Mexico Travel Guide, climate:
Best:
Nov-April.
Worst: June-Oct [wet, hot]; the Yucatan Peninsula is susceptible
to hurricanes during this season but even if the big H doesn't strike
the seas around may be rough and unclear, the skies cloudy and the
beaches [Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen etc.] less pleasant to
hang out on, though prices will be down. June also delivers US College
kid overload.
Length
of stay:
Min. worthwhile stay, not incl. flights: one week. e.g. Cancun,
Merida, and Chichen Itza.
Recommended: 2 weeks, or much, much longer.
Tour
operators offering travel around Mexico can be found in our listings
here: Mexico
Tours
Mexico's
Festivals Guide:
Mexicans really like to party!
January, Fiesta de Enero, Chiapa de
Corzo [Chiapas]. Bizarre dances, costumes, masks, parades, fireworks.
Feb/March Carnaval, date depends on
the year, Veracruz, Cozumel, Mazatlan and other cities. A wild party
time with dance, music, parades, costumes.
March, Chichen
Itza [Yucatan] see the Kukulcan snake god appear, plus varied
entertainments. Couple of days before & after too.
Easter Week/Semana Santa, nationwide
but especially Chiapas state, processions, costumes, fireworks,
music, dance and some weird rituals.
Mid April - early May, Feria de San
Marcos, Aguascalientes. A huge and long established celebration
of Mexican music and machismo, with rodeos, bull fights, folk dancing,
parades, mariachi y mucho mas.
May, Cinco de Mayo, Puebla [just north
of Mexico City] is celebrated with the usual music, dance, parades
and mock battles in the 'living museum' of Puebla.
September, 3rd Saturday, Running of
the Bulls, aka Pamplonada or Sanmiguelada. Varied festivities apart
from the Pamplona imitation, including dancing and fireworks.
Oct 31- Nov 2, Days
of the Dead [Dias de los Muertos]. Mainly in the states of Michoacan
[especially Lake Patzcuaro] and Oaxaca, a visually and intellectually
fascinating festival. e.g. partying with departed relatives in cemeteries
at night!
December 12, Feast of the Virgin of
Guadalupe, nationwide but especially in Guadalupe, north of Mexico
City, with dancing, processions, costumes, fireworks and so on.
For
precise dates, more suggestions and information see: Exotic
Festivals
Activities
Guide:
Hiking, Biking & Horse Riding:
All over the country but especially well developed in Baja California
and Copper Canyon [Barranca del Cobre], an awesome gorge that's
bigger than the USA's Grand Canyon.
Climbing: Mountains are not the only
climbing option in Mexico, volcanoes are also hot and there's
a fine pair less than 100 kms south of Mexico City - Ixtacihuatl
[5,255m/17,342 ft] and Popocatepetl [5,420m/17,887 ft].
White Water Rafting: Veracruz, Chiapas,
Oaxaca and Morelos states.
Scuba diving: Best dive spots are around
Cozumel island and the Yucatan's Caribbean coast on the east side
and the Pacific coast between Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco, Manzanillo
and the Sea of Cortez, Baja on the west side.
There are also some spooky dives available in the shape of caves
and cenotes [natural, underground wells].
Snorkelling and swimming with dolphins:
Off 'Maya Riviera', esp. Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen.
Surfing: All down the Pacific Coast,
esp. around Baja California [Ensenada], Mazatlan and especially
Puerto Escondido's Zicatela Beach.
Wind Surfing: Puerto Vallarta, Los
Barriles, Manzanillo.
Whale, dolphin & seal watching:
off Baja California and Puerto Vallarta. Grey whales are especially
visible in February.
Sea Turtle watching: around Puerto
Vallarta and Zihuatanejo.
'EcoParks' [such as Xcaret] will give
you and the kids Disneyfied wildlife and environment experiences.
Golf: With well over 100 courses around
the country there's plenty of choice though Baja Sur's Los Cabos
is reputedly Mexico's best golfing destination with Puerto Vallarta
area a close second.
Butterflies:
Millions of monarch butterflies migrate to the high forests around
Michoacan in winter. Easiest to view by hiking up from El Rosario
village. November - Feb.
And by the way, did you know that butterflies taste with their feet? [so that's why they don't wear socks]
Travel
in Mexico:
Domestic flights are acceptably efficient
though not cheap or stress free so buses are a very good alternative.
The Mexican bus network is all-encompassing
with the exception of the Baja peninsula and a vast array of carriers
are available, many of a high standard. This is our preferred form
of travel but avoid long-distance night buses as bandits like to
take them, but in a different sense.
Cars - rental or bringing your own.
Be warned.
Mexicans have a lively style of driving which can disturb those
who have actually studied for a driving licence and are
unused to swervy road tactics. In addition road surfaces can be
atrocious, signs limited, unmarked obstructions not unusual and
night lighting irregular. Any accidental involvement with the police
may be unpleasant and financially painful. Spanish language and
experience of fluid driving styles would be an advantage
if you plan on self-drive.
Taxis are a practical way to get around
but ensure that either you agree on a price beforehand or there
is a working meter. Mexico City is particularly difficult for taxis
and though the green ones are easy to find they may be more of a
problem to leave.
Health
information:
Hygiene is unexpectedly good in Mexico but nevertheless, ensure
your vaccinations are to the max and up to date.
Diseases you should be concerned about, at least, are Typhoid [get
a jab], Hepatitis A and B [get a jab], Hepatitis B, C,D [take care
what you eat, drink, or who you share fluids with, blood included],
and dengue fever and malaria, both acquired from mosquitoes. |
|
Mexico,
why travel there?
Mexico
has been a vibrant and multifaceted tourist destination for many
years, with landscapes of every description from bleak deserts to
monstrous mountains, superb beaches from activity-stuffed resort
areas to stretches of sand devoid of packaged life forms, chart-topping
ancient pyramid sites, strange and colourful festivals, varied wildlife,
terrific weather if you get your timing right, excellent public
transport systems, superb undersea life on one coast and great surfing
on the other, good food and booze, pleasant colonial towns, and
all at a very reasonable price.
Downsides:
- It's perhaps not quite as colourful as the myth of Mexico might
suggest; there is no lack of dull towns and dreary landscapes.
- Banditry and thievery are not a myth.
- Many Mexicans are resolutely uncommunicative [unless you've got
$ in your hand] and taxi drivers in particular are a disgrace.
- Handicraft quality has gone down the tubes. However! Good handicrafts
and people seem to have travelled out to the coastal resorts...try
Mexico City and find out why!
Where
to travel in Mexico:
***Chichen
Itza. A sensational Maya pyramid and many other strange
and interesting structures in large expanse of greenery. Stay 2
nights nearby and do it properly.
***Oaxaca,
a relaxed, pretty town with a lovely main square and the ancient
Zapotec site of Monte Alban nearby. A great location for Dias
des los Muertos festivities, see left.
**Merida,
another pleasant colonial town, with agreeable daily free concerts
and dance, good restaurants. A couple of days? Not too far from
Uxmal.
***Uxmal,
a good warmup for Chichen Itza: a pleasing and unusually rounded
pyramid with other varied Maya buildings. A day trip.
***Palenque, a really wild Maya place;
terrific but a long way to go.
**Playa
del Carmen [near Cancun] for a cool, casual beach scene
and excellent bars/restaurants/shops. Also the Pacific Coast, from
**Puerto Vallarta to **Puerto Escondido has great beaches and facilities.
*Cancun
for spectacular 5 star beaches with little culture.
**Acapulco, a lively 20 mile bay of
beaches, bars and hotels that has entertained Elvis, Sinatra and
Kerouac but still has space for budget travellers. A bit brash and
busy, but quiet spots survive, as do most of the famous [45m/148ft]
cliff divers at La Quebrada.
**Mexico
City. Visit excellent museums, see superb murals at the
Palacio Nacional, and frolic in the Zocalo.
Also day trips out to: The grand Teotihuacan pyramids, and the 'living
colonial museum' of Puebla.
**Barranca [Canyon] del Cobre. A stunning
6 hour train ride from Los Mochis on the Pacific coast up the mountains
to Divisadero or Creel drops you on the edge of Mexico's Copper
Canyon. Good hiking but trails are not well marked.
A
classic 2 week 'Yucatan in ruins' itinerary:
Fly to Cancun - to Chichen Itza via Ek Balam ruins
- to Uxmal via Mayapan - to Edzna - to Palenque
- to Bonampak and Yaxchilan - to Chamula and San Cristobal
de las Casas via Agua Azul and Tonina - to Calakmul and Becan
via Balamku - Tulum - Cancun.
Travel
Safety:
Mexico City and some large towns endure fairly high levels of crime,
most of it petty, but armed robbery and even rape is not unknown,
though major tourist locations such as Cancun and Chichen Itza are
more protected. As usual take special care in busy places like bus
and metro stations, when using ATMs and at night.
Green taxis are better avoided if possible as they have been implicated
in serious assaults.
Police in tourist destinations often speak English and are reliable,
though this does NOT apply to Mexico City.
See Bugbog Safety
pages.
Money:
Mexican currency is the peso, usually marked as $, though in major
tourist attractions they distinguish between the two by marking
pesos as MN [moneda nacional] and dollars as Dlls.
Small peso change is useful but hard to come by so hoard it.
Banks and casas de cambio [exchange offices] give similar
rates of exchange but always check rates first and precise money
received immediately after [.ie. at the counter!].
$100 bills are tricky to unload, $1 bills excellent.
ATMs work well but take care, especially in Mexico City, at night,
or both.
Credit Cards are widely accepted though some establishments add
a hefty surcharge when paying by card.
Tipping:
Many service personnel in Mexico depend on tips so assuming their
service is adequate you should tip waiters in the region of 15%,
bellboys and porters up to $1 per bag. Taxi drivers do not require
tipping.
Electricity
advice:
110v, 2 flat pins [same as USA, Canada]
Mexican
Visa Guidelines:
Passports are necessary even for USA citizens driving across the
border. Officials then issue a FMT [Tourist Permit] from 30 to 180
days. If you want a 180 days then say so.
Caribbean
Map | Caribbean
Beaches
Mexico Links
If
you plan to travel in Mexico you may be interested in some nearby
countries too:
Costa
Rica Travel Guide | Cuba Travel Guide
SW
USA Travel Guide | Guatemala
Guide
Ecuador
Guide | Peru Guide
|
