PostOpTrip

Companion guide · Tijuana

Things to do in Tijuana while your partner recovers

You came to look after someone, and you have 5 to 10 days with long quiet stretches. Here is how to split them: short outings you can share, the things your patient has to skip, and a day trip for when they are resting.

Your job on the trip

  • Be there for the clinic appointments and the first night after the procedure.
  • Carry the bags. After most surgery, lifting is off the list for weeks.
  • Keep fluids, medicines from the clinic and the clinic's phone number to hand.
  • Know where the nearest pharmacy is. Pharmacies are on every block in Zona Río and Centro, and several chains keep 24-hour branches.
  • Emergency number: 911 for ambulance, police and fire.

Short outings to share

Seated, short and close to the clinic districts. Most fit the early recovery days. Check each day's rules in the patient's guide.

  • CECUT cultural centre and dome cinema

    Tijuana's cultural centre, with the Museum of the Californias and a dome-screen cinema. Indoors and seated.

    Gentle walking, indoors, about 2 hours

    Open in Maps

  • Playas de Tijuana seafront and the border wall

    A flat seafront walk to where the border fence runs into the Pacific, covered in murals.

    Gentle walking, some open-air walking, about 1.5 hours

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  • Lucha libre night

    Masked wrestling at the municipal auditorium. Seated, loud and crowded.

    Seated, indoors, about 3 hours

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  • Plaza Río mall

    Air-conditioned shops, cafés and a cinema next to the clinics in Zona Río.

    Gentle walking, indoors, about 2 hours

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  • Pasaje Rodríguez art alley

    A covered passage of murals, galleries and small cafés off Avenida Revolución.

    Gentle walking, shaded or covered, about 1 hour

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Things to do on your own

Your patient has to skip these on most days, so they are ideal while they rest.

  • Valle de Guadalupe wine tour

    Mexico's wine country, about 90 minutes south, with tastings at several wineries.

    Gentle walking, some open-air walking, about 9 hours

    See times and prices

  • Avenida Revolución walk

    The main tourist street: shops, arches and street life. Busy and in the sun.

    A few hours on foot with breaks, some open-air walking, about 2 hours

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  • Guided walk: Revolución, Mercado Hidalgo and CECUT

    A three-hour small-group walk that ends in the food district.

    A few hours on foot with breaks, some open-air walking, about 3 hours

    See times and prices

  • Mercado Hidalgo

    The city's traditional market: fruit, chillies, candy and taco stalls.

    Gentle walking, some open-air walking, about 1.5 hours

    Open in Maps

  • Telefónica Gastro Park

    Food trucks and craft beer around an open-air courtyard in the evening.

    Gentle walking, shaded or covered, about 2 hours

    Open in Maps

  • Seafood tostada stands

    Ceviche, shrimp and octopus piled on crunchy tostadas at the city's mariscos stands.

    Gentle walking, shaded or covered, about 1 hour

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  • Tijuana tacos and craft beer tour

    Taco stands and breweries across the city.

    A few hours on foot with breaks, some open-air walking, about 5 hours

    See times and prices

  • Puerto Nuevo lobster and Ensenada

    Lobster village lunch and the Ensenada boardwalk on a long coastal day.

    Gentle walking, some open-air walking, about 10 hours

    See times and prices

  • Rosarito beach

    A wide surf beach 40 minutes south with beach bars.

    Gentle walking, mostly in full sun, about 5 hours

    Open in Maps

A day trip, if you have a free day

  • Valle de Guadalupe wine tour

    Mexico's wine country, about 90 minutes south, with tastings at several wineries.

    Gentle walking, some open-air walking, about 9 hours

    See times and prices

Long days away are best on a day when your patient is comfortable and has no appointment.

Where to eat

  • Caldo de res or caldo de pollo. Beef or chicken broth with soft vegetables, at any fonda. Let it cool after dental work.
  • Tamales. Steamed corn dough with soft fillings, sold in the mornings from street carts and bakeries.
  • Licuados. Fruit and milk smoothies from juice stands. Drink from the cup, not a straw, after dental work.
  • Flan and arroz con leche. Mexico's soft desserts, sold in bakeries and fondas.
  • Caesar salad at its birthplace. The Caesar salad was invented on Avenida Revolución. Ask for it without croutons if you need soft food.
  • Fish and shrimp tacos. Baja-style tacos in Zona Río stands, with soft corn tortillas.
  • Birria tacos with consomé. Slow-stewed meat in a dipped, griddled tortilla. Rich and often spicy.
  • Churros. Hot fried dough with sugar, from street carts. Crunchy.
  • Craft beer on Plaza Fiesta. A cluster of small breweries in Zona Río.

Recovery guides for Tijuana

Pharmacy and clinic map: Tijuana

Clinic districts

  • Zona Río. Most dental and bariatric clinics, hospitals and recovery hotels. Clinics · Pharmacies
  • Zona Centro. Avenida Revolución, markets and older dental offices. Clinics · Pharmacies
  • Playas de Tijuana. The seafront, the border wall murals and quieter hotels. Clinics · Pharmacies

Pharmacies and emergencies

Pharmacies are on every block in Zona Río and Centro, and several chains keep 24-hour branches.

Emergency: 911 for ambulance, police and fire.

Find the nearest hospital emergency department