Nightlife

It won't be difficult to find the bars offering cheap drinks and loud music, but Tijuana offers much more than that, if you know where to look. Just off Revolución is the all-night joint Dandy Del Sur, Calle 6 Flores Magón No. 2030 (tel. 664/688-0052); the tiny bar's status was secured when the Nortec Collective, the city's pioneering electronica band, named a song after the place. Across the street you'll find locals dancing away to salsa and other Latin rhythms at the dance-hall dive La Estrella; look for the white star. Also located on Sixth, between Revolución and Madera, is La Mezcalera (tel. 664/634-1980), a hipster mezcal bar and music club. In the Zona Río, a smorgasbord of clubs, bars, and restaurants is found in Plaza Pueblo Amigo, Vía Oriente and Paseo Tijuana; and Plaza Fiesta, Paseo de los Héroes 9415, making it easy to pick and choose the venue that's right for you. In Pueblo Amigo, you'll find an alternative dance party at Mofo Bar (tel. 664/683-5427; www.mofobar.com); there are more than a dozen choices at Plaza Fiesta, where the music ranges from reggae to Norteño and top draws include Sótano Suizo (tel. 664/684-8834; www.sotanosuizo.com), Monte Picacho (tel. 664/684-0705), and Berlin Bar (www.myspace.com/berlintijuana). You can also work up a sweat at the dance club Baby Rock, Av. Diego Rivera 1482, Zona Río (tel. 664/634-2404). Tijuana's gay bars can be found along Avenida Constitución, north of Calle 1.

Brewery, restaurant, and nightclub Cervecería Tijuana, Blvd. Fundadores 2951 (tel. 664/638-8662; www.tjbeer.com), will transport you to the beer halls of Prague, of all places. Everything in this wood-paneled tavern, located a few minutes' drive from the tourist zone, was imported from the Czech Republic. Upstairs is club space presenting a variety of karaoke and live music Thursday through Saturday. For salsa or trova (singer/songwriter balladeers), check out Antigua Bodega de Papel, Calle 11 No. 2012, Zona Centro (tel. 664/664-8246; www.myspace.com/laantiguabodegadepapel); or, for a complete immersion in Tijuana arts and culture, go to El Lugar del Nopal, Callejón 5 de Mayo 1328, Zona Centro (tel. 664/685-1264; www.lugardelnopal.com), a gallery, cabaret, and restaurant all in one. For something more traditional, you'll find mariachis blasting away at lively La Cantina de los Remedios, Diego Rivera 2479, Zona Río (tel. 664/634-3065; www.losremedios.mx). It has the cure for whatever ails you.