If the hat fits... browsing the markets in Tijuana

It is one of the northern-most cities in Latin America and the largest city in the Mexican state of Baja California.

Located less than 20 miles south of the Californian seaside city of San Diego, Tijuana's existence seems to revolve around lapping up dollars from its richer neighbour. The city's reputation as a frontier party town attracts around 30 million US visitors a year, many of them teenagers taking advantage of Mexico's lower drinking age (18).

Tijuana's infamous "tequila, sex and marijuana" is concentrated around the main strip, Avenida Revolución, with its plethora of shops, nightclubs and live street music.

The city's two bullrings as well as horse and dog racing tracks add further to the hedonistic delights.

While Tijuana is as far from the "real" Mexico as you can get, for many tourists it is their first and often only glimpse of the country. Indeed, the city is not entirely lacking in cultural attractions. The Tijuana Cultural Center, designed by famed architects Manuel Rosen and Pedro Ramírez Vásquez, contains a cinema, gallery, performance space and the excellent Museo de las Californias which outlines the rich history of Baja California.

English is readily spoken in Tijuana and the dollar is as accepted here as the Mexican peso.

If you're travelling to Tijuana as a brief side trip from the United States, be aware that crossing back into America can take as long as three hours or more on busy weekends. If you are a US citizen, remember to take your passport.

Tijuana's airport is located five miles east of downtown.