against California’s Southern District. AOL attorneys argue that, in turning asylum seekers away at ports of entry, the United States is violating international and domestic law. 

The cell phone app CBP One has been around since 2020. In May of 2023, however, the Biden administration made it the only way people could ask for asylum in the United States, just as the controversial, Trump-era Title 42—which allowed speedy deportations of migrants during Covid—was phased out. 

At the time, officials touted the software as the solution for longtime problems with the US immigration system. “[The app] will expand the number of appointments, allow for additional time, [and] prioritize those first registered,” Customs and Border Protection announced in a press release. 

But migrant advocates at the border say the app has proven problematic. “People here in Tijuana are having to wait for three [or] four months or longer to get an appointment,” Webb explains. Before the app and Title 42, people could come to any Port of Entry and ask for asylum then and there, without having to wait. 

And there are other issues: CBP One is only offered in three languages (English, Spanish, and Haitian), and is reportedly riddled with error messages and bugs, crashes often, can only be used in Mexico north of Mexico City, and requires migrants to have an address in the US.

Additionally, Webb sees a clear discrepancy with the treatment of thousands of Ukranian asylum-seekers who arrived in Tijuana in 2022–while Title 42 was still in place– and were processed as they reached the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

“The administration and CBP are always talking about the lack of capacity, and that’s why they can’t process the asylum seekers,” she says. “But we saw the year before last with the Ukrainians that they processed up to 1,000 asylum seekers just at the San Ysidro port of entry. Suddenly, when the asylum seekers aren’t white, there’s a problem with capacity.”

A 10-minute drive from the open-air detention site where I speak to Abukabr, I meet Jehovana de los Ángeles Rangel Serrano. She is sitting on the floor holding her six-month-old baby in front of the Ped West port of entry in San Ysidro, among 60 or so other migrants who were able to get one of the prized appointments and put in their asylum petitions with CBP. “We waited a month-and-a-half in Mexico,” she says. “But that was just lucky.”

Rangel Serrano’s family had to register through the app four times before finally securing an appointment at the border. “We waited in Mexico City, then Monterrey, Saltillo, and Tijuana—everywhere really!” she recalls. 

Her husband and older child are beside her, looking tired but happy. They are Venezuelan, same as many other families in their group. Just past noon, a bus arrives to take them to a shelter, where they will wait—yet again—to board a plane to their final destination. In Rangel Serrano’s case, that’s Philadelphia, where her brother lives. 

Migrants in this group seem satisfied with the existing asylum channels. Webb tells me that most migrants who get an appointment through CBP One feel good about it; that the petition process was shorter than they expected. 

But back at the open-air detention site between the border walls, Abu Bakr sits on a camping chair. He came alone with his mother, but in his group are two other women, one with two small children and another with four, including a baby who is currently sleeping peacefully on her lap. 

“We have been waiting here since 3 a.m.,” he tells me. He explains that his family received death threats after his grandfather, a government official, passed away. “In Tajikistan, I was with my mother when the police came and they put restraints on her. They asked her for money,” he recalls.

Looking at the makeshift camp made of blue tarps and easy-up tents provided by migrant advocates, I ask him if this is what he imagined when he decided to travel to the US. 

“I was ready for everything for the safety of my mother,” he answers.

The post CBP App Wreaks Havoc for Migrants in San Diego and TJ appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

tulengua

Kelsey Bair

Tulengua was a concept. When the cross-border hip-hop group began back in 2016, their ambitions stretched beyond the simple idea of starting a band. They wanted something more. Something without a fixed lineup—a constantly evolving and growing entity, reflecting the culture and collaboration along the dividing line between two nations.

“The idea was that it was going to be more of a collective, people from both sides of the border coming together to make music under one name—producers and rappers,” says tulengua (the group prefers a lowercase t) emcee/vocalist Alan Lilienthal. “It wasn’t super clear what it was going to be, but I knew what I wanted it to feel like. It was around the time that Trump won, and there was all this buildup of energy around the border and immigration, as well as some pretty heavy things that I went through. So it became this vehicle for talking about these things happening on the border.”

In spring 2020 the group had congealed around the lineup of Lilienthal, his co-emcee Amari Jordan and producer Jaime Mora. Their bilingual/bi-national hip-hop solidified on their debut mixtape Baja Funk, offering a showcase for an eclectic sound that bounced from g-funk to soul to crackly boom bap with lyrics in both English and Spanish. The trio had found their groove in an intimate, interpersonal collaboration that grew from their own friendship.

But as the first pandemic lockdown began, live music ground to a halt. Travel between the U.S. and Mexico became more complicated just as this permanent iteration of tulengua built up steam with the release of their second LP LOWKEYBANGERSVILLE. The three musicians—Lilienthal and Jordan based in San Diego, and Mora in Tijuana—weren’t able to get together to tap into the chemistry that drove their unique musical hybrid. At that time Jordan was also pregnant, and played it safe for the sake of her own health.

Though the group thrives on being in the same room and playing off of one another, they made the most of their resources and after some time spent regrouping, began to build songs via files sent back and forth among the three of them. The product of that lockdown creativity, Lowkey Reduced is another creative shift, balancing trap, funk, psychedelia and lo-fi sounds that represent a unique era for the group.

“We like to make music together in the flesh,” Lilienthal says. “Once the border was open and once Amari’s son was a little bit older, it started reviving new music. Lowkey Reduced we put out almost to close a chapter, and now we can move on.”

Tulengua have now written more material and mapped out their next handful of releases, in large part because Lilienthal, Jordan and Mora are able to share the same space and reignite that collaborative spark once again. Operating as a unit, they’re already moving on to the next phase. The pandemic might have slowed their output—just as it did with other artists—but they’ve only grown closer in the process, both as collaborators and comrades.

“At this point of tulengua, I’m super comfortable,” Jordan says. “I know we’re going to go higher, I’m just super happy to be playing with the people that make me the happiest.”

Tulengua perform at Music Box on July 27.

The post Tulengua Reignites Their Eclectic Sound appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

The Glockenspiel in Munich, Germany, where Lufthansa will begin offering direct flights from San Diego

Thanks to new direct seasonal flights and a major terminal renovation in the works, your future travel plans through SAN just got shinier. Plus, read up on the latest openings and happenings in Tijuana. Consider this the highlight reel of local travel news you should know.

On the Ground

San Diego International Airport broke ground on the new Terminal 1 last fall, starting the multiyear $3.4 billion undertaking of giving travelers spruced-up amenities, art, and accessibility.

The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority has commissioned six artists to dream up design-forward outdoor plazas with views of the bay, play areas, and lobbies to modernize and stylize the way you prepare for your flight. But the most important part of the project is its focus on accessibility, including streamlining interior spaces, roadways, and aircraft movement. They’ll be adding 30 gates to the new terminal, a dual-level roadway for arrivals and departures, a parking structure with over 5,000 spaces, pre- and post-security connections to Terminal 2, and a much bigger security checkpoint to cut down on wait times.

The renovation is scheduled to occur in phases through mid-2028, but visitors will see some change starting next year, when the airport authority expects their new administration building will open.

Rendering of the new roadway into Terminal 1 at San Diego International Airport

In the Air

Hallo, Deutschland! Starting this month, Lufthansa is offering direct flights between San Diego and Munich. It’s the first nonstop service ever between the two cities and will begin with flights three times a week (Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays) before expanding to five days a week in May. Bavaria (and beer) awaits!

Allegiant Air has rolled out a number of direct flights across the country for the summer season. From our home turf, you can travel to Phoenix, Arizona; Pasco, Washington; and Eugene and Medford, Oregon; all starting in May. And on Alaska Airlines, you can travel directly to Kalispell, Montana (gateway to Glacier National Park) beginning in June.

Flight schedules are subject to change; check airline websites for the most up-to-date information.

What’s New in Tijuana

The Park at NewCity Medical Plaza

The funky and colorful Banger Rooftop sits atop Fin de California, where you can take in the views of the city’s skyscrapers. On the menu are pasta and pizza to share while you sip zippy cocktails with friends. NewCity Medical Plaza welcomed its very own food hall in late 2020, The Park, which has expanded to more than 10 businesses, including local favorites Lion Fish, Alma Verde, and ice cream shop Tepoznieves. Ziba offers guests a taste of the Mediterranean with hummus, gyros, and seafood in a Greek atmosphere complete with white walls and bright blue doors. At Brunch Club you can grab a photo of the colorful matcha waffles and chow down on avocado toast all day long. And Pangea Café puts a strong emphasis on low-waste consumption with eco-conscious to-go cups (only if you forget your thermos!) and a water system that ensures they’re using only as much as they need to for your drink. Plus, check out the shop’s mural by artist Pigmento. —Roxana Becerril

Hotel Lafayette in Tijuana

The post Here’s the Travel News You Missed Coming Out of San Diego International Airport appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

In October 2019, the Mexican Association of Beer Makers (ACERMEX), an organization similar to the United States’ Brewers Association, estimated the country would surpass 1,000 craft beer companies by the start of 2020, many of whom are based in the state of Baja California. But this persistent rise of beer businesses has been fraught with roadblocks, forcing scrappy entrepreneurs to fight tooth and nail to operate openly.

These obstacles range from a near-complete stranglehold of the market by Anheuser-Busch InBev–owned Grupo Modelo and Heineken-owned Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma to prohibitively expensive import taxes on ingredients. When asked what’s stifling Baja breweries’ growth, Collin Corrigan, a San Diego native and founder of Ensenada’s Cervecería Transpeninsular, just laughs. “Do you have a couple days to listen? I could go on for hours.”

But these challenges have done little to stem the tide of small, independently owned craft breweries opening across Baja California, especially in cities like Tijuana, Mexicali, and Ensenada. Early pioneers like Cervecería Insurgente and Wendlandt Cervecería helped spark the revolution with a hefty dose of influence from San Diego.

“If it wasn’t for our proximity [to San Diego], not only would we not have been exposed to all the beers that marked our career, creatively and technically, but we wouldn’t have access to the fresh and readily available ingredients,” says Ivan Morales, cofounder of Insurgente. “The community of brewers between both cities have done a very good job of working together.”

Arguably, San Diego’s biggest contribution to Baja’s burgeoning beer scene is exposing drinkers to super-hoppy beers like IPAs. Mexico’s best-selling beer has long been Corona from Grupo Modelo, which is also one of the top five most consumed beers in the world. Now, brewers hope these historically flaccid lagers will serve as a gateway to more adventurous brews. Other styles that have fallen out of fashion in the US, like robust porters and amber ales, are prevalent on Baja tap lists.

But as I, a pretty frequent drinker of San Diego craft beer, began to explore the Baja beer scenes in earnest, a few obvious differences unfurled. Quality is sporadic—an issue most brewers openly admit. More than once, a brewer has poured me a not-quite-right splash straight from the tanks with a shrug and a promise that they’ll tweak it the next time. Nothing’s undrinkable, but there’s a lot that wouldn’t fly in the US.

The biggest and more attractive difference is a feeling, a vibe, an excitement—that unspoiled naivete about collectively building something from the ground up and giving the big boys of beer the middle finger at the same time. Experimentation and innovation are encouraged, and while the results don’t always land, it’s intoxicating to witness. Baja brewers are unfettered by expectations (although with a decent amount of awards already earned, that’s sure to change). Still, it must be difficult to define oneself in the shadow of San Diego beer.

Cervecería Transpeninsular

“[Baja beer] is still trying to find its spot,” Corrigan says. “We have not established our own uniqueness.”

Morales is confident that not only will Baja get there, but they’re already there. “I think Baja will continue to be the bastion of craft beer in Mexico because of our openness and confluence of new ideas. Tijuana, in particular, is a sort of melting pot that has always allowed for an influx of different currents; it’s an ever-changing city that does a very good job of adapting to changing contexts.”

As beer quality increases and logistical barriers decrease, it’s likely that more breweries across Baja will open and garner further international recognition in competitions like the World Beer Cup. If the current course of pressure on the government to relax restrictions on independent breweries continues, the number of craft breweries exporting to the US and other countries will probably rise as well. But my one hope for the future of Baja beer isn’t “better” beer or more styles. It’s that they maintain that sense of camaraderie that we’ve somewhat lost under the weight of the crown. In that vein, long may Baja reign.

Baja Beer — Feature

The post Baja Beer Is Crushing It appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Friendship Park — The Accordion Player

Ariana Drehsler

12:22 p.m.

The Accordion Player

Musician José Luis Rodriguez lives in Chula Vista. He’s been playing the accordion for 20 years and occasionally travels to Miami and Los Angeles to perform with his band, José Luis y Los Amos del Norte. He doesn’t go to Tijuana often, but decided to visit today to see what was happening at the park.

Friendship Park — Student Concert

Ariana Drehsler

12:59 p.m.

Student Concert

Middle and high school students of teacher Sarah Koo hold a concert to open a service from Pastor Guillermo Navarrete, of the Methodist Church of Mexico. Today’s performers came all the way from Irvine and Los Angeles. Before Navarrete drives them back to the border crossing, he asks them to describe the experience in one word; their responses include “hopeful,” “moving,” and “inspiring.” (In the background, Isabel and Isidro, a married couple from Veracruz, Mexico, along with some family members, speak to their sons through the fence.)

Friendship Park — Family Reunion

Ariana Drehsler

1:15 p.m.

Family Reunion

Isabel talks with her grandchildren. Her son Juan, a US citizen, brought the kids across the border so they could visit their grandparents face to face. Her and Isidro’s other sons, Isidro Junior and Rodolfo, are undocumented and had to stay behind on the US side, but they’re still risking a visit to the border to see their parents for the first time in 15 years. The family exchanges an emotional goodbye when the US side of the park closes at 2 p.m. As the family leaves, Isabel and Isidro walk back to take one last look.

Friendship Park — Church Alfresco

Ariana Drehsler

1:42 p.m.

Church Alfresco

Pastor Navarrete prays with his congregation. He and Pastor John Fanestil of First United Methodist Church of San Diego hold a tandem, binational service here every Sunday afternoon called The Border Church (though Fanestil is absent today).  Navarrete is from Tamaulipas and moved to Tijuana 45 years ago with his parents and brother. He first attended The Border Church eight years ago, and has been involved ever since. In the future, he hopes they will have more tents, a good sound system, and will continue being a sounding board for migrants facing injustice.

Friendship Park — The Binational Gardener

Ariana Drehsler

2:00 p.m.

The Binational Gardener

Dan Watman grew up in Modesto, California, and is a former Spanish teacher at UC San Diego who now lives in Tijuana. He started the binational garden in 2007. It grows on both sides of the fence, tended by a group he founded, Border Encuentro, whose goal is to build friendships between the two countries. On the Tijuana side, the garden includes vegetables for the needy. Watman says his volunteers usually help, but they needed a break after working two days straight.

Friendship Park — Border Art

Ariana Drehsler

2:40 p.m.

Border Art

Artists and activists from the group Quetzal Migrante, as well as some migrants staying in shelters in Tijuana, help paint a mural on the fence. The group is a collaboration between artists from San Francisco’s East Bay and migrants from Central and South America. Dulce María López (in the flower top) is one of the artists. A Jalisco native with a degree in media studies from UC Berkeley, she says the project is a symbol of empowerment and unity—“Quetzal” is the Nahuatl word for a colorful bird found in Central America, and is an ancient Mayan symbol for liberty.

Friendship Park — The Vendors

Ariana Drehsler

3:59 p.m.

The Vendors

Street vendors set up in front of Friendship Park at Playas de Tijuana, selling ice-cold drinks, snacks, and trinkets.

Friendship Park — Los Estadosunidenses

Ariana Drehsler

Los Estadosunidenses

Beachgoers on the US side at Border Field State Park peer at the international boundary from a secondary barrier that was built in 2009. In San Diego, Friendship Park provides the only access to the border fence, heavily monitored by Border Patrol and open only on weekends from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; sometimes the number of people allowed through the park gate is limited. Meanwhile, there are no such restrictions on the Mexican side.

The post One Sunday in Friendship Park appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

There’s never been a better time to explore our next-door neighbor. It’s now a breeze to hop on a flight out of Tijuana airport, and Mexican airlines have launched many new nonstops, making much of the country more accessible than ever to San Diegans. That’s why we went beyond Baja to cover the country from coast to coast. It’s not a comprehensive guide, but a good jumping-off point to experience the magical parts of the country. Through these pages, take a quick tour of Mexico starting at the jungles and shores on its Caribbean side, then work your way west back home. ¡Vámonos!

Choose Your Destination:

Cancún || Oaxaca City || San Miguel de Allende

Mexico City || Guadalajara || Mazatlán || Puerto Vallarta

Los Cabos || Loreto || Ensenada || Rosarito || Valle de Guadalupe || Tijuana

Yucatán Peninsula

Cancun

There’s more to this Caribbean paradise than clubs filled with spring breakers—if you know where to stay.

Guide to Mexico – Cancún

Why I Went

“Just play it cool, Letchworth,” my wife says as we exit our airport shuttle. “You belong here as much as anyone else.” I immediately fail this test when a bellhop asks if he can take my heavy suitcase, and on instinct I say, “Oh, no thanks! I can manage.” To his credit, he nods and waits until I’m distracted—by the two glasses of Champagne at check-in—to whisk it off anyway. We’re not at the Interstate Frontage Road Super 8 anymore, Toto.

This is just the first taste of a consistent standard of luxurious attendance at Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach (rooms from $347). Kohleun and I pride ourselves on being seasoned travelers, but as our 20s waned, so did our capacity for sleeping on the floor of the Amtrak observation car. On our first trip as a couple, it took only one night sharing a hostel room with six backpackers to realize we could afford to raise our standards a little.

And yet, stepping into our king-size suite, which could hold both my old studio apartments and opens onto a perfect Caribbean horizon, I’m still out of my depth. We’ve gotten the resort’s new premium package, “Ú,” whose amenities are so numerous we keep stumbling across their brochures like a scavenger hunt.

“Complimentary 30-minute WaveRunner ride for two?” I boggle.

“Unlimited access to the Gem Spa!” Kohleun prioritizes.

And just as I tear into the minibar’s unlimited supply of peanut-butter crackers, she waves the room service menu at me and says, “Let’s think bigger.”

It’s easy to imagine how differently this trip might’ve gone back when we were living on barista and adjunct-professor money and still had iron livers. We passed by that scene on our way in: the all-night Señor Frog and Friends party district. Since the drinking age in Mexico is 18, Cancún’s Hotel Zone is notorious for attracting American coeds looking for a spring break they’ll never remember.

But we’re here to give Cancún a second look, from the perspective of someone who can appreciate finer things at a more deliberate pace. And the Grand Fiesta Americana doesn’t disappoint: Its philosophy of service is to anticipate their guests’ every need.

Overhearing us mention wanting to go into town, a lobby rep offers a primer on local public transit. At Le Basilic restaurant, the servers not only place our napkins in our lap but replace them whenever we leave the table. In the “Grand Club” VIP beach section, an attendant bounds up with fresh towels whenever we emerge from the sea. There’s even somebody waiting by the back doors to wash the sand from our feet. Middle-class guilt flaring, it’s all we can do to make it rain with tips.

They must be on top of Quintana Roo’s reported seaweed problem, too, as both the hotel’s private beach and the closest public one are equally pristine. I embark on the Gem Spa’s Ten-Step Hydrotherapy Program with an open mind (and a stomach full of carbs, which step one, The Steam Room, expressly warns against). Kohleun loves step three, The Clay Room. I’m skeptical of step six, The Ice Room (aka “rub a snowball on yourself”), but the uninterrupted device-free time to be present, the hourlong massage add-on, and the concluding nap under a warm blanket turn my biological clock back a year.

Granted, you don’t have to leave the country (or even the county) to vacation like royalty. So what does Cancún have for the over-30 crowd that you can’t see anywhere else? The Mayan cities of Chichen Itza and Tulum are 138 and 84 miles away, respectively, but since we can’t spare a day trip on our brief stay, we get our archaeology fix at the nearby Museo Maya and at El Rey, a village with surviving temple walls, lintels, and colonnades from the sixth century, now home to an iguana kingdom.

Back at the hotel, our dinners on both nights are the pinnacle of the whole experience. La Joya restaurant’s tequila tasting pairs an añejo, a blanco, and a reposado with the proper vessel and chaser to bring out their full character. I’m no food critic, but I can tell you that their traditional Mexican cuisine was delicious and artfully presented—helped in part by the 10-piece mariachi band who had a new song for every table. Curiously, their fanciest venue, Le Basilic, is French. A live grand piano player serenades us through all five courses there, the final gilded punctuation on my nagging delirium of Whose life is this?

But by the time we leave, I’ve come to a different perspective on Five-Diamond travel. This standard of luxury may be routine for some of our fellow guests, but for most of them, a place like this is something they’ve saved up for and looked forward to for a long time. The aspiring Instagram star from Korea, who models three different swimsuits while her new husband gamely fixes the tripod in the sand; the Indian family whose five kids make dinosaur noises in the pool—these guests have learned well that money is best spent on experiences, not things. And it’s plain on their faces that they’ll remember this one for a long time.

Kohleun was right; we do belong here—and so does anyone else. —Dan Letchworth

Southwestern Mexico

Oaxaca City

 Oaxaca’s state capital is not only one of Mexico’s most affordable destinations, its culinary scene and natural wonders are priceless.

Guide to Mexico — Oaxaca City Street

STAY

There’s no shortage of lodging in Oaxaca City. You can spot a colonial building turned boutique hotel on almost every block of this walkable metropolis, but there’s a few stays that reign supreme. Built as a convent in the 1500s, Quinta Real Oaxaca has 91 rooms, a pool, and a courtyard that looks miraculously untouched by time. Within its walls, you’ll find peace and quiet, despite its primo location in the heart of the city. For a boutique option, book one of the six suites at Casa Antonieta. It does draw a younger crowd, thanks to its contemporary decor combined with the Instagrammable Spanish Colonial design that’s been kept intact. And foodies should look no further than Casa Oaxaca. The seven-room hotel’s most renowned for its restaurant of the same name, led by chef Alejandro Ruiz, whom you can book a culinary tour or cooking class with during your stay. If you’re hoping to sleep on the cheap, there’s vacation property rentals aplenty, starting around $30 per night.

EAT

When in Oaxaca, you go to the markets to get up close and personal with the local ingredients. At Mercado 20 de Noviembre, you can find all the regional staples prepared right in front of you—tlayuda (a huge fried tortilla smeared with refried beans and typically topped with chorizo and other veggies), tejate (a frothy chocolate drink made from corn), and tangy chapulines (grasshoppers). But the real draw here is that you can grill your own meats.

To put some pep back in your step, wander into one of the city’s many stylish cafés. Café Brújula has a bookstore attached to it, and Café Nuevo Mundo and Café Café have a menu with vegan and vegetarian options. Go to Expendio Tradición for a lunch or dinner shared-plates experience, and don’t pass up the ceviche (served with nuts and jicama for crunch) or the memela, a fried masa cake smothered with refried beans and sampling of proteins.

For fine-dining, book a reservation at Criollo, a restaurant founded by chef Enrique Olvera (of Pujol fame) that uses only local ingredients. Due to that, they serve only a seven-course prix-fixe menu that changes daily. For another upscale option, book a reservation at Los Danzantes, an open-air restaurant—with an upstairs bar, Selva, to boot. Order the Selva cocktail, which is topped with a piece of Oaxacan cheese that’s meant to be a little appetizer before your real feast.

No matter where you get your fill, there are many mezcalerias in Oaxaca City to enjoy a digestif or nightcap.

Guide to Mexico — Oaxaca City

DO

“Shop till you drop” (hopefully at a mezcaleria) is many visitors’ mentality in Oaxaca City. The town’s brimming with street vendors selling their wares, from clay pottery to colorful clothing. You can find them at Mercado Benito Juarez, neighboring Mercado 20 de Noviembre, and in front of Templo de Santo Domingo during the day. But to put your money right where the makers make, visit Mujeres Artesanas de las Regiones de Oaxaca. The women’s collective sells textiles sewn on site. When you’re ready to give shopping a break, pay a visit to one of the city’s many museums, like Museo de las Culturas, Museo Textil (Oaxaca is known for its textiles), or the Jardín Etnobotánico—but for a real natural wonder, book a tour or drive yourself to Hierve el Agua (photo below). About two hours from the city, this “petrified waterfall” has pools of liquid water on top, where you can take a dip or an incredible pic. There’s also the option to do a one-mile hike to see the awe-inspiring formation from below and the wild air plants along the path.

Lastly, spirit lovers shouldn’t miss the “World Capital of Mezcal,” Santiago Matatlan, about an hour from Oaxaca City and totally unassuming. On the drive out, you’ll spot clouds of smoke across the agave fields (earthen pit roasting gives mezcal its smoky flavor and is the key to agave cooking). Once in the village, make Gracios a Dios your first stop. The mezcaleria recently underwent a modern makeover and also makes its own gin. Many bottle shops dot the main drag, so you can grab more spirits to take home. Salud to that! —Sarah Pfledderer

Central Mexico

San Miguel de Allende

Set at 6,000 feet and about 150 miles outside of Mexico City, this beguiling, Colonial-era town (and UNESCO World Heritage Site) is famous for its stunning architecture and boasts a Pueblo Mágico designation. Here you’ll discover progressive gastronomy, lively rooftop bars, vibrant marketplaces, and galleries galore.

La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel

STAY

Located in the heart of the historic city, the luxurious Rosewood San Miguel de Allende has 67 Spanish hacienda-style guest rooms with terraces or balconies—and a rooftop with unbeatable sunset views of La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, the town’s famed Gaudi-esque neo-Gothic church. A new crop of boutique hotels have transformed several colonial mansions into intimate stays. Hotel Amparo, a five-room hideaway that’s an easy walk from El Jardín (the city center), is bedecked in midcentury furnishings, local art, and a high-end coffee bar to boot. Enjoy small-batch French wines and Creole bites on the roof or sip an Aperol spritz on the terrace surrounded by greenery, fountains, and birdsong. For a touch of the modern, Hotel Matilda sports minimalist deluxe rooms, a rooftop infinity pool, and an exciting collection of contemporary Latin art.

Hotel Amparo

EAT

In the shadows of the towering Parroquia church, Quince draws a crowd for its rooftop DJ scene, mind-bending views, and playful menu. Start with tuna sashimi in jalapeño ponzu sauce from the sushi bar, then follow with lamb barbacoa dumplings or roasted ají pepper pork loin served in a corn husk. Enrique Olvera of Pujol fame fired up the San Miguel dining scene with Moxi at Hotel Matilda back in 2011, and today it’s still a radical palate pleaser with inventive dishes like red mole and pork belly, or tender octopus atop risotto with huitlacoche—a corn fungus delicacy. Chef Marco Cruz puts a contemporary spin on Mexican cuisine at Nomada, offering an insanely affordable yet delish six-course tasting menu on Wednesdays: esquites (toasted corn) with capers, epazote mayo, and black truffles; crème brûlée topped with beet puree; artisanal Mexican beer, wine, and mezcal. Marlin tacos, rooftop beats, and more electrifying late-night views of the city make La Única another must-stop. For a sugar fix, Café San Agustín serves up the city’s best churros and dipping chocolates.

A streetscape in San Miguel de Allende

DO

Stroll the central plaza or post up on a park bench in El Jardín to take in the parade of people and sights, like the traditional walking serenades (callejoneadas), wedding parties who dance through the streets behind giant bride-and-groom papier-mâché puppets called mojigangas, accompanied by mariachis and tequila-laden donkeys festooned in paper flowers. There’s threads by up-and-coming Mexican designers at La Colektiva HojaSanta, handmade ceramics and tableware at Trinitate, bags and boots at Talula de la Lune, shawls, blankets, and ponchos at boho-chic Mixta, and aromatic potions and lotions at La Victoriana.

Meander through Fábrica la Aurora, a former textile factory that now houses galleries, cafés, art studios, and fabrics. Then, eat your way through the sprawling Mercado de Artesanías, where locals sell grilled street corn, tamales, and handmade sweets, along with jewelry, rugs, pottery, and more. Peruse the collection of vintage and handcrafted Mexican toys at Museo la Esquina, or peek inside La Parroquia to see its chandeliers and Baroque architecture. Finally, head to Casa Dragones. Behind the massive wooden doors awaits a stylish tasting room in the former 17th-century stables of the queen’s cavalry—a magical place to sip refined tequila and hear the tale of Mexico’s break from Spain. —Ann Wycoff

Guanajuato

San Miguel’s less touristy neighbor is a former silver mining town that’s now a wonderland of the arts and rich in culture. Here are 7 ways to enjoy it.

1. Check in to Casa del Rector, then take a dip in the infinity pool with a mezcal margarita in hand and drink in the town’s patchwork of color and the mountain views.

2. Discover Don Quixote. Head to the Museo Iconográfico del Quijote and take in the artwork and sculptures of Cervantes’ favorite character. Every fall, the city holds Festival Internacional Cervantino, a celebration of art, literature, theater, film, and dance.

3. Pay homage to Diego Rivera. Explore the famed muralist and painter’s birth house and see some of his earlier work at the Museo Casa de Diego Rivera, and then go café hopping in nearby Plaza de San Fernando.

4. Ride the funicular up to Monumento al Pipila, a colossal statue of a War of Independence hero at one of the best viewpoints in town. Afterward, get lost while wandering back down through the city’s colorful alleyways.

5. Get spooked at El Museo de Las Momias, Guanajuato’s mummy museum next to the old cemetery.

6. Catch a performance at one of the town’s three gorgeous theaters: Cervantes, Juárez, or Principal.

7. Eat sweet corn and jalapeño fritters at Los Campos, enjoy live jazz or flamenco at La Capellina, then cap the evening with a mango chai cone at Estación Gelato.

Central Mexico

Mexico City

This city of 8.8 million people has everything you’d expect from a buzzing metropolis—history, shopping, and five-star food—but a trip to Ciudad de México also promises plenty of nature to make for a balanced urban getaway.

Palacio des Bellas Artes

EAT

Considering its mix of fine dining and thousands of street vendors, booking a trip to Mexico City entails meal planning. Start in the Colonia Roma neighborhood at either of two locations of Panadería Rosetta. Despite its European ethos and flaky croissants, you can also snack on traditional Mexican pastries like conchas and guava danishes. Contramar is a quintessential Mexico City seafood and mezcal experience, where chef-owner Gabriela Cámara turns out octopus aguachile and mouthwatering tuna tostadas with crispy leeks in the hip Condesa neighborhood. Traveling with picky eaters? Mercado Roma food hall is packed with something for everyone, from tacos and empanadas to pizza and burgers. Come dinnertime, there are lots of high-end experiences in the swanky Polanco neighborhood, like the Chef’s Table–featured Pujol, but we love the lower key but still stellar vibe at Quintonil, where Jorge Vallejo (a Pujol protégé) and his wife, Alejandra Flores, have cultivated a sophisticated yet approachable menu of Mexican classics with plenty of vegetarian options that earned the restaurant 11th place on 2018’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants (yes, you need a reservation). No matter how full you are, save room for hot, crispy churros dipped in chocolate, caramel, or condensed milk sauces at Churrería El Moro (multiple locations).

STAY

Mexico City has all the big-name hotels—from Marriott to the new Sofitel—around busy Avenida Paseo de la Reforma, but the city specializes in design-centric options that make for a more unique stay. There’s hip minimalism and a rooftop pool at Hotel Habita in Polanco, the peaceful Chaya B&B housed in a 1920s building near the city center, and the intimate, four-room Nima Local House Hotel (occupying a literal old house) in Roma Norte that includes breakfast with your room rate.

Frida Kahlo Museum

DO

A stroll through the Zócalo, the historic city plaza, offers plenty to see in one shot, including grand churches, the Estela de Luz monument, and the Palacio Nacional. The impressive government building requires a passport for entry and is home to Diego Rivera’s famous History of Mexico mural. (Seeing the work and home of his wife, Frida Kahlo, at her eponymous museum in Coyoacán is also a must, but you’ll need a reservation.) At Castillo de Chapultepec, explore nooks and crannies in the former fortress of Mexican leaders, with preserved rooms, artifacts, paintings, and manicured gardens on a hilltop that offers a bird’s-eye view of the city. And as urban as it may be, Mexico City is surprisingly green. Bosque de Chapultepec, twice the size of New York’s Central Park, has tree-lined paths for walking and running.

Make time to see the Ballet Folklórico at the stunning Palacio des Bellas Artes. The traditional folk dance shows take the stage Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings most times of the year, and you can buy tickets at the box office about an hour before showtime. Find more culture at Mercado Ciudadela, a nearly 60-year-old market of Mexican handicrafts. They do sell some requisite cheesy souvenirs, but there are quality textiles and home decor, too.

Your hotel or a local tour company can book tours to Teotihuacán, a UNESCO World Heritage Site one hour from the city. Here, you can see (and climb) the famed pre-Aztec pyramids built between the first and seventh centuries. Bring a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses—there’s little to no shade. –Archana Ram

Western Mexico

Guadalajara

The capital of Jalisco state, Guadalajara is in many ways also the capital of Mexican culture. Locals have diligently preserved traditions that were born here, from tequila production and mariachi music to charrería, a rodeo-like competition that’s become Mexico’s national sport.

Tlaquepaque

STAY

Originally a private residence in the 1940s, Casa Habita is in the heart of Guadalajara’s hip and walkable Colonia Lafayette neighborhood, where tree-lined streets point you toward cool concept shops and romantic architecture. When it opens next month, the shiny new 11-room Casa Rébora is expected to be an even bigger draw, with its 24/7 restaurant and bar decked out in nothing but pink. Or find a home base in Tlaquepaque—a Pueblo Mágico in the metropolitan area’s southern outskirts, about 30 minutes away—at the richly designed Juana Bautista. The restored 16th-century colonial mansion played a part in Mexico’s independence.

EAT

Find unrivaled people-watching at the city’s oldest cantina, La Fuente, which serves no-frills drinks like tequila shots and ice-chilled beer bottles (there is no fridge) and not much else. By day, snack on street food like verduro gordo (steamed veggies topped with Cotija cheese, mayo, and spicy salsa macha) or the local torito (meat, onions, cilantro, and beans in a flour tortilla, smothered in cheese and baked until bubbly) at roving carts and in market stalls.

For dinnertime, make reservations at Hueso, where the menu changes daily and everyone sits together as compañeros among thousands of chef-collected animal bones that line the whitewashed walls. Last year, one of the owners opened Veneno, an earth-toned, cavelike space perfect for sipping cazuela (a typical Guadalajaran alcoholic punch) and a boozy spin on tejuino, a staple beverage made from fermented corn. When a hankering for late-night nibbles hits, head to Guilty, a bar and restaurant that would feel right at home in North Park—with masterfully made $5 cocktails.

For an elegant afternoon out, join the well-heeled families of Guadalajara at Casa Luna, a whimsical restaurant with live music and toothsome fare tucked inside one of Tlaquepaque’s old mansions.

Palacio de Gobierno

DO

By law, tequila can be made only in certain areas, and almost all of the blue-agave-based spirit comes from Jalisco. On Saturdays, the José Cuervo Express and Tequila Herradura Express trains celebrate this, departing Guadalajara for the drink’s namesake town, taking passengers on indulgent daylong tours of the distillation process from piña to glass.

In Guadalajara, experience unique Mexican culture at Lienzo Charros de Jalisco, where highly regarded, immaculately dressed charros compete on horseback every Sunday, while onlookers cheer, sip tequila, and sing along with mariachis. Known as charrería, the rodeo-like competition honors the country’s animal husbandry traditions and is on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Tour neoclassical architecture and landmarks of political history simultaneously in Centro Histórico, where the controversial, larger-than-life frescos of muralist José Clemente Orozco (a contemporary of Diego Rivera) depict the struggle between indigenous populations and Europeans during the Mexican Revolution. He painted an astounding 57 frescos in just two years at Instituto Cultural Cabañas, a World Heritage Site, but don’t skip the Palacio de Gobierno, a gorgeous 18th-century government building where a masterpiece overlooks the grand staircase.

Wander for hours through Mercado Libertad (locally called “San Juan de Dios”), Latin America’s largest indoor market. No matter what you’re on the hunt for—bruja (witch) herbs, Mexican candies, leather goods, huarache sandals, woven bags, studded saddles, an extra duffel for souvenirs—you’ll find it here while hopelessly (and joyfully) lost in the labyrinth. —Hannah Lott-Schwartz

Pacific Coast

Mazatlán

In this beachfront colonial city in Sinaloa, days spent on tranquil seas and golden sands can be followed up with strolls in the Centro Histórico and nights at the opera. Despite widespread violence in other areas of the state, travelers to this resort city have little to fear—and so much to gain—on its forgotten shores.

The Malecón

Nearly a century has elapsed since Mexico’s first beach resorts sprang up in this Pacific Coast port city, luring Ernest Hemingway. In the interim, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, and Cancún stole the show. Worse, the city’s location in the cartel-violence-plagued state of Sinaloa tarnished its image.

But over the years, vast sums have been invested to restore the Pearl of the Pacific’s luster. The historic district has been exquisitely restored. The 13-mile Malecón, the world’s second longest waterfront walkway, has been revitalized. An impressive new aquarium and central park are under construction. And ever more high-rise hotels pierce the sky.

After a period of diminishing calls, cruise ships have returned, too: 130 docked in Mazatlán last year. Two-thirds of the city’s 3.5 million visitors are Mexicans, so you’ll find yourself rubbing elbows with travelers exploring this intriguing corner of their own country.

EAT

Welcome to the Shrimp Capital of the World. Aguachile and ceviche are the reigning dishes here. Be warned: Sinaloans do not shy from heat. You can get your first taste of aguachile from vendors right on the beach in the Golden Zone. Another local classic is camarones a la diabla, shrimp in a fiery red sauce of tomatoes and pureed guajillo and chile de árbol peppers. Beyond a bounty of mariscos, Sinaloa is famous for chilorio, slow-cooked shredded pork made with citrus, ancho chiles, and apple cider vinegar. Along with Pacífico beer, brewed here since 1900, meals are washed down with ToniCol, a local vanilla-infused cream soda.

Whether for dinner or just drinks, plan an evening at El Presidio Cocina de México. Through a corridor off a side street, enter a 170-year-old mansion transformed into an enchanted courtyard. Dine on modern Mexican dishes like pork shank in banana leaf or duck confit burritos in the shade of towering banyan trees. In the heart of the historic district, Casa 46’s marlin tacos and lobster chimichangas pair fine dining with a seductive view of Plazuela Machado.

Homes lining Calle Angel Flores

STAY

The name of the tourist-friendly Golden Zone came from 49ers headed to California, but it may as well have been inspired by its miles of soft sand. Mazatlán’s resorts tower above the beach here, cutting an impressive skyline. The air is filled with the brassy sound of banda music, serenading beachgoers. It’s a wonderful home base, if touristy and slightly removed from the historic core. Travelers will find deluxe amenities at Golden Zone resorts like the El Cid El Moro Beach Hotel (double rooms from $115) or Pueblo Bonito Mazatlán Beach Resort (double rooms from $175). Many Golden Zone rooms feature kitchenettes to accommodate families. For boutique digs closer to the historic core that still offer ocean views, check out the eight-room Casa Lucila Hotel Boutique at the southern end of the Malecón (rooms from $260).

Glorieta Rodolfo Sanchez Taboada Park

DO

Founded in 1531, Mazatlán is busy port city of a half million residents. To feel it out, flag down a pulmonía—one of the open-air taxi carts that are unique to Mazatlán. Take a ride along the city’s main artery: the impressive Malecón. (There are also bikeshare stations). Connecting the historic district and the resort-studded Golden Zone, it packs in so much of what there is to love: a stunning coastline, endless cafés serving mariscos, and Old World architecture.

At Olas Altas Beach, find a century-old renovated saltwater swimming pool with an eye-catching corkscrew slide. Continue to the Glorieta Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada park, where cliff divers plunge into the sea. A short stroll away, next to the leafy Plaza de la República, stands one of Mexico’s architectural treasures: Mazatlán’s Basilica Cathedral. Begun in 1856 and still the city’s main house of worship, it encompasses Gothic, Moorish, and Baroque styles, and holds a trove of ornate art and stained glass windows. Before dark, locate the super-photogenic jewel-toned homes along Calle Angel Flores.

Dating to the 1830s, the Centro Histórico, or Old Town, is a mélange of French, Italian, and German Neoclassical architecture. Art galleries, boutiques, and cafés pack the cobblestone streets. (At night, the sidewalks are lit by recessed ground lights, lending the quarter a spellbinding glow.) At its center lies the dreamy, tree-lined Plaza Machado. Steps away is the Ángela Peralta Theater, named for a beloved soprano who led a tragic life. The three-level Italian Romantic opera house, built in 1874, fell into disrepair decades ago but has since been impeccably restored. It’s a gorgeous place to take in dance, music, or theater performances.

Plaza Machado

On the beach, keep an eye out for whales and sea turtles, like the protected olive ridleys that lay their eggs on shores to the north. From August to December, tourists can join conservationists to release baby turtles from the Verde-Camacho Turtle Sanctuary. The jungly Isla de Venados sports an irresistible stretch of white sand; it and neighboring Isla de Pájaros lie less than a mile offshore. Both are ecological sanctuaries accessible by sailboat, banana boat, or personal watercraft, for rent on the beach. You can hire a guide to show you around while you keep a lookout for tropical seabirds like the blue-footed booby.

Haul in some marlin and sailfish on deep sea fishing trips, which are popular here in the Billfish Capital of the World (another of Mazatlán’s monikers). Diehard surfers won’t find Cabo-quality waves, but rideable surf turns up year-round, with the best swells in summer. As the name suggests, Olas Altas Beach provides consistent conditions in a picturesque urban setting.

Less of a spring-break hot spot than it was in years past, Mazatlán’s nightlife isn’t of the plastic-yard-glass variety. However, revelers flood the city each February to celebrate Carnaval, the third largest in the hemisphere. –Chase Scheinbaum

3 Side Trips from Mazatlán

1. Tour the Mangroves

Beyond the docks of the shrimp fleet, the harbor tapers into narrow waterways fringed with dark green mangrove trees. Just a few miles from the city, this tidal lagoon is an important nursery for the region’s famed crustaceans. Recognized as critical for many critters, it’s a protected habitat well worth a half-day visit provided by King David Tour Company. You board a tractor outfitted with bench seats, and it delivers you to a stretch of wind-lashed beach that may as well be a deserted island.

2. Cheer On the Venados

Mazatlecos are avid baseball fans. Catch their team, the Venados, at the recently renovated Estadio Teodoro Mariscal.

3. Visit El Verano

The verdant Sierra Madre mountains are home to charming pueblos like El Verano, population 250. Just 45 minutes away, it caters to adventure lovers—with a taste for tequila. Veraneando Adventure arranges tours, including transportation from Mazatlán, that’ll take you zip-lining over gorges choked in cardon cactus, floating the lazy Presidio River, or revving ATVs over rocky trails. Afterward, soak in a hot spring and get a tasting tour of the town’s agave distillery.

Pacific Coast

Puerto Vallarta

If you haven’t been in a while, here’s five reasons to revisit this resort town.

Playa Los Muertos pier in Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta has long been known for its tropical beauty, amazing dining, and fantastic resorts. Now, plush new hotels are popping up in Vallarta proper, putting a new twist on a consistent favorite. The ultra-luxurious adults-only Hotel Mousai debuted recently with a disappearing-edge rooftop pool and an all-inclusive package touting eight different dining options. The Garza Blanca Preserve Resort & Spa features birdwatching and hiking tours spread over 85 acres, and a bevy of multi-bedroom suites that sleep up to eight guests. Trendy restaurants have popped up as well, including La Leche, which sports an all-white interior and is popular for its namesake roasted duck. For a fun and filling outing, try the walking Taco Tour, which hits eight different culinary establishments downtown in a battle of who-makes-it-best. An old standard, the Iguana Restaurant & Tequila Bar set inside Elizabeth Taylor’s former home-turned-hotel, is still out-of-this-world delicious. Plus, this spot offers the most impressive mariachi band you will ever experience live. —Jon Bailey

Punta Mita

Want a more private slice of paradise? Find it one hour north of Puerto Vallarta proper.

While Puerto Vallarta is packed with all-inclusive resorts and has a bustling main strip, Punta Mita on the Riviera Nayarit is the exact opposite. The 1,500-acre point and several of the white-sand beaches on its scalloped edges are privately owned (some big-name investors include Bill Gates), and the region has become a haven for tech executives. If you want privacy and days that sway as slowly as palm fronds in the breeze, this is your place in the sun.

Punta Mita

The Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita and The St. Regis Punta Mita are the main places to hang your (beach) hat, and both are right on Banderas Bay. Every room at the St. Regis comes with butler service and the resort is known for its golf courses, whereas the Four Seasons has a younger vibe with fun bars and trendy restaurants, like Dos Catrinas. The new two-story restaurant overlooks the Pacific and has mezcal tastings and shareable plates like soft-shell crab tacos. Seafood lovers, take note: Every day at 11 a.m., a small boat docks at the beach fronting the resort, where chefs come to purchase the catch of the day.

Fill your days by the infinity pool and watch the resident green iguanas snack on bits of pineapple, take a bike ride through garden trails, or just hang out in a comfy beach cabana. If you prefer to stay active, the Apuane Spa has fitness classes, like a yoga session where the instructor plays the flute during savasana, and an intense suspension training developed by a Navy SEAL. — Marie Tutko

Baja California Sur

Los Cabos

This destination isn’t just for spring breakers anymore. The rocky coastlines and cactus-filled hillsides in “the capes” are morphing into a new Monte Carlo, with hotels that scream luxury, roads traversed by fleets of Escalades, and an airport packed with private jets. But you can still have a low-key stay in either Cabo San Lucas or San Jose del Cabo and experience local culture.

Guide to Mexico — Los Cabos

STAY

The hotels at the southern tip of Baja really are the star—most visitors pick a resort, unplug, and don’t leave the grounds for a few days. Last year alone, 10 new luxury properties were built in both capes, and seven more are debuting soon, including the Park Hyatt, Caesars Palace, and St. Regis.

Perched on a quiet beach in Cabo San Lucas, the Nobu Hotel has a Malibu Farm restaurant, its rooms have onsen (Japanese soaking tubs), and it attracts celebrities during the annual Los Cabos Film Festival. Garza Blanca has an all-inclusive plan for food and drinks, eight pools, and six restaurants. The rebranded Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal is close to the marina and downtown San Lucas.

About 19 miles east in San Jose del Cabo, the grand dame of luxury properties is One&Only Palmilla. Celebrities have been staying here since the ’50s for its private access to Pelican Beach, and today it’s known for obliging service (all guests have access to a butler) and tastings of its exclusive tequila line from Clase Azul.

Viceroy Los Cabos is one of the most visually stunning properties here: Its rooms are surrounded by water and connected by elevated pathways. Montage Los Cabos is right on the best beach in the region, Santa Maria Bay, which has calm waters since it’s protected by cliffs. Book a kayak or stand-up paddleboard excursion on the bay at sunrise, then sip a margarita at the pool’s swim-up bar.

EAT

If you’re a foodie who loves high-end restaurants and celebrity chefs, then this is your town. One&Only’s sushi restaurant, Seared, has Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s name attached to it, and he visits the property a few times a year for special dinners. Montage started a new quarterly culinary series where acclaimed chefs come and cook for guests on the hotel’s sprawling lawn—the most recent included Michelin-starred Jon Yao from Kato in LA. Manta restaurant at The Cape hotel is helmed by chef Enrique Olvera. One of the most sought after tables in the region is Flora Farms, an organic restaurant set on a working farm that’s been here for two decades—reservations book up months in advance. For something edgy, La Revolucion in downtown San Jose del Cabo is a modern eatery that turns into a nightclub after dark. They smoke all their meats in-house—get the tacos kastakan, a cross between chicharrones and carnitas—and if you’re brave, head to the bar and order a shot of sotol (a cousin of mezcal) that’s been preserving a dead rattlesnake in a jar on the counter.

Guide to Mexico — Los Cabos Beach

DO

Carve out time in the afternoon to see the famous limestone arch, or El Arco, at Land’s End, where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean. To get to the rock formation at the end of the peninsula, rent a water taxi from the Cabo San Lucas Marina, or book a tour through your hotel, then stop at Lovers Beach for swimming and lounging on the sand. You can book a whale-watching tour during the winter months, when humpback and gray whales migrate here.

Take a day to explore outside the tourist zones and wander around downtown San Jose del Cabo. Start at Plaza Mijares, the lively town square anchored by San Jose del Cabo Church, first built in the early 1700s. Then head to Calle Alvaro Obregon, a cobblestone artery lined with galleries. Step into Cabokero, and watch as Ricardo Quero elaborately paints cow skulls with a syringe. November through June, there’s an art walk in the neighborhood every Thursday night. —Marie Tutko

Baja California Sur

Loreto

Jacques Cousteau called it one of his favorite places on the planet, and there’s no reason to argue.

Back in the day, this quaint fishing village was home to a few intrepid fishermen, and one or two tiny hotels. Fortunately, today it’s not terribly different—except for the modern conveniences, several luxury resorts, and a bevy of golf courses that rival the best in the world.

Guide to Mexico — Loreto

STAY

If sunny plazas, church bells, and leisurely strolls through cobbled streets is your vibe, book a room at Posada de Las Flores Hotel & Spa downtown. The rosy pink hacienda-style hotel is small and stylish, with a rooftop pool and Colonial furnishings that make it feel like someone’s stately home. Tumble out of bed for strong coffee laced with cinnamon and take in the views of Loreto’s main city plaza and nearby mission. The very first founded by Saint Junípero Serra during his voyage up the California coast, the Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto has been standing guard over the town since 1697.

For a more country-club setting, try the suites at Villa del Palmar Resort 30 minutes south of downtown. Five pools, three restaurants, a spa and enormous rooms serve up postcard-perfect views from every angle. Villa del Palmar boasts the No. 1 golf course in Mexico, TPC Danzante Bay, designed by Rees Jones. The 17th hole is particularly notable—par 3 and 170 yards, but the green sits on top of a rocky plateau that plunges hundreds of feet into the surf below.

EAT

Fresh seafood is the primary focus of every menu in Loreto. Try Los Olivos at La Mision Hotel, where simply prepared and perfectly seasoned fillets come straight from the fishing boats in the marina. Another local specialty is the famous paletas (Mexican ice pops) from La Michoacana near Loreto town plaza. Try several unusual combinations like mango chile lime, guava, and cucumber.

Guide to Mexico — Loreto Kayak

DO

Visitors come to Loreto Bay to enjoy its front-door location on the Sea of Cortez. Board a charter boat easily at the marina, where scuba, snorkel, and fishing enthusiasts will go crazy for the clear, warm waters. It’s one of the richest underwater environments in the world, teeming with some 900 varieties of fish and more than 2,000 marine invertebrates. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Sea of Cortez is also home to more species of whales and dolphins than anywhere else on the planet. Wild Loreto Tours takes visitors on boats to spots up and down the coast and to nearby islands daily. —Jon Bailey

La Paz

The capital of Baja California Sur is a prime destination for unique ocean experiences

La Paz means “peace,” and this serene coastal city provides just that, thanks to its small, navigable size and blue panoramas. But you won’t have the luxury of lazing about, because there are so many bucket-list activities to check off. Situated on the Sea of Cortez, La Paz draws divers from all over the world, as it’s one of the few places where you can swim alongside California sea lions (about an hour’s boat ride away to Isla Espíritu Santo) and majestic, friendly whale sharks (just 15 minutes from shore). Both encounters are quite heady, but the whale sharks will stay with you for life. You can take them through companies like Cortez Club. Depending on the time of year, divers can also see Mobula rays (June to August), hammerheads (September to November), and hundreds of other species. Another must-visit is the pristine beaches of Balandra Bay and, if there’s time for a side trip, driving one hour across the Baja peninsula to explore its little Pueblo Mágico, Todos Santos.

The popular hotel beyond the main strip in La Paz remains the CostaBaja Resort & Spa, but foodies may want to stay right in town at one of the many affordable vacation rental homes. The central zone has a slate of great options for every meal—don’t miss the romantic Sorstis Restaurante, the super-fresh Nim, and, for mezcal tasting, La Miserable.

A trip in the winter means you’ll need a wetsuit, but you will score access to both whale sharks (October to April) and the highly sociable sea lions, which you can pet (September to June). If you fly out of San Diego or even LAX, you’ll make as many as two or three stops over 18 or more hours to get there. But if you fly from Tijuana, you’ll be there in less than two hours. —Erin Meanley Glenny

Who Will Love It

Scuba divers, snorkelers, fishermen, foodies, and families

Eat This

The gourmet hot dog is all the rage, with toppings that go way beyond ketchup and mustard, like bacon, cheese, pico de gallo, and mayo or guac.

Baja California

Ensenada 

Long adored by surfers, fish taco lovers, and cruise ship passengers, this beach town is just within reach of San Diego (and a quicker drive than going north to LA).

Guide to Mexico – Ensenada City

This bustling port is a seafood haven and charming cultural hub. Start at the walkable Mercado Negro—an open-air bazaar of fresh-from-the-boat fish and crustaceans—then head out to sample the catch. People still line up at the seafood cart La Guerrerense for ceviche tostadas, but it’s worth sitting down at the same owner’s Sabina Restaurante for grilled octopus or shrimp tacos. Old school Punta Morro still delivers whitewater views, upscale eats, and damn good bloody marys at Sunday brunch, while the tree-shaded patio of Boules remains a locals’ favorite for leisurely lunches of mushroom risotto or yellowtail sashimi. At the award-winning Wendlandt Cervecería, order up their Super Harry Polanco, an imperial red ale and gold medalist, or head to microbrewery Agua Mala for Mako Pale Ale and teriyaki oysters. For cheap and cheerful street fare, try the tortas al pastor at Trailero, fish tacos at Don Zefe, and shrimp at Tacos Mi Ranchito el Fenix.

Guide to Mexico – Ensenada Beach

After eating all that seafood you may be inspired to catch your own on an adventure with Sergio’s Sportfishing. Or explore the city’s storied past at the Riviera de Ensenada, the glamorous hotel and casino turned cultural center, then sip a margarita at Bar Andaluz, a 1930s jazz haunt and one of the claimed birthplaces of the margarita. For an art fix, check out CEART, home to rotating exhibits, dance workshops, cinema, music, and more. —Ann Wycoff

Baja California

Rosarito

You can be on this shoreline in just 45 minutes by car.

An easy day trip from San Diego, this friendly beach town is just 10 miles south of the border. Bring your board and surf off the pier or go diving near the sunken patrol boat Uribe 121. Rent Jet Skis or paddleboards at Rosarito Ocean Sports, or if you prefer terra firma adventures, they’ll saddle up camels or horses for beach rides.

Once the stomping ground of Old Hollywood, the historic Rosarito Beach Hotel calls for a frothy margarita at its bar, but if you’re spending the night, cliffside Las Rocas has a lovely infinity pool, a decent spa, and memorable chilaquiles for breakfast. Authentic Neapolitan thin-crust pizza can be found at Ollie’s, a quaint Italian eatery with a fully exposed brick oven kitchen. Ready for dessert? The same owners just opened Brown Dog Gelato next door. For freshly made tortillas, juicy steaks, and local wines, grab a table at El Nido. Tequila connoisseurs should pop into the Mercado del Mar, a spot that’s home to more than 500 unique bottles and a noteworthy butchery. If you’re in the mood to gallery hop, standouts include Ugi Gallery and Kota Art Gallery, and La Iguana for handcrafted ironworks by artisan Edgar Orozco. —Ann Wycoff

Baja California

Valle de Guadalupe 

Word’s out on Valle de Guadalupe. Everyone’s singing its praises, from the New York Times to chefs like Rick Bayless. But what’s most exciting about this epicurean scene is that it keeps evolving. Here are the latest things to love about Baja’s wine country.

Casa Misiones

Sushi at Deckman’s En El Mogor

Michelin-starred chef Drew Deckman has long led the culinary charge here, with his namesake restaurant and bustling outdoor kitchen, but now he’s added sushi into the mix. Master sushi chef Toshi Tsutada (ex–Sushi Ota) has joined the team to collaborate on Baja Omakase at Deckman’s en El Mogor, offering guests a chance to enjoy local sustainable seafood in the company of grapevines. A lovely terrace hosts a dozen seats at this alfresco sushi bar, where guests are wowed by a 12-course, prix-fixe omakase menu.

Glamping

While Cuatro Cuatros and its safari-style tents win props for being the area’s original glampground, the trend is now popping up across the valley. You can sleep under the stars in one of ten bubble tents set up next to vineyards at eco-friendly Campera, or hunker down in an Airstream at Valley Nomads. Four luxury tents with lounge decks and cabanas await in a boulder-dotted landscape at Casa Misiones. Maglén Resort has striking modern glamping cubes with outdoor hammocks and fire pits. At pet- and baby-friendly Lumi, choose between cozy cabins with rooftop decks or six simple tents with queen-size beds. It’s owned by a Mexican and Finnish couple, so naturally they have a fabulous sauna.

Casa Misiones

Cocktail Culture at Cuatro Cuatros

The hottest lounge setting at sunset can be found at Bar Bura, but this lofty mountaintop perch just outside the Valle gets booked up quickly, so Cuatro Cuatros cleverly created a new cocktail scene down below at Bar Noa. The bars are built inside beached wooden fishing boats, so you can sip a margarita, sangria, or mojito on the deck, overlooking the property’s circular vineyards.

Epic Eateries

At Lunario, a new greenhouse-style gem at La Lomita Winery, chef Sheyla Alvarado presents a farm-fresh six-to-eight-course tasting menu. You’ll find a rustic vibe, warm service, and made-from-scratch cuisine by chef Alfredo Villanueva at Villa Torel, set hillside on the Bodegas Santo Tomás outpost in the valley. At Brote, rising talent chef Miriam Moreno has built a menu honoring the wines of legendary vintner Victor Torres Alegre of Vinícola Torres Alegre y Familia. Tucked behind the pyramids of Clos de Tres Cantos, Ariete offers a romantic alfresco setting and artistic plates. Lantern lit and set beneath a massive tree canopy, Primitivo may be off the beaten path, but it’s worth the search to experience Chef Carolina’s wood-fired seafood, grilled meats, and fresh greens.

Next-Level Wines

The wine scene continues to evolve. At Bruma, savvy winemaker Lulú Martínez Ojeda is expanding the vineyards and planting certified vines from France (see the restaurant review on page 40). Paolo Paoloni, winemaker and owner of Villa Montefiori, is building a new restaurant on-site, while Monte Xanic welcomes new winemaker José Antonio Calderón from Napa. Vena Cava’s Phil Gregory is adding natural wines including ambers and pét-nats (sparkling wines) to his repertoire. Bodegas Magoni just released a new line of reserve wines—be sure to try their tempranillo. —Ann Wycoff

Baja California

Tijuana

Little itineraries for where to stay, eat, drink, relax, and otherwise act like a local in the city just across the border

Guide to Mexico — Tijuana

Foodies

Where to Stay

Hotel Caesar

This historic hotel first opened its doors in 1930 and is best known for its restaurant’s invention of the Caesar salad, which it prepares tableside today (rooms from $48). It’s located on the famous Avenida Revolución, which in the last several years has been made over with new breweries, chic rooftop bars, and a new rapid public bus line that takes you across the city. Avenida Revolución 1079, Zona Centro

Start Your Day

Alma Verde

It’s a café, juice bar, and deli all rolled into one, using farm-to-table ingredients for classic Mexican dishes such as chilaquiles, with vegan options. Don’t pass up one of the refreshing cold-pressed juices, each aptly named for their purpose (Peace, Energy, Skin Tonic). The rustic decor drives home its feel of your local mom-and-pop shop. Avenida Brasil 8930, Colonia Madero (Cacho)

Afternoon Vibes

El Punto Food Trucks

El Punto is the gastro park that rarely gets mentioned in Tijuana, overshadowed by Telefónica. It stays true to the foodies with no fluff: just 11 different food trucks serving up everything from sopes and flautas to barbecue, Italian, and Chinese food. Paseo del Río 6642, Rio Tijuana 3ra Etapa

When the Sun Goes Down

La Ruta del Vino en Tijuana

This bohemian restaurant has live music and outdoor seating, and is known for its selection of wines and Italian food. It gets busy at night, so make a reservation at 011-52-664-608-1656 if calling from the US. Prolongación Paseo de los Heroes 13990, Alfonso Corona del Rosal

Craft Beer Lovers

Where to Stay

Ibis Tijuana

This modern, pet-friendly hotel averages about $55 per night and is within walking distance of some of the most prominent breweries and taprooms in Tijuana. Bulevar General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada 9170, Zona Río

Start Your Day

Cerveceria Tijuana

This brewery was one of the first to produce craft beer in Tijuana, in 2000. Take a tour of their operations and taste over 12 beers, from pilsners to IPAs. Bulevar Fundadores 2951, Juárez

Afternoon Vibes

Cerveceria Madero

This indoor-outdoor space is half taproom and half tapas eatery, with a menu that includes craft beers from around Mexico and food specials, such as sliders and tortas ahogadas, that’ll cost you 21 pesos, just a little over $1. Avenida Colima 2293, Colonia Madero (Cacho)

When the Sun Goes Down

Plaza Fiesta

This town square in Zona Río is a maze of over 15 breweries, taprooms, gastropubs, and eateries. You’ll find your taste of cervezas artesanales with well-known Tijuana craft beer companies such as Border Psycho, Cervecería Insurgente, and Mamut Brewing Co. Erasmo Castellanos Quinto 9440, Zona Río

Sports Fans

Where to Stay

Grand Hotel Tijuana

These iconic twin towers are on one of the city’s central boulevards, Agua Caliente (rooms from $85). Staying here also gives you access to Tijuana’s country club, next door, with golf, tennis, and an Olympic-size swimming pool, making the hotel ideal for any sports fan. Bulevar Agua Caliente 4558, Aviación

Start Your Day

Club Campestre Tijuana

The Tijuana Country Club first opened in 1927 and was the home of PGA tournaments from the 1930s through the 1950s. Over the years, the 18-hole golf course has grown into a complex with tennis courts, an aquatic center, and a spa. Bulevar Agua Caliente 11311, Aviación

Afternoon Vibes

Hipódromo District

This area of Tijuana, just walking distance from the Grand Hotel and Club Campestre, is home to the Agua Caliente Racetrack for greyhound racing (occurs daily) and the recently renovated Estadio Caliente, where Tijuana’s professional soccer team Club Xolos plays (January–May). Fans can tour the facilities and keep placing their bets even on days when there are no events planned—by gambling at the casino on site. Bulevar Agua Caliente 12027, Hipódromo

When the Sun Goes Down

Auditorio Municipal Fausto Gutierrez Moreno

Tijuana is home to AAA Lucha Libre and The Clash Lucha Libre, a couple of the top wrestling circuits in the world. Unlike the WWE, these matches are best two out of three. Watch the masked characters in their high-flying, action-packed dramas on the first and last Fridays and Saturdays of the month.

Art & Culture Aficionados

Where to Stay

B My Hotel

This hotel is geared toward business travelers, but the artwork of Frida Kahlo and other Mexican artists makes it the perfect place to stay for any art aficionado. Rooms average $40 per night (including a breakfast buffet), and an Uber or taxi ride between here and the border or the Tijuana Cultural Center is just $2. Bulevar General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada Norte Exterior 13, Zona Río

Start Your Day At

CECUT

Inaugurated in 1982, the Centro Cultural Tijuana (CECUT, pronounced “say-KOOT”) is the city’s art and culture headquarters. It hosts various exhibitions throughout the year, plus concerts, conferences, movies, documentaries, workshops, and a 360-degree Imax theater similar to the Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park. Paseo de los Héroes 9350, Zona Río

Afternoon Vibes

Tijuana Milenio III

Better known as “La Mona,” this 55-foot concrete nude statue, which doubles as a home extension, was built in honor of the city’s centennial in 1989. It was sculpted by self-taught architect Armando Muñoz Garcia and originally colored white with a blue ribbon wrapped around her forearm to signify the scarcity of water. She received a colorful makeover by 11 artists from all over the word in 2015 and today stands accessible from a public street near the Tijuana airport. Calle Ensenada 17, Colonia Aeropuerto

When the Sun Goes Down

Teatro las Tablas

This independent theater stages intimate productions, mainly by its resident company, Tijuana Hace Teatro. With a seating capacity of just 35, it offers a unique theater experience that often makes the audience part of the show. Unión 2191, Zonaeste

Wellness Types

Where to Stay

Quartz Hotel & Spa

This hotel, an extension of the NewCity Medical Plaza (a medical tourism complex), offers signature spa treatments, saunas, a fitness center, pool, yoga sessions, calming nature spaces, and guest rooms with terraces and suites. Paseo del Centenario 4210, Zona Río

Start Your Day At

Masaje Milagrosos

This place offers seven types of massage packages. Prices start at $25 for 30 minutes and go up to two hours for $70. Bulevar Salinas 10755, Colonia Aviación

Afternoon Vibes

Susol

Facials, waxing, and tanning services start at 500 pesos, or approximately $27. Susol is known for having the only licensed and certified tanning beds and spray tans in Tijuana. Plaza Sonora 3805, Chapultepec

When the Sun Goes Down

303 Nail Spa

If you’re looking for an inexpensive place to get a manicure or pedicure with the same options and customer service you’d expect in San Diego, this high-end salon’s two locations come recommended. They give you complimentary fruit tea, and you can make reservations through their Facebook page. Bulevar Agua Caliente 8470 and Avenida Negrete 8470, Zona Centro

The post The Guide to Mexico appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

After opening in 2010, the popular Tijuana brewery in Zona Rio quickly became one of the country’s most respected and pioneering craft breweries, helping boost Baja beer in the global beer conversation by racking up awards, accolades, and plenty of attention. But on October 5, 2019, officials from the city and Baja California’s new controlling party, the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), shuttered the tasting room and halted production of the brewhouse, citing a lack of numerous operating permits, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Ivan Morales, co-founder of Insurgente with his brother Damian, disputes this. “We have all the required permits, although they’re accusing us of not having them.”

While initially reluctant to comment publicly, Morales has recently become more outspoken about Insurgente’s plight, seemingly out of desperation as his and his employees’ livelihoods are jeopardized by the extended closure. The brewery is now leveraging social media to rally support from the craft beer community, condemning the new government’s accusations of bribery toward the political party formerly in power to bypass proper permitting procedure.

Insurgente Is Fighting Back

Photo by Beth Demmon

“What’s going on at Insurgente, in my eyes, is what hurts not only Mexico but any country,” says Ryan Brooks, brewmaster at SouthNorte Beer Company, a San Diego-based brewery with a permanent shared tasting room in Tijuana. “The mess of government stepping on people trying to make an honest business, it’s petty government parties not getting along. They are hurting the employees, bartenders and even the beer tourism.” (San Diego Magazine reached out to the Baja Norte Tourism Board, which did not provide a comment.)

So far, support from the craft beer community has been swift. Several breweries in the region, such as Mamut Brewery in Tijuana, have allowed Insurgente to utilize their brewhouses so they can continue production in an attempt to keep the business afloat during the indefinite closure. SouthNorte is brewing a collaboration called #FreeInsurgente to help bring attention to the conflict.

This Thursday, December 19 at 7 p.m., Machete Beer House in National City is hosting an Insurgente “tap attack” with guest bartenders from the brewery in order to show solidarity “with our brothers and sisters of Insurgente as they fight the injustices they are currently facing with the new governor, Jaime Bonilla’s administration,” according to the event page.

“We hope it’s just a minor setback, but does raise questions,” says Joann Cornejo, co-founder of Machete. When asked what she’d say to the governor if she had the chance, she doesn’t hesitate. “If your promise was to combat corruption, why are you targeting small businesses that contribute to the tourism of your state, jobs, and the local economy?”

Morales claims there’s a more personal motive behind Insurgente’s closure. “The real matter is that the new governor’s brother lives directly across the street from the brewery. It seems he doesn’t want a bar in front of his house, and he told us this directly.” He did acknowledge the government is conducting mass sweeps of businesses in non-compliance, but calls their particular situation “a personal matter.”

cerveceria insurgente tijuana

Photo by Beth Demmon

According to the U-T report, the new governor is adamant that Insurgente’s days at their current location are finished. But personal or not, Cornejo is hopeful for a resolution. “The Mexican craft beer scene continues to flourish and great beer is coming out of Baja. It would be a shame if Bonilla continues to attack small beer.”

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thedelightedbite @delightedbite

Insurgente Is Fighting Back

Photo courtesy of Cervecería Insurgente

The post Insurgente Is Fighting Back appeared first on San Diego Magazine.