It’s the beginning of a new year, and I thought I’d take time to issue an updated version of my beginner’s guide to Tijuana that I first wrote about three years ago and then amended a year later. This version, like the other two, tells TJ newbies how to get to there, the area setup, and safety tips. So, without further ado, away we go:
GETTING TO TIJUANA
Tijuana is located just south of the U.S.-Mexico border, about 20 miles from downtown San Diego. The border crossing is one of the busiest, if not the busiest, in the country, in terms of both pedestrian and vehicular traffic. More of that later.
Most guys who go to TJ are coming from other U.S. cities, so flying to San Diego is the best way for doing this. Virtually all the major carriers fly to San Diego International Airport, with flights starting early in the morning and ending late at night (though it is not 24 hours; there are no flights in or out overnight).
Also, it’s come to my attention that American Airlines has a few daily flights from Phoenix directly into TJ. It’s the only U.S. carrier I’m aware of that’s providing service there. So that’s another possibility.
Once arriving in SD, there are a few ways to get to the border crossing in San Ysidro:
- taxicab: probably the most expensive option. I understand a typical taxi ride costs $60-$70. I have never used a taxi in SD, but have heard from other mongers who said that’s what they paid.
- Uber or Lyft: the rideshare services are not as expensive as taxis. Depending on the time of day, fares range between $30 and $40.
- but in my opinion, the best and most economical way to get to San Ysidro from the airport is public transportation. The San Diego MTS runs bus route #992 between the airport and downtown, which is a 10-15 minute ride. When arriving downtown, alight the bus at the America’s Plaza stop. You’ll then walk across the street to the America’s Plaza station, where you will board a Blue Line trolley train. The train has signs that display “San Ysidro International Border”, you can’t miss it. It takes about 10-15 minutes for the trolley to make it through downtown waiting for vehicles to clear intersections, but once past 12th and Imperial - considered the final downtown stop, the pace picks up, and you’ll be at the border in another 20-30 minutes. Cost is $2.50 each way; there is a free transfer to the trolley (and the bus on the return trip).
If you live in So Cal (basically the LA and SD metro areas), getting to TJ is far easier. All you do is drive down I-5 to the final exit before the border. There you have several parking lots by the border crossing available for hourly use, with some being available for daily use too.
No matter what method you use, the end point is the San Ysidro border pedestrian crossing. There are actually two of them: PedEast and PedWest. The main one is PedEast. In San Ysidro at the end of the Blue Line trolley there is a huge McDonald’s - not long after passing it, a walkway slants upwards towards the border pedestrian checkpoint house.
(I should note that you do have the option of driving into Tijuana. If you have Sentri, it’ll save you time at the checkpoint.)
OBTAINING PESOS
To be honest, virtually every business in TJ accepts U.S. dollars. But if you would like to get pesos (the Mexican currency), I would suggest getting them BEFORE you enter Mexico. The reason why is that you get a more favorable exchange rate in the States than you would in Mexico. Currently, the exchange rate is just shy of 18 pesos (MXN) for every dollar (depending on the exchange rate table you use - most are between 17.80 and 17.90 pesos). Usually, I exchange about $100 or so, but not more than that.
ENTERING TIJUANA
When going up the walkway past McDonald’s, you’ll see a pair of rolling gates beneath a sign in steel letters that say “MEXICO”. Once you go through those gates, there’s no turning back - you’re now in Mexico for all intents and purposes.
After you pass through the rolling gates, you’re inside the checkpoint house. There are two lines: one for Mexican citizens and one for foreigners. You’ll get into the foreigners line. Not long ago, it was easier to get into the country; the border agent would quickly look at your passport and as long as it was valid, they would just wave you in. But now, they carefully examine the passport, ask how long you plan on being in Mexico, and the purpose of your visit. I always say I am on vacation (you don’t need to be specific about why you’re going to TJ, though I suspect many agents sense why). Or you can say you are there to meet friends. The point is, you will get in.
The agent will fill out and give you a form called FMM. It’s basically a visa that allows you to stay in Mexico for up to 7 days - it is free. Upon your return into the US, you are supposed to hand over the FMM back to the Border Patrol agent, but I have never been asked for one, though I always keep mine just in case. After getting the FMM, you will be able to pass.
Inside the checkpoint house there are two x-ray machines, the same types you see at airports. You’ll put any luggage on the ramps and it’ll be scanned. If all goes well, you’re good to go. Just don’t bring any drugs, weapons, or anything else illegal.
Once retrieving your luggage, you’ll go outside and down another walkway, this time towards Tijuana proper. At the end of the walkway is another pair of rolling gates, and once you pass through, you are officially in TJ.
GETTING TO ZONA NORTE
Tijuana’s Zona Norte is the area where the vast majority of the brothel clubs are located; it’s not far from the border. (NOTE: while it is possible to walk, walking is something that I do NOT recommend as the possibility of getting robbed significantly increases, especially if you are by yourself.) There are plenty of taxis waiting after you pass through the gates that are willing to take you to the Zona Norte; they used to cost $5 not long ago, but these days the going rate seems to be $10 - though if you’re lucky you can still get a ride for $7-$8. Don’t be afraid to haggle over the price; just be firm but polite when doing so.
There are also small buses (calafias) that go from the border to downtown, which is just outside Zona Norte. The cost is 50-75 cents - very reasonable. You take the bus to Avenue Constitución, then walk up 2-3 blocks to the red-light district. Moreover, there’s the option of using Uber to get to ZN from the border.
ZONA NORTE RED-LIGHT DISTRICT
The Zona Norte red-light district is bordered by Calle Coahuila on the north, Calle Primera on the south, Avenue Constitución on the east, and Avenue C Ninos Heroes on the west. This is where the vast majority of the strip clubs (they’re really brothels, as I will explain shortly) are located.
By far, Hong Kong Gentlemen’s Club is Zona Norte’s crown jewel; in fact, it’s the top-rated club here on TUSCL. It is a gigantic facility with four floors and is always well-populated, especially on the weekends. On Friday and Saturday nights, HK opens up a spacious auxiliary facility adjacent to the main building to handle the overflow crowds.
Las Chavelas, once a stand-alone bar next door to HK, is now connected. This bar features bands playing traditional Mexican music virtually every night and is a stark contrast to HK, which has DJs that play largely hip-hop and rock.
But HK is more than a club, it’s an empire. In addition to its’ own club, it owns and operates Tropical Bar, which is across the street on Coahuila, as well as Hotel Cascadas (next door to HK) and Hotel Rizo de Oro (next door to Tropical).
Chicago Club, located on Constitución just north of Coahuila, is another popular spot in ZN. Then there are several smaller clubs like La Caretta, La Gloria, Gold Palace, Dulce and Gabbana, Odisea, and La Malquerida.
I should note that there is an alley square in the middle of the red-light district called Premier Callejón Coahuila. This is where you will find La Caretta, La Malquerida, and Gold Palace. There are also ladies in the alley who are provocatively dressed. They are prostitutes, or paraditas, who provide sexual services for inexpensive prices. Yes, prostitution is LEGAL in Mexico.
COST
Not long ago, sex (arriba) could be had with a ZN club girl for $60 or $80, usually for every 30-45 minutes. Today, between $100-$120 seems to be the going rate at most places. Based on recent reviews, several girls at HK will try to charge $150, even $200. I personally would pay no more than $120; in my opinion, we need to hold the line and negotiate in a respectful manner with the girls. There’s never anything wrong with walking away from a girl who refuses to negotiate - there are plenty of other options available that will agree to your price. Bottom line, try to keep costs reasonable for the next guy.
If you decide to take a HK girl for arriba, you’ll get a room at Cascadas; the cost is $40. It’s also $40 to take a girl at Tropical to a room at Rizo de Oro, and $30 to take a Chicago girl to a room at the Hotel Jalos.
Before even deciding on whether or not to do arriba, it’s helpful to buy the girl a drink (ficha) or two. Her drink costs $11 or $12 depending on the place. As for tipping etiquette with the meseros (waiters) or meseras (waitresses)? Always tip a dollar or two. Same with the washroom attendant and the robe guy (whenever you take a girl upstairs to the hotel for arriba, the valet puts a robe on her).
If you want to do arriba but don’t want to go upstairs to the hotel, each club has private VIP rooms. Cost is dependent on the club, but usually includes a bucket of five or ten small beers for the lady. Technically, arriba is not allowed in these rooms, but my history is that if you tip the mesero or mesera a few extra bucks, more often than not they’ll look the other way. Speaking of the meseras (waitresses), they are found in Chicago Club, La Gloria, La Malquerida, Odisea, La Caretta, and Gold Palace - I have never seen any in HK or Tropical. It’s been my experience that most of them (not all) are available for arriba; some of my better experiences have been with the waitresses.
SAFETY
While Tijuana is known for having a lot of crime including murders, the tourist areas - downtown (Zona Centro), Zona Rio, and the Zona Norte red-light district - are generally considered safe. The mafia and cartels wield their influence over the Zona Norte clubs, and there’s an unwritten rule that discourages criminal activity against visitors. They understand should a major incident that results in tourists getting hurt or killed take place, that’ll kill off a significant amount of revenue, which is something that they don’t want to happen.
Even so, the police heavily guard and protect the ZN. However, there have been reports of some officers shaking down gringos for bribes, especially if said gringos are in an intoxicated state. While no guarantee that you won’t get stopped and searched by police (I have never had it happen to me), there are things you can do to avoid becoming an easy target:
- do not get overly drunk or intoxicated. I mostly drink nonalcoholic beverages in the ZN, maybe an occasional beer or two along with a courtesy tequila shot at Chicago. But I stay in control of my drinking activities because I know how important it is to remain alert.
- do not dress like a tourist. Dress the way the locals would. In other words, wear clothes you would wear in a super casual setting - t-shirt or polo, jeans, and sneakers or loafers. Keep the expensive clothing, jewelry and shoes at home.
- act like you’ve been there before. If you walk around being unsure of your surroundings, you become an easy mark for both corrupt police officers and “quantos” guys. “Quantos” guys are basically drug dealers who work in the alley and yell, “quantos, quantos!” Under no circumstances should you communicate with them, if you offer you, just say “no, gracias”, and keep moving.
In the event you do get stopped by the police, be cooperative; don’t act like a jerk. In a firm yet polite manner, ask the officer why you are being frisked, then ask for the officer’s supervisor’s information. Again, I have never been in this situation, but I know a few guys who have. They did exactly what I just described and were able to get out of the spot with no arrests made and no money taken from them. They remained calm throughout, that’s important.
I’ll stress that the chances of you getting stopped by the police are low. Most officers I’ve come across in Tijuana have been great and have offered me helpful advice when it comes to safety. Among them: don’t go into non-tourist areas by yourself - you’re more likely to become a victim of crime if you do; don’t accept anything from strangers; and never walk alone at night from the Zona Centro or Zona Rio back to the red-light area - always use a taxi or Uber.
LEARNING SPANISH
While most club meseros and some club girls and meseras know some basic English, a lot don’t. Picking up a few basic Spanish words and phrases, along with installing Google Translate on your phone are helpful with communication. Also, @RonJax2, who is no longer here, has posted a beginner’s guide to Spanish:
This is a big plus, I strongly recommend reading it before you go.
CONCLUSION
I hope this guide helps you with planning your trip to Tijuana. If you use common sense, you’ll have a great time and will want to get back as soon as you can.
