Pampering plus – A guide to wellness spas in Los Cabos

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October 5, 2024

Spas in Los Cabos — There's nowhere like Los Cabos to relax and unwind, so why not try one of Baja California Sur's world-class spa experiences? (Solmar Hotels & Resorts)

Resorts in Los Cabos embraced spas the same way they embraced golf courses, which is to say that they looked at the best available examples and then attempted to go them one better. The level of pampering comfort at the average Los Cabos lodging is enough to shame a decadent Roman emperor. All that’s missing is an attendant to feed you grapes.

What is available typically at Los Cabos spas is a beautifully designed area devoted to health and wellness, from a wide range of massage treatments – in private cabanas or on the beach – to romantic couples’ rituals, ancient Mexican healing therapies, and other holistic specialties. That’s to go along with the state-of-the-art gym, yoga classes, sauna, hot and cold plunge pools, and maybe even beauty and styling services. At least one resort will also massage your pets.

Rest, relaxation, and pampering massages are all Los Cabos specialties. (Esperanza, Auberge Resorts Collection)

The Evolution of spas in Los Cabos

Special dog massages are among the many signature spa experiences at Las Ventanas al Paraíso, one of the benchmark resorts in Los Cabos, and the first to feature a world-class spa when it opened its doors in 1997. Not to be outdone, another local benchmark property, One&Only Palmilla, built a 25,000-square-foot spa boasting splendid artistic and architectural details. Thus began an arms race (skilled masseuse arms, not weapons) to create the area’s biggest and best spa and wellness facility. The race reached its zenith between 2016 and 2018, when two new properties, Grand Velas Los Cabos and Montage Los Cabos, unveiled what are doubtless the largest spas ever seen on the Baja California peninsula (SE Spa and Spa Montage are 35,000 and 40,000 square feet, respectively).

By then, however, One&Only Palmilla had renovated its spa, reducing its overall spa size by 3,000 square feet (zig, while others are zagging, is the Los Cabos luxury resort mantra), but upgrading its spa menu and services across the board. Thirteen new private spa villas were added on that occasion, in addition to a new salon from famed Beverly Hills stylists, and an upscale men’s barbershop.

Finding the Perfect Spa in Los Cabos

The properties mentioned above are clearly among the best in the area, with world-class spa facilities. But the amazing thing about Los Cabos is that so many of its hotels and resorts have well-outfitted spas, including in some cases, rituals or therapies not offered anywhere else. Typically, spa services are not included in the room rate, even for all-inclusive lodgings. Still, it’s a luxury worth splurging on based on the surfeit of superb options, and you can visit other resorts if the spa at yours is found wanting, or if you’re curious about the spa menus elsewhere.

With that in mind, here’s a guide to some of the basic categories of services, and the resorts that best provide them.

Special treatments

Want another reason to visit multiple spas in Los Cabos? It’s the only way to experience signature treatments exclusive to a given resort. For instance, only Fiesta Americana Los Cabos specializes in vinotherapy, with healing treatments based on wine. Hence its name: SOMMA Wine SPA. Meanwhile, at Casa Dorada’s Saltwater Spa, treatments are premised on the curative properties of water sourced from the Sea of Cortés. By contrast, Las Ventanas al Paraíso’s The Spa at Las Ventanas draws inspiration from the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water).

Romantic couples treatments are also a Los Cabos specialty. One of the best examples currently is the three-hour-long Romance for Two at The Spa at Las Ventanas, where couples can enjoy an array of pampering pleasures culminating with passion cocktails and a rose petal bath for two. But also notable is the intimate four-hour Bonding Experience at Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Costa Palmas featuring exfoliating body wraps, body scrubs, facials, and side-by-side massages.

Traditional Mexican healing techniques are a feature at many Los Cabos spas. (One&Only Palmilla)

Mexican wellness rituals

Temazcal rituals, similar in purifying spirit to Native American sweat lodges, are offered by several local resorts. Playa Grande Resort & Grand Spa is one of them and has even built a traditional hut on the rooftop of its resort where its temazcaleros can guide guests through the wellness process. JW Marriott Los Cabos Beach Resort and Spa in San José del Cabo is also a temazcal specialist, as is One&Only Palmilla’s One&Only Spa.

Curanderismo, a term encompassing wellness therapies practiced by Mexican folk healers, is also present in Los Cabos, notably at the Waldorf Astoria Spa at Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, where several traditional healers are employed.

Massages

Massages are a centerpiece at many spas, with menus that offer everything from Swedish and deep tissue massages to hot stone, reflexology, sports, aromatherapy, and more. For example, Hilton Los Cabos’ Eforea Spa boasts all of the above plus a more exotic raindrop massage.

However, the setting, perhaps even more than style, is the key element for massages in Los Cabos, an area noted for its spectacular ocean vistas. As many local resorts are on or near beaches, it’s often an option to enjoy relaxing rubdowns in private beachside cabañas or on massage tables set up on the sand. My favorite cabañas are at the Solmar Resort, one of the first lodgings ever built in Cabo San Lucas. Designed rustically in the region’s distinctive palo de arco architectural style, the Solmar Spa’s cabañas are so close to the water you feel the fresh ocean air and hear the sound of waves breaking on the shore as your masseuse works out any remaining tension.

It should be noted that there are non-resort spas in Los Cabos, too, and not all are of the “amigo massage” variety (“Hey amigo, want a massage?”). One of the watering holes on Cabo San Lucas’ popular Médano Beach, The Sand Bar, offers quality massages at affordable rates.

Other Amenities

Gyms, or more accurately, fitness facilities are also standard at most Los Cabos resorts, as are yoga classes, often in picturesque outdoor settings. However, some resorts are more committed to the latter concept than others. The Spa at Esperanza, one of the most acclaimed of all Los Cabos spas, has, among its many plaudits (Travel+Leisure once dubbed it not only the best spa in México but in all of Latin America) long been a leader in the fitness class area, thanks to a “trainer in residence” program that regularly sees fitness gurus from the U.S. visiting Los Cabos to act as guest instructors in Yoga, Pilates, and other disciplines.

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. His specialty is travel-related content and lifestyle features focused on food, wine and golf.

Felipe Ángeles International Airport wins architectural design award

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MND Staff

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October 4, 2024

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Felipe Angeles International Airport at sunset — The flagship project built by former President López Obrador faced criticism and even ridicule by opponents when it opened. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), the army-built airport north of Mexico City that opened in 2022, has been recognized as one of the world’s most beautiful airports.

Located in Zumpango, México state, and designed by Mexican architect Francisco González-Pulido, AIFA is one of six laureates in the airports category of the Prix Versailles, known as “The World Architecture and Design Award.”

One issue already identified: AICM apparently received little training and support as to how to direct flights operating in the new airspace configuration created when Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) opened north of the capital. — The Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) opened in March of 2022. It is run by the Defense Ministry. (Gob MX)

In a press release announcing “the World’s Most Beautiful Airports List for 2024,” Prix Versailles said that AIFA and five other airports including Kansas City International Airport and Changi Airport Terminal 2 in Singapore “have left extraordinary imprints on their environments.”

All of the six laureates are newly opened or renovated airports, and all will compete for “three 2024 World Titles – Prix Versailles, Interior and Exterior – whose laureates will be announced at UNESCO Headquarters on 2 December 2024,” according to the press release.

Prix Versailles said that “with its control tower reminiscent of an Aztec macuahuitl,” – a pre-Columbian wooden club, AIFA “sets the tone in a brotherly tribute to the country’s different states.”

“For example, the sun stone installed in the middle of the terminal features carefully designed iconography, inspired by culture and tradition. The interior staging showcases Mexico’s rich historical heritage and invites passengers to explore the different museums and thematic toilet facilities as part of a voyage that is as aesthetically pleasing as it is original.”

Prix Versailles also noted that the AIFA terminal “contains 18 separate modules and 1,316 columns, each one mounted on special pendulum isolators for earthquake protection.”

The building, it added, is the biggest in the Americas to be fitted with this technology.

Air traffic control tower at Felipe Angeles International Airport in Mexico state. The tall tubular tower is built to look somewhat like an ancient indigenous weapon used by Mexico's original peoples — One detail that Prix Versailles noted about AIFA was its frequent nods to Mexico’s Indigenous cultural heritage. Even the air traffic control tower is reminiscent of a macuahuitl, an ancient club-type weapon used by several of Mexico’s original peoples, the organization said. (AIFA)

“The site also skilfully maximises the attention given to its natural setting by optimizing its boarding gates’ exposure to natural light and arranging a 4,300 m² central garden plus many more green areas, all great places for activities or relaxation,” Prix Versailles said.

“Its unique landscape makes this project the perfect fit for its environment.”

President Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged AIFA’s recognition by Prix Versailles in a social media post on Thursday.

“Look: the Felipe Ángeles International Airport was selected by the prestigious Prix Versailles award as one of the most beautiful architecture and design achievements in the world, on par with airports in Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Bangkok, Boston and Kansas City,” she wrote.

Former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador took the decision to build AIFA on the Santa Lucía Air Force base after canceling the previous government’s international airport project in Texcoco, México state.

While it’s an international airport by name, only a few international passenger flights arrive at and depart from AIFA.

Mexican hotel among ‘the world’s most beautiful’

Prix Versailles also designated 16 newly opened or reopened hotels as “the world’s most beautiful hotels.”

Among them is Maroma, A Belomond Hotel, located north of the Caribbean coast resort city of Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo.

“Between a tropical jungle and a white sand beach, in the beating heart of the Riviera Maya, Tara Bernerd & Partners were tasked with restoring the resort to its natural and cultural environment,” Prix Versailles said.

kidney shaped pool surrounded by tall palm trees at Maroma Hotel in Playa del Carmen — The Prix Versailles competition also recognized the recently renovated Maroma hotel, a Belmond property in Playa del Carmen, for “restoring the resort to its natural and cultural environment.” (Maroma)

“This challenge was met and exceeded by Maroma’s 72 guest rooms, suites and villas, all of which embrace ancient Mayan traditions. … The renovation drew on Mexican heritage … whilst showcasing Maroma’s original architecture, with white stucco buildings aligned according to the sacred geometry of Mayan masonry,” it said.

“In addition to the experiences offered by the hotel, the entire site now contributes to the spirituality tied to the genius of the place, the spirituality of a mind in perfect symbiosis with its environment.”

Maroma is not the only Mexican hotel to have recently earned international recognition.

Last month, Michelin, the French tire company known for its star scheme in recognition of outstanding restaurant cooking, awarded “Michelin Keys” to 87 hotels in Mexico that offer “extraordinary, exceptional” or “very special” stays.

Earlier this week, Global travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler announced its Readers’ Choice Awards 2024, including its list of the top 10 hotels in Mexico.

Mexico News Daily

Taste of Mexico: Corundas

By

María Meléndez

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October 4, 2024

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Similar to a tamal but served with salsa and crema, the corunda will have you moving to Michoacán. — Similar to a tamale but served with salsa and crema, the corunda will have you moving to Michoacán. (La Casa de La Corunda/Facebook)

Remember the article about corn where I listed numerous dishes that can be made from it? I mentioned corundas as one of my absolute favorites. As I’m writing this article, I’m feeling abundant and blessed, with the power of manifestation within me, because a very good friend of mine just arrived at my house with a bag full of corundas.

What are corundas?

Corundas are a dish with pre-Columbian origins that consists of corn masa (dough) wrapped in (more) corn — or reed — leaves and steamed. They can be either triangles or thin rectangles in shape. The texture of corundas is distinct and differs greatly from the more common tamal, which is often fluffier, like bread. Corundas are denser and more tender, with a more intense flavor.

This dish originates from the center-west state of Michoacán, a region native to the Purépecha. For them, corundas were an everyday dish available all year round. With the arrival of the Spanish and new sources of protein, corundas began to be made with pork or chicken meat.

Types of corundas

Ash* corundas: These are made with a dough of reed ash mixed with corn flour, lard and salt. Ash corundas are wrapped in reed leaves and have a flat shape.
*If you get health and sanitary concerns as soon as you read the word ash, you are not alone. I never really thought about how safe it is to eat the ashes of a plant. I mean, we’ve been eating it for centuries without any known consequence, but still.

Regular corundas: These are the most well-known type and have a triangular shape. The dough is made from corn flour, lard, salt and water if necessary. Sometimes, they are filled with cheese, pork, bean dough, fava beans or chickpeas. I personally prefer them unfilled, and served with pork in red sauce on the side.

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Where to eat corundas?

If you visit Michoacán or a Michoacán-style restaurant, you will find corundas on the menu as they are the most typical dish of the area. Alternatively, you could find yourself a Michoacán “ambassador” in your city who can bring you corundas.

But if you feel like cooking them, here is my family recipe:

LA RECETA (25 corundas)

250 grams of pork lard
250 grams of vegetable shortening
800 grams of corn masa (for tortillas)
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
3 cups of warm water with a pinch of salt
25-30 long and thin corn husks (from the plant, not the cob)

Begin by preparing the dough. Mix the corn masa with the baking soda and baking powder, along with three cups of warm water. Once the dough is ready, set it aside for a moment.
Next, beat the lard until it reaches a creamy consistency. Gradually incorporate the dough into the whipped lard. If your dough becomes a little dry or stiff, add more warm salted water.
Once your dough is ready, take one of the corn husks. Grab a small ball of dough and place it at one end. Begin to “close” the dough ball, and naturally, the triangular shape will form. Repeat this process until you finish the dough. To fill the corundas, use your finger to make a hole in the dough and add cheese or a small piece of cooked pork.
In a large steamer, place all of your corundas and let them cook for about an hour.

THE “CALDILLO”

6 tomatoes
1 chile serrano (I like it better with 2)
1 clove of garlic
1 quarter of an onion
Salt to taste

While the corundas are cooking, you can prepare the typical red sauce that goes with them. Boil the tomatoes with the serrano chile. Once they are ready, blend them with a clove of garlic and a piece of onion until you have a sauce, using the water from the boiling process. After blending, you’ll have a “caldillo” (similar to a broth).

If you want to prepare it Michoacán style, add small cubes of pork to cook in the “caldillo.” If you’re vegetarian or vegan, the caldillo on its own will be delicious.

Now, unwrap a couple of your steamed corundas, place them on a plate and drizzle them with the caldillo. Add a spoonful of crema on top and sprinkle some grated cotija cheese or queso fresco.

Isn’t that the most glorious thing you’ve ever tasted?

María Meléndez is a Mexico City food blogger and influencer.

Peso performs well during Claudia Sheinbaum’s first week as president

By

MND Staff

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October 4, 2024

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Claudia Sheinbaum staring into the camera at a press conference and smiling. — Mexico's President Sheinbaum's first week in office got off to a good start, with the peso appreciating more than 2%. As of Friday afternoon, it was at 19.28 to the United States dollar. (Victoria Valtierra/Cuartoscuro)

The Mexican peso appreciated more than 2% against the U.S. dollar this week, making gains both before and after Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in as president.

The peso was trading at 19.28 to the greenback shortly after 4 p.m. Friday, an appreciation of 2.1% compared to its position at the close of markets a week ago.

El peso se aprecia después de la publicación de los datos de empleo de EEUU 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/UYcEevM0lA

— Gabriela Siller Pagaza (@GabySillerP) October 4, 2024

Banco Base’s Economic Analysis Director Gabriela Siller said one factor in the peso’s appreciation on Friday was the release of a positive U.S. employment report.

Earlier on Friday, the peso reached 19.14 to the dollar before weakening slightly, according to currency website xe.com.

Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base, noted on X on Friday morning that the peso appreciated every day this week. At the time of her post, the cumulative gain was 2.72%, she said.

In a separate post, Siller noted that the peso’s appreciation on Friday came after the publication of employment data in the United States. The better-than-expected data showed that nonfarm payrolls increased by 254,000 jobs last month, the most since March, according to Reuters.

The U.S. economy “added a whopping 254,000 jobs last month,” CNN said in a headline. The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 4.1% from 4.2%.

Mexico benefits from a strong U.S. economy as the United States is the primary destination for its exports. A strong U.S. economy also supports the transfer of remittances to Mexico, which totaled more than US $6 billion in August.

The United States jobs data reduces the likelihood that the U.S. Federal Reserve will make another large interest rate cut this year. The Fed slashed its federal funds rate by 50 basis points last month, lowering it to a range of 4.75%–5%.

Car carrier exports — Mexico’s fortunes are tied to the U.S. economic outlook since the U.S. is Mexico’s largest trading partner. Depositphotos

The Mexican peso benefited for an extended period from the large difference between the Bank of Mexico’s key interest rate — currently 10.50% — and that of the Fed.

However, after reaching an almost nine-year high of 16.30 to the dollar in April, the currency depreciated significantly after Mexico’s June 2 elections.

A major factor in the peso’s decline was concern over the federal government’s judicial reform, which was approved by Congress, and promulgated by former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador in September.

The appreciation of the peso this week coincided with the end of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s six-year term and the commencement of Sheinbaum’s presidency.

The 62-year-old former Mexico City mayor was sworn in as Mexico’s first female president on Tuesday. The peso reacted positively to her inauguration, appreciating more than 1% compared to its weakest position earlier in the day.

The El Economista newspaper reported that the peso performed better on Sheinbaum’s first day as president than it did on the days former presidents López Obrador, Enrique Peña Nieto (2012–2018) and Felipe Calderón (2006–2012) were sworn in.

In her first speech as president, Sheinbaum once again sought to reassure investors that they have nothing to worry about.

She conveyed the same message during the four months between her convincing election victory on June 2 and her inauguration this week.

Later this month, the new president will meet with representatives of 45 large companies at the U.S.-Mexico CEO Dialogue, an annual meeting.

Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said last month that Sheinbaum will explain to the executives “how the judicial reform will work.”

Ebrard, who served as foreign affairs minister during the majority of López Obrador’s six-year term, also said that the new federal government will be respectful of foreign investment in Mexico.

With reports from El Economista

7 bodies found in Culiacán as Sinaloa Cartel infighting continues

By

MND Staff

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October 4, 2024

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The discovery of the seven bodies in and around Culiacán is just the latest killings in a wave of violence that has plagued the Sinaloa capital. (José Betanzos Zárate/Cuartoscuro)

Seven bodies were found in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Thursday, where a war between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel has claimed scores of lives in recent weeks.

The bodies of five men were found in the Miguel de la Madrid neighborhood of the state capital while one was located near the town of Costa Rica in the municipality of Culiacán and another was found in the Ejido Echeverría area, according to the Sinaloa Attorney General’s Office (FGE).

El Mayo Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López — The killings are believed to have been sparked by the U.S. arrests of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, left, and Joaquín Guzmán López, right. who were both high-level members of the Sinaloa Cartel but in rival factions. Both are facing trials in US court. (Archive)

The bodies found in Miguel de la Madrid, located in the south of the city of Culiacán, were dumped in the street near a motel and cemetery, and not far from military barracks.

The victims — all of whom had been shot and whose bodies showed signs of torture — were semi-naked, but sombreros had been placed on their heads. They were reportedly aged between 20 and 30.

The news magazine Proceso reported that at least 15 bodies with sombreros on their heads have been dumped in southern Culiacán in recent weeks. TV Azteca reported that the hats are a “clear reference to an organized crime group” but didn’t elaborate.

About two weeks ago, Mexico-based crime journalist Ioan Grillo published an article on his website talking about the bodies that have been dumped in Culiacán in recent weeks with sombreros placed on their heads. He also said a severed head was left in the street inside a pizza box.

“Sombreros” is a nickname for Los Mayos — Sinaloa Cartel members loyal to arrested leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada — whereas pizza is a reference to Los Chapitos, whose nickname is “Chapiza,” Grillo said. Los Chapitos are the Sinaloa Cartel faction run by the sons of former Sinaloa Cartel leader, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, who is serving a life sentence in the U.S.

However, Grillo added, it wasn’t clear whether the symbols were being placed with the bodies to represent the killers or to mock the victims.

Woman sitting on stone stairs has her arm around the head of another woman who appears to be struck with grief. Both are participants in a march in Culiacan, Sinaloa, to demand that authorities put an end to the wave of cartel violence currently killing and kidnapping hundreds of residents. — On Thursday, families of victims marched in Culiacán to the state Attorney General’s Office, demanding an end to the wave of violence blamed on the Sinaloa Cartel. (José Betaznos Zárate/Cuartoscuro)

The FGE said that homicide investigations in connection with the discovery of all seven bodies in Culiacán on Thursday had commenced.

There have been more than 130 homicides and around 160 abductions in Sinaloa in the past four weeks, according to official data. Six kidnappings were reported in Culiacán on Thursday. Many of the murders and kidnappings are linked to the battle between the Los Chapitos and Los Mayos factions.

Their long-running feud intensified after the arrest in the United States in late July of alleged Sinaloa Cartel kingpin Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García after his alleged kidnapping by Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of convicted drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, who turned himself into U.S. authorities after arriving in the U.S. Both are facing charges in US federal court.

The situation has been particularly bad since Sept. 9, when clashes between armed civilians, and between alleged criminals and the army, occurred in the La Campiña neighborhood of Culiacán.

With reports from Reforma, Debate, Proceso, Infobae and El Financiero

Know your neighborhood: La Condesa

By

Bethany Platanella

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October 4, 2024

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Plaza Popocatepetl in La Condesa — Art Deco architecture and lush surroundings make La Condesa one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in CDMX. (Keizers/CC BY-SA 3.0)

Borough: Cuauhtémoc
Established: 1927
Location: 3 km southwest of the Angel de la Independencia

Who lives here

From the day of its inauguration, Condesa has been a hub for artists and cinema stars. Notable figures such as the famous composer Agustín Lara and flamenco dancer Pilar Rioja settled in Condesa. Mexico’s beloved comedian Mario Moreno, better known as Cantinflas, was so captivated by the neighborhood’s atmosphere he decided it was the right place to open an office.

Street sign for Avenida Amsterdam in La Condesa guide — The oval-shaped Avenida Ámsterdam is the heart of La Condesa. (Stephanie Lopez/CC BY-SA 4.0)

When the 1985 earthquake hit Mexico City, parts of Condesa were all but destroyed, leading to an exodus of affluent residents. Even today, the mix of older structures make the colonia one of the most fragile in the city. Despite the risk, low rents attracted a new wave of students and artists and by the early 1990s, it had revived with fervor. It seemingly hasn’t lost its touch, as today it’s one of the most coveted neighborhoods in Mexico City. The current population spans all ages, though you’re likely to notice a bounty of 20- to 30-somethings and a disturbing amount of English.

A brief history of La Condesa

Condesa gets its name from María Magdalena Catalina Dávalos de Bracamontes y Orosco, a wealthy 18th-century aristocrat and the third Countess, or condesa, of Miravalle. Born in 1701, she married Pedro Antonio de Trebuesto y Alvarado at 18 and inherited significant wealth which included land and property.

Even though her husband died early on, the countess managed her estates meticulously and soon expanded her landholdings to comprise the area we now know as Condesa. Well-known in Mexico City, her personal hacienda came to be known locally as La Condesa. However, it wasn’t until the Porfirio Díaz era that the neighborhood truly flourished. In 1910, the Jockey Club de México built the famous Hipódromo de la Condesa racetrack, which ran along what is now Avenida Ámsterdam. When operations ceased in the early 1920s, Condesa transformed into what we see today: a residential neighborhood characterized by parks, tree-lined avenues, boutique cafes and Art Deco architecture.

A guide to La Condesa today

La Condesa is one of the most vibrant and culturally rich neighborhoods in Mexico City. It’s more than just a haven for expats – young professionals, artists and entrepreneurs love the laid-back atmosphere and whimsical look. Tourists flock by the hundreds for a coffee at Quentin and a stroll around the lush Avenida Ámsterdam.

Woman walking with a dog in La Condesa — The tree-lined pedestrian mall of Avenida Mazatlán is a neighborhood icon. (Alcaldía Cuauhtémoc)

The Condesa area is divided into three sections: Colonia Condesa to the north, notably home to Parque España; Hipódromo to the southeast, the largest zone known for Avenida Amsterdam and Parque México; and Hipódromo Condesa, a mostly-residential nook to the southwest.

These three zones are hugged by Avenida Insurgentes, Avenida Veracruz and Circuito Interior. La Condesa is encased by La Juárez, Roma Norte, Escandón and San Miguel Chapultepec. Its shining centerpiece is Parque México, where you can accomplish almost any goal that involves walking your dog, buying fresh flowers or taking zumba classes. Surrounding the park are various dining establishments, as well as bakeries, tea houses and trendy hotels. Quieter, more residential streets spiderweb out from the park, home to everything from humans to art galleries to laundromats.

La Condesa is great if you love: A wide variety of international restaurants where you’re just as likely to receive an English-language menu as you are to see no less than 12 dog breeds dining alongside you. It’s also a great spot for art and architecture enthusiasts, and is sure to make your Instagram feed more popular than the rest of your friends’, if only for a day.

What to do in La Condesa

Avenida Amsterdam: This oval-shaped avenue is the heart of Condesa, lined with beautiful Art Deco architecture and a lovely pedestrian walkway.

A well-lit avenue known as a "Sendero Seguro" in Condesa, Mexico City — The intersection of Alfonso Reyes and Avenida Tamaulipas. (Cuartoscuro)

Parque México: Perhaps the only sprawling urban park in Mexico City where you can meditate in a floating chair, take a boxing lesson and ponder the life of a swan by the lake.

Parque España: Parque México’s smaller sibling, equally lovely with an abundance of trees, fountains and murals.

Tuesday tianguis: Meander blocks and blocks of local fruits, veggies, flowers, meat, cheese and honey. Finish it all off with some freshly-made tacos at any of the tented stands. The market starts at Calle Pachuca and Avenida Veracruz.

Proyecto Paralelo: A cool contemporary art gallery that showcases established and emerging artists from all over the world.

La Clandestina: When in Mexico, one must drink mezcal. And that mezcal inevitably tastes better in a mezcalería, and even better when it’s in the sexy and sultry La Clandestina, 15 years strong.

Baltra Bar: Prefer a fancy cocktail? This regular on the World’s 50 Best Bars list is your spot, and its vintage-style furniture and award-winning mixologists make it a no-brainer.

Foro Shakespeare: Head to this quirky cultural venue to catch a variety of performances, including theater, live music and stand up.

Antonia Librería: A charming bookshop that often hosts author readings and creative workshops and carries a variety of Spanish and English-language books.

Proyecto Rufina: Go shopping, duh. The contemporary clothing brand emphasizes traditional Mexican textile craftsmanship. Its unique products are made of natural fibers and pieces are limited in production to reduce waste.

Condesa’s Restaurante Botánico. (Open Table)

Where to eat in La Condesa

Tacos Hola El Güero: This beloved, no frills taquería attracts absolutely everyone, regardless of background, for its generous portions, meat and veggie fillings and delicious salsas. Try the chicken tinga tacos, eaten standing up.

Lardo: There will be a wait because it’s on every trendy must-do list, but Lardo will always be a solid spot for brunch. The menu focuses on seasonal ingredients and artisanal cooking techniques blending Mediterranean with Mexico.

Merkavá de Daniel Ovadia: One of the most popular haunts in La Condesa, this cozy Israeli hotspot is sought after for its creamy hummus, served with freshly baked pita.

Cafe Orquídea: You won’t even know their cookies and pastries are gluten-free and sugar free by the taste, and the leafy location on Avenida Amsterdam makes a stop in this charming cafe that much more magical.

Restaurante Botánico: Sipping on a pricey Aperol spritz is better when you’re sitting in a literal garden. A great spot for brunch or lunch for those chasing Soho House vibes without the membership.

Ceviche Bichi: Plastic tablecloths, tons of salsas and a cheerful, casual atmosphere makes this adorable ceviche establishment a must for any seafood lover.

One hidden gem

Diente de Oro claims to have the largest collection of whiskeys in the city. What it definitely has is an eclectic collection of patrons. For a truly local, down-to-earth experience, knock back a shot or two of your favorite spirit while people-watching the night away at this small but well-loved bar.

Bethany Platanella is a travel planner and lifestyle writer based in Mexico City. She lives for the dopamine hit that comes directly after booking a plane ticket, exploring local markets, practicing yoga and munching on fresh tortillas. Sign up to receive her Sunday Love Letters to your inbox, peruse her blog, or follow her on Instagram.

Chicama: Peru by way of Puerto Escondido

By

Lydia Carey

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October 4, 2024

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A ceviche dish at Chicama restaurant — Chicama presents classic Peruvian dishes with a Mexican touch. (Chicama)

I recently had an argument with a friend who couldn’t conceive of why anyone would come to Mexico City and eat Peruvian food. Or Italian food. Or Japanese food, or anything besides Mexican food. She was not convinced by my argument that Mexico City’s culinary scene is now more like London or New York than Oaxaca or Guadalajara. For some diners, eating anything but Mexican cuisine in what is one of the best cities in the world for it is blasphemy. But I would caution that ignoring the amazing new arrivals just because they are from a different culture or kitchen, is missing out on some of the most exciting dishes currently on offer here in the capital.

Take Chicama, for instance, which popped up this February in one of the locales of the Pasaje El Parian in Roma Norte. It’s almost imperceptible in the hustle and bustle of this street saturated with restaurants and bars, but the Peruvian Fusion on the sign caught my eye, as did the simple logo and set-up of plain wooden tables and chairs surrounded by pop art posters promoting Peruvian rock bands and liquor brands.

Sign for Chicama restaurant — Founded in Puerto Escondido in 2016, Chicama arrived in Mexico City early this year. (Chicama)

I wasn’t expecting much, but I took that first bite of delicately sliced amberjack fish in leche de tigre, cilantro specks floating on its milky surface, and I was hooked. I will fully admit to having a small obsession with canchita, a kind of Peruvian popcorn, served as a snack across South America. What happened to be alongside my ceviche but a little cluster of those salty, addictive beauties, as well as the soft-as-silk sweet potato chunks and fingernail-thin slices of fried green plantains. I was transported to the mind-blowing ceviches I tasted on a recent trip to Leticia, Colombia, the small Amazonian town that butts up against the Peruvian border. A perfectly foamy pisco sour in hand I ordered the anticucho — a popular street food in Peru made from beef heart — and congratulated myself on this dining discovery.

As it turns out, I was the one out of the loop. By the time Chicama made its way to Mexico City, the restaurant already had a built-in fan base. That’s because its first incarnation was in a beach shack in Puerto Escondido, started by Peruvian Erick Jauregui back before Puerto blew up into the hotspot it is today.

Jauregui grew up stealing snacks from the kitchen of his family’s summer restaurant in the Peruvian tourist town of Chimbote. He worked as a teenager in Lima hotels and restaurants and as a young adult was convinced by a buddy to move to Puerto for the surfing.

Chicama’s first location, a tiny place that Jauregui didn’t even have the first month’s rent for, only had four plates — if a fifth customer came in they had to wait for the dishes to be washed. The restaurant’s “fusion” moniker was born of necessity. In 2016, Peruvian herbs and spices were not easy to find on the Oaxacan coast, so Jauregui started to get inventive. The antichucho would be made with Mexican guajillo chiles instead of the traditional Peruvian ají panca. The potatoes that accompany it, not as good as Peruvian potatoes but still delicious, are covered in a spicy jalapeño green sauce. The habanero in their ceviche takes the place of ají de limo and recipes that call for huacatay, a Peruvian herb whose flavor is somewhere between mint, tarragon, basil and cilantro, get epazote instead, similar in its traces of mint and citrus, but also with a touch of anise. Huancaína, the Peruvian sauce that uses ají amarillo is made at Chicama with a combination of yellow bell pepper for coloring and habanero for spice.

Drinks at Chicama — The drinks at Chicama are just as vibrant as the food. (Chicama)

All of this is told to me by Marco Capellini, in his slow beachy drawl that carries years of living in Puerto Escondido in its cadence. He started bartending for Chicama in 2020, when they blasted cumbias and mixed piscos to dispel the anxiety of the global pandemic.

“Everyone who works here, or comes in to eat is just enjoying themselves, having a good time,” he says.

While there’s no sand floor and no surfers in board shorts, Chicama Mexico City still has the kind of upbeat, laid-back vibe of a beach bar, and in an ode to their Oaxacan beginnings, most of the cocktails here are made with Mexican mezcal. The salsa drifting from the speakers is a tad louder than a regular restaurant and the waitresses hang out casually, one wearing pushed-up sweatpants, the other a floral bandana wrapped around her head.

“I walk by tables and hear people talking about the beach, about Puerto Escondido, and I like that this place takes people out of the city a little,” says Marco.

By the time the pescado en costra negra came out, I was glad that the brown rice was kind of tasteless— I would have never had enough space anyway. Instead, I let pieces of the tataki-style marlin encrusted in sesame and drenched in teriyaki melt on my tongue and feel happy I live in a city with so many culinary wonders.

Perfect for: A first date with a vegetarian — they have a garbanzo and a mushroom ceviche!

Recommended: Peruvian ceviche in leche de tigre, anticucho on the side and a pisco sour — or a mezcal sour — to wash it down.

Lydia Carey is a freelance writer and translator based out of Mexico City. She has been published widely both online and in print, writing about Mexico for over a decade. She lives a double life as a local tour guide and is the author of Mexico City Streets: La Roma. Follow her urban adventures on Instagram and see more of her work at www.mexicocitystreets.com.

Mexico City’s municipal solar panels to power the capital’s electric buses

By

MND Staff

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October 4, 2024

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Blue electric municipal-style bus with an icon of an electric plug on the bus. — Mexico City's electric buses, launched in early 2023, will soon recharge with power from a solar farm that also powers the capital's municipal public market. (Cuartoscuro)

Mexico City’s municipal public market will soon use its solar panels to power city buses in the nation’s capital, according to Bloomberg News.

Solar panels affixed to Mexico City’s Central de Abasto — one of the largest markets of its kind in the world — will be used to power the capital’s electric buses, helping President Claudia Sheinbaum “achieve her goal of boosting clean energy in the fossil-fuel dependent country,” Bloomberg reported Thursday.

López Obrador with Sheinbaum at her inauguration ceremony as president. — Sheinbaum with her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, at Sheinbaum’s inauguration October 1. During her first speech as president Sheinbaum recommitted to campaign promises to boost renewable energy use in Mexico, a change from López Obrador’s policies that prioritized fossil fuels. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)

In 2022, Sheinbaum, as Mexico City’s mayor, oversaw the installation of 32,110 photovoltaic modules at the sprawling 327-hectare (810-acre) market in the eastern borough of Iztapalapa. The initial cost was estimated at 661.4 million pesos (US $34.3 million).

The system has already reduced the market’s electricity bills by nearly 3 million pesos (US $155,323). This second phase — set to begin in January — will distribute power to the city’s transit system via a 16.6 megawatt photovoltaic center.

The project is expected to save the city about 18 million pesos (US $934,000) per year, according to the newspaper Global Energy.

The panels have the capacity to generate 26.5 gigawatt hours of electricity annually and will help reduce the generation of CO2 in the capital by roughly 13,550 tonnes each year.

Sheinbaum is determined to make a dramatic departure from the fossil-fuel reliance promoted by her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

The new president — Sheinbaum was inaugurated on Oct. 1 — promised during her presidential campaign to invest US $13.6 billion in new power generation projects. She reiterated the pledge during her first public speech on Tuesday, hours after being sworn in as the country’s first female president.

Claudia Sheinbaum as mayor of Mexico City sitting in the driver's seat of a new electric city bus. Above her head, the digital display at the top says "Soy Electric". — Sheinbaum, as mayor of Mexico City inaugurated the electric buses that soon will go solar. She was also responsible for building the solar farm that the buses will use. (Victoria Valtierra/Cuartoscuro)

“We are going to boost renewable energies. The goal is that by 2030, they will have a 45% share (of total electricity production),” she said, according to The Associated Press.

The task won’t be easy. Bloomberg reported that only 31% of the energy produced in Mexico is derived from clean sources, and the newspaper El Sol de México reported last month that a mere 2.3% of the capital’s public transport system is electric or hybrid, a sharp contrast in comparison to regional peers Brazil and Colombia, which produce more than 80% and 70% of their power, respectively, from green sources, Bloomberg reported.

López Obrador, a feisty defender of fossil fuels, spent more than US $20 billion on a new oil refinery and canceled auctions that would have allowed developers to build solar and wind farms in Mexico.

Thursday’s revelation suggests Sheinbaum aims to resume an energy transition that López Obrador had in many ways halted. Details will be forthcoming, the AP reported, as the president is set to unveil an “ambitious energy transition program” aimed at reducing greenhouse gasses.

However, Sheinbaum also announced she plans to strengthen the Federal Electricity Commission—whose antiquated plants primarily burn fossil fuels—and state-owned oil company Pemex.

With reports from Bloomberg News, The Associated Press, Global Energy and El Sol de México

16 killed in Salamanca as cartel turf war intensifies in Guanajuato

By

MND Staff

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October 4, 2024

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Several news reports have put the number of homicides in Guanajuato over the past few days above 20. (@emeequis/X)

Twelve bodies were found in Salamanca, Guanajuato, on Thursday, two days after four men were killed in an armed attack in the same city.

The bodies of eight men and four women were located Thursday morning at five different points in Salamanca, a municipality near the geographical center of Mexico’s most violent state.

#Sucesos | AM acudió este miércoles al sitio donde asesinaron a cuatro hombres e hirieron a cinco más, un anexo ubicado en la colonia El Rosario, de Salamanca.https://t.co/YAXzVUAi07

Fotos: Staff AM pic.twitter.com/o1ZpGEaLJS

— Periódico AM Noticias (@periodicoam) October 2, 2024

Four young men were killed and five others were wounded in an attack at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in the Salamanca neighborhood of El Rosario on Tuesday night.

All 12 victims had been shot, and some of the bodies had signs of torture and their hands and feet tied together.

State authorities attributed the violence in Salamanca to a turf war between two criminal organizations, namely the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Narco-banners allegedly signed by the former cartel were found next to some of the 12 bodies.

No arrests in connection with the 12 murders had been reported by midday Friday.

The grisly discoveries on Thursday came after four young men were killed and five others were wounded in an attack at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in the Salamanca neighborhood of El Rosario on Tuesday night.

Governor Libia García Muñoz Ledo, who took office just last week, gave instructions to bolster security in Salamanca. (@LibiaDennise/X)

On Thursday afternoon, dozens of soldiers arrived in Salamanca and the state police presence was beefed up, the newspaper El Universal reported.

State government secretary Jorge Jiménez Lona said that Governor Libia García Muñoz Ledo, who was elected in June on a National Action Party (PAN) ticket and took office just last week, gave instructions to bolster security in Salamanca, which borders state capital Guanajuato city and currently ranks as the 49th most dangerous municipality in Mexico, according to crime data website elcri.men.

Jiménez said that state and federal authorities “know the places where [the rival cartels] operate.”

“We have to confront them, we have to use intelligence, provide results and above all not allow these events to happen,” he said.

“… There is goodwill, but goodwill is not enough. We have to see the presence and coordination of federal forces,” Jiménez said.

President Claudia Sheinbaum has said she will present a new national security plan next week.

The ongoing battle between the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel and the CJNG is considered the main cause of the high levels of violence in Guanajuato. The state has been Mexico’s most violent in recent years in terms of total homicides.

The news website Infobae reported that there were 26 homicides in Guanajuato between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday afternoon.

The newspaper El Financiero reported on Tuesday that there had been 20 murders in Guanajuato in the first five full days of the governorship of Libia García. Four of the victims were killed in an attack in a bar in Irapuato, while four others were shot dead at a home in León, the largest city in the state.

García said in a social media post on Monday that “the tranquility of your family is what matters most and we’re going to recover it.”

During his presidency, López Obrador was critical of the efforts of the Guanajuato Attorney General’s Office to combat crime.

“What worries me about Guanajuato is insecurity because there is a lot and the [state] government, the Attorney General’s Office in particular, isn’t taking action,” he said in 2021.

“… We’re doing everything we can but we don’t have support. The attorney general [Carlos Zamarripa] has been there a long time and there are no results,” López Obrador said.

García revealed this week that Zamarripa will resign as attorney general at the end of the year after 15 years in the job.

With reports from El Universal, Reforma, AM, El Financiero and Infobae

Gunmen kill man near Cancún hotel, flee on jet skis

By

MND Staff

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October 4, 2024

2

The shooting occurred on Caracol Beach behind the Riu Palace Las Americas hotel. (Cuartoscuro)

A man allegedly involved in the accidental shooting of a 12-year-old boy on a Cancún beach in July was shot and killed on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s shooting occurred on Caracol Beach behind the Riu Palace Las Americas hotel. Witnesses said two gunmen dressed in black and wearing orange life vests approached the victim on foot shortly before noon, shooting the victim at least four times.

The man killed on Wednesday was allegedly responsible for firing the bullet that killed a 12-year-old boy in July. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)

Beachgoers and hotel guests ran for cover as the attackers raced to a pair of jet skis and made their escape. Hotel officials activated emergency protocols as scores of police vehicles, as well as officials from the Army, the Navy and the National Guard responded to the 9-1-1 reports.

A Navy boat was sent out in search of the jet skis and the attackers, while the authorities secured the location and scoured the beach for clues. The unidentified victim was declared dead at the scene by paramedics.

On Thursday, the Quintana Roo Attorney General’s Office (FGE) released a statement identifying the victim as a Mexican national and known criminal who was involved with gangs connected to the illegal drug trade.

“A relationship has been established with the July 28 event this year in which a minor lost his life in the same area,” the FGE reported, declaring that Wednesday’s victim had driven the getaway jet ski after firing the bullet that killed the young Mexican tourist. The July incident — which was also declared as gang-related — happened behind the Riu Hotel Cancún, right next door to Wednesday’s shooting.

The FGE added that Wednesday’s victim was involved in the shooting of two people on a Cancún city bus on July 1.

The increasing presence in Cancún of organized crime gangs involved in drug trafficking, kidnapping and extortion has led the United States Department of State to raise travel advisories dating back to 2019 when an attack in a nightclub left five people dead.

In 2023, the department issued a travel alert warning travelers to “exercise increased situational awareness” especially after dark, at Mexico’s Caribbean beach resorts like Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Tulum. A Sept. 6, 2024, Mexico Travel Advisory urged U.S. citizens to “exercise increased caution” when traveling to Quintana Roo.

With reports from Riviera Maya News, Por Esto! and El Financiero