15 things to do and see in Tecate, Baja California

Famous for the brewery that bears his name and for its delicious breads, in Tecate, Baja California, you will find a wide range of activities and places to visit. So it is an excellent option when deciding where you want to travel.

Read on to discover what to do in Tecate during your next vacation. We will give you tips on which restaurants to visit and the dishes you can eat to enjoy an unforgettable experience in Pueblo Mágico, as it is also known.

Top 15 things to do in Tecate, Baja California:

1. Try the delicious Tecate bread

In Tecate you will find a wide variety of freshly made breads, both sweet and savory, which are characteristic for their flavor.

The breads made in Tecate are famous for their smooth texture, a product of the minerals found in the region’s water. These minerals benefit the yeast, giving it its unique flavor.

**2. Take a tour of the Tecate Brewery**

The famous Tecate beer originated in this municipality, which has been operating since 1932. In its brewery you can take guided tours and taste the product. These tours available from Monday to Friday.

In 1954 Tecate was acquired by Cervecería Cuauhtémoc, which promoted the sale of beer throughout the country.

3. Visit the Sacred Mount Cuchumá

Rising above 1,520 meters, the top of Mount Sacred Cuchumá (meaning “old warrior”) is the most emblematic site of the Kumiai community and is part of Mexico’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.

This hill is located between the municipality of Tecate and the United States. Certain ceremonies were performed there and it is the place of origin of many myths and legends of the Kumiai culture.

In the surroundings you will find a large number of caves and beautiful waterfalls. At present, a parade is held annually that starts from the Valle de las Palmas to Cuchumá.

4. Learn at the Tecate Community Museum (Museo Kumiai)

This museum thoroughly details the history and natural heritage of Tecate. Through interactive guides, you will learn about the three parts into which its history is divided: prehistory and history of the Kumiai people, the time of the ranches and the present of Tecate.

The museum has permanent exhibitions, where you will learn about the lifestyle of the Kumiai, ethnobotanical gardens and craft shops.

5. Admire the cave paintings of El Vallecito

El Vallecito is an archaeological site that is located near the town of Tecate. Here you will find some beautiful cave paintings, craft centers and production centers for traditional ceramic pieces.

This beautiful place has impressive scenes of giant rocks with incredible viewpoints, from where you can admire its imposing beauty and take the photos you want so that you always remember that magical moment.

Read our guide on the 15 best things to do and see in Baja California Norte

6. Get to know the Institute of Culture of Tecate

The Tecate Institute of Culture’s main goal is to present and promote the cultural heritage of the municipality.

It is made up of a multipurpose room, where conferences, talks, exhibitions, art galleries, concerts and book presentations are held.

7. Spend an afternoon at the Tecate Railroad Station

The station was built in 1915 and restored in 2003. In its beginnings, it connected with the cities of Yuma and San Diego (United States) and is an important part of the industrial development of Tecate.

Today you can enjoy tours that depart from Campo California or Tijuana to Tecate.

8. Visit the Rancho la Puerta Tecate

Come relax at the Rancho La Puerta Resort Spa.

In it you will find health and beauty centers, attended by therapists and specialists who offer services such as treatment with medicinal herbs, river stone therapy, holistic therapy, facial exfoliation, mud therapy, cooking classes, sculpture and much more.

Rancho La Puerta also has villa-type rooms, in case you want to stay a few days to enjoy Tecate.

9. Get to know the La Rumorosa Wind Farm

This park is located a few hours from the Municipality of Tecate, just before reaching the town of La Rumorosa.

The La Rumorosa Wind Farm offers tours where they will explain the benefits of its buildings for the environment.

This park began operations on January 13, 2010. It has five giant wind turbines, with the capacity to supply energy to more than seventeen thousand people, but at the moment it only feeds public lighting.

10. Visit Camp Alaska

This former military barracks is located in La Rumorosa. It was built between 1923 and 1929 by the then state governor, Abelardo L. Rodríguez, to house the General Staff and its troops.

Currently it works as a museum where samples of regional history and geographical expressions of the region are exhibited.

11. Marvel at the clay crafts of Tecate

Your visit can’t be complete if you don’t take home one of Tecate’s clay handicrafts.

These crafts are a work of art and boast a wide variety of figures and representations carved by hand with great quality.

You can find them at the different entrances to Tecate or at the Cerro Azul artisan bazaar, at the North Gate of the Wine Route, during the weekends.

Read our guide on the 15 best things to do in La Paz, Baja California Sur

12. Meet La Rumorosa

La Rumorosa is a town belonging to the municipality of Tecate, Baja California. It is located near Mexicali and within the Sierra Juárez.

The road that crosses this area reaches up to 1000 meters at its highest point. It has viewpoints at various points, from where you can see a landscape full of vertiginous curves and rocks of volcanic origin.

Here you can also find the El Vallecito archaeological site, the Alaska Field and the Wind Farm (mentioned in previous lines).

13. Meet restaurants in Tecate – What to eat in Tecate?

There is a great variety of typical restaurants in Tecate where you can delight your taste. In Polokotlán you will find the most emblematic dishes of Mexico, such as Yucatecan tuniches, chapulín tacos, mini blue corn toast or chiles en nogada.

Amores is another good restaurant. Here the menu is constantly changing according to the season. In this way, it offers you a wide variety of Mexican dishes that you can accompany with a delicious and complete wine from the region.

14. Recreate yourself in Los Encinos Park

This recreational space, with capacity for 2,000 people, has huge green areas (full of local vegetation) and an open-air theater where you can enjoy different recreational and cultural events.

15. Visit the Los Llanos Canyon

It is located 72 kilometers from Tecate. It is easily accessible from the highway that goes from Tecate to Mexicali.

For those who love adventure tourism, this site is a paradise that also has great beauty.

The highest walls of the canyon exceed 100 meters in height and have a stream that, when descending, forms caves and beautiful waterfalls.

The landscape is full of pines and oaks with an environment very similar to that of the Sierra Juárez. This makes it ideal for hiking, abseiling, mountain biking, mountain climbing, and camping.

Why is Tecate a Magic Town?

Tecate earned recognition as a “Magic Town” by the federal government’s Secretary of Tourism thanks to the importance of its traditions, gastronomy and social events, coupled with its sites of great archaeological importance.

It is a picturesque town full of colonial architecture and surrounded by mountains, trees and rivers, ideal for healthy tourism.

Now you know what to do in Tecate, Baja California. So do not hesitate to visit this beautiful and magical.