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Photo’s courtesy of Ken Bondy, Baja enthusiast. Check out Ken’s amazing photographs |
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Tour Details |
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After we cross the border we will head west thru Plaza Viva Tijuana and go across the pedestrian bridge, over the Tijuana river canal and head to Avenida Revolución, were our first stop will be the Tijuana Wax Museum.
First St. (Artículo 123) one block east of Revolución Av. Located in the old chamber of commerce building, this is the first and only museum of its kind in the state, housing over 80 lifelike renderings of Mexican and international celebrities and historical figures, as well as a House of Horrors. After exiting the museum, we will turn left (uphill) to Revolución and the arch…
First St. and Avenida Revolución This symbol of modern Tijuana, which can easily be seen from the U.S. side of the border, is the most recent addition to the city’s skyline and has caused much debate among locals. As you pass this gateway to Avenida Revolución you can form your own opinion. Continuing west, past the arch, we will come to
First St. and Avenida Revolución Arguello Street is the last remaining diagonal street dating from the city’s original colonial-style layout. The name of the Plaza was chosen because Saint Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians, and, each day, mariachi and Norteño bands gather here waiting for patrons to hire them. Songs can be purchased individually or by the hour. Many visitors like to sit at the outdoor tables by the historic Hotel Nelson and have a drink while listening to the music here. As we come out the other side of the Plaza, we’ll find ourselves at the corner of 2nd and Constitución. We will cross the street and continue one block west to one of the most historical areas of Tijuana and also the main part of the old downtown district.
C St. (Niños Héroes) between 2nd and first streets , two blocks west of Avenida Revolución Built more than a half century ago, the Cathedral offers visitors a chance to glimpse an interesting part of Mexican culture. The devout pin petitions to the statues daily and bring fresh roses for the Virgin of Guadalupe, patron saint of Mexico. A new cathedral is currently being constructed in the Río Zone, but this landmark is well-loved by locals. All around the nave of the church makeshift stalls sell religious (bordering on superstitious) trinkets. You can also find people selling mouth-watering corn on the cob, churros, gorditas de nata and other popular Mexican snacks. As we exit the cathedral, we will cross Second Street and walk east in the direction of Avenida Revolución, and we’ll quickly come to…
Second St. between C St. (Niños Héroes) and B St. (Constitución) A large wrought-iron clock on the sidewalk marks one of the entrances to this colorful market. The outside stalls are mostly candy shops that stock popular Mexican sweets, semi-sweet Mexican chocolate and traditional spicy-hot candy. This is a great place to sample Mexican delicacies like dulce de leche, gloria caramel, jamoncillo milk fudge, white coconut alfajores or walnut mazapan. Also popular are the candied and dried sweets like pineapple, mango, camote sweet potatoes, pumpkin and chilacayota squash. Within the mercado, you can browse numerous mini shops featuring different types of dried chile peppers and Mexican spices, as well as a well-stocked herb store. This is a great place to find traditional kitchenware like molcajete grinding stones or tortilla presses. As we continue east to the corner we will find…
Second St. and B St. (Constitución) An example of early 20th Century provincial architecture, the Old Town Hall now houses the Small Historic Archive and government library. The city government (“Ayuntamiento”) was housed here until it outgrew the building. After that, various offices were scattered all over the city until a new city hall was built in the Río Zone. Continuing east to Avenida Revolución, we will be across the street from…
Second St. and Avenida Revolución This turn-of-the-Twentieth Century nouveau-French building was one of the first built on Avenida Revolución and still houses a working HSBC bank with an ATM. As we walk south (right ) on Avenida Revolución we’ll notice…
Avenida Revolución between Third and Fourth St. These replicas of famous pre-Columbian monuments and stonework are scattered along the sidewalk of this block. They represent various cultures that thrived before the arrival of Europeans in what is now Mexico.
Here will be our lunch break were we will enjoy authentic Mexican food at Café La Especial. La Especial was founded by Rafael and Justina Brambila in June 1952 and started out as a small steamed taco stand on the world famous Avenida Revolución and later became what is now one of two restaurants with many added foods to the menu Today the Cafe La Especial vapor cooked tacos have been sampled by people from all over the world. In 1975, Don Rafael’s grandchildren Humberto Brambila M and Doña Esther de Brambila, bought and took over the restauraunt and a new chapter began. Together with the rest of the Brambila family they made Cafe La Especial well known in both Californias’.
Fifth St. and Avenida Revolución The world-famous Caesar salad was created at this hotel. HotelCaesar’s represents Tijuana’s glitzy past when the city was a luxurious spa and gambling destination in the 1920s and 1930s. We’ll continue south on Avenida Revolución and cross the street at Seventh for…
Avenida Revolución between Seventh and Eighth St. This “palace” was originally built in the 1920s to house one of Mexico’s first professional Fronton (Vasque ball) courts, a testament to Mexico’s Spanish heritage. Jai alai, played here for decades, it is called the fastest game in the world. The building currently houses an events forum as well as a Caliente Sports Book where you can bet on everything from the Miss America Pagaent to the NBA playoffs. For a nice touch to our journey, we willwalk south on Avenida Revolución to 10thStreet, go one block west to Avenida Constitución, then continue south ½ block to Cañón Johnson. We will visit an award-winning winery on your left.
B St. (Constitución) and Cañón Johnson Avenue The house of Cetto is one of the oldest and most respected wine-making families in Latin America. Their international award winning wines are made from grapes grown in the Baja California wine country, located just 60 miles to the south, and bottled here in Tijuana. The winery will offer us wine tasting and shopping and a guided tour of the wine cellar on premises. From the winery we will walk back to Avenida Revolución to the Tourist Terminal between 7th and 6th street. Here you will board the tour bus that will return you safely all the way to the US. |