Mexico Recommendations!!

My recommendations for places to eat, where to stay and what to do in Mexico

What I’m reading: How to Kill Your Family, by Bella Mackie. I didn’t not enjoy this, but I did struggle a bit with the credibility of the main character (and the plot in general). It’s a good light read though, if you’re looking - kinda Killing Eve vibes

What I’m listening to: Brandi Carlile’s new song with Hozier

What I’m eating: I was blown away by the food in LA - notably Gjusta bakery, all the ice-cream (below), and dinner at Bavel. More coming on LA food spots next week

(clockwise from top left) Bacio di Latte, Salt and Straw, Magpies, Bumsan

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After spending 4 months travelling around Mexico, I have a lot of recommendations. I started in Puerto Vallarta (on the east coast), and travelled west through Jalisco and Guanajuato, before spending quite some time in Mexico City, and then travelling south to Oaxaca, and finally wandering around the Yucatán peninsula. I skipped most of the north, as I had heard mixed reviews about the safety of solo-female-travelling in certain northern states. That said, I am already planning my next trip as I feel there is so much more to see (Chiapas, Veracruz, Campeche, San Luis Potosi etc. etc.).

I couldn’t decide how to present my recommendations, so I’ve opted for both a spreadsheet (if you like words) and a map (if you’re more visually inclined). Free subscribers can find the map at the link below, plus I’ve done a little suggested itinerary depending on how much time you have - and some general tips for travelling in Mexico. Paid subscribers can find the spreadsheet below, including where to eat, where to stay and activities I recommend. There’s also 3 (!!) highlights on my Instagram stories which should give you a good idea of what to expect.

It’s worth noting that I was travelling on a fairly tight budget for a considerable amount of time. You could absolutely do a similar trip but opt to stay in Airbnbs or hotels, and I’m sure you’d have a wonderful time - but the food and activity recommendations should still come in handy!

Click here for the map

1 week itinerary:

If you only have one week, I highly recommend you go to Mexico City. You can spend 3 days doing day trips (Teotihuacán, Puebla/Cholula, Xochimilco), and hit the main cultural spots on the other days. Make sure you leave plenty of time to wander around Roma Norte and Condesa and eat as much as you possibly can

Stained glass windows at Castillo de Chapultepec

2 week itinerary:

With two weeks, I would recommend spending a week in Mexico City (see above), then travelling to Puebla by bus, and spending 2 nights there. You can then get the bus to Oaxaca City (or go back to Mexico City and fly), and spend 5 nights there. There’s a fun day trip to Hierve el Agua, and more than enough to do/see/eat on the other days in Oaxaca (including a cooking class)

Oaxaca City

4 week itinerary:

Spend the first 2 weeks as above, and then travel by bus down to San Jose del Pacífico. I recommend 2-3 nights here, and then you can get a bus down to Puerto Escondido, via Pochutla. IMHO, 3-4 nights in Puerto Escondido is enough, and you can spend the rest of the time in the other beautiful towns along the coast: Mazunte, Zipolite, Chacahua

Beautiful San José del Pacífico

2 months + itinerary:

You could do the route I did in 2 months, if you didn’t spend so long in Mexico City (or get waylaid in Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua) - I think east to west is a nice way to go, but you could, of course, go west to east. You can see all the stops I made on the map linked above. It’s all doable by bus, and if you do it this way, you should definitely go through Chiapas and visit San Cristobal de las Casas.

Travel tips:

• Cash is king in Mexico (perhaps with the exception of CDMX). ATMs don’t always accept debit cards, so it’s handy to have a credit card too, just in case. Avoid ATMs with high fees (ScotiaBank and BBVA are extortionate)

• I recommend getting a Mexican SIM card for ease of navigation (and, of course, regular Instagram story posting). Alternatively, I got a US SIM on my way over, and it worked in Mexico

• Even if it’s really hot, skimpy clothing is not really appropriate in Mexico City. I don’t know why, but it’s worth bearing mind, especially if you’re coming from the beach, where it’s completely acceptable to spend 100% of your time in swimming togs. Either arms or legs out is a good rule, unless you want to attract unwanted attention

• The buses are relatively cheap, and in my experience, completely safe. You can book them online (there’s a few different companies - ADO, Futura, Primera Plus etc.), and they tend to have AC, although the WiFi never works

• If you’re staying in hostels, I recommend prioritising AC, plug sockets beside beds, bunk curtains and location. Free breakfast is always handy. Plus, if you book through the Hostelworld app, you can see a rough estimate of how many people are going to be staying - which helps give you an idea of how sociable it’s going to be

• If you’re travelling solo and want to make friends, stay in a sociable hostel (you can get a good idea from the reviews), and do the group activities. I don’t like organised fun any more than the next person, but they are actually often quite enjoyable, and you might be a pro salsa dancer by the end of your trip (unlike me)

• inDrive is a handy taxi app that works like Uber, except you put up an bid for a lift, and drivers can bid. As far as I’m aware, it only works in Mexico City, but it always ends up being cheaper than Uber!

• Colectivos are a super cheap way to travel around, especially in places like Puerto Escondido. You flag down the driver of the truck (which has a tarp over the back part), and you jump in (or hang out the back if it’s full), and then pay when you get off - it’s usually less than 10 pesos (50c)

• If you go to Yucatán, I recommend spending as little time as possible in Cancún and Tulum. They were the only places I didn’t enjoy - though I recognise that with a bigger budget (and therefore nicer accommodation), it’s possible that I would have had a better time! I just found them both to be overpriced, touristy and artificial. There are so many better places to visit on the Yucatán peninsula!

The spreadsheet

This is organised by state, then by city/town, and for each, I’ve given recommendations of where to eat, hostels to stay in and activities to do! Everything on here is on the map linked above, but the spreadsheet gives you a good overview, and some comments on what to order and price/vibe etc.