The blog

40 posts

Dates Day of the Dead at Pátzcuaro without intruding It is a family vigil, not a show. How to be there respectfully, and six months ahead. 12 min · upd. October → Dates Guelaguetza: what you see and what you pay The two Mondays after 16 July, eight regions, and two very different kinds of ticket. 10 min · upd. June → Practical Bus or plane: the legs where there is no argument Ten routes measured door to door. Under ten hours, the bus wins almost every time. 8 min · upd. August → Practical Sargassum: what it is, when it lands and which beaches escape Daily maps, the real season, and why Cozumel and Holbox usually get away with it. 7 min · upd. May → Practical Two thousand two hundred and forty metres: day one in Mexico City Why it pays to plan nothing, and what happens if you skip it. 6 min · upd. July → The table The fonda aisle: how Mexico actually eats Three courses for the price of a coffee, two to four in the afternoon, where the workers eat. 9 min · upd. September → The table Single-village mezcal: how to choose it and how to drink it No brand, no salt, no lime. The palenques of the Oaxaca valleys, agave by agave. 11 min · upd. April → Routes Three weeks in Mexico, day by day From the highlands to the reef: five stops, twenty-one nights and a single domestic flight. 15 min · upd. September → Routes Mexico without a car: twenty-one days by bus The same classic central route, renting nothing and flying nowhere internally. 10 min · upd. June → The table Aguas frescas: jamaica, horchata, tamarind and the market jar What is inside each jar, how it is made, the ice question answered honestly, the seasonal fruits and what a glass actually costs. 3 min · upd. May → Practical Airports of the Riviera and the peninsula: which one, and how to leave it Cancún, Tulum, Cozumel and Mérida compared without decoration: ADO buses, the truth about the taxi concession, and real transfer times to each resort zone. 3 min · upd. March → Practical All-inclusive or boutique: an honest comparison Where the wristband genuinely pays off, what the small print hides, how sleeping outside the compound changes the trip, and the daily arithmetic with 2025 prices. 3 min · upd. April → The table Birria and barbacoa: Mexico's weekend-morning meats What separates Jalisco birria from Hidalgo pit barbacoa, why they are eaten at dawn, how to order the consomé, and what it all costs. 3 min · upd. March → Practical Boutique hotels in Oaxaca: old houses, patios and rooftops What the converted houses of central Oaxaca are really like inside, which neighbourhood to choose, what they cost in 2025 and why they sell out half a year ahead in July and late October. 3 min · upd. June → Practical Cash, cards and ATMs in Mexico: how to pay without losing money Why you pay in pesos, which cash machines cost less, how to refuse the on-screen conversion, and why five-hundred-peso notes are a problem in the market. 3 min · upd. March → Dates Christmas in Mexico: posadas, Nochebuena and what closes December's real calendar: nine nights of posadas, the 12th at the Basilica, dinner on the 24th, the silence of the 25th, weather by region and high-season prices. 3 min · upd. November → The table Coffee in Mexico: olla-brewed, highland-grown and instant Where Mexican coffee grows, how to order it in a fonda or a specialty café, why instant still rules the kitchen, and what each cup costs. 3 min · upd. March → Practical Rental car or Uber in Mexico: where each one works Where the ride apps work, where taxis and transfers rule, the real conflict at Cancún airport, rental insurance, topes and the toll roads. 3 min · upd. March → The table Esquites and elote: the evening street-corn ritual Cup or cob, the exact order of mayonnaise, cheese, chilli and lime, the regional versions, when the carts come out and what a cup costs. 3 min · upd. March → Practical The ferries of Quintana Roo: timetables, prices and seasickness The three crossings people actually use: Cozumel, Holbox and Isla Mujeres. Daylight frequencies, crossing times, luggage, car ferries and 2025 prices. 3 min · upd. March → Practical The haciendas of Yucatán: sleeping, visiting and understanding them What henequen was, what staying in a restored hacienda is really like, what it costs in 2025, and what you see in the ruins along the back roads. 3 min · upd. November → Practical Hostels in Mexico: beds, private rooms and the real noise What the hostel scene is really like in Mexico City, Oaxaca and the beach towns, what a bed costs by region, when a private room wins, and who it does not suit. 3 min · upd. March → Dates Hurricane season on Mexico's coasts: June to November The real calendar with its peak in September and October, how the Caribbean and the Pacific differ, what hotels actually do when a warning lands, and how insurance and flexible rates really work. 3 min · upd. June → Dates A night at the lucha libre in Mexico City How a card actually works, what rudos and técnicos are, what a ticket at Arena México costs, how to buy without touts and how to get back to the hotel. 3 min · upd. October → The table Mexican breakfasts: chilaquiles, eggs and café de olla Red or green, eggs ranchero or motuleño, the fonda set breakfast and why the Mexican morning runs until one in the afternoon. 3 min · upd. April → The table Pacific seafood: aguachile, zarandeado and the marisquería How the midday marisquería works on the Pacific coast, what to order, when to arrive, what people drink, and what a seafood lunch actually costs. 3 min · upd. April → The table Panaderías and pan dulce: the tray, the tongs and the right hour How bread is bought in Mexico, what each piece is, when the good batch comes out, and why the neighbourhood bakery is a daily institution. 3 min · upd. April → Practical Pharmacies and health in Mexico: the consultorio, the sun and insurance How the doctor's consultorio next to the pharmacy works, what you can buy over the counter, why sun and dehydration are the real risk, and what travel insurance actually covers. 3 min · upd. March → Practical Pueblos Mágicos: what the label means and how to choose well What the tourism ministry's badge actually is, what it does not guarantee, which towns hold up to any comparison, and how to avoid the crowded Saturday. 3 min · upd. March → Dates Mexico's rainy season: what it is actually like Sunny mornings and hard afternoon storms from May to October: the real pattern, regional differences, low prices and what to pack. 3 min · upd. June → The table Salsas and chillies in Mexico: how to read the salsa bar Red and green do not mean mild and hot. The chilli pantheon in fresh-and-dried pairs, the peninsula habanero, how to test heat without ruining lunch, and salsa-bar etiquette. 3 min · upd. June → Dates Semana Santa in Mexico: crowds, prices and processions The movable Holy Week calendar, which destinations saturate, how far rates climb, where to watch the processions and how far ahead to book each thing. 3 min · upd. March → Practical SIM cards, eSIMs and wifi in Mexico: a practical guide Which carrier really covers the country, where to buy a prepaid chip, how to top it up, when an eSIM is worth it and what to expect from hotel wifi. 3 min · upd. March → Dates Spring in Mexico City: jacarandas, dry air and Holy Week When the jacarandas flower, why March is the sweet spot, what happens to the air between March and May, and how to use the empty city of Holy Week. 3 min · upd. March → The table Eating street food in Mexico without getting sick How to choose the right stall, what is cooked to order and what has been sitting for hours, the reality of water and ice, and what to do if your stomach complains. 3 min · upd. March → The table A regional map of tamales: Oaxacan, corundas, zacahuil and the guajolota Which tamal belongs to which region, why the wrapper changes, how the morning cart economy works and how to order before breakfast runs out. 3 min · upd. February → The table The Spanish you actually need in Mexico Courtesy first, market numbers, mande and provecho, how far English really goes, and when pointing and smiling honestly does the job. 3 min · upd. March → Practical Tipping in Mexico: how much, to whom, and when not to The 10-15% in restaurants, the card terminal that asks, the trades that live only on tips, hotels, guides, and the awkward question of leaving dollars. 3 min · upd. March → Dates Whale-shark season in Mexico: when, where and what it costs The real calendar for the summer aggregation off Isla Mujeres and Holbox, the in-water rules, 2025 prices and La Paz as the winter alternative. 3 min · upd. June → Practical What a day in Mexico costs, with 2025 numbers Three real daily budgets, line by line: sleeping, eating, moving and entry fees. And where the bill spikes without warning. 3 min · upd. August →