El Paso, home to more than 700,000 people, is a sprawling city, spread across the vast Texas landscape, an active cultural hub that mixes the flavors and spices of its neighbors and creates something distinctly El Pasoan. From the parades, festivals, fiestas and la musica, the city has plenty to offer.

Downtown/Central

Downtown El Paso harbors a lot of historical and cultural attractions, including many of the city's museums and entertainment venues. The El Paso Convention Center, Plaza Theatre, the Museum of Art, and the stately Camino Real Hotel all lie within a tight radius at the intersection of North Santa Fe Street and West Mills Avenue. City Hall stands just one block up from the Convention Center along with the Insights Science Museum; the Union Depot, Union Plaza, and a number of nightclubs, like Studio 69 and Da Shack, lie a block to the west.

Walk a block east of Plaza Theater and you'll hit San Jacinto Plaza, also know as da Plaza de los Lagartos, memorable for its colorful alligator fountain. South from here, on the blocks around South Mesa Street and South El Paso Street, throngs of shoppers walk streets filled with stores and markets strongly reminiscent of the Jurez mercados. Those looking for bargains would do well to shop here before running for the border.

Airport Area

El Paso services well those coming in and out of the airport with a number of nearby restaurants and hotels. There's the Shogun Steak House (Japanese), Griggs (New Mexican) and Los Bandidos de Carlos & Mickey's (Mexican), to name a few. The Marriott, Wingate, and Embassy Suites all reside in this area. The Fort Bliss Military Reservation is also near the airport. West Side/New Mexico

This swath of El Paso is bordered by the Franklin Mountains to the east and New Mexico almost everywhere else, save for I-10 connecting the area to downtown. Sunland Park draws many visitors, what with its Racetrack & Casino and Western Playland Amusement Park. A little ways to the north the Keystone Heritage Park and its Desert Botanical Gardens warmly greets the curious passerby.

Farther up along Highway 28, those for a palate inclined towards wine can find La Via and Zin Valle wineries. Straddling the northern Texas/New Mexico border, the small town of Anthony draws water lovers with its Wet 'N' Wild Waterworld.

Deeper into New Mexico, the Las Cruces' fairgrounds hold a number of notable events, and the White Sands National Monument will beguile even the most jaded of globetrotters. A day-trip's worth of fun can be had at Alamagordo with its museums and at Ruidoso Downs, with their Racetrack and Casino.

East Side/Lower Valley

Where once there was almost nothing but desert only a few short decades ago now rests a whole new addition to El Paso's metropolitan area. Beside the sprawling strip malls and myriad suburbs can be found some historical treasures. The Misin de Corpus Cristi de Ysleta del Sur near the Tigua Indian Reservation & Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, for example, bears silent testimony to the early Spanish influence in the area. The tribe runs the adjacent Speaking Rock Entertainment Center, where a fun time is had by most.

A little farther east you can reach the suburbs of Horizon City, Clint and Homestead Meadows; about two hours east the Guadalupe Mountains National Park beckons with all its natural splendor. Just another 40 miles and across the border into New Mexico lies the stunning Carlsbad Caverns National Park, a popular attraction for nature buffs and casual visitors alike.

Jurez

El Paso's sister city, Cuidad Jurez, lies right across the border within easy walking distance (automobile traffic can get quite backed up) and even easier pleasures. One major attraction, Mercado Jurez, teems with tourists looking for (and getting) bargains on souvenirs and the like. The nearby Villa del Mar feeds the hungry masses and provides them with restrooms. Also close by, the Nuestra Seora de Guadelupe de El Paso del Norte y de los Mansos mission holds the distinction as the oldest intact building in this part of the Southwest.