Tijuana and the Baja Peninsula Travel Guide

The early Spanish colonists believed Baja California to be an island and, after failing to find any great riches or to make much impact in converting the Indians, they left it pretty much alone. Aside from the many ancient cave paintings, there's little of historic interest beyond a few old mission centres, and almost all you see dates from the latter half of the twentieth century, in particular since Hwy-1 was opened in 1973. Development has continued apace: in the south new resorts are springing up all the time, while what in the early nineteenth century was simply Aunt Joanna's ranch (El Rancho de Tia Juana) became a border crossing in 1848 and has not looked back since: the westernmost point from Mexico City, Tijuana now ranks as Mexico's fourth city. Prohibition in the US was the biggest individual spur, but the city has never been slow to exploit its neighbour's desires, whether they be for sex, gambling or cheap labour.