20 Things To Do In Tijuana

Tijuana is a border town that lies immediately adjacent to San Diego, California in the United States. Because of their shared border, the two cities have a close relationship, and Americans and Mexicans both hop the border frequently. As a result, Tijuana has acquired some American traits and San Diego has developed some Mexican flavour.

Being on the coast means that visitors to Tijuana can enjoy fresh seafood at various popular restaurants. The city has markets, malls and a shopping centre where visitors can find a wide variety of goods. Day trips across the border to shop are popular with both Americans and Mexicans. Here are 20 fun things to do in Tijuana. 

Tijuana, Mexico

20 Things To Do In Tijuana

1- Visit The Tijuana Cultural Center

The Tijuana Cultural Center is a large, iconic building, easily recognisable because of its unique architecture.

This cultural centre, located close to the US/Mexico border, contains exhibits that explore Baja California history, a theatre, an IMAX Dome, a botanical garden, an aquarium and an Art Gallery called The Cube.

Many dance and theatre festivals, art and literature exhibitions, concerts, and conferences are hosted here.

A large children’s area within the centre promotes literacy and play for children of all ages.

2- Explore Avenida Revolucion

Avenida Revolucion has been a popular destination in Tijuana for several decades.

Americans started to cross the border in large numbers during the Prohibition Era in the 1920s and early 1930s to find legal alcohol.

The famous Caesar salad was invented at a hotel on the Avenida Revolucion during this time.

This avenue houses many bars, galleries, restaurants and places to shop.

Visitors also flock to some of the popular tourist attractions on the avenue, including Plaza Santa Cecilia, the Tijuana Arch and Pasaje Rodriguez.

3- Save Money On Dental and Cosmetic Surgery

It is no secret that health and dental care can be costly in the United States and other countries, particularly for surgical procedures that many insurance companies may not cover.

Mexico offers affordable health and dental care options for foreigners who do not have enough money to pay for these procedures in their own country.

Many doctors and dentists who conduct these procedures and surgeries offer the same quality of care as doctors in the USA.

As a result, Tijuana has become a destination location for people, primarily Americans, who wish to have cosmetic surgeries, dental procedures, or other expensive medical procedures while only paying a fraction of the cost they would pay in the United States or Canada.

4- Watch A Soccer Game At Estado Caliente Xoloitzcuintles

Soccer is an important sport in Mexico and many other countries but not as popular in the United States, although that is changing rapidly.

The soccer stadium Caliente Xoloitzcuintles hosts the home games for the Club Tijuana soccer team, which plays in Mexico’s top league, Liga MX.

The stadium occasionally hosts concerts and other sporting events such as boxing and continues to grow to accommodate more visitors.

The stadium will also be the home of a future football team in the future.

5- Relax On The Beaches

Several beaches located within and around Tijuana are popular with visitors.

Rosarito Beach, near Tijuana, was a filming location for the movie Titanic.

This beautiful beach provides an excellent place to lounge beachside, go horseback riding at sunset, or hike the Cerro El Coronel, a large hill overlooking the ocean and Tijuana.

Estero is a quiet, more peaceful beach nearby, and Ensenada is a beautiful section of coastline located adjacent to a small city just outside of Tijuana.

Inside the city of Tijuana, the beach neighbourhood called Playas de Tijuana contains wonderful beaches with lifeguards and nearby bars and restaurants for travellers to the city.

6- Attend A Lucha Libre Match And Visit The Museum

Lucha Libre is the name of the most famous sports entertainment in Mexico – Mexican wrestling.

The wrestlers are called Luchadores and wear colourful and distinctive masks and costumes.

Mexico City offers the most famous of these shows, but Tijuana also has an active Lucha Libre entertainment schedule.

Visitors to Tijuana can check the schedule for Lucha Libre at the Tijuana Auditorium and plan a trip around one of the Friday-night or holiday shows.

In addition to seeing a Lucha Libre show, travellers to Tijuana can also explore the Lucha Libre museum called Mullme or Museo de la Lucha Libre Mexicana.

Museo de la Lucha Libre has one of the largest private collections of Lucha Libre paraphernalia in the world.

7- Shop At El Popo Market

El Popo Market is the oldest and one of the most famous markets in downtown Tijuana.

This 90-year old market was once called Mercado Anahuac, but the name changed in the 1940s because of a famous ice cream shop called Neveria Popocatépetl.

People would say they were “going to El Popo” and the market name eventually stuck.

At this market, visitors can find a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and cooked foods like tacos and tamales.

You can also find artisanal crafts from the region here.

8- Visit Tijuana’s Monuments

Tijuana has some famous monument landmarks, but one of the most famous is the Glorieta (roundabout) Cuauhtémoc.

This monument honours the ruler Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec ruler who ruled Tenochtitlan until his execution by Hernan Cortes in 1525.

Another famous monument is the Benito Juarez Monument.

Benito Juarez was the first indigenous Mexican president whose contributions to Mexican democracy made him an important historical figure and earned him a national holiday.

Another famous monument in Tijuana is the Abraham Lincoln monument.

Abraham Lincoln was a contemporary of Benito Juarez and secretly helped Juarez fight invading French forces during the American Civil War.

Later, Mexico and the US strengthened their relationship again during the 1980s by exchanging statues of Lincoln and Juarez.

Mexico sent a statue of Benito Juarez to San Diego and the US sent the Lincoln statue to Tijuana.

9- Place A Bet At Casino Caliente

Tijuana is home to a large casino, Caliente Casino, that offers various gaming machines as well as table games such as blackjack, baccarat and roulette.

Visitors can also bet on various sporting events and races.

Bets in this casino are made using pesos instead of dollars.

Traditional American food is available, as well as alcoholic beverages.

10- Relax In Morelos Park

Morelos Park or Parque Morelos is an ecological park with extensive green areas and trails winding through five themed gardens.

Each garden contains different types of plants.

Morelos Park also has a zoo that houses 36 different species and focuses on wildlife conservation.

The zoo operates as a sanctuary for rescued animals such as tigers, contains an aviary for a variety of birds, a reptile house and a butterfly house.

This park also contains an amphitheatre that hosts concerts and other events.

Families and groups can rent the pavilions located within the park for private events.

11- Have A Picnic At Parque de La Amistad

Parque de La Amistad or Friendship Park is a popular place for families to gather for picnics and parties.

A small lake attracts many migratory bird species, including pelicans, ducks and cranes.

The lake also contains several fish species, including carp, bass and catfish.

A track for runners surrounds the lake, and a large area adjacent to the trail provides a venue for fitness classes such as Zumba and aerobics.

An open-air theatre provides visitors with fun, family-friendly entertainment on the weekends.

12- Take The Kids To Museo del Trompo

Museo del Trompo or El Trompo Museum is an interactive children’s museum in Tijuana.

There are four levels within the museum with exhibits that educates young visitors about science.

This museum also houses a 3D movie theatre and an auditorium.

There’s plenty to see at this museum and if you want to spend the day, there’s a cafeteria that sells food.

13- Attend A Baseball Game At Estadio Chevron

Estadio Chevron (Chevron Baseball Stadium) in Tijuana seats 17,000 people.

Baseball is a popular sport in Mexico, after Lucha Libre and soccer.

The Toros de Tijuana (Bulls of Tijuana), members of the League of Northern Mexico, play at this stadium.

You can enjoy good food and beer for much lower prices than baseball fans expect to pay at stadiums in the United States.

14- Cool Off At Albercas El Vergel

Albercas El Vergel is the largest water park in Baja California.

This popular aquatic amusement park offers several water slides for adventurous swimmers, including the Twister and Anaconda.

A lazy river flows around the park for guests who wish to relax.

There is also a Tarzan rope that swimmers can swing out over the pool.

Small kids will love playing in a shallow pool with a castle or a designated kid zone.

Adventurous and athletic swimmers can slide down the “Slip N’ Fly” slide and complete an acrobatic jump into the pool.

A wave pool rounds out a day’s fun at this water park.

Restaurants and a nurse’s station are located within the park, making this an easy place for families to hang out all day.

15- Discover Mexico’s Famous People At The Wax Museum

The Wax Museum or Museo de Cera is a popular place for tourists to visit.

This museum contains more than 80 famous people from all over the world.

Wax figures are organised within four themed rooms.

Those rooms are based on Mexican history and include the Pre-Hispanic Era, the Missionary Period of Baja California and Tijuana’s history, stories and legends of Mexico, and Heroes of Mexico.

Famous figures that can be found in the museum include Cuauhtémoc, Moctezuma, Hernan Cortes, Pedro Infante, and Michael Jackson.

16- Walk Under The Tijuana Arch

One of the most iconic symbols of Tijuana is the Tijuana Arch.

The arch is officially known as the Tijuana Monumental Clock or Reloj Monumental de Tijuana.

It symbolises Tijuana’s embrace of the modern world.

It is located on Avenida Revolucion, the famous roadway that visitors drive through when crossing the border from the US.

The arch is visible from all over Tijuana and from across the US/Mexico border.

It lies adjacent to Plaza Santa Cecilia, a popular place for travellers to visit.

17- Have Fun At Mundo Divertido

Mundo Divertido is an amusement park in Tijuana with several rides such as a children’s roller coaster, train, carousel, pirate ship and bumper cars.

There is also a water ride that consists of a small car on top of a raft.

In addition to rides, there is an arcade within the park, while a miniature golf course and go-karts provide fun to older kids.

Families can spend an enjoyable day here and find food at a restaurant within the park.

18- Ride The Tren Turistico Tijuana Tecate

Visitors to Tijuana can catch a ride on the Tecate Train to the small town of Tecate.

Adults travelling with children can put them on a special wagon specifically designed to keep kids entertained during the trip.

Once the train leaves the station, you can enjoy entertainment, food and dancing onboard.

The train stops at a dam for photo opportunities before arriving in Tecate, where you can visit a brewery and experience a live music festival before returning to Tijuana.

19- Visit Palacio Municipal Antiguo

Palacio Municipal Antiguo or Old Municipal Building is one of the oldest buildings in Tijuana.

A lot of history is contained within its walls, and it has served many purposes throughout its 100-year history.

These days, the building houses the Municipal Institute of Art and Culture headquarters.

It contains a gallery, auditorium, archive, history museum and library.

Palacio Municipal Antiguo is open to the public and offers an in-depth look at the history of Tijuana.

Workshops on a variety of arts are also offered within this building.

20- Explore Pasaje Rodriguez

The Pasaje Rodriguez is a passageway located along the Avenida Revolucion, the main thoroughfare through Tijuana.

Unlike the Avenida Revolucion, this roofed passageway is for pedestrians.

This area was once known for the small shops that sold a variety of curios or tobacco.

In 2009, a group of people with a shared cultural vision revitalised this passageway.

The walls and doors within this walkway are now decorated with brightly-coloured murals.

Small local restaurants, bars, and shops line the covered passageway and offer a unique flavour of Tijuana to those who traverse the alley.