page_title: Matamoros, Tamaulipas
section_title: Bagdad Beach
hierarchical_section_title: Matamoros, Tamaulipas / Tourism / Bagdad Beach
caption_attribution_description: English: Sunset over the floodplains just west of Bagdad beach.
context_page_description: Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas.
  It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States.
  Matamoros is the second largest city in the state of Tamaulipas.
  As of 2016, Matamoros had a population of 520,367.
  In addition, the Matamoros–Brownsville Metropolitan Area has a population of 1,387,985, making it the 4th largest metropolitan area on the Mexico–US border. Matamoros is the 39th largest city in Mexico and anchors the second largest metropolitan area in Tamaulipas.
  Matamoros is one of the fastest growing cities in Mexico, and has one of the fastest growing economies in the country. The economy of the city is significantly based on its international trade with the United States through the USMCA agreement, and it is home to one of the most promising industrial sectors in Mexico, mainly due to the presence of maquiladoras. In Matamoros, the automotive industry hosts the assembly and accessories plants for brands such as General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, BMW, and Mercedes Benz.
context_section_description: Bagdad Beach (Playa Bagdad), also known as Lauro Villar Beach, is 27 km (17 mi) east of Matamoros, about 20 minutes in trajectory. At Playa Bagdad, important fishing tournaments are held each year, where participants from all over the state of Tamaulipas get together. During Holy Week, the beach experiences an abundant presence of visitors, primarily from Nuevo León, when Playa Bagdad becomes the host of several concerts, sport tournaments, and festivals. In 2014, the mayor Leticia Salazar proposed to change the beach's name to Costa Azul, in reference to a song of the Matamoros-native Rigo Tovar.
  In 1985, during the yearly festival of 'Festival del Mar,' Rigo Tovar, along with other important attractions, played in Playa Bagdad. Other second tier bands like 'La Firma', 'La Mira de Linares,' and 'La Leyenda,' along with several other pop groups, have also played during the month of April, the most visited period of the year. In addition, Playa Bagdad has several seafood restaurants. Jet ski, surfing, and even motocross and off-road 4x4 racing are allowed with few area restrictions. In a single day during summer breaks, the number of visitors can get as high as 180,000.
caption: Sunset at Playa Bagdad
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