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Preservation in Baja California: Protecting Tijuana's Cultural Heritage
By Alana Coons
July/August 2026
 The Parque Teniente Guerrero, one of the cultural heritage sites in Tijuana. Courtesy Nómadas Press |
Preservationists throughout the San Diego–Baja California region will recognize many of the challenges discussed in a recent interview with María Eugenia Castillo, heritage coordinator for the Baja California Ministry of Culture and a member of SOHO's board of directors, by journalist Manuel Noctis.
Castillo explained that while Baja California has maintained a state cultural heritage law since 1995, protecting historic places remains an ongoing challenge in rapidly growing communities such as Tijuana. Preservation efforts rely on a partnership between state and municipal governments, with local officials playing a critical role in decisions involving demolition permits, development approvals, land use, and urban planning.
Currently, Tijuana has several officially designated cultural heritage sites, including Teniente Guerrero Park, the former Municipal Palace (now the Palace of Culture), the Altamira House of Culture, and the Monument to the Defenders of Baja California. Officials have also identified dozens more buildings, structures, cultural landscapes, artistic works, and archives that may merit future protection.
Highlighting the relationship between historic preservation and private property owners was especially significant. Castillo emphasized that heritage designation establishes guidelines that encourage stewardship while allowing and helping historic properties to remain economically viable. She pointed to successful adaptive reuse projects, such as the historic Bodegas de Santo Tomás complex in Ensenada, which has been revitalized as restaurants, shops, and cultural gathering spaces while retaining its original character.
The ongoing discussion surrounding the Plaza Monumental in Playas de Tijuana, or Bullring by the Sea, illustrates the complexity of balancing development pressures with heritage conservation. Currently under consideration for heritage designation, the iconic structure represents the broader challenge facing communities throughout the binational region: how to accommodate growth while preserving the places that embody local history, culture, and identity.
For preservation advocates, the conversation serves as a reminder that many of the issues facing historic resources in Baja California mirror those encountered throughout California and the American Southwest. Whether in Tijuana, Ensenada, Rosarito, or San Diego, the future of preservation increasingly depends upon creative partnerships, adaptive reuse, and a shared commitment to ensuring that historic places remain sustainable, accessible, and valued by current and future generations.
Manuel Noctis, director of Nómadas Press and a correspondent for the EFE news agency, conducted the interview. His award-winning journalism focuses on the people, places, culture, and issues that shape the U.S.–Mexico border region. Castillo, writing as Maria E Curry, is the former long-time Baja California reporter for Our Heritage eNews.
Read the full interview online in Spanish Or use your browser for an English translation.
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