| Location |
Tecate is the nearest town in Mexico to the PCT terminus. Literally, if you jump the fence at the terminus, you'll be in Tecate.
| Post Office |
If you're feeling brave, go for it - N/A
General Info
Tecate is essentially an industrial town. The major manufacturing in Tecate includes a giant beer brewery (that makes both US and Mexican beer), a VW factory, lots of ceramics, and a myriad of others.
The people are very nice, mostly blue collar Mexican. You can buy pretty much anything you might need while in Tecate, if you're wise enough to know where to look. It's probably the closest supermarket and the closest pharmacy to the PCT. You can get most drugs at the pharmacy without prescriptions, and the food is cheaper than in the US.
Transportation
To cross the border to get into Tecate, you need some form of ID...generally a driver's license will do. However, to get back into the US, you need a passport, so bring one with you into Mexico, or you'll regret it when you try to get out. Once you're in Tecate proper, it's a pretty small town, so you can walk around to the downtown from the border. To get very far, you'll need a car or a savvy sense of Mexican public transportation. There are cabs.
Places to Stay
A thru hiker's family used to live in Tecate, but that is no longer the case. There are hotels and they are cheap and have vacancy.
Restaurants
Millions - almost all Mexican.
One Chinese restaurant if you can find it.
Fast food available.
The beer is delicious, and the brewery does give tours.
Food Stores
Many. Big.
Other Businesses
Pharmacy, hardware, mechanics, industrial.
Medical Services
Yep. Red cross of Mexico.
Other Links or Information
Comments:
Note: You must be logged in to add comments
Most of the above information was provided by Dr. Patch O'Malley, whose father is mentioned in the Places to Stay section. Patch can be contacted for more information at patch@charityhikers.org.
