Algodones, Mexico: A Travel Guide

One of the perks of living in Los Angeles is that you can drive down to Mexico just for the day and it will only take a few hours. I've been to Tijuana and Rosarito, but I had heard a lot of people talk about Los Algodones and how it's a great place to visit, so I decided to head down and see what the town is really like.

Why visit Algodones?

There are two main reasons people make the trip out to Algodones: to buy inexpensive prescription medicine at the many pharmacies or to get low-cost medical services. With the high cost of prescription medicine and medical care in the United States, many senior citizens who live in the neighboring cities began flocking across the border and as a result, medicine is the town's biggest draw. Nowadays, you'll still see the seniors but you'll also see families, young people and tourists from pretty much everywhere.

Pharmacies

A Mexican pharmacy is a lot different than an American pharmacy. In Algodones, the pharmacies are all small stores with the bottles of pills visible on shelves. For commonly purchased medication such as ibuprofen, prices are sometimes commonly posted but for other medication you will have to ask about the prices. There are pharmacists available to help you in choosing the right medication. You can ask for your medication by name or let them know what symptoms or conditions you have. In general, the pharmacists are helpful and will even recommend a generic if available.

Mexico uses a different system for controlling medication than the United States does, therefore a customer doesn't always need a prescription. For example, you can buy muscle relaxers such as cyclobenzaprine over the counter in Mexico whereas in the United States you need a prescription. There are dozens of different pharmacies in Algodones and if the one you go to doesn't have what you need, they will call and have somebody deliver your medication to you.

Dentists & Opticians

After you finish getting all of the prescription drugs you need from the pharmacies, your next stop is to get your teeth cleaned and your eyes checked. There are just as many dental offices in Algodones as there are pharmacies, which means that everyone is trying to compete for your business and you don't need an appointment for basic services. In fact, many of the offices offer a free dental exam in order to get you to go inside. The dentists in Algodones are highly qualified and professional, with many of them even commuting from the United States because it is less expensive to run a dental practice in Mexico.

You can get an eye exam in Algodones for less than twenty dollars, which is a bargain. Oftentimes, the optical offices are able to make your glasses for you in less than two hours, giving you plenty of time to go shopping and have a nice lunch. Just like the dentists, the facilities are clean, modern and significantly less expensive.

Getting to Algodones

The best way to get to Algodones is to exit Interstate 8 on Los Algodones Road. There will be directional signs pointing you towards the Mexican border. Before getting to the border crossing, there is a large parking lot run by the Quechan Indian Tribe where you can park for only six dollars. From there, you walk about a quarter mile to the border crossing and you are officially in Mexico. Starting January 1, 2008 you will need a passport to cross the border, but up until then you're safe with your driver's license.

Tips for traveling to Algodones

Public bathrooms are not always easily found in Algodones. Your best bet is to go to the ones that are available immediately after walking across the border. You tip the bathroom attendant for providing you with a hand towel, but the bathrooms are clean and worth the spare change that the tip costs you. Otherwise, some restaurants might have bathrooms available to customers.

The cheapest and best food can be found at the multiple taco stands spread all over the small town. You let them know what kind of tacos you would like for them to cook and then you stand around and eat them. Tacos run for about $1 per taco and you pay at the end of you meal.

The Algodones border crossing closes at 10 p.m. every night, so you have to make sure to get back before that if you've parked your car at the Quechan tribe parking lot. The town closes down rather early anyhow, with most of the pharmacies and medical offices closing between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. depending on how busy the day is.