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Tijuana sunset © `David

Overview
A typical border town, Tijuana is not suited to everyone's holiday taste, with plenty of noise and frenetic activity. Its location on the American border and proximity to San Diego and other Southern Californian cities ensures a steady stream of curious day-trippers and souvenir hunters from up north. Tijuana's notorious 'sin city' image of prostitution and sex shows has now taken a back seat; the sleazy element, the drugs and violence that seems to be the lot of a border town, is still there but the focus has shifted in an effort to clean the town up a bit, and Tijuana has become something of a shopper's delight along with the intense nightlife and non-stop entertainment. This is the place to shop, drink and dance the night away; there are souvenir stalls, numerous duty-free shopping malls and markets selling goods from all over Mexico, and countless bars, restaurants and dance clubs. The centre of the activity is the bustling Revolution Boulevard, crowded with shops, bars and restaurants and their pushy touts, who do their best to get you into their establishments. Female tourists should avoid entering bars alone, as safety can occasionally be an issue. Tijuana has some traditional attractions as well, including bullfighting and Jai Alai (a Spanish ball court game), but this is not the classic Mexico that stories are made of. It does however make a good starting point for a holiday aimed at exploring the Baja California peninsula, and the beaches and resorts to the south. While Tijuana has been a popular and safe place in the past, in recent years violence between law enforcement authorities and drug cartels has escalated, particularly along the US-Mexican border. Visitors who still wish to travel to Tijuana are advised to exercise extreme caution and check the safety situation with local authorities and those of their home country.