The limestone mural contains 123 hieroglyphics arranged in quadrants that shed new light on ancient Maya history and culture on the Yucatán Peninsula. (INAH)
Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have unearthed a newly discovered Maya stela in the Cobá archaeological zone in Quintana Roo bearing extensive hieroglyphics describing the founding of a Maya city.
The finding is one of the most “remarkable discoveries” the institute has made during the construction work of the Maya Train, head of the INAH Diego Prieto Hernández told reporters on Tuesday during President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s morning press conference.
The Maya hieroglyphics were found near the Nohoch Mul pyramid, one of the Yucatán Peninsula’s tallest pyramids, and one of the most popular with visitors. (INAH)
Located near the popular Nohoch Mul, one of the tallest pyramids on the Yucatán Peninsula, the stela is over 11 meters long and contains 123 carved hieroglyphics arranged in quadrants. According to INAH’s preliminary analysis, the hieroglyphics appear to describe the founding of the Maya settlement of Keh Witz Nal (Deer Mountain) on May 12, A.D. 569.
The inscriptions also reveal the name of a previously unknown ruler, K’awiil Ch’ak Chéen, filling a gap in archaeologists’ knowledge about the dynastic sequence of Cobá.
Cobá is an ancient Maya city in Quintana Roo that contains many engraved and sculpted stelae that document ceremonial life and important events of the Late Classic Period (AD 600–900) of the Mayan civilization.
According to Prieto, the newly discovered stela sheds more light on the ancient Maya’s worldview and ritual practices.It confirmed, for instance, that many of the region’s rulers adopted the name of the god K’awiil, believing it conferred upon them the attributes of the protective deity that the Maya associated with meteorological phenomena and abundant harvests.
To restore and protect the artifact—which was found covered with salt, weeds and soil—archeologists have injected lime mortar into it to reinforce the stela’s interior, which had developed external holes due to stagnant water collecting on it during rainy seasons. Researchers also have made a high-precision record of the hieroglyphics to create 3-D models of the artifact that will aid in further investigation.
El hallazgo de estela en Cobá es “uno de los más notables” en la ruta del Tren Maya: INAH
See INAH researchers working at the site of the stela’s discovery at the Cobá archeological zone.
In recent years, construction work on the government’s Maya Train — the tourist train that runs through the southern states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo — has uncovered several ancient Maya artifacts, which Prieto called “the greatest archaeological treasure” of the last few decades.
Many of the discoveries made along the train route are now exhibited in the new Gran Museo Maya de Chichén Itzá(Chichén Itzá Maya Museum).
It's rained at last. What now? (Bomberos de Guadalajara/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico and water often don’t seem to go in the same sentence. Remember that one time when I wrote abouthow desperate I was (we were) for rainfall?
Friends, Tlaloc is good. He has provided.
Big man Tlaloc delivers at last. Boy, are we glad to see him. (PurpleVines/Reddit)
A lot.
So much, in fact, that plenty of us have found ourselves with more water than we know what to do with around here. Not coming from our taps, mind you. Just, you know, like in general.
The water crisis is, of course, no joking matter. And for now, we’ve managed to stave off crisis.
I don’t know how things went down in other communities, but in Xalapa, things got bad. There were colonias that went weeks without water during the drought, and regular protests as a result of this frequently shut down major roads. Plants died, and nearby forest fires, unheard of previously, raged. We even had a couple of scary situations where neighboring communities turned off the tap to Xalapa’s supply. Quick negotiations between local civil servants and outside protestors saved the day twice. Thank goodness!
Teetering on the Edge
We were desperate for rain, but even with this recent downpour, Mexico is facing serious water issues. (Michael Balam/Cuartoscuro)
“We’re one week without water away from total societal collapse,” a friend wrote to me. I keep thinking about those words.
Dramatic, but true. Oof. What would the next steps in the protests have been? Attacks on presumed industrial hoarders of water like Coca-Cola and Nestle? (I actually did side-eye Coca-Cola quite a bit during this time. Suddenly there were no Ciel garrafones in the convenience stores, but magically, pricier-per-milliliter Coke was never not in stock. Ciel is under the Coca-Cola umbrella.)
Thankfully, crisis was averted, right in the nick of time. We’ve now been blessed with a very rainy rainy season this year.
Ironically, this hasn’t meant that things have gotten easier for everyone. For one, lots and lots of placesflood these days. The reasons are myriad and very obviously include copious amounts of water falling from the sky in a short time.
Concrete Jungles: Not a Fantastic Strategy
Some say that living like this is not the best way to combat climate change. Some say. (Ayuntamiento de Nezahualcóyotl)
But covering such a great expanse of our communities in concrete certainly hasn’t helped. It’s not just that excess water has nowhere to go so ends up in some of our living rooms rather than our pipes. Aquifers under concrete can’t be replenished too quickly if the water that falls has nowhere to filter through.
I mean, concrete is porous (check out the salitre on our walls), but it’s not that porous. Hence, places like Mexico City are facing the prospect of running out of waterin our lifetimes. No bueno.
So, we need to figure out a plan for holding on to all this excess water falling into the city.
Our current plan seems to be insisting on a Goldilocks situation when it comes to water. We can’t have too much, and we can’t have too little.
Let’s hope the incoming president has a solution for us – she is a climate scientist after all. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
How’s this working out for us?
Well, not great.
So what can we do?
Other than our part in trying to generally slow down climate change, we need some major infrastructure updates. Sheinbaum says shehas a plan, but will it be enough?
Well, we’ll find out. In the meantime, there are people and organizations doing what they can, as well. Some are determined to plant morecloud forests. Others are devising cheap, community-ledsystems for clean drinking water.
I don’t think we’ll all be heading out with sledgehammers to tear up the concrete any time soon. But leaving the natural areas we have alone would be a great start.
Water catchment systemsare another area I hope will become “big business” around here. There seem to be a few smallish organizations out there, but boy do we need more! If the government could subsidize it the way they do electricity, we could really make some headway.
Plus, who doesn’t want to stop depending on municipal water when there’s so much time it’s falling for free all around us? Tandas are for the birds.
The catchphrase in Mexico is Cuida el agua (“take care of the water”), which always makes me imagine people petting it lovingly. If we can get past this water crisis, I will be petting it lovingly! Especially if it’s water that I “caught” and was able to put to use myself.
Calleja has an electrical engineering degree from the Technological Institute of Celaya and a master's in management from the Autonomous University of Coahuila. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Monday that Emilia Esther Calleja Alor will lead the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) during her six-year term of government, a key post in an administration that will seek to accelerate the energy transition.
Calleja, an electrical engineer and two-decade veteran of the state-owned electricity company, will become the first female general director of the CFE once Sheinbaum’s presidency starts on Oct. 1.
Sheinbaum with Emilia Esther Calleja and Luz Elena González, incoming energy minister. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
She will replace Manuel Bartlett, an 88-year-old former governor of Puebla and federal interior minister.
At a press conference on Monday, Sheinbaum noted that Calleja will become the first woman to head up the CFE and highlighted that she is “an engineer who comes from below.”
“She grew up in the CFE, and she is a woman who loves the Federal Electricity Commission,” she said.
“She knows the subject, and as you will see she has an enormous capacity for leadership,” Sheinbaum said.
Calleja has held a variety of roles during a 21-year career at the CFE, including superintendent of a thermal power station, head of the company’s “analysis and results” department and director of chemical and environmental operations at the firm’s National Training Center in Celaya, Guanajuato.
Calleja has held many positions during her 21-year career at the CFE. (@CFEmx/X)
She also worked as a manager on a power plant construction project during a career in which she has been a trailblazer for women in an industry dominated by men.
The newspaper Reforma reported that Calleja’s appointment as the next CFE director was “well-received” in the sector, with electricity industry experts highlighting her experience and technical knowledge.
In a short address, Calleja described her appointment as “an extremely high honor” and pledged to “continue the legacy and work” of the current government.
“As we are well aware, [the government] rescued the CFE and defended Mexico’s energy sovereignty. We will continue to strengthen the CFE’s 54% participation in national [electricity] generation, promote its growth and guarantee that electricity reaches all homes at accessible prices,” she said.
Calleja also pledged to promote the “efficient use” of electricity and “the energy transition.”
Sheinbaum has promised to spend more than US $13 billion on a renewables-focused energy plan, asserting in April that a government she leads would invest in solar, wind, hydro and geothermal projects.
The plan she outlined represents a significant shift away from the current government’s fossil fuel-focused strategy, but Sheinbaum has also committed to moving ahead with gas-burning power plant projects that are already under construction or have been planned.
Among the key challenges for Calleja will be to ensure that the CFE generates enough energy to meet demand. A majority of Mexico’s states were affected by blackouts earlier this year when demand for electricity spiked as temperatures soared across much of the country.
Mexico’s capacity to take full advantage of the nearshoring opportunity also hinges, in part, on its ability to generate enough energy — including renewable energy — to meet the needs of industry.
Sheinbaum has promised to spend more than US $13 billion on a renewables-focused energy plan. (CFE Nacional)
The Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) said in a report in February that “making the most out of nearshoring requires shifting to renewables.”
“With global manufacturing activity increasingly seeking to decarbonize its production processes, Mexico’s abundant renewable energy resources could be a substantial competitive advantage,” the OECD said.
“However, the share of electricity generated from renewable sources remains low [at around 10%], it added.
Calleja will join other powerful women in Sheinbaum’s cabinet
Calleja, who has an electrical engineering degree from the Technological Institute of Celaya and a master’s in management from the Autonomous University of Coahuila, will be among several women to hold key positions in the next federal government.
Sheinbaum, who will become Mexico’s first female president when she is sworn in on Oct. 1, has already named current Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez as her interior minister; former Mexico City official Luz Elena González Escobar as her energy minister; and current Foreign Affairs Minister Alicia Bárcena as her environment minister.
Calleja will be part of Sheinbaum’s expanded cabinet, which includes the heads of various government agencies and state-owned companies.
The president-elect has not yet named who will lead the state oil company Pemex during the next six years, or who will head up the army and navy, positions whose power has increased over the past six years as President Andrés Manuel López Obrador relied heavily on the military for public security and a broad range of other non-traditional tasks.
Where other than Mexico would you expect to see a Guinness World Record event for tacos? (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)
Tlaxcala, a tiny state in central Mexico, has won a Guinness World Record for serving the greatest variety of tacos de canasta (basket tacos) in one place.
The state gathered over 150 taqueros (taco makers) from the municipality of Natívitas, Tlaxcala, to serve 186 varieties of tacos during a Sunday event held along the Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City.
A total of 30,000 tacos were served on Sunday as the state strove to set the record for greatest variety of tacos served in one place. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)
The tacos featured traditional fillings like papa (potatoes), chicharrón (pressed pork rinds) and green mole, as well as nontraditional flavor combinations like frijoles with cranberries and walnuts.
A total of 30,000 tacos — free of charge — were served to passersby in under 30 minutes.
Tlaxcala Governor Lorena Cuéllar Cisneros shared on social media that the event earned the state a second Guinness World Record. The state’s first award came in August 2022 — for the longest sawdust carpet in the world. This tradition is part of the festivities known as the Night When No One Sleeps, in the municipality of Huamantla.
Marte Molina, a local official from the Tourism Ministry (Sectur), told the news agency Latinus that the tacos de canasta have created a sense of community and identity for Tlaxcala. By Molina’s estimate, eight out of 10 residents in Natívitas have had some level of involvement in the basket tacos economy since 1940.
What is a taco de canasta?
According to the newspaper El Universal, the taco de canasta dates back to the early 1900s, created to be an accessible meal for low-income families and peasants. Unlike other tacos which are filled with meat, basket tacos are smaller and are typically filled with potatoes and beans.
Tacos de canasta, or basket tacos, are typically filled with potatoes and beans. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)
After the Mexican Revolution, the consumption of tacos de canasta grew amongst all strata of society. In 1950, a taquero in the municipality of San Vicente Xiloxochitla, Tlaxcala, reportedly began selling tacos out of a basket on his bicycle. The ease of transport and the few ingredients required for their preparation inspired others to migrate to Mexico City and sell tacos from a basket on a bicycle.
Today, tacos de canasta are some of the most popular, affordable and easy-to-find street food in Mexico.
Nothing is more Mexican than a churro. Nothing is more greek than yogurt. Why not try mixing the two for the ultimate fusion snack? (Locavore)
Mixing Mexican and Greek cuisines might sound out there, but if you think about it, there are some strong throughlines. A few weeks ago, I had some friends over for carnitas served on homemade pita bread with tzatziki sauce. They were tacos with a Greek twist — you’ve got a fiesta in your mouth where feta cheese crashes into the dance floor with spicy jalapeños. Picture a mariachi band drinking ouzo or a Greek philosopher pounding some churros.
Let’s not forget the Greek salad with a touch of Mexican flair. Throw in some avocado and tortilla strips, and suddenly you’re not sure if you’re dining in a quaint taverna or a bustling taqueria. The vibrant flavors of Greek food complement the spicy notes of Mexican dishes, creating a bold blend that keeps you on your toes.
This statue of the Greek god Poseidon didn’t go down well with Mexicans – but these churros might! (Martín Zetina/Cuartoscuro)
Today I’d like to share a recipe that uses the creamy, rich textures of Greek yogurt to make churros with honey and crushed pistachios. If you’re feeling adventurous and want to give your dinner guests something to talk about, go ahead and mix up this Mexican-Greek fusion dessert, don’t be scared. It’s the equivalent of proudly wearing a sombrero on a Greek island beach. Did I mention it’s only four ingredients?
Greek Yogurt Churros with Honey and Crushed Pistachios
Ingredients
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup self-rising flour
2 tablespoons honey (plus more for drizzling)
1/2 cup crushed pistachios (finely chopped)
Instructions
Prepare the Dough:
In a mixing bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, self-rising flour, and honey. Mix until a smooth dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it becomes manageable.
Shape the Churros:
Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can shape the dough by hand into logs or small balls.
Fry the Churros:
Heat oil in a deep pan to about 375°F (190°C). Pipe the dough directly into the hot oil, cutting off pieces with scissors, or drop the shaped dough in by hand. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Prepare the Coating:
While the churros are frying, place the crushed pistachios in a shallow dish.
Coat the Churros:
Remove the fried churros from the oil and drain them on paper towels. While they’re still warm, drizzle with additional honey and then roll them in the crushed pistachios until evenly coated.
Serve:
Serve the churros warm, with more honey on the side for dipping if desired.
This recipe combines the tangy richness of Greek yogurt with the natural sweetness of honey, creating a dough that’s both flavorful and easy to work with. The use of self-rising flour simplifies the process, while the crushed pistachios add a much needed crunch. The honey not only sweetens the churros but also helps the pistachios adhere, creating a beautiful and tasty coating ready for the center stage of your next dinner party (or at least your Instagram). This combination results in a unique twist on traditional churros, offering a lighter, more nuanced flavor profile that’s both satisfying and sophisticated. Try it out and let me know what you think!
Stephen Randall has lived in Mexico since 2018 by way of Kentucky, and before that, Germany. He’s an enthusiastic amateur chef who takes inspiration from many different cuisines, with favorites including Mexican and Mediterranean.
Mexico is on track to receive significantly more international tourism this year than in 2023. (Margarito Pérez Retana/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico recorded a 6.24% increase in international tourist numbers compared to last year, as the country continues to benefit from a rebound in global travel demand after the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to data by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), Mexico received 21.8 million international tourists in the first half of the year, compared to the 20.4 million during the first six months of 2023.
Tourism spending also went up by 7.7%, reaching US $17.5 billion. This figure surpassed pre-pandemic numbers by 34.6% when tourism spending reached US $13.01 billion in the first six months of 2019.
The INEGI reported that while tourism numbers increased in its annual comparison, they are 1.07% below pre-pandemic figures, when Mexico registered 22 million international visitors in the first six months of 2019.
Air travel numbers remained strong in 2024. The Tourism Ministry (Sectur) reported that the first six months of the year saw 11.9 million travelers enter Mexico via air. That is 4.9% more than 2023 and 18.6% more than the same period of 2019, before the pandemic.
So far in 2024, more travelers have entered Mexico by air than during the same time frame in 2023. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
The three countries that exported more travelers to Mexico in the first half of the year include the United States, Canada and Colombia, which represent 79.5% of the market share.
The U.S. saw 7.61 million tourists travel to Mexico in the first half of 2024, up 7% from last year. Meanwhile, Mexico received 1.62 million Canadian tourists, 10% more than in 2023. Finally, the number of Colombians traveling to Mexico reached 312,960 travelers, a 13.1% increase compared to the same period of 2023.
Various nationalities accounted for the remaining 2.46 million tourists, down 1.8% than the figure recorded in the first six months of 2023.
As for the airports that saw the largest numbers of passengers, Cancún came in first with 5.46 million tourists and a surge of 3.3% compared to 2023. Next came Mexico City, with 2.11 million tourists and a decrease of 0.3%. Los Cabos, in third place, saw 1.25 million passengers and an increase of 0.1%.
The rest of the airports with international operations recorded the remaining 3.15 million international passengers, 14.4% more compared to the first six months of 2023.
Sectur aims to end this year with 55.3 million international tourists and US $31.6 billion in tourism spending.
Bel Woodhouse headed to Tulum to learn about Mexican wine pairings. What she found was even better than she had imagined. (All photos by Bel Woodhouse)
Mexico’s wine industry is booming and quickly becoming a contender on the global stage. Finca El Empecinado in Baja California’s Guadalupe Valley, produced a Grand Gold medal winner at the 2023 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (CMB), one of wine’s biggest prizes. Selected as the 2023 Revelation White Wine, this canary colored beauty was the top choice out of 7,054 entrants, from 50 different nations. But what would this go well with? To find out more about the best Mexican wine pairings, I went in search of answers.
My friend and I could barely contain our excitement when we went to stay at the Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya. We were about to meet the Director of Wine for Hilton Tulum and Conrad Tulum, Aaron Alvarez, for a tasting of top Mexican wines, each paired with traditional dishes from the regions where the wines are grown. It was hands down the best tasting of my life. That includes tastings in Italy, the US, Australia’s top wine regions, and European nations (Slovenia, Bratislava, Slovenia). As I said, I enjoy a glass.
Starting with a white
Tres Raíces 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, great with Mexican seafood starters.
Tres Raíces bright, light yellow 2023 Sauvignon Blanc was our first wine. It was fresh with hints of mango, pineapple, and citrus. This makes it the perfect white for a ceviche pairing. Mine was a little different though because I’m a vegetarian. So, instead of seafood, a traditional ceviche from the Dolores Hidalgo region of Guanajuato arrived.
Faced with the xoconostle (prickly pear) and mushroom ceviche, my taste buds sang. If it wasn’t rude to do so, I may have licked the bowl. Judging by the noises coming from my friend, I could tell the traditional seafood ceviche was every bit as amazing.
Aaron added that, in his opinion, Tres Raíces is “the best Sauvignon Blanc in Mexico.” I’m trusting that opinion, because it certainly was sublime.
Rosé all day, wine not?
A light rosé from Valle de Guadalupe, Pitaya, was incredible when served alongside a fruit pallet cleanser.
Yes, we all giggled at the pun. Aaron introduced a special rosé from Casta de Vinos. From the Guadalupe Valley in Baja California. Pitaya, a Rosé Grenache, has some very special ingredients.
Passion, courage, feeling, and love are all essential parts of the wine. Each bottle is in remembrance of winemaker Claudia Horta’s mother, who lost her battle to cancer. Now, Pitaya, the special rosé grenache blend, has helped over 300 women with cancer by donating a portion of their profits to support medical costs.
This wine is bright and clean, a beautiful soft coral color with copper flecks. It tastes of berries and pink roses. Served alongside strawberries and dragonfruit, it was refreshing and lovely. With a touch of honey and wildflowers, it was a perfect pairing.
Onto my personal favorites, reds
Don Leo proved a wonderfully medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. (Passion Spirits)
I’ve been a red wine lover my whole life. So, I most looked forward to the part of the tasting where I tried a medium-bodied and then a full-bodied red. And I must say, I was not disappointed.
The first red was a medium-bodied cabernet sauvignon from Don Leo in the Parras Valley, Coahuila. Even while Aaron poured, I could smell the blackcurrant and berries. But there was something else. Do you ever have that sensation that something is on the tip of your tongue?
Raising the glass to my nose, I felt a hint of beautiful dark chocolate fill my senses. This was ticking all the boxes for me. I love blackcurrant and dark chocolate, so I couldn’t wait to take the first sip. At a medium-high acidity, I was impressed that it was so smooth.
Then came the perfect pairing: a traditional dish from Coahuila. My friend delighted in a chicken filled with sweet corn on a tomato and red pepper sauce. My veggie substitute was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten — so much so that I kissed the chef at the end of the tasting and asked for the recipe!
Saving the best for last
Megacero is probably the best red wine I have ever tasted. I have tasted a lot of red wine, so this is no small claim.
The Megacero is a full-bodied premium blend from Encinillas Winery in Chihuahua. Organic and sustainably farmed, this wine was magnificent. It may have skyrocketed to my all-time favourite Mexican wine in fact.
It was a deep carmine color, known as sangre (blood), Aaron explained. The smell of currant, mushroom, and earth was heavenly. It reminded me of my grandfather, who was a wine distributor and avid leather worker. His workshop always smelled of earthy fragrances and red wine so for me, it was home.
It paired beautifully with a regional specialty: Discada. Traditionally, discada is cooked on a hot plate over a fire in the field and usually contains meat. Mine was mushroom with blue cheese and bell pepper. It turned out to be the perfect mouthful of flavor to bring out the smoothness of the wine.
Honestly, I could eat that for the rest of my life. It was magic.
This was more than a wine tasting. As Aaron and his team said, “It was an activation of our soul and identity. The team of Tulum makes it a culinary tour around Mexico. We put our heart and soul into this experience.”
Mexico Correspondent for International Living, Bel is an experienced writer, author, photographer and videographer with 500+ articles published both in print and across digital platforms. Living in the Mexican Caribbean for over 7 years now she’s in love with Mexico and has no plans to go anywhere anytime soon.
The colorful life of Luis Cóppola Bonillas proved the inspiration for a novel that changed the course of Baja Californian history. (Luis Cóppola Bonillas)
During the waning days of World War II, pilot Luis Cóppola Bonillas found himself with some unexpected downtime. The Tucson, Arizona native was attached to the U.S. Eighth Air Force and had flown just under three dozen missions in his B-17 Flying Fortress, the aircraft responsible for more bombs dropped over Europe during the war than any other. Grounded one day in Greenland due to inclement weather, he had time to read a book.
The one he chose would change the course of his life and forever change the landscape of Los Cabos. Inspired by the Antonio de Fierro Blanco novel TheJourney of the Flame, Cóppola had relocated to the Baja California peninsula by 1948 and was busily ferrying passengers in war surplus DC-3s as a pilot for the regional airline Trans Mar de Cortés. Over the next six decades, he would also help open (and own) some of the pioneering resorts in La Paz and Los Cabos during the birth of the tourist age and would play an important role in founding what is today the world’s richest fishing tournament.
‘The Journey of the Flame’ and the story of its mysterious author
Trans Mar de Cortés airliner on the tarmac in Loreto, circa 1961. (Howard E. Gulick Collection at the UC San Diego Library)
What appealed to Cóppola about the book? That’s unknown, but he’s hardly the only person to revere it. My first Los Cabos landlord, for example, upon learning I was a writer, immediately asked for help in petitioning the publisher for a Spanish-language translation.
Certainly, no novel has ever captured the rich culture of the Baja California peninsula quite like The Journey of the Flame. First published in 1933, it opens with the 104th birthday celebration of its narrator, the flaming-haired Don Juan Obrigón, then flashes back to the journey he took as a 12-year-old boy, accompanying the Spanish viceroy from San José del Cabo to Monterey, California, circa 1810. Along the way, readers are treated to a succession of compelling episodes, generously punctuated with archaic and often delightful Spanish idioms, that allusively refer to important figures and events in the region’s history.
Amazingly, the novel’s backstory is every bit as colorful. Antonio de Fierro Blanco was a pen name, of course. The real author was Walter Nordhoff and his Baja bona fides were legit. His father, Charles B. Nordhoff had written a highly influential 1872 work about California (California: A Book for Travelers and Settlers), so his proposed follow-up on Baja California (Peninsular California) led the Mexican International Company to gift him with 50,000 acres of land near Ensenada. Walter was soon put in charge of that tract, which became Rancho Ramajal, an experience that would help to inspire his great Baja novel. Walter’s son Charles, meanwhile, would later become the family’s most famous author, co-writing The Bounty Trilogy with James Norman Hall.
The pioneer resorts of Los Cabos and the people Who built them
Cabo San Lucas as it looked in 1961. (Howard E. Gulick Collection at the UC San Diego Library)
When Cóppola came to Baja California as the first pilot hired by nascent airline Trans Mar de Cortés, what is now the peninsula’s southernmost state, Baja California Sur (which wasn’t legally recognized until 1974), had about 60,000 residents and only one modern hotel: the Hotel Perla in La Paz. That would soon change. Cóppola and his wife Evangelina Joffroy bought the 12-room Hotel Los Arcos in 1952. It had opened two years previously, the same year Abelardo “Rod” Rodriguez and partner W. Matt “Bud” Parr premiered Rancho Las Cruces, and a year before Fisher House, the first modest inn in Los Cabos opened.
Partnerships would be a feature of many of the region’s early resorts. Rodríguez and Parr teamed up again for Hotel Palmilla in 1956, and Cóppola was a partner in Parr’s Hotel Cabo San Lucas, which opened at Chileno Bay in 1961, Luis Bulnes Molleda, the former Cabo San Lucas cannery manager, would get in on the act for Hotel Finisterra in 1972. But Cóppola was the driving force and principal owner of that stunning property. Bulnes would open his own Hotel Solmar two years later at Land’s End. These and Rodriguez’s Hotel Hacienda in Cabo San Lucas, that city’s first lodging in 1963, pioneered tourism in Los Cabos, setting the stage for the opening of the Transpeninsular Highway in 1973.
Before the highway was completed, building hotels was anything but easy. So opening two benchmark properties and expanding the Hotel Los Arcos to 182 rooms by 1976 were feats worth crowing about.As Cóppola remembered in a 1992 interview with Baja Explorer: “When Bud Parr and I built the Hotel Cabo San Lucas, we didn’t have a damn thing. There was nothing here. We had to load up boatloads of lumber and plants. We recruited carpenters from Manzanillo and boated them over here. We used to fly in our own people, supplies, and a lot of the materials for construction.”
The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and the birth of Bisbee’s Black & Blue
The 1965 Swimsuit Issue celebrated “little known” Los Cabos. (Sports Illustrated)
Photography for Sports Illustrated’s second Swimsuit Issue in 1965 took place in Baja California and the magazine published an accompanying article on emerging tourism in Los Cabos. Pioneering hoteliers Parr and Cóppola were each quoted, with the latter telling a colorful anecdote about the difference in attitude between local fishermen and those who visited.
“Señor, they are coming in with the boats and the motors and they go out and fish with a captain and two more men to help,” exclaimed a local boy, according to Cóppola. “And I said, ‘Well, this is great fishing down here,” and he said, ‘Yes, but they spend all this money to get maybe one marlin, and you know my father? My father, he goes out and gets 10 or 15 marlin in one day all by himself.’ I never could make that boy understand the ways of the North American.”
Cóppola did understand the importance of fishing to the early resorts in Baja California Sur and proved it in the early 1980s when he was instrumental in launching Bisbee’s Black & Blue marlin fishing tournament. His and Hotel Finisterra manager Bill Baffert’s impromptu meeting with Bob Bisbee’s Sr., then running a fuel dock on Balboa Island in Newport Beach, led to the inaugural tournament in Cabo San Lucas in 1982. The first purse was modest ( US $10,000) but by 2022 it had grown to $11.5 million, the richest ever offered by any fishing tournament.
The book for which Luis Cóppola was an inspiration
Pool scenery at Luis Cóppola’s landmark Hotel Finisterra; now the Sandos Finisterra. (Sandos Finisterra Los Cabos)
Cóppola passed away in 2008 and only one of his hotels remains open, the now Sandos-managed Finisterra. But his legacy still looms large and he and hoteliers Parr, Rodríguez, and Bulnes are honored by name at Plaza Pioneros in Cabo San Lucas.
Thus, his name will always be remembered in Los Cabos and forever associated with two great books about the Baja California peninsula: The Journey of the Flame and The Sea of Cortez. The latter, a bestselling travel book by Ray Cannon published in 1966, was enormously important in spurring tourism to the region. However, Cannon could not have written it without the help of Trans Mar de Cortés owner Mayo Obregón, who authorized pilots like Cóppola to take the writer wherever he wanted to go free of charge.
Naturally, Cóppola welcomed the duty. After all, who knew better the power of a good story?
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.
The highway was completely open as of Saturday morning, Puebla Interior Minister Javier Aquino Limón said. (Guardia Nacional Carreteras/X)
All lanes on the Mexico City-Puebla highway are now open after protesters ended a five-day blockade early Saturday.
Residents of the municipality of Santa Rita Tlahuapan, Puebla, commenced a blockade of the Mexico City-Puebla highway and the Arco Norte toll road last Tuesday.
They hoped to pressure on authorities to compensate them for land expropriated more than 60 years ago for the construction of the highway.
The protesters, among whom were ejidatarios or community land owners, cleared their blockades on Saturday morning after several hours of dialogue with state authorities.
Puebla Interior Minister Javier Aquino Limón told reporters on Saturday morning that the Mexico-Puebla highway and the Arco Norte road had been “completely reopened in both directions.”
Protesters lifted the blockade Saturday morning, after five days. (Alaín Hernández/Cuartoscuro)
Aquino said that ejidatarios and their “committees and advisors” would meet with federal authorities on Monday to discuss their compensation claim for 41 hectares of land on the López Rayón ejido that the government expropriated for highway construction in 1958.
As of 2:30 p.m. CST, there was no news of the outcome of that meeting.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said last week that the government couldn’t pay more than the amount established by an appraisal carried out by a federal authority.
“The appraisals are done, we have the money to pay the campesinos but the lawyers say, ‘We don’t agree with the appraisals.’ They want more,” he said last Thursday.
“[But] we, as public servants, can’t pay more than an appraisal establishes,” López Obrador said without revealing the valuation amount.
Surfer Alan Cleland took first place in the US Open of Surfing on Sunday. (Conade/X)
Two weeks after making history as Mexico’s first surfer in the Olympics, 22-year-old Alan Cleland Quiñonez took his burgeoning career to yet another crest by winning the US Open of Surfing on Sunday.
In the grand final, Cleland bested another Mexican-born surfer, Marco Mignot, 23, of Sayulita, Nayarit. Thanks to his dual nationality, Mignot now represents France.
As he grew, Cleland became better and better, turning professional at age of 13. Eight years after that, he qualified for the Summer Olympics in Paris during the 2023 World Surfing Games in El Salvador.
Alan Cleland, right, took first place over his friend Marco Mignot, a Mexican-born surf representing France. (Marco Mignot/Instagram)
Surfing made its Olympic debut at Shidashita Beach in Japan as part of the 2020 Tokyo Games, which were held in 2021 due to the COVID pandemic.
In Tahiti, Cleland made it through the second round but was defeated in the third round on July 29, one level shy of the quarterfinals. He lost to Frenchman Joan Duru, who scored 18.13 on his two best rides compared to 15.17 by Cleland.
Cleland’s participation in the US Open of Surfing began less than two weeks later on Aug. 9, when he took second in his heat. The Mexican surfer won his next heat to get into the round of 16, where the format turned to head-to-head competition and he beat Brazilian Michael Rodrigues.
In the quarterfinals, he beat American Crosby Colapinto, then topped Australian Jarvis Earle in the semifinals.
In a final that pitted two Mexican-born surfers against each other, Cleland’s 12.70 was just good enough to beat Mignot’s 12.60. Score one for Colima over Nayarit — and a big one for Mexico.
“It means everything to me to represent my flag, my entire country, my people,” he said. “It is an honor. Being able to put this flag up high is incredible. Viva Mexico!”
Cleland was appearing in his first final in surfing’s important Challenger Series, which will determine which 10 surfers will automatically qualify for the 2025 Championship Tour.
With his victory, Cleland jumped a whopping 42 spots in the rankings, all the way up to No. 9.
“It’s crazy … It feels amazing,” Cleland told the news and information website Surfer.com. “Especially having a final with one of my good friends who I grew up surfing with, literally since we were 8 years old. It’s an honor to see how far we’ve come. To have the support crew, the Mexico crew, all my friends and my dad, everybody here, it feels crazy.”
