A couple brings their own shade to a Mexico City park in late March. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
Brace yourself for a hot week in Mexico with the arrival of the season’s first official heat wave.
The National Meteorological Service (SMN) predicts that temperatures are set to rise up to 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in the southeastern states of Campeche, Chiapas, Guerrero, Tabasco, Oaxaca and Veracruz, as well as the northern state of Sinaloa.
Scorching temperatures between 40 to 45 degrees Celsius are forecast for Coahuila, Colima, Jalisco, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo León and Yucatán.
Temperatures between 35 to 40 degrees are expected in Chihuahua, Durango, southwest México state, southern Guanajuato, northern Hidalgo, southwest Puebla, Quintana Roo, southern San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas.
Meanwhile, Aguascalientes, Baja Southern California, Mexico City, Querétaro and Tlaxcala will see temperatures range between 30 to 35 degrees Celsius.
The heatwave, which began on Sunday, has already brought record temperatures for Mexico City. On Sunday afternoon, the Meteorological Observatory of Tacubaya registered 32.9 degreesCelsius, exceeding the previous record of 32 degrees Celsius registered by the observatory on the same day in 1998.
☀️🥵 Esta tarde se estableció un nuevo récord histórico de #Temperatura máxima, para un día como hoy, 14 de abril. En el Observatorio #Meteorológico de Tacubaya, del #SMNmx, se registraron 32.9 grados #Celsius, que superaron los 32.0 grados alcanzados en 1998.
On April 14, Mexico City recorded a temperature of 32.9 degrees Celsius, the hottest temperature in the area in recorded history.
The SMN explained on its X account that Mexico’s current heatwave is caused by a semi-stationary anticyclonic system that inhibits cloud formation, increasing temperatures.
Due to the high temperatures, the population is advised to take preventive measures such as staying hydrated and closely monitoring chronically ill people, children and older adults. Authorities also recommend avoiding eating street food as the heat will increase the risk of foodborne illness.
Scattered rains and low temperatures are forecast in other parts of Mexico
Meanwhile, some lucky regions will see scattered rainfall (from 5 to 25 millimeters) due to low pressure channels over the middle of the country. These regions include Chiapas, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Michoacán and Querétaro. Isolated showers (from 0.1 to 5 mm) are forecast in Coahuila, State of Mexico, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas.
Meanwhile, northern cold front number 46 will cause wind gusts of 80 to 100 kilometers per hour (km/h) in Chihuahua and Sonora, with whirlwinds and dust devils likely. Coahuila, northern Nuevo León and northeastern Tamaulipas may also feel the chill with winds forecast to reach 60 to 80 km/h.
The cold front will cause lows ranging between -5 to 5 degrees Celsius in the mountainous areas of Baja California, Chihuahua, Durango, México state, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Puebla, Sonora, Tlaxcala and Veracruz.
Vendors, tourists and locals mingle in the streets of downtown San Miguel de Allende. (Lauren King/Unsplash)
Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards has recognized San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, as Mexico’s best tourist destination, according to media reports on the awards that took place during the Tianguis Turístico 2024 in Acapulco.
The Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best title recognizes the highest level of excellence in travel. “Out of our 8 million listings, fewer than 1% achieve this milestone,” Tripadvisor says on its website, which has yet to show the new award information.
The sun sets behind San Miguel’s Church of the Immaculate Conception. (Daniels Joffe/Unsplash)
The accolade is awarded to “those who receive a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month period,” the platform says. Previously, such recognition belonged to Cancún.
“It’s the type of place that our readers come back to, year in and year out, and a destination where many travelers want to put down roots,” T+L said of San Miguel de Allende, which surpassed cities on the ranking like Florence (No. 6), Tokyo (No. 19) or Rome (No. 14).
Located in the far eastern part of Guanajuato in the Bajío region, San Miguel de Allende stands out for it’s cultural and culinary offerings and is a popular destination for wellness tourism. Moreover, it is a historical city that combines Spanish heritage with Indigenous traditions.
San Miguel de Allende is renowned for its historic colonial-era churches and historic downtown. (Jillian Kim/Unsplash)
Because of its location in central Mexico, San Miguel de Allende acted as a “melting pot” where Spanish immigrants, Mexicans of Spanish heritage and the Indigenous communities “exchanged cultural influences” and “human values,” UNESCO says.
Moreover, the city is a perfect example of buildings in the style of the Mexican Baroque. “Some of these buildings are masterpieces of the style that evolved in the transition from Baroque to neoclassical,” according to the UNESCO website.
As one of Mexico’s most visited cities, San Miguel de Allende saw over 2 million visitors in 2023, surpassing the numbers from 2022 — when it received 1.8 million tourists — and setting a new record for the small city.
“This consolidates San Miguel de Allende as a world-class tourist destination and without a doubt one of the most important destinations in the country,” San Miguel de Allende’s Mayor, Mauricio Trejo, said at the time.
The YouTuber known as El Purepeche's documentation of Lake Patzcuaro's dry lakebed drew the attention of web denizens across a range of social media platforms. (Screenshot)
Lake Pátzcuaro, a jewel of Mexico loved by locals and tourists alike, is facing an alarming decline in water level — a development driven home by a video posted on YouTube last week that went viral.
Titled “You can cross Lake Pátzcuaro, Michoacán without a boat,” the 25-minute video exposes vast amounts of dry, cracked lakebed where there used to be deep waters and lanchas taking tourists to the emblematic island of Janitzio.
That video and shorter versions on other social media sites have been viewed over 950,000 times combined.
The sharer of the initial video, “El Purepeche,” isn’t quite able to walk all the way to Janitzio. The tourist-friendly island, topped by an iconic, 40-meter statue of José María Morelos, is still surrounded by a channel of water.
But his point is made.
“Today, the most famous lake in Mexico is in a deep crisis caused mainly by the theft of water,” said Serapio Cruz Guzmán, president of the Janitzio Island Communal Council.
La crisis del agua en Michoacán se refleja en sus lagos cada vez más secos advirtiendo su extinción
A clip of the video shared by the Michoacán news site Changoonga. (X)
The lake, on a volcanic plateau at 2,195 meters (7,200 feet) above sea level, has been ravaged by drought along with avocado and berry farmers who are said to be tapping into the lake to irrigate their crops.
A report last month on the Televisa news site N+ noted that Lake Pátzcuaro was at 50% of its normal level.
Overall, Michoacán is in dire straits: 97.3% of the state is facing severe drought conditions, with 63 municipalities at the most extreme levels, and state reservoirs were at only 59% of capacity as of last week.
Beyond drought, experts point to water theft as a major factor in Lake Pátzcuaro’s shrinkage. Determined to combat this, authorities this month began deploying dozens of uniformed civil guard officers equipped with drones and patrol vehicles to monitor the lake.
These efforts seem to be yielding some results, with initial reports suggesting the interception of 600,000 liters of illegal water extraction daily.
Additionally, the Interdisciplinary Committee in Defense of Lake Pátzcuaro was formed to bring together various stakeholders to tackle the crisis. Their focus includes addressing the root causes of the lake’s decline, such as deforestation (in order to plant more and more avocado trees) and inflowing pollution and wastewater.
Lake Pátzcuaro is not just a water source. It’s a cultural and ecological treasure that the surrounding communities, renowned for their Day of the Dead traditions, rely on for tourism and fishing. It is also an important habitat for various species of waterfowl and fish, and includes five islands.
The island of Janitzio in Lake Pátzcuaro is famous for its dramatic Day of the Dead celebrations. (File photo)
Concern over Lake Pátzcuaro is not a new phenomenon. In 2020, there was a drive by four lakeside municipalities — Pátzcuaro, Erongarícuaro, Quiroga and Tzintzuntzan — to create a comprehensive restoration plan to reverse the lake’s pollution and below-optimal water levels.
In recent months, residents of Pátzcuaro, which has a population of 98,000, protested the ongoing water shortages by washing clothing in the fountain at the city’s main square, Plaza Vasco de Quiroga.
“What a shame and a pity,” one user wrote after viewing the viral video. “It is a sign from Mother Nature so we can raise awareness.”
Until the contamination is cleared up, residents of Benito Juárez who detect a foul smell in their tap water should use purified water for drinking and cooking. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
The Mexico City water authority (Sacmex) warned those living in the Benito Juárez borough not to drink foul-smelling water, or use it to brush their teeth or give it to pets, after city authorities advised residents last week that contamination will continue to affect the water supply for another two weeks.
Criticized for being slow to react to the emerging crisis after residents began reporting complaints in late March, the capital government has taken steps to address the contamination, but the situation — like the water — remains murky.
Benito Juarez residents will likely be dealing with unsafe tap water for another two weeks, said city civil protection and risk management official Miriam Urzúa. (Martí Batres/X)
Mexico City Mayor Martí Batres on Sunday announced that his government had set up a second command center in the Nápoles neighborhood of Benito Juárez and the Naval Ministry (SEMAR) had installed a potable water apparatus. The city also delivered several hundred 20-liter bottles of purified water for residents of affected neighborhoods, including Nonoalco, Nochebuena, Del Valle and Tlacoquemécatl.
The city has begun emptying and sterilizing cisterns across the borough, with the newspaper El Financiero reporting that three wells had been secured by the National Guard. Sacmex, however, said the Miraflores, Jardín Pombo and Rosendo Arnaiz wells had already been inspected by the agency and found no evidence of vandalism or of gasoline in the system.
Sacmex is still trying to pinpoint the cause of the water contamination in Benito Juárez after saying a week ago that they had traced the problem to the Alfonso XIII well. Though located in the neighboring borough of Álvaro Obregón, the Alfonso XIII well supplies water to the areas of Benito Juárez that are currently dealing with contaminated tap water.
National oil company Pemex said it had examined an oil duct that passes within meters of the Alfonso XIII well and found the pipeline to be undamaged. “We did not see any fissure, leakage or evidence of an illegal tap on the duct,” director of Pemex Logistics Javier Emiliano González told the newspaper La Jornada.
Mexico City residents take bottles of drinking water from a distribution point in the Benito Juárez neighborhood, where a mysterious contamination of the water supply has occurred. (Cuartoscuro)
Early speculation was that criminals siphoning oil from a Pemex pipeline — an increasingly frequent occurrence in Mexico City, according to the newspaper Reforma — had caused a leak that had infiltrated the city’s water distribution system.
On Friday, Pemex confirmed that trace amounts of oil derivatives and industrial lubricants had been found in water taken from taps in Benito Juárez.
A Pemex official told La Jornada newspaper that the amount of contaminants was so minuscule it had not been detected in initial tests.
Over the weekend, Mayor Batres insisted the contamination does not pose serious risks to public health but cautioned residents of Benito Juárez to avoid drinking the water, urging them to cook food, brush their teeth and provide their pets with purified and bottled water.
“The water from your taps should only be used for washing dishes, washing cars, cleaning floors and patios and for flushing your toilets,” Batres said.
As of Monday afternoon, no statements have been made as to what caused the contamination.
The crash occurred in the Coyoacán borough of Mexico City on Sunday. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
UPDATE:
On Monday night, after the publication of this story, the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office published a statement indicating the two passengers (one man, one woman) aboard the helicopter were foreigners, however their identity has not been confirmed as of Tuesday morning. Reforma newspaper reported late Monday that sources close to the investigation say the victims were Korean.
Three people were killed on Sunday afternoon when a helicopter operated by a tour company crashed in southern Mexico City.
The cause of the accident that claimed the lives of the pilot and two passengers appeared to be engine failure, according to the federal Infrastructure, Communications and Transport Ministry (SICT).
The helicopter crashed into a public transport maintenance facility. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
The Bell 206B helicopter operated by the company Let’s Fly came down in the borough of Coyoacán and crashed into a public transport maintenance facility. The aircraft burst into flames upon impact.
Police, firefighters and paramedics all responded to the crash, which occurred at a location near University City, the main campus of the National Autonomous University, or UNAM.
Some local residents also rushed to the scene, but nothing could be done to save the lives of the three people on board the helicopter.
Mexico City Security Minister Pablo Vázquez Camacho said on the X social media platform Sunday evening that the general population was not at risk from the accident and that there was no danger to nearby homes.
The Mexico City Attorney General’s Office said on X that it had begun an investigation and that its personnel were at the scene of the crash.
On Monday morning, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador sent his condolences to the families of the three victims, and paid tribute to the pilot “because everything indicates that he maneuvered [the helicopter] so as to not fall where there were homes with families.”
The pilot was identified as Armando Cervantes. SICT said on X he had a commercial helicopter pilot’s license that was valid until January 2025.
Francisco Ahumada, a business owner in Coyoacán, told the newspaper El Universal that he saw the helicopter nose-dive before it crashed. He said the aircraft “exploded” into flames when it hit the ground.
Benjamín Gallardo said that he and other stall holders at a tianguis, or street market, thought the helicopter was going to come down on top of them.
“But it ended up in the repair yard, we heard a horrible explosion,” he said.
The helicopter took off from the Mexico City airport and intended to land there, according to El Universal.
Let’s Fly says on its website that it offers “the opportunity to live a unique and different adventure in Mexico City.”
“With us you can fly by helicopter over the most emblematic and spectacular places in the capital, enjoying a panoramic and exceptional view that will leave you breathless,” the company says.
Dennis Walker is the man behind Mycopreneur, a satirical look at the space where mushroom culture and international living collide. (Dennis Walker/Mycopreneur)
Vegan tacos aside, when you think about mushrooms in Mexico, what comes to mind? Frolicking through the lush, green forests of San Jose del Pacifico? Chasing elves and fairies through trees that appear to be breathing? Watching multi-colored clouds transform into real life, shimmering animals, only to disappear into dust when you touch them?
When I scheduled an interview with Mexico-based mushroom enthusiast Dennis Walker, this is exactly the conversation I envisioned. I figured if I didn’t come out with the necessary information for an article, I’d at least get hooked up with a reputable shaman to help me find God during a visit to Tulum. I mean, why else take mushrooms in Mexico, am I right?
Mexico has become increasingly synonymous with magic mushrooms in recent years, with some mixed results for the indigenous communities that hold them sacred. (Wikimedia Commons)
Turns out, I’m not.
This is not the world of fungi in which the owner of Mycopreneur, the leading mushroom publication which follows the emerging psychedelic industry and the cultural, historical, spiritual and medicinal use of traditional functional mushrooms, lives.
Dennis entered my life as many do these days, through social media. I watched his satirical video about expats in CDMX, a group into which I am unfortunately lumped. It made me laugh so much that I reached out to hear his thoughts on life as an entrepreneur in Mexico and his opinion of the best magic mushroom retreats within driving distance.
What I learned was just as profound as a weekend of psychedelics. I came out of our chat with a deeper respect for mycology and an understanding of how we, as expat immigrants, can assimilate into our chosen society.
At 17, Dennis tried magic mushrooms for the first time and had a “pivotal, transformative, cathartic experience”. There were no lingering side effects, minus the shift in how he viewed life as a whole. He was fascinated by the fact that the source was natural as opposed to lab-created, and his investigation began.
He found himself in Mexico, where mushrooms are revered and used in a variety of ways, from taco fillings to healing teas. It felt familiar and comfortable to be here. Growing up in San Diego had intertwined Dennis with Mexican culture, even prompting him to produce a documentary about life on the border in 2017. After graduating university he worked as a high school teacher in Southern California, but his interest in mushrooms remained.
During summer breaks, he’d return to Mexico, introducing himself to the indigenous communities fighting to conserve and protect the fragile fungi. Dennis got involved with groups like Cooperativa Simbiosis in Mexico City, Fungaria in Chiapas, and Fungipeople in Jalisco. He worked with them to organize events like cooking classes, conservation techniques, and even mushroom beer brewing. He learned how and when to forage, which species are used ceremoniously and why, and how to grow his own.
As this fascinating world of mycology unfolded, Dennis left the education industry to support his fellow mycologists through an online platform, a podcast, and international speaking engagements. He relocated to Mexico, where, as he puts it, “I found a sense of charm and character that I don’t sense in the US.”
Walker says that mushrooms help to “[Put] me in touch with nature, my health, and my community.” (Magaly Rayita)I didn’t write this piece with the intention of making you eat more mushrooms. I wrote this because after my talk with Dennis I understood that it was his love of fungi that assimilated him into a life in Mexico. Dennis has succeeded where few have even attempted — he’s been incorporated into local societies from urban to indigenous. When asked how mushrooms have improved his life, Dennis told me this: “We live in an age where everyone is trying to reduce everything to the sum of its parts. The joy of [foraging for and learning about] mushrooms restored in me a childlike sense of wonder. It puts me in touch with nature, my health, and my community.”
That’s when the light bulb went off. It was his passion that didn’t just take him down a new path professionally and personally, but directly into a society that welcomed him with open arms. Isn’t that what we, as expats, are ultimately looking for?
A fusion like this doesn’t happen on its own. As Dennis puts it, it’s “incumbent on people moving to a new place to work on assimilating, integrating, and building connections locally”. Diving into something you love alongside others who share that love is paramount to connecting with your adopted community.
Expat doesn’t have to mean “foreign”.
What do you want to do more of? Learn more of? Experience more of?
Let your interests guide you, and Mexico will open its doors.
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 Lettersin your inbox, peruse her blog, or follow her on Instagram.
While cannabis was partially legalized in Mexico in 2021, the legal situation around the drug remains murky. (Grav/Unsplash)
4/20 is near, and people in Mexico want to know where we are on the legal status of cannabis. Mexico’s relationship with cannabis has been a long and complicated one. While hemp, a variety of cannabis with low psychoactive properties, has been used for textiles and rope for centuries, the psychoactive cannabis, marijuana, has had a more turbulent journey. Decriminalized in small quantities in 2009, the plant took a historic leap in 2021 with Supreme Court rulings legalizing recreational and medicinal use. However, the legal landscape of cannabis in Mexico is still under construction.
The Past:
Cannabis in Mexico has some interesting periods of cultivation, medicinal use, and even prohibition.
Legendary Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa (center) smoking “marihuana.” (Higher Collective/Facebook)
Introduction (16th Century): The Spanish brought cannabis to Mexico, primarily for its industrial use as hemp for making rope and textiles.
Uses (19th Century): After Mexico gained independence, hemp cultivation declined. By the late 19th century, recreational cannabis use, known as “marihuana” in Mexico, became more prevalent.
Prohibition (20th Century): Concerns about violence and social disorder led to a ban on cannabis use in military hospitals in 1882. Fueled by negative media portrayal and international drug control trends, Mexico fully prohibited cannabis production, sale, and recreational use in 1920. This ban continues today.
The Present:
In the corridors of Mexico’s Congress, marijuana regulation hangs in limbo. Since the LXIV Legislature commenced its term in September 2018, 13 initiatives aiming to regulate recreational marijuana use and its derivatives have been introduced. However, 12 of these initiatives remain among the labyrinthine committees of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, leaving the nation in a state of legislative inertia.
Cannabis accessories are already sold in Mexico, but their legal status is still dubious. (Galo Cañas Rodríguez/Cuartoscuro)
Among prominent proposals lies the initiative championed by former Morena senator Gerardo Novelo Osuna, a stalwart figure in the marijuana legalization discourse. Introduced in October 2019, Novelo Osuna’s initiative advocates for creating the General Law for the Regulation, Control, and Use of Cannabis and its derivatives. This bill endeavors to reform various articles within the General Health Law, the Federal Criminal Code, and the Law of the Special Tax on Production and Services.
At its core, Novelo Osuna’s proposal seeks to delineate the identification of cannabinoids, decriminalize possession for personal consumption (set at 28 grams), and establish a regulatory framework governing the cultivation, production, sale, and consumption of cannabis. Moreover, it addresses taxation intricacies, with proposed modifications to the Law of Special Tax on Production and Services targeting products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) within specified thresholds.
Echoing the chorus for reform, Senator Clemente Castañeda of Movimiento Ciudadano (MC) presented an initiative in September 2018, advocating for amnesty for individuals incarcerated due to cannabis-related offenses. This proposal underscores the societal repercussions of punitive measures stemming from cannabis prohibition, signaling a call for compassion and rectification within the justice system.
Further diversifying the legislative landscape is the initiative by PAN Deputy Éctor Ramírez, currently under review in the Health Commission of San Lázaro. Ramírez’s proposal aims to regulate the utilization of non-psychoactive cannabis within cosmetic products. By delineating thresholds for psychoactive substances and facilitating the manufacture, importation, and commercialization of hemp-infused cosmetics, the bill seeks to harness the economic potential of cannabis derivatives while ensuring consumer safety.
Currently, cannabis is legal to possess but not to buy, as Congress continues to stall on legalization. (Shelby Ireland/Unsplash)
The Supreme Court’s 2021 decision legalized recreational use with a caveat – permits are still required. However, the process for obtaining these permits hasn’t been established by the health regulatory agency COFEPRIS, leaving recreational users in legal limbo. Technically, possessing up to 28 grams and growing up to six plants at home is legal for adults over 18, but lacking a formal framework creates uncertainty. It is legal to possess but not to buy, so the legal framework is needed.
The legislative impasse persists, casting a shadow over Mexico’s aspirations to align with global trends in marijuana regulation. Despite efforts to emulate the successes of Uruguay, Chile, and Canada in legalizing recreational marijuana, substantive debates surrounding penalties for possession and consumption linger, reflecting the delicate balance between public health concerns and individual liberties.
Also, foreigners should be cautious – while possessing small amounts may be decriminalized for residents, tourists could face stricter consequences.
The Future:
Mexico’s cannabis legalization is a landmark decision, but the road to a fully functioning legal market is still complicated. The Mexican Congress must draft and pass regulations establishing a system for licensing producers, retailers, and distributors. This will likely take time, with potential revisions based on experiences in other countries.
The MMGY Travel Intelligence survey – called the Cannabis Tourism: Opportunities, Issues and Strategies report – found that 29% of all active leisure travelers, and 18% of all Americans, are interested in cannabis-related activities on vacation. If the recreational market in Mexico were regulated today, it would reach a value of US $230 million in 2024.
Legislation on cannabis is important because it will prevent large interests from taking advantage of the market, train small and medium-sized companies, and provide education to prevent addictions, issues on which his organization is working.
Camila Sánchez Bolaño is a journalist, feminist, bookseller, lecturer, and cultural promoter and is Editor in Chief of Newsweek en Español magazine.
Some days, you just need an expert to come to your house and treat you well. Mexico News Daily's list of tried and true beauty and wellness experts will help make that dream a reality. (Scape)
This article contains exclusive discounts for readers. Mexico News Daily is not affiliated with Glitzi or Scape.
Mexico is one of the countries with the highest growth in the wellness industry, with a market representing a size of over US $46 billion – and for good reason.
The country’s spa scene truly shines, offering an array of tempting options and enviable talent. Among Mexico’s best-kept secrets is its multitude of affordable, high-quality at-home spa and beauty services. From massages to manicures, facials, makeup artistry, and styling services, the list of possibilities is endless. With just a few taps on a smartphone, you can summon professionals to your doorstep, transforming your home (or hotel room) into a personal oasis of relaxation and indulgence. Coveted luxuries once only available to kings and queens are now available for download at prices that often rival those of brick-and-mortar locations.
Does anything beat the comfort of a good massage in your own home? (Zen 2 Go/Facebook)
Unwind with a massage delivered straight to your door
My first experience with the delight of at-home spa services took place in a cozy studio I was renting in Roma Norte. A friend had sworn by a booking app she used for scheduling massages and facials. After a grueling work week that left me tense and mentally depleted, I wanted nothing more than to unwind and experience what she had called “heaven at home.”
Lounging on my couch, I downloaded the app, selected a deep-tissue massage from an array of delectable options, chose a time for that evening, requested a female masseuse and plugged in my payment details. Four hours later, heaven knocked on my door in the form of a petite, uniform-clad lady.
“Hola,” she said, peering in as I opened the door. “Masaje relajante?” Efficiently rolling in a folded massage table, she promptly set up a station with fresh sheets, aromatherapy and a speaker spouting twinkling wind chimes and rainforest sounds. I dimmed the lights, dropped my towel and hopped onto the massage bed. With a gentle waft of aromatherapy, heaven began. For an hour, Paty kneaded and shaped me like a batch of focaccia dough, and I loved every minute of it.
Since then, I’ve unabashedly become an at-home service addict of sorts, booking and sampling a variety of experiences, both alone and with friends.
Need an emergency manicure? Glitzi has you covered. (Glitzi/Instagram)
Get help with beauty emergencies in moments
During one such instance, horrified at the state of my toenails before a beachy trip to Puerto Escondido with a girlfriend, I hurriedly booked us at-home mani-pedis. Two gracious nail technicians serviced us amidst piles of suitcases and clothes strewn about in a last-minute packing frenzy. Our freshly exfoliated feet soaking in basins of warm lavender water, we relaxed and gossiped as an episode of Netflix’s “Love is Blind” buzzed away in the background.
A few weeks later, preparing to attend a Vogue Magazine gala celebrating Día de los Muertos in November, I booked hair and makeup services to elevate my glam game. After a strategic consultation rivaling those of battle generals, my makeup artist got to work. As I sipped chilled albariño in my living room, obediently pursing my lips and shutting my eyes when instructed, she worked her magic to produce stunning results. Later that night, I felt very much the belle of the ball at the celebrity-studded event in trendy Juárez.
Whether in need of a “sparty” with the gals, professional glam for a special event, emergency beautifying or a set of relaxing experiences to surprise the wife — gentlemen, take note! — these easy-to-book, reliable services don’t disappoint.
Below, we’ll uncover the two must-have main players in the at-home wellness and beauty booking space, along with a few other honorable mentions. Most of these apps are in Spanish, but it’s nothing that Google Translate won’t tackle. We’ve also negotiated some discounts for MND readers… because you all deserve to be treated like royalty.
Read on for some exclusive discounts for MND readers, and get relaxed in no time. (Zen 2 Go)
Glitzi
At the top of our list is Glitzi, a service that has become something of a titan in the realm of on-demand spa and beauty treatments. With the most extensive repertoire of offerings, Glitzi’s catalog is undeniably the most comprehensive in the at-home pampering sphere, offering an expansive array of services to four major cities in Mexico: Mexico City, Queretaro, Monterrey and Guadalajara.
Glitzi’s reasonably-priced options run the gamut from massages of all varieties including Lomi Lomi & prenatal, basic facials, manicures and pedicures, barbershop services for men, haircuts for the entire family, color and keratin treatments, styling and updos, makeup applications, as well as eyelash and eyebrow grooming. Bundled packages combining different treatments at a discounted rate are also available.
Among Glitzi’s standout offerings is maderotherapy, a massage technique rooted in ancient Colombian holistic healing practices that utilizes anatomically designed wooden tools. The practice is purported to provide a litany of benefits, including cellulite reduction, pain management, increased flexibility, deep relaxation and weight loss. Other unique Glitzi services include lymphatic drainage, chocolate massage and foot reflexology. While Glitzi’s massage therapists and glam technicians each have their distinct style, each experience ends up somehow being exactly what you needed.
Massages range from 700 pesos for a 60-minute basic decontracting massage, to 1340 peso, 90-minute ayurvedic massages, while makeup services hover at around 1350 pesos for predetermined looks.
There is almost no service that Glitzi doesn’t seem to offer, from maderotherapy to haircuts. (Glitzi/Instagram)
Exclusively for MND readers, use code MNDWELLNESS to receive a discount of MXN 150 off your first booking.
Scape
If Glitzi is the fun, versatile sibling who dabbles in a myriad of pursuits and nails them brilliantly, then Scape is the posh and sophisticated older sister who has spent years abroad in Europe. Founded in 2018 by Swedish wellness entrepreneur Helle Jeppsson, Scape specializes in a tightly curated selection of quality-assured luxurious spa services, keeping its focus primarily on facials and massages. With operations spanning 25 cities across Mexico – from CDMX and Cancún to San Miguel de Allende and Puebla — Scape boasts the nation’s broadest coverage for at-home pampering.
Because each of its massage therapists undergoes proprietary training from Scape and works with a vetted set of products, clients can expect a high level of consistency and quality of treatments. The company’s therapists also engage in ongoing training and educational programs, continuously honing their craft with new techniques and modalities.
Scape’s minimalist massage menu centers on four core varieties – sports, prenatal, deep tissue, and relaxing, with treatments ranging from 990 pesos for a standard 60-minute escape to 1690 for a luxurious 2-hour at-home retreat. Massages employ products from Scape’s own Nordic-inspired Mys line, which features some of the most deliciously-scented aromatherapy oils I’ve ever encountered, along with sumptuous body oils.
For facial enthusiasts, the company offers a bespoke selection of five facial treatments tailored to address a variety of skin needs. With specialized options like the Teen Facial catering to adolescent skin concerns and a Vitamin C facial for brightness, Scape leverages spa-grade products from Spanish brand Natura Bissé, alongside facial technology tools from Swedish brand Foreo.
Scape offers clients a touch of European sophistication and luxury. (Scape)
Use code MNDWELLNESS15 for a 15% discount on your first booking or gift certificate to Scape.
Honorable Mentions
Some of the other fabulous players in the on-demand wellness and beauty space include Glam2Go, which focuses on makeup and beauty services in 8 major cities, and Zen to Go, which hones in on massages in 10 cities.
These incredible at-home experiences prove that some of the best massages in Mexico City … can often be found right in the comfort of your own home! Have you tried any of these apps? Let us know in the comments below!
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.
Want to learn Spanish from the comfort of your sofa? Look no further than our guide to the best Mexican Netflix shows. (Netflix)
I love watching TV and movies, and I’m not embarrassed to admit it. After all, we humans are practically programmed to really get into a good story.
I’m also a fan of watching Mexican TV (and Netflix) specifically for learning purposes. With technology that lets us put on subtitles at will, watching local shows and movies is a fantastic way to study both Spanish and Mexican culture, and one that I’ve long recommended.
Watching Mexican shows like Ojitos de Huevo can give you more than just new language skills – it can open the door to learning more about other cultures as well. (Netflix)
To help you enjoy them as much as I do, I’ve come up with a list of recent Mexican TV shows that you can find on some of the major platform services available — one is hosted on Disney, and the rest are on Netflix.
I’ve tried to stick to lighthearted comedies and a couple of intriguing dramas, but there’s certainly more out there — especially if you expand your search to film! Mexico has an astoundingly varied and storied film history, so it’s worth a much deeper dive than we’re taking here for those especially interested.
El Galán
This is an adorable show that I got to know because I was on the subtitling team for it a couple of years ago, and I… think I’m allowed to say that. It centers around an aging telenovela (soap opera) star looking for a comeback in his native Mexico after a couple of decades performing on cruise ships. Back in Mexico, he realizes that the world has changed quite a bit since his popularity as a womanizing and — let’s admit — obliviously sexist leading man. This is a comedy that follows this flawed but loveable ex-star as he tries to find his footing once again in a world with very different sensibilities than the one he found so much success in before.
La Casa de las Flores
La Casa de las Flores | Anuncio Fecha de Estreno Temporada 2
This might be my favorite modern Mexican TV show, and was so popular that it resulted in several spin-offs. This dark comedy centers around a wealthy family in Mexico City — as many Mexican shows do, admittedly — whose wealth was built initially by a flower shop. The show begins with a startling mystery and features some of the best comedic acting I’ve seen. My favorite character is one of the older sisters – especially since she speaks very, very slowly, making dialogue easy to follow. If you only have time for one show, make it this one!
Club de Cuervos
Club de Cuervos | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix
For an incredibly humorous deep dive into the world of Whitexicans, you can’t get much better than “Club de Cuervos,” which centers around a pair of siblings who inherit a popular soccer club when their father dies suddenly.
The son is a bit of a loose cannon and the very face of unrestrained, slightly psychopathic but fun privilege, while his sister is serious and businesslike, far better equipped to take over the team but much less likable: what male-dominated industry wants a woman who hardly smiles bossing them around? This show is impeccably acted and uproariously funny – and well worth your time.
Ojitos de Huevo
Ojitos de Huevo | Tráiler oficial | Netflix
This show was an interesting mix of Disney-like simplicity in storytelling and some rather adult themes. It centers around two disabled young men who have graduated from school and decide they want to leave their families in Querétaro to try to “make it” in Mexico City. One is blind, and the other has cerebral palsy. They’re both smart and funny, but they’re also young men who by definition are not in the most intelligent phase of their lives. When one of the boys decides he wants to be a standup comedian, the pair and their band of misfit friends do everything to make it happen in this heartwarming and very funny one-season series.
Luis Miguel
Luis Miguel La Serie | Trailer Oficial | Netflix
I’ll admit that this is the only show on the list that I have yet to see, a biopic on one of Mexico’s best-loved artists. That said, it’s been highly recommended to me by several people, usually with an introduction like, “It’s surprisingly really good!”
If you don’t know who Luis Miguel is, you surely will soon if you spend very much time in Mexico. He grew up on stage, singing songs that most Mexicans know all the words to, and was the very definition of cool in the ‘80s and ‘90s. One of the cafés I frequent only plays his songs…and no one minds at all. And apparently, he’s had a life fit for a soap opera, which is dramatized in this biopic series. This, of course, is a very short list, and doesn’t include many of the shows that are still watched nationwide on cable TV. But you can put subtitles on these, so they’re a great start! Got any other Mexican TV shows you’d like to recommend? Feel free to list them for us all in the comments section!
Travis Bembenek's family visiting him in 1995 in Guadalajara, at the end of his study abroad semester there. (Courtesy)
The year was 1995, but I remember the anxiety I felt like it was yesterday.
It was my second year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and I found myself looking around at what some of my best friends were studying: engineering, chemistry, accounting, physics.
I wondered, how will I find a good job with a generic management/marketing degree?
So I started thinking about what I could do that would give me some more experience and hopefully, more marketability to get hired after graduation.
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) had just gone into effect the year before, and I remember Ross Perot talking about the infamous “giant sucking sound” of jobs going to Mexico. Was it time to learn Spanish?
I intensely disliked Spanish in high school and did the minimum required to get into college, but maybe it was time to try again? I looked into the study abroad program of the UW Madison Business School to learn more about programs in Spanish-speaking countries. My options: Santiago, Chile or Barcelona, Spain. Both great places, but neither struck me as very relevant to a future career in business. Mexico seemed like a more logical choice, but I wasn’t sure how to go about it.
This being the pre-Google era, I researched by reading the campus daily newspaper, and one day came across an ad for a study abroad program in Guadalajara through Beaver College (now called Acadia University) in Pennsylvania. Had I ever heard of Beaver College?Of course not! Did I know anything about Guadalajara? Absolutely not! But I decided to take the plunge — which turned out to be the single most important and impactful decision I’ve ever made in my professional life.
Fast forward to 2024, thirty years later, and it’s both surprising and disappointing to learn how few students study abroad in Mexico. I looked at the UW-Madison Business School study abroad options currently available and there are over 30 programs to choose from around the globe. In fact, there are programs at five different universities in Spain, but still none in Mexico! I couldn’t believe it. How can it be that so many people are coming to Mexico to vacation, so many foreigners are now living in Mexico, so many business people from around the world are coming to work in Mexico, and yet such a tiny amount of students come here to study?
A quick Google search shows that over 25,000 U.S. students study each year in Spain, over 14,000 in France, and yet less than 3,000 study in Mexico. What’s going on here? Are kids just generally not interested in Mexico as a study-abroad option? Are parents not interested in sending their kids to study in Mexico? Are U.S. and Canadian universities lagging in offering programs in Mexico? Are Mexican universities not stepping up and offering attractive programs?
I understand that Mexico might not be as “attractive” as a European country in some respects. Europe offers an unparalleled experience to study with people from all over the world and the opportunity to easily travel to many countries — which is invaluable. But Mexico has so much to offer as well, given the increasing political, business, social, and cultural ties across North America.
Taking me as an example of a student who did study abroad in Mexico, the experience was life-changing and the impact was lifelong. Mexico offers a much easier opportunity to “keep up the connections,” given the proximity to the United States and Canada. Many expats I’ve met who are now living in Mexico studied here earlier in their lives.
It’s important to remember that the overall impact of a study-abroad program is not just academic, but rather as an experience. A few highlights from my time here included weekends on isolated tropical beaches, exploring ancient pre-Columbian pyramids, discovering 500-year-old cities, learning how to dance in Acapulco’s clifftop discos and camping in a Chiapas rainforest. I was invited countless times to stay, eat, and travel with my new Mexican friends’ families, and most importantly, I learned how to be independent, curious and confident.
Why not study art in the footsteps of Frida Kahlo in Mexico City? Why not learn anthropology in the shadows of Maya pyramids in the Yucatán peninsula? Why not take business classes at a university in Monterrey, Guadalajara, Querétaro, or Guanajuato where there is a massive investment boom? Why not take culinary classes (along with some surf lessons) in Oaxaca? Why not challenge yourself by taking an economics or liberal arts class somewhere in Spanish? The opportunities are endless.
I recently spoke to the U.S. Embassy about what is being done to foster student exchange on both sides of the border, and I was happy to see that some progress is being made. However, my sense is that there is a lot of work yet to be done to fully take advantage of the opportunity.
We at Mexico News Daily believe that this is an important topic to explore further, and we will be providing increasing coverage of the issue going forward. Our intent is to inspire new ideas, debate and dialogue, so please share your thoughts in the comments. And in the meantime, try to inspire a student you know to study in Mexico!
Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for over 27 years.
![Club de Cuervos | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9x3c8P3ooik/0.jpg)
