U.S. citizens are allowed 180 days in Mexico without a visa. So to give myself a little wiggle room, I spent 179 days there. I remember my dad driving me to the airport at the beginning of my journey. He asked me on that car ride, “So… what are you doing in Mexico?”.
You ever have someone ask you a question and you only have a vague idea of the answer? Yeah.
“Oh you know, just living”. And well, that was pretty much it. I think the idea of me just going wherever doing whatever can be a bit of a mystery to some. But having spent 100% of my existence with myself, I can say in reality, things really aren’t that exciting and I’m not really chasing any kind of high in exploring new places. It’s pretty much the same things in different environments. Walking, eating, sitting, exchanging pleasantries and chats with fellow humans, googling and asking about the plants, animals, food, language – minimizing the amount of time spent standing in lines, sitting in traffic, and overpaying for things. Creating. Honestly, I think that really sums up my time in Mexico- not completely, but to a significant degree. In all reality, it probably sums up most of my life. I’m an optimizer and I like knowing what my options are for getting the most out of life. So going to different places and getting a little feel for what life is like in this place or that is something I really enjoy. So after the 179 days, what did I find life to be like in Mexico?
I hopped around between 9 different cities across 6 different states if you only include the cities I slept in (and excluding Cancun because I didn’t even leave the hotel zone). Each city/ town brought something slightly unique and resonated with me in a different way.
Across the country, you see many similarities that just feel Mexican – taquerias where you sit or stand at a counter for a quick, cheap, delicious meal. Trucks and carts going about town with loudspeakers advertising the treats being sold or furniture they’re able to pick up. Fireworks, parades and other spirited celebrations on a random Tuesday morning. Markets. Phrases like “no manches, guey” and “mande?”. Just like every country, Mexico has a spirit of its own which I could sum up in 3 words as warm, colorful and lively. Within that, each place I visited also has a personality of its own that felt specific to that time and place. Here are the cities I visited and my thoughts on them, in a nutshell.
In 3 words
Hot, natural, empty.
A random memory
Sitting at Bomba Shack enjoying a delicious smoothie and chatting with the owner and other passers-by. Found out about the free calisthenics gym and got more intel on how to use the colectivos (very affordable public transport) to get to the beach and beyond.
Places I loved
Cenote Corazón del Paraíso — a beautiful, refreshing cenote to relax and swim
Ganesha’s Lounge — great place to read, have cacao and participate in spiritual events in town
Insider’s Tulum — good resource for finding parties and events to get into while in Tulum
Tips for visitors
Download the inDrive app and get pesos in small denominations before you arrive. InDrive allows you to avoid crooked taxi drivers, but you need cash so come prepared with exact change.
In 3 words
Beach, cacao, fitness
A random memory
Walking to the deportivo for my workout one morning, I saw 2 birds beating up (trying to help??) a little one in the street. I stood there unsure if I should intervene or let nature do her thing. Eventually the 2 birds flew away and I approached the little birdy at the same time as a French guy. He picked it up and I walked with him while he carried it to the sports complex. I got it a little cup of water from my friend who worked at the cafe there and we left it in the shade. After my workout I went back and the bird was gone. I hope it flew away!
Places I loved
Ah Cacao Chocolate Cafe — they have chocolate everything and it’s a great place to work
Playa 72 — my favorite beach to relax and swim. Lots of space and volleyball meetups
Que Huevos — Only ate here once, but good food, good vibes
Tips for visitors
If you want to experience a local market, there’s a really great one on Saturdays. Walk north up Avenida 5 and before you hit Avenida Donaldo Luis Colosio, you’ll see it on your left, about 10-15 min walking from Avenida CTM.
In 3 words
HOT, historical, friendly.
A random memory
Sitting in the park chatting with a local retired teacher who likes to practice his language skills through random park conversations.
Places I loved
Loncheria el Amigo Casiano — basically a food court of delicious Yucatecan dishes
EVA Art + Cafe — wonderful cafe to work from with art
Parque Principal — spend the evening here with ice cream, marquesitas and friendly people
Burrito Amor — the fish burrito with a coconut tortilla was the best burrito I’ve ever had
Tips for visitors
Don’t be a fool like me. When the “pozoles con coco” man comes by, go buy one. It’s a cool, refreshing sweet treat.
In 3 words
Heatwave, busy, friendly.
A random memory
Being convinced to join a walking tour then walking with the tour guide and another woman after. We passed a speakeasy with a bright neon sign and I laughed like, “wow, a speakeasy with a neon sign, kind of defeats the purpose”. We then ended up on an adventure to find and enjoy a really awesome actual speakeasy that was much more discreet. I don’t know what it was called or where it was…
Places I loved
La 60 Café Atelier — the coolest, most whimsical cafe. Work tables with art supplies there!
Gran Parque La Plancha — a very cool park with a lot to see, including a big food court
Parque de Santiago — cute lil park with market, movie theater and Cafe Montejo close by
Tips for visitors
Be prepared for the heat- make sure your accommodations have reliable air conditioning. Take a daytrip to Homun to visit some nice cenotes!
In 3 words
Historic, metropolitan, romantic
A random memory
I quickly realized and often saw that Puebla is a very PDA-friendly city. People be doing A LOT on park benches, in restaurants, on street corners. But also the men bring their ladies bouquets, which was so sweet to see.
Places I loved
Elefante Cafe — a fantastic place for breakfast. Delicious food and very warm, welcoming staff
Tintico&Aroma — a super cute Colombian cafe with deeelicious gluten-free pandebonos
GuruWalk tour — a walking tour of the city where you can learn some history and see many sites
Tips for visitors
Check museum policies if you’re planning to visit any because some are free on Sundays!
In 3 words
Charming, artsy, homey
A random memory
One day I walked into a bar to watch a world cup match. I was enjoying myself chatting with my bar-mates when suddenly someone runs to the door and shouts , “ahi viene una fila!” … “here comes a parade!”. Everyone got up from the bar and stepped outside to see a very lively parade marching towards us. I’m on the sidewalk dancing, catching the candy they throw at Mexican parades, and even got pulled in to dance down the street with the crew. So fun!
Places I loved
El Cafe de la Mancha — best coffee in SMA + they play great music on their record player
Trugo Cafe — delicious coffee drinks + delicious snacks + super cute atmosphere
Fabrica la Aurora — a big place with lots of art plus a great cafe and wine bar.
Tips for visitors
Download the Rutas SMA app to see the bus routes around town. At 10 pesos per ride, it makes getting around easy and painless on the pockets.
A lovely day I recommend (google map directions):
Starting in the town plaza, admire the majestic cathedral. Walk over to Mercado Ignacio Ramirez to browse, shop and eat. Walking through the back of the market and down some stairs (not around like google maps shows), stroll through Mercado de Artesanías. From there, walk over to El Cafe de La Mancha and enjoy a delicious coffee drink with a nice pastry. After that, walk through the gorgeous colonia Guadalupe. You’ll see lots of street art plus the cobblestone streets and bougainvillea will make you feel like you’re in a painting. Go by Murales Guadalupe and turn right onto the arroyo (creek) path to enjoy more art and a serene walk to Fabrica La Aurora where you can pass lots of time admiring the many art galleries there. Cool off with a refreshing drink and have a proper meal at Geek & Coffee in their lovely verdant garden.
In 3 words
Sprawling, busy, metropolitan
A random memory
Walking through Mercado La Lagunilla on a Sunday. I saw on reddit the market is very active on Sundays when antiques are being sold. What I didn’t expect was to be walking for 2 hours and not even cover a fraction of it (also I didn’t even reach the antiques area). I also didn’t expect to walk through pop-up clubs and entire bars set up under the tent-cover of the market. Smoke machines, neon lights and all. A high-energy market-goer’s dream.
Places I loved
Suculenta Reposteria — my favorite gluten-free bakery in the world so far. great vibes too!
Xochimilco — take boats through canals, learn some history, enjoy nature and great food!
^This experience was a 12/10 in my opinion. The Humedalia Experiences team is top notch, but if you want more of a party experience, lots of tours for that too.
Parque Mexico — an excellent park that can make you forget you’re in the most populous city in North America. Walk the Amsterdam trail circling the park for more nature feels.
Tips for visitors
I found Mexico City to be super difficult to navigate. Crazy intersections with few street signs and many of them faded beyond legibility. So it’s very helpful to thoroughly plan your route/ make sure your phone is charged before going out if you use it for directions. Also this is a general travel tip, but download offline maps for certain access regardless of your signal.
In 3 words
Lively, colorful, spirited
A random memory
My very first day there my host was checking me in when a loud parade came marching up the street. He said, “you’re going to see a lot of parades here” and he was absolutely right. Over 1 week I passed by at least 4 parades 😂
Places I loved
Oaxacan chocolate class — a very fun 10/10 traditional chocolate-making experience
Mercado 20 de Noviembre — awesome food market. “stuff” market across the street!
Totopo Güero Cocina Istmeña — very possibly my favorite meal from the whole trip.
Tips for visitors
If you’re ok with going solo, you can save money and take the local Binnibus to nearby destinations instead of tours. I took the bus to see Arbol Tule (known as the widest-trunked tree in the world, over 2,000 years old!) for $0.95 round trip rather than paying $25+ for a tour.
In 3 words
Chill, beach, relaxed
A random memory
Sitting at a juice bar eating a coconut and chopping it up with a couple of Spaniards and a couple of Mexicans. Keeping up with about 75% of the conversation, it felt like a milestone of my spanish improving. Still not fluent, but noticeable progress is so good.
Places I loved
La Barrita Saludable — the best natural smoothies and they can sell you cacao if you ask!
Nativo — I had a delicious dinner here on my last night. Learned of Chacahua, a black beach town
Canek Surf School — most useful surf lessons I’ve taken anywhere ever
Tips for visitors
If construction and sharing the road with fellow pedestrians, cars motorbikes and stray dogs bothers you, you may not enjoy La Punta too much unless you stay right on the beach. Come with cash, as apparently the few ATMs can run out of cash some days.
And that’s a wrap for my time in Mexico, 2026!
I’ve been home for the past couple weeks working through some family things and healing a big ol scrape I got on my head surfing in Puerto Escondido. But next week, I embark on my next journey to a new country on a different continent! 3 hints about this country. Comment if you can guess it!
- This next country is an archipelago which has 4 main islands and nearly 4,000 smaller islands.
- The ancient Shinto religion of the country says natural features like mountains, waterfalls and forests have their own spirit or soul.
- In 1635, the ruler closed this country to foreigners and forbade its citizens to travel abroad, beginning a state of isolation that would last more than 200 years.
Stay tuned for what’s next…
