Tijuana is a major border town in the northwest of Mexico, on the oceanfront. . It officially separates about 40 km from the American San Diego, but this is nothing more than a convention: the agglomeration around Tijuana is so sprawling that it almost "pushes" . Actually, the border is the factor that determines almost the whole of life in Tijuana and the city's image: noisy, multinational, disorderly, crowded with people and not to say that it is safe . However, for tourists there is real expanse: if not to meddle in doubtful quarters then you can spend time in Tijuana as much fun as the moral principles allow; and do not spend too much .
How to get to Tijuana
Naturally, the most popular The way to get to the city is to cross the border in the San Isidro area, which can be done by regular bus, on your own car or even on foot. . Tijuana International Airport named after General Abelardo L . Rodriguez is stretched parallel to the border about 10 km from downtown and Accepts flights from all major cities and also Los Angeles, Shanghai, Tokyo, Korea, Vietnam and a number of other megacities . And about 25 km from the border is the American airport of San Diego, where you can come to Tijuana by shuttle express .
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A little history
The city was officially founded in 1889 . with a population of less than 250 people . But this lull continued for a short time: 20 years later, the first gambling houses, the racecourse, the casino began to be built here - and life in Tijuana began to boil . Americans were traveling here to spend money . Mexicans with south - try to move to America; it was not always possible, and losers stayed in the city . The city grew out of these marginal personalities, which affected the level of unrest and crime . To this day, from all the Mexican cities, Tijuana is growing almost the fastest: every year, its population is replenished by about 80 thousand . person .
Tijuana was historically entrenched and ungrateful fame of a different kind . The local drug cartel is the second oldest in the country and almost the main source of cocaine that come true in America . In the 1980s, . the family of Arellano, the founders of the cartel, traded only by smuggling and marijuana . But after a generation and a half the power of the group reached its peak . Some members of the cartel are constantly sitting in American and Mexican prisons, but still remain at large: more than 5,000 people are involved in the grouping. . person . It was the cartel of Arellano that was discussed in the Oscar-winning film From . Soderberga "Traffic" .
Entertainment, excursions and the attractions of Tijuana
Tijuana - the city is really big. Historically, it is divided into several regions, of which the most interesting for tourists will be four. The Centro Zone is the Old Town, where the busiest and most popular street of the city is the Avenida Revolucion. The Rio area is a modern downtown, business district. Playas is a place of concentration of beaches and hills to the east of downtown. And, of course, the Norte Zone is a red light district.
- At least look outside at the tourist center. Its design resembles a huge sandy egg with shell remains.
- Visit bullfight. The stadium for bullfighting is open all summer, and battles take place almost every Sunday. The Arena on Playas de Tijuana, adjacent to the border, is the world's only arena by the sea.
- Visit the historic center of Lazaro Cardenas, which was the central storage and transfer point for liquor smuggling in Al Capone.
- Buy tequila in duty-free (there is cheaper), silver bracelet or suspension (may be fake), vanilla and medicinal herbs of traditional medicine.
- Eat taco and churros. It is not necessary to go for this in an expensive restaurant: tacos are the same almost everywhere, and churros are sold only by hawkers in the streets.
The Centro Zone is a place entirely tourist. Avenida Revolutsion stretches for 8 blocks, and it's 8 blocks of solid shops, bars and restaurants. This street is usually the goal of a one-day visit to Tijuana. Although in addition to the Revolutionary street in the Old Town, there are more refined entertainments: for example, art galleries and even wine tasting with wine tastings. The busy Avenue of the Constitution, which is a quarter west of the Revolutionary one, is filled with night clubs
Fashionable cafes and bars can be found on Brazil Street, which is in the hills in the southern part of the district where they live the richest townspeople. A half a mile from the Revolutionary Street is the Gererro Park, clean and well-groomed, where fun entertaining events often take place on weekends
The Rio Zone is a fashionable place where the middle class of Tijuana settles, the best for shopping . At a view of an American or a European, this area looks as if you did not leave the US . Central Street of the Quarter - the broad and lively Paseo de los Heroes: almost all the intersections on it are decorated in the form of roundabouts, and in the center of each there is a large statue of the hero . Small busts of heroes with not so high status are installed share of the lawn in the center of the boulevard . Other interesting places in the area are Mercado Hidalgo, a large open-air farm market and the popular shopping mall Plaza Plaza, one of the largest shopping malls in the Baya California area . In contrast to the tourist Centro Rio - district for local people: it will be difficult to get by knowing English only .
The fame of the Norte Zone does not subside for decades. It is visited by tourists, the US military from the border and the local ones themselves. It should be noted that, on the one hand, this area is really dangerous - it's not civilized Amsterdam or clean Hamburg. On the other hand, it is paradoxical, but the Tijuana red light district is the safest in the city. The thing is that there is the greatest concentration of policemen here. Still, you should not rely on them: while wandering to the Norte Zone in business or out of curiosity, stay alert all the time.
Book popular Tijuana hotels at the best prices
| Hotel Palacio Azteca from 4,309 rubles @Tijuana Boulevard Cuauhtemoc Sur 213 | Hotel Lucerna Tijuana from 6,464 rubles Tijuana Paseo de los Heroes 10902 | Holiday Inn Tijuana Zona Rio from 3,694 rubles Tijuana Paseo de los Heroes, 18818 Zona Rio |
| Fiesta Inn Tijuana Otay Aeropuerto from 4 617 rubles Tijuana Rampa Aeropuerto 16000, Colonia La Pechuga, Mesa de Otay | Hotel Ticuán from 3 817 rub . Tijuana Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla no. 8190, Col. Zona Centro | City Express Tijuana Rio from 3 755 rubles Tijuana Doctor Atl 10050 Lote 17 y 19 |
| City Express Junior Tijuana Otay from 2 770 rubles Tijuana Boulevard Lazaro Cardenas 16002 | Motel Diaz from 2 401 rubles Tijuana Av. Revolución 375, Zona Centro | Hotel Velario from 2 463 rubles Tijuana Calle Art 123 No. 7924 Zona Norte |
| Hotel Grand Guaycura from 1 232 rubles Tijuana Paseo de Guaycura 18020, Col. Guaycura | Hotel del Principado Tijuana Aeropuerto from 2 340 rub Tijuana Boulevard Cuauhtemoc Norte 405 |
Playas, "Beaches" - not very popular area of Tijuana . Here are the Bullring - the bullring and several restaurants that have seen better days: they are visited for the most part by local . The city is unpopular as a seaside resort: the fact is that most of the time and the whole year the ocean is tightened with hazy haze, which is similar to the weather in San Francisco . @ In search of the best places for swimming or fishing, you can get to Rosarito or Ensenada . This is all the more worth it because in the last You will find at least a few excellent surfing beaches - San Miguel, California Trailer Park, Starks and Tres Emes, as well as the world-famous surfers of the island of Todos Santos . And Rosarito serves the best lobsters in the Bay of California .
It so happened that most tourists go to Tijuana to get drunk, dance, buy drugs or go for a walk in Zone Norte . At the same time, the authorities are trying their best to somehow correct the image of the city . So, in 1982 . was opened the cultural center of Tijuana with lecture halls, exhibition hall, museum K Lifornia, Planetarium and home ground of the Bay of California Orchestra, as well as the center of the Spanish-American guitar . The Tijuana Country Club occupies an impressive skyscraper and boasts a number of eminent members and the famous golf course . There are in Tijuana and a large "Rotary club" . In addition, the museum has a wax museum and a museum of traditional trompo - that is, yo-yo .
Those who do not have the desire to spend time indoors, can limit themselves to sightseeing in the open air. This, for example, is the magnificent Baroque Palacio Hai Alai, which was built in 1926 and completed in 21 years. Or the minaret is part of the old casino "Agua Caliente", which was destroyed in the 1940s. (if you're lucky, you can climb a minaret for the sake of city views). Or sculptures on Avenida Revoluño, stylized as objects of pre-Columbian art.