We stayed in Mexico in October/November of 2018. Mexico is one of the most visited countries in Latin America, therefore expect famous regions to be crowded throughout the whole year.
Mexico is a very large country and 2 months are not enough to see it all. For us it is always important to really get to know a country and it’s culture, therefore we decided to focus mainly on one specific part of Mexico. Our choice fell on the half island of Yucatan, as we really wanted to get the most of mayan culture/pyramids. Before getting to Yucatan we spent some days in Mexico City and a week in the state of Oaxaca
Find below an overview/map of our itinerary. Feel free to directly click on the places you are interested in or want to know more about.
- Mexico City
- Oaxaca City
- Puerto Escondido
- Mérida / Yucatán
- Tulum
- Bacalar
- Playa del Carmen / Holbox / Cancún
What are the most important things you ask yourself before backpacking a country? When we prepare visiting a place we try to gather some information in advance. Due to this reason we put together some important general knowledge about safety, public transport, food and accommodation for you.
Food: There is almost nobody who doesn’t like Mexican food. Although the kitchen is famous worldwide, what you get in Europe normally doesn’t even come close to the quality of the food in Mexico. Tacos, Sopes, Enchiladas, Mole, Chilaquiles …. the list of must try dishes is very long.
Prices vary a lot, as always it also depends on your personal standards. If you chose to eat out in nicer restaurants in bigger cities (Mexico City) or very touristic places (Cancun, Playa del Carmen) then you can expect to spend at least 5€ for a dish, probably more. For all budget travellers, look out for markets and food stands and you will eat plenty, you will eat good and it will be affordable (you can grab meals for 2-5€).
Transportation: When it comes to getting from A to B inside a city, you can use Uber in all bigger cities (Mexico City, Oaxaca, Merida, Cancun). Uber in 2018 was very cheap in Mexico. For short rides up to 30 minutes we paid never more than 2€, mostly less.
Travelling inside the country can be done with buses. Choosing a bus company in Mexico is very simple, as ADO owns the whole market. You can purchase bus tickets online in advance or directly at the stations. Bus rides are on a medium price level compared to the rest of Latin America. The highest price we ever paid was 20€ per person and that was for a 30 hour ride from Oaxaca to Merida (so from the west coast to the east).
Accommodation: Is probably on average more expensive in Mexico than in many other latin countries, but you shouldn’t generalize. If you get a dorm bed in Mexico City or Cancun, Holbox, Tulum or Playa del Carmen for less than 10€ per night, then you are very lucky. Privates cost normally more than 20€. In other parts of the country you can find better deals. For us Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca and Merida where the places where we paid less than 10€ for a bed. Finding a private room for under 20€ is a real challenge though. Mexico simply get’s enough tourism and therefore hostels can ask for higher prices than in other latin countries.
Safety: Due to the fact that Mexico get’s a huge amount of visitors per year, it is also pretty safe to travel through the country. Same as everywhere you should pay extra attention when you are at the airport or inside a bus / bus station. Other than that, there is no reason to be over concerned in terms of safety. Just keep your eyes open, don’t be careless, respect the culture and you should be fine.
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