Juarez

Juarez is a large Mexican city in the middle of the Chihuahuan Desert. It is named for 19th-century president and popular hero Benito Juarez, the first Mexican president of indigenous descent. Juarez is nowhere near the tropical Mexico with beautiful beaches and Aztec and Mayan culture many people expect. You will be more likely to encounter people resembling cowboys than any other vision of a Mexican one might have. This can be more charming and realistic than the culture of other locales that are not off the beaten path in Mexico.

However, special attention must be paid to criminal activity in Juarez, as well as the city and state of Chihuahua in general; there has been police corruption in the area, some incidents quite violent in nature as they pertain to the border area's prevalence in illegal drug and human trafficking. Also, visitors, especially females, should be aware of the sexual violence and murder rates amongst the female populace; since 1993, perhaps earlier, hundreds of women, most of them underpaid workers at sweatshops known as "maquiladoras," have been killed by persons unknown, their bodies found beaten, raped, tortured and murdered in and around Juarez. As most of the victims are local women, deemed by their killers and indeed quite often by those investigating their deaths to be disposable.

Foreign visitors should not have much to worry about as long as they follow common sense; if you avoid venturing out alone into suspicious areas of town, particularly after dark, making obvious your personal wealth to strangers, and staying well clear of any illegal activity, particularly involving drug purchase/smuggling, you should be fine. Just remember that Mexican police are notoriously lacking in concern for those whose activities are considered "high-risk". The U.S. Border Patrol can also be quite mercurial about these matters, and neither American nor Mexican prisons are very enticing places to spend one's vacation.

Juárez experienced over 2300 murders in 2019 (out of a population of 1.7 million). While many of the victims have been connected with drug trafficking, the random nature of this violence requires precaution.

Juárez is part of Mexico's zona frontera, and no visa or passport is required to enter from the United States. (A passport is required to enter the United States from Juárez.) Pedestrians are rarely stopped or asked for identification. Vehicles may be stopped at random: usually indicated by a red light at the border crossing. Your vehicle may be searched if stopped, and the most serious matter is to carry a firearm or ammunition without a permit to do so: even one spent shell casing may result in serious charges.

Highways exiting Juárez towards the Mexican interior have checkpoints that do require foreigners to present a visa. If you do not have one, you may fill out a tourist card at the checkpoint.

There is a public bus system in Juarez; however, it is not very easy to use and is often overlooked by tourists. In general, buses have their final destination on a board in the front window. They make frequent stops, and often run in close succession to one another; if you miss a bus, another of the same route is likely to appear in a matter of minutes. Many routes continue to run overnight: exercise extreme caution on buses at night and buses that go into poorly policed barrios of the city (especially to the west and south). Buses have been targeted in attacks, mainly aimed to collect protection money for route operators.

Taxis are abundant and inexpensive, but always ask for the ride fee and if possible ask two different drivers to get the best fare. Taxis are not metered, and initial fares may be given based on one's perceived ability to pay (a tourist or wealthier Mexican may be quoted a higher fare). However, most sites of touristic interest in Juarez can be reached by walking in the historic center. Upon arrival in Juarez, it is likely that most foreigners will be greeted by a plethora of taxi drivers offering to drive them to the market. While the market cannot be seen from the border crossing, it is a relatively short walk: after crossing the Santa Fe street bridge, walk down Avenida Juarez to 16 de Septiembre, turn left and then walk about seven blocks (street blocks are much smaller in Juarez than in neighboring El Paso).

Driving in Juárez, while less chaotic than in Mexico City, is not recommended for a casual visitor. While the lack of high-speed freeways means many accidents that happen in the central parts of the city are relatively minor, fender benders in Mexico may involve frustrating red tape. If you do drive in Juárez, make sure you have Mexican automobile insurance, as not having Mexican insurance may result in criminal charges and a visit to jail.

Most larger businesses have parking lots with attendants that will ask for a nominal fee (US$0.25, or M$2-3). Watch where you park; cars that are illegally parked on streets may have their license plates removed by a transit cop. The idea is to ensure you will pay the fine before leaving the country (and your plates should be returned after doing so). If this happens to you, the ticket should indicate where to pay your fine, should you chose to do so (you should be able to re-enter the United States in any event, but you may face some added complications with a missing plate).

If you ever get disoriented, one landmark that may help you out is the gigantic message made of whitewashed rock on a southwest 🌍 hill that reads "Cd Juarez La Biblia es la verdad, leela." ("The bible is truth, read it.") It is supposedly a contender for some sort of world record. Some even climb this, though it would be kind of ironic to get robbed on a hill that has been turned into a religious marquee.

• 🌍 Juarez Cathedral (Catedral de Ciudad Juárez). Neoclassicist cathedral built in the 1940s. 
• 🌍 Guadalupe Mission (Misión de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe), Av Vicente Guerrero. The oldest standing building in Juárez, from the 17th century. Continuously used by the Catholic Church, restored in 1970s. 
• 🌍 Benito Juárez Monument (Monumento a Benito Juárez). Commissioned by national subscription in 1906, restored in 1930 after the revolution, with fountains and flower beds. Elegant Porfirian structure. 
• 🌍 Monument to the Mexicanity (Monumento a la Mexicanidad). 
• 🌍 Chamizal Federal Public Park. Demarcates the bottomlands area that was the source of strained border relations between Mexico and the US because the Rio Grande shifted course, chamizal being the common scrub brush that was about the only thing going on there. There's also a small archeology museum on site, Museo de Arqueología e Historia de El Chamizal. 
• 🌍 Juan Gabriel's mansion, 16 de Septiembre 157A (downtown). 
• 🌍 Plaza de la Mexicanidad. Catch an outdoor event and take a striking photo of The X. 

• 🌍 Revolution in the Border Museum (Museo de la Revolución en la Frontera MUREF). Showcases the history of the Mexican Revolution and the history of Juarez. Large, well-presented museum close to the border crossing. Well worth a visit. Free. 
• 🌍 San Agustín Regional Museum (Municipio de Ciudad Juárez Museo Regional del Valle de Juárez), ☏ +52 656 621 4179. 
• 🌍 Samalayuca Dune Fields (Los Medanos). 
• 🌍 Museo de Arte de Ciudad Juárez, Av Benjamin Franklin y S Mejia (on northwest corner of Plaza of the Americas), ☏ +52 656 146 1630. Tu-Sa 10ː00-18ː00, may be open Su. Small art museum of paintings mostly, surrounded by a moat of dirty water outside. Just 100 m or so east at the junction of Av Abraham Lincoln and Av Benjamin Franklin, you'll find a statue of Abe himself. (updated Dec 2020)

Juarez is unlike many border towns in that it is a major city with over a million inhabitants. However, most foreign tourists will still enjoy the same elements of stereotypical Mexican culture that they do in other border towns such as Nogales, Tijuana, and Nuevo Laredo.

• Enjoy a drink at a patio cafe with some chips and salsa at reasonable prices.
• Shop the markets for typical Mexican wares.
• Attend a bullfight at the Plaza de Toros when in season.
• Drive through the city and enjoy the scenery.
• 🌍 The Tumbleweed Interactive Space, Blvd. Teófilo Borunda 6632 Jarudo, Del Nte, ☏ +52 656 257 0909. Sa-Su 11ː00-19ː00, M-F 09ː00-17ː00. Interactive museum sort of geared for the youngster with science and desert and local lore exhibits (e.g. dino skeleton reconstructions, archeology dig, prairie dog town, Old West set, visiting shows). Has food court. M$50. (updated Dec 2020)
• 🌍 Parque Central Hermanos Escobar. Daily 08ː00-21ː00. A rather intriguing city park in that it has a hodgepodge of giraffe, peacock, and ostrich enclosures, a dirty duck pond, and a cactus garden. But given that it's one of the few greenspaces in Cd Juarez, it is a good place to go to relax and exercise. (updated Dec 2020)
• 🌍 Paseo del Norte cultural center, Anillo Envolvente del Pronaf. Both indoor and outdoor events are hosted here. 
• Gambling – the city has many casinos. Most are within the more popular malls (Las Misiones, Plaza Sendero, Galerías Tec) or in high-transit and safe streets (Ejército Nacional, Blvd. Gómez Morín).
• 🌍 Estadio Olímpico Benito Juárez, Av. Heroico Colegio Militar 51, Chamizal, ☏ +52 656 612 7417. Built as a multi-purpose stadium, it is best known as the home field for Fútbol Club Juárez, a top-tier professional soccer team in the Liga MX. The stadium was built in 1981 and seats 19,700 cheering fans. (updated Apr 2024)

Typical Mexican souvenirs such as blankets, pottery, and trinkets themed in Mexican culture.

Make sure to haggle as it will be expected. If you act uninterested, or begin to walk away, you should get quoted a lower price. The merchants speak English and are constantly encountering Americans, so you will not seem very foreign to them if you are not Mexican yourself. Goods may range from kitschy trinkets to high quality artisan-made glassware, pottery, jewelry, leather goods, and woven cloth. Most markets also have good food and drink, and musical entertainment.

If one cannot live without US-style retail, Juarez has many shopping areas featuring familiar retailers such as Home Depot, Sears and Wal-Mart. Most US (and even some Canadian) banks have branches in Juarez as well.

• 🌍 Plaza de las Americas, Av. Benjamín Franklin 3220, ☏ +52 656 629 0853. Daily 09ː00-20ː00. A bit dated, but this mall features some restaurants, a movie theater, and ice rink, if you are craving the mall experience. (updated Dec 2020)
• 🌍 Happyland (Plaza Las Misiones), Blvd. Teófilo Borunda 8760. This seems to be the happening place for the mall life in Cd Juarez. Theater, gym, restaurants here. (updated Dec 2020)

• Juarez has a great selection of restaurants that specialize in authentic Mexican cuisine. The cuisine in Juarez is not very different from the food that is eaten on the other side of the Rio Grande in El Paso. A great dish to try for those not experienced in Mexican cuisine would be Steak Ranchero.
• Juarez also offers a very international selection including everything from great seafood at Los Arcos, incredible Chinese at Shangri-La, Brazilian at Fogueira, and the list continues. Try Maria Chuchena for a nice semi-expensive eclectic meal, afterwards walk out to La Cantera where you can find restaurant/bars to have a few drinks with the locals.
• There are also many small stores and carts that make tacos using fresh tortillas, vegetables, and your choice of several meats such as beef, chicken, pork, and chorizo (a spicy Mexican sausage). As long as you can see the meat being cooked you should feel fine eating this food, although it may be outside of some inexperienced travellers comfort levels. Tacos are served "by the order" and you should not expect to pay more than M$30 or US$3 for an order of 4.
• As Juarez is a major city there are some very nice steakhouses where you will be pampered by an exceptional waitstaff in a luxurious setting. However, expect to pay about half of what you would stateside. A delicious steak dinner with all the fixings can be had for around M$100, US$10.
• Try fine dining on Blvd. Tomás Fernández.

Don't forget the burritos.

Be aware that you can't drink in public places or in the street, ask before.

• Basically beer and tequila will be the alcoholic drinks of choice. Remember, although you are in Mexico, you are in the middle of the desert and not a beach resort so Piña Coladas and Strawberry Daiquiris are unlikely to be at your disposal. However due to the large amount of Texans crossing the border some places will have margaritas ready.
• Most people arrive in Mexico expecting Corona to be free flowing, but this beer is not really drunk in Mexico. If you are in a tourist place you will find Corona (Modelo is essentially the domestic version of Corona), but outside of touristy Juarez, the local beer Carta Blanca is the beer of choice. This beer is definitely worth a try as it is a favorite of the locals. The most popular beer with locals is a dark beer called "Indio" and for locals, other brands you can try are "Sol" or "XX lager". If you are thirsty, try a "Caguama" in a 1L bottle. "Victoria" beer is also a special treat, as it is never exported from Mexico.
• Visit the 🌍 Kentucky Bar, one of the oldest bars in Juarez, where many famous people like John Wayne, Steve McQueen, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and Jack Dempsey have walked out on all fours. Kentucky Bar is supposedly the birthplace of the Margarita and is across the Santa Fe bridge; it is only a few blocks down on the strip.
• For non-alcoholic tastes, try "horchata," a refreshing rice-based drink or "agua de jamaica," a sweet punch made from dried hibiscus flowers. "Licuados" or milkshakes are also very good.
• For those wishing not to partake in alcoholic beverages, stop in at any store with the words "La Michoacana" or any reference to "Michoacan" in its name. It sells fruit flavored ice creams, popsicles, and fruit flavored drinks that come in many flavors and are very refreshing under the hot desert sun.
• Even soft drinks such as Coca-Cola have a flavor in Mexico that sets them apart from their American counterparts: they use cane sugar and not corn syrup.

Juarez has its fair share of local and international hotels. However, many travellers will find it easier, and much safer, to spend the night across the Rio in El Paso, as it is a large American city with all the usual American services.

• 🌍 Fiesta Inn Ciudad Juárez, Paseo Triunfo de la República 3451, ☏ +52 656 686 0700. (updated Apr 2015)
• 🌍 Hotel Santa Fe Juarez, Calle Tlaxcala 268, ☏ +52 656 207 1767. A cheaper hotel, close to the border crossing. (updated Apr 2015)
• 🌍 Hotel Lucerna Ciudad Juárez, Av. Paseo Triunfo de la República 3976, ☏ +52 656 629 9900. A fairly modern hotel tower with inviting circular pool, spa, and big breakfast. Kind of spendy though. M$1292. (updated Dec 2020)
• 🌍 Hotel Maria Bonita Consulado Americano, Av. Paseo de la Victoria 4451 (across from Happyland), ☏ +52 656 406 6400. This hotel is highly stylized in Mexican colonial architecture, though it kind of looks like an Embassy Suites. It has a pool and complimentary breakfast, wifi, and a/c. M$974. (updated Dec 2020)

The crime situation in the state of Chihuahua is of concern. Though authorities in Ciudad Juárez and El Paso have tried to curb underage drinking, the downtown districts fill with intoxicated club and bar patrons at night, many of these patrons being under 21 and sometimes under 18. A drunken fight or barroom confrontation can escalate into serious violence, so be careful. High-end clubs will very openly discriminate against anyone who looks like "trouble" (shaved heads, tattoos, gang clothing, or even a working-class appearance), and despite this type of profiling, these venues cannot guarantee your safety as well.

At times, there will be suspicious activity in high-end clubs and bars. If you see this going on, turn the other way. In traditional Mexican bars or cantinas, unaccompanied women may be seen as "fair game" or may even be rather unwelcome: bars known as "ladies bars" are more accepting and tolerant of female patrons.

If you are in a nightclub or bar, be very cautious when other men or women approach you. They may be friendly, very good looking, and professional. They can gain your trust easily by inviting you to their table for drinks, or a smoke where you would meet their other "friends." Do not be fooled by this; chances are they are expecting to get you intoxicated, and as a team they will attempt to discreetly steal your valuables. This is a way certain groups related to the drug cartel and/or local gangs operate. They will then sell your stolen valuables in electronics or jewelry stores where they would get a commission of the sale. Hot items are cell phones (#1), watches, and cash. They will even invite you to their place or not mind staying over with you. Do not be fooled if they are very clean and good, and/or rich looking. Once your valuables are gone, they're gone. Always travel with a trustworthy friend.

While sampling Mexican beer and tequila is highly recommended for a tourist, it is probably wise to avoid heavy drinking in an unfamiliar border city. It is also best to keep a close watch on drinks in nightclubs, as they may be laced with date rape drugs by strangers, in order to initiate a robbery.

Juárez is patrolled by the Mexican army in an attempt to crack down on crime. Mexican military personnel are generally professional (in comparison to the police), if intimidating with their automatic weapons.

Stop at any roadblocks. Driving through a checkpoint may result in gunfire. Juarez municipal police are to be avoided, as most are tied to criminal gangs and engage in extortion, kidnapping, rape and contract murder. Federal police are perhaps just as corrupt, but are less likely to engage in "petty" crime directed at tourists. If you are in danger, actual military personnel are the best option.

Juarez is notorious for police setting up traps to pull over motorists or, sometimes, question people leaving bars and clubs. This is done so "mordidas" or bribes are offered. While bribes are widespread, a US$20 bill may not get you out of any situation (especially with military agents). Most police officers will at least go through the formality of writing a ticket, asking questions, or writing a report before any "arrangement" takes place.

If for some unfortunate reason you are eyewitness to public violence and/or shootouts (as many in Juarez have been), immediately follow what everyone around you is doing. The people of Juarez have the routine down to a T, and it will behoove you to follow everyone else. If alone, look for cover under cars, in alleyways, garbage cans, wherever. Do not knock on a random house or business; many of these lock their doors during gunfire exchanges and open them for no one. Do not record or photograph any violence or any suspicious behavior. Sicarios, or hitmen, have absolutely no scruples and won't hesitate to assassinate any person they suspect of playing for the other side.

One serious word of caution: Do not be caught with any type of weapon in Mexico. This can include a small pocket knife, or even ammunition or bullet casings. American motorists have been jailed for driving into Mexico with spent ammunition casings in their car trunk.

In the early 2010s, the situation changed dramatically in Ciudad Juarez. The police started patrolling the streets again. The homicide rate fell from 3,500 in 2010 to 311 in 2015. However, this does not mean you should feel completely safe. Continue to travel with caution, and expect the unexpected at any time.

Downtown is a mixture of safe and seedy areas during nighttime. Both the street of Av. Juárez and the neighborhoods surrounding it are the safest to be around at night. Oddly enough, the main streets are the ones that may be more unsafe at night. Small neighborhood streets are oftentimes lively with the activity of the residents – nowadays it's common to see people outside just hanging out, on a barbecue or other outdoor activities.

Avoid traveling south and southeast of the International Airport, outside of situations where you're leaving the city, going to Cerro Bola through Camino Real or to the Samalayuca Dunes. There really isn't anything noteworthy down there, and Valle de Juárez (the general name of the area) is the one hit most by remaining cartel violence.

If you feel unsafe in an area, it's best to trust your gut instinct and leave.

• Taking a drive eastboud along Mexican Federal Highway 2 is a fun drive that stops in many idyllic Mexican towns along the Rio Grande. You can escape the hustle and bustle of Juarez and slow down a little, as people expect to do in Mexico. (Note, the Valle de Guadalupe southeast of the city is one of the most violent drug war zones).
• You will need to have documentation in order to reenter the United States. The United States Government requires that all travelers entering the United States from all Mexican points of entry have a valid passport.