Mexico

Featured Mexico Blog Posts

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My first time visiting Mexico was on a 10 day vacation to Valladolid and the surrounding cenotes and to the every-popular Tulum. From that experience alone, I had the time of my life. But like many Americans who visit this area, I had no idea I was only scratching the surface of an incredibly diverse and rich country.

Fast forward to 2021, when I landed in Mexico City to live in and explore the country for 3 months. I absolutely fell in love with the capital, so much so that I would consider moving there someday. From CDMX, I bounced around to various cities enjoying the unique colors, traditions, and local food. After taking my time in through the country, my takeaway is this: Mexico has it all. There’s so much to experience. It’s absolutely insane…beaches, mountains, culture, party, landscapes you couldn’t even imagine and some of the best cuisine in the world. Not only that, but it’s easier to explore than you might think. I would even say it’s a fantastic solo traveler destination, despite the many misconceptions the country receives. So to everyone I say, YOU MUST GO TO MEXICO. And to my American friends, I say YOU MUST visit our neighbors. Not Cancun. Not Cabo. Not a resort. Go to Mexico, the authentic, beautiful Mexico. Trust me, you’ll fall in love.

How is Solo Travel in Mexico

Despite what media may have told you, I feel that Mexico is an incredible place for solo travel. This country has so much to offer in every aspect: landscapes, food, culture, and people. There’s so much to do, and you can have different types of trips depending on where you go. Because it’s well traveled and there’s good tourism infastructure it’s also very easy to meet other travelers if you wish.

In terms of safety, Mexico is generally safe for travelers and most crime happens in non-touristic places and/or is cartel related. You should however take safety precautions especially to avoid petty theft. I also recommend being careful while partying and not involving yourself in any drugs.

Resources for your trip

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Mexico is hard to pin down because it’s such a large country and there are a few factors. For weather, technically, the driest seasons are December – April. Both my trips to Mexico have been outside of those months though. I would only be worried about weather affecting your trip if your itinerary is soley on the coast, then you need to think about hurricanes.

The other factor to consider is festivals if you’d like to attend. There’s Day of the Dead on November 1st, Independence Day on September 16, and many more. Check them out here.

Know Before You Go

Language

The official language of Mexico is Spanish.

Currency

Mexican Peso

SYMBOL: $

ABBREVIATION: MXN

CONVERSION: The currency rate is subject to change but typically 1 USD ~ 20 MXN

Plugs Used

Mexico uses plug types A & B (the same as the U.S.) and the standard voltage is 127V while the frequency is 60Hz. This is very similar to the U.S. so you do not need a travel adapter if you are from the USA.

Visa

U.S. citizens can travel without a visa to Mexico if staying for less than 180 days. Visa information is subject to changes so double check here.

Health

To check health advisories and what vaccinations are needed to travel to Mexico check the CDC website and TravelState.gov information page. To see what travel COVID restrictions are in place in Mexico, check out the embassy website.

Safety

Before traveling anywhere I suggest checking the U.S. Government Travel Advisory just for your own knowledge. I’ll be honest I take it with a grain of salt and don’t let it completely determine my travel plans but rather to keep me advised.

As I always say, safety is a tricky term because a “safe” place does not mean there 100% won’t be unsafe people and there’s no way to determine that.

In short, do I think Mexico is safe to travel to? Yes. Do I think it’s safe for a solo traveler? Yes. Do I think you should travel just anywhere? No. Do I think you should take precautions? As always, yes.

Like every country, there are places you should avoid in Mexico. I’ll admit the hard part is understanding where. After all, the U.S. Travel Advisory names several states I traveled to, loved and felt safe in. And in places everyone travels to like Tulum, I felt the most unsafe in and saw the most violence.

So my recommendation is this, follow other travelers, do your own research, and listen to locals. In my destination guides, I try to be as honest as possible and share my real experience as a solo traveler.

To keep yourself safe, follow regular travel precautions and use common sense. Avoid cops, don’t do drugs (not just because of the obvious but also to avoid shady characters), and don’t walk around with valuables out.