Tijuana - Mexico
Tijuana, located in Baja California, Mexico, is famous for its exquisite cuisine, museums, beaches, and even some family-friendly activities.
Sharing its long border with San Diego, California, the two cities enjoy a close relationship, and both Americans and Mexicans routinely cross it over to improve trade. As a result, Tijuana has taken on some American characteristics, whereas San Diego has taken on some Mexican flavor.
While you may have a different image of Tijuana in your mind, there are several misconceptions about this beautiful city. Tijuana’s image as depicted by the media and Hollywood can be certainly bleak, but in many ways, this is simply incorrect. Today, Tijuana has one of the fastest-growing economies in Mexico, and hosts the Forbes 500 companies which promises a bright future for the younger generation.
Americans, Canadians, and many international travelers visit Tijuana to save up to 75% on their medical expenses by receiving affordable and high-quality healthcare.
Walking Across the Border to Tijuana :
Our adventure begins by crossing the border on foot at San Ysidro, which was intimidating due to its size and crowded streets. San Ysidro, is the final city on the US side of the border, while Tijuana is located less than a mile from here. The border crossing is officially known as the San Ysidro Port of Entry or as El Chaparral. This is one of the busiest land border crossings in the world. Each year, almost 50 million individuals travel between San Diego and Tijuana, that’s over 100,000 per day. In which around 70,000 travel via automobiles and 20,000 by walk.
People travel from San Diego to Tijuana for a variety of reasons. Thousands cross every day to get to work or school, and many residents cross on occasion to get to a doctor’s or dentist’s appointment, or some travel to get their car serviced, or to go shopping. You’ll need to plan ahead of time where you’ll cross the border. Pedestrians can cross the border from San Diego County into Tijuana at four points. Among these border crossings are:
PedEast – The primary pedestrian crossing is located here. The entrance is close to the trolley station in San Ysidro. This crossing is never closed and is the most convenient choice for the vast majority of visitors.
PedWest – This smaller crossing is located near the Outlets At The Border in San Ysidro. It is open from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. and takes roughly 15 minutes to get from PedEast to PedWest.
Otay Mesa – This is a smaller crossing to the east that connects the San Diego suburb of Otay Mesa with Tijuana’s Otay Centenario district. This crossing is open 24 hours a day.
Cross Border Xpress (CBX) – This is a skybridge that connects Tijuana International Airport to the US side of the border. You can only cross here if you are flying out of Tijuana International Airport.
Some amazing food at San Marée as soon as we enter Tijuana :
San Marée serves the best local seafood cuisine and will immerse you in the culture of Baja California through its architecture, design, and a delectable menu centered on fresh ingredients from the region. Our first meal consisted of some delicious octopus, oysters, scallops, and clam chowder!
The menu at San Marée was created by Mexico’s renowned chef and Tijuana native ‘Mario Peralta’, who is also the co-founder of the acclaimed Tijuana restaurant Los Compas and the alum of the Mission 19 kitchen. Entrees include seafood classics such as sauteed clams and tostadas, as well as Baja-Mediterranean dishes such as bluefin tiradito and grilled fish in achiote sauce. Their Kumamoto and kumiai oysters are considered one of the best foods to try while in San Maree.
The service at San Marée was excellent and the staff were super friendly, while the food quality was also top notch.
After food, we head to our beautiful sea facing AirBnb room. Here are some images of the room.
Brunch at San Miguel Restaurante & Some Fun Time On Oceanfront Pool :
After a good night’s sleep, we headed for brunch to San Miguel Restaurante. They have one of the best Mexican-style breakfast and brunch menus around in Tijuana.
The first thing to remember is that you should never count calories when eating at a Mexican restaurant.
Here, you can enjoy an extensive Mexican menu of snacks, tacos, traditional caldos, cuts, and a variety of cocktails to get into the traditional Mexican mood & the rhythm of mariachi and their popular music.
After brunch, we enjoyed an oceanfront hot tub & pool shower. Here are some images,
Lunch At La Casa del Pescador :
La Casa del Pescador means “fisherman’s house,” and that’s exactly what it was until the owners turned it into a beautiful restaurant and bar. The restaurant is considered to be one of the best venues in Tijuana to try lobster and other Mexican Styled seafoods.
The food begins with chips and salsas, followed by tortilla soup with strips of pale cheese and cilantro.
The lobster is served with soft, soupy beans, rice, homemade flour tortillas, and two bowls of drawn butter, one simple and one garlicky.
It was a delight to find a platter filled with bright red lobster shells containing the most juicy, sweet, soft, and fresh meat I could have wished for.
It’s a simple and delicious meal, echoing the days when fishermen’s wives did the cooking.
Watching Sunset at the beautiful Puerto Nuevo – the “Lobster Village” of Baja California :
After lunch, we headed towards Puerto Nuevo, which is also known as the Lobster Village of Baja California. This tiny beach town is located at the top of the Baja peninsula, not far from California, and is an excellent starting point for your adventure.
It is famous for its lobster and hosts an annual wine and lobster festival in October to mark the beginning of lobster season, which lasts until April. Most restaurants in town serve Puerto Nuevo lobster variations. It’s a foodie’s paradise, with over 40 restaurants.
Puerto Nuevo has the most unique geography of any city in Baja California. Because the city is built on the cliffside, you can walk to the beach where the sand meets the sea. Watching the beautiful sunset with a margarita in hand, wow, this is a dream come true.
A trip to Mexico would be incomplete without a few days at this beach, Baja peninsula has plenty to offer to nature enthusiasts.
Shopping at Galerías Hipódromo & Dinner at La Justina :
Galerías Hipódromo is considered as one of the best malls in Tijuana to visit, it has a complete infrastructure, including: restaurants, cafes, shops, banks, cinema halls, and much more. For shopping, you can visit top stores such as Walmart, MAC, Sunglass Hut, Swarovski, GNC, Sports Fan, Bloom Boutique and more. If you’re into food, then you can visit Starbucks, Churrascaria do Brasil, Applebees, Bubble Waffle, Terraza Sports Bar, Match Pizza and more. This place is like a one stop solution for people in Tijuana.
After buying a few things, we headed to La Justina for dinner.
If you are planning to visit Tijuana, then try asking someone who has traveled here before about their favorite places to eat in Tijuana. La Justina would most probably be at the top of their list.
The interior design and paintings by Christopher Caro, make the ambiance of La Justina appear appropriate for a first time traveler to Tijuana. It showcases downtown Tijuana in the most beautiful and elegant manner, it appears as if we are headed back in time, as if 100 years ago. The brick style walls, as well as those made of wood or metal, allow urban, casual, and alternative styles to coexist. Nothing beats sitting down and ordering the “Bartender’s Choice,” a personalized cocktail according to your taste for citrus or sweet flavors, or the spirits that suit you best.
The mixologist will pay close attention to ensure that “your drink” tastes the best at every sip. We tried their popular Grilled Octopus Toast, charcoal mayonnaise and vegetable ash, with a crown of cured purple onion that adds an unexpected height to the toast, demonstrating the French base of La Justina’s dishes.
