Car Hire El Paso - Mini guide to El Paso

Located in the westernmost corner of Texas, El Paso epitomizes the fascinating history of this important US state. Perched on the Mexican-American border, the city has witnessed the flow of ancient Native American civilizations, the Spanish Conquistadors, the mighty Apache, the Anglo-Texan settlers, and today’s immigrants from around the world.

Chamizal National Memorial is a great introduction to the city and the region as a whole. Situated in a lovely 55-acre recreational park, this memorial celebrates the history of the settlement of the area, with special emphasis on the Mexican-American War and the treaty that finalized the border between Mexico and America.

The park’s great facilities and attractions include three kilometres of hiking trails and the Los Paisanos Art Gallery. Just across the border is the park’s Mexican counterpart, El Parque Chamizal, for those who want to get both sides of the story.

El Paso provides a great balance between old and new, and the city has done much to increase its tourist popularity by providing some excellent amusement facilities. Western Playland Amusement Park and Wet’n’Wild Waterworld are fun places for all the family.

Entertainment of a different nature is provided by the Speaking Rock Casino and Entertainment Center. It’s a great casino, offering bingo on a massive scale, a card room, blackjack and poker tables, and slot machines as far as the eye can see.

The city has a bewildering variety of restaurants, cafés, bars, clubs and discos, all offering different themes and catering to all tastes. The shopping is fantastic too, particularly with the Mexican border so close at hand.

Out of town you can come face to face with some of the most important historic sites in the region. Mission Ysleta and Mission Socorro, each established in the 17th century, are excellent examples of the blending of Native American Indian and Spanish Colonial architecture. Alternatively, Presidio Chapel San Elceario was established in a Spanish military outpost in 1789 and today functions as a Jesuit monastery.

The main road artery to El Paso is I-10, which bisects the city between downtown and the Franklin Mountains. Amtrak offers regular westward and eastward rail services, while Greyhound coaches provide links to towns and cities in Texas and beyond. El Paso International Airport services daily flights from throughout Texas and the rest of the US, as well as direct flights from many cities in Mexico.