Mexico! It's warm, tropical and not too far away!
Overview
When to Go
Events
Getting There & Around
History
A country so lively that even Day of the Dead is a blast.
Mexico is a traveler's paradise, crammed with a multitude of opposing identities: desert landscapes, snow-capped volcanoes, ancient ruins, teeming industrialized cities, time-warped colonial towns, glitzy resorts, deserted beaches and a world-beating collection of flora and fauna.
This mix of modern and traditional, clichéd and surreal, is the key to Mexico's charm, whether your passion is throwing back margaritas, listening to howler monkeys, surfing the Mexican Pipeline, scrambling over Mayan ruins or expanding your collection of posable Day of the Dead skeletons.
Mexico is enjoyable year-round, but October to May is generally the most pleasant time to visit. The May-September period can be hot and humid, particularly in the south, and inland temperatures can approach freezing during December-February. Facilities are often heavily booked during Semana Santa (the week before Easter) and Christmas/New Year, the peak domestic travel periods.
Mexico's climate has something for everyone: it's hot and humid along the coastal plains, and drier and more temperate at higher elevations inland (Guadalajara or Mexico City, for example). Try to avoid the southern coast between July and September - the resorts are decidedly soggy and jam-packed.
Weather
Mexico's climate varies according to its topography. It's hot and humid along the coastal plains on both sides of the country, but inland, at higher elevations such as Guadalajara or Mexico City, the climate is much drier and more temperate. The hot, wet season is May to October, with the hottest and wettest months falling between June and September over most of the country. The low-lying coastal areas receive more rainfall than elevated inland regions. December to February are generally the coolest months, when north winds can make inland northern Mexico decidedly chilly, with temperatures sometimes approaching freezing.
Mexico's reputation for full-blooded festive fun is well founded: just about every month sees a major national holiday or fiesta , and every other day is a local saint's day or town fair celebration. Carnaval, held late February or early March in the week before Ash Wednesday, is the big bash before the 40-day penance of Lent; it's particularly flagrant in Mazatlán, Veracruz and La Paz. The country's most characteristic fiesta is the wonderfully macabre Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), held the day after All Saints' Day on November 2. The souls of the dear departed are believed to return to earth on this day, and for weeks beforehand the country's markets are awash with the highly sought-after candy skulls and papier-mâché skeletons that find their way into many a visitor's souvenir collection. December 12 is another big day on the Mexican calendar, celebrating the Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the country's major religious icon.
Getting There
Most visitors to Mexico arrive by air. Around 30 Mexican cities receive direct flights from North America and Canada, and there are relatively cheap connections to the Caribbean and the rest of Latin America. From Europe you can fly to Mexico City and Cancún. Aeroméxico and Mexicana are the largest Mexican airlines.
Travelers can cross into Mexico by road from the US at one of the 40 official crossing points. Most cross-border bus services travel from Texas. There are 10 border crossings between Mexico and Guatemala, and fairly frequent bus services between border points and Guatemalan towns. Frequent buses also run between Belize City and Chetumal. Trains run from San Diego to Tijuana, El Paso to Ciudad Juárez and Del Rio to Ciudad Acuña.
The more adventurous might like to travel between the great Mayan ruins at Palenque and Tikal (Guatemala) by the jungle routes, via riverboat and back-country bus. The busiest and easiest route is via a short boat ride on the Río Usumacinta between Frontera Corozal (Chiapas) and Bethel (Guatemala); this route also squeezes in a visit to Yaxchilán and Bonampak. The other routes link Benemérito de las Américas (Chiapas) and Sayaxché (Guatemala), and La Palma (Tabasco) and El Naranjo (Guatemala). Travelers should check the security situation in Chiapas with their embassy before attempting these crossings.
Bus
From Belize there are 20 bus services that travel to Chetumal, Mexico. Plentiful buses also run from Guatemala City and nearby cities within Guatemala to Tapachula, Chiapas and Chetumal.
Cross-border bus services, mainly used by Mexicans working in the US, link many US cities with northern Mexican cities. They're not very well publicized: Spanish-language newspapers in the US have the most ads. You can also, often in little or no extra time, make your way to the border on one bus (or train), cross it on foot or by local bus, and then catch an onward bus on the other side.
Boat
If you'd like to combine snatches of Mexico with a life of ease on the high seas, take a cruise! Ever more popular, cruises from the US now bring over seven million passengers a year to Mexican ports, enabling people to enjoy activities and attractions on and near Mexico's coasts without having to worry about the logistics of accommodation, eating or transport. Caribbean Mexico is the most popular cruise destination, usually in combination with other Caribbean stops and/or Key West, Florida. On the Pacific route (the Mexican Riviera in cruise parlance), the main ports of call are Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco, each with more than 100 cruisers a year (over 200 at Puerto Vallarta). Some cruises also call at Manzanillo, Zihuatanejo and Bahías de Huatulco, and a new cruise port is opening at Puerto Chiapas, near Tapachula.
Car
The rules for taking a vehicle into Mexico change from time to time. You can check with a Mexican consulate or, in the USA and Canada, the Mexican tourist information services (tel: 800 446 39 42, 800 482 98 32).
It is very foolish to drive in Mexico without Mexican liability insurance. If you are involved in an accident, you can be jailed and have your vehicle impounded while responsibility is assessed. You will need a permiso de importación temporal de vehículos (temporary vehicle import permit) if you want to take a vehicle beyond Baja California, beyond Puerto Peñasco in Sonora state, or beyond the border zone that extends 20km (12.4mi) to 30km (18.6mi) into Mexico along the rest of the US frontier. Officials at posts of the Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM; National Immigration Institute) in the border zones, and at the Baja California ports for ferries to mainland Mexico, will want to see your permit. The permits are issued at offices at border crossings.
You have the option to take the vehicle in and out of Mexico for the period shown on your tourist card. Ask for a tarjetón de internación , a document which you will exchange for a comprobante de retorno each time you leave Mexico; when you return to Mexico, you swap the comprobante for another tarjetón . When you leave Mexico for the last time, you must have the import permit canceled by the Mexican authorities. Otherwise the authorities may assume you've left the vehicle in the country illegally and decide to keep your deposit, charge a fine to your credit card, or deny you permission to bring a vehicle into the country on your next trip.
Train
Though there are no regular passenger trains on the Mexican side of the US-Mexico border, it's quite possible to reach the US side of the border by rail. Trains can be quicker and cheaper than buses, or slower and more expensive, depending on the route.
Air
The following Mexican airports receive direct international flights from the US: Acapulco, Cancún, La Paz, Mexico City, Tijuana, as well as most other Mexican cities. Only Mexico City and Cancún receive direct scheduled flights from Europe, Canada or Central or South America. Flights from Havana, Cuba, go to Cancún, Mérida, Villahermosa, Tuxtla Gutiérrez and Oaxaca. Toluca and Puebla are starting to be used as alternatives to Mexico City.
Mexico's two flagship airlines are Mexicana and Aeroméxico. Their safety records are comparable to major US and European airlines.
A departure tax is levied on international flights from Mexico. It's usually included in your ticket cost, but if it isn't, you must pay in cash during airport check-in. Ask your travel agent in advance.
The cost of flying to Mexico is usually higher around Christmas and New Year, and during July and August. Weekends can be more costly than weekdays. In addition to websites and ticket agents, it's often worth checking airlines' own websites for special deals.
Getting Around
Flying still represents good value for money in Mexico, especially considering the long, hot bus trip that may be the only alternative. In recent years, the large airlines have left many of the domestic routes to smaller carriers. However, these start-up airlines and their timetables are particularly volatile; new ones are founded and older ones founder at an alarming rate. The majority of domestic air connections go through Mexico City.
Buses are the most common mode of public transport and bus routes are extensive. Long-distance buses are fairly comfortable, air-conditioned (bring a jumper!) and acceptably fast. Local rural buses tend to be ancient, decaying, suspensionless models grinding out their dying years on dirt tracks. Combis , colectivos and peseros are minibuses used for local transport. Note that highway robbery is a real risk in Mexico, especially at night on isolated stretches of highway.
Driving in Mexico is certainly not for everyone: you should know some Spanish, have basic mechanical aptitude, large reserves of patience and access to cash for emergencies. However, it can be just about the only way to get to some of the most beautiful and isolated towns and villages, although you need to be forgiving of road conditions.
Car and passenger ferries connect Baja California with the Mexican mainland; ferries also run between the mainland and the Caribbean islands of Isla Mujeres and Cozumel. Thanks to the government's privatization of Mexico's railways, most of the country now lacks a passenger train service. The exceptions are special tourist-oriented lines such as the Copper Canyon line from Chihuahua to Los Mochis and the Tequila Express from Guadalajara to Tequila.
Bus
Mexico has a good road and bus network, and comfortable, frequent, reasonably priced bus services connect all cities. Most cities and towns have one main bus terminal where all long-distance buses arrive and depart. It may be called the Terminal de Autobuses, Central de Autobuses, Central Camionera or simply La Central (not to be confused with el centro , the city center!) If there is no single main terminal, different bus companies will have separate terminals scattered around town.
Baggage is safe if stowed in the bus's baggage hold, but get a receipt for it when you hand it over. Keep your most valuable documents (passport, money etc) in the cabin with you, and keep them closely protected. Highway robbery happens very occasionally. The risk is higher at night, on isolated stretches of highway far from cities, and in second-class buses.
Car
Driving in Mexico is not as easy as it is north of the border, and rentals are more expensive, but having your own vehicle gives you maximum flexibility and freedom.
Drivers should know some Spanish and have basic mechanical knowledge, reserves of patience and access to extra cash for emergencies. Good makes of car to take to Mexico are Volkswagen, Nissan, General Motors and Ford, which have plants in Mexico and dealers in most big towns. Very big cars are unwieldy on narrow roads and use a lot of gasoline.
Taxi
Taxis are common in towns and cities, and surprisingly economical. If a taxi has a meter, ask the driver if it's working: ¿Funciona el taxímetro? . If it's not, or if the taxi doesn't have a meter, establish the price of the ride before getting in (this may involve a bit of haggling).
Ferry
Vehicle and passenger ferries connecting Baja California with the Mexican mainland sail between Santa Rosalía and Guaymas, La Paz and Mazatlán, and La Paz and Topolobampo.
Bicycle
Except for Baja California, cycling is not a common way to tour Mexico. The size of the country, reports of highway robbery, poor road surfaces, careless motorists and pedestrians, and other road hazards are deterrents. However, biking around is certainly possible if you're prepared for the challenges. You should be fit, use the best equipment, and be fully able to handle your own repairs. Take the mountainous topography and hot climate into account when planning your route. Bike lanes are very rare.
Shuttle Bus
In some areas a variety of small vehicles provide alternatives to buses. Colectivo (collective) taxis, Volkswagen minibuses ( combis ) and more comfortable passenger-carrying vans, such as Chevrolet Suburbans, operate shuttle services between some towns, usually leaving whenever they have a full load of passengers. More primitive are passenger-carrying camionetas (pickups) and camiones (trucks). Standing in the back of a lurching truck with a couple of dozen campesinos (land workers) and their machetes and animals is an experience to remember!
Train
The spectacular Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico between Los Mochis and Chihuahua, known in English as the Copper Canyon Railway, is one of the highlights of Mexico travel. But the rest of Mexico's regular passenger train system effectively ceased to exist after the railroads were privatized in the 1990s. The very few services remaining are either on routes of no interest to travelers or are special tourist excursion services.
Air
All large and many smaller cities in Mexico have airports and passenger services. Depending on the fare you get, flying can be good value on longer journeys, especially considering the long bus trip that is probably the alternative. Domestic flights within Mexico are sometimes cheaper if you book them before you go to Mexico, in conjunction with an international round-trip ticket.
Underground Rail
Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey all have metro (subway, underground railway) systems. Mexico City's, in particular, is a quick, cheap and useful way of getting around. Used by nearly four million people every weekday, with 175 stations, it's the world's third-busiest subway.
Motorcycle
Motorcycling in Mexico is not for the fainthearted. Roads and traffic can be rough, and parts and mechanics hard to come by. The parts you'll most easily find will be for Kawasaki, Honda and Suzuki bikes.
Pre-20th-Century History
It's thought that the first people to inhabit Mexico arrived 20,000 years before Columbus. Their descendants built a succession of highly developed civilizations that flourished from 1200 BC to 1521 AD. The first to arise was that of the Olmecs (1200-600 BC), in the humid lowlands of southern Veracruz and Tabasco. By 300 BC they were joined by the Zapotecs of Oaxaca, and the temple center of Izapa (200 BC to 200 AD). By 250 AD the Maya were building stepped temple pyramids in the Yucatán Peninsula. Central Mexico's first great civilization flourished at Teotihuacán between 250 and 600 AD, to be followed by the Toltecs at Xochicalco and Tula. The Aztecs were successors to this string of empires, settling at Tenochtitlán in the early 14th century.
Almost 3000 years of civilization was shattered in just two short years, following the landing by Hernán Cortés near modern-day Veracruz on April 21, 1519. Primary sources suggest that the Aztecs were initially accommodating because, according to their calendar, the year 1519 promised the god Quetzalcóatl's return from the east. The Spaniards met their first allies in towns that resented Aztec domination. With 6000 local recruits, they approached the Aztecs' island capital of Tenochtitlán - a city bigger than any in Spain. King Moctezuma II invited the party into his palace and the Spaniards promptly took him hostage. By August 13, 1521, Aztec resistance had ended. The position of the conquered peoples deteriorated rapidly, not only because of harsh treatment by the colonists but also because of introduced diseases. The indigenous population fell from an estimated 25 million at the time of conquest to one million by 1605.
From the 16th to 19th centuries, a sort of apartheid system existed in Mexico. Spanish-born colonists were a minuscule part of the population but were considered nobility in New Spain (as Mexico was then called), however humble their status in their home country. By the 18th century, criollos (people born of Spanish parents in New Spain) had acquired fortunes in mining, commerce, ranching and agriculture, and were seeking political power commensurate with their wealth. Below the criollos were the mestizos , of mixed Spanish and indigenous or African slave ancestry, and at the bottom of the pile were the remaining indigenous people and African slaves. The catalyst for rebellion came in 1808 when Napoleon Bonaparte occupied most of Spain - direct Spanish control over New Spain suddenly ceased and rivalry between Spanish-born colonists and criollos intensified. On September 16, 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a criollo parish priest, issued his call to rebellion, the Grito de Dolores. In 1821 Spain agreed to Mexican independence.
Twenty-two years of chronic instability followed, with the presidency changing hands 36 times. In 1845, the US congress voted to annex Texas, leading to the Mexican-American War in which US troops captured Mexico City. Under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848), Mexico ceded Texas, California, Utah, Colorado and most of New Mexico and Arizona to the USA. The Maya rose up against their overlords in the late 1840s and almost succeeded in driving them off the Yucatán Peninsula. By 1862, Mexico was heavily in debt to Britain, France and Spain, who sent a joint force to Mexico to collect their debts. France decided to go one step further and colonize Mexico, sparking yet another war. In 1864, France invited the Austrian archduke, Maximilian of Habsburg, to become emperor of Mexico. His reign was bloodily ended by forces loyal to the country's former president, Benito Juárez, a Zapotec from Oaxaca.
With the slogan 'order and progress', dictator Porfirio Díaz (ruled 1878-1911) avoided war and piloted Mexico into the industrial age. Political opposition, free elections and a free press were banned, and control was maintained by a ruthless army, leading to strikes that prefigured the Mexican Revolution.
Modern History
The revolution (1910-20) was a 10-year period of shifting allegiances between a spectrum of leaders, in which successive attempts to create stable governments were wrecked by new skirmishes. The basic ideological rift was between liberal reformers and more radical leaders, such as Emiliano Zapata, who were fighting for the transfer of hacienda land to the peasants. The 10 years of violent civil war cost an estimated 1.5 to two million lives - roughly one in eight Mexicans. After the revolution, political will was focused on rebuilding the national infrastructure. Precursors of today's Party of the Institutionalized Revolution (PRI) took power in 1934, introducing a program of reform and land redistribution.
Civil unrest next appeared in 1966, when university students in Mexico City expressed their outrage with the conservative Díaz Ordaz administration. Discontent with single-party rule, restricted freedom of speech and excessive government spending came to a head in 1968 in the run-up to the Mexico City Olympic Games, and protesters were massacred by armed troops.
The oil boom of the late 1970s increased Mexico's oil revenues and financed industrial and agricultural investments, but the oil glut in the mid-1980s deflated petroleum prices and led to Mexico's worst recession in decades. The economic downturn also saw an increase in organized political dissent on both the left and right. The massive earthquake of September 1985 caused more than four billion US dollars' worth of damage. At least 10,000 people died, hundreds of buildings in Mexico City were destroyed and thousands of people left homeless.
President Carlos Salinas de Gortari began his term in 1988 after very controversial elections. He gained popular support by renegotiating Mexico's crippling national debt and bringing rising inflation under control. A sweeping privatization program and a burgeoning international finance market led to Mexico being heralded in the international press as an exemplar of free-market economics. The apex of Salinas' economic reform was the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), effective January 1, 1994.
Fears that NAFTA would increase the marginalization of indigenous Mexicans led to the Zapatista uprising in the southernmost state of Chiapas. The day NAFTA took effect, a huge army of unarmed peasants calling themselves the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN) shocked Mexico by taking over San Cristóbal de Las Casas. Their demands focused on improved social and economic justice. The EZLN were driven out of town within a few days, but the uprising highlighted the widening gap between rich and poor under Salinas and the NAFTA agreement. Today, the Zapatista movement continues, and the rebels' leader, a balaclava-clad figure known only as Subcomandante Marcos, is now a national folk hero.
In March 1994, Luis Donaldo Colósio, Salinas' chosen successor, was assassinated. His replacement, 43-year-old Ernesto Zedillo, was elected with 50% of the vote. Within days of President Zedillo's taking office, Mexico's currency, the peso, suddenly collapsed, bringing on a deep economic recession. Among other things, it led to a huge increase in crime, intensified discontent with the PRI and caused large-scale Mexican immigration to the US. It's estimated that by 1997 more than 2.5 million Mexicans a year were entering the US illegally. Zedillo's policies pulled Mexico gradually out of recession. By the end of his term in 2000, Mexico's purchasing power was again approaching 1994 levels.
Recent History
In the freest and fairest national election since the Mexican Revolution, National Action Party (PAN) presidential candidate and former Coca Cola executive Vicente Fox ended the PRI's 71-year reign. However, President Fox - despite remaining popular as a figurehead - didn't have enough control in congress to fire up Mexico's economy or reform its infrastructure and social services, as he had promised. He did leave the country in a stable position for PAN candidate Felipe Calderón, who seemingly won Mexico's controversial presidential elections in July 2006 by the thinnest of margins, about 0.5%. Calderón's opponent was the populist leader Andrés Manuel López Obrador, ex-major of Mexico City, who called the elections fraudulent and delayed a final decision until September 2006, when Calderón was finally declared the official winner.
Conservative Calderón will have a very long road ahead in the coming six years of his presidency; he'll have to unite a deeply divided nation, confront private monopolies and strong unions, pass tax reforms, increase jobs, improve health care and education and deal with immigration, security and trade issues with the US.