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OPIllini96

With the start of the New Year, I figured that it was time to write an updated version of my guide to mongering in Tijuana that I originally wrote in 2022 and revised last year. While a lot of the information is still the same, there is some new material concerning the sudden increase of the local police shaking down some mongers inside TJ’s red-light district located in the Zona Norte area.

So without further ado, here we go:


If you are a monger looking for something different than what you find in the United States, you don’t necessarily need to go overseas to Amsterdam (The Netherlands) or Thailand. Those trips are expensive, not just financially but time-wise. Instead, if you have never been, you should consider a trip just across the border to Tijuana, Mexico. Tijuana has had a popular red-light district for decades; more often than not mongers find a better value than in the USA for their activities.

So how can one get to TJ? For most American mongers, the best way is flying to San Diego International Airport, which is about 20 miles or so away from the Mexican border. All the major carriers have multiple flights to and from the area.

Once you’ve arrived in San Diego, there are three main options for you to get to the border:

1) taxi: personally, I’ve never used a taxi in San Diego. However, from what I gather, the fare from the airport can run anywhere from $40-$60. Bit pricey for sure.

2) Uber/Lyft: both rideshare companies are popular in the area, and the cost is between $25-$35 depending on the time of day. If you book during peak times, the cost is closer to $35; if you use during non-peak times, it’s a lower fare.

3) but in my opinion, the best and most economical way to get to the border is public transit. The San Diego Mass Transit Authority operates the #992 bus between the airport and Downtown. The cost is $2.50 and it takes just 10 to 15 minutes to get to the Santa Fe Depot/America’s Plaza stop Downtown. Then at America’s Plaza, you transfer to the Blue Line trolley train; the cost is another $2.50. Make sure you board the trolley train that displays “San Ysidro International Border” (that’s where you go into Tijuana - more on crossing coming shortly). For your convenience, the MTA has vending machines at the airport where you can purchase a Pronto card that you use to load your money. Although you can pay in cash for the bus, you need the Pronto card for the trolley. It takes about 40 to 55 minutes (depending on how Downtown traffic is) to get to San Ysidro.

NOTE: it’s also possible to reach the Blue Line trolley via the airport parking buses that go to the remote lots. One of those lots is located by the Blue Line Middletown stop. An advantage of using the airport shuttle is that on occasion at Santa Fe Depot/America’s Plaza, there are homeless people who harass passengers waiting for the trolley train. If you can board at Middletown, you avoid this possibility of being accosted.

As an added precaution, I ride in the trolley’s front car (the train consists of three long cars) where the operator is positioned. Occasionally, homeless people will board the trolley, smoke illegal substances, and act erratically. No guarantees of course, but these folks are far less likely to misbehave in the front car because that’s where the operator is. With all that being said, the chances of something bad happening to you on the trolley are very, very low.

Of course, if you live in the San Diego or Los Angeles metro areas, it’s a much simpler trip to Tijuana: drive down Interstate 5 (the I-5 as So Cal folks fondly call it) to the border. There are plenty of parking lots available, and from what I understand, the costs are reasonable for the most part.

AT SAN YSIDRO

Whether you drive, use a rideshare or taxi, or ride the trolley, you’ll ultimately end up in San Ysidro, which is right on the Mexican border. San Ysidro is home to one of the largest border crossings in the USA and is always busy.

There are two pedestrian crossings in San Ysidro: PedEast and PedWest. PedEast is open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The entrance to PedEast is right near the San Ysidro Blue Line terminal, which has a large McDonald’s restaurant and two currency exchange spots among other amenities.

(NOTE: If you’re going to exchange dollars for pesos - the Mexican currency, you should do so BEFORE you go into Mexico. The reason for this is that you get a better exchange rate in the USA than in Mexico. As of this writing, the rate is 20 pesos per dollar, which is good for Americans. I usually get about $100 or so in pesos, using them to buy street food or convenience stores in TJ. But it’s not necessary to use pesos; virtually every business in TJ takes dollars - and many prefer them to be honest.)

At San Ysidro, you will go up a walkway that leads to a pair of rotating steel doors located beneath a sign that says “Mexico”. The doors take you to the border house. At this point, for all intents and purposes, you are in Tijuana.

Inside the border house, there are two lines: one for Mexican citizens, the other for foreigners. Always go to the foreigners line, and be prepared to show your passport book or card. (NOTE: I know that it’s been said that you don’t necessarily need a passport to get into Mexico. But I also know of friends who didn’t bring their passport that had a difficult time getting back into the USA. Don’t get me wrong, ultimately the border agents must let American citizens in because they are essential, but to avoid getting grief and a stern lecture from the agents, I would bring a passport.)

One more thing about entry into Mexico: depending on who the agent is, there’s a chance that you may have to pay a visa fee of $30. But to be sure, the vast majority of the time, entry is no problem. The agent will look at your identification, ask what your purpose is in visiting (I usually say I’m seeing friends for vacation), and wave you in. By the way, that $30 visa fee applies only if you’re staying in Mexico for more than seven days (it’s called a FMM).

After you clear customs, you’ll put any luggage or backpacks on a security scanner, much like the ones you see at airports. Once you get your bags back, you’ll go down another walkway. That takes you to another set of rolling gates into Tijuana proper. On the other side of the gates, you’ll find several taxis waiting.

If you use a taxi, be ready to negotiate. The going rate is $7-$8 to the red-light district but many drivers will try to charge you $10, $15, even $20. I’d definitely avoid the $20 sharks.

But there’s another option that’s better in my opinion. And that’s a free shuttle service provided by Hong Kong, TJ’s largest and most popular strip club. They have a lengthy limo as well as a SUV. To get to the shuttle office after entering TJ, about halfway down the walkway to the rolling gates is a gravel parking lot. That’s where the limo and/or SUV will be waiting. If neither is there, the lot attendant will guide you to the shuttle office, which is on the other side of the lot (not a big lot BTW). There you can wait for the shuttle. I tip the driver $2. And the same shuttle will bring you back to the border once you’re done.

Uber is another possibility to get to the Zona Norte.

ZONA NORTE

Welcome to the Zona Norte, home of Tijuana’s famous red-light district. Don’t get me wrong, the area overall is rough and sketchy, and you’ll notice that on the way to the clubs. But the red-light area itself is generally safe. The red-light boundaries are Calle Coahulia to the north, Avenue Constitucion to the east, C. Ninos Heroes to the west, and Calle Premiera to the south. It’s a tight, compact area with several strip clubs and bars.

And right in the middle is an alley: Premier Callejon Coahuila. Here you will find several clubs: Gold Palace, La Carreta, and La Malquerida to name a few. You’ll see several ladies standing in the alley dressed sexily. These are streetwalkers (or paraditas as they’re called in Latin America) and they provide services for low prices. Typically they work out of rundown motels located in the red-light area.

As mentioned, Hong Kong (located on Calle Coahulia) is the area’s biggest and most popular club. It has four floors and several stages, plus it has a huge auxiliary area that opens on weekends. There are hundreds of girls working every day. Some are drop-dead gorgeous and could pass for supermodels. Most are average, but even the majority of those look better than many of their American peers. The music played there is mostly hip-hop and pop.

Hong Kong also operates a large hotel, Cascadas. It has nine floors and is located directly next to the club. Moreover, Hong Kong owns and operates the Las Chavelas bar (next door to HK - in fact they’re connected via a walkway so you can go back and forth between the two), the Bar Tropical, and the Hotel Rizo de Oro. Tropical and Rizo are on Coahulia across the street from HK.

East of HK on Constitucion and just north of Coahulia is HK’s biggest competitor, the Chicago Club. The quantity of girls is not the same as HK, but the quality is good and getting better. Other clubs you can find girls dancing are the La Gloria on the corner of Coahulia and Constitucion, Odisea on Constitucion between Coahuila and the Premier Callejon, and Dulce and Gabbana (D&G) across the street from Rizo on Ninos Heroes.

Tijuana’s oldest club, Adelita Bar, is also on Coahuila. However, it’s been closed for almost two years because the management reportedly used underage girls to dance. Recently, the ownership was forced to relinquish the club to another group. At this time, it’s unclear whether Adelita will reopen again. Before it closed, it was HK’s main competitor.

COST

Depending on which club you go to, a beer (cerveza) costs between $4 and $6. At the smaller clubs, you can sometimes get two beers for the price of one. If you buy a lady a drink, it’ll cost $10 ($11 at HK).

NOTE: be careful at HK when you order a lady’s drink (ficha). The mesero (waiter) will try to scam you into buying a wine ficha, which costs $33. Don’t fall for it. Ask the lady what she wants to drink. If she ask for wine, politely refuse. Give her a couple of dollars for a tip and send her on her way. To me, it’s a scam designed to drain more money out of us faster.

The highlight of an outing in the red-light area? Having sex (arriba) with a stripper. Most of the ZN clubs will charge you $100 for 45 minutes to an hour (depends on the spot), but there are several HK girls who will charge $120 or $150, particularly the better-looking ones. Personally, I wouldn’t pay more than $120. It’s important that we try to hold the line as much as possible so we keep arriba costs reasonable. I understand inflation has caused some prices to go up, but we can’t let costs get too far out of hand - sometimes there’s nothing wrong with saying no if a girl wants to charge $150 or $200.

Arribas take place in a hotel room generally associated with a club. However, there is some flexibility. If you’re staying at the Cascadas, you can bring a girl from Tropical to your room. If you’re at the Rizo, you can bring a HK girl over.

Paraditas (streetwalkers) charge much lower rates, anywhere between $20 and $50, plus a small room fee of $5. But it’s important for you to let her know exactly what you are looking for and negotiate before you commit. For example, she may charge more if you want her to be nude or do anal on her. She’ll also ask for more money if you take her to your room in Cascadas or Rizo instead of her designated motel room.

If you’re a first-time visitor, I suggest you stay at either the Cascadas or Rizo. Both have plenty of security and are within easy walking distance of the clubs. I like the Rizo myself because it’s quieter than Cascadas. Then again, with Cascadas, you are right in the middle of everything. It’s up to you.

I also recommend getting a VIP card. A VIP card from HK is $70, Tropical VIP cards are $50. Each lasts for three months and provide several discounts. For example, if you book a room at either the Cascadas (HK) or Rizo (Tropical) for Monday and Tuesday nights, you’ll get 70% off the price. The VIP cards also save you money on room service and restaurant meals and allow you one free drink from the club every 12 hours.

TIPPING: Tip the club meseros or meseras (waitresses) a dollar or two time they bring your drinks; they appreciate it. Also a dollar or two for dancers you like.

SPANISH TRANSLATION: while it would help greatly if you know a few Spanish words and phrases, knowing the language is not a requirement for Tijuana. Much of the bar staff and managers in HK/TB, Chicago Club, Hotel Cascadas, and Hotel Rizo de Oro have a fairly good command of English. Some of the HK/BT and Chicago girls do as well.

However, many of the people you will meet speak little or no English. How do you overcome this language barrier? Install the Google Translate app on your phone. It allows you to speak your words, which are translated into English. The other person can then speak in Spanish, and the app will interpret their words.

In addition, one of our most decorated Tijuana mongers, @RonJax2, has created a monger’s guide to Spanish: https://tuscl.net/article/60222

It shows you common phrases used when flirting with the girls or dealing with staff, along with translation.

SAFETY: While away from the red-light district Zona Norte is tough, there is always a ton of security in the red-light district itself. Local, state, and federal police have a large presence, and rare is the instance where something bad like a shooting or stabbing happens. Yes, Tijuana has a violent reputation worldwide, but the fact is that the vast majority of crime and shootings take place in areas away from the central tourist districts - Zona Centro, Zona Rio, and the red-light area.

That said, I have been seeing recent reports of Tijuana’s municipal (not the state or federal) police officers shaking down mongers inside the red-light area. They accuse them of committing criminal activity and ask for some money to dismiss the charges. We’re not talking about a lot of money; at least $20 or so. Still, it’s disconcerting hearing that.

A tip I learned a while ago from veteran TJ mongers is this: if you get stopped by cops who are trying to get a bribe, calmly tell them to take you to their sergeant or nearest police station. More often than not, they’ll let you go when you make that request. Also, if you are searched, always hold your money in your hand. This way, they don’t have a chance to take money out of your wallet when they check your pockets.

Another way to avoid becoming a target for police? Don’t get intoxicated with alcohol or be under the influence of drugs. If they see you acting erratically, they know you’re not thinking clearly and you become a mark. Staying sober and/or limiting your alcohol intake helps. And always treat the locals with respect. Don’t be that obnoxious American tourist who brings unwanted attention to himself by behaving stupidly in a foreign country. Never argue or get into fights with locals.

One more thing. Stay within the tourist areas - the red-light district, Zona Centro, or Zona Rio - especially if you don’t speak Spanish. Just about any other TJ neighborhood is not all that welcoming to gringos. These areas are filled with cartel members and you would definitely stick out like a sore thumb - and become a target.

SUMMARY

To wrap this up, going to Tijuana for sexual escapades can be a lot of fun if you know the basics that I talked about. If you stay clean and sober, if you treat everyone with respect, and if you stay within the relative safety of the red-light district, you should have an enjoyable time.

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