Tecate Overview

Tecate (pop. 100,000), on Mex. 2, between Mexicali and Tijuana, provides a peaceful respite from both of its neighbors. The green Parque Hidalgo is the center of life, where strolling families, vendors, tourists, and even the occasional clown collide. Nearby, a bakery turns out more Mexican pastries than perhaps any other store on the peninsula. Just a few blocks away, a quiet factory produces the town’s best-known product—Mexico’s unofficial national beer, Tecate. The streets are safe, prices are low, and the people are friendly. Tecate is the perfect place to sit back, relax, and—of course—grab a beer.

Catch buses one block east of the park on Juárez at Rodríguez. Autotransportes de Baja California (☎554 1221) sends buses to Ensenada (2hr., 10 per day 8am-7pm, 97 pesos), Tijuana (1hr., every 20min. 5am-9pm, 42 pesos), and Mexicali (2hr., every 30min. 8:30am-9:50pm, 132 pesos). Transportes Norte de Sonora (☎654 2343) offers de paso buses to: Ciudad Juárez (20hr., 5 per day 10:45am-7:30pm, 805 pesos); Chihuahua (4 per day 9:30am-7:45pm); Nogales (12hr., 4 per day 1:45pm-6:30pm, 930 pesos); Mexico City (44hr., 9 per day 10:45am-9:45pm, 1380 pesos). Buses heading to Mexico City stop in a number of cities along the way: Guadalajara (36hr., 958 pesos); Guaymas (14hr., 480 pesos); Hermosillo (12hr., 420 pesos); Mazatlán (26hr., 750 pesos); Mexicali (2hr., 120 pesos).

Orientation And Practical Information

Tecate lies 42km east of Tijuana and 143km west of Mexicali on Mex. 2. The center of social and commercial activity, Parque Hidalgo, is bound to the north by the main street Juárez, which becomes Mex. 2. To the east, the Parque is bordered by Ortíz Rubio, which eventually turns into Mex. 3 on the southern edge of town. East-west streets parallel the border fence; from north to south, they are: Madero, Revolución, Reforma, Juárez, Libertad, and Hidalgo. Streets named for early 20th-century presidents run north-south perpendicular to Juárez and the border. Starting from the east, they are: Portes Gil, Rodríguez, Ortiz Rubio, Cárdenas, Elías Calles, Obregón, de la Huerta, Carranza, and Aldrete. The border crossing and customs are much simpler in Tecate than in either Tijuana or Mexicali, busy only Monday mornings and Friday afternoons. (Open daily 6am-midnight.)

• Tourist Office: Libertad 1305 (☎654 1095), facing Parque Hidalgo. Provides brochures and maps, including one with a good walking tour of the city. Open M-Sa 8am-8pm.
• Banks: Bancomer (☎654 1350), on the corner of Cárdenas and Juárez. Exchanges traveler’s checks and has a 24hr. ATM. Open M-F 8:30am-4pm. Banamex (☎654 1188), at Juárez and Obregón. Offers similar services. Open M-F 9am-4pm.
• Police: Paseo Morelos 1978 (☎655 1091). Walk east on Juárez out of town; it will become Mex. 2. The station is at the traffic circle, a 10min. walk from Parque Hidalgo.
• Emergency: ☎060.
• Red Cross: Juárez 411 (☎654 1313).
• 24hr. Pharmacy: Farmacia Roma, on the corner of Juárez and Aldrete.
• Medical Services: IMSS Centro de Salud (☎654 5803), south of town at Juárez and Gil.
• Fax Office: Telecomm (☎654 1375), next door to the post office. Open M-F 7am-6pm, Sa 7am-2:30pm.
• Internet Access: C-La (☎521 3838), on Hidalgo, immediately east of the Jardín Cerveza Tecate and the Tecate Brewery. Fast connections. 6 pesos per hr. Open M, W-Th, and Su 9am-11pm; Tu and F-Sa 9am-10pm.
• Post Office: Ortíz Rubio 146 (☎654 1245), 2 blocks north of Juárez. Open M-F 8am-3pm. Postal Code: 21401.

Accommodations

Tecate has a number of budget hotels, but many are dilapidated. Take a look at a room before you agree to pay for it.

• Hotel Tecate (☎654 1116), overlooking Parque Hidalgo on Libertad at Cárdenas. Superb location in the center of town. Simple, mostly clean rooms with private bath and fans. Singles and doubles 300 pesos, with TV 400 pesos. Cash only.
• Okakopa Iwa Hotel, Madero 141 (☎654 5230). Large rooms with A/C and TV just steps from the border. Free parking. Singles 380 pesos; doubles 540 pesos. Cash only.
• Hotel Frontera, Madero 131 (☎654 1342) between Obregón and Elías Calles. Next door to the Okakopa, Frontera’s rooms are cheaper, but the hotel is aging and the staff is less friendly. Singles 250 pesos, with bath, A/C, and TV 300 pesos; doubles with bath, A/C, and TV 400 pesos. Cash only.
• Rancho Ojai (☎655 3014; www.rancho-ojai.com), on Mex. 2 east toward Mexicali, 21km outside of Tecate. Outside of town, Ojai is part of a working ranch and offers beautiful vistas, a pool, and mini-golf. Tents US$11, RV with full hookup US$30. 4-bed cabins US$68. MC/V.

Food

The cheapest food in Tecate can be found at the taquerías lining Obregón and Juárez, east of the park. The best is popular Tacos Los Amigos 2, at Hidalgo and Ortíz Rubio, where the big, 12-peso tacos are loaded with guacamole. (Open daily 9am-8pm.) Calimax, on Juárez between Carranza and Aldrete, sells groceries. (☎654 0039. Open daily 7am-10pm.)

• El Mejor Pan de Tecate, Juárez 331 (☎654 0040), between Rodriguez and Portes Gil, a 5 min. walk east of the park. True to its name, this bakery has a huge selection of delicious pastries and bread, most for under 10 pesos. Extremely popular with locals. Open 24hr. Cash only.
• La Pena de Losa, Libertad 201 (☎655 7648). Small, friendly restaurant near the park with excellent breakfasts. Pancakes 40 pesos. Open daily 8am-6pm. MC/V.
• Restaurant el Mesón, Revolución 261 (☎654 5383), at Ortíz Rubio a couple of blocks from the border. Mexican dishes (20-50 pesos) in an outdoor garden. There’s a pleasant view of the city upstairs. Open 24hr. Cash only.
• Restaurant Jardín Tecate (☎654 3453), next to the tourist office on the southern end of Parque Hidalgo. Enjoy reasonably priced Mexican food while people-watching in the park. Open daily 8am-8pm. Cash only.
• Lolo’s Restaurante (☎654 0612), on the park, adjacent to Jardín Tecate. Chile rellenos (50 pesos), tamales (40 pesos), and other Mexican dishes. Outdoor seating only. Open daily 8:30pm-12am. Cash only.

Sights And Entertainment

The town’s biggest building, the Tecate Brewery, on Hidalgo at Obregón, looms over everything in Tecate and attracts thousands of beer-loving visitors throughout the year. Opened in 1944, the brewery, officially known as the Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma, now pumps out 39 million liters of beer each month. You can sample one for yourself—on the house—at the  Jardín Cerveza Tecate, where locals and tourists sit on plastic chairs in the shade. Should you become a convert to the local brew, the souvenir stall next to the bar will help you become a walking advertisement for Tecate or one of the company’s seven other beers: Bohemia, Carta Blanca, Dos Equis, Indio, Sol, Superior, and the Christmastime-only Noche Buena. You can also go on a free tour of the brewery. (No sandals allowed inside. } 654 9478. At Hidalgo and Oregon. Both open M-F 10am-5pm, Sa 10am-2pm. Tours M-F 11am, noon, 3, 4pm; Sa-Su 10, 11am, noon, 1pm. Free.)

Other than hanging out in the Jardín or strolling through the park, there isn’t much by way of entertainment in Tecate. Tecate’s béisbol (baseball) team, sponsored by the brewery and appropriately called the Cerveceros, attracts a small but devoted following whose enthusiasm might be connected to the fact that as the home score goes up, the price of beer in the stands goes down. (Tickets June-Aug. 30-60 pesos. For schedules, contact the tourist office or visit www.cervecerosdetecate.com.)