Where It's Located
The Tijuana Mexico Temple is located at:
Paseo del Río 6832
Esquina Campestre Oriente
Col. 3ra Etapa Río Tijuana
Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
The temple sits in southeastern Tijuana near Cerro Colorado, a prominent mountain whose peak features large white letters proclaiming "JESUCRISTO ES EL SEÑOR"—"Jesus Christ is Lord."
Getting There
Tijuana is directly across the U.S.-Mexico border from San Diego, making this one of the most geographically accessible international temples for many American Latter-day Saints.
The temple is also relatively close to Tijuana International Airport, which serves the metropolitan area.
The temple site has an arrival center and a distribution center, but there is no public visitors' center or patron housing.
The First Temple in Baja California
The Tijuana Mexico Temple was the first temple built in the state of Baja California and the 13th temple constructed in Mexico.
Its location is especially significant because Tijuana is one of Mexico's largest cities and sits directly across the border from the San Diego metropolitan area.
Temple Announcement
President Thomas S. Monson announced the Tijuana Mexico Temple on October 2, 2010, during the Saturday morning session of General Conference.
The announcement addressed a unique problem for local Latter-day Saints.
The San Diego California Temple was only about 30 miles north, but crossing the international border could involve significant delays and travel restrictions.
As a result, many Tijuana members instead faced an 8- to 10-hour drive to the Hermosillo Sonora Mexico Temple when they wanted to participate in temple ordinances.
The new temple would put temple worship much closer to home.
Groundbreaking
Groundbreaking and site dedication took place on August 18, 2012, with Elder Benjamín De Hoyos presiding.
Approximately 2,000 Latter-day Saints gathered for the ceremony.
Elder De Hoyos explained that the Spanish Colonial architectural style was intentional. The design drew inspiration from the Spanish missions found throughout Mexico and the southwestern United States.
He described the temple as an emblem for the entire Tijuana community.
Public Open House
The Tijuana Mexico Temple held its public open house from November 13 through November 28, 2015.
More than 70,000 people toured the temple during the open house.
Visitors reportedly included friends and relatives of Church members as well as members of the broader Tijuana community.
Cultural Celebration
The evening before the dedication, hundreds of Latter-day Saint youth participated in a cultural celebration featuring dance and music that highlighted the history of the Church in Mexico.
The event provided a fitting celebration of both Mexican culture and the Church's history in the country.
Dedication
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf dedicated the Tijuana Mexico Temple on December 13, 2015, in three sessions.
The dedication made it the 149th dedicated temple in operation.
Thousands of Mexican Latter-day Saints participated remotely as the dedication was broadcast to meetinghouses throughout Mexico.
At the cornerstone ceremony, President Uchtdorf described the temple as a lighthouse and emphasized the spiritual celebration surrounding its completion.
Architecture
The Tijuana Mexico Temple contains approximately 33,367 square feet of floor space.
The temple stands approximately 151 feet tall.
Its exterior is finished primarily with precast concrete cladding, giving the building its brilliant white appearance.
The temple features a single attached central tower topped by an Angel Moroni statue.
Spanish Colonial Inspiration
One of the most recognizable characteristics of the Tijuana Temple is its Spanish Colonial architectural influence.
The design draws inspiration from the historic Spanish missions that can be found throughout Mexico and the American Southwest.
This gives the temple a very different appearance from many modern temple designs.
Rather than simply looking like a generic religious building, the temple's architecture feels strongly connected to the region.
The White Exterior
The brilliant white exterior serves as one of the temple's defining visual features.
The white building contrasts dramatically with the surrounding landscape and is complemented by:
- Tall palm trees
- Colorful landscaping
- A tiered fountain
- Mexican hand-painted tile
Together, these elements reinforce the temple's hacienda-inspired architectural style.
The Temple Fountain
The fountain on the temple grounds is particularly distinctive.
It incorporates precast concrete, local Cantera stone, and Mexican hand-painted tile.
The fountain was designed to reinforce the Spanish Colonial and hacienda character of the temple.
Temple Interior
The interior incorporates numerous Mexican and Spanish Colonial design elements.
Features include:
- Marble staircases
- Wrought iron railings
- Dark wooden doors
- Detailed millwork
- Colorful patterned tiles
- Stone floors
- Carved and textured glass
- Crystal chandeliers
Original artwork throughout the building incorporates imagery inspired by the region's desert and coastal landscapes.
Mexican Design Details
The temple's interior design was deliberately connected to its location.
Rugs feature local Mexican and Spanish Colonial patterns and colors, while bronze, glass, and crystal lighting fixtures were inspired by Mexican designs.
The temple also uses mahogany doors with bronze hardware and railings made from bronze and mahogany.
The Bougainvillea Motif
One particularly interesting design element is the bougainvillea flower motif.
The pattern appears throughout the temple in:
- Decorative painting
- Flooring
- Railings
- Window designs
It also connects visually with the bougainvillea used in the temple landscaping.
It's a great example of how the temple's architecture and landscaping were designed to work together.
Temple Facilities
The Tijuana Mexico Temple contains:
- Two instruction rooms
- Two sealing rooms
- One baptistry
The instruction rooms use a two-stage progressive design.
A Temple That Solved a Border Problem
Perhaps the most important story behind the Tijuana Temple is its relationship with the U.S.-Mexico border.
Technically, Tijuana members had a temple very close to them—the San Diego California Temple, only about 30 miles away.
But international travel isn't measured purely in miles.
Border crossings could take hours, making a supposedly nearby temple difficult to access.
For many members, the alternative was an 8- to 10-hour trip to Hermosillo.
The Tijuana Temple eliminated that problem.
A Temple Near the Border
The temple's location makes it an interesting example of how national borders can affect religious accessibility.
Two temples can be geographically close while being practically very far apart.
For Tijuana Latter-day Saints, having a temple inside Mexico meant that temple attendance no longer depended on crossing an international border.
An Architectural Award Winner
The Tijuana Mexico Temple received the PCI Design Award for Best International Building Structure in 2015.
PCI stands for the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute.
The award recognizes the temple's architectural and structural design, particularly its use of precast concrete.
Exploring Tijuana
A temple trip to Tijuana offers considerably more than the temple itself.
The city is known for:
- Mexican food
- Beaches
- Markets
- Art
- Nightlife
- Baja California culture
- Craft breweries
- Coastal scenery
Because Tijuana sits immediately south of San Diego, it is also one of the easiest places in Mexico for many American travelers to reach.
Cerro Colorado
One of the most recognizable landmarks near the temple is Cerro Colorado.
The mountain rises above southeastern Tijuana and features enormous white lettering near its summit reading:
JESUCRISTO ES EL SEÑOR
The phrase translates to "Jesus Christ is Lord."
That makes the surrounding landscape particularly appropriate for the temple.
Tijuana's Food Scene
Tijuana is internationally famous for its food.
Visitors can experience traditional Mexican dishes alongside the distinctive cuisine of Baja California.
Some things worth trying include:
- Tacos
- Carne asada
- Fish tacos
- Birria
- Ceviche
- Fresh seafood
- Mexican street food
The city is particularly famous for its Baja-style fish tacos.
Avenida Revolución
Avenida Revolución is one of Tijuana's most recognizable streets.
The historic downtown corridor features restaurants, shops, art, street vendors, and colorful landmarks.
It's a good place to experience the energy of the city after visiting the temple.
Tijuana's Coastal Setting
Tijuana is located near the Pacific Ocean, making the region an interesting combination of urban life and coastal scenery.
Nearby Playas de Tijuana offers ocean views and a more relaxed atmosphere than the city's central districts.
Why the Tijuana Temple Matters
The Tijuana Mexico Temple demonstrates that temple accessibility isn't simply about geographic distance.
The San Diego temple was close enough that, on a map, a second temple in Tijuana might have seemed unnecessary.
But the international border changed everything.
The Tijuana Temple gave members a temple that was inside their own country, dramatically simplifying temple attendance for local Saints.
A Temple for Baja California
The temple also represents a major milestone in the development of the Church in Mexico.
It became the first temple in Baja California and the 13th in Mexico.
Its prominent location and distinctive architecture make it a recognizable landmark in southeastern Tijuana.
Current Status
The Tijuana Mexico Temple is currently operating. It is the 149th dedicated temple in operation.
Key milestones include:
- Announcement: October 2, 2010
- Groundbreaking: August 18, 2012
- Public open house: November 13–28, 2015
- Dedication: December 13, 2015
- Current status: Operating
Planning a Temple Visit
Visitors planning to attend should check the temple's current operating schedule before traveling.
The temple has an arrival center and distribution center, but no public visitors' center or patron housing.
For members traveling from Southern California, the temple can also provide an interesting opportunity to visit a temple that is only a short distance from the San Diego California Temple while offering a completely different architectural and cultural experience.
Final Thoughts
The Tijuana Mexico Temple is a fascinating example of how a temple can solve a problem that isn't obvious when looking at a map.
President Thomas S. Monson announced the temple on October 2, 2010, making it the first temple in Baja California and the 13th in Mexico.
The temple's story began with an unusual challenge. The San Diego California Temple was only about 30 miles away, but international border delays made crossing into the United States extremely difficult for many Tijuana members. Some instead faced an 8- to 10-hour drive to Hermosillo to attend the temple.
Groundbreaking took place on August 18, 2012, with approximately 2,000 Latter-day Saints in attendance. The temple's Spanish Colonial-inspired design was chosen specifically to connect the building with Mexico's architectural heritage.
The finished temple contains 33,367 square feet and rises 151 feet, with a bright white exterior, a single central tower, an Angel Moroni statue, palm trees, colorful landscaping, and a distinctive Mexican-tiled fountain.
Inside, the temple continues the regional theme with Mexican and Spanish Colonial patterns, mahogany, bronze, crystal, colorful tile, and a recurring bougainvillea motif.
More than 70,000 people toured the temple during its 2015 public open house, demonstrating the tremendous interest it generated in the Tijuana community.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf dedicated the temple on December 13, 2015, calling it a lighthouse and describing the occasion as a spiritual celebration.
Today, the Tijuana Mexico Temple stands as both a sacred place for Latter-day Saints and a striking architectural landmark in Baja California. Its story is ultimately about bringing the temple closer—not necessarily by reducing the number of miles, but by removing the international border that made those miles so difficult to cross.
For Latter-day Saint travelers, a visit to the Tijuana Mexico Temple could combine temple worship with Mexican culture, Baja cuisine, Pacific beaches, Cerro Colorado, historic downtown Tijuana, and one of the most distinctive temple designs in Mexico.
Scott & Riah
Brough Made
broughmade.com
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