MND Local: Riding high in Tijuana and a new luxury resort in Valle de Guadalupe

Baja California ever welcomes visits from the President of Mexico, not lone for reasons of patriotism, but due to the fact that specified visits invariably herald the ribbon-cutting connected immoderate important caller project. That was surely the lawsuit erstwhile President Sheinbaum visited Tijuana connected Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, to inaugurate the archetypal signifier of the city’s caller toll-free elevated highway, oregon Viaducto Elevado.

First signifier of the caller elevated road completed successful Tijuana

The extremity of the 11.3-kilometer (seven-mile) elevated road betwixt Playas de Tijuana and Tijuana International Airport is to summation connectivity portion simultaneously reducing postulation congestion among cardinal points successful Tijuana, notably the San Ysidro borderline crossing and downtown Tijuana, which prevarication betwixt the 2 endpoints. 

Among those connected manus to inaugurate the archetypal signifier of the Viaducto Elevado astatine the El Soler passageway were President Claudia Sheinmbaum (center) and Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila. (Claudia Sheinbaum/Instagram)

Tijuana, it indispensable beryllium remembered, is not lone the “Gateway to Mexico” but a cardinal cog successful the CaliBaja mega-region, which sees US $200 cardinal successful cross-border commercialized regular and $70 cardinal yearly. So, much businesslike postulation is not lone bully for the authorities of caput of motorists but besides beneficial for the section economy.

The 14 cardinal peso project (approximately US $800 million) was primitively greenlit by Sheinbaum’s predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, successful 2023. But aft 3 years of readying and construction, and the instauration of much than 6,400 nonstop and indirect jobs, the archetypal 7.2-kilometer (4.5-mile) signifier of the road wasn’t completed until Sheinbaum’s clip successful office. In fact, she was 1 of the archetypal to thrust connected the just-completed archetypal signifier during her caller visit, which stretches from Playas de Tijuana to adjacent the borderline crossing, with 2 lanes present unfastened successful either direction.

Phase 2 update and a governmental constituent to make

The 2nd 4.1-kilometer (2.5-mile) signifier from the borderline crossing to the airdrome is expected to unfastened wrong the adjacent month.

The archetypal connection successful Viaducto Elevado refers, of course, to the span enactment for the elevated highway, a information which led to a memorable quote from Mexico’s president astatine the inauguration, and 1 surely made with the U.S. president successful mind. “For Mexicans, bridges are ever amended than walls. Building bridges is our principle.”

New luxury edifice to unfastened successful Valle de Guadalupe

Valle de Guadalupe is the vino superior of Mexico, the premier wine-producing vale among 7 successful the authorities that accounts for 70% of the nation’s total. But it’s not conscionable good vino that makes Valle de Guadalupe specified a peculiar place, oregon specified an attraction for tourists. It’s the nutrient pairings disposable astatine immoderate of the region’s and the nation’s champion restaurants, including 5 with Michelin stars.

Valle de Guadalupe receives the bulk of the 1 cardinal oregon truthful tourists who sojourn Baja California vino state each year, a fig that has accrued importantly successful caller years. About 35% of these tourists are international, with astir coming crossed the borderline from Southern California and beyond connected weekends — Valle de Guadalupe is lone astir 90 miles by car from San Diego.

The caller Montage Valle de Guadalupe volition unfastened successful 2028 successful the bosom of Baja California’s vino country. (Montage International)

Those seeking good lodgings connected specified trips volition person a luxurious caller enactment successful the coming years: the Montage Valle de Guadalupe. The 62-room spot with exclusive hillside, vineyard and backstage vino property residences is owed to unfastened wrong the grounds of Bruma Wine Resort successful 2028, it was recently announced. 

When complete, it volition beryllium the 2nd Montage spot successful the Baja California peninsula, joining the acclaimed Montage Los Cabos, which opened successful 2018. Montage properties are besides located successful Punta Mita and Mexico City. 

Amenities and attractions

Many amenities volition beryllium offered astatine the caller resort, including a signature restaurant, a Spa Montage with fittingness center, a sports center, bars and lounges, and a 4,000-square-foot wedding lawn, among different expansive lawsuit spaces. However, fixed the mounting successful the bosom of Baja vino country, the astir eagerly anticipated attractions volition apt beryllium those that travel successful a bottle, oregon astatine slightest are wine-related.

Bruma Wine Resort, 1 of the much caller of the valley’s 150 oregon truthful vino producers — it opened successful 2017 — has established a beardown estimation for its red, achromatic and sparkling wines, acknowledgment to the efforts of winemaker Lulú Martínez Ojeda. Although calved successful Ensenada, she received her vino acquisition successful Bordeaux, grooming astatine Château Brane-Cantenac. Meanwhile, on-site edifice Fauna, helmed by cook David Castro Hussong and pastry cook Maribel Aldaco Silva, has been ranked among Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Carnival readying successful Ensenada

Ensenada and La Paz are the astir important sites for pre-Lenten Carnival celebrations connected the Baja California peninsula — some drew implicit 200,000 attendees successful 2025 — with accepted parades and related events successful the cities dating backmost to the precocious 19th century. Ensenada’s Carnival, for example, has been held since 1891, erstwhile the municipality had lone astir 600 residents. 

Unusually this year, the dates for Carnival successful Ensenada person been moved backmost from Feb. 12-17 — accepted crossed the Catholic scenery successful 2026 — to March 12-17, successful the midst of Lent. According to the Ensenada Municipal Institute of Culture, Arts and Humanities (IMCUDHE), the alteration of dates was made successful the involvement of logistics and coordination, truthful that determination was much clip to finalize contracts, docket parades and lock-in performers.

There volition beryllium a queen of Carnival successful Ensenada this year, adjacent if the dates of the solemnisation person been pushed back. (Hotel Casa del Sol/Instagram)

As always, determination volition beryllium parades and floats, king and queen contests, nightly concerts and the opening “burning of atrocious mood” successful which an effigy is burned to wide distant immoderate negativity oregon atrocious vibes.

Those aiming to be Carnival successful La Paz successful Baja California Sur, by contrast, should enactment that its dates stay Feb. 12-17. 

Chris Sands is the erstwhile Cabo San Lucas section adept for the USA Today question website 10 Best and writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos question guidebook. He’s a contributor to galore websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily.