Mexico

The stars aligned, and I managed to persuade the family to skip Christmas again this year.  If I can pull this off one more time, I think I might qualify as an honorary grinch.   In all seriousness, it was one of the few opportunities we had to get away together this year,  so we booked ourselves a flight to Mexico.  This wasn’t an exciting, hard driving adventure like most of our of past trips.  This was a chance to spend a week, without any cares or responsibilities and just relax.  We decided on Cabo San Lucas, for the simple reason that it’s somewhere we’ve never been before.  We’ve actually travelled quite extensively in Mexico over the years so I’m looking forward to giving you my thoughts on the best and worst the country has to offer. 

Regardless of which area you travel to in Mexico, they have got their tourism sector dialled in.   They are experts at the all-inclusive, over-eating, over-drinking, outdoor sporting market like no other country.  Therefore,  it should be no surprise that tourism makes up 8.5% of the countries GDP, and in 2018 alone they received 35 million tourists.   

Even though tourism is such a vital aspect of the economy,  you do need to exercise  caution when you are travelling in Mexico.   Many areas of the country are consistently under travel advisories from the Canadian and US Governments; unfortunately gang violence has too often occurred in popular resort areas, and corruption remains a major issue in the country.  The resort properties normally are very secure and are generally considered safe,  but they are not immune to issues.    

In spite of those issues, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go, but it does mean you need to exercise a high degrees of caution.  Make sure you leave your bling at home,  don’t overdress,  be cautious and alert when you frequent higher risk places like bars and night clubs.   Know your surroundings,  be wary of suspicious people and don’t blindly trust strangers. Above all, keep your drinking in check,  the more you drink the more vulnerable you are.  Lastly, spend a little time researching the area you want to go.  There is no shortage of information about issues travellers need to be careful of in specific places.

The fact is that Mexico is a beautiful country,  the beaches are phenomenal,  it’s convenient to get to, and you usually get great value for money.  My own experience is that the Mexican people are very friendly and welcoming. They have a strong sense of family and have a very rich and vibrant culture.  Most importantly,  in my opinion they have one of the most delicious cuisines in the world. 

Los Cabos, Baja California Sur

On this recent trip we decided to stay off the beach, and on the marina in Cabo San Lucas.  We wanted to be able to get out and walk around the neighbourhood,  do some shopping, and not feel confined to a resort property.  We stayed at a place called the Marina Fiesta,  and it turned out to be everything we were hoping for.  It was a nice property,  the food was great, and it was right downtown where all the action was happening;  it’s all about catering to tourists.  There are hustlers everywhere trying to sell you snorkelling, fishing and water craft adventures.  Street vendors are everywhere selling all manner of knick-knacks and brick-a-brack.   There’s even guys walking around with iguanas trying to sell you a picture with them.  The other thing you can’t help but notice is all the bars and nightclubs.  This is a party town, and when the sun goes down the city really comes alive.  Booming music,  fireworks, and emergency vehicle sirens fill the night sky.  It’s a crazy, crazy place,  and I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more 25 years ago.   At this stage of my life I wouldn’t have been able to keep up even if I wanted to.  I’m just happy nursing my beer all day, and having a few mojito’s as a nightcap before hitting the sack sometime before midnight.  For that reason, it was a great vacation but not my favourite place I’ve been in Mexcio.   If I had to rank it,  I think it would rank fourth on my list.   Keep this placement in mind, because I’m going to give an overview of the places we’ve been in Mexico,  and talk about them from my most favourite, in descending order to my least favourite;  and the worst place we’ve been in Mexico also happens to be the worst trip we’ve ever taken.  

Huatulco, Oaxaca

By far,  this is my favourite place in Mexico.  Huatulco is located at the southern end of the country, near the small town of La Crucecita.   Located in the province of Oaxaca,  they are famous for their local cheese and mezcal liquor production.  With a local population of about 12,000 people,  its very small compared to other tourist areas.  Over the years the government has invested heavily on infrastructure to grow tourism, but somehow Huatulco has maintained its small town charm.   La Crucecita has been built around a picturesque public park,  anchored on one side by an old Catholic Church, and surrounded by small shops and open air cafes.  It’s the perfect place to enjoy refreshments and watch life pass you by.   

We’ve been here twice,  once staying at the Las Brisas Resort, and once at the Dreams Resort.  Either one is a great experience,  but they are very different.  Las Brisas has a very large property, so large in fact, they have golf carts that help shuttle people around. The resort has several separate beaches, connected by a sea wall,  and all of them have shallow, calm waves, with one that has a coral reef that is great for snorkelling.   Across the bay at Dreams, it’s a smaller property that makes the amenities more accessible; and unlike Las Brisas, they have one large beach that has much stronger surfs because of how the resort faces towards the ocean.  Either way, you can’t go wrong. 

Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo

The Maya is a close second to my all time favourite location.  We’ve stayed there twice,  and each resort was fantastic. The beaches are beautiful, and the resorts are usually quite self contained, so you don’t get hassled as much by vendors.  However, there is a notable difference between the East and West Coast experience.  The east side of Mexico is very popular and geared specifically for the tourism market,  which attracts a lot of visitors from the US and Canadian eastern urban regions.   For this reason, I’ve found there is a very different vibe between the resort experiences on each coast.  When visiting Mexico on the west, the atmosphere is more laid back, and relaxed, while on the east I find it very hectic, and the tourists more aggressive.    

What makes the Maya a favourite of mine is the sites there are to visit.  Although Chichen Itza is still on my bucket list,  Tulum was a wonderful place to explore the Mayan ruins.  We enjoyed swimming with the turtles at Akumal,  and I highly recommend taking in the Cenotes (Underground Caves).   The Yucatan Peninsula has extensive underground cave systems that are filled with freshwater;  it’s a really cool experience to swim or tube through them, they are absolutely beautiful.   

Manzanillo, Jalisco 

Before kids, my wife and I spent two weeks at the Los Angeles Locos (Crazy Angels) resort in Tenacatita.  Owned by Blue Bay Resorts,  it was only rated as a two star at the time,  but this may have been one of our most enjoyable trips in Mexico.   Although the resort itself was nothing to write home about,  what made it unique is that the crescent mooned beach was entirely private, and there were virtually no other guests during the weekdays;  but on the weekends,  busloads of locals from Guadalajara would arrive and the resort would come alive with activity.   It was three days of fiestas,  followed by four days of solitude.   

What really added to the experience was being able to horseback ride on the beach, or take a skiff from the resort up a mangrove lined river to the other side of the bay where there was another beautiful locals beach where you could grab some beers and soak in the sun.  

This was certainly not a five star resort,  but we learned that the “star” level can be deceiving when it comes to the overall experience.  It’s been over twenty years since we’ve been there,  but if it’s the same as when we were there, I highly recommend it. 

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco

This is a very popular resort town, but it does rank lower on my list.  We’ve been there four times, and have stayed at various locations in the Marina District and south of town, but I’ve never travelled north of the city towards Nuevo Vallarta.  Overall,  the resorts are very nice,  and its an easy location to get to from the West Coast.  The beaches are ok if you are outside of town, but if you’re downtown or in the marina district the water in the bay is very murky.    

This area ranks lower for me simply because we’ve stayed in so many other places we’ve liked more,  I also find P.V. to be overly commercialized.  There is certainly no lack of things to do, but it’s a good example of where catering to tourism has taken away from having an authentic local experience.  Having said that, for an affordable, accessible, and enjoyable escape to a resort area it’s still a good place to go. 

Ixtapa, Guerrero 

Ixtapa is the resort area adjacent to the town of Zihuatanejo. Keep in mind that it’s been about 10 years since we were there, so perhaps things have changed, but this trip ranks as one of the least enjoyable trips we have ever taken.  I found the town of Zihuatanejo to be sprawling, dirty, and unwelcoming.  I also thought the resort area of Ixtapa was very run down with half completed buildings, dirty streets and I never felt fully comfortable exploring outside the resort area.  What really made this a bad experience were the guests at the resort.  The hotel was filled with partiers,  walking around with bubba cups,  often so drunk they needed to be carried back to their rooms.  One night security had to fish a naked drunk guy from the pool while diners were trying to eat their dinner at the pool side restaurant.   I guess if you’re looking for the “black out” resort experience this may be a destination for you, but if not,  take my advice and try some of the other locations mentioned above…..and btw,  nobody needs a bubba cup.     

One bad experience aside,  Mexico is a great place to visit,  and the closer you can get to experiencing authentic culture, cuisine and historic sites the more fun you’re going to have.   I have always found the Mexican culture to be very family oriented,  which made travelling with our young kids very enjoyable.   The people are friendly,  and each region of the country has something different to offer, so if you’re making multiple trips be sure to check out different parts of the country.  Viajes felices! (happy travels)