One of the great things about San Diego is the international element: A stone’s throw south, the Mexican metropolis of Tijuana makes an exciting and dynamic sister city, and a gateway to the Baja California Peninsula that rolls southward more than 700 miles. The San Diego-Tijuana international metropolitan area is the biggest conurbation along the U.S.-Mexico line, and Tijuana’s widely regarded as the most-visited border city on the planet.

The land-border crossing between San Diego and Tijuana, unsurprisingly one of the busiest in the world, recently got a major shoutout in National Geographic Magazine. The publication listed it as the “Coolest Border Crossing” in its Best Trips 2016 roundup of the year’s 20 “go-now destinations.”

Some 40 million make the transborder journey every year (and several hundred thousand every day), whether it’s for business—National Geographic spotlights the acclaimed Tijuanense ”Baja Med” chef Javier Plascencia’s recent opening of a San Diego restaurant—or sightseeing. The Blue Line of the San Diego Trolley’s San Ysidro stop puts you within walking distance of the international crossing via a pedestrian bridge.

(Besides the San Ysidro Port of Entry, there’s also the Otay Mesa crossing and the brand-new Tijuana Cross-border Terminal, which provides foot access to the Tijuana International Airport—and therefore a whole host of destinations all across Mexico.)

Amazing food, stunning artwork, and other cultural attractions await on a day trip to Tijuana. As the National Geographic piece notes, the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego often leads field trips to Tijuana art galleries (including an upcoming one this February). Foraying into Baja California isn’t just an opportunity to sample Mexican culture: It also deepens your appreciation of Southern California’s multiethnic heritage, an intrinsic part of our history and identity.

Staying at the Sofia Hotel, you’re but an easy trolley ride from the San Ysidro Port of Entry and the marvels of Tijuana. So come stay with us in Downtown San Diego and enjoy a day trip south of the border via the “coolest” international crossing out there!