Baja Norte with Project Por Amor

Itinerary: February 28 - March 3, 2026

DAY 1: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28 | WELCOME TO TIJUANA!

Arrive in Tijuana via air or land

We will coordinate your pick up either at the Tijuana International airport (TIJ) or walking bridge at the San Isidro Border Crossing the US/Mexico border.

Welcome to Tijuana

1:00 pm ~ Welcome reception and visit with Mely Baragán and Daniel Ruanova at Artespacio Mariposa

Enjoy a catered taco lunch with special wine pairing as we settle in after your journey as Mely Baragán and Daniel Ruanova take us through the Artespacio Mariposa at Colonia Federal, a small artist respit that provides residencies and studios to artists. It is part of the cultural development that the Casa Del Tunel Art Center created in the tiny neighborhood called Colonia Federal at the Northernmost point in Mexico. Established as a residency center and art studios in 2006, it has remained a studio resource to local artists and creatives. This historic neighborhood was created in 1925 to support and service the Mexican Civil Servants toiling at the San Ysidro Border Crossing.

Mely & Daniel are the quintessential power couple of Tijuana art. Daniel is a hard-hitting mid-career painter and sculptor who maintains an international artist practice. Mely is also one of the region’s prolific Contemporary artists and international cultural ambassadors. They have done residencies across the globe and bring a unique take on border art and Tijuana's place on the art scene.

Artespacio Mariposa

3:00 pm ~ Overview of the Border Region

We will hear a presentation on Border dynamics by Rene Peralta, architect, urbanist and cultural theorist. Rene represents a distinctive contribution through his work as an architect, urban designer, and educator. As founder of Generica Arquitectura, a bi-national firm specializing in architecture and urban design, Peralta approached Tijuana's cultural development from a spatial perspective. His significance lies in expanding artistic practice into urban planning and architectural intervention. His statement that "we are all artists in Tijuana" reflects his view of the city itself as a creative project, where spatial design and urban planning are forms of cultural expression.

Overview of the Border with Rene Peralta

4:30 pm ~ Check in at The Wellintown for time at leisure

Situated in downtown Tijuana, The Wellintown is a respite from the bustle of the vibrant activity of Calle Revolución, just a half block away, allowing you a relaxing place to unwind before gearing up to explore the city life. Hotel rooms offer Wi-fi, hairdryers, and city views. Enjoy the rooftop jacuzzi, bar, restaurant, game room, or their day spa. Take the afternoon at leisure to explore Tijuana's downtown.

The Wellintown

7:00 pm ~ Welcome Dinner at Caesar’s with Pedro Ochoa Palacios

We'll meet with Pedro Ochoa for dinner, arguably the most influential person in developing the cultural scene of Tijuana and Baja, California. As director of CECUT during its first decade, he laid the foundational support for the arts in the city at a crucial time. He is the founder of the popular art gallery Galería POP, which we will visit later this evening. He also led the state of Baja as its Secretary of Culture and served as Cultural Attaché for Mexico in San Diego.

Additionally, we will explore the historic and economic background of the world-famous Caesar Salad at Tijuana's renowned restaurant, Caesar's.

Welcome dinner at Caesar’s with Pedro Ochoa Palacios

9:00 pm ~ Reception at Galería POP: Contemporary Cultural Hub

We'll experience the vibrant pulse of Tijuana's contemporary art scene at Galería de Arte POP, a small gallery in downtown Tijuana led by Pedro Ochoa Palacios, a former head of the Tijuana Cultural Center. This cozy cultural space functions as a dedicated venue for showcasing Mexican visual arts in Tijuana, regularly attracting artists, actors, dancers, and arts promoters for exhibitions and cultural events. During our visit, we'll see how this gallery has become a crucial platform for both well-established and emerging Mexican artists, providing an authentic look into the grassroots art movement that shapes modern Tijuana—a city where traditional Mexican artistic expressions blend with contemporary border culture to create something entirely distinctive.

Galería POP

DAY 2: SUNDAY, MARCH 1 | ART IN THE BORDERLANDS

Breakfast at our Hotel

Start your day with a delicious cooked-to-order breakfast at our hotel, available each morning from 7:30 AM–1:00 PM (surcharge). Enjoy fresh local flavors and regional specialties that capture the taste of Baja.

9:00 am ~ Mercado de Artesanías Trujillo

Venture beyond Tijuana's tourist corridors to discover the authentic heart of Mexican artisanship at the Mercado de Artesanías, a sprawling crafts market established in the 1970s that today houses about 400 craft dealers. Accompanied by a local artisan expert, you'll explore this vibrant cultural ecosystem where locals shop among scores of shops, discovering wonderful art and lovely crafts including pottery, blown glass, textiles, stained glass, ceramics, leather goods, and carved wood. Witness artisans at work—including the special treat of watching piñatas being made—while gaining a deeper understanding of how traditional Mexican craft practices continue to evolve in contemporary border communities, providing authentic insights into the living craft traditions of diverse makers and underrepresented artistic voices.

Mercado de Artesanías

10:45 am ~ El Mercado Hidalgo

This is the perfect moment to explore the expansive Hidalgo Market—an ideal spot to pick up souvenirs, sample fresh fruit, or simply enjoy people-watching. From cheeses, spices, and produce to piñatas, handcrafted goods, and artisan wares, the market offers a vivid snapshot of Tijuana’s vibrant street life. We’ll spend about an hour strolling through and taking it all in.

El Mercado Hidalgo

11:30 am ~ Visit to CECUT (El Centro Cultural Tijuana) with Dr. Roberto Rosique

We will meet with Dr. Roberto Rosique, Professor of Art, independent curator, and artist in Baja, to discuss how CECUT represents the cultural fusion of the borderlands. The Tijuana Cultural Center (CECUT), founded in 1982, is the leading cultural institution in northwest Mexico and the only facility of the Ministry of Culture outside Mexico City. Located just two kilometers from the U.S. border, CECUT features an IMAX dome, museum, performance venues, galleries, and more, making it a key symbol of Tijuana's cultural identity. It offers a variety of programs that combine traditional and contemporary arts. CECUT emphasizes arts education and outreach to vulnerable communities, including Indigenous peoples, migrants, youth, and seniors.

CECUT

1:00 pm ~ Lunch at Parque Telefónica

Discover Tijuana's vibrant food scene at this popular gastro park, where local entrepreneurs showcase the city's diverse culinary creativity under one roof. This lively food hall offers an authentic taste of contemporary Mexican cuisine alongside international flavors, craft beers, and refreshing beverages in a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere. With multiple vendors to choose from—from traditional tacos and seafood to innovative fusion dishes—you'll have the freedom to explore whatever catches your eye and suits your appetite. Lunch is on your own, allowing you to sample different specialties, chat with local food artisans, and experience how Tijuana's residents gather to enjoy good food and community in this social space that perfectly captures the city's entrepreneurial spirit and culinary innovation.

Parque Telefónico

2:30 pm ~ Studio Visit: Ingrid Hernández - Documenting Border Stories

Step into the creative world of renowned photographer and sociologist Ingrid Hernández, whose powerful documentary work captures the resilience and ingenuity of border communities. In her Tijuana studio, Ingrid will share insights from her two-decade artistic practice documenting the informal settlements of Baja California—spaces she knows intimately, having grown up in similar circumstances herself.

This intimate studio encounter offers our guests a rare opportunity to understand Tijuana through the eyes of an artist who has dedicated her career to making visible the stories often overlooked. Her work reveals how families create homes and communities using resourcefulness and materials that cross borders in unexpected ways, deepening your understanding of border life, migration, and the extraordinary ways people create beauty and belonging in challenging circumstances.

Studio visit with Ingrid Hernández

4:05 pm ~ Return to hotel to relax

Freshen up at the hotel Wellintown. Enjoy the spa or take a stroll through Tijuana's Centro.

5:30 pm ~ Studio Concert with La Ballena de Jonás

Step into the creative heart of Tijuana's experimental music scene with an intimate studio visit with La Ballena de Jonás, one of the bands leading the music-art scene in the northwest of Mexico. This extraordinary ensemble, formed in 2005, has pioneered a mesmerizing fusion blending polka, tango, gypsy, jazz, klezmer, classical and experimental music to create a sound of its own. You'll witness their unconventional instrumentation as the musicians weave together accordion, violin, trombone, piano, guitar, and classical instruments including flute, clarinet, and cello. The ensemble will perform selections from their critically acclaimed album, featuring beloved pieces like "Cantina Calavera" and "Cantos Perdidos." This intimate encounter offers the chance to engage directly with the artists about their creative process and cultural influences—an exclusive window into one of Tijuana's most celebrated musical treasures and a living embodiment of how art transcends borders.

La Ballena de Jonás

7:00 pm ~ Dinner at Oryx Restaurant

We will dine at ORYX, where Chef Ruffo Ibarra’s “CaliBaja” concept blends the best of border cuisine into a unique and elevated dining experience. Each dish is the result of thoughtful culinary experimentation designed to delight the senses and make every visit unforgettable. The rich flavors of the Baja California peninsula inspire the cuisine.

Dinner at Oryx

9:00 pm ~ Studio Visit of Tanya Aguiniga

An artist, designer, and craftsperson, Tanya Aguiñiga works with traditional craft materials like natural fibers and collaborates with other artists and activists to create sculptures, installations, performances, and community-based art projects. Drawing on her upbringing as a binational citizen, who daily crossed the border from Tijuana to San Diego for school, Aguiñiga’s work speaks of the artist’s experience of her divided identity and aspires to tell the larger and often invisible stories of the transnational community. Ms. Aguiniga has exhibited at the LA Craft Contemporary.

Studio visit of Tanya Aguiniga

DAY 3: MONDAY, MARCH 2 | TIJUANA TO VALLE DE GUADALUPE

Breakfast at our Hotel and check out

9:30 am ~ Borderlands Tour: Alfredo 'Libre' Gutiérrez

Embark on an immersive excursion of the Tijuana Art Scene guided by two extraordinary cultural leaders—Luis Ituarte, Tijuana's preeminent citizen artist and founder of COFAC, and Adolfo V. Nodal, former Los Angeles City arts leader and co-founder of La Casa del Túnel Art Center. This specialized expedition travels from the Pacific Ocean at Playas de Tijuana to artist Studio locations in various Tijuana neighborhoods. We will explore how artists transform contested spaces into platforms for cross-cultural dialogue through carefully curated stops to engage directly with groundbreaking artists. On the way we will experience a portion of the most heavily fortified and politically significant sections of the 1,954-mile international boundary between the US and Mexico.

We'll begin at Playas de Tijuana with Alfredo 'Libre' Gutiérrez, who is one of Mexico’s foremost muralists. We will visit at his current mural project named Abrazo Mutuo in Friendship Park. https://www.instagram.com/libre_hem/?hl=en

Borderlands tour

11:00 am ~ Borderlands Tour: Marcos Ramírez ERRE

Next, we'll visit renowned installation artist Marcos Ramírez ERRE in his studio in Colonia Federal. We'll witness firsthand how art becomes a bridge between nations, gaining intimate insights into the complex realities of transnational life through the eyes of those who call this dynamic region home. Understand the evolving flow of people, culture, and ideas that define this remarkable cultural corridor.

Marcos Ramírez ERRE, born in Tijuana, Mexico in 1961, earned a law degree before immigrating to the US in 1983. He worked in construction for 17 years while becoming active in the visual arts in 1989. Since then, his work has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions, lectures, and residencies across Mexico, the US, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. He has participated in major exhibitions including the Whitney Biennial 2000, the VI and VII Havana Biennials, and the Moscow Biennial. He is a recipient of a 2007 United States Artist fellowship and has been a fellow of Mexico's National System of Art Creators since 2009.

Borderland tour

12:30 pm ~ Lunch at Tacos El Franc

We will head to lunch at this local favorite spot—a lively taquería set on a bustling corner, known as the only taco stand in Tijuana with a Michelin star. Grab a seat, and one of the friendly, apron-clad staff will come by to take your order. Different stations focus on specific dishes, filling the space with the sounds and smells of sizzling meats and fresh prep.

Tacos El Franc

1:30 pm ~ Scenic Departure to Valle de Guadalupe

Settle into our executive Sprinter vans for our hour and half drive down the Baja California coast to Baja’s vineyard corridor to Valle de Guadalupe.

Baja California Coast

3:00 pm ~ Wine tasting and conversation with Ivette Vaillard at Vinicola Tres Mujeres

Try a local wine as we savor a conversation with Ivette Vaillard. Ivette is pioneering figure in Valle de Guadalupe's artisanal community, having established her vineyard and artistic practice in 1982, well before the valley became known as Mexico's premier wine region. She represents the intersection of winemaking and ceramic arts, embodying the "neorural" lifestyle that characterizes many Valle de Guadalupe. If we're lucky, Ivette will also let us peek into the windows of her intimate studio where she works on large-scale ceramics and tiles for private clients.

Wine experience

5:00 pm ~ Check in at Entrevalle Hotel Boutique

We will check into our accommodations and relax on the expansive grounds in the heart of Valle de Guadalupe. Enjoy beautiful views of the mountains and at night a spectacular starry sky, from the comfort of the private balcony of your personal cabin.

Entrevalle Hotel Boutique

6:30 pm ~ Dinner at Deckman’s

We’ll enjoy a sustainable dining experience at the Michelin-Star rated Deckman’s en el Mogor on the scenic Mogor Ranch. Chef Drew Deckman specializes in Slow Food, using seasonal, organic ingredients sourced directly from the estate’s orchard, with seafood, cheese, and salt coming from nearby local producers. All wines served are from Baja California, mainly from Cavas del Mogor and neighboring wineries within a 10 km radius. In line with their commitment to sustainability, they don’t offer bottled water or commercial soft drinks, instead providing house-made kombucha and filtered water in reusable bottles. Wastewater is recycled for irrigation, and organic and solid waste are composted or recycled to the fullest extent. Dining takes place outdoors under a starry sky with vineyard views, creating a truly magical experience.

Dinner at Deckman’s

8:00 pm ~ Return to hotel for the night

DAY 4: TUESDAY, MARCH 3 | RETURN TO TIJUANA

8:30 am ~ Check out of hotel and head to breakfast

We pack up and leave our hotel this morning to head to breakfast and then on to Tijuana.

9:00 am ~ Breakfast at la Cocina Doña Esthela

We’ll begin our final morning together with a hearty breakfast at La Cocina de Doña Esthela, one of the most iconic restaurants in the Valle de Guadalupe. Founded in 2008 by chef and owner Blanca Esthela Martínez Bueno, what started as a simple burrito stand for vineyard workers has grown into a beloved destination for both locals and travelers. The setting is rustic and welcoming, with wooden tables and a lively, communal atmosphere. Breakfast is served all day, and while there’s often a wait, the generous portions and bold flavors make it well worth it. Don’t miss the café de olla and house specialties like elote pancakes, chilaquiles, or the Sinaloan-style shredded beef with eggs and peppers, all served with handmade tortillas.

Breakfast at la Cocina Doña Esthela

10:30 am ~ Depart for Tijuana

11:30 am ~ Studio Visit to the De La Torre Brothers artists

Brothers Jamex and Einar de la Torre are artists who revel in their artistic freedom, defying limitations and categorizations others may place upon them. Their work spans mediums—glass, resin, lenticular, material culture, and more. The brothers’ artworks combine ancient iconography with symbols of our contemporary consumer culture, play with humor and irony, mesh experiences from both sides of the U.S. Mexico Border, and challenge our expectations of art and beauty.

De La Torres Brothers

1:00 pm ~ Transfers to airport of border crossing

Depending on your departure time, we will transfer you to the Tijuana International Airport or the San Ysidro Border Crossing. If you drove, it is quickest to cross the border by foot to your car parked on the other side.