Saturday, June 28, 2025

Ladling liquid gold: Mexico’s coziest soups

By
Monica Belot
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13
While it might be famous for tacos and seafood, it turns out Mexico does soup really, really well. (Maricruz Ávalos)

The rainy season is upon us. Here in Mexico City, gray skies break to give way to long stretches of moody storms, punctuated by ominous thunder and flashes of lightning. In just a half hour, the weather can switch dizzyingly from rays of sunshine glistening through the trees to chilly torrential downpours that leave one galloping to the nearest awning for cover.

Yet, thankfully, Mexico has mastered not only the art of four seasons in a single day but  some of the most delicious hot soups to combat these chilly moments. Below, we’ve presented a curated selection of broths and stews that will deliver steaming liquid comfort to your soul and taste buds.

Pozole: Ancient broth, endless garnish

Pozole might just be the most garnished soup in the entire world. (Gastro Lab)

Pozole’s robust set of overflowing garnishes makes it the king of soups. But it isn’t just soup; it’s a pre-Columbian ritual in a bowl. Its hearty base broth is made from hominy and meat, typically pork or chicken. Pozole often comes in three main varieties: blanco, verde and rojo, with the latter being the most popular. 

The red version is made with a rich sauce of dried red chilis, such as guajillo and ancho, which gives it a vibrant color and depth of flavor, while the green uses green chilis such as jalapeños and serrano peppers, as well as fresh herbs. Pozole blanco omits the use of chilis, allowing the flavors of the other ingredients to shine through. The real magic happens tableside, where diners adorn their bowls with fresh toppings such as avocado, cabbage, radishes and a spritz of lime.

Menudo: Hair of the… cow?

After the mariachis go home and the tequila bottles are properly emptied, Mexicans turn to menudo, the ultimate morning-after cure. Menudo is a dish for the strong. It’s made primarily from slow-cooked beef tripe, simmered in a flavorful broth of hominy, chili peppers and mixed spices. 

Menudo comes in two kinds: rojo, with its fiery chili punch, or blanco, for those who prefer their hangover remedy with a little less kick. Topped with fresh cilantro, onions and lime, the soup is rumored to cure everything from splitting headaches to hangxiety. In Mexico, menudo is a popular choice for festive occasions, particularly on weekends and holidays. 

Tortilla soup: Like tomato soup, but cooler

What happens when you mix chilaquiles with tomato soup? This, I guess. (All Recipes)

Born in the streets of Mexico City, sopa de tortilla, also known as sopa Azteca, features a base of chicken broth enriched with tomatoes, garlic and spices. It’s further elevated by a handful of crunchy tortilla strips and topped with creamy avocado, melted cheese, a squeeze of lime and a dollop of sour cream. 

It’s a rollercoaster of texture and flavor that takes your average tomato soup, dresses it up in a hot stylish outfit and brings it to an underground salsa club and then a 4 a.m. afterparty before tucking it into a comfy king-sized bed. In short, it takes you on a vibrant adventure of taste and then leaves you warm and satisfied, relishing your experience.

Caldo tlalpeño: Abuelita’s medicine

This one is like your grandma’s chicken noodle soup but without the noodles. A homey dish born in Tlalpan, caldo tlalpeño offers a tender chicken and vegetable medley swimming in a chili-spiked broth with a hint of chipotle for a smokey flavor. 

Like many Mexican soups, caldo tlalpeño is garnished with creamy avocado, zesty lime and fresh cilantro. Popular when the weather turns chilly — by Mexico City standards, at least — it’s grandma’s prescription for ailments from the blues to the flu and beyond.

Caldo de res: A hearty hug in a bowl

Don’t you just feel healthier for looking at this soup? I know I do. (The Daily Meal)

This hearty soup is made with beef shanks and a garden of vegetables, including carrots, potatoes, corn and zucchini. The dish is simmered over several hours, which allows the flavors to release and blend into a rich and comforting broth. Caldo de res is often served with lime, fresh herbs and tortillas or a side of rice and is a staple of Mexican cuisine.

Sopa de lima: Citrus, chicken and crunch

Hailing from the sun-drenched Yucatán Peninsula where citrus flavors shine, sopa de lima holds to the characteristic flavors of the region. Made with golden chicken broth flavored with lime juice, this traditional soup’s accompanied by shredded chicken and vegetables including onion, fire-roasted tomatoes and mild peppers sauteed with minced garlic. 

As a garnish, crispy tortilla strips are added, along with fresh lime, cilantro and creamy avocado that complement the tangy flavor of the soup. A dish with colonial and Maya origins, sopa de lima’s vibrant flavor is a cultural testament to the rich culinary traditions of Mexico.

Lime soup is actually a lot more delicious than you might think. (Serious Eats)

Sopa de hongos: Mushroom magic

This mushroom soup is magical, but not in a psychedelic way. Featuring an earthy blend of both wild and cultivated fungi, sopa de hongos bathes its mycological gems in a savory broth of garlic, onions and a variety of herbs. 

Topped with a swirl of cream and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, the soup can be served as either an appetizer or a main dish. Numerous studies have shown that mushrooms are rich in vitamins and nutrients, but the pleasure of sopa de hongos goes beyond health benefits.

Sopa de elote: Summer on a spoon

The corn of Mexico is the stuff of legends and dreams. This is unmistakably reflected in the creamy concoction known as sopa de elote. Fresh corn kernels are blended with broth and a touch of cream, resulting in a soup so smooth it could charm the pants off any romantic conquest. Typically garnished with crumbly queso fresco or fresh herbs, its sweet yet savory flavor is the liquid equivalent of a perfect summer day– warm, golden and cheery.

A tradition beyond broth

While there are certainly dozens of other soups to delight the palate and warm the soul, we’ve started you off with a couple of the most satisfying ones. And like most culinary treasures in Mexico, these dishes go beyond their delicious flavor to offer a dose of history, regional pride and liquid love from generation to generation. 

Monica Belot is a writer, researcher, strategist and adjunct professor at Parsons School of Design in New York City, where she teaches in the Strategic Design & Management Program. Splitting her time between NYC and Mexico City, where she resides with her naughty silver labrador puppy Atlas, Monica writes about topics spanning everything from the human experience to travel and design research. Follow her varied scribbles on Medium at https://medium.com/@monicabelot.

Could education be a barrier to Mexico’s nearshoring success?

By
Travis Bembenek
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23
Mexican schoolchildren sitting on chairs outside
Education will be key to capitalizing on nearshoring in Mexico, argues Mexico News Daily CEO Travis Bembenek. (Shutterstock)

Nearshoring has the potential to transform Mexico’s economy and workforce. But could lack of education be a barrier to success?

Much has been written about how this once-in-a-generation nearshoring opportunity can bring billions of dollars of investment and millions of new jobs to the country. Perhaps most exciting is the fact that many of these jobs have the potential to be higher-skilled ones in areas like R&D, engineering, information technology, logistics, and more.

Industries as diverse as automotive, medical devices, aerospace, data centers and semiconductors, to name a few, will all be clamoring for skilled Mexican talent.

But will the talent be educated enough to support these investments?

Most business leaders and politicians tend to talk about four main areas where Mexico needs to significantly improve in order to take full advantage of the nearshoring opportunity: water, energy, infrastructure, and security.

There is no doubt that each of these areas needs major attention, significant investment, and step-change improvements. But what about education? Could that be a barrier to success as well? Let me share a few numbers.

Mexico continually scores among the lowest of the 38 OECD countries worldwide in standardized PISA tests.

The most recent 2022 tests showed 47% of Mexican 15-year-old students scored below Level 2 in reading (the OECD average for Level 2 or higher in reading is 74%). In other words, their comprehension skills will limit their ability to apply what they are reading in order to learn further. This means nearly one in two Mexican kids will be less prepared to work in high-skill jobs as adults — without significant, costly and time-consuming training conducted by the companies hiring them.

To help understand the scale of this problem for Mexico, I interviewed Andreas Schleicher, a German mathematical statistician and researcher who currently is the Director for Education and Skills at the OECD in Paris, France.

“Mexico’s schools today will be Mexico’s economy tomorrow,” he told me. “If Mexico could ensure that all 15-year-old students could achieve a Level 2 in the PISA reading exam, which is the level at which one reads for learning and understanding, it would add over US $6 trillion to the Mexican economy over the working life of these 15-year-olds.”

“Raising literacy levels is not a technically complex issue,” Schleicher continued. “Countries like Vietnam, Peru, and Colombia have all made rapid improvements on this matter.”

Many of the manufacturing jobs that historically were in China and are now being moved to Mexico were low-skill jobs. Every company that moves manufacturing to Mexico has to consider and assess how they will manage investments in two important aspects of the business: CAPEX and OPEX.

CAPEX stands for Capital Expenditures, which are for things like factories, equipment, automation, robotics, etc. OPEX stands for Operating Expenditures, which are investments in people — the employees.

Imagine for a moment that you are looking to move manufacturing from a plant in China to one in Mexico. You have to decide on the balance of investment that will go into CAPEX versus OPEX. To help make this decision, part of the evaluation process includes an assessment of the availability, skills and relative costs of the local labor force. If the labor force is relatively unskilled, the company will likely decide to invest less money in CAPEX and more in OPEX, resulting in a large number of low-skilled workers doing unskilled work.

This might result in more net jobs, but they will be low-paid ones with little chance to learn, grow and advance. This is obviously not ideal for Mexican workers in the medium and long term. The other option the company would have is to invest in a significant amount of automation (more CAPEX) that requires relatively few workers (low OPEX) due to the lack of availability of skilled workers. This isn’t an ideal option for Mexican workers either, as it would result in much less overall employment.

What would be ideal from the vantage point of the Mexican economy and workers would be for the companies investing in Mexico to have confidence in the level of education, skills and availability of the Mexican workforce, so that companies would invest in significant CAPEX (to do the most basic, low-skill work) while still allowing for significant OPEX to hire workers to do higher-level skills, like engineering, automation R&D etc.

Getting this right is incredibly important. It would allow for the maximum number of jobs to be created that are higher-skilled, higher-paid and have the potential to grow. Getting this wrong would be a huge missed opportunity for the country, resulting in mostly low-paid, low-skilled jobs that don’t allow for learning and growth of the workforce.

Is Mexico doing enough to improve education so that this sweet spot of hiring takes place?

The testing data would clearly show that it is not, but changing public education systems in any country is not a quick or easy process.

This is why some private organizations are stepping in to help fill the void. One such example is an organization called 311Literacy, which is focused on improving reading skills and comprehension for both Hispanic kids in the U.S. and Mexican kids.

311Literacy has created easy-to-use software that tracks reading time and comprehension across thousands of books. The organization has also created a bi-national reading tournament in which kids can win prizes and gain recognition for themselves and their schools. The most recent tournament was completed in May, and nearly 5,000 children participated.

The next reading tournament is scheduled for November of this year and has a goal of 50,000 kids participating. The goal of 311Literacy is to significantly grow participation further, inspiring kids to find the joy and rewards of reading.

Every business and political leader in the country should hope they are successful and embrace what they are doing, as success will lead to better-prepared young adults entering the workforce.

If you want to learn more about 311Literacy or help accelerate their work with your time, energy or financial resources, check out their website here.

Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for over 27 years.

San Luis Potosí’s former penitentiary is its best museum

By
Meagan Drillinger
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0
Centro de las Artes de San Luis Potosí Centenario Leonora Carrington Museum
While San Luis Potosí might not get the recognition it deserves, the Centro de las Artes de San Luis Potosí Centenario is helping put the city on the map. (All photos by Meagan Drillinger)

San Luis Potosí has always been on my bucket list for its thundering waterfalls, milky blue natural pools, and steamy rainforest. So I surprised myself when my first visit to this state in central Mexico had nothing to do with nature at all. Instead, I hit the cobblestone streets of its 400-year-old capital city in the desert highlands to explore a different kind of visual feast — a 19th-century prison that has been revitalized as one of the best museums in the state.

The stony walls of San Luis Potosí’s former penitentiary set an imposing scene. The twin turrets of the main gate loom ominously on either side of a soaring archway sealed by massive wooden doors. At first glance, the structure feels straight out of Shawshank Redemption. If these walls could talk, they’d tell a story of pain and punishment. This was, after all, the largest penitentiary in the state for more than 100 years. But behind the carved wooden doors, the story starts to shift. Color seeps in, and you feel the energy change. Today, this once somber prison has been transformed into one of the best museums in San Luis Potosí — a center for inspiration, creativity, education, and rebirth.

Leonora Carrington museum SLP
The imposing architecture reminds visitors that this museum was once a place of suffering. Much of that is now gone, replaced by a modern, vibrant center for culture and arts. (Meagan Drillinger)

San Luis Potosí is renowned for its natural beauty and colonial history. But it also boasts a vibrant art scene through its dozens of museums. At the heart of this creative scene is the Centro de las Artes de San Luis Potosí Centenario, a unique institution that combines historical significance with contemporary artistic expression. 

A Historic Transformation

The bones of the Centro de las Artes are the former prison walls, a neoclassical structure that dates back to the late 19th century. Passing through the main gates, the space opens up to a bright, open-air courtyard, which then funnels visitors deeper into the belly of the former prison. Opened in 2008, the center stands today as a testament to the transformative power of art and culture.

In theory, penitentiaries can be places of rehabilitation and rebirth, and the structure’s transformation into a creative space helps bring that metaphor to life. The original stone walls and iron bars have been preserved, providing a stark contrast to the modern art installations. Passing between the different art spaces, you’ll wander the historic pathways surrounded by sky-high stone walls on either side. After you enter the cell blocks, you are jolted back to the present day and the space’s transformation. Each wing has been reimagined as a center for a different discipline, from art galleries and dance studios to music spaces, digital art, science, and humanities. 

San Luis Potosí is a visual stunner of a city with architecture that dates back more than 400 years. It’s no surprise that the Centro de las Artes is equally fascinating, with its grand facades and elegant columns juxtaposed against modern sculptures, including the center watchtower, which is painted with a different theme every month. Modern glass and steel structures have been woven into the historic framework of the old prison, creating new spaces for exhibitions while still paying tribute to the penitentiary’s past.  

Leonora Carrington museum SLP
Modern architecture has been woven into the colonial stonework to create a perfect setting for art and culture to be genuinely appreciated. (Meagan Drillinger)

Deeper within the grounds, more life and color pop into view, from bright purple bougainvillea blossoms to desert cactus flower gardens, babbling water features, and stunning sculptures. The Centro de Las Artes is more than a museum; it’s a dynamic cultural hub. Former cells have been converted into pocket-sized galleries featuring rotating contemporary art exhibitions. Exhibitions span everything from painting and sculpture to photography and multimedia. 

But the Centro de las Artes is not only a haven for traditional art forms. Its expansive grounds act as a canvas for street art. Wandering the outdoor pathways, you’ll encounter vibrant murals and graffiti that transform the penitentiary walls into lively expressions of contemporary culture.

Museo Leonora Carrington

While many of the museum’s exhibits are rotating, one of its permanent collections is the Museo Leonora Carrington, dedicated to the life and work of one of Mexico’s great surrealist artists. The museum-within-a-museum opened in 2018 and showcases one of the most extensive collections of Carrington’s enigmatic work. One of the founders of the surrealist movement in Mexico, Carrington is known for her otherworldly paintings, sculptures, and drawings. You can dive deep into Carrington’s fantastical world, where mythological creatures and dreamlike landscapes come to life. 

From her early paintings depicting whimsical, bizarre scenes to her later sculptures exploring themes of mythology and magic, the museum highlights the depth and breadth of Carrington’s imagination. Each outdoor courtyard is dedicated to a larger-than-life example of some of her most famous sculptures.

Half dream, half nightmare, Carrington’s work dominates the installations at the Centro de las Artes. (Meagan Drillinger)

Performances and Events

The Centro de las Artes is one of the city’s top venues for performances and cultural events. The theater and performance spaces regularly host concerts, dance performances, theater, and film screenings.

Each summer, the penitentiary grounds become a buzzy food and wine hotspot with the San Luis Potosí Wine Festival. Wine tastings, expert-led workshops, and gourmet pairings bring winemakers (and wine drinkers) from around the region to dig deep into the viticulture of San Luis Potosí and the surrounding areas. Live music, art exhibitions, and cultural performances make this one of the most exciting events in the city.  

Other Museums in San Luis Potosí

While the Centro de las Artes is the most impressive museum in San Luis Potosí, the art appreciation does not end beyond the prison walls. The city is overflowing with art institutions. The Museo Frederico Silva, for example, housed in a 17th-century hospital, has been dedicated to the works of Mexican sculptor Frederick Silva. 

Down the road, the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, located within a former convent, features rotating exhibitions of painting, photography, video, and installations. The National Museum of Masks, Museo de las Máscaras, has one of the most extensive collections of cultural masks from both Mexico and around the world. 

The Museo del Ferrocarril is an Art Deco masterpiece that tells the railway history of San Luis Potosí. The museum is located within a former railway station and showcases Mexico’s railroad heritage through vintage locomotives and railway equipment.

The Bottom Line

San Luis Potosí will forever be one of the top adventure capitals in Mexico, and I still hope to visit its jungle-shrouded waterfalls eventually. But its city art scene was a different kind of visual I was not expecting, and one I would not hesitate to revisit again. 

Meagan Drillinger is a New York native who has spent the past 15 years traveling around and writing about Mexico. While she’s on the road for assignments most of the time, Puerto Vallarta is her home base. Follow her travels on Instagram at @drillinjourneys or through her blog at drillinjourneys.com.

The mystery behind the invention of the Baja fish taco

By
Chris Sands
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7
Baja style fish taco
It's known and loved across the Americas, but how did the Baja-style fish taco come to be so popular? (Rubio’s Coastal Grill)

In 1974, a San Diego State student named Raph Rubio took a seasonal break from his studies in psychology and Spanish to accompany friends on a Spring Break trip across the border to San Felipe. The highlight of the trip — at least for Rubio — was the abundance of stands serving delicious fish tacos. Rubio even managed to score a recipe, and by 1983 he was selling a personalized version of the fish taco (dubbed the “original fish taco”) at his first namesake restaurant in San Diego. More restaurants would follow as the Rubio’s Coastal Grill restaurant chain rapidly grew, ultimately topping out at about 200 locations and helping to popularize the fish taco as a staple of SoCal culture and cuisine before recent economic issues necessitated numerous closures.

But, of course, Rubio didn’t invent the fish taco, any more than the owners of the stands in San Felipe did. When he later returned to San Felipe to offer money to the taquero named Carlos who had generously shared his recipe, Rubio discovered he had decamped to Ensenada. This was somewhat fitting, as Ensenada is considered the true birthplace of the modern Baja-style fish taco, and it was likely one of the early pioneers from that city who had brought the invention to San Felipe, kicking off the proliferation of stands that had so charmed Rubio during his Spring Break visit there half a century ago.

How the Baja-style fish taco was born

Corn tortillas, crisp batter, pico de Gallo, gallons of of lime and fresh soft, white fish. These are the humble building blocks of the Baja-style fish taco. (Mercado Negro)

Corn tortillas have been around for thousands of years and fishing dates back even further. So there’s little doubt that fish tacos have been consumed since ancient times. But the Baja-style version – beer-battered, deep-fried fish served in corn tortillas with signature toppings plus a squeeze of lime juice – originated in Ensenada in the late 1950s or early 1960s. 

The dates are uncertain, but locals remember a Sinaloan known as Mario “El Bachigualato” as the first modern vendor of fish tacos. He began selling his tortilla-wrapped specialties sometime around 1960 at the Mercado Negro. No, not the seafood market as it exists today, but a loose collection of about 20 stands centered nearby, where Agencia Arjona now sits, that specialized in the black market sale of freshly caught fish – and street food. This makeshift market was finally shut down by authorities after a decade of use in 1967. But not before it produced two iconic regional culinary creations: the fish taco and a seafood stew called “caldo de siete mares”.

According to the Ensenada-based newspaper El Vigía, Mario’s tacos at Mercado Negro were originally meat-based. However, it was a seafood market, so it was only a matter of time before he gave in to requests and started grilling up fish tacos made from cheap and plentiful “angelito,” or angelshark (Squatina californica). Yes, grilling. The earliest versions weren’t breaded or deep fried, and the only topping was a salsa bandera, a type of pico de gallo that takes its name from the fact that its ingredients (green serrano chiles, onion, and tomato) mimic the colors of Mexico’s flag. 

The evolution of a classic comfort food

The success of Mario’s fish tacos soon brought competition from rival stand owners like Tamaulipas native Zeferino Mancilla Fortuna and Pedro Alvarado, each of whom put their stamp on the evolving Baja-style fish taco. The former, for example, is credited as being the first to apply a batter to his fish, while the latter was a pioneer in frying technique. Alvarado’s stand had opened by 1961, making him the second of the fish taco trailblazers at the market. By 1963, Mancilla had set up shop, too. Other taqueros, like Tomás Jiménez, and Aurora Rojas Aguilar, followed.

It’s been about sixty years since the invention of the Baja-style fish taco, although the exact identity of the inventor remains unclear. (Tacos Fenix)

These early fish taco makers at Mercado Negro were scattered when the market was closed in 1967. “El Bachigualato,” reputedly a hard drinker, had already turned his stand over to a woman named Socorro Negrete Rivera in 1963. She later gave Rojas her start before, like the others, she was evicted. That’s when she decided to take her fish tacos to San Felipe. So she’s the probable starter of the trend of fish taco stands there and hers may have been among those visited by a young Ralph Rubio and friends in 1974. 

Although no definitive link has been established to Japanese tempura, the similarities in deep frying cooking methods that ultimately evolved for the fish tacos suggest some connection. Ensenada, notably, welcomed many Japanese immigrants in the early decades of the 20th century, with fishing a popular industry for recent arrivals. So whether taqueros were asked to make their delicacies a certain way for Japanese customers or were inspired after visiting Japanese homes or fish camps, it’s almost certainly true that the Baja-style fish taco is a fusion food. 

The Essential Ingredients of a Baja Fish Taco

Over time, all the signature elements of the Baja-style fish taco were developed at Mercado Negro. These include a beer-battered and deep-fried whitefish. Boneless angel shark remains popular in Ensenada – as do versions made with shrimp – but other species are acceptable. Rubio’s, for example, has always favored pollock. 

The corn tortilla is not negotiable. Nor is the squeeze of lime – at least for traditional preparations. However, lettuce can be used rather than shredded cabbage to accompany the pico de gallo and a “crema” sauce featuring sour cream. 

Where to Find the Perfect Baja Fish Taco

While it may not be the original Baja-style fish taco location, Tacos Floresta has made fans out of hungry locals and food critics alike. (Tacos Floresta)

Aficionados of Baja-style fish tacos will find no shortage of great options. Delicious versions can now be had throughout the Baja California peninsula, from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas. But for those who want to visit the dish’s ancestral home, the oldest extant fish taco purveyor in Ensenada is thought to be Tacos Fénix, which first opened in 1970. It’s still a mecca, nearly as popular with tourists as it is with locals. Tacos Floresta, only a block from Tacos Fénix’s location on Espinoza, also has a long history and many passionate advocates, including the popular food magazine Bon Appétit. 

Can’t wait for your next trip to Baja California? California is close enough. Rubio’s Coastal Grill, after all, has been serving fish tacos there for more than 40 years, nearly as long as the taqueros who inspired its founder across the border. 

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.

Tired of Roma and Condesa? Here are six colonias to take you off the gringo circuit

By
Bethany Platanella
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2
Mexico City no gringos
Get out of your expat bubble and into the real Mexico City by checking out these amazing neighborhoods. (Travesias)

Newsflash! Mexico City is so much more than Roma, Condesa and the Historic Center. While these neighborhoods are indeed captivating, they don’t even scratch the surface of CDMX’s breadth of personality. There are a minimum of 1,806 more neighborhoods in the capital, some of whose development can be traced far beyond even the Mexica, and plenty are worth exploring. It’s time to break out of the comfort zone of Avenida Masaryk and Calle Orizaba and experience Mexico City as it should be appreciated: with no gringos.

Put on your walking shoes and discover a handful of Mexico City’s often-overlooked nooks and crannies, starting with six of my favorites that you may have never heard of.

Escandón, Miguel Hidalgo

Escandón is rapidly developing as the international crowd flocks to the area, but is still close to what Roma and Condesa were 40 years ago. (Bethany Platanella)

Named after the wealthy family who bought the land during the Porfirio era, the Escandón neighborhood is broken into Section I and Section II. My suggestion is that you visit Section I, specifically Calle José María Vigil which is a world of its own. If you take some time to linger over an organic juice at Lavandula Café, you’ll see that everyone on the block knows each other. 

Across the street is a breathtaking yellow and green house that upon further inspection is actually a bakery given away only by a small, rickety sign swaying in the wind, donning the acronym PAN in faded letters.  Pop over to Section II for a nightcap at the 80-plus-year-old Pulquería La Pirata.

What and where to eat: An honest-to-god salad at Lavandula Café.

Nueva Santa María, Azcapotzalco 

Parque Revolución in quiet, leafy Azcapotzalco. (Gob. de CDMX)

If Santa María la Ribera and San Miguel Chapultepec were to join forces and start a family, the offspring would be La Santa María. The neighborhood is centered around Parque Revolución, a vibrant urban lung where you’ll find an outdoor market on the weekends. 

The residential streets that extend from the park are named after plants and flowers and home to families, young couples and affectionate grandparents. Bike beneath the chirping birds through its canopied streets, especially Nueces and Platanales, perhaps stopping for a coffee or a taco en route.

What and where to eat: A to-go vegan tamale from Corazón de Tamal to eat in the park.

San Pedro de los Pinos, Benito Juárez

For a neighborhood so close to fashionable districts like Reforma, San Pedro de los Pinos is surprisingly slept on. (Gob. de CDMX)

I didn’t even know this adorable little gem existed until an acquaintance moved there. I biked the 30 minutes from the Angel of Independence on Reforma and was immediately taken by the multicolored architecture and the extremely chill vibe. There’s a beautiful church just off the main square and a massive, bustling market dedicated almost exclusively to seafood. 

If hanging at the park after some Sinaloa-style tacos gobernador doesn’t appeal to you, knock back a tipple instead at Cantina La Reata de Oro. Before you do, don’t miss your chance to marvel at the spectacular Escuela Secundaria Tomás Garrigue Masaryk, a former convent turned all-girls high school in 1930.

What and where to eat: Mercado San Pedro de Los Pinos for fresh fish tacos.

Mixcoac, Benito Juárez

Once a rural suburb, Mixcoac still retains some of the colonial charm that once attracted Conquistadors to the area. (Mexico Travel Channel)

Nestled next to San Pedro de los Pinos lies a pre-Mexica agricultural center once known for its fertile land and access to water. Years later, Mixcoac became a military and trade hub for the conquistadors, eventually eaten up by the urban sprawl of Mexico City. 

Today, parts of it still retain hints of days past, with cobblestone streets and historic buildings dotting the landscape, kike the Parroquia de Santo Domingo de Guzmán, built in 1595. Relax in its well-preserved Gómez Farías Plaza and definitely do not miss a pop into the gloriously discrete San Juan Bautista church.

What and where to eat: A famous gordita at Taquería Hermanos Luna, or maybe take it to go to enjoy in Parque Hundido.

Chimalistac, Álvaro Obregon

Chimalistec, one of the capital’s oldest settlements, needs to be experienced to be believed. (Vibe Adventures)

One will never truly understand the many sides of Mexico City until stepping foot into the fairy tale that is Chimalistac in the borough of Álvaro Obregón. Historians believe the Tepanecs lived here as far back as the 1330s until they were overthrown by Mexica in 1430. When the Spanish invaded the city, they established orchards and farms that thrived in Chimalistac’s lush environment. 

Walk around its uneven cobblestone streets, below towering trees and over stone bridges that once sat atop tributaries of the Río Magdalena, Mexico City’s last living river. Pop into the tiny Cámara del Secreto chapel, built in 1626, and check out Carlos Slim’s Mexican History Museum.

What and where to eat: Whatever you want in Coyoacán or San Ángel. There’s nothing here but houses, churches, flourishing flora and a large trickling fountain. 

Popotla, Miguel Hidalgo

Popotla: Mexico City no gringos
Popotla feels like a separate town inside the big city. (Bethany Platanella)

When Popotla popped on my radar  through a guided tour, I was instantly smitten. It’s a small town in a big city, with stout, colorful houses adjacent to elegant Porfiriato-era mansions. Aside from the sprawling former Military Academy and Casa Cañitas, Mexico’s most haunted house, Popotla is best known for the remains of the Tree of the Night of Sorrows — officially renamed the Tree of the Victorious night in 2021. 

It was under this tree that Hernán Cortés rested and, according to legend, wept, after being run out of Tenochtitlán by the  Mexica in June 1520. An enormous cypress that lived until the 1980s, the tree is the symbol for the Popotla metro station. Of all the spots on this list, Popotla is the one that is most likely to deliver the “no gringo” experience you’ve been looking for in Mexico City.

What and where to eat: A quesadilla at Tortillería la Reyna, a nondescript corner locale famously immortalized in watercolor by Bolivian artist Ricardo Pérez Alcalá.

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.

Remittances break more records in first 6 months of 2024

By
MND Staff
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1
U.S. dollars
Mexicans received more remittances this past June than any other month on record. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico is on track for a record-setting year in 2024, after more than US $6.2 billion in remittances flowed into Mexico in June — the highest monthly total since records were first kept in 1995.

The Bank of México reported Thursday that remittances — the vast majority of which come from the United States — totaled $6.21 billion in June, an increase of 11.3% compared to the same month of 2023 and a 10.5% jump compared to May.

The total was 6.9% higher than the previous monthly record of $5.81 billion in October 2023.

Over the course of June, Mexico received 14.8 million individual remittance transactions averaging $419 each. Analysts attributed the record inflow to the depreciation of the peso after the June 2 elections.

Given that Mexicans abroad didn’t know whether the weaker peso would persist or whether it would be “transitory,” they likely sought to take advantage of the more favorable exchange rate by sending more dollars than usual to their families in Mexico, according to analysts at the bank BBVA.

Alberto Ramos, head of Latin America economics at Goldman Sachs, also said that the record high remittances total was the result of the depreciation of the peso in June.

Posted currency exchange rates outside of a bank in Mexico in June 2024
A relatively strong dollar in June likely helped make for a record-setting month.(Cuartoscuro)

The peso’s weakest position in June was 18.99 to the US dollar, representing a depreciation of 10.4% compared to the 17.01 USD:MXN exchange rate at the close of markets on the Friday before the elections.

Remittances are a major source of foreign income for Mexico, and many families depend on them to meet their essential needs. They help spur consumer spending in Mexico, which is especially welcome when economic growth is slowing, as was the case in the second quarter of the year.

The vast majority of remittances come from hard-working, honest Mexicans who President Andrés Manuel López Obrador often describes as “heroes.”

However, the think tank Signos Vitales said in a report last year that around 7.5% of the more than US $58 billion in remittances sent to Mexico in 2022 could be linked to drug trafficking.

Remittances topped $31 billion between January and June 

The Bank of México also reported that $31.34 billion in remittances flowed into Mexico in the first six months of 2024, a 3.7% increase compared to the same period of last year.

Mexico received a record $63.31 billion in remittances last year, a 7.6% increase compared to 2022.

People line up in Chiapas, Mexico, to receive remittances from the U.S.
Families from the Chiapas Highlands line up in San Cristobal to receive remittances from the U.S., in 2021. (Isabel Mateos Hinojosa/Cuartoscuro)

It appears likely that Mexico will set a new record for remittances in 2024, especially considering that the peso is currently weaker than it was in the weeks after the elections.

Mexico is the world’s second largest recipient of remittances after India.

Outflows of remittances also up, but still dwarfed by inflows

The Bank of Mexico reported that $111 million in remittances was sent out of Mexico in June, a 26.2% increase compared to the same month last year.

That figure is equivalent to just 1.8% of the total that flowed into Mexico in June.

In the first six months of the year, outflows of remittances increased 33.5% annually to $687 million. That figure is equivalent to 2.2% of total inflows in the same period.

A growing number of migrants are settling in Mexico and finding jobs here, a situation that has contributed to the increase in outflows of remittances this year.

With reports from El Economista and El Financiero 

Earthquake alarm goes off in Mexico City by accident

By
MND Staff
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People stand in the street with dogs and babies after the Mexico City earthquake alarm went off.
Residents evacuated to the street as Mexico City's earthquake alarm began to wail. (Victoria Valtierra Ruvalcaba/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico City residents rushed out of buildings early Friday afternoon when the capital’s earthquake alarm went off.

But it turned out to be a false alarm.

At 1:09 p.m. — 29 minutes after the alarm sounded — the Center for Seismic Instrumentation and Registry (CIRES) issued a statement saying that the alarm’s activation was a mistake.

“During the preparations for the next National Drill that will take place on September 19, we activated by mistake the signal of the Mexican Seismic Alert System today at 12:40,” CIRES said.

The National Seismological Service confirmed on X that no major earthquake that would warrant the activation of the alarm had occurred.

Before reporting the accidental activation of the alarm, CIRES said that an earthquake had in fact occurred near the Puebla-Guerrero border. That post to X was later deleted.

Mexico City Mayor Martí Batres also deleted a social media post referring to an apparent earthquake.

While earthquakes are no laughing matter, there were some humorous responses to CIRES’ post informing citizens that the alarm’s activation was accidentally.

“At least pay for the bolillo [bread roll],” wrote X user Lizzet Arriaga.

That was a reference to the Mexican adage “un bolillo pa’l susto,” or “a bollilo for the fright.”

NBC News reported in 2023 that there is “a scientific basis to support this ancient custom” of eating a bollilo after a fright, as the consumption of one “mitigates the feeling of anguish and emptiness in the stomach,” according to gastroenterologist and researcher Nayeli Ortiz Olvera.

Another social media user suggested that a participant in the government’s apprenticeship program, Youths Building the Future, accidentally activated the earthquake alarm.

“Damn youth destroying the future,” wrote an X user called Jerry Solís.

“Hopefully your work contracts aren’t rescinded by mistake,” wrote user @javosanl. 

Mexico City’s earthquake alarm is amplified through loudspeakers situated across the capital. It usually sounds about a minute before a quake, although the time varies depending on the location epicenter. It gives residents a brief window of opportunity to evacuate to the safety of the street and thus avoid the risk of a building collapse.

The last earthquake that caused major damage in Mexico City was the 7.1 magnitude 2017 Puebla earthquake, which occurred on Sept. 19 of that year.

The temblor, which occurred on the 32nd anniversary of the destructive 1985 Mexico City earthquake, killed 370 people and injured over 6,000.

Mexico News Daily 

Mexican synchronized divers win silver at Paris Olympics

By
MND Staff
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Corporal Olvera and Private Celaya are among a group of high-performance military athletes participating in these Olympics.
Corporal Olvera and Private Celaya are among a group of high-performance military athletes participating in these Olympics. (Comité Olímpico Mexicano)

As Day 7 of the Paris Olympics was winding down on Friday, Mexico earned its second silver silvers of the Games thanks to a dazzling performance by divers Osmar Olvera Ibarra and Juan Manuel Celaya Hernández.

Challenging heavily favored China for the gold in the synchronized 3-meter springboard event, Olvera and Celaya’s powerful and elegant moves had them atop the leaderboard at times, before the duo finished in second place.

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With nine days left before the closing ceremony, Mexico now has two silvers and one bronze medal, just one medal short of the country’s total haul from the 2020 Summer Games, held in 2021 in Tokyo (no gold, no silver, four bronze).

Olvera, a 22-year-old native of Mexico City, and Celaya, a 25-year-old who was born in the Monterrey metropolitan area, accumulated a score of 444.03. The Chinese pair Long Daoyi and Wang Zongyuan, back-to-back world champions, took the gold with 446.10 points, while Great Britain’s team secured the bronze with 438.15 points.The Mexican duo are coached by Ma Jin, who left her native China 21 years ago to become coach of the Mexican national diving team as part of a decades-old Chinese program that pairs coaches with sports teams of other countries.

Jin had a plethora of obstacles to overcome, such as learning a new language and leaving behind her 11-year-old son, whom she didn’t see again until he was 17.

In five Olympics with Mexico, her divers have won four silver medals and three bronze, making the diving team one of Mexico’s most successful Olympic squads along with archery and weightlifting.

Osmar Olvera and Juan Manuel Celaya
The Mexican duo performed complex dives at the Games. (Conade/X)

Olvera and Celaya made history by becoming the first Mexicans to win a medal in the synchronized 3-meter springboard competition.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador took time during a Friday meeting with his security cabinet to congratulate the duo, noting that “they gave satisfaction to all Mexicans.”

He stressed that the competition was “very close” and that the judges “had to make a very difficult decision, because the Mexican duo performed very well, as did the Chinese [duo].”

“So we congratulate them, and keep going [Mexico], because more medals are coming,” the president added.

The Defense Ministry (Sedena) also congratulated the duo, as Corporal Olvera and Private Celaya are among a group of high-performance Mexican military athletes participating in these Olympics.

In the third and fourth rounds of the competition, Olvera and Celaya received standing ovations from the crowd for a pair of dives with high degrees of difficulty. Their final dive had a 3.9 degree of difficulty, making it the most complex dive of the competition.

Their silver medal marked the 16th time in Olympic history that Mexico medaled in the sport of diving. Overall, it was Mexico’s 76th medal in the history of the Summer Olympics.

With reports from El País, El Economista and La Jornada

July rains boost low water levels in Mexico City’s reservoirs

By
MND Staff
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A rainy July day in Toluca, near Mexico City.
A rainy July day in Toluca, México state. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro.com)

​​Reservoir levels in the Cutzamala system, the complex inter-basin transfer that supplies Mexico City with approximately a quarter of its water, have seen an important recovery thanks to above average levels of rain in July.

After record-breaking heat waves in the spring and severe drought conditions across the country, last month saw abundant rainfall in Michoacán and México state — home to the Cutzamala system’s largest reservoirs.

According to the head of the Valley of Mexico Water Basic agency, Cutzamala system reservoirs received 191 millimeters of accumulated rainfall in July, more than July’s historical average of 181 millimeters.

These conditions led to increased infiltration and runoff in the region’s forests, rivers and streams, significantly fueling the Cutzamala system.

In the latest report by the National Water Commission (Conagua) on July 30, the Cutzamala reservoir system was at 32.4% capacity, equivalent to 253.69 million cubic meters of water. At the end of June, the reservoir system was at 26.9% capacity.

These figures are similar to those reached in July last year when the storage level was at 267.9 million cubic meters. However, it is still far below the historical average for late July: 62.2% or 486.4 million cubic meters.

Water treatment facilities, part of the Cutzamala reservoir system, which supplies Mexico City.
The Cutzamala water treatment and reservoir system supplies a quarter of the water used more than 8 million people living in Mexico City. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

To keep the taps running in Mexico City, the Cutzamala system relies on seven reservoirs, six pumping plants, 322 kilometers of canals and tunnels, and a large water treatment plant. The system’s three main reservoirs are Villa Victoria and Valle de Bravo in México state, and El Bosque in Michoacán.

According to Conagua’s report, the storage capacity of the El Bosque reservoir has seen the largest recovery in its levels. It increased from 30.9% on July 1 to 43.2% with 87.35 million cubic meters.

The Valle de Bravo reservoir — the system’s largest with a capacity for 394.4 million cubic meters — rose from 27% to 30.4% with 119.87 million cubic meters. In March, this dam was at its lowest level since 2016, at merely 28% full.

Finally, Villa Victoria went from 22.4% to 25% with 46.47 million cubic meters.

This positive trend is also observed in other reservoirs across Mexico. Conagua reported that of the 210 reservoirs in Mexico, 29 have surpassed 100% storage, 36 are between 75% and 100%, 49 are between 50% and 75%, and 96 are below 50%.

To facilitate the operation of the drainage system in the Valley of Mexico, Conagua is carrying out cleaning and de-silting actions in several sections of the Cutzamala system. Throughout this year, it has removed close to 27,000 tonnes of garbage and over 421,600 cubic meters of silt, for which it has urged residents to properly dispose of garbage as it hinders the drainage system’s operation and causes puddles and flooding risks.

With reports from El Sol de Toluca, Meteored and El Financiero

Traffic chaos on highways to Manzanillo port blamed on inept authorities

By
MND Staff
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Trucks stranded on the highway to Manzanillo
One truck driver died after reportedly suffering a heart attack. He was unable to receive medical attention because of the severe traffic delays. (Hisoymario/X)

Some 5,000 tractor-trailers and other vehicles were stranded for as long as 24 hours between Wednesday and Thursday due to congestion on highways leading to the port in Manzanillo, Colima.

One tractor-trailer driver reportedly died of a heart attack while stuck in traffic, while the occupants of many other vehicles endured hunger and thirst during the lengthy delay.

The congestion caused delays up of up to 24 hours starting on Wednesday. (Vox Populi Noticias/X)

Federal Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez told a security cabinet meeting on Friday morning that “failures in the customs system” at the port in Manzanillo caused traffic to come to a standstill.

She said that more than 5,000 freight trucks faced lengthy delays. Entrances to the port area were opened at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Rodríguez said.

The newspaper Reforma reported that Mexico’s National Customs Agency was forced to close the port to tractor-trailers at 5 p.m. on Wednesday due to failures in its system after a storm in Manzanillo on Tuesday caused power outages.

However, the Manzanillo Port Community (Copoma), which represents the companies that use Mexico’s largest port, said in a statement on Thursday that all Customs systems as well as other information systems in the port were working correctly and had not experienced “any kind of failure or problem.”

The port of Manzanillo, Colima
Manzanillo is Mexico’s largest port and is today managed by the Mexican Navy. (Cuartoscuro)

The Naval Ministry (SEMAR), which manages the port, also said in a statement on Thursday that all systems were working “without any kind of problem.”

The news magazine Proceso reported that freight truck drivers and others accused port authorities of causing the traffic chaos, asserting that they were unable to access a large truck holding yard because it had been leased to private interests.

Whatever the cause of the congestion, the delays proved costly for transport companies.

Jorge Montufar, an official with the national trucking association Canacar, estimated the losses at 100 million pesos (US $5.2 million).

Cranes also reportedly out of action at Manzanillo port 

In addition to reporting on failures in the customs systems at the Manzanillo port, Reforma said that some cranes used to handle containers were out of action.

Yax Tzel Nolasco, a representative of the Manzanillo Freight Truckers Union, said that a broadband internet outage at the port prevented the operation of cranes at two port terminals.

Reforma reported that the traffic jam caused by problems at the port extended around 63 kilometers from Manzanillo to Tecomán, a coastal municipality that borders the state of Michoacán. Federal Highway 200 runs between the two cities. Reforma also said that a few secondary highways in Colima were clogged with traffic.

Videos were posted to social media showing the extent of the congestion.

In addition to trucks, cars and buses, some of which were transporting tourists to Manzanillo, also faced lengthy delays.

Miguel Ángel Landeros, president of the western Mexico branch of the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, said that it is currently “high season” and as a result, 20-25% more containers are arriving at the Manzanillo port, placing additional pressure on customs and port authorities.

“They didn’t anticipate that a situation like this could occur. … The appointments given by the [port] terminals couldn’t be attended to and trucks began to accumulate,” he said.

Truckers: Inability to access holding yard caused highway ‘collapse’

Proceso said it received a document from truckers, freight brokers and logistics operators in which they accused the National Port System Administration (Asipona) of causing the traffic jam in Colima. They claimed that Asipona leased to private interests a 170-hectare holding yard, where trucks were previously directed to park before entering the port.

Stranded truckers told the newspaper El Universal that it was the “worst highway congestion” they had ever experienced.

Manzanillo Mayor Griselda Martínez attributed blame to various agencies, including Asipona.

Mayor Griselda Martínez of Manzanillo
Mayor Martínez of Manzanillo posted a video message saying that port authorities as well as federal authorities were to blame. (Griselda Martínez/Facebook)

In a video message on social media, she said that “this emergency situation was caused by the lack of capacity of terminals inside the port, the lack of attention from customs, the lack of logistics on the part of Asipona and the lack of capacity of the National Guard to operate highways.”

The mayor said she would file a complaint with the Colima Human Rights Commission “against those who repeatedly cause these highway collapses.”

The problem is the highway, not the port, says SEMAR 

A statement issued by the navy, which also bears the Asipona logo, said that entrances to the port precinct were “free” and terminals inside the port were “empty.”

The navy called on operators of “external” holding yards to “speed up” the entry of freight trucks in order to clear the highway more quickly.

“The highway collapse is … outside the port,” the navy said before calling on municipal authorities to “take coordinated actions with the National Guard” and Asipona “that contribute to the clearing of highways.”

The Manzanillo Port Community also said that “the main problem” is on highways outside the port. Copoma also said that the entrances to the port were clear and terminals were empty.

Heart attack victim unable to reach hospital due to traffic chaos 

Various media reports said that a truck driver suffered a heart attack at the wheel of his vehicle and died before he received medical attention. The traffic prevented the rapid transfer of the driver to the hospital. Some reports said the victim was “foreign,” but no further details were given.

Security Minister Rodríguez acknowledged the reports of the driver’s death at the Friday morning security cabinet meeting.

Many other people stranded on the highway endured long periods without food or water.

Manzanillo authorities eventually dispatched Civil Protection personnel to hand out food and beverages to truckers and other motorists. Some motorists took to social media to request food and water, and at least one person called on Manzanillo residents to go out to the highway — on motorbikes, perhaps — to sell food and drinks.

“You will sell whatever you take, they’re hungry and thirsty, including my brother,” the person wrote on social media.

With reports from Reforma, Proceso and Aristegui Noticias 

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