Where to go when Mexico City is too much: The best weekend getaways from the capital by bus or car

By

-

September 26, 2025

Mexico City aerial view — Mexico City is fantastic. But everyone needs an occasional getaway. Travel planner Bethany Platanella shares her favorite spots. (Unsplash/Alexis Tostado)

Anyone living in a city that cradles millions of people can relate. One day, you’re having coffee at your favorite panaderia, face in the sun, heart full of joy. “I love living here,” you think to yourself. The next day, you’re back at that panaderia, feeling inexplicably agitated, and someone bumps into you. You burst into tears.

No, it’s not your hormones.

Mexico City crowded street — It’s not your hormones. It’s one of those days in Mexico City. (Unsplash/Jezael Melgoza)

It’s Mexico City.

Mexico City is equal parts intoxicating and overwhelming. The gridlock traffic. The constant construction. The lingering smog. The throngs of people, glued to their phones, utterly unaware of their place in space. I love this city so much — until I don’t. And then I need to leave immediately. To where? I don’t care. A place with fresh air and natural landscapes. A pueblo with cobblestone streets and one central plaza with live music and a flower market. Another city will do, so long as it’s relatively calm and easy to navigate.

When I first moved to the buzzing capital three years ago, I started a list on a digital notepad entitled “Places to explore near Mexico City.” It has since been renamed: “Places to escape from Mexico City — quickly.” In other words, nearby getaways to rebalance my mind, reset my soul and leave me feeling fresh so I can return with excitement to the city that I call home.

Criteria for the perfect quick escape from Mexico City

Several criteria must be fulfilled for a destination to make my list, especially if a weekend is all I have to spare. Here is a basic guide.

Proximity: First, decide how much time you’re willing to invest to arrive. Typically, I do not like to spend more than three hours in a vehicle of any kind if I’m going for a weekend getaway, though I’ll stretch it to three-and-a-half for a town like Taxco.
Transportation: Next, identify if you’re open to flying, driving, or taking the bus. Personally, I only take a flight if I see an extremely convenient option of an hour or less. Otherwise, I opt for the bus or a rental car.
Activities: Close your eyes and imagine yourself leaving the city. Where do you land? Usually, the first image to come to mind is what you’re after. Are you on a beach? Hiking a mountain? Practicing yoga? Reading by a pool? My instinct has never failed me, and I often use it when deciding where I want to go.
Affordability: Most destinations surrounding Mexico City satisfy any budget, though some (Malinalco) are pricier than others (Las Estacas).

There are times when the guide doesn’t help. Where the criteria fail, a listicle goes a long way.

vintage car in Mexico City — Jump in your vintage car and go. Failing that, best opt for a bus or rental. (Unsplash/Adam Dillon)

Top destinations for a CDMX weekend getaway

Six popular — but not too popular — destinations to escape the madness of Mexico City in three hours or less.

Tlalpan

Okay, okay — technically, Tlalpan is Mexico City. At the same time, it’s so not. At one and a half hours in a car or on public transportation, Tlalpan is far enough from the center zone to feel like you’ve landed in a completely new place. The area is quite diverse; visitors can explore historical Centro I, home to the main square, a 500-year-old Parish of St. Agustin, and Mercado de la Paz, an impressive structure built under the Porfiriato. Museums include the Museum of Time and the Tlalpan History Museum. Art lovers should pop into Casa Frissac Cultural Center. Nature seekers can stroll through Fuentes Brotantes National Park, or drive 30 minutes to Parque Nacional Bosque de Tlalpan, a protected forest at the foothills of the Ajusco mountains.

Type of traveler: Culture explorer, nature lover

Best for: Solo, couples, families

How to get there: Car, Uber/Didi, or bus. RTP leaves from Cetram Taxqueña to Tlalpan every 5 minutes.

Malinalco

Malinalco is a charming Pueblo Mágico nestled in a lush valley that feels worlds away from Mexico City’s urban chaos. Things to do in Malinalco are varied, but the star attraction is the Cuauhtinchan Archaeological Zone, where an Aztec temple dedicated to eagle warriors was carved directly into living rock — a rare Mesoamerican gem. Beyond the archaeological wonders, visitors can wander cobblestone streets lined with colonial architecture and a 16th-century Augustinian monastery. In a way, it’s a quieter version of Tepoztlan, similarly an evolving wellness destination, yet featuring a distinctly more sophisticated air. Split time between the museums and galleries in town and the hiking and waterfalls just outside, or opt for a resetting yoga retreat – all just a two-hour drive from the capital.

Type of traveler: History buff, archaeology enthusiast, spiritual seeker

Best for: Couples, friends, solo

How to get there: Car or Flecha Roja bus from Terminal Poniente (Observatorio) to Chalma, local taxi or microbus to Malinalco

Tepoztlán

Tepoztlán, Mexico’s spiritual heart, might seem the most obvious weekend escape, but its convenience bears repeating. In just one hour (on a good day), you’ll find yourself at the base of the towering Tepozteco mountain, surrounded by indulgences: hiking to the mountaintop, eating your way through the bustling market, admiring Mon Laferte’s art gallery, cleansing your energy in a steamy temazcal. Many travelers to Tepoz, as it’s lovingly called, prefer to reserve a Tepoztlán luxury hotel with a spa and spend their weekend moving from pool to sauna to Michelin Guide-recommended restaurant, on repeat. And why not? Sometimes the most effective way to find your center is by doing almost nothing at all in a seriously beautiful place.

Type of traveler: Hiker, yogi, foodie

Best for: Friends, couples, solo

How to get there: Car, Pullman de Morelos bus from Taxqueña to Tepoztlán

Valle de Bravo

To live in Mexico City is to hear about your friends’ long weekends in Valle de Bravo and wonder when the heck you’re going to check it out. It’s an ideal escape from CDMX for the mountains, culture and abundance of outdoor activities. The historic center is a haven of cobblestone streets, a 17th-century church, vibrant markets and a variety of dining options that range from budget to fancy. Most city dwellers come for Lake Avandaro, Valle de Bravo’s spectacular centerpiece for sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding — even paragliding if you’re up for it. Encased by Monte Alto State Park, the outdoorsy type will have their fill of hiking or mountain biking adventures. A visit to Velo de Novia waterfall is also a draw. From November to March, Piedra Herrada Sanctuary showcases thousands of fluttering monarch butterflies.

Type of traveler: Watersports/outdoors, adventure

Best for: Friends, couples, families

How to get there: Car, Zumpango or Autovías bus from Terminal Poniente (Observatorio) to Valle de Bravo

Huasca de Ocampo

In 2001, Huasca de Ocampo in Hidalgo State was named Mexico’s first official Pueblo Mágico. Upon arrival, you’ll understand why. It’s one of the best natural escapes near Mexico City for an enchanting countryside with basaltic prism rock formations, verdant forests and centuries-old haciendas. Huasca boasts a vibrant historic center complemented by numerous outdoor activities. Haciendas abound: Santa María Regla, for example, is a day trip in itself, bursting with original stone archways and a chapel, and surrounded by a rocky cliff and waterfalls. Visit the Museo de los Duendes (Elf Museum), go fishing at Bosque de las Truchas trout park and take panoramic photos at Peña del Aire canyon. It should come as no surprise that trout is the specialty here, and the light fish is often featured in the traditional Mexican dishes at local restaurants and weekend markets.

Type of traveler: Nature-lover, romantic, rural retreat

Best for: Couples, families, photographers

How to get there: Car, tour van or ADO, Ovnibus, or Futura bus from Terminal Norte to Pachuca. From Pachuca, take a taxi or local bus to Huasca de Ocampo.

Las Estacas

For a no-frills, waterlogged jaunt from the big city, Las Estacas fits the bill. The natural oasis is best known for a crystal-clear, spring-fed river with areas to swim, snorkel, and float. The setting is lush — you’re surrounded by tropical plants and wildlife — with plenty of spots to soak up the sun. Many visitors opt to stay overnight, and accommodations are limited to one hotel, two hostels and glamping/camping, through which you can register for ziplining, hiking and diving tours. Within the ecopark are several restaurants, and food is permitted as long as you don’t bring glass or styrofoam. Outdoor grills are first-come, first-serve basis. If the river starts to feel too chilly, the park features several heated pools. There aren’t a million things to do in Las Estacas beyond enjoying the river — and that’s the point.

Type of traveler: Swimmer, nature lover, budget traveler

Best for: Families, couples

How to get there: Car, Pullman de Morelos bus from Taxqueña to Zacatepec or Jojutla, then taxi or combi to Las Estacas

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.

China launches trade investigation into Mexico’s planned tariff hike

By

MND Staff

-

September 25, 2025

0

cars parked — While Mexico's tariff hikes are aimed at various products from various Asian countries, China's automotive exports to Mexico, which grew by 10% last year, have been the major focus. (Meric Dagil/Unsplash)

China’s Commerce Ministry has initiated a trade investigation into the higher tariffs and other restrictive measures Mexico plans to impose on Chinese products, primarily automobiles, auto parts, textiles and toys.

The ministry said in a statement that the tariffs will harm Chinese companies and undermine investor confidence in Mexico. It warns that they could also threaten the security of the Mexican business environment.

mex and China flags — Trade tension between Mexico and China could have major consequences, since even without a free trade agreement, the two countries did US $137 billion worth of business in 2024. (luzmadelamora/X)

The investigation, which may last up to six months, will examine both tariffs and other trade and investment restrictions.

“China believes that faced with the abuse of tariffs by the United States, all countries should jointly oppose unilateralism and protectionism in any form,” a spokesperson from China’s Commerce Ministry said. “No party should sacrifice the interests of third countries under the coercion of another.”

The ministry also initiated anti-dumping investigations into pecan imports from Mexico and the United States, an apparent threat at retaliation.

Last week, Mexico announced plans to raise duties to up to 50% on cars and other products made in China and other Asian countries with which it does not have a free trade agreement.

The move follows mounting pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to introduce tariffs on China, although President Claudia Sheinbaum has said that the proposed tariffs neither target China nor are the result of U.S. pressure.

Earlier this month, Beijing issued a stern warning urging Mexico to reconsider.

China, which the government says is the largest exporter to Mexico without a trade agreement, would be severely affected by the proposed tariffs. This is especially true for its automotive sector, whose sales to Mexico grew nearly 10% in 2024.

Trade between Mexico and China exceeded US $137 billion in 2024. In the absence of a trade agreement, the countries’ bilateral trade relationship is governed by the framework established by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and specific provisions of Mexico’s ¿f Economy Ministry.

With reports from Bloomberg, El Economista and El Financiero

These Durango musicians have tapped into the secret music of mushrooms

By

MND Staff

-

September 25, 2025

1

Durango Yuma music collective — The Yuma Project music collective is able to jam with mushrooms by using PlantWave technology to capture tiny variations in electrical conductivity released by the fungi and convert them into digital signals. (Instagram)

Step aside, magic mushrooms. In Mexico, a new approach to fungi is taking people to places they’ve never been: musical mushrooms.

Los Yuma Project, a group of experimental musicians in the northern state of Durango, is making mushrooms sing — literally.

The collective has been incorporating a technology that transforms the natural electrical impulses of mushrooms and plants into music, creating soundscapes where nature is not just an audience but a performer.

Using a device known as PlantWave, the musicians attach electrodes to various plants and mushrooms, psilocybin or otherwise.

The sensors capture tiny variations in electrical conductivity released by the flora and fungi and convert them into digital signals, which are then transformed into musical notes.

The result is a blend of raw natural rhythms and live improvisation.

The group’s methodology took flight during its participation last month in the 8th Mushroom Fair in the forested groves of Mexiquillo, an increasingly popular eco-tourism destination within the remote municipality of Pueblo Nuevo, Durango.

The performance blended mushroom impulses with live instrumentation.

“In addition to the equipment connected to the mushrooms, the musicians will improvise various genres based on the sounds generated by the specimens of the fungi kingdom,” said Marvin Reyes, owner of the Edible Mushroom Biofactory, in advance of the performance.

“The moment of bringing my hand close to the plant ingredients and feeling how they reacted to human contact was crucial,” explained Los Yuma Project guitarist and vocalist Jair Mijares. “Suddenly, there were rhythms, electrical responses that became music.”

The collective is composed of eight artists, all from Durango, using instruments such as bass guitar, drums and saxophone. Their previous experimentations with mushroom and plant sounds earned them an invitation to participate in the Mushroom Fair.

Along with vocalist Lorena Bellavia, they are now recording an album that expands their bio-sonic experiments into full compositions.

The musicians of Los Yuma Project perform on keyboard and guitar — The group combines the natural rhythms of plants and fungi with live improvisation. (Los Yuma Project/Instagram)

Performances like their one in August build on a global trend of bio-sonification, popularized by devices such as PlantWave, which was developed in the U.S. as a tool for turning plant microcurrents into soundscapes.

While the resulting music is ultimately human-processed, advocates say it invites audiences to consider plants and fungi as active, responsive beings rather than passive life forms.

“The plant becomes another component,” said Los Yuma Project percussionist Israel Pesci, adding to the emotions one already feels from music.

Pesci, Mijares and the other members of the collective insist their project is about more than novelty.

“The way you detect vibrations in plants and fungi is based on the rhythmic patterns and the intensity of the sound itself,” Mijares said. “When you touch the fungus, the intensity of the sound increases, and the rhythm begins to vary a little more.

“The challenge … is that you need to monitor a plant all day, every day, to see when it’s most active, when it’s undergoing photosynthesis, if it’s receiving sunlight, if it has water, or if it doesn’t. There are many stimuli it responds to. To understand the plant, you need to learn to listen to it.”

With reports from Milenio

Data centers, ‘one of the main drivers’ of Mexico’s economy in coming years: Thursday’s mañanera recapped

By

MND Staff

-

September 25, 2025

5

Sheinbaum at a press conference podium — New data centers, bank business and popularity ratings were topics of interest at Thursday's presidential press conference. (Saúl López Escorcia/Presidencia)

A good portion of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Thursday morning press conference was taken up by CloudHQ’s announcement that it will invest US $4.8 billion to build six data centers in Querétaro.

Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard subsequently spoke about the economic benefit investment in data centers will bring to Mexico, while Sheinbaum commented on the sale of a 25% stake in Banamex and the results of a recent opinion poll.

Ebrard: Data centers will help drive economic growth

Ebrard told reporters that the development of artificial intelligence and data center projects in Mexico is still in its infancy.

“What you’re seeing is the beginning, … the launch, because it’s something that is very new in the whole world,” he said.

“… The good thing is that we’re on the wave,” Ebrard said before praising Sheinbaum, state governors and IT companies for their “foresight” in helping Mexico to get on that wave.

“These data centers will allow us … to train our people, integrate services, integrate companies,” he said.

Marcelo Ebrard points to a power point presentation by CloudHQ showing a list of data center uses — Data centers will drive economic growth in Mexico in coming years, according to Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard (left), shown here with the COO of U.S. tech firm CloudHQ, Keith Harney. (Saúl López Escorcia/Presidencia)

Ebrard said it was “very difficult” to say how much data center and AI projects would add to Mexico’s GDP in the near term, but he asserted that such projects would be “one of the main drivers” of the Mexican and global economy in the years ahead.

Mexican businessman’s purchase of 25% stake in Banamex is ‘good news,’ says Sheinbaum

Sheinbaum said that businessman Fernando Chico Pardo’s purchase of a 25% stake in Banamex is “good news.”

She said that Chico — Mexico’s eighth richest person — is “a man of good reputation.”

Sheinbaum said that she understood that he had reached a “good agreement” with Citigroup, which sold him the 25% stake in Banamex.

“They contacted me to inform me [of the transaction], which is important to know,” she said.

“So, … Banamex returns to a Mexican businessman in a legal transaction that begins with a 25% [stake],” she said.

“I think that it’s very good; it’s good news,” said Sheinbaum, who shares her maternal surname with Chico Pardo, although they are not related.

Sheinbaum: ‘People see that things are going well in the country’

A reporter noted that a recent poll found that Sheinbaum has a high approval rating among people who identified themselves as supporters of opposition parties, namely the Institutional Revolutionary Party (65% approval), the National Action Party (60%) and the Citizens Movement party (64%). The poll conducted by Enkoll for the newspaper El País and W Radio detected an overall approval rating of 79% for the president.

Sheinbaum acknowledged that she and her government have “a lot of popular support.”

A poll chart shows 79% approval of Sheinbaum and 18% disapproval — In addition to a 79% overall approval rating, a recent poll found that supporters of opposition parties generally approved of Sheinbaum. (Enkoll)

She said that one reason why her government is so popular is that it has stuck to its principles and hasn’t broken its promises.

Another reason, Sheinbaum said, is that “there is continuity in the transformation that began in December 2018,” when former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador took office.

“… That’s why we call [my administration] the second story of the transformation,” she said.

“And the people see that things are going well in the country,” said Sheinbaum, who is just five days away from completing her first year in office.

“… There is acceptance that Mexico is doing well and that we’re going to continue making progress. And that is what gives [us] popular support,” she said.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])

Veracruz legislator proposes launching coffee into space to spread its aroma

By

MND Staff

-

September 25, 2025

0

Deputy Victoria Gutiérrez Pérez sparked a controversy in the Veracruz state Congress by suggesting that outer space could smell like Veracruz coffee.

While participating in a discussion of draft bills to support coffee growing and coffee producers in Veracruz, Gutiérrez claimed that scientists in Veracruz have created a spacecraft that could allow “outer space to smell like coffee.”

coffee farming in Veracruz — Veracruz is the second-largest coffee producing state in Mexico, producing roughly one-quarter of the nation’s coffee beans.
(cafedeveracruz.com.mx)

Gutiérrez — a member of the Morena party that controls the state Congress, holding 30 of the 50 seats — chairs the Special Committee for the Attention, Monitoring and Development of Coffee Growing in Veracruz.

The 71-year-old Gutiérrez proposed boosting the spread of Veracruz coffee by using the apocryphal spacecraft — which she said is capable of traveling to Mars — to carry its aroma beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

“Don’t you know coffee is also drunk in space?” she said, adding that she has asked the scientists to demonstrate how the aroma of Veracruz coffee could also be present in space as part of the state’s International Coffee Day commemoration on Oct. 1.

Her statements, presumably delivered in earnest, sparked a backlash in Congress, led to questions about her educational qualifications and prompted mockery on social media (here, here and here).

Deputy María Elena Córdoba, a member of the Citizen’s Movement Party, said Gutiérrez’s proposal “lacks all seriousness”

Córdoba told the newspaper La Jornada that unserious proposals for International Coffee Day had come from other Morena lawmakers as well, citing suggested images depicting “astronauts in space,” “families at table,” “sleepless students” and even “a wake,” where participants drink coffee.

Such marketing images, effective or not, are hardly in the same category as launching a rocketship to spread the aroma of coffee into space.

Still, said Córdoba, “It is truly painful and worrisome that instead of addressing the true needs of the sector, this committee is considering ideas that do little or nothing to resolve the underlying problems” Instead, she said, attention is being diverted from the real debate about the incentives the sector actually requires.

Opposition lawmakers insist the state’s more than 90,000 coffee producers — and the more than 200,000 Veracruzanos that depend directly on coffee cultivation — have been severely affected by a recent fall in international prices, as well as climate change, and the state must take steps to support them.

Veracruz is the second-largest coffee producing state in Mexico, according to the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry (Sader). With more than 145,000 hectares dedicated to coffee cultivation in 2024, the Gulf Coast state produces roughly one-quarter of the nation’s coffee beans.

With reports from La Jornada, El Financiero, Aristegui Noticias and Diario de Xalapa

38 members of the Luz del Mundo church arrested in Michoacán, including a US citizen

By

MND Staff

-

September 25, 2025

1

Most of the confiscated weapons were replicas that the detained church members were using to train as a militia. (Michoacán Security Ministry/Cuartoscuro)

Federal and state authorities arrested 38 individuals allegedly linked to the La Luz del Mundo church in the municipality of Vista Hermosa, Michoacán, while they were undergoing weapons training at a clandestine camp.

The raid in Michoacán, which was part of a joint search-and-seizure operation in seven states, was carried out early Tuesday morning by members of the Army, the National Guard, the state Attorney General’s Office and municipal police officers. One of those arrested has been identified as a U.S. citizen.

detainees lined up — While 38 of his followers were being detained in Mexico, third-generation Luz del Mundo leader Naasón Joaquín García faces charges in the U.S. of racketeering, conspiracy, sex trafficking and child exploitation, in addition to the sexual abuse of children conviction for which he is already serving time. (Michoacán Security Ministry/Cuartoscuro.com)

The Michoacán Security Ministry reported that authorities seized a pistol, tactical equipment, ammunition, bladed weapons and 19 replica guns.

The authorities arrived at a property in the municipality of Vista Hermosa, near the border with the state of Jalisco, believing they were confronting a drug cartel. Neighbors had reported it was a training camp for organized crime, a haunting reminder of the sinister ranch in Teuchitlán, Jalisco, that was used as a training camp by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

But what disconcerted the authorities was that the suspects did not identify themselves as cartel hitmen, but as members of the apocalyptic church La Luz del Mundo (Light of the World), whose leader is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence in California.

Naasón Joaquín García, the controversial leader of the Guadalajara-based church, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing children in 2020, but his legal troubles are far from over.

While his personal militia was being processed in Mexico on Tuesday, Joaquín was in a New York courtroom where he pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and child exploitation.

Five alleged accomplices are included in the indictment, including the leader’s mother, Eva García de Joaquín, and his nephew, Joram Núñez Joaquín.

According to the Morelia, Michoacán newspaper Changoonga, the suspects were “dressed in black, with fake weapons, radios and even a homemade bomb simulator, … [and] looked like a commando unit.”

They told the authorities they were training to be part of the Jahzer Guard, a special force created to protect Joaquín and his immediate family, as well as to protect the faith in the “Final Judgment.”

Not much has been reported about the Jahzer Guard, but a victim of Joaquín’s abuse told El País the group “participated in the criminal acts of evangelical leaders,” even kidnapping women and holding them in safe houses.

With reports from El Universal, La Jornada, Sin Embargo and El País

CloudHQ announces US $4.8B plan to build 6 data centers in Querétaro

By

MND Staff

-

September 25, 2025

0

A long hallway between servers in a data center — CloudHQ will join companies like Google and Microsoft that already have data centers in the central Mexican state of Querétaro. (İsmail Enes Ayhan/Unsplash)

U.S. tech firm CloudHQ will invest an estimated US $4.8 billion to build six data centers and complementary infrastructure on a single site in Querétaro, a company executive said Thursday.

Keith Harney, CloudHQ’s chief operating officer, announced the investment at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Thursday morning press conference.

CloudHQ COO Keith Harney shared the news at President Sheinbaum’s Thursday press conference. (Saúl López Escorcia/Presidencia)

“Our site in Querétaro is 52 hectares and we will be building six data centers, most likely for cloud compute and AI and it will be up to 900 megawatts of critical IT load,” he said.

The project was first announced in 2023, at which time CloudHQ said that the investment would be $3.6 billion.

The data center campus is “in close proximity to Querétaro Airport and will be the biggest data center campus in Mexico designed to accommodate 6 buildings of 48MW of IT load powered by an onsite substation,” according to the CloudHQ website.

Querétaro Airport is located about 25 kilometers east of Querétaro city.

Harney described the project as a “hyper-scale data center campus in Querétaro,” a state that has become a data center hub due to factors including its central location in Mexico and a growing electricity supply.

He said that it is anticipated that construction of the data centers will create “7,200 highly-skilled construction jobs.”

The campus — which will have its own 900-megawatt substation — is expected to be completed in 2027. Once operational it should provide 900 permanent jobs, and create off-campus jobs as well, according to the CloudHQ executive.

Harney said that CloudHQ “is respectful of sustainable design” and highlighted that the data centers will be equipped with “waterless cooling” infrastructure. Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said that campus’s water usage will be “very low.”

However, there are concerns about the impact data centers will have on water supply in Querétaro, which, like many states in Mexico, has faced significant water stress in recent years.

Google and Microsoft are among the companies that already have data centers in the Bajío region state.

Microsoft opens new data center region in Querétaro

Harney noted that CloudHQ is “one of the largest data center developers in the world” and leases the facilities it builds to “the world’s largest technological companies.”

The companies that lease the data centers make their own significant investments in the facilities, he said.

“The capital investment I shared with you is our cost. We rent our space to our customers. Our customers will make a capital investment into the property to make it ready for their business,” Harney said.

“Typically that investment could be three to five times the cost of our building, and that would be for a cloud compute and if that was AI it would be significantly higher. So as you can see, [there will be] significant capital investment,” he said.

“… Our customers ultimately determine what they will use the space for but we’re highly confident that this space will be used for cloud compute and AI, so artificial intelligence,” Harney said.

“… We are pleased to be playing a supporting role in enhancing the digital economy for Mexico,” he added.

Sheinbaum emphasized the importance of expanding Mexico’s data processing capacity. (Saúl López Escorcia/Presidencia)

Sheinbaum said that investment in data centers is “important for Mexico,” explaining that it gives the country “the capacity to process data related to artificial intelligence and information technology.”

“We also need these investments to bring benefits for the community,” she said.

Ebrard highlighted that “practically all the services in our daily lives will be connected to these kinds of data centers.”

“… That’s why [the investment] is very important — because of its amount, the number of jobs [it will create] and the effect it will have,” he said.

CloudHQ’s data center campus in detail

Harney provided a range of other details about CloudHQ’s project in Querétaro. He said that:

CloudHQ has collaborated with authorities in Querétaro on “the land and pre-development process” since 2021.
Cloud HQ has also collaborated with the Federal Electricity Commission and the National Energy Control Center to “secure initial power” for the company’s campus and “will continue to collaborate as we upsize capacity.”
Cloud HQ will “seek to secure a long-term anchor tenant” for the data center campus.
CloudHQ is building a separate “2-gigawatt maneuvering substation” to provide power to the data centers.
CloudHQ will rely on “the Mexican supply chain as much as we can” while building the data centers.
The campus site is “just west” of the Querétaro Airport.

With reports from El Economista and Reuters

New economic data casts a shadow on Mexico’s recent rosy growth forecasts

By

MND Staff

-

September 25, 2025

2

Tomato packers in Zacatecas grab tomatoes off a conveyor belt and pack them in boxes — The primary sector, which includes agriculture, fisheries and forestry, declined 12.2% year-over-year in July. Since the sector is heavily dependent on seasonal resources, volatility is to be expected, experts say. (Adolfo Vladimir/Cuartoscuro)

The IMF and the OECD recently upgraded their economic growth forecasts for Mexico in 2025, but the national statistics agency INEGI delivered some bad news this week: The economy contracted in annual and month-over-month terms in July.

Weighed down by weak primary and secondary sector activity, the Mexican economy declined 1.2% annually in July and 0.9% compared to June, INEGI reported.

A backhoe at a construction site for the Maya Train — The secondary sector, which includes manufacturing and construction, also showed a weak performance in July, but less so than the primary sector. (Cuartoscuro)

In the first seven months of the year, GDP increased just 0.1% compared to the same period of 2024.

The annual contraction in July was the worst performance for the Mexican economy in any month since February 2021.

The month-over-month contraction was the worst sequential result since April 2024.

Analysts from the Monex financial group said that the economic result for July was “weaker than anticipated” and reinforced “signs of cooling in economic activity” in Mexico.

INEGI published its economic data for July on Tuesday, the same day that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development raised its 2025 growth forecast for Mexico to 0.8% from 0.4%. Last week, the International Monetary Fund revised upward its 2025 growth forecast for Mexico to 1% from a prediction in April of a 0.3% contraction.

Primary sector plunges 12.2% annually, secondary sector contracts 2.8%

INEGI’s data shows that Mexico’s primary sector, which includes agricultural, forestry and fishing activities, contracted 12.2% in July compared to the same month of 2024.

The secondary sector, which includes manufacturing, construction, mining and electricity generation and distribution, shrank by 2.8% annually.

The tertiary or services sector was the only sector to grow, expanding 0.4% compared to July 2024. Still, that level of growth was the weakest in four months for Mexico’s large services sector.

On a month-over-month basis, all three sectors contracted in July. The primary sector declined 3%, the secondary sector contracted 1.2% and the tertiary sector shrank by 0.4%.

In the first seven months of the year, the primary sector grew 2%, the secondary sector contracted 1.5% and the tertiary sector expanded 0.8%.

Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base, said that the “poor performance of the secondary sector, particularly in construction and manufacturing, presents a significant risk for employment.”

The construction sector contracted 4.1% annually in July and 1.2% on a month-over-month basis. The sector’s poor performance was attributed in part to the decrease in government spending on infrastructure projects.

OECD follows the IMF in lifting Mexico’s economic growth outlook for 2025

The manufacturing sector declined 1.8% annually in July and 1.6% compared to June.

The significant contractions of the primary sector in July didn’t surprise the chief economist at the brokerage firm Valmex.

“Primary [sector] activities are characterized by being very volatile, with abrupt declines followed by sharp upturns, reflecting their high exposure to climatic and seasonal factors,” Gerónimo Ugarte said.

The month-over-month decline in the tertiary sector was attributed to factors including the decline in inflows of remittances and a wetter-than-normal rainy season in various parts of the country.

The outlook for the rest of the year

Banamex analysts anticipate that the Mexican economy will remain weak in the coming months. In a written analysis, they forecast that GDP will decline 0.2% in the third quarter of 2025 compared to the previous three-month period.

The Banamex analysts are predicting that the Mexican economy will grow 0.4% in 2025, on par with the forecast of the brokerage firm Vector.

Mexico’s Finance Ministry is forecasting growth of between 0.5% and 1.5% this year.

Uncertainty created by the United States’ volatile trade policy has affected the Mexican economy in 2025, although Mexican exports to the U.S. have continued to grow.

The USMCA free trade pact will be reviewed in 2026. The completion of the review process should provide greater certainty for the Mexican economy and investors in the years ahead.

With reports from El Financiero and El Economista

Mexican business magnate buys 25% stake in Banamex ahead of planned IPO

By

MND Staff

-

September 25, 2025

0

Fernando Chico Pardo stands at a podium at Veracruz airport in front of a sign reading ASUR — Ferando Chico Pardo, seen here at a 2017 event in Veracruz, is the president of the international airport operator ASUR and has served on the boards of Inbursa, Sears de México and many other companies. (Ise Huesca/Cuartoscuro)

Fernando Chico Pardo, president of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (ASUR), has agreed to purchase 25% of Banamex’s shares — equivalent to 520 million common shares — from Citigroup for an estimated sum of 42 billion pesos (US $2.3 billion).

Banamex, officially Banco Nacional de México, one of the oldest and most important financial institutions in Mexico,was founded in 1884 after the merger of Banco Nacional Mexicano and Banco Mercantil Mexicano.

Citibanamex building — Citibanamex officially split into Grupo Financiero Citi México and Grupo Financiero Banamex at the end of 2024, one step in Citigroup’s divestment from Banamex. (Cuartoscuro)

The transaction means that a key stake in Banamex, until now under the control of the U.S. conglomerate Citi, is returning to Mexican ownership.

“Fernando Chico Pardo’s investment demonstrates his confidence in Banamex’s future and the development of its current strategy to continue growing across all lines of business and advancing its digital and operational transformation,” Citi CEO Jane Fraser stated in a written statement.

The purchase is still subject to regulatory approvals in Mexico and is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026.

In its statement, Citi said that Chico Pardo will be appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of Banamex, while Manuel Romo will remain as CEO.

“We are very committed and happy to be part of Banamex, an iconic institution in Mexico with a very promising future,” Chico said. “We have a lot of confidence in the team and will continue working closely on the transformation they have already started.”

Chico explained that they want to prioritize digitalization with special focus on client satisfaction during every point of interaction between the customer and the banking institution.

“Our long-term commitment is to work together to achieve better positioning in all areas and thereby further boost sectors, companies and people throughout the country,” Chico stressed.

The news of Chico’s investment comes three years after Citi announced its plans to divest from the bank and exit consumer banking in Mexico.

As part of Citi’s divestment from Banamex, the spin-off of Banamex and the U.S. conglomerate was finalized at the end of 2024, resulting in two independent financial groups in Mexico: Grupo Financiero Citi México and Grupo Financiero Banamex. Citi will focus on corporate and institutional banking, while Banamex will serve consumer banking. The U.S. bank’s strategy is to focus on large corporations, while a portion of Banamex will be sold on the stock market through an initial public offering (IPO).

Fraser explained that Citi continues to work towards an initial public offering (IPO) for Banamex, which is expected to take place late this year or in 2026.

Who is Fernando Chico Pardo?

Fernando Chico Pardo, is the eighth wealthiest person in Mexico with a fortune valued at US $2.8 billion, according to Forbes’ 2025 ranking of the wealthiest people in the country.

He has served on the boards of Grupo Financiero Inbursa, Condumex, Grupo Carso, Sanborns Hermanos, Sears de México and Grupo Posadas. Since 2005, he has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of ASUR, an international airport operator with a portfolio of concessions to operate, maintain and develop 16 airports in Mexico, Colombia and Puerto Rico.

With reports from El Economista and El País

The joys of buying your furniture at La Lagunilla market in Mexico City

By

Andrea Fischer

-

September 25, 2025

2

La Lagunilla market in Mexico City — Mexico City is the capital of nostalgia. Where else in the world is there a Sunday market dedicated to antiques, ranging from the 16th century to the Space Age of the 1960s? (Wikimedia Commons/Alejandro Linares García)

I’ve had a very close relationship with Mexico City’s Historic Center ever since I was a child. From my first time at Mercado de Sonora, at the early age of 7, to learning how to ride a bike in Avenida Paseo de la Reforma, some of my dearest childhood memories were collected in the Cuauhtémoc borough.

When I was in middle school, my mother started teaching at Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana, so I often accompanied her to work and took two-hour-long strolls to the Zócalo and back. On Sundays, after Mass at some 17th-century Baroque church, my family never missed the chance to visit La Lagunilla market.

Map of Tenochtitlán's ancient lakes — La Lagunilla market was founded on the shores of one of Tenochtitlán’s ancient lakes. (Wikimedia Commons/UNAM)

My father was rather reluctant to go, but he almost always gave in. Everyone falls for the mysterious charm of a market selling Bauhaus furniture and pieces by Rafael Coronel (potentially real, potentially fake) side-by-side, scattered on the street, eventually. But what exactly is La Lagunilla, and what can you find there?

What exactly is La Lagunilla market?

Present-day Mexico City was built on a lake — actually, on a set of five lakes. In pre-Columbian times, what is now known as the Valley of Mexico was divided into several ancient bodies of water: Texcoco, Chalco, Xochimilco, Xaltocan and Zumpango. Although “their boundaries were fluctuating and unstable,” notes the UNAM Institute of Historical Research, “they did not constitute a single body of water but rather distinct basins.” This is also why Mexico City is so prone to flooding during the rainy season.

La Lagunilla — or “little lake,” in Spanish — was a distinct, separate lake from the greater ones in the Valley of Mexico. That’s where she got her name, originally. Today, however, it could easily be described as the Mexican version of a flea market, or tianguis.

Tianguis and traditional Mexican markets have, indeed, been around for a long time, especially in the area. Archaeological remains show that the present-day Plaza de las Tres Culturas held one of the largest markets in Mesoamerica, dating back to 1337. La Lagunilla market, however, is not as ancient as the ‘little lake’ after which she was named.

Underground ruins suggest La Lagunilla was established as a residential and working-class neighborhood around the 16th century. At that time, the area was “used to receive and unload canoes arriving at the giant and famous Tlatelolco market, just to the west (of the area).”

Once the Tlatelolco marketplace dissolved, merchants migrated to this place, right in the vicinity of their previous workplace. Impressively enough, La Lagunilla continued to receive merchant canoes and trajineras until the early 20th century. In the 1950s, however, the last lake was artificially dried up, and the ancient merchant families moved in to found their own residential neighborhood.

What can one find at La Lagunilla market?

There is no official area or square footage that defines La Lagunilla. In fact, there are parts where the barrio bravo of Tepito and the antiques market not only adjoin, but also merge and blend into one another.

However, what locals often refer to as Mercado de la Lagunilla is bordered by Avenida Paseo de la Reforma, República del Perú and Tenochtitlán (of course, Tenochtitlán) streets, in the Guerrero neighborhood of Mexico City. On a Sunday morning, one can easily take the Reforma route on a bike and get there in 30-40 minutes. One block east of the monument to José de San Martín, on Paseo de la Reforma, you’ll find the heart of this Sunday flea market.

To date, per La Jornada newspaper, La Lagunilla market houses over 5,000 stands, with roughly 17,000 people earning a living from the Sunday market. On a regular weekend, merchants in the area receive 100,000 clients from Mexico City and abroad. What exactly can one find at the Sunday market? Honestly, the sky’s the limit.

First edition books, lithographs allegedly signed by Leonora Carrington, LP records, Van Beuren desks and mid-century bedroom sets: all of this (and really, so much more) is available at La Lagunilla market. Everything and anything that screams antiquities is on sale. I even remember finding a Space Age dining room set, which my grandmother must have seen at a department store when that style was fashionable. You can also find Fender bass guitars and jukeboxes from the 1960s, if you’re lucky.

Is it safe to visit La Lagunilla market?

My mother used to say that even Mexico City natives are foreigners when it comes to Tepito and its neighboring areas. And it’s true. It is called barrio bravo for a reason, after all. It is also “common knowledge” that local merchants take care of their customers, especially on Sundays, when they can sell entire living room sets — or “authentic” Diego Rivera’s — for 12,000 pesos on average.

There is no sugar coating it: Tepito and the surrounding areas can be very dangerous. Although there has been a heavy tourism wave to the area in recent years, visitors should not arrive after dark. La Lagunilla market is really a sight to be seen, but try arriving before noon — to avoid the crowds — and leaving before dusk.

La Lagunilla market CDMX — It’s a Mexico City classic hack to buy your furniture in La Lagunilla market if you’re finally moving out and are on a budget. (Wikimedia Commons/Alejandro Linares García)

Also, try not to wear anything fancy. Sweatpants and a simple T-shirt will do. No jewelry, of course, and no iPhone 18 (or whatever this year’s model is). All of these warnings could suggest that the La Lagunilla market is not safe to visit.

This is not the case: again, merchants take care of their customers. However, to visit consciously and responsibly, avoid diving too deep into the Tepito area. This way, you’ll be able to focus on refurnishing your new CDMX apartment, or buying a magnificent Kodak Brownie camera that still works.

Andrea Fischer contributes to the features desk at Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to be an advocate for anything that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.