Hola Mexico!

We began our journey in Mexico by exploring the Mayan Riviera on the Carribean sea. From San Pedro, Belize we traveled on a water taxi to Chetumal, Mexico. There is a completely different port for the international water taxi so be aware of that and also bring your passports to book the tickets. You will have extra fees associated with this ticket price as well because you are paying the tax to leave the country. You will pay the entrance fee to Mexico at their port upon arrival. While we were not in the situation to return to Belize after a few days in Mexico, you can opt for the multi entry ticket and go back and forth within 3 months of the ticket expiring. This is a lot cheaper, but we didn't need the re-entry option at the time. At the Chetumal, Mexico port you present your travel plans to the agent, and they decide if they will allow the timeframe you are requesting. We were approved for the 3 months as requested. The taxis are not allowed on the port area but when you walk down the bridge there are drivers waiting to ask if you need a ride. Only take taxis in Mexico that are clearly marked, and they have a uniform on that usually matches the car markings. Uber and rides share services are not an option here. We traveled to the Centro ADO bus station to ride to Tulum. ADO is the newer bus they offer; it is very affordable and comfortable with AC and restrooms. The app I use is https://www.busbud.com and it's been great while in Mexico, you also get credits for each ride.

We arrived in Tulum and took a cab to our accommodations in an upcoming neighborhood called Aldea Zama. The roads were terrible, but the cab drivers were fine with it. We were told the roads would be paved in the next few months. This place was in the jungle so not a lot to walk to or see. We scheduled taxi rides when we wanted to go out, which can be pricey if you go out a lot, so we metered those trips. The little neighborhood La Veleta near where we were staying was really laid back and relaxed. Check out 7th Ave, it's a small street where most of the restaurants and bars are located. We explored the strip in Tulum, that was more trafficked and touristy. There is a whole bohemian style culture here and everyone is doing it. You'll find house music playing pretty much everywhere. The beach area is its own thing so definitely worth checking out. I will warn you it is very expensive. There is a main road you can get dropped off and go into the beach clubs and bars. Most charge a fee to use the beach in front of them which can include chairs and umbrellas. You will usually find Dj's playing house music here as well. Some are more laid back and only want you to buy drinks, be wary of the happy hours here. They boast 2 for 1 but it ends up costing more than it is worth. I will say the beach is beautiful! The sand is fine and almost white, while the water is a cool turquoise blue and cooler than the water temp in Belize, so it really cools you off. Great way to spend a lazy day!

Fave spots in Tulum:

Checkpoint Ciao | Neapolitan Sourdough Pizza & Spritz- Cool little spot on the beach road. Probably the best pizza we have had in years!

La Taqueria – Best tacos in Tulum 🌮- This place has multiple locations which we loved since their tacos and margaritas are incredible! Happy hour is real here and the staff is awesome.

Order food | Delivery service | Tomato.mx- Tulum's exclusive food delivery service.

Onward to Playa del Carmen!

We took an ADO bus to Playa del Carmen, it's about a 2.5-hour ride. We stayed at a place right off their famous 5th Avenue. This is a pedestrian only street with shopping, pharmacies, food, and drinks. There are many people trying to get you to come into their establishments but after a few days of seeing us they kind of stopped harassing us. We walked the avenue mainly for people watching. You'll find street performers and a wild club district at the end. Our favorite area was Zazil-ha on Calle 38, as it was more relaxed and the treelined streets were inviting as shade is a commodity here. We found quite a few places with live music, all of which were playing covers. Sadly, no real shows with originals that we found. When looking for music and food in places I usually do the ole google search and utilize Facebook/Instagram. You can join some community pages to see what the locals are saying and even keep up with weather updates. This was especially helpful since we were traveling in the middle of hurricane season! We were hit in Playa del Carmen and had to move to different accommodations as a tree fell on our power lines and we were left in the dark. We found the beaches here to be a bit overcrowded and riddled with sargassum. This stuff is everywhere in the Caribbean and further north now. We were first introduced to this smelly situation in Belize so I did a deep dive, and this article explains it better than I ever could: In the Sargasso Sea, life depends on floating sargassum seaweed (nationalgeographic.com)

The Sanchez - Vibe, tacos, drinks are excellent! Try the grandpa churros too.

SALVEI VEGAN CONCEPT, Playa del Carmen -Incredible vegan food.

Nein Buck - Restaurante | Playa del Carmen | Facebook- This is a new little vegan spot we found. The smash burgers are handmade and really fulfill the burger craving but without the beef guilt.

Lido (lidobeachclub.mx)- Right on the beach, stellar food and service.

Bric Spa- An adorable little spa that has a very friendly staff. The facial and massage were incredible. Highly recommend for some pampering and relaxation.

We decided not to continue to Cozumel or Cancun, but these places are also in the Mayan Riviera. You can actually see the island of Cozumel from Playa del Carmen. There are ferry services daily so that is an option if interested. The next part of our journey goes inward to the Yucatan Peninsula to Valladolid and Merida.

From Playa del Carmen we took a bus the small town of Valladolid just north about 2 hours in the Yucatan Peninsula. This was the first time I really felt like I was truly in Mexico, less tourist traffic. The central park area was always buzzing with people celebrating and enjoying life. I found an art tour in a mansion called CASA DE LOS VENADOS, owned by an American couple that came to the area in the 1980s. The house was a display of the Mexican folk art they collected over the years of traveling through all the different regions of Mexico. The tours are usually daily at 10 am and the cost is a donation to a local school for art education. The guide was incredible, and I learned so much, like the reason the skull and skeleton are used in the Day of the Dead is to represent all the people of Mexico because they all look different, but bones are the same. It was a concept and design that Frida Kahlo's husband and well-known artist Diego Rivera came up with. Valladolid is a cool spot to explore but just a few days was enough. Some cool spots were:

Le' Kaat | Valladolid | Facebook- Incredible vegan food, cute outdoor cafe. We ate there three times, and it was always amazing.

Carolin Cacao Cafe Boutique | Facebook- Sweet little spot for a fresh breakfast.

Another 2+ hour bus ride and we arrived in Merida. Beautiful architecture with old colonial mixed with newly renovated builds. It is a truly romantic city to walk around and explore. There are so many beautiful green spaces and parks that are well maintained and very clean. We took an evening 35 min Uber ride to the beach town of Progresso to watch the sunset and stroll the boardwalk. The home of the longest pier on the Guinness Book of World Records at 4.03 miles long! We found Merida to have a vary laidback, cool vibe and we will visit again. Check these out:

Flamel- Swanky, dark little speakeasy. Yo have to make a reservation to get a code. It's in a tailor shop and you match your picture code to ones in the door to get in. They usually have a DJ and the craft cocktail were interesting.

Babe"s Noodles & Bar Mérida - Cool place for some decent noodles and soups.

Artisan Bakery | SOCO Mérida - Incredible bakery and cafe. The grilled cheese and tomato soup dipper is soo good!

Nol, a restaurant in Mérida serving contemporary Mexican food - Next level cuisine with a menu that changes seasonally. Local, fresh ingredients.

Morgan Restaurante- This is a quintessential cantina and was our first stop in a rainy downpour in Merida. Most cantinas will greet with little snacks, and they have very cheap beer and drinks. My favorite is a chelada style Victoria, ice in a glass with lime juice and salt. Doesn't get warm and gross like normal beer, this became my go to in most of Mexico and obviously margaritas!

From Merida we flew to Mexico City, we scheduled airport transportation through a site called Welcome pickups. The driver picked us up from our Airbnb in a van and was very kind and courteous. This service is available in most places in the world, and the pricing isn't terrible. We plan to return to Merida as it was a very charming and relaxing place with so much to do and see.

Mexico City is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, surpassing New York and Los Angeles. It can be a bit daunting to navigate and the traffic is pure insanity! It is not recommended for foreigners to rent a car and try to drive here. If you take rideshares be aware they can take three times as long as the expected time no matter what time you go. It took us 80 minutes to go 18 miles at 11 pm! The city is very spread out and each area is very distinct. We stayed in Polanco, known as the Beverley Hills and shopping capital. We visited other areas such as Roma Norte, La Condesa, and Zona Rosa. If we come back, I would choose to stay in one those areas as it was more our speed and vibe overall. It was both Dios de Muerto and Halloween while were there and it was a constant celebration all the time, and everywhere we went. There are things scheduled every day for weeks. It is a very eco savvy place and you will only find glass water bottles and you have to bring your own bags to store, and all the bars recycle bottles to get a return on them. I appreciate this effort and think the rest of the world should catch up. It's a very dog friendly place too!

We caught a show at the Alicia Multiforum-super cool renovated old church with amazing acoustics. It is cash only and you have to purchase drink tickets to get beers.

Here are some places we tried we thought were worth mentioning:

Go to a Churrerria! There are some very old ones but any of them will have the delish fried dough sticks and get the dips! All of them offer different ones and they're all amazing!

Casa D'Amico - Great Italian cuisine in a slightly upscale atmosphere. Handmade pasta and the pizza guy was always happy and smiling. When food is made with love it tastes so much better.

Greenway Restaurant - Pet Friendly Restaurant in Polanco CDMX - Pet friendly cafe and they have awesome breakfast and lunch.

Café Goy’s (@cafegoys)- Best vegan smashburger ever and they make fresh squeezed grapefruit palomas. Actually ate here twice in one day!

Chapultepec Park is a massive area that has multiple museums and even a zoo, which we checked out were not disappointed. You can spend days exploring this park and still not see it all. Mexico in general offers greenspace, parks all over and they are always clean and well maintained. We took our next bus ride to a place with a slower pace.

San Miguel de Allende is a beautiful place that has a 16th century feel while being slightly modernized. Church bells and fireworks are the soundtrack of real Mexico and It is for sure here as well. The narrow cobblestone streets were meant for horses and real-life cowboys so car travel can be tricky. The hills are also extremely steep, so this is not the best location for anyone with balance or mobility issues. You can stay more in the town square, but it is still a hike to get around. The rooftop views are incredible. Local restaurants and cantinas are tucked away in unassuming, minimally marked buildings as to not take away from the old architecture everywhere. We only spent a week here but would return for sure. Here are a few spots we dug and some pics:

Dos Búhos | Un Viñedo Orgánico y Bodega (Two Owls Vineyard and Winery)- If you like wine, SMA has some of the best young vineyards in Mexico. We visited a small organic winery and it was amazing! The small staff of 25 does everything around the property and the wine making process and everyone is an invested employee. They have a small restaurant that makes great food, you can sit an enjoy wine while chickens come to say hi. The short but informative tour was only $22 but do make a reservation. We did have some trouble with our phone signal so getting an uber required a bit of a trek down the long dirt road to get service. The signage to the property isn't great so it can be easily missed. We would come back though for sure to see how they grow and progress.