Plaza La CachanillaSears, Coppel, Ley and the classic food court, air-conditioned4.4★ with 19,735 reviews — no mall in Mexicali gathers more
What Plaza La Cachanilla is and why it is still Mexicali's mall
Plaza La Cachanilla is Mexicali's mall of a lifetime — and the numbers say it still is: 4.4 stars with 19,735 reviews on Google, more than any other mall in the city. On López Mateos boulevard, at the gateway to downtown, its formula hasn't changed: Sears (4.4★ with 5,501 reviews) and Coppel as department stores, the Ley supermarket opening at 7 AM, Woolworth, and a big, varied food court — all enclosed and air-conditioned.
Its history is the history of the city's modern retail: it opened on April 26, 1989 on the grounds of the old Jabonera del Pacífico soap factory, driven by businessman Juan Manuel Ley López — which is why the supermarket is a Ley and half the addresses in the complex say “Jabonera.” It was Mexicali's first large enclosed, air-conditioned shopping center, and it keeps adding: European chain C&A is among its recent arrivals and Liverpool opened about 250 meters away on the same boulevard.
Reviews repeat the same script: the air conditioning is the magnet(“much-needed air in this heat,” writes a visitor from Jalisco), the food area delivers, and the two open requests are facade upkeep and a movie theater — because it has none. Parking is paid. The hours in this guide were checked store by store against Google in August 2026.
📍 Practical information
Location on López Mateos
Blvd. Adolfo López Mateos s/n
Col. Eguía / Jabonera, ZIP 21100
Mexicali, Baja California
Tel. (686) 553-4108
On the boulevard that runs from the border crossing toward the Centro Cívico. Liverpool sits about 250 meters away on the same boulevard, and the Mundo Divertido amusement park is right next door — the city's classic commercial corridor.
🗺️ Location on the map
Hours verified in August 2026
Hours checked against each business's Google listing on August 10, 2026
⭐ Anchors: the mall's engines
Sears
The mall's strong department store and one of the city's most solid listings: 4.4 stars with 5,501 reviews. Clothing, appliances and electronics from 11 AM to 9 PM.
Coppel Cachanilla II
The complex's second department store: 4.3 stars with 3,621 reviews. Closes at 8, an hour before the corridors.
Ley
The complex's supermarket opens at 7 AM, three hours before the mall. It carries the last name of La Cachanilla's founder: Sinaloan businessman Juan Manuel Ley López.
C&A and Woolworth
European chain C&A is one of the mall's recent additions (its listing is just gathering reviews), and Woolworth keeps the classic variety-store format alive.
🍽️ Where to eat
Burger King
The food spot with the most opinions in the mall: 1,626 reviews (3.8★). Noon to 7 per its listing.
Carl's Jr.
The best-rated burger in the complex (4.4★ with 881 reviews) and the most generous hours: 9 AM to 10 PM.
Dairy Queen
At 4.6 stars over 203 reviews it is the best-rated food listing in the mall — the classic way to end the stroll.
Subway
The food court's light option: 4.2 stars with 490 reviews, on the same hours as the corridors.
Café La Negrita & La Duquesa
The local café (4.3★, 172 reviews) and La Duquesa bakery (4.4★) — the sweet leg of the walk.
Varied food court
Quesabirrias, Tortas Omar, Mangiamos (pizza + Thrifty ice cream), Pizza'n Play and ice cream: the big, varied food area reviewers celebrate.
📋 Directory by category
Department stores & fashion
The city's classic department-store corridor
Tech & phones
The AT&T here boasts one of the best ratings on the whole circuit
Health & optics
Optics and pharmacies with extended hours
Everyday
Still the downtown errand run it has always been
🧭 Before you go
Four things that change how the visit turns out, drawn from real hours and reviews.
Parking is paid
The Google listing marks it paid and reviews confirm it. It is large; the recent complaint (July 2026) is that the shaded areas need upkeep — in summer, it is worth circling for a covered spot.
The air conditioning is the plan
It was the city's first large enclosed, air-conditioned center (1989) and remains the classic summer refuge: a long stroll, a food court and cold air. July reviews say it verbatim.
Going early? Enter through Ley
The corridors open at 10 and Sears at 11, but the Ley supermarket works from 7 AM and Boticas Guadalupana from 8. Carl's Jr. serves from 9.
No cinema — plan that separately
It is the recurring request in reviews: the mall has no movie theater. If the plan includes a film, combine with the Cetys-crossing plazas (San Pedro or La Gran Vía) or with the Mundo Divertido park next door for the kids.
⭐ What visitors say
Real reviews from the plaza's Google listing (4.4★ with 19,735 opinions — the most reviewed in Mexicali), complaints included.
“A great place to enjoy a day with the family; there are many shops and places to socialize and go shopping.”— Ximena Martinez, on Google (June 2026)
“Good range of stores. The food court has a variety of restaurants. Overall not a bad place for shopping.”— Maribel Salas, on Google (June 2026)
“If I'm being charged for parking, I expect the facilities to reflect that. It's frustrating to pay for parking only to find that many of the shaded spaces are blocked by tree branches, especially when temperatures reach 120°F.”— Yesica Acosta, on Google (July 2026)
❓ Frequently asked questions
What time does Plaza La Cachanilla open and close?
The corridors run 10 AM to 9 PM every day. Some anchors overflow that: the Ley supermarket opens at 7, Carl's Jr. at 9 and Boticas Guadalupana works 8 to 10; Sears opens at 11 and Coppel closes at 8.
Is parking free at Plaza La Cachanilla?
No: it is paid (the Google listing marks it as a paid lot and recent reviews confirm it). It is large, though a July 2026 complaint asks for better upkeep of the shaded areas.
What stores does Plaza La Cachanilla have?
The anchors are Sears (4.4★ with 5,501 reviews), Coppel, the Ley supermarket, Woolworth and European chain C&A, one of the recent additions. The corridors add fashion (LOB, Del Sol, Modatelas, Parisina), Devlyn optics, pharmacies, jewelers and an AT&T rated 4.9 stars — the best-rated listing in the mall.
Does Plaza La Cachanilla have a movie theater?
No. It is one of the few large malls in Mexicali without a cinema, and it is the recurring request in reviews ("they should add a good movie theater," says one from June 2026). For a movie, the Cetys-crossing plazas (San Pedro or La Gran Vía) are the alternative.
What is the history of Plaza La Cachanilla?
It is the dean of Mexicali's malls: it opened on April 26, 1989 on the grounds of the old Jabonera del Pacífico soap factory, driven by businessman Juan Manuel Ley López, and was the city's first large enclosed, air-conditioned shopping center. That is why the complex's supermarket is a Ley and half the addresses here say "Jabonera."
Is it the most visited mall in Mexicali?
It is at least the most reviewed: 19,735 Google opinions (more than any other mall in the city) at 4.4 stars. On López Mateos boulevard, at the gateway to downtown, it remains the classic meeting point — and Liverpool opened about 250 meters away on the same boulevard.
37 years as Mexicali's meeting point
Sears, Coppel, Ley from 7 AM, C&A and the food court of a lifetime, air-conditioned, on López Mateos boulevard. Parking is paid and there is no cinema — everything else is still there.
🏬 Anchors:
- • Sears — 4.4★, 5,501 reviews
- • Coppel — 4.3★, closes 8 PM
- • Ley — supermarket from 7 AM
- • C&A and Woolworth
🍽️ Eat:
- • Dairy Queen — 4.6★, the top rating
- • Carl's Jr. — 9 AM - 10 PM
- • Burger King — 1,626 reviews
- • Food court with quesabirrias and tortas
🧭 Keys:
- • PAID parking
- • Enclosed and air-conditioned (1989)
- • NO movie theater
- • AT&T 4.9★: the mall's top listing
Plaza La Cachanilla rates 4.4 on Google with 19,735 reviews — the most reviewed mall in Mexicali. Hours and ratings on this page were checked store by store against Google on August 10, 2026; they change without notice, so confirm before a specific errand.