Let's Explore Mexico

Mexico Travel Guide, Transportation, Accommodations, Food, Dishes, Hidden Attractions, and much more...

Mexico at a glance

A cruise stop in Cozumel was my introduction to Mexico. Unfortunately, rain ruined our beach day and time prevented me from exploring the ancient relics that exist. Mexico is the giant of Middle America in every way: size, population, culture, and resources. Mexico, rich in reminders of ancient civilizations and a Spanish-colonial atmosphere, is also a modern developing country. Ancient temples and cathedrals contrast with high-rise office buildings and contemporary beach resorts.

Mexico Do's

Do bargain, it’s worth asking if a discount is available on room rates, especially if its low season or you’re staying more than two nights. In markets, some haggling is expected. Unmetered taxis will often shave some pesos off the initial asking price.
Do learn a few of the basic Spanish phrases. In theresort areas, you’ll find most folks who work in the service industry speak at least some English, but you never know when you’ll need to ask an important question like where a bathroom is (“¿Dónde está el baño?”), and the person you’re asking only speaks Spanish.
If you have a limited amount of time to spend in Mexico, you should definitely look into buying tickets for the most popular attractions in advance.
Do practice general safety precautions. As a tourist, you may be seen as an easy target for thieves and pickpockets.

Mexico Dont's

Don’t assume everyone speaks English, try to learn a few common words and phrases like “hello,” “how are you,” “where is,” and “what is”
Unless there’s a sign over the sink in your hotel room proclaiming that the tap water is purified (it would say “agua potable”), don’t drink it.
Don’t pay in U.S. dollars. You might think you’re doing the person you’re paying a favor, but it’s actually just a hassle for them.
Don’t walk around with your passport. Before any trip, you should always leave a copy of the main page with someone you trust. It’s also a good idea to scan it in and email it to yourself.
Don’t pet stray dogs. The majority of them just want food and have no qualms whatsoever about biting the hand that feeds them.

Mexico Quick Facts

Mexico Fun Guides

Transportation in Mexico

Mexico offers visitors, vacationers, and residents an extensive network of transport systems, both public and private, which make getting around Mexico efficient and affordable.

By Taxi

Taxis are common in towns and cities, and surprisingly economical. City rides cost around $1 to $1.25 per kilometer.

By Bus

Mexico’s efficient, comfortable, and reasonably priced bus network is generally the best option for moving around the country. Services are frequent on main routes.

By Plane

Over 60 cities are served by domestic flights, which are well worth considering for longer intercity trips. Fares vary widely depending on the airline and how far in advance you pay.

By Rental Car

A convenient option giving maximum independence. Roads are serviceable, with speeds generally slower than north of the border or in Europe. Rental rates start around $33 per day, including basic insurance.

By Train

Train travel is limited to one spectacularly scenic train route in northern Mexico. El Chepe, a passenger service that runs through the legendary Copper Canyon, offers stunning views of some of northern Mexico’s most spectacular scenery.

By Ferry

Vehicle and passenger ferries connecting Baja California with the Mexican mainland sail between Santa Rosalía and Guaymas (one-way seat/cabin $47/52, car $160); La Paz and Mazatlán (one-way seat $62, three weekly); and La Paz and Topolobampo (one-way seat $55, car $110).

Best Dishes in Mexico

Authentic Mexican food is more than just something you eat—it is something you experience. Traditional Mexican food has a vibrant history and is tied to the heart of Mexican culture and values. Indeed, one of the best ways to understand your Mexican heritage is to understand its food. Many of the tastes, sights, and sounds of authentic Mexican food stem from three main Mexican cultures: Mayan, Aztec, and Spain, with Spain being the most heavily represented.

Chilaquiles

This popular traditional breakfast dish features lightly fried corn tortillas cut into quarters and topped with green or red salsa. Scrambled or fried eggs and pulled chicken are usually added on top, as well as cheese and cream.

Chiles en nogada

Boasting the three colors of the Mexican flag, chiles en nogada is one of Mexico’s most patriotic dishes. Poblano chilies filled with picadillo (a mixture of chopped meat, fruits, and spices) represent the green on the flag, the walnut-based cream sauce is the white, and pomegranate seeds represent the red.

Elote

the Mexican name for corn on the cob, on nearly every city street corner in Mexico. The corn is traditionally boiled and served either on a stick (to be eaten like an ice cream) or in cups, the kernels having been cut off the cob. Salt, chilli powder, lime, butter, cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream are then added in abundance.

Best Accommodations in Mexico

Some destinations in Mexico are known for their large all-inclusive beachfront resorts, while stylish boutique hotels, budget hostels, and modern chain hotels are popular choices in other parts of the country.

Hotels are generally rated from one to five stars; however, the ratings may not necessarily be consistent in terms of what each hotel offers (and the number of stars may not be consistent with what you’d expect), so it’s always a good idea to read reviews and verify specific amenities and services before making your decision.

Mexico's Top Tourist Attractions

Xcaret Park is a privately owned and operated theme park, resort, and self-described ecotourism development located in the Riviera Maya, a portion of the Caribbean coastline of Mexico’s state of Quintana Roo.

The Pyramid of the Sun is the largest building in Teotihuacan, and one of the largest in Mesoamerica. It is believed to have been constructed about 200 AD.

Isla Mujeres is a Mexican island in the Caribbean Sea, 13 kilometers off the coast from Cancún. It’s a vacation destination known for beaches such as northern Playa Norte, resort hotels, and snorkeling and scuba diving on the surrounding coral reefs. At Punta Sur, the southern tip, there’s a lighthouse, the remains of a Mayan temple, and a sanctuary for sea turtles.

Mexico's Hidden Gems

Puebla, two hours southeast of Mexico City, is Puebla’s new International Museum of the Baroque. In Mexico, the Baroque left its most indelible mark on the colonial city of Puebla. Gallery after gallery in the spectacular all-white building, designed by Japanese starchitect Toyo Ito, is filled with paintings, sculptures, installations, and digital interactive displays that attempt to explain what exactly the Baroque meant and how it expressed itself.

Located in Xilitla, a small town of about 10,000 people in the Huasteca region of southern San Luis Potosi state, Las Pozas is the creation of Edward James. Las Pozas is a surrealistic group of structures created by Edward James, more than 2,000 feet above sea level, in a subtropical rainforest in the mountains of Mexico. It includes more than 80 acres of natural waterfalls and pools interlaced with towering Surrealist sculptures in concrete.

Bacalar is an amazing lake in the southern tip of Quintana Roo State. Bacalar is located on Lake Bacalar, which is also known as the Lagoon of Seven Colors. It is called the lake of seven colors because of the white sandy bottom that gives the effect of having so many shades of blue. This is a freshwater lake feed by underground cenotes, but it does look like the ocean.

Mexico Daily Costs

Budget: Less than $40

Accommodation:

Hotel or Hostel (single): $24
Double-occupancy room: $49

Hostel for 2: $23
Hotel for 2: $26

Food

Meals for one day: $11

Dinner for 2: $23
Mexican chips: $0.35
Ice cream: $1.10
Lunch for 2: $5.41-$18
Coffee & snacks: $3.91
Lunch: $2.50

Transportation

Taxis, local buses, train: $6.96
Intercity: $18

Metro: $1
Uber ride: $3.50
Taxi to bus station: $1.50-$1.75
Short taxi ride: $1.25
Local bus for 2: $1.70
Ferry to Isla de Mujeres for 2: $14
Airport shuttle for 2: $12
Scooter rental: $18
Car rental: $35

Entertainment

Entrance tickets & shows: $14

Guide at Palenque: $20
Edzna entry for 2: $4.11
Mayan village entrance for 2: $5.01
Uxmal entrance for 2: $17
Train at zoo: $0.10
Chichen Itza entrance for 2: $17
Seasick pills: $0.50
Whale shark tour for 2: $85

Tips & Handouts

Guides & service providers: $2.75
Scams, robberies, & mishaps: $3.10

Alcohol

Drinks for one day: $4.26

Water

Bottled water for one day: $1.20-$2.50

Mid-range: $40-115

Accommodation

Hotel or rental home (single): $24
Double-occupancy room: $49

Hotel for 2: $26

Food

Meals for one day: $11

Dinner for 2: $23
Mexican chips: $0.35
Ice cream: $1.10
Lunch for 2: $5.41-$18
Coffee & snacks: $3.91
Lunch: $2.50

Transportation

Taxis or Car rental: $6.96
Intercity: $18

Entertainment

Entrance tickets & shows: $14

Tips & Handouts

Guides & service providers: $2.75
Scams, robberies, & mishaps: $3.10

Alcohol

Drinks for one day: $4.26

Water

Bottled water for one day: $1.20-$2.50

High-end (Luxury): More than $115

Accommodation

Resort or hotel (single): $74
Double-occupancy room: $148

Hotel for 2: $26

Food

Meals for one day: $27

Dinner for 2: $23
Mexican chips: $0.35
Ice cream: $1.10
Lunch for 2: $5.41-$18
Coffee & snacks: $3.91
Lunch: $2.50

Transportation

Car Rentals or private driver: $24
Intercity: $50

Entertainment

Entrance tickets & shows: $50

Tips & Handouts

Guides & service providers: $9.81
Scams, robberies, & mishaps: $3.10

Alcohol

Drinks for one day: $10

Water

Bottled water for one day: $3.50

Mexico Money-Saving Tips

Shuttles – arrange your ride to your hotel with your travel agent or your hotel concierge ahead of time. Many travel agents will provide this service free of cost.
Bargain – Ask for a discount and bargain with shop owners on the prices of their goods.
Know the exchange rate – Don’t just trust that vendors are being honest with you in calculating exchange rates. Know for yourself.
All-Inclusive Resorts – These resorts make it much easier to know where your next meal will be, exactly when you’re ready for it, without having to try to plan around excursions you want to take. They can also be less expensive than other hotels once you factor in the cost of food, especially considering that it can be hard to know if food outside the resorts and big tourist attractions is safe in Mexico.

Useful Websites & Apps

Hotel booking – Booking.com via InteleTravel
Tours & activities – Viator or Shore Excursions Group
Ferry tickets & schedule – Cozumel Tours
Bus Schedule – Check My Bus
Translation – Google

10 Cool Facts About Mexico

Mexico’s real name is not Mexico Mexico’s real name is the United States of Mexico (Estados Unidos Mexicanos). The country is divided into 31 states, plus the Federal District.
Mexico City is sinking The Mexican capital is sinking by 3 feet a year. In the last 60 years, the city has sunk more than 32 feet. The reason for this is the huge demand for water, which is being taken from the aquifer below the city.
World’s largest beer exporter Corona is famous worldwide, but there are lots of other Mexican beer brands besides Corona. Some of the most sold beer brands are Corona, Modelo, Tecate, Indio, Pacifico, Bohemia, Victoria, and of course Sol.
Mexico is home to world’s largest ancient pyramids The largest pyramid in the world is the Great Pyramid of Cholula in Mexico. It is also the largest monument ever constructed in the world, not the pyramids of Giza.
There are jaguars in Mexico The largest wildcat in North America is the jaguar, which can be found in Mexico’s southern jungles. They can also be seen hopping around Mayan ruins.
Mexico has 68 official languages here are 68 languages that are officially recognized, but there are even more spoken by smaller communities around the country.
Mexicans don’t celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Independence Day is on 16th of September Mexico declared independence on September 27th, 1821, but the beginning of the independence war was Sept 16th, 1810 – the day that’s celebrated as independence day. Cinco de Mayo is not the Mexican Independence Day, it only commemorates the Battle of Puebla in 1862 when Mexico won against the French army. It’s pretty much only celebrated in Puebla and by Mexican immigrants in the United States.
Chichen Itza is one of the seven wonders of the world This pyramid was once part of the Mayan Empire, and in 2007 it was named as one of the new seven wonders of the world. It is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico.
Mexican burritos are only eaten in the north Outside of Mexico what people refer to as “Mexican food” is more often than not actually Tex-Mex.
Yucatan was named after a misunderstanding “Discovered” (using quotes to respect the Tainos that were already residing on the island prior to colonization) by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493, Columbus declared the island a “colony of” Spain.