No wonder Tecate has been named a Pueblo Magico, or magical town, by Mexico's Secretary of Tourism. That title only goes to places that offer scenic beauty, cultural riches and intriguing history.
Just passing through, you get a sense of peace and pleasantness, and you want to linger.
The main plaza (at top) is filled with leafy trees, promising a cool place to relax in the shade. Nearby Mt. Kuchumaa, revered by the indigenous Kumiai as a sacred mountain, sends positive vibrations. There it is (above) as seen from the grounds of the spa Rancho La Puerta.
You can learn more about the Kumiai at the Tecate Community Museum, where a small Kumiai style building presents their traditions and lifestyle. Wanderers who didn't care much about clothing, at least in the past (above), they searched for pine nuts and ground acorns into a staple food.
There's much more to eat in Tecate today. It's the home of a famous bakery, which boasts about the quality of its bread in its name, El Mejor Pan de Tecate (The Best Bread of Tecate).
The line to buy bread and pastries there is always very long.
Beer drinkers will head to the Tecate brewery, which looms over the town like a sudsy monument. Founded in 1944, it is now owned by Heineken.
You can take a tour there, but don't touch. Those cans are hurtling by at breathtaking speed. There's a beer garden outside, however. At the end of a hot afternoon, it was nice to have an icy Heineken, bottled in Veracruz.
I stayed at the Estancia Inn, an 89-room motel that suits the rustic atmosphere of the town. Its restaurant, El Mezquite (above), fits that mood too. Rather than clever contemporary food, it puts out the hearty dishes that local people like. You can get Sonora beef steaks, grilled chicken, bacon-wrapped shrimp, flank steak fajitas and red or green enchiladas. Hamburgers and pizza too.
Who wouldn't like this assortment of grilled foods? It includes a little of everything----flank steak, chicken, shrimp, bright red chorizo, onions, queso fresco, yellow chiles and bowls of spicy beans.
El Mezquite has a few fancier dishes, such as beef tenderloin with chocolate and Cabernet Sauvignon sauce; three cheese-stuffed chicken with poblano chile sauce, and, for dessert, this tiramisu. Each serving of tiramisu has a different chocolate motif on top.
When you're ready to go home, you'll be happy that the California border is right there, at the edge of town (above). On a Friday at noon, it took only about 20 minutes to cross.
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