Left:  Parque Hidalgo, at the corner of Av. Juarez and Av. Cardenas, in downtown Tecate.  Right:  A local girl feeds pigeons at Parque Hidalgo.

Photo:  Parque is a place where the locals come to relax.  Note the classic bandstand.

Photo:  Parque Hidalgo is a place where the locals like to gather and discuss the day's events.  There are lots of benches where you can sit and relax.  The park is well-maintained, clean, safe and family-friendly.

 

Parque Hildago, at the corner of Av. Juarez and Av. Cardenas, is Tecate's main square.  It encompass a whole city block, and is a shady retreat during the hot summers.  The park is clean and features neatly-trimmed bushes, well-trimmed lawns, lots of shady trees, and plenty of park benches for rest.  On the northeast side, it has an impressive statue of Benito Juarez and near the southwest corner, a statue of Miguel Hidalgo, one of Mexico's heros who was very instrumental in helping Mexico achieve independence from Spain.  Near the center of the park, there's a beautiful bandstand.

Parque a place where local families like to come and relax.  On weekends, the sidewalks are lined with vendors, and the puestos are open.  However, by the time I was able to explore the park, the vendors had gone home and many of the puestos and small shops were shuttered.  

I have seen many town squares in Mexican cities, as that is a feature of nearly every Mexican town that I've visited, but I've never seen a prettier or more well-kept square than Parque Hidalgo.  When you visit Tecate and you want to relax, meet the locals, people-watch, or just get a flavor of the town, Parque Hidalgo is the place to go.