El Hongo is a sleepy little town located along Mexico's Federal Highway 2, just about halfway between Tijuana and Mexicali, in the state of Baja California.  It is a small Mexican village and its typical of such, as there does not seem to be any zoning rules in effect, most of the streets (if you could call label them streets) are dirt, and a riding a horse is an accepted means of municipal transportation.  Not to mention that the pace of life is slow, the scenery is beautiful, and the folks are friendly.

Left:  On the west side of town, along Highway 2, a seldom-seen sign announces the name of the town.  Right: Just east of El Hongo, a sign lets the motorist know that they've reached the altitude of 1000 meters.

El Hongo exists for two reasons, as it caters to the highway traffic, and it supports the many goat and cattle ranchers that surround the town.  It is a town, as the streets are signed, albeit the pavement is, well, non-existent, as with the exception of paved Federal Highway 2, a.k.a. in town "Calle Premira," the rest of the streets are dirt, although they are hard-packed and graded.  El Hongo features many small restaurants, grocery stores, tire shops, a Pemex gas station, and even has a cafe that features both food and internet access. Speaking of tire shops, I think that El Hongo probably has the highest per capita tire shop-to general population ratio in all of Mexico, as there are three tire shops in town, and I doubt that the population of El Hongo would approach 1000, even if you counted the many dogs, not to mention a few horses.

Left:  Here's something that you don't see everyday, as "El Aguila" is a roadhouse that featues beer, buche, billiards and ice cream.  Right:  A couple works in their garden near "El Aguila."

As you approach the town from the west, the first thing you'll notice is the roadhouse that's known as "El Aguila."  They feature a huge Corona beer six-pack built into their store, and they advertise all of the other things they cater to, like ice cream, beer, billiards, and ranch-style buche.  Now that's a varied selection of offerings.  El Aguila is a popular stop for the many buses that travel between Tijuana and Mexicali.  Did you know that Mexico has the most extensive inter-city bus system of any country on Earth?  That fact is evident as you travel on Mexican Highway 2 between Tijuana and Mexicali, as trucks and buses easily outnumber privately-owned vehicles.

Left:  One of several tire shops that have incorporated in the town of El Hongo.  Note the name, "Llantera" painted on the large tractor tire.  Right:  One of the many cross-state buses stops for lunch at El Hongo.

Another landmark of El Hondo, just west of town, is a sign that reads "Elevacion 1000m" to let you know that you're 1000 meters above sea level.  Let's see what is that in "gringo-speak..." multiply the 1, carry the 2, divide the what is it... ?  Well that equals to just about 3,280 feet in elevation, so that means you can expect a pleasant climate at El Hondo and forget about the blistering hot summers found in Mexicali.

Left:  The main intersection in town:  Calli Primera and Miguel Costilla."  Right:  A rider on a horse trots down Calle Miguel Costilla, towards Calle Primera.

I asked a local how El Hondo got its name, as El Hondo means "the mushroom" in Spanish.  He pointed to a mountain to the north and said that it resembled a mushroom and that's how the town got its name.  Perhaps the founder of the town had consumed too much tequila when he named the place, but from the angle that I was viewing "El Hondo," it didn't look like a mushroom to me, just another mountain in the mountain range north of town, the marks the border between the U.S. and Mexico.  

Left:  A typical street in the small town of El Hongo.  Right:  When I asked a local to point out to me "El Hongo," he pointed at the direction of this peak.  Does that look like a mushroom to you?  Certainly to to me!

The only bad thing that I can say about El Hongo as just east of the town, you have to stop at a toll booth, as Highways 2 "libre" and "cuota" merge, and of course the default is the toll road, to take to La Rumanosa, Mexicali and beyond.  At this writing, April 2005, the toll was $13.00 in pesos.  Not too expensive, but I prefer a free road for my travels.

Semantics aside, El Hondo is a relaxing place to stop if you're traveling between Tijuana or Mexicali, as it features just about any service that the traveler could wish for, not to mention beautiful scenery and interesting people to talk to.  Stop by El Hondo, and you'll be glad you did.