Reynosa

A daylight crossing from Hidalgo to the Plaza Principal

Reynosa is best seen as a half day on foot from Texas. Cross the Hidalgo international bridge in the morning, ideally midweek, with your passport and some pesos in small notes, then walk south past the pharmacies, dental clinics and opticians aimed at Texan customers to the main plaza and its parish church.

From the bridge, walk south into the Zona Centro. The streets nearest the bridge are full of pharmacies, dental clinics and opticians aimed at Texan customers, which explains much of the foot traffic. Keep going to the main plaza, where the Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, a neoclassical church, faces the square and the monuments to Juárez, Hidalgo and Morelos. Step inside for a few quiet minutes; it is the most dignified space in the city.

Around midday, stop at Café París on Calle Hidalgo for coffee, sweet bread or a full breakfast with locals reading the papers. Spend an hour in the shops of the centre, where prices are open to negotiation and leather goods, pottery and souvenirs pile up on the shelves.

Have lunch in the centre, then turn back toward the bridge by mid-afternoon to beat the evening queues and the heat. Northbound waits grow quickly after 4pm and on weekends. Do not stay after dark unless you are sleeping at a secure hotel and have transport arranged.

Tamales, chalupas and Café París on Calle Hidalgo

Reynosa cooks northeastern Mexican food, close to Rio Grande Valley Tex-Mex but with fresher corn and fewer cheese-smothered plates. The best things to eat are everyday dishes from small family places: tamales from early street vendors and bakeries, chalupas topped with beans, salsa, meat and cheese, and coffee at Café París on Calle Hidalgo.

Tamales are a local favourite, steamed in corn husks with pork in red chilli or other fillings, and sold early by street vendors and bakeries. Ask for them fresh in the morning. Chalupas, small fried masa boats topped with beans, salsa, meat and cheese, give their name to Las Chalupas on the corner of París and Havre in Colonia Beatty, which shares its address with El Pastorcito, a long-running grill for carne asada and tacos.

Beef is the backbone of the northeast. Carne asada, grilled over charcoal and wrapped in flour or corn tortillas, turns up everywhere, and cabrito, roast young goat, is the celebration dish of the region. Carne asada a la tampiqueña, named after Tamaulipas's port of Tampico, combines a strip of grilled steak with enchiladas, beans and guacamole on one plate.

For breakfast or a slow coffee, Café París on Calle Hidalgo in the Zona Centro is a downtown institution, and Café Rey on Boulevard Morelos is another long-standing choice. Big US fast-food chains are everywhere too, so seek out the family places on purpose.

Rio Grande heat, Gulf storms and the Sunday bridge queues

November to March is the time to visit Reynosa. Days run from 22C in December and January to 28C in March, nights from 11 to 16C, and bridge queues are shorter outside holidays; from April the lower Rio Grande Valley heats fast, reaching 36-37C in summer with Gulf humidity.

April warms quickly to 31C, and from June to August highs reach 36-37C with warm nights around 24C. Rain is spread through the year but peaks in September at about 93 mm, when Gulf storms and the last of the hurricane season can bring downpours and flooding in low streets.

Crowds follow the calendar more than the climate. Christmas, Holy Week and Mexican long weekends see thousands of families from Texas crossing south to visit relatives, and the return on Sunday afternoons and evenings can mean hours of waiting at the bridge. On 12 December, the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the parish church on the plaza draws pilgrims and dance groups in bright costumes. The town also holds an annual harvest fair in the summer, though dates vary and should be checked locally.

Whatever the season, plan the crossing for a weekday morning and keep the return well before dusk.