Accross the Border
Upon entering any border market, the textures and aromas of leather and wicker fill the traveler’s senses. Vendors of all types line the streets with fine wooden carvings, leather goods, wicker baskets, tortilla holders, hammocks, cowboy hats and sombreros, ponchos and silver hand-made jewelry. Curio shops compete for the traveler’s attention with bright displays from Mexican artisans. Among the most popular items in any Mexican curio shop are the richly colored hand-woven blankets in a variety of patterns and fabrics. You’ll be surprised at how incredibly affordable these fine items are. Liquor shops and pharmacies are also popular stops with tourists.
REYNOSA
Long before the city of McAllen was even a gleam in anyone’s eye, almost 150 years ago, busy Spanish colonizers were establishing the pioneer community of Reynosa on the south bank of the Rio Grande. Now grown to a modern metropolis of 750,000, Reynosa is McAllen’s sister city on the Mexican side of the border, and a great place to spend a few hours bargain hunting, enjoying lunch or dinner at one of many fine restaurants, or simply relaxing with a tropical beverage at a simpatico watering hole. Most of the amigos you’ll find in Reynosa speak English. Shops and restaurants are within a block or two of the bridge, the main plaza is just a few blocks away, and pedestrian Hidalgo Street and the Zaragoza market are just beyond the plaza. HOT SPOTS: Trevino’s and the Imperial, both longtime curio shops and bars; Sam’s, La Fogata and La Cucaracha casual restaurants, and La Mansion for fine dining. Approx. 8 miles from McAllen.
NUEVO PROGRESO
Just a few miles south of Weslaco, the Mexican border town of Nuevo Progreso has several excellent restaurants sandwiched between rows of shops offering arts and crafts of all kinds, from all parts of the Republic. All of the stores and restaurants are within blocks of the bridge. This is a great place to take groups to experience the Mexican hospitality and ambience. HOT SPOTS: Garcia’s, Arturo’s and La Fogata Restaurants, El Disco and Canada’s are both gigantic stores full of all kinds of Mexican arts and crafts. Along with the many small stores and stands that line the streets with pharmacies, liquor stores, bakeries, candy stores, and family owned businesses. Approx. 30 miles from McAllen.
MONTERREY
While on the border is a tasty slice of Mexican life, Mexico’s interior can be a banquet! Monterrey is McAllen’s closest metropolitan city - on either side of the border - and Mexico’s third largest city. Just 150 miles distant, and a quick drive on the new autopista (toll road), Monterrey offers all of the attractions of a large bustling commercial city. Superb restaurants, four star hotels, excellent shopping, exciting historical sites, one of the largest public plazas in the world, breathtaking mountain scenery, world class museums, all combine to make the city a memorable side trip while you are in the Valley. HOT SPOTS: Governor’s Palace, Bishop’s Palace, Dulces Nombres Chapel, tour blown-glass factory, silver workshop, hike around Horsetail Falls, explore Museum of Modern Art and Museum of Monterrey. Play at Parque Plaza Sesamo, La Pastora Zoo and Gran Plaza, a 97 acre square surrounded by traditional markets as well as modern shopping centers. Approx. 150 miles from McAllen.
DISTANCES FROM McALLEN TO MEXICO CITIES
Monterrey - 150
Mexico City - 641
Guadalajara - 630
San Miguel de Allende - 548
Tampico - 305
Acapulco - 893
Veracruz - 762
Irapuato - 600
MEXICO TRAVELING TIPS
- The McAllen CVB has access and connections with most of the tourism offices in Mexico and is glad to offer our expertise in tour planning and accessing resources in those areas. We can obtain brochures and materials about most cities in Mexico.
- If you drive across, be sure to have Mexican insurance - easy to obtain and inexpensive on the US side.
- You won’t need a visa if you’re a U.S. or Canadian citizen, but bring along proof of citizenship just in case (voter’s registration or birth certificate).
- When visiting towns on the border, it is not necessary to exchange U.S. dollars for pesos; however, if you plan on venturing further into the interior it is recommended. Exchange houses can be found in McAllen.
- Several of our local tour operators offer motorcoach tours into the interior, form an overnight in Monterrey to two weeks in the Yucatan, and everything in between. They can be a valuable resource for you.
- Continental Airlines has a direct flight to Mexico City from McAllen, and from Mexico City anything is possible.
- Bus service to all points in the Republic leave from McAllen’s bus station on a regular basis.
HELPFUL CONTACTS
Mexican Consulate
600 S. Broadway, McAllen, TX 78501
956-686-0243
Monterrey CVB Avenue Fundidora
501 Cintermex Local 82, Ground Floor
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon 64010
011-52-818-354-1171
Casa McAllen Avenue Fundidora
501 Cintermex Local 104, First Floor
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon 64010
011-52-818-369-6452