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Bucketlist Bri

Bucketlist Bri

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The Ultimate Mexico Travel Guide

woman demonstrator holding palm leaf

Where is Mexico, really? Mexico is a HUGE country with 32 very diverse states. While it does identify as being Latin American, many people think Mexico is located in Central or South America. It’s not! Mexico is located in North America, just south of the U.S. border.

Languages: Spanish is the national language but there are over 68 recognized indigenous languages like Mayan or Nahuatl. These indigenous languages also can have hundreds of dialects. English is spoken in major urban areas and popular tourist towns.

Indigenous Groups: Mexico is an extremely diverse country with dozens of ethnic groups. In fact, Mexico’s Constitution describes Mexico as pluricultural because of the original peoples that existed before European settlers arrived in pre-Hispanic Mexico.

Currency: Mexican pesos – $1 USD is about $20 pesos (give or take depending on the current rate).

Religion: Most Mexicans today are Catholic (~82%). As such, you’re likely to see numerous religious ceremonies and active churches and cathedrals throughout the country.

Culture: Mexicans are especially hospitable, friendly, and hard-working. They highly value community and family and are proud of their regional traditions and culture! Many of the Mexicans I have met (from all over the country) have shown having a deep connection to nature, family, and their historical and indigenous heritage.

Best Time to Visit Mexico

kids playing in the ocean on san pancho beach

Thanks to Mexico’s diverse landscapes, you can visit Mexico practically year-round.

  • Dry season: November – May. In the wintertime, Mexico’s coastlines are perfect for a tropical getaway.
  • Wet season: June – October. Summer is the hot and wet season, making it the perfect time to escape the cities and head to the mountains.

Here are some of the best times to visit places in Mexico depending on your destination:

Yucatan and Quintana Roo (Riviera Maya): Visit during November – April during the dry season when temps are nice and hot and humidity is low. If you can, go before or after the holidays to beat intense crowds.

Mexico City and central Mexico: Visit March-May in the springtime (or in the fall). Mexico City becomes very cold during winter as it sits in the high plateaus in central Mexico. Likewise, the city is unbearably hot during the summer with lots of humidity and rain.

Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit: December – May is ideal for vacations on the coast of the lovely Riviera Nayarit. I recommend skipping holidays though as it does get crowded, especially in the smaller magic towns by the beaches. From January-April, lots of festivals and events are happening and the weather is 99% sunny skies with hot days and cooler nights.

Popular Things to Do in Mexico

calakmul mayan ruins pyramid in campeche, mexico

Mexico has ENDLESS things to do. The country is so vast, diverse, and beautiful. It’s got lush jungles, peaky mountains, pristine beaches, vast deserts, two oceans, and everything in between! With that said, don’t miss out on these top things to do on a trip to Mexico!

1. Wander at lost cities and ancient Mayan ruins

Mexico has incredible archaeological sites that once upon a mysterious time were thriving Aztec and Mayan cities. A trip to Mexico isn’t complete without seeing some of these impressive sites!

Chichen Itza is the most famous, but there are plenty of others worth seeing. Also check out the ruins at Coba, Palenque, Tulum, Calakmul, and Teotihuacan, among others.

2. Explore Mexico’s tropical islands

With two oceans, countless bays, and beaches, you know Mexico has islands worth exploring. In fact, Mexico has close to 100 beaches!

With that said it won’t be possible to island-hop them all. I have been to a few and definitely can recommend visiting Isla Holbox, Cozumel, and Isla Mujeres for trips to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.

3. Jump in fresh underground cenotes

Cenotes in Mexico are so much fun to discover! Cenotes can be found throughout the Yucatan Peninsula (there are over 6,000 cenotes!). These mostly underground freshwater caverns make the adventure in me come to life. Here are my favorite cenotes and why.

4. Visit Mexico’s charming Magic Towns (Pueblos Magicos)

There are currently 111 magic towns in Mexico. Magic Towns began as a tourist initiative by Mexico’s Secretariat of Tourism to bring tourism to small Mexican towns that are rich in cultural and historical heritage, who aim to preserve local traditions, culture, food, and celebrate local and regional indigenous peoples. Basically, they want to bring awareness to the fact that Mexico offers SO MUCH more than just beaches and beer.

Notable magic towns: Bacalar, Todos Santos, Cholula, Sayulita, Bernal, Cuetzalan, Atlixco, Izamal, and many more!

Best Mexican Food & Drinks to Try

chille relleno in yucatan peninsula mexico

Speaking of tacos… Here are must-try foods and drinks in Mexico when you visit! (I may be biased since I’ve lived here for a while, but Mexican food is my absolute favorite!)

Here are some of the must-try foods when you travel to Mexico:

Pozole – a traditional Mexican brothy soup of hominy (big corn), meat (usually pork, beef, or chicken) often comes with shredded lettuce, lime, tostadas, and sour cream. It can be served vegetarian too!

Chilaquiles – chilaquiles are usually a breakfast-brunch dish with fried tortillas smothered in a green or red sauce and served with refried beans, hot corn tortillas, and topped with cheese, sour cream, scrambled eggs, or meat.

Chile Relleno – chile relleno is simply a stuffed poblano pepper that’s filled with meat or cheese and is then deep-fried and covered in sauce. It originated in the city of Puebla but you’ll notice various regions have their own style of chile relleno.

Tostadas – tostadas are basically tortilla chips that are shaped like round saucers. They are served smothered in toppings – ceviche, tuna, shrimp, meat, cream, salsa, avocado, etc.

Tortas – tortas are buttery Mexican sandwiches stuffed with grilled meat and sandwich toppings like pickled jalapeno, tomato, shredded lettuce, and served with sauces like sriracha ranch. You can make them vegetarian with grilled panela cheese (panela asada).

Tacos al pastor – if you eat pork, you have to try local Mexican tacos al pastor which are marinated in a juicy blend of spices and served on corn tortillas (most come with a pinch of fresh pineapple).

Mole sauce (pronounced mole-ay) – mole is a chocolaty sauce that originates from the state of Oaxaca. It’s all at once spicy, sweet, savory, chocolaty, and sour! It’s super delicious served over enchiladas.

Must-try drinks:

Chelada – a chelada = your beer of choice mixed with 1/3 lemon/lime juice and served with a salted rim.

Michelada – beer of choice mixed with tomato juices and spices (clamato juice), served with a salted rim.

Mezcal – often considered the “smoky brother of tequila” however, while mezcal can be made from any agave plant, tequila is only made from the blue agave plant. The mezcals I’ve had in bars were always served with orange slices and 3-4 different types of salts (volcanic salt, spicy salt, etc). I don’t like alcohol but I enjoy mezcal oddly!

Pulque – is another alcoholic drink made from the agave plant (the maguey) except for this time it’s fermented from the agave plant’s sap. It has a sour taste but is refreshing! Everywhere I’ve tried it has been commonly served in little coconut husks.

Margarita – everyone knows a margarita but have you ever had one served with Mexican tequila (or mezcal) in Mexico? Hmm? Plus, you can get every type of margarita imaginable. The fresh passion fruit ones are good!

Traveling Responsibly in Mexico 

tulum street art

Traveling responsibly, sustainably, and ethically is the best way to travel! Here are some ways to be a more mindful traveler in Mexico:

Shop local — Seek out the local vendors when you travel. Support responsible businesses and restaurants who aim to reduce their environmental impact!

Avoid activities/tours that exploit animals — Not all tours featuring animals actually respect the environment or the animals’ well-being. Please do a bit of research before booking your tour. Reviews can be deceitful. In general, don’t pay to see animals in captivity.

Say no to plastic — Mexico’s new law prohibits the use of plastic bags in markets and stores. Bring your own reusable shopping bags (and on that note – also bring a reusable drinking water bottle). Please help Mexico reduce its plastic use!

Support indigenous populations — There are many indigenous vendors and businesses whom you should support. Their art and culture need preserving and your financial support enables them to keep their traditions alive.

Staying Safe in Mexico

woman riding scooter on a day trip from Tulum to Punta Allen

We have lived in Mexico for two years now and have traveled often throughout the country. We have, for the better part, felt completely safe as tourists in Mexico.

Mexico gets its bad reputation because there are undeniably several instances of gang activity from criminal groups who aim to control the local populations in the states they inhabit. These groups are in competition with one another to take control and power over the transport of goods and so on.

As a traveler in Mexico, you are just as safe as in the United States, Canada, Europe, etc. Of course, please be aware that scams and petty theft do occur, even in smaller towns. You are not likely to encounter these groups as you travel to tourist destinations.

  • Avoid walking or driving alone at night in places you’re unfamiliar with
  • Don’t buy drugs
  • Keep your wits about you at all times – never stay out intoxicated or be obnoxious
  • Secure your wallet and valuables
  • Practice good judgment and trust your gut when something doesn’t feel right

Packing List for Mexico

jump shot cenote cristal dji osmo action

I always travel with only a carry-on. Traveling lighter saves so much hassle, plus it’s better for the environment!

What to pack for Mexico will depend on your ultimate destination (city vs. beach). Nonetheless, there are some general Mexico-specific items you should pack:

  • light linens (breathable shirts and skirts)
  • reef-friendly sunscreen!
  • bathing suits
  • biodegradable mosquito repellent (here’s a travel-handy bug balm)
  • sandals
  • kindle (for waterproof reading by the pool or beach)
  • plug adapter if needed (plugs here are US-style)
  • reusable water bottle, reusable straws, reusable bags
  • plus all my camera gear!

Save this Mexico Travel Guide to Pinterest!

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mexico travel guide

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I’m Bri, an adventurous digital nomad living abroad full-time since 2015. It is my hope to inspire you to live a life of adventure, seek out meaningful experiences, and travel slowly and mindfully!

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Mexico with mummy pt. 1 🌵 Last November, Paul Mexico with mummy pt. 1 🌵 

Last November, Paul and I slow-traveled and lived for 6 months in La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur where we basked in the sunshine, dove with sea lions, and ate our weight in fish tacos 🌮 

(Peep my La Paz blog guides for all the juicy deets)🧃👀 

Some of you may remember La Paz is also where I started my Invisalign treatment earlier this year (update: my bottom teethies are nearly straight!!) so here we are six months later to pick up my second load of trays, but this time I brought mom along for the ride to show her around some of my favorite places😃 

Highlights from La Paz (except for the first)👇

💀 Face painting for Día de Muertos in Oaxaca
🌊 Playa Tecolote, one of the best beaches next to Balandra Bay
💡 When in La Paz
🍕 The BEST Naples pizza + burrata salad @ La Casa Madre 
🦋 New baby tats thanks to @tattooinknm
🌞 Sunset and sunken ships from the hurricane
💻 Snuck in a bit of blogging 
🍻 Beach beers!
♟️ My favorite little park in La Paz with a giant chessboard (Parque Piedras y Pájaros)
✈️ We got a plane to catch! La Paz > Oaxaca 

Being back in La Paz made me super nostalgic 🥲 
Revisiting a place after spending an extended amount of time there is always a strange feeling; you feel at home yet you're still a visitor, a tourist, with much to discover. You see people from the community you started to build, but before you know it you are packing your bag and saying goodbye again. I even had to go pick up some clothes we left in our last apartment 🙈

As bittersweet as it is, I'm so grateful for the "slomad" life. And also very grateful to be able to share some of the places close to my heart with my mom 🇬🇧 

I'm not sure exactly when I'll be in La Paz again (if not for my teeth, lol, which is not a bad place to "have to go back to" for that, right?) but I know that this wasn't my last visit 🥲 

#lapazmexico #bajacaliforniasur #mexico #mommydaughtertrip #golapaz #lapazbcs
Alone but not lonely is my new mantra 💛 I am s Alone but not lonely is my new mantra 💛

I am so proud of and grateful for the version of myself that solo travel has made me to step into... 🤗

10 years ago, even if I had already been living abroad, the thought of eating ALONE in a restaurant or taking myself out alone (not to mention traveling through different countries alone) just baffled me — literally, I didn’t understand what the attraction was to do such things alone! 
But now... OH MY GOODNESS 😱 total transformation. Now I’ve solo traveled abroad in Portugal, Japan, and Nepal and all three were like stepping stones to the next solo adventure 🥾 🧘‍♀️ 🏔️ 🥰 🏯

Please everyone go solo travel, if you can, and if you feel pulled to!! 

It’s such a powerful way to get to know yourself, step outside your comfort zone, and make connections! 

As much as I enjoy traveling with my partner, I just simply wouldn’t have had the same encounters or made the connections that I did on this trip and to think what I would have missed out on 🥲 ❤️

Because traveling alone literally forces you to *go out there* and in doing so, you realize just how capable you were of doing it all along! 🙏

#solotravel #solofemaletraveler #nepal #soloadventure #nepalnow #nepaltravel #nepaltourism
When you stay open and curious, pretty magical thi When you stay open and curious, pretty magical things can unfold 🥹 ✨ 

I’ve been harboring this story unsure as to HOW TO EVEN BEGIN to tell it, but the how is less important than the why. 

And this experience reminded me of my why ☺️ 

I live for this kind of magic in life, or rather, it’s this kind of magic that lights me up and makes me feel most alive — the adrenaline of an adventure and how a story unfolds right in front of me like a movie, one in which I’m not only the producer, director, graphic artist, etc but the screenwriter too. And perhaps most interestingly, the viewer as well. 

I’ve said this before, and recently too, but whenever I travel, I often let “the story” lead the way. And there’s always a story. Whether you think of it as scripting your own play, directing your own film, or authoring your own book, we get to be both the creators and the audience. And I think that’s pretty neat. 

For a long, long time, I’ve often kept those kinds of travel moments locked away in my journal — for my personal reflections only, unsure that they’d mean anything to anyone else. But what I’ve come home to lately, is that these stories are mine to tell and if they matter to me, then, well, that’s all that matters.

So here’s to sharing stories that matter, for the intrinsic value of the story itself, and for the meaningful seeds of inspiration and magic that take root in our hearts 🥰 ✌️ 

#solotravel #trekking #nepal #langtang #travelstories #travelblogger #travelstories #mindfultravel
Did you guess it? You’ve probably heard of trekk Did you guess it? You’ve probably heard of trekking routes in Annapurna, Everest, Manaslu, and Upper/Lower Mustang… but have you ever heard of Langtang? 

Langtang village inside Langtang National Park was tragically wiped out after a devastating landslide (caused by the 2015 earthquakes), but the village is rebuilding and tourism to the region is picking up! 

You will hike through the landslide area as well as the new village on this gorgeous Langtang Valley Trek. 

The trek takes 8 days roundtrip and goes from roughly 1400m up to 4980m, with the last village of Kyanjin Gompa resting at around 3900m. 

It’s one of the most BEAUTIFUL treks to do in Nepal! Plus, you don’t need to journey far to reach the starting point in Syabrubesi which is just 115km north of Kathmandu (however, it still takes around 7 hours by bus to get there!).

Save this to your Nepal adventure bucket list 🔖 and head to my blog for the free detailed guide to the trek! 

#nepal #langtang #trekking #himalayas
Guess where?! 😁 (hint in the 4th clip!) But al Guess where?! 😁 (hint in the 4th clip!) 
But also this shouldn’t come as a surprise! As a nomad, I’ve slow lived and based myself out of Mexico 5-6 times since 2018. 
Each time, going back feels like going home! 💛
And even though I was just there for a short period to show my mom around and celebrate Day of the Dead, I’m happy to be returning for a few months so I can fill back up my cup. 

The majority of 2023 has been a non-stop whirlwind which wasn’t my initial vision for this year, so this next move is about slowing down (even more), writing, and recharging ☀️ 🔋 

If you could move anywhere, where would you go? 

#digitalnomad #mexicotravel #oaxacamexico #slomad #slowtravel #slowliving
La Velada is such a special part of Día de Muerto La Velada is such a special part of Día de Muertos traditions to witness 🧡✨ 

On October 31st, we went to two local cemeteries (Panteón Xoxocotlán and Panteón Atzompa) where families labor away with love by decorating the graves with marigolds, candles, and their dead beloved’s favorite food, drinks, objects... you name it! 💛🪦

You’ll see families laughing, playing music, and drinking while some are embracing or visiting alone, quiet in their remembrance. Meanwhile, you can find typical street food outside the cemetery gates and bands/concerts and mariachis playing loudly in the background 🎺 

It’s festive, sentimental, and magical (and more), all in one 🥹❤️

If you have the wonderful opportunity to visit Oaxaca or any of the other places in Mexico where they celebrate next year, please make sure to be respectful! 🫶🏼

In Atzompa, the grave mounds are harder to see and you should take extra care with your steps and how you take photos (if you decide to). We were invited over by a family for mezcal and my friend also got to light candles for her father and share it with their family’s gravesite. 🕯️ It was a very special experience for all of us! Many many thanks and much love to everyone who made it so beautiful 🙏🌼🕯️💜

#diademuertos #dayofthedead #oaxaca #lavelada #atzompa #xoxocotlán #oaxacatravel #mexicotravel #oaxacadejuarez #cempasuchil #diademuertos2023
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