Through a series of workshops and walks, the project invites people of all ages to use DIY microscopes and the iNaturalist app to observe and document the river's biodiversity. (The Iris Project)
A group of young Mexicans has been awarded the globally recognized Iris Prize in the STEM category for a project that seeks to reconnect a community with its local river through citizen science.
Dubbed Journey to the Microcosm of Nuevo León, the project invites residents of the Monterrey metropolitan area and beyond to get to know the Santa Catarina River, which in recent years, has been seen more as a flood risk than a valuable part of the city’s ecosystem.
Running from Guadalupe through the southern boroughs of Monterrey, the Santa Catarina River is home to over 1,200 documented species — including the monarch butterfly, the American beaver and the spiny soft-shell turtle — but was essentially paved over as Monterrey expanded its sprawl beginning in the 1950s. Since Hurricane Alex in 2010, the riverbed has been rewilding, aided by initiatives like Journey to the Microcosm of Nuevo León.
Through a series of workshops and walks, the project invites people of all ages to use DIY microscopes and the iNaturalist app to observe and document the river’s biodiversity. Launched in 2021, the project has formed a community of 600 observers and increased the number of recorded species from 781 to 1,126, strengthening legal efforts to protect them.
“The 2025 winners remind us why supporting youth leadership is one of our most urgent commitments to the planet,” Millie Edwards, director of The Iris Project, said. “With the climate and biodiversity crises accelerating, supporting young innovators is not optional: it is essential if we want a safer and more sustainable future.”
Led by Marbet Aguilar Higrodo, Lizeth Ovalle Saldaña, Andrea Villarreal Rodríguez, Alma Arredondo Medellín and Eduardo Rivera García, the Monterrey-based project is joined by a prize-winning initiative in Mongolia working to fight air pollution and another project in the Philippines, aimed at marine conservation.
This year’s winners and finalists will collectively receive US $43,000 in funding and additional support to scale their work in the coming years. The Journey to the Microcosm of Nuevo León, in particular, will receive $10,000.
“In Mongolia, Mexico and the Philippines, young leaders are tackling toxic air, restoring rivers and protecting endangered species, proving that youth-led action creates impact where it matters most,” the Iris Project said in a statement. “They don’t just give us hope, they deliver results.”
The Iris Project is a youth-led, trust-based grantmaker that supports collective leadership in young people to drive environmental change. With less than 1% of institutional climate funding allocated to young people, the Iris Prize aims to tackle this issue and support environmental projects led by young people.
Farmers across Mexico took to the streets and highways on Monday to protest what they see as low and unsustainable prices for their produce. (Jorge Ortega/Cuartoscuro)
The Mexican government reached an agreement early Wednesday morning with corn producers, offering 950 pesos per tonne in direct support — 800 pesos from the federal government and 150 pesos from state governments.
The deal will benefit 90,000 small-scale producers with plots of up to 20 hectares and cover up to 200 tonnes per producer.
Farmers across Mexico took to the streets and highways on Monday to protest what they see as low and unsustainable prices for their produce.
Their central demand was that the federal government raise the guaranteed purchase price for corn to 7,200 pesos (US $391) per tonne — 23% higher than the current guaranteed price of 5,840 pesos per tonne.
Thousands of farmers protested in more than 20 states, blocking highways and toll plazas and demonstrating in front of the National Palace in Mexico City. Farmers also attempted to break into federal Interior Ministry offices in the capital.
Among the states where protests occurred on Monday were Guanajuato, Querétaro, Michoacán, Guerrero, Chihuahua, Morelos and Jalisco. Farmers took their protests to federal Agriculture Ministry and National Water Commission offices in some states, the newspaper El Universal reported.
Protests continued in some parts of the country on Tuesday. In Michoacán, a blockade on the Morelia-Zinapécuaro highway surpassed the 24-hour mark on Tuesday morning. Some motorists and bus passengers had been stranded for an entire day “without water, food and medicine,” according to journalist Joaquín López-Dóriga.
Disgruntled farmers say that their production costs have increased in recent years, but prices for agricultural goods haven’t kept pace.
A corn farmer in Guadalajara sits by a protest sign that says: “What would happen if we stopped producing corn next season?” (Fernando Carranza Garcia/Cuartoscuro)
According to an analysis conducted by the Agricultural Markets Consulting Group (GCMA), agricultural production costs have increased by more than 46% in the past five years, while international prices for corn, wheat and soybean have fallen between 30% and 50% since 2022.
“The result has been a collapse in the profitability” of Mexican farms,” according to the news outlet Revista Espejo, which reported on the GCMA analysis.
“In the case of white corn, the average national [profit] margin has declined from more than 50% in 2022 to barely 12% in 2025. Similar cases are observed in bread wheat and sorghum,” Revista Espejo reported.
It said that the situation “threatens the viability of thousands of medium and large producers” in Mexico who “supply more than 75% of the national and export market.”
“Corn producers, who sustain the national diet and rural identity, face an unprecedented scenario of high costs, low prices, and a lack of effective public policies. The combination has triggered what experts are already calling ‘the perfect storm’ for the Mexican countryside.”
The guaranteed prices have increased since then, but in the same period, farmers have faced a range of challenges, including high inflation that peaked at close to 9% in 2022 and severe drought in much of the country. For some farmers, extortion and violence make farming — and life — even more difficult.
What’s a fair price for a tonne of corn?
During the president’s Wednesday morning press conference, Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegué explained that the 950 peso per tonne support package represents a response to global market conditions that have severely impacted Mexican farmers.
He noted that international corn prices currently hover around 3,400 pesos per tonne, reaching 4,850 pesos once logistics costs are included — levels that “don’t cover production costs for many Mexican producers.”
Hoy, en la #MañaneraDelPueblo, y por instrucciones de nuestra presidenta @Claudiashein, presenté los acuerdos alcanzados con los liderazgos locales de productores de maíz de los estados de Guanajuato, Jalisco y Michoacán.
“We’ve had an enormous increase in the availability of corn worldwide, with a record stock of 1.3 billion tonnes. Mexico will also have a very high harvest this year, which has pushed international prices downward,” Berdegué said.
The agreement also includes the expansion of the “Cosechando Soberanías” (Harvesting Sovereignties) program, which will offer credit at an 8.5% annual interest rate — half what commercial banks charge — along with agricultural insurance covering losses from droughts, floods and pests.
Additionally, President Sheinbaum announced the creation of a Mexican System for Market Organization and Corn Marketing, which will seek to establish reference prices, direct agreements between producers and industry and clear rules to make the marketing chain more transparent.
“We cannot continue in a country where farmers plant without knowing at what price they’ll sell their harvest,” Berdegué said.
The agriculture minister indicated that producers told government officials they don’t want a fixed price, “because they have the expectation that in these dialogue tables, which we’re going to set up starting now, they can still push the price up a bit.”
President Sheinbaum emphasized that the support will go directly to producers without intermediaries, and noted that major flour companies agreed months ago, following negotiations led by the Agriculture Ministry, to purchase corn at prices higher than international market rates.
The president also announced that in 2026, an additional support program will be presented for producers who continue growing native corn, especially in the south and southeast of the country. “We want to preserve native corn because it represents the biodiversity and cultural richness of Mexico,” Sheinbaum said.
On Tuesday, the federal government had offered to set a minimum price of 6,050 pesos per tonne of white corn grown in the states of Guanajuato, Jalisco and Michoacán. The Movimiento Agrícola Campesino (MAC), an umbrella group of Mexican agricultural associations, had described the government’s initial price as “a mockery” and a “pittance.”
It is a “direct insult for those who feed this country,” MAC said.
In Mexico, train tracks for a new line aren't just laid over the earth's surface; they're laid over 10,000 years of history. Route adjustments, therefore, are inevitable. (STE/Cuartoscuro)
As the government continues to secure rights-of-way and conduct environmental impact studies for the 3,000 kilometers of railway track it intends to build during the current administration, some route alterations are inevitable.
The most recent modification was announced last week when President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that an 8-kilometer detour will be designed to protect petroglyphs along the proposed Mexico-Querétaro rail line.
The route detour, which begins 4 kilometers before the petroglyph site and ends 4 kilometers after it, will not significantly add to the project’s budget. (Demián Chávez/Cuartoscuro)
The El Venado petroglyphs are etched onto a rock wall in the municipality of Atotonilco de Tula, 88 kilometers north of Mexico City in the state of Hidalgo.
The track will be rerouted beginning about 4 kilometers before the site — which is roughly 70 meters long — and return to the original line about 4 kilometers beyond the petroglyphs.
Sheinbaum said that not only is it impossible to safely move the artifacts to a museum, but the site is also considered a sacred space by local residents. In addition to the petroglyphs, ancient pottery and utensils have been found in the area, which also features hiking trails maintained by the municipality’s Culture and Tourism Ministry.
“So, the route will be modified slightly,” Sheinbaum said, “but it does not represent a significant expense.”
Complementing the government’s land acquisition activities, archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) are carrying out exhaustive field research — as they have been doing along the proposed routes of all the rail projects — to identify, assess and salvage artifacts of historical significance.
INAH has classified the El Venado site, as well as nearby petroglyphs known as El Chamán and El Nahual, as sites of archaeological importance. A total of four rock art elements categorized as petroglyphs were identified, along with movable and immovable archaeological monuments — including basalt stone terraces — related to Mesoamerican cultures of the Epiclassic period (600–900 AD).
Nearly a decade ago, construction of the region’s new wastewater treatment plant uncovered human and animal bones, dating back to the late Pleistocene period (more than 10,000 years ago). Some of the fragments were identified as bones from a mammoth, camel, deer, bison, horse, mastodon and glyptodon (an extinct mammal related to modern armadillos).
At the time, archaeologist Alicia Bonfil Olivera said it was “the largest and most varied discovery of extinct megafauna remains in the Basin of Mexico.”
Officials said last week that nearly 120 kilometers of the proposed 226-kilometer Mexico City-Querétaro train line have been formally acquired and cleared for construction, while environmental studies and archaeological prospecting continue on the remaining track.
The U.S. Department of War, at the direction of President Trump, carried out on Monday three lethal kinetic strikes on four vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean. (Pete Hegseth/X)
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that Mexican authorities had assumed responsibility for the rescue of one survivor from U.S. military attacks that claimed the lives of 14 men on board alleged drug boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Hegseth said that the United States Southern Command “immediately initiated Search and Rescue (SAR) standard protocols” after learning one person survived the U.S. attacks. “Mexican SAR authorities accepted the case and assumed responsibility for coordinating the rescue,” he wrote. An anonymous U.S. military official told the New York Times that the lone survivor was picked up on Tuesday. However, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday morning that the Mexican Navy “failed to rescue” the victim, leaving their fate unclear.
Hegseth said on social media on Tuesday morning that the U.S. Department of War, “at the direction of President Trump,” carried out on Monday “three lethal kinetic strikes on four vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTO) trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific.”
“… A total of 14 narco-terrorists were killed during the three strikes, with one survivor. All strikes were in international waters with no U.S. forces harmed,” he said.
According to the Associated Press, an unnamed Pentagon official said in a statement that the strikes were conducted off the coast of Colombia, but the Mexican Navy said on Tuesday that it was carrying out a search mission for the survivor 830 kilometers southwest of Acapulco, which would indicate that the attacks took place in international waters that are closer to Mexico than Colombia.
“Following one attack on a boat, the [U.S.] military spotted a person in the water clinging to some wreckage,” AP reported.
“The military passed the survivor’s precise location to the U.S. Coast Guard and a Mexican military aircraft that was operating in the area,” the news agency said.
President Claudia Sheinbaum told her Tuesday morning press conference that the Mexican Navy (Semar), “for humanitarian reasons” and in accordance with “international treaties, decided to rescue” the survivor of the U.S. strikes.
There is a discrepancy between the two distances Semar cited. Four hundred miles is equivalent to about 643 kilometers, whereas 400 nautical miles is around 741 kilometers. Both conversions indicate that the U.S. strikes may have occurred off the coast of Mexico or Central America, albeit in international waters.
Sheinbaum also said that her government “doesn’t agree with these attacks as they occur” and that she would seek a meeting with United States Ambassador to Mexico Ron Johnson to discuss “this situation.”
Mexico and US hold meeting on maritime coordination
On Tuesday evening, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) and Semar reported that a meeting was held between Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente, Navy Minister Admiral Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles and United States Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson at the SRE headquarters.
According to a statement released by Semar, the parties agreed that the main priority is the safeguarding of human life at sea, as well as full respect for national sovereignty, reaffirming their commitment to the understanding and cooperation that have historically characterized the relationship between the two nations.
Hegseth: Vessels were following known trafficking routes
Hegseth said that the four vessels that were attacked by the U.S. military on Monday were “known by our intelligence apparatus” and “transiting along known narco-trafficking routes.”
He also said that the boats were “carrying narcotics,” but didn’t provide further details or evidence. It is possible that the vessels were headed to Mexico to unload their allegedly illicit cargo. Significant quantities of cocaine are smuggled into Mexico from South America and subsequently transported north to the United States.
Hegseth said that the U.S. military’s first strike hit two vessels carrying “eight male narco-terrorists.”
He said that the second strike hit a vessel carrying “four male narco-terrorists,” while the third strike targeted a boat transporting “three male narco-terrorists.”
Hegseth’s social media post also included footage of the military’s strikes.
“The Department [of Defense/War] has spent over TWO DECADES defending other homelands. Now, we’re defending our own. These narco-terrorists have killed more Americans than Al-Qaeda, and they will be treated the same. We will track them, we will network them, and then, we will hunt and kill them,” he wrote.
AP reported that it was the first time that multiple U.S. military strikes on alleged drug boats were announced in a single day.
The strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean came after previous U.S. military attacks on alleged drug boats in the Pacific and in the Caribbean Sea.
CNN reported that “the total number of known strikes carried out by the US military on alleged drug-smuggling vessels” since the start of September now stands at 13.
“To date, those operations have destroyed a total of 14 boats and killed 57 people — with three total survivors,” CNN said.
“… Last week, the US military conducted its first round of strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean, which appeared to mark an expansion of the campaign as all seven previous strikes had targeted boats in the Caribbean Sea,” CNN wrote.
The Trump administration has ramped up the United States’ fight against drugs and drug cartels, and earlier this year, it designated a number of Western Hemisphere criminal organizations, including six Mexican cartels, as foreign terrorist organizations. However, experts say his offense against foreign nationals navigating in international waters is illegal.
In August, The New York Times reported that Trump had “secretly signed a directive to the Pentagon to begin using military force against certain Latin American drug cartels that his administration has deemed terrorist organizations.”
While the United States has recently shown that it is prepared to use lethal military force against alleged drug traffickers, Sheinbaum has ruled out the possibility of U.S. armed forces targeting Mexican cartels on Mexican soil.
“Mexico is a free, independent and sovereign country, and no foreign government would dare to violate our sovereignty,” she said in August when asked whether a U.S. strike against Mexican cartels was a possibility.
In May, Sheinbaum revealed that she had rejected an offer from Trump to send the U.S. army into Mexico to combat drug cartels.
“We can share information, but we’re never going to accept the presence of the United States Army in our territory,” Sheinbaum said at the time.
Mexico's Alerta Sísmica has saved countless since its inception in 1991. (Cuartoscuro)
On the morning of September 19, 1985, the lives of millions of Mexicans changed forever in just 90 seconds. I hadn’t been born yet, but my older sister was only three weeks old. My mother, on maternity leave, spent her mornings caring for my sister while my father left early to teach theater at a nearby middle school.
At precisely 7:19 a.m., an 8.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Michoacán. My parents described the terror of feeling the earth move beneath them, dashing into the streets only to find the city scarred by collapsed buildings, the pungent smell of gas from ruptured pipelines filling the air, and neighbours frantically searching for their loved ones.
A dismal aftermath
40 years on, the catastrophic Mexico City earthquake looms large in the memories of those who survived it. (United States Geological Survey)
Mexico City, resting atop an ancient lakebed, endured an amplified impact. The earthquake’s tremors extended to nearly three minutes in some parts, a harrowing eternity beyond the 90 seconds elsewhere. Death toll estimates remain tragically uncertain, with official figures citing between 6,000 and 7,000 fatalities, while survivor groups suggest closer to 15,000. The true number is forever elusive.
The devastation was profound: 412 buildings were obliterated, and over 3,000 were severely damaged. Iconic structures like the Regis Hotel, the Conalep on Balderas, Televisa Chapultepec, the Centro Médico, the Juárez Hospital, a housing tower in Tlatelolco, the Juárez multifamily complex, and the Ministries of Labor, Communications, Commerce and the Navy succumbed to the quake’s wrath. Housing losses were equally dire, with 30,000 homes destroyed and another 60,000 severely damaged, leaving 30,000 injured and 150,000 displaced. The economic toll on infrastructure soared to an estimated US $4 billion dollars, equating to 2.7% of the national gross domestic product (GDP) at the time.
In the quake’s dismal aftermath, with communications and electricity down and the very air fraught with danger, Mexican civil society sprang into action. Makeshift shelters emerged, citizen-led neighborhood committees formed for mutual protection, and renowned volunteer rescuer teams like Los Topos mobilized with astounding alacrity. Yet, the earthquake starkly revealed the Mexican populace’s vulnerability to natural disasters and highlighted the systemic failures in emergency response and preventative measures.
Creating SASMEX
Seizing upon this moment of reckoning, Mexican engineers and scientists resolved to harness technology for future safety. Realizing the potential offered by the distance between the coastal seismic zones and inland cities, they understood that seismic waves traveling at only 3.5 kilometers per second could allow a brief but crucial window for an alert system. Thus began the journey toward the Sistema de Alerta Sísmica Mexicano (SASMEX), the world’s first early earthquake warning system.
In 1986, the Foundation for Seismic Instrumentation and Recording (Centro de Instrumentación y Registro Sísmico, A.C., or CIRES) was established as a civil association under the auspices of the Javier Barros Sierra Foundation. Barros Sierra, a distinguished mathematician, engineer, academic and businessman, played a pivotal role in shaping Mexico’s academic and scientific landscape, and we’ll delve into his legacy soon. The foundation’s mission was clear: unite engineers to research and develop cutting-edge technology aimed at reducing seismic risk.
Made in Mexico: Alerta sísmica
One standout figure in this story is engineer Juan Manuel Espinosa. Alongside Gerardo Legaria, Humberto Rodríguez, Samuel Maldonado and Bernardo Fontana, Espinosa began designing an earthquake alert system in 1989, inspired by a model they initially developed as undergraduates. After years of relentless effort — much of it driven almost single-handedly by Espinosa, with support from international organizations and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) — SASMEX officially launched in 1991. Its initial network comprised 12 seismic sensor stations primarily along Guerrero’s coast, marking the birth of the world’s first early earthquake warning system.
Expanding the system
The impact was immediate and profound. In 1999, following a 6.7-magnitude quake, Oaxaca’s government enlisted CIRES to develop its own seismic alert system, which became operational in 2003. Today, SASMEX boasts a network of 97 accelerographic stations spanning Mexico’s Pacific coast—mainly in Guerrero, Oaxaca, Colima and Michoacán. When the sensors detect energy levels exceeding predetermined thresholds, they send electromagnetic signals to urban centers, providing residents with between 20 and 120 seconds to take protective measures.
This sophisticated system employs three algorithms to measure maximum and cumulative ground acceleration. When these signals surpass critical limits, they relay data to city control stations, where officials decide whether to issue alerts.
111 Alerts
Since its inception, SASMEX has detected approximately 9,800 seismic events and issued 111 alerts, saving countless lives in the process.
SASMEX has become a world-leader in issuing early earthquake warning alerts to citizens. (UNAM)
Historical milestones underscore its significance. On May 14, 1993, SASMEX detected a 6.0-magnitude quake and predicted its arrival in Mexico City with 65 seconds to spare, prompting early warnings that likely saved lives. Again, on Sept. 14, 1995, the system forecasted a 7.3-magnitude tremor near Copala, Guerrero, with 72 seconds of warning. The prompt response to these alerts demonstrated how well-prepared communities can mitigate disaster … when they heed the warnings.
Exceptions
On September 19, 2017, the echoes of a fateful day resound vividly in my memory. Nestled in my apartment on the sixth and top floor of a Colonia Roma building, where Jalapa meets Álvaro Obregón, I stood at the precipice of a much-needed respite. Having just wrapped up an exhaustive campaign for the national analog signal shutdown for TV and radio, my boss insisted I take a break. “Stay home,” he said, a command I readily embraced after two years without a true vacation.
It was one o’clock in the afternoon, the kind of hour meant for leisurely breakfasts when every minute stretches luxuriously before you like an unfurling daydream. As I set my modest bowl of oatmeal down, I watched as it leaped on the table before me. Underfed and weary, I first mistook the lurch for dizziness until the curtains began to whip with violent fervor. The tremors intensified, the earth beneath my feet rolling with such force that standing was a near impossibility. I was torn between the instinct to flee and the reality —the sixth-floor reality — that escape to street level was but an illusion. Instead, I turned my focus upward, crawling towards the rooftop, the stairway a daunting challenge with each step.
The rooftop door swung wildly, and a piece of wood became my ally against entrapment, yet my grasp on balance was tenuous. Emerging onto the roof, water splashed against me — not rain, but the overflow from the rooftop tank — forcing me back until I clung to the sturdy embrace of a nearby wall.
The 2017 earthquake
After the 2017 earthquake, buildings in Mexico City that only moments before had seemed completely sturdy looked like they’d been bombed. (Wikimedia Commons/AntoFran)
Looking out towards Reforma, the city was shrouded in grim plumes of smoke, buildings crumbling into dust-laden sighs, harboring souls within them whose fates I dared not contemplate. Smoke columns rose again when I turned towards Condesa, searing the horizon ever closer, and I feared our building’s number would soon be called.
In an odd twist of survival’s logic, a calmness settled over me with the naive notion that there, on the top floor, I’d have a better chance of getting out. Feeling safer, my mind raced to my sister, working in a vertigo-inducing tower near C.U., and to my parents in Puebla. Fear seized me once again, and as soon as the tremors ceased, I found myself hurtling towards the street, driven by some primal compulsion.
Every door I passed gaped open, rooms emptied violently onto floors now cracked and yawning beneath me. Outside, I saw a street vendor whom I greeted every day. We clung to one another, tears flowing unbidden. “I thought you’d fall, mi niña, I thought you’d fall!” I was trembling.
The air brimmed with the acrid scent of gas. People running and screaming, military trucks speeding down Álvaro Obregón toward a collapsed building just a few meters away. I lived a block from the Álvaro Obregón hospital and saw — like in an apocalyptic movie — nurses still crying as they set up makeshift operating rooms on the median strip, newborns in bassinets, doctors shouting instructions in desperation.
“All gone to hell,” my mind echoed the disorder around me. Yet, from chaos emerged a beacon — my sister — and shortly after, my father, arriving from Puebla with divine speed. “Mom is okay,” he shouted. We were safe, united, but our city lay exposed, fragile beneath the brutal hand of nature’s reminder: the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that cracked the earth 120 kilometers from the heart of Mexico City, claiming 330 lives and sounding an urgent call for proximity in seismic warning stations.
Adapting SASMEX
Mexico pioneered the use of seismic alerts, influencing other countries like Chile and Japan to adopt similar strategies. (SASMEX)
In the technical realm of earthquake preparedness, the SASMEX model has become a lodestar, guiding nations like Chile and Japan in their development of electromagnetic alert systems. Even the reticent ground of California bends its ear to Mexico’s seismic foresight, tailoring adaptations to shield its own.
A subtle reminder
It is often those who labor quietly, below the surface of recognition, whose contributions hold the most sway. Such is the work of Engineer Juan Manuel Espinosa. His efforts resonate profoundly for the 17.5% of Mexicans residing in Mexico City and the greater metropolitan area, and for those astride the Cocos Plate in Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas.
A heartfelt salute, then, to the engineers of Mexico, those unsung architects of safety, whose ingenuity cradles us from vulnerability. And though my heart quivers at the sound of the Alerta Sísmica, triggering an adrenaline rush that’s hard to quell, I remind myself: it grants us seconds, precious moments to preserve life — a sound worth its weight in salvation.
María Meléndez is a Mexico City food blogger and influencer.
There's never a bad time to visit Guadalajara, but November is a particularly good one thanks to numerous events. (Unsplash/Roman Lopez)
Mexico’s most folkloric month has arrived, and with it, dozens of events that celebrate the country’s most cherished festival: Day of the Dead.
But beyond events that celebrate this festive time — like Calaverandia or the Bread of the Dead festival — Guadalajara and its surrounding area are also gearing up to host a wide range of events that range from an international book fair to stargazing and more.
Let’s get right into it!
Visit the world’s first and largest Day of the Dead theme park
Did you know Guadalajara is home to a Day of the Dead theme park called Calavanderia? Well, it is. (Go To Guadalajara)
Since its first edition in 2017, Calaverandia has been a huge success in immersing visitors into the ambiance of Day of the Dead. Spreading over five hectares, the theme park features a monumental Dead of the Dead altar, multimedia projections, a magical themed village with bone-shaped houses, an alebrije area, an interactive tour inspired by the pre-Hispanic world of the dead and many other attractions.
Date: Oct. 22 – Nov. 29
Location: Avenida Manuel Ávila Camacho, Lomas del Country, Guadalajara
Cost: Starting at 711 pesos
Go to Tlaquepaque’s Day of the Dead festival
Day of the Dead festivities in Tlaquepaque are always colorful. This year, they will honor the upcoming World Cup. (Tlaquepaque Municipal Government)
The Magical Town of Tlaquepaque will host a unique Day of the Dead festival inspired by the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. The event will feature decorations inspired by World Cups held in Mexico and even pre-Hispanic ball games. The event will attempt to break its own world record of the largest Day of the Dead altar. By public vote, the altar will be dedicated to soccer legends Pelé or Maradona.
Date: Oct. 23 – Nov. 2
Location: Historic center of San Pedro Tlaquepaque
Cost: Free
Sip a glass of wine by Lake Chapala
Fine wine and paella are highlights at the annual Vinart Ajijic. (Vinart Ajijic)
Vinart Ajijic, an event that celebrates wine, music and food, is back for its fourth edition in the enchanting town of Ajijic. With more than 25 national and international wineries, the event will offer free tastings from more than 170 labels, along with workshops and pairings. Expect a paella competition (a Spanish rice-based dish), a Catrinas and Catrines competition to celebrate Day of the Dead, live music and an after-party.
Date: Oct. 31 and Nov. 1
Location: Nimue Marina & Residence, Paseo de La Huerta No. 57, Col. La Floresta, Ajijic
Cost: Starting at 850 pesos
Experience a festival dedicated to Bread of the Dead
Sample the best pan de muerto, a staple of Day of the Dead, from a variety of bakeries in Guadalajara. (Festival del Pan de Muerto)
Picture the smell of freshly baked Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead) as you stroll down a fair exclusively dedicated to Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead), one of Day of the Dead’s staple features. Visitors will be able to taste and buy a wide variety of Pan de Muerto from 15 local bakeries, ranging from the classic version to unique takes such as vegan options, whole wheat, sourdough and breads filled with cream or chocolate.
Date: Oct. 31 – Nov. 2
Location: Parque Monterrey, Col. Vallarta San Jorge and Club de Leones, Col. Tepeyac Casino
Cost: Free
Go to a tequila festival in the town of Tequila
This Day of the Dead-themed event is set in the ancestral home of Mexico’s signature spirit. (Tequilero Hasta Los Huesos)
To celebrate Day of the Dead, the town of Tequila (yes, cradle of the spirit bearing the same name) will host a festival dubbed Tequilero Hasta Los Huesos (Tequilero to the Bones). The family event seeks to pay tribute to loved ones who have passed away with an event that celebrates art, music, tequila and Mexican traditions.
Date: Nov. 1
Location: Main square of Tequila, Jalisco
Cost: Free
Attend a culinary festival on Day of the Dead
Enjoy Day of the Dead atmosphere plus an abundance of culinary offerings in Zapopan. (Instagram)
To celebrate Day of the Dead, the municipality of Zapopan will host a culinary festival featuring stalls offering traditional Mexican food like tamales, tacos, bread of the dead and various antojitos mexicanos (Mexican snacks). Attendees can expect a procession of Catrina brides, live music, monumental skulls, cultural performances and more.
Date: Nov. 1 and 2
Location: Plaza de las Américas, Calle Eva Briseño, Zapopan
Cost: Free
Take a cultural walk in Guadalajara
This historic walking tour is one of the best Day of the Dead-themed cultural activities in Guadalajara. (Universidad de Guadalajara)
To celebrate Day of the Dead, Patrimonio en Ruta will host a walking tour to three iconic locations in Guadalajara, guided by historian Alejandra Pinal. The tour begins at the historic Belén Pantheon, continues to the Cardboard and Toy Fair, where participants can join an interactive activity, and ends at the MUPAG (Guadalajara Heritage Museum) with a talk on local traditions.
The tour includes bread of the dead and hot chocolate.
Date: Nov. 2
Location: Panteón de Belén, C. Belén 684, El Retiro, Guadalajara
Cost: 790 pesos
Gaze at the stars
The best place to stargaze this month is at CUCEI in Guadalajara on Nov. 29. (Noche de las Estrellas)
If you’re into astronomy culture, you won’t want to miss La Noche de las Estrellas (Stars Night), a national event that occurs in several cities simultaneously, where people get together to stargaze. This year’s edition is dedicated to the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, with the theme “between stars and atoms.” In addition to stargazing, expect interactive scientific workshops focusing on physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and astronomy.
Date: Nov. 29
Location: Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierías (CUCEI) de la Universidad de Guadalajara, Blvd. Gral. Marcelino García Barragán 1421, Olímpica, Guadalajara
Cost: Free
Attend one of the world’s largest International Book Fairs
Barcelona will be honored at the 39th International Book Fair in Guadalajara, one of the world’s biggest. (FIL)
Guadalajara’s Book Fair (FIL), the world’s second most important book fair after Frankfurt’s book fair, is back for its 39th edition, featuring Barcelona as its guest of honor. Under the slogan “Barcelona and Guadalajara flourish together,” the fair will feature 3,000 activities and host 1,500 publishers from 40 countries. With activities directed to adults and children alike, this is a must-visit event for literature lovers in Guadalajara.
Gabriela Solis is a Mexican lawyer turned full-time writer. She was born and raised in Guadalajara and covers business, culture, lifestyle and travel for Mexico News Daily. You can follow her lifestyle blog Dunas y Palmeras.
Cabo San Lucas celebrates its naming with a patron saint festival each year. (Visit Los Cabos)
Cabo San Lucas has a birthday, and this year it celebrated 484 years since the day it was first named. That was on Oct. 18, 1541, when Spanish mariner Francisco de Bolaños named it according to the custom of the time, which was based on the Catholic Calendar. Because Oct. 18 was the feast day of St. Luke the Evangelist, that’s who became the namesake and patron saint of the place, even though no one but the Indigenous Pericú would call it home until the early 19th century.
Before it acquired its name, the southernmost point of the Baja California Peninsula was marked only with the word “ballenas” on the maps of the time, indicating the presence of whales.
Fiestas tradicionales in Cabo San Lucas
Parades are a feature at fiestas tradicionales in Cabo San Lucas. (Ayuntamiento de Los Cabos)
Like most towns and cities in Mexico, Cabo San Lucas celebrates its founding with an annual festival, known as a fiesta patronal (patron saint festival) or, more broadly, a fiesta tradicional. More than 15,000 people attended events this year during the six-day festival (Oct. 17 to Oct. 22), which included concerts featuring big-name musical acts. Los Tucanes de Tijuana performed this year, for example, as did Pancho Barraza, Marco Antonio Solís and Los Dos Carnales, among many others. There were also parades — including a cabalgata (or horseback-mounted parade), a fair, and the crowning of a queen (actually, two).
Additionally, given the city’s maritime focus, a procession of boats, following morning mañanitas sung to St. Luke on his feast day, headed for the iconic El Arco (The Arch) at Land’s End, with an image of the saint aboard and a floral arrangement with which to pay tribute.
Unlike most of the other major events on the annual calendar in Cabo San Lucas, this one is aimed not at tourists but is almost exclusively local in character. That shouldn’t be surprising, given the festival’s religious character and its importance in strengthening community identity.
The crowning of two queens was introduced in 2025. Yes, the traditional queen of the festival was announced, along with her princess and lady-in-waiting, who serve a ceremonial and ambassadorial role as representatives of the community during the coming year. For the first time, however, a LGBTQ+ queen was also crowned, demonstrating the city’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity.
Preparing for the Day of the Dead
The next event to note for residents, and particularly for families who have lived in the area for generations, is Day of the Dead. On Nov. 1 and Nov. 2, many residents will visit the graves of deceased friends and family, with offerings for returning spirits.
In preparation for the uptick in visits and vigils, the Los Cabos government’s Dirección General de Servicios Públicos (General Directorate of Public Services) recently intensified its cleaning efforts for each of the 17 cemeteries located within the municipality.
All municipal cemeteries in Los Cabos received a cleaning before this year’s Day of the Dead visits. (Ayuntamiento de Los Cabos)
“We are cleaning the front, side, and interior areas of the cemeteries to keep them in optimal condition,” said Jesús Germán Álvarez, who is responsible for cemeteries in San José del Cabo, via the Los Cabos government website. “We invite families to join in the care of these spaces and not forget their faithful departed.”
“The commitment of the mayor and our directors is clear: to provide clean, orderly, and dignified public spaces for the families of Cabo, especially during these dates of great significance for our community,” he added.
Another season of Bisbee’s fishing tournaments concludes
Bisbee’s hosts a trio of big-money fishing tournaments in Los Cabos each year, the first of which, the East Cape Offshore, takes place in August, with the two others, the Los Cabos Offshore and Black & Blue, held each October in Cabo San Lucas.
The Black & Blue is the most lucrative and famous of the three, hence its nickname as the “Super Bowl of Fishing” and its accurate appraisal as “the world’s richest fishing tournament.” But the “Little Bisbee’s”, or Los Cabos Offshore, so-called because of its standing related to the Black & Blue, has continued to grow.
This year, in fact, it set a tournament record with its US $2.7 million purse. However, because of daily jackpots and other optional category entries, the second-place Team Santana ended up taking home the most money with a check for $1,114,361 for its 424-pound black marlin. But Team No Limits did earn the first-place trophy and $104,111 for a black marlin eight pounds heavier during the tournament, which took place Oct. 14-18.
Combine the purses from the three Bisbee’s tournaments this year — $1.2 million for the East Cape Offshore, $2.7 million for the Los Cabos Offshore and $7.4 million for the Black & Blue — and it still doesn’t exceed the worldwide record of $11.5 million set by the latter event in 2022. That said, $7.4 million is a lot of potential prize money for the pleasure of spending three days fishing in Cabo San Lucas!
Los Cabos is one of the few places on Earth where you can receive million-dollar-plus checks for going fishing. (Bisbee’s Offshore Fishing Tournaments)
Recapping Bisbee’s Black & Blue
In 2025, 178 teams, comprising 1,242 anglers, had the pleasure, although it came at a price: $5,000 for base entry for teams, or $84,500 for across-the-board jackpots and challenges. Some teams made those entry fees back many times over as the Black and Blue concluded with its award ceremony on Oct. 25. Team Magic Touch, for example, took home first place, its largest catch being a 459-pound blue marlin — one of 113 blue marlin and 10 black marlin caught during the tournament — worth almost $2.5 million.
Each of the fish weighed were donated as food for local families, continuing Bisbee’s long-standing commitment to giving back in Los Cabos through the Hope for Los Cabos Foundation. Each pound of fish equates to 4.5 meals, which means this year’s winner alone provided over 2,000 meals.
The wrap-up of Bisbee’s means only one fishing tournament with a purse exceeding one million dollars remains to be contested in 2025. That’s the WON Tuna Jackpot, the world’s richest tuna fishing tournament, which kicks off its 27th edition on Nov. 5, the day before the only PGA-sponsored golf tournament in Los Cabos, the World Wide Technology Championship, begins at the Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal Course in Cabo San Lucas.
Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily.
On Tuesday, Sheinbaum also noted the positive overall perception of the Mexican Army, Navy and Air Force. (Victoria Valtierra/Cuartoscuro)
President Claudia Sheinbaum fielded questions about a range of issues at her Tuesday morning press conference, including one on people’s perceptions of the Mexican military and another on a claim in a newspaper column that her security minister was targeted in a recent armed attack.
Here is a recap of the president’s Oct. 28 mañanera.
Sheinbaum: ‘The people trust the armed forces of Mexico’
Asked about the reasons for their high standing, Sheinbaum said that one significant factor is the work the armed forces carry out “at the time of natural disasters,” including this month when flooding affected several states.
“The acclaim, the affection, the recognition of the people” when the navy or army arrives to attend to the aftermath of a natural disaster is “very big,” she said.
“And, in addition, their dedication, as I have said, is enormous,” Sheinbaum said.
The president asserted that “the people trust the armed forces of Mexico.”
“And that is very important,” she said, adding that the same can’t be said about the military of every other country in the world.
Sheinbaum rejected the “idea” that Mexico has been militarized, an argument that has been made for a variety of reasons, including the government’s reliance on the armed forces for public security tasks, the approval of legislation that placed the National Guard under army control and the decision to give the military control of airports and customs.
Although the latest ENSU results show that the Mexican Army and Navy are widely trusted, the institutions are certainly not beyond reproach. Members of both the army and the navy have faced criticism and criminal allegations in recent years, including in cases involving extrajudicial killings and alleged fuel smuggling-related corruption.
Sheinbaum describes claim that security minister was targeted in recent attack as ‘fiction’
A reporter noted that journalist and columnist Raymundo Riva Palacios claimed in a column published in the newspaper El Financiero on Monday that federal Security Minister Omar García Harfuch was targeted in an armed attack allegedly perpetrated on Sept. 14.
Security Minister Omar García Harfuch was targeted in an armed attack allegedly perpetrated on Sept. 14. (Omar García Harfuch/X)
He noted that García Harfuch denied that an attack targeting him had been carried out, and asked the president her “opinion about the lack of ethics, professionalism and seriousness that permeate corporate media outlets and these kinds of journalists.”
Sheinbaum first noted that the security minister had “clarified” the situation, before saying that “we’re going to put a name” to the kind of journalism the reporter described.
“What will it be? The commentators’ fiction novel [or] fictional short story because it doesn’t reach the level of a novel,” she said.
“The commentators’ fiction,” Sheinbaum added.
In his column on Monday, Riva Palacios wrote that an armed attack on a house in the Mexico City neighborhood of Polanco where García Harfuch “usually works every day” was unsuccessful because the security minister wasn’t there at the time it was carried out.
Citing sources “very close” to García Harfuch, Riva Palacios said that “several shots were fired, some of them directly to the terrace, where … [the security minister] usually is.”
Aaron Ramsey's beagle Halo was last seen in San Miguel de Allende near a dog boarding property. The soccer mega-star is offering a US $20,000 reward. (Aaron Ramsey/Instagram)
Welsh soccer star Aaron Ramsey, who joined Mexico City–based Pumas UNAM in July to become one of the few high-profile European players in Liga MX, has doubled the reward for his missing dog Halo to US $20,000 as the search in central Mexico stretches into its third week.
The 34-year-old midfielder said Halo, a 10-year-old beagle, vanished Oct. 9 in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato. She was wearing a GPS collar when last seen in the vicinity of Hipsterrier, a dog camp/boarding facility, he added.
Besides captaining the Welsh national team, Ramsey played for European powerhouses Arsenal and Juventus before joining Pumas this year. (X)
“If you have any news about our Halo, don’t hesitate to contact us,” he wrote on Instagram. “There will be a BIG REWARD for finding her. We’re all praying that she’s OK and can be back with us soon.”
Ramsey’s wife, Colleen, publicly questioned whether Halo “simply disappeared,” adding, “She was probably taken. I urge local residents to share her photo. We’re looking for her, dead or alive.”
“We’ve been silent, trying to understand how you can leave your dog at a ranch and never see her again,” Aaron Ramsey added. “No explanation? The cameras weren’t recording, no one found her, no sightings, no body and a bunch of lies. We just want to say goodbye and move on.”
The ordeal has coincided with an extended Ramsey absence from Pumas, one of 18 teams in Mexico’s top professional league, Liga MX. With two matches to go in the current season, the auriazules (gold and blues) are in 13th place with a record of 3 wins, 6 ties and 6 losses.
Ramsey — a former star for Arsenal (2008-2019) in the English Premier League and for Juventus (2019-2022) in Italy’s Serie A — has played in only six of those games, registering one goal and zero assists.
The captain of the Wales national team was first granted special leave by coach Efraín Juárez, which was then extended due to what has been reported as a hamstring injury.
Ramsey’s remark “We just want to say goodbye and move on” led to speculation he wanted to leave Mexico. But Pumas confirmed this week that he has returned to the team’s training center to begin rehabilitation.
Pumas would qualify for the playoffs by finishing in the top 10 in the standings, which is still a possibility. The team has an important home game on Sunday against Club Tijuana at Estadio Olímpico Universitario — the main venue of the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.
Ride hailing apps such as Uber have had to cede ground transportation to and from Mexican airports to traditional taxi services. The ruling, if not successfully challenged, changes that policy. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)
A federal judge ruled that ride-hailing platform Uber can freely operate at airports across Mexico without being detained by federal authorities.
The temporary injunction — technically a definitive court suspension — will remain in effect until a constitutional appeal is resolved.
The ruling prevents the National Guard from arresting Uber drivers while picking up or dropping off passengers at any of the more than 70 airports in the country. Taxi unions have traditionally held exclusive pick-up rights at all of Mexico’s airports, which are considered federal property.
In a statement, Uber hailed the decision while urging federal authorities to respect the judge’s ruling.
While reaffirming its long-held position that it is unlawful to detain drivers completing app-based trips at airports, the company emphasized the importance of the decision ahead of next year’s FIFA World Cup.
As co-host, with matches to be held in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara, Mexico will need to ensure efficient transportation for the millions of tourists who will arrive during the World Cup, Uber said.
“Airports are the first impression visitors receive and facilitating their mobility would contribute to strengthening Mexico’s international image,” the statement said.
While expressing confidence that the injunction suggests a final resolution in its favor, Uber called on Congress to enact clear regulations allowing digital transportation platforms access to national airports.
Airport arrivals seeking ground transportation have had few options other than airport taxis, prepaid based on destination. (Cuartoscuro)
A new regulatory framework “would improve the national and international tourism ecosystem,” Uber said, insisting that drivers using ride-sharing apps “must be granted access to federal airports to streamline mobility in those areas.”
Neither the National Guard nor the Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation Ministry offered public comment on the ruling.
How taxi permit holders react remains to be seen, particularly in light of past incidents involving taxi drivers and ride-sharing companies in Cancún and Mexico City.
Earlier this month, taxi drivers at Mexico City’s International Airport alleged that federal officials managing airport operations had an illegal arrangement with ride-sharing services, according to the magazine Proceso.
Taxi drivers accused airport managers of selectively enforcing the law preventing Uber drivers from entering airport grounds and claimed that private interests were benefiting at the expense of the taxi union concessions.
At the time, taxi companies were still expressing hope that they would have exclusive rights at airports during the World Cup.
