I’ve been to Mexico once for about 2.5 months in 2014 (January–March). I entered from the USA via the Laredo/Nuevo Laredo border at Texas/Tamaulipas by greyhound bus and arrived in Monterrey first. From there, I made some shorter trips by joining new friends and being dropped off and by coach and one rare hitch. Until I was couchsurfing at the country home outside Mexico City of a host who was studying in DF. From there, I hitchhiked to Veracruz, Puebla, Oaxaca, San José del Pacifico, Mazunte, Tuxtla Guttiérez, San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chamula, Palenque, Ciudad del Carmen, and somewhere between there and Chetumal before sending myself to Belize.
Though I’d love to sit down and one day write about my experiences in Mexico, my blog didn’t exist yet. Perhaps I can interest you in reading about my travels to Argentina, Colombia, or Spain?
On any subsequent trip, I’d like to visit more places on the Pacific Coast since I haven’t been there much.
Next Time in Mexico
- Hitchhike with the locals even more. I really enjoyed it the last time and I’ll come back speaking even better Spanish than the first time—which is not a difficult bar to pass
- Pick up some useful words in an indigenous language, such as Mayan or Nahuatl
- Though I don’t think Mexico DF was the best place to stay, I guess I’d like to return and see it with fresh eyes. Fresh eyes meaning this time with special attention to how the conquistadores fucked up the lake on which Tenochtitlan was built
- Pet a chihuahua in Chihuahua, drink a tequila in Tequila ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (I’ve already been to Tabasco the first time around)
- Admire the Pico de Orizaba (5636masl) from a comfortable distance. I won’t try to climb the highest peak in Mexico because it’s snowy and I don’t mess with technical stuff. However, I’d love to ascend (or hitchhike to the top of) the nearby Sierra Negra (4580masl) because it has an observatory + telescope on top
- Enjoy some other natural areas. I’m thinking of the Lerma River and Lake Chapala, some caves (Cave of the Crystals), hot springs (Los Azufres), and the Tamiahua Lagoon
Do you know any good alternative places in Mexico? Please comment below to let me know!
- Go kayaking somewhere. Probably the sea, but hopefully also on a river or a lake? (Tips for kayaking in Mexico very welcome, please comment below!)
- Visit some astronomical observatories and planetariums (RIP Alfa Planetarium), cable cars (e.g. Barracas del Cobre Aerial Tramway) and funiculars, marvels of engineering (Baluarte Bridge, Mezcala Bridge, Torre Latinoamerica), aqueducts (Querétaro), lighthouses (Faro Bagdad), and of course, brutalist beauties
- Travel off to some remote places. I’m thinking of the islands Cedros, Santa Margarita, Tiburón, Xcalak, Guadalupe, Revillagigedo Archipelago (oof, that would be difficult), San Lorenzo Marine Archipelago NP, Isla del Carmen, Banco Chinchorro, Islas Marias, Islas Marietas NP, Isla Holbox, Friendship Park between San Diego and Tijuana, Flor de Cacao or elsewhere in the far east of Chiapas
- Visit some abandoned places. I’m looking at the replaced funicular in Grutas de Garcia. And of course, there are the abandoned airports (Tecate, Isla Mujeres + Navojoa Airport (sort of defunct), Ing. Fernando Espinoza Gutiérrez International Airport, San Cristóbal de las Casas National Airport). What about shipwrecks? Oh, and the Island of the Dolls also fascinates me
If you know cool places and things to do in Mexico, comment at the bottom of this page so I can always find your suggestions again once I start plotting my return! Tips especially welcome if you are Mexican or lived there for a while
Are you a travel blogger and do you have good posts about Mexico? Drop them in a comment below and I’ll read them!
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