Updated 04/14/09

Palomas Mexico Related Links

HOME PAGE
 
PALOMAS MEXICO & SURROUNDING HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
 
PALOMAS MEXICO DENTAL DIRECTORY
 

PALOMAS MEXICO PHARMACY DIRECTORY
 

PALOMAS MEXICO OPTICAL DIRECTORY
 
PALOMAS MEXICO MEDICAL DIRECTORY
 
PALOMAS MEXICO SHOPPING DIRECTORY
 
PALOMAS MEXICO RESTAURANT DIRECTORY
 
PALOMAS & MEXICO NEWS AND VIDEOS
 
PALOMAS MEXICO IMMIGRATION SERVICES
 

COLUMBUS NEW MEXICO - U.S. BORDER TOWN TO PALOMAS
 


The New
Promised Land Church
 

 

Find A Wife In Mexico!
Meet Columbus icon Ivan Thompson, aka "Cowboy Cupid", and star of the Showtime movie "Cowboy Del Amor".
Click here
to visit CowboyCupid.biz

 

Custom Search

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome To
Palomas,
Chihuahua Mexico
"The City Of The Doves"
Official Web Site



Palomas, Mexico by: Sam Conn


There are only four states that can claim to have Mexico next door and New Mexico is one of them.  For those of us who live in southern New Mexico, it is so close you can see the mountains rising off Mexico's desert floor from your porch.  That in itself is enough to make folks want to take the short drive to Palomas, Mexico.  Less than a half an hour from Deming, and just 3 minutes from Columbus, you can be in another country.
 
You are more than welcome to drive your vehicle into Mexico, but chances are that your U.S. insurance won't pay if something happens.  Many folks park on the U.S. side of the border and walk.  The parking lot is right on the border--as is Palomas.  At this time, you don't need a passport or special papers to visit Palomas.  You can even take your dog.
 
Coming back to the United States is a different matter.  If you don't have a passport, you will need a driver's license and a birth certificate or some other government-issued identification with a photo to prove you are a U.S. citizen.  You may also be asked to prove your pet has all its shots.  A U.S. Customs agent at the border told me that a passport will be required beginning in June 2009.  The rules are ever-changing so it is a good idea to check with customs before you cross the border. It is also a good idea to check and see what you may bring back, such as alcohol and tobacco products.  Some items are prohibited.
 
Palomas, with a population of only about 30,000, still maintains itself as a small Mexican town, but make no mistakes--it is still very much a border town and everything that implies.


Columbus New Mexico - Palomas Mexico Border Crossing

 
The  Mexican welcome wagon usually consists of street vendors selling bootleg copies of American-made movies, "designer" sunglasses and wallets.  Beggars make up the second wave and you can count on both seeking you out during your visit.
 
The streets of Palomas are lined with just  about every type of shop imaginable.  Occasionally someone will try to hand you a sale flyer for a store further in town that offers cheaper prices than those shops on the border --sometimes true, sometimes not.
 
It's big, it's very pink and you absolutely can not miss it.  It is called the Pink Store and it has developed ;an almost cult following of locals from Deming, Columbus, Lordsburg, Las Cruces and Silver City.
 
Ivonne and Sergio Romero have been serving up old-time Mexican hospitality for almost as long as I have been reporting on Palomas.  "This is going to be our 20th year, holy guacamole," exclaimed Ivonne.  "My grandparents had a similar business for 54 years and I said I'd never do it -- and here I am."
 
The Pink Store and Restaurant is not the typical Palomas establishment.  The wares for sale reflect a broad cross section of Mexican artists.  "We don't sell seconds, we don't take buyers.  We hand pick all of our own stuff and we have artists that we have been buying from for years," Ivonne said.  "That is why people drive here from Tucson.  One of our artists, Mario Lopez, is featured in the Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago."
 
"The beauty here, everything is just so beautiful," said Dolores Chaves of Deming.  "Just the things here ... they have a lot of stuff you just don't see in a regular store." The Pink Store does carry a number of what you might consider traditional Mexican souvenirs, such as hats and paper flowers, just so "regular" tourists won't be disappointed.
 
For many, the authentic Mexican food is the main draw to the Pink Store.  The cheese for the chile rellenos and other Mexican favorites is actually made by a nearby Mennonite community.  "What a great place," said Bayard resident Mark Richard.  "It is so much fun.  We have been come here for years -- the guacamole is the best."
 
The peoples you meet make Palomas an interesting place.  It is sort of like one of the watering holes of the Old West.  "It's like a melting pot," said Deming resident Vicki Bellinger.  "I meet people from all over the world here."
 
For decades, U.S. residents have come to Mexican border towns seeking more affordable dental work, prescription medication and eyeglasses.  Others come in search of cheaper grocery and fuel prices; many just for trinkets.  There are still bargains to be found, but as the economy tightens on this side of the order, just as in the U.S., the bargains just are not as big as they used to be.
 
Violence has taken a big toll on Mexican border towns and Palomas is no exception.  The streets were once much more crowded with locals and tourists.  Shootings over the past year have left several dead.  Most of the killings here have been blamed on drug dealers. Many U.S. residents who love to visit Mexico have not been deterred from crossing the border.
 
"The Pink Store and Palomas is a getaway from everything.  This is the resort of southern New Mexico" said Linda Bilant of Silver City.  "there are two to four deaths in Albuquerque every weekend and I still go there.  This (violence) is not meant for or affecting the tourist."  " I think it is just the drug dealers and I don't think it is dangerous," said Richard.  "It would just be bad luck to get caught in the crossfire."
 
Mexico and its people are beautiful, but gone are the days when I used to work cattle on the U.S. side and was able to ride my horse across the Rio Grande, have a burrito and a soda pop...visit with friends, then ride back.  I used to love to ride the border and was in awe of the beauty of the land.   Now, I have to look through the slats of a metal fence on the ranches I cowboy on in New Mexico and Texas.  It is truly sad that the actions of a few can ruin the good for so many.
 
Other area attractions include Columbus, three miles north of Palomas.  It was here that Gen. Francisco "Pancho" Villa made his raid on U.S. soil on March 9, 1916.  He even has a state park named after him.

 


Stay Up On All The Border News Here!

 

 

 

 

Visitors Center
Quick Links Of Interest


Palomas, Mexico - Columbus New Mexico
U.S. Border Station

Open
24 hours / 7 days
 

Palomas Business Spotlight

 






Sponsor Links


Click Above For Available Real Estate
& Property In Columbus, New Mexico

 

Martha's Place
Bed And Breakfast Inn

Overnight & Long-term Lodging In Columbus, New Mexico
Just 3 miles from Palomas!
Call for reservations
(575) 531-2467

Pancho Villa
State and RV Park


Gates open 24 hours
(575) 531-2711





Click Above For All Current Border Crossing Information

Our Lady Of Las Palomas

 

Palomas Family Cooperative


Do you have comments or suggestions to improve this web site? Would you like to be a contributing editor? Would you like your Palomas related business added to this site?
Please send your inquiries to the email address below!
 lunatechweb@gmail.com
 

Copyright 2009 Luna Tech Web
 All rights reserved.