Tucson was at one time a Spanish outpost in the desert of the American Southwest. Today it is a charming blended oasis of old Spanish colonial, Native American and modern American culture, enveloped by the stunning red desert of Arizona. Here, you’ll find world-class golf resorts, excellent restaurants, art museums and galleries, an active cultural life, and, of course, plenty of great weather.
The stunning El Presidio Historic District is the city’s main feature. Encased in the downtown area, the district boasts the old Spanish La Casa Cordova, home to a formerly wealthy Spanish businessman before Arizona became a part of America. The museum has a great collection of contemporary art, as well as ancient indigenous artwork and artefacts.
Fish House and Stevens House are two mid-19th century homes of local politicians which have been converted into museums. Both are known for authentic displays of the lives of the local elite of the time.
Tucson has recently become known as a trendy city with a great nightlife, due largely to the city’s 35,000 plus college students attending the University of Arizona. The campus hosts some interesting outdoor sculptures, as well as the University of Arizona Museum of Art, the Arizona State Museum, the Arizona Historical Museum, and the Flandrau Science Center, Planetarium and Mineral Museum. The area around the university is the best place to find hip bars and clubs.
Tucson is a good base from which to explore the gorgeous surrounding region. Saguaro National Park rests on both the east and the west sides of the Tucson. This park is named after the indigenous saguaro cactus, which can grow to be five storeys high. The park is a hiker’s paradise, and is filled with great trails of varying lengths.
Alternatively, Coronado National Forest, an hour by car from Tucson, is verdant with lush vegetation in contrast to the surrounding desert. Here, you can go horseback riding, white-water rafting in Sabino Canyon, bird watching, hiking and rock climbing.
Interstate 10, the main east-west interstate across the southern US, passes through Tucson on its way north to Phoenix. Tucson is situated on Amtrak's 'Sunset Limited' line, which runs between Orlando and Los Angeles. The train station is located in El Presidio Historic District. Most of Tucson International Airport’s international flights are to Mexico; however, the airport has good domestic connections.
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