Old Town San Diego is considered to be the “birthplace” of California. This is because it was the first permanent Spanish settlement in California.  What was once considered the centre of San Diego has been turned into a Historic State Park. This was done in 1968, in order to preserve the history that characterized San Diego from 1821 to 1872.

Old Town 

Old Town San Diego includes a main plaza, exhibits, events, museums and living history demonstrations. In the shops, you can find a tiny piece of Mexico without having to cross the border to Tijuana. The market features many shops and stalls that sell one of kind Mexican crafts, leathers, jewelry and apparel.

The courtyard within the market is bright and colourful. It also features live music, events and entertainment.

Besides the market, there is tons to see and do in Old Town. There are restaurants (which i’ll have to try once my gastritis dies down), cafes and museums. Nearby you can also find the Victorian Village Heritage Park and America’s most haunted house; the Whaley House.

Mexican Boho Style

One thing I was very happy to see within the shops and stalls were traditional embroidered dresses. I have been going to Mexico on a yearly basis for as long as I can remember, yet I still have never purchased a traditional embroidered dress. The prices in Old Town were surprisingly really good (at least in comparison to Cancun/Playa del Carmen).

I have been noticing a lot of embroidery in stores lately, like this purse and skirt that can be found in Zara. However, I’m glad that I was able to find a dress that was more authentic while not being completely traditional in style. 

I love the colourful embroidery and lace up detail on this dress. There is a tie waist, making the style much more flattering than the typical muumuu shape. In Cancun similar styles were selling for roughly $120, but I managed to snag this for only $45.

I still find it hard to believe I live in the land of cactuses instead of maple trees.