Ciudad Juárez Overview

Long before Juárez became Mexico’s fourth largest city (pop. 1.4 million), it was a notorious haven for exiles. “El Paso del Norte” got its modern name in 1860, when President Benito Juárez fled here to escape the French intervention and to seek US aid in the overthrow of Habsburg Emperor Maximilian . The revolutionary Pancho Villa occupied the city during the beginning of the 20th century. The feeling that something troublesome lies beneath has never quite left the border, and Juárez remains a transitory place. Daytrippers often come from the Southwestern US for a taste of Mexico and cheaper alternatives for services, ranging from dentistry to the more exotic and less legal. Today, Ciudad Juárez garners global media attention for the continuing disappearances and homicides of maquiladoras (factory workers). As of summer 2007, more than 350 women have been found dead and abandoned in the deserts around the city.

• Flights: Aeropuerto Internacional Abraham González (CJS; ☎633 0734), 18.5km south, 17km out on Mex. 45 (Carr. Panamericana). Catch the “Juárez/Aeropuerto” bus near the train tracks on V. Guerrero at Francisco Villa (5 pesos). Aeroméxico (☎633 1803 or 1804) flies to Chihuahua, Mexico City, Monterrey, and nearby US cities.
• Buses: Central Camionera, Blvr. Oscar Flores 4010 (☎610 6445 or 613 6037). From the US, take an “Ómnibus de México” bus from the El Paso terminal to Juárez (US$6). From the centro, board a “Central Camionera” bus from V. Guerrero at F. Villa. To get to the centro from the station, board a “Centro” bus (4 pesos); confirm the destination with the driver. Taxis cost 80 pesos. Chihuahuenses (☎629 2229), Estrella Blanca (☎629 2229), Ómnibus de México (☎610 7297), and others offer service to: Chihuahua (7hr., 264 pesos); Dallas (US$62); El Paso (50min., US$6); Guadalajara (22hr., 1120 pesos); Hermosillo (10hr., 588 pesos); Los Angeles (US$52); Mazatlán (24hr., 866 pesos); Mexico City (26hr., 1319 pesos); Monterrey (800 pesos).

Orientation And Practical Information

The main tourist drag begins at the Santa Fe Bridge and follows Av. Juárez for about a 500m to Vincente Guerrero. Street numbers start in the 800s near the two border bridges and descend to zero at 16 de Septiembre. It’s always best to stick to well-lit, active areas and go out in groups at night. West of Av. Juárez is Old Juárez, where streets are often undeveloped and confusing. Let’s Go recommends tourists not venture west of Av. Juárez at night, where the red-light district is located. The eastern port of entry (Chamizal Bridge) opens into the east-side ProNaf Zone. A decade ago, the ProNaf (Programa Nacional de la Frontera) Zone was the proud host of American tourism and business interests in Ciudad Juárez. Since the devaluation of the peso, many of the foreign firms have abandoned ship, but there are still many shopping and nightlife opportunities in the area. (To get to ProNaf from the centro, walk 4km east along 16 de Septiembre or I. Mejía. If you’re taking a taxi, agree on a price beforehand, and don’t pay more than 80 pesos.)

• Tourist Office: (☎611 3174), far from the centro, just past the bridge on the western side of the main road, through Chamizal Park. Provides info on Chihuahua state. Open daily 10am-9pm.
• US Consulate: López Mateos Nte. 924 (☎613 1655, after-hours emergencies ☎651 6019; www.ciudadjuarez.usconsulate.gov.), in a nondescript white, concrete building halfway between Hermanos Escobar and Av. Benjamin Franklin, northeast of ProNaf. Open M-F 8am-4:45pm. In an emergency, the El Paso tourist office may be of help (US☎915-544-0062).
• Currency Exchange: Both pesos and US dollars are accepted throughout Juárez. Pesos can give you the competitive edge when you’re driving a hard bargain, and currency money is easily exchanged at any of the casas de cambio downtown. Banks line 16 de Septiembre and Av. Juárez, and most have 24hr. ATMs.
• Luggage Storage: At the bus station. 5 pesos per bag per hr.
• Laundromat: Lavasolas (☎612 5461), at Tlaxcala and 5 de Mayo, 16 blocks east of Av. Juárez. Wash 18 pesos, dry 16 pesos. Open M-Sa 8am-8pm, Su 8am-5pm.
• Emergency: ☎060.
• Police: (☎615 1551), at Oro and 16 de Septiembre, 25 blocks southwest of the tourist area. Smaller station (☎207 5200) on Gardenias, 4 blocks west of the Santa Fe Bridge. Open 24hr.
• Federal Highway Police: ☎633 0195.
• Red Cross: 4324 Henry Dunant (☎611 4330), 2 blocks east of Av. López Mateos near ProNaf. Open 24hr.
• Pharmacy: Pharmacies abound on Juárez Avenue.
• Medical Service: Centro Médico Providencia, 593 Av. Constitución (☎207 3097), at Av. Providencia, just south of the Benito Juárez monument, toward the southern end of the centro.
• Telephones: LADATELs are plentiful on Av. Juárez and on 16 de Septiembre.
• Internet Access: Navega (☎613 4756), in the ProNaf Zone inside the Plaza de las Américas Mall. 15 pesos per hr. Open M-Sa 9am-9pm, Su 11am-8pm. Several Internet centers line Av. Juárez.
• Post Office: At the southwestern corner of Lerdo and Ignacio Peña. Open M-F 8am-5pm, Sa 9am-1pm. Postal Code: 32000.

Accommodations

The most reasonable selections are found near the centro and on Av. Juárez and Av. Lerdo. As with traveling, remember that staying west of Av. Juárez, where hotels rent by the hour, is not advisable.

• Hotel Omare, Corona 213 Sur (☎612 0618), just south of I. de la Peña. This pleasant, bargain hotel 3 blocks east of the main drag has well-furnished, clean rooms painted in eye-poppingly bright colors. Use caution climbing the narrow staircase leading to the lobby at night. Singles 120 pesos; doubles 170 pesos. Open daily 6am-3pm. Cash only.
• Hotel del Río, Juárez 488 Nte. (☎615 5525) between Colón and Mejía. Pricey, but if you need to crash in Juárez and want to do it in style, this is the place. The hotel recently caught fire after an explosion in the basement cantina, but reconstruction of the damaged sections is expected to finish by 2008. Clean, white rooms with fans, homey furniture, and a vigilant staff distinguish this hotel from its neighbors. Check-in before noon. Singles 320 pesos; doubles 370 pesos.
• Hotel Burciaga, Ugarte 136 (☎615 0059). A large, non-descript building in the middle of the centro offers cheap rooms and basic cable TV. All rooms have A/C. Singles and doubles 200 pesos. Cash only.
• Hotel Puerta del Sol, Vicente Suárez 421 (☎613-5981). Easily the best bargain close to the ProNaf area. Spotless white-tile rooms with cable TV and A/C. Singles 275 pesos; doubles 380 pesos. MC/V.

Food

Cheap cantinas and taco stands line Av. Juárez and just about every other thoroughfare in the city. For more diverse cuisine options and higher prices, head to Av. Abraham Lincoln in the ProNaf area. The open-air mercado behind the cathedral has cheap food stands. SMART is a supermarket chain with several locations throughout the city. The one inside the Río Grande Mall, in the southeastern corner of the mall on V. Guerrero at Adolfo de la Huerta (Ruta 8 bus), is brand new, clean, and has lots of free samples. (☎613 1398. Open 24hr.) Cheap Rapidito’s Bip Bip! convenience stores can be found on almost every corner.

• Tacos Lucas, (☎632 3289), at Av. Juárez and Mejía, a colorful building with Daffy Duck on the entrance sign. In a cavernous room with colorful murals and archways painted like bricks, Tacos Lucas serves its namesake tacos as well as heaping special dishes like fajitas and grilled shrimp for 50 pesos. Beer 15 pesos. Jukebox in the corner plays both American and local banda hits. Open 24hr. MC/V.
• La Fiesta del Pueblo, Av. Juárez 200 (☎615 0404), at the northeastern corner of Gonzales. The festive artwork, wagon-wheel chandeliers, and kitschy Christmas lights are more than just a little geared towards daytrippers. Juicy tacos de cabrito (kid tacos) 80 pesos. Margaritas 40 pesos. Open M and W-Su 11am-2am. Cash only. 2
• Frida’s, Triunfo de la República 2525 (☎639 0148). A hot spot not only for traditional Mexican cuisine and barbecue, but also for late-night fun. At night, lights dim and the live music or karaoke starts bumpin’. Fantastic murals of famous painter Frida Kahlo’s more nationally themed work cover the walls. Entrees 80-180 pesos. Desserts 80 pesos. Open daily 2pm-2am. MC/V.
• !Viva Juárez!, Juárez 126, (☎615 9276). This small, eponymous restaurant/bar serves cheap border-fare. 4-taco barbacoa 40 pesos. Breakfast buffet 40 pesos. Open daily 8am-8pm. Cash only.

Sights And Entertainment

The Siberia of Mexico, Juárez historically functioned as a place of escape and exile. By the 20th century, it began to take on a similar role for US citizens fleeing everything from Prohibition to divorce laws. The “Downtown Historic Walking Tour” pamphlet, available at the tourist office, suggests a walking tour through the centro, though the route is fairly self-explanatory even without the guide. Just keep an eye out for the placards that demonstrate the suggested route, following Av. Juárez to 16 de Septiembre, where it turns right at the Victorian Aduana Fronteriza (customs house). Today, the Aduana Fronteriza houses the Museo Ex-Aduana de Ciudad Juárez. One half of the museum is dedicated to the border theater in Pancho Villa’s revolution, while the other hosts rotating exhibits. All the placards are in Spanish. (☎612 4707. Open Tu-Su 9:30am-5:30pm. Free.) Turn right at the customs house and down 16 de Septiembre to Mariscal to find a bust commemorating the city’s most famous exile, namesake Benito Juárez, who hid here during the French coup led by Maximilian in 1865-1866. To the west of Av. Juárez at Av. 16 de Septiembre, is the huge plaza with the outdoor Mercado Cuauhtémoc, the thoroughly modern Catedral, and next to it the white adobe Misión de Guadalupe, built in 1662. (Open daily 7:30am-8:30pm.) The Mercado Juárez building, on 16 de Septiembre three blocks east of Av. Juárez, has everything from trinkets to homemade elixirs.

The Museo de Arte is in a dated 1960s cylindrical building, west of the Plaza de las Américas Mall in the ProNaf Zone and just east of the curve of Av. Lincoln at Coyoacán. The museum contains a small collection of art by contemporary artists influenced by classic Spanish and Mexican modernism. (☎616 7414. Open Tu-Su 11am-7pm. Free.) To escape the clamor of downtown Ciudad Juárez, head to Parque Chamizal, south of the Chamizal Bridge, 1km north of ProNaf, and 2km east of the centro. The park sits on what used to be a natural islet carved by the meandering Rio Grande. The area has often changed hands, and is now considered Mexican territory. Its large shade trees, picnic tables, fountains, grass, and recreational fields provide welcome respite from the sprawling, concrete-laden city. Every October, the park hosts Las Chupacabras, a 100km bike race that is considered one of the most extreme sporting events in Mexico. The Museo Arqueológico, in Parque Chamizal, houses plastic facsimiles of Pre-Hispanic sculptures as well as prehistoric fossils, rocks, and bones. Heading east on Av. Presidencia alongside the park, take the first (unnamed) major street to the left into the park. Another block down, past the curve in the road, the museum is on the right. Heading south from the Chamizal bridge, take the second right once in the park. (☎611 1048. Open Tu-Sa 9am-5pm, Su 11am-5pm. Free.)

Bullfighting was once a fixture of life in Juárez but in recent years animal rights activism has dampened enthusiasm for the sport. With fewer Americans buying tickets, weekly fights are less sustainable. However, it is still possible to catch occasional shows at the Plaza Monumental de Toros, Paseo Triunfo de la República, 500m east of López Mateos. Fights are held sporadically in the summer only on Sundays at 10am and/or 6pm. (Shady side 250/140 pesos. Sunny side 150/70 pesos. Children 15 pesos.) Lienzo Charro, on Av. del Charro, 500m north of República, hosts the charreada (rodeo) on weekend afternoons during the summer. Call ahead for times. (☎611 0465. Prices typically 25-50 pesos, children free.)

Nightlife

The nightclubs lining the first few blocks of Av. Juárez south of the border cater primarily to Americans, particularly those under 21, who only need to walk a few hundred yards from the US to drink legally. These clubs play Top 40 hits and usually have a US$7-10 cover charge. For less tourist-oriented nightlife, head to the corner of Mejía and Av. Lincoln in the ProNaf Zone (taxi US$7).

• Dalí, Mejía 3118 (☎611 4898). Intellectuals, pseudo-intellectuals, and sophisticates-in-training mingle and sip java (with and without alcohol; 25-30 pesos) in this decidedly un-Juárez relaxed atmosphere. Hookah bar. Wi-Fi available. Open M-Th and Su 5pm-1am, F-Sa 5pm-2am. MC/V.
• La Mulata, Lincoln 1055 (613 0020). The city’s best dressed swing the corner here to the newest Latin pop beats. Don’t be surprised if you see some Versace. Mixed drinks from 30 pesos. Cover 50 pesos most nights. Open F-Sa 8pm-2am. MC/V.
• Palacio Coin, Av. Juárez across from Gonzales. The friendly female bartenders in this local hole-in-the-wall away from the bigger clubs of Av. Juárez will keep you well refreshed. F-Sa 9pm live cantina band music. Beer 15 pesos. Margaritas 25 pesos. Open daily noon-midnight. Cash only.
• Chamuco’s, Mejía and Franklin 2nd fl. (616 8937). Catering to a slightly older crowd, this large sports bar, popular with Americans, has a congenial atmosphere and cheap drinks. Billiards 40 pesos per hr. Th all-you-can-drink beer US$10. Yard of beer 80 pesos. Open M-Th 11am-1am, F-Sa 11am-2am. MC/V.
• La Serata, Lincoln 1045 (611 5785). A popular electro-bar in the ProNaf area. Lasers and lamplights dance to various trance and house beats. Th 2-for-1 beer. Mixed drinks from 30 pesos. Yard of beer 80 pesos. Billiards 40 pesos per hr. Cover 50 pesos. Open Th-Sa 8pm-2am. MC/V.