Reynosa is a major border city of about 650,000 people in the state of Tamaulipas, sitting directly across the Rio Grande from McAllen, Texas. Like many Mexican border cities, it has a split personality — a busy industrial economy driven by maquiladoras and cross-border trade, and a reputation for cartel-related violence that has made international headlines. Travelers should check current security advisories carefully before visiting, as conditions can change quickly.
That said, Reynosa is a real, working city with a bustling centro, a large commercial zone along the highway to Monterrey, and a border-crossing culture that is fascinating in its own right. The Zona Centro market has a lively sprawl of stalls where you can find everything from hand-tooled boots to pirated electronics, and the Plaza Principal has a few decent restaurants and the imposing Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.
Reynosa is primarily a transit point — either for crossing to or from Texas via the McAllen–Hidalgo International Bridge, or for the drive south to Monterrey, which is about three hours away through increasingly dramatic mountain scenery. The city's maquiladora belt, which lines the highway out of town, shows another face of border life: the global assembly lines that stitch together cheap labour and free-trade rules. If you are crossing the border here, keep your wits about you and stick to well-traveled routes.