mexico by besides the obvious
We have spent July 2021 in Mexico. Starting from Riviera Maya, driving through the country – Quintana Roo, Yucatán, Campeche, Veracruz – till Ciudad del México and coming back via Puebla, Oaxaca & Chiapas. Unforgettable experience! This travel series narrates all our Travel Stories from Mexico. Experiences, happy and funny moments, as well as the things that we found a bit disappointing…¡Órale!
Mexico, officially known as the United Mexican States, is a diverse country located in the southern part of North America. It is renowned for its rich cultural heritage, ancient civilizations, and vibrant traditions. From the majestic Mayan ruins in Chichen Itza to the historical sites of Teotihuacan. And the colonial charm of cities like Mexico City and Guanajuato, Mexico offers a treasure trove of archaeological wonders and architectural beauty. Its cuisine, including tacos, tamales, and mole, is internationally celebrated. While its picturesque beaches, such as Cancun and Playa del Carmen, draw visitors from around the world. With its warm hospitality, colorful festivals, and stunning natural landscapes like the Copper Canyon and the Riviera Maya. Mexico is a captivating destination that has something to offer every traveler.
As you might know our mission is to share something relevant, something authentic, something real, something cool, something interesting, something personal & something different, via our travel stories & images. We are focusing on ideas from local sources, giving tips that are usually unknown for travelers and foreigners, guides to secret places which only the guy from the given neighborhood could know about, to the hidden picturesque view, with recommending everything besides the obvious: the local real feel, the adventure of discovering the unknown, the authenticity, culinary guide to the meals that locals are really cooking and eating at home, and much more. Hope you will read our Mexican Travel Stories, feel inspired and enjoy the journey, as much as we do!
travel stories from mexico
Valle de Guadalupe: Mexico’s Wine Country and How to Visit from Tijuana
Just an hour and a half from Tijuana, Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe has become a beacon for wine lovers. With over a hundred wineries, a Mediterranean climate perfect for grape growing, and deep historic roots stretching back to the mission era, it produces most of Mexico’s wine today. This article explores the valley’s story, what to taste, and how to tour from Tijuana—whether on your own or with expert guides.
Tacos Go Interstate: Michelin-Starred Tijuana Tacos El Franc and Heads to California
Tijuana’s legendary Tacos El Franc, a Michelin-recognized taquería, is crossing the border to California. With its first U.S. location opening in San Diego and more in the works across the state, the institution aims to recreate its authentic Tijuana vibe while introducing its iconic flavors to a broader audience.
Cancun Scams Every Tourist Should Know
Cancún offers beaches and nightlife, but also scams. Taxi rip-offs, timeshare traps, fake tours, overpriced bills, credit card skimming, and pickpockets are common. Learn how these scams work and how to avoid them.
Travel Advisory Jolt: Cartel Violence Now Labeled ‘Terrorism’
A major shift in U.S. travel guidance has declared cartel violence in Mexico as terrorism, sparking shockwaves through tourism, politics, and traveler sentiment.
The Ultimate Mexico Quiz
Welcome to our Mexico-themed quiz! This quiz is designed to test your knowledge about the rich and diverse culture, history, and geography of Mexico. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler, a history enthusiast, or simply someone interested in learning more about this fascinating country, these questions will challenge your understanding and perhaps even teach you something new. From ancient civilizations to modern-day traditions, Mexico offers a wealth of knowledge to explore.
Scams in Mexico you can avoid
Scams in Mexico come in various forms, often targeting tourists. Common scams include taxi overcharging, counterfeit currency, and fake police officers demanding bribes. To avoid these scams, always use official taxis, confirm fares in advance, and ensure the taxi has a functioning meter. Be vigilant when handling money and verify its authenticity. If approached by someone claiming to be a police officer, ask for identification and, if in doubt, request to go to the nearest police station. Staying informed and cautious can help travelers avoid falling victim to these scams in…
Miami or Cancún? 10 facts to consider before you choose!
Miami or Cancún is a super popular question among “Spring Breakers”. That results in a constant debate where to spend the vacations. It’s the Mexican Riviera vs. the Sunshine State. As the Miami or Cancún battle it out every year for the title of the best beach vacation. Especially – if we disregard the closed borders for a minute – these two tourists magnet places are not so far from each other geographically & in terms of the quality of the services either.
Mexican Food Guide
Mexico overall is famous to be a street food heaven, great quality and variety for extremely cheap price. Also good to know, that it’s very easy to eat there meat-free, so for vegetarians as well you can find many options, with tasty avocado, corn, frijoles (beans) and spicy salsas. Not to mention the seafood variants of these dishes. Let’s review now the basics of Mexican Gastronomy in this super detailed and yummy food guide. About the street food Mexico has one of the most extensive street food cultures in Latin America, and Forbes named Mexico…
Holbox – An island that you cannot miss!
We have been also hesitating for a while which island to visit among the most recommended three – Isla Mujeres, Cozumel or Isla Holbox. The purpose of this article is to convince you about Holbox. Are you ready? Here you can find all the reasons why to visit Holbox! How to get to Holbox There are several ways to reach Holbox, depending on where you are coming from. You could travel by car or public bus to Chiquilá port and then catch the Holbox ferry across to the island. Or you can even…
The 13 most beautiful beaches of Mexico
Dreaming about holidays, sandy beaches but you cannot decide which part of Mexico would be the perfect destination? Whether to enjoy the Caribbean coast, Gulf of Mexico or the Pacific? Here are we to help, we have compiled a list of the 13 most beautiful beaches of Mexico based on our taste & experiences! Playa Azul, Cancún – Quintana Roo If you are in a need of a place that is far from the famous Hotel Area (Zona Hotelera), which seems to be a bit less set up for tourists, far…
Top 7 Archeological Sites to visit in Mexico
One of our goals during our one-month-long road trip in Mexico was to look for as many archeological sites as we could on the way. Here comes our favourites, the top 7 archeological sites to visit in Mexico! Tulum – Quintana Roo Tulum is one of the most important archaeological zones in the state of Quintana Roo, since it is the only site that faces the Caribbean Sea. For the Mayans, this city was the main center of sea and land commerce in the area. This Mayan city was built on a…
Chiapas Travel Guide – The 10 best activities around
Chiapas is about as far south as you can get in Mexico. It borders Guatemala on the southeast, the Pacific on the southwest, and the states of Oaxaca, Veracruz, and Tabasco from west to northeast. If you are planning to visit this culturally super interesting state, let us give you a hand: here comes your ultimate Chiapas Travel Guide! A bit of history Chiapas was administered by the Spanish as part of Guatemala until 1824, when then it joined the newly independent Mexico. The state is now second only to Oaxaca in Indian…
The perfect Mexico round trip itinerary
We have spent a month in Mexico. The plan was to explore the South of the country, from Cancún to Mexico City. We discovered many places, we found plenty of hidden gems and we also realised some mistakes in our plans. Based on our experience, here you can find the perfect round trip itinerary around Mexico. Tulum – 2 nights Tulum can be a nice spot for resort and all-inclusive lovers. Nevertheless, it can be skipped in the bucket list of a perfect round trip itinerary in Mexico. It might be…
Best of Oaxaca, the most diverse state of Mexico
In Oaxaca we wanted to stay for a bit longer, and not just rushing through the state. Hence we decided to make the crossing trip within 5 days. If you check the map, you will realise, this is still insane, not to mention the driving conditions, that also made our road trip longer than expected. Oaxaca is bordered by the states of Guerrero to the west, Puebla to the northwest, Veracruz to the north, and Chiapas to the east. To the south, Oaxaca has a significant coastline on the Pacific Ocean. Our goal was definitely to reach the Ocean…
Our guide to Puebla City
Puebla also known in Spanish as Puebla de Zaragoza, formally Heroica Puebla de Zaragoza and in colonial times as Puebla de Los Ángeles is the capital and largest city of the state of Puebla. We have arrived here after spending 3 days in Ciudad de Mexico with listening Mariachis on Plaza Garibaldi. Read here our Mexico City Bucket List! We were a bit tired, we have seen a lot and couldn’t wait to relax and wander around the city of Puebla. Here’s our guide to Puebla City with the best things and activities. How to get…
Our 2 favourite towns to visit in Veracruz state
From Campeche we decided to go directly to Veracruz state, via Tabasco. We didn’t plan to spend a long time in Veracruz. We were indeed determined to arrive to Mexico City. Read our Mexico City Bucket List here. But the distances are crazy big in Mexico, so it was definitely a wise idea to spend two nights in Veracruz. This is how we discovered our 2 favourite towns, and spent 1-1 nights in Tlacotalpan & Orizaba. If you are looking for the best experiences in Mexico and and visit Veracruz state,…
Our favourite state of Mexico: Campeche & its top 10
Campeche – officially the Free and Sovereign State of Campeche – is one of the 32 states of Mexico. It is in southeast Mexico, it is bordered by the states of Tabasco to the southwest, Yucatán to the northeast, and Quintana Roo to the east; to the southeast by the Orange Walk district of Belize, and by the Petén department of Guatemala to the south. We have arrived here from Yucatán, and were very surprised how much wonders Campeche could offer. Let’s review now together the 10 best things to do in Campeche state! Ciudad del Carmen – The pearl of the Gulf We spent 2 nights in…
5 things that we loved in Yucatán state – Mexico
Our road trip continued and after Quintana Roo we headed to Yucatán state. Here comes our top 5 list of the best places to visit in Yucatán. (Ek Balam – NO) & Cenote Xcanche We have been planning to visit Ek Balam, the famous archeological site first and then to go to Cenote Xcanche, since they are located next to each other, and at some sources this Cenote is mentioned as the Cenote of Ek Balam. Well, in the end we have not visited Ek Balam, for the ridiculous price that…
Why we don’t like Riviera Maya
We don’t like Riviera Maya because it is spoiled and overrated. Keep reading this article and find out what the reasons are why we say that. Even though our favourite destinations are not the most obvious, we had some expectations about Riviera Maya. We wanted to see that paradise beach we have seen many times on Instagram pictures. We planed our trip to Mexico, starting our route there and finishing in Cancún where we could enjoy some final relaxing days laying on the beach. Well, we did, but if you plan to…
10 reasons why we love Riviera Maya – Quintana Roo, Mexico
You can love or hate Quintana Roo. It’s hard to be neutral with it. You can face the Sargassum problem. You can get enough of tourists, fake luxury resorts, the insane humidity, the never-ending jungle all around, or the mosquitos. But undoubtedly there are also many reasons to admire this territory of Mexico. Here comes our top 10 reasons why we love Riviera Maya. Playa Azul, Cancún If you are in a need of a place that is far from the famous Hotel Area (Zona Hotelera), which seems to be a…
Driving in Mexico – survival tips for the Mexican roads
Driving in Mexico is a challenge. It may be exhausting, annoying, dangerous and never easy. Even though, it can be one of the best travel expiriencies in your life too. It is a complete adventure by itself but you will need some information upfront. On this post you will get the most interesting facts you will need to face while driving in Mexico. Check here our best experiencies in Mexico. Road maintenance in Mexico Actually from quite bad to terrible. Overall the roads in Mexico have lack of maintenance. There are…
Mexico City bucket list – 20 best things to do
Mexico City is huge, great, messy and exhausting. It can be many things but for sure is not how you have imagined before you go. Probably, because of its dimensions and your lack of time, even for the large number of odds and possible choices of things to do… you will need proper information once you are in the capital of Mexico. Here you are a list of must-do in Ciudad de México, our Mexico City bucket list. Click here for our best experiencies in Mexico 2021! Zócalo – Feel small…
Best experiences in Mexico in 2021
2 days from now we will be sitting on our plane to Mexico. And since we are planning to stay in Mexico for a longer period of time, we have decided to collect some tips for beginners split by the most common and popular destinations and share the best experiences in Mexico in the year 2021. If you are interested in more review our list of the 10 useful things to know before traveling to Mexico. Cancún Cancún is a popular Caribbean tourist destination on the northeast tip of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. This is in…
10 useful things to know before travelling to Mexico
We are planning to travel to Mexico this July for a longer period of time. Therefore, we have decided to collect some tips for beginners. And we want to share with you 10 useful things to know before travelling to Mexico.