It is the only Mexican destination included on the list.
Mérida boasts some of the best examples of early Spanish architecture in the Americas. (Martín Zetina/Cuartoscuro)
Known as the “White City” due to the predominance of white limestone in its historical buildings, Mérida in inland Yucatán is an “unexpected urban treat,” says CNN, in a state known for its sunny pristine beaches.
Founded in 1542 by Francisco de Montejo “el Mozo,” Mérida was built on the ruins of the ancient Maya city T’hó.
Considered one of the safest cities in Mexico, Mérida has a population of over 900,000 people today and is a modern, cosmopolitan destination with restaurants, shops, museums, art galleries and a wealth of historical buildings. Landmarks include the Cathedral of San Ildefonso — the oldest cathedral in Mexico and one of the oldest in the Americas — and the Paseo Montejo, “lined with historic mansions, museums, art galleries and local vendors,” CNN describes.
Located in the heart of the Yucatán Peninsula, the city is in close proximity to Maya ruins such as the ancient cities of Uxmal and Chichén Itzá, cenotes, and white sand beaches like Progreso, Pig Beach and Celestún (famous for its flamingo population).
The “White City” is also recognized for its cuisine, offering a varied array of regional dishes including the famous pork specialty, cochinita pibil (included on the TasteAtlas list of world’s best traditional dishes), sopa de lima (lime soup) and panuchos (fried tortillas stuffed with beans and topped with meat and vegetables).
“It is evident that Yucatán is currently witnessing a historic moment in terms of tourism,” the Yucatán government said in a statement acknowledging CNN’s list, noting that while 2022 was a record-breaking year for Yucatán, it “is likely that 2023 will break that record.”
Whale sharks can be as much as six to seven times the length of an average human up to 40 feet long. (Cabo Adventures)
Whale sharks, as their name suggests, are big. Enormous, really. Adults sometimes weigh as much as 60,000 pounds, and even those on the smaller side can weigh 20 tons or more. That’s almost as big as the humpbacks and gray whales that draw visitors to Los Cabos, Mexico each winter. But whale sharks aren’t whales. Despite the name, they’re the world’s largest species of fish. But yes, they’re sharks, too, with terrifying mouths that measure six feet wide and contain over 3,000 teeth.
Fortunately for the visitors who travel to La Paz, it’s only two hours by car from Los Cabos, to swim with them. And since whale sharks are filter-feeding plankton eaters, it’s perfectly safe to get up close and personal with these gentle giants, despite their gaping maws and endless rows of tiny teeth.
Whale watching season runs from mid-December through mid-April. (Cabo Adventures)
Why is swimming with whale sharks such a special experience?
Whales and whale sharks are both premier wintertime attractions in Baja California Sur, but the ways you can experience these aquatic animals varies significantly. Whales are viewed from boats, and because of legal restrictions tourists are unlikely to get within 200 feet of them. It’s still close enough to be awed by the size of these leviathans, but it doesn’t compare to the closeness you get with whale shark tours. The latter take place in the water, with small groups able to enjoy close encounters with these massive fish off the tip of the El Mogote peninsula in La Paz. This is one of only two areas in México where swimming with whale sharks is possible, the other being the Yucatán Peninsula.
It’s an amazing opportunity to get up close with one of the world’s largest creatures, and because whale sharks swim at the snail-like pace of around three miles per hour, side-by-side swims with them for extended periods are possible. The experience is often a humbling one, as whale sharks can be as much as six to seven times the length of an average human up to 40 feet long. But it’s also magical, and for most a once-in-a-lifetime adventure — although because whale sharks are capable of living for up to 100 years, it’s remotely possible that return visitors could see the same whale sharks on multiple occasions. Telling them apart takes a bit of practice, of course, but whale sharks’ spotting patterns are as unique as fingerprints.
When is whale shark season in La Paz?
The seasonal timeframes for whale and whale shark viewing are nearly the same, although whale shark season lasts a bit longer, running from October through May. Whale watching season, by comparison, runs from mid-December through mid-April. Still, there is enough overlap — four months in total — that tourists can easily plan to experience both bucket list experiences during the same trip.
The absolute best time for swimming with whale sharks is during the early part of the season, from October to February, as this is peak feeding period for the whale sharks. However, it bears noting that whale sharks are an endangered species, and if they aren’t present in sufficient numbers, tours may be suspended. It’s a rare occurrence, but it has happened, most recently in February 2023.
It is a unique opportunity to take amazing pictures. (Cabo Adventures)
Whale sharks don’t just visit Baja Sur to feed, however: they also come to breed. The Bay of La Paz is considered both a nursery and sanctuary for whale sharks, with over 500 individuals identified in the seasonal population since 2001. Where are they when they aren’t in La Paz? It’s a difficult question to answer, as the breeding and migratory patterns of whale sharks aren’t fully understood. But scientists know that they travel large distances. In 2011, for example, a female whale shark was tracked over 12,000 miles round-trip, from Central America to the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific. Previous studies have also traced whale shark migration from Mexico to the Marshall Islands.
Are there legal restrictions on swimming with whale sharks?
As with whale watching tours, there are regulations in place to ensure the safety of both tourists and the whale sharks themselves. These rules impact everything from boat sizes — no vessel over 36 feet — to the size of small groups for swim tours — 5 people max. Once in the water, there’s also a minimum distance that must be maintained with the whale sharks. No, you’re not permitted to touch them, and they’re unlikely to even acknowledge your presence. But swimmers can get quite close, so long as they maintain a safe six-foot distance from the whale shark’s head and ten feet from its tail.
Is it possible to swim with whale sharks in Los Cabos?
While it’s impossible to swim with whale sharks in Los Cabos’ waters, it’s quite easy to arrange round-trip transportation to La Paz with local activities companies. It’s about a two-hour drive each way, with the better Los Cabos adventure companies providing door-to-door service from resorts or a central meeting point. Cabo Adventures, for example, ferries tourists in comfort via Mercedes Benz vans from its location overlooking the Cabo San Lucas Marina. Given the transportation time, it’s a full-day experience, but lunch and snacks are provided, as are snorkeling equipment and professional photographers.
The latter is an important factor when booking whale shark tours from Los Cabos, as those swimming with whale sharks are not permitted to take photos with flashes, which can frighten the whale sharks. They also don’t like air bubbles, so scuba diving is likewise not an option. Boat tours are available, however, for those spending time in La Paz, either as a primary vacation destination or as a side trip from Los Cabos. Catamarans and other vessels will take visitors to the swim site in the Bay of La Paz, often with other amenities like food and drinks included with the snorkel gear.
How much do whale shark tours cost?
Given the travel involved and the full-day nature of whale shark tours originating in Los Cabos, these are among the most expensive seasonal activity options. Tours typically cost upwards of $200, with slightly lower prices available for kids.
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 Peregrine moon lander successfully lifted off in Florida just after 2 a.m. local time, before suffering a "critical" fuel leak. (Nasa.gov)
A mission to the moon including five tiny Mexican robots was in jeopardy Monday after a privately built lunar lander developed a “critical” fuel leak just hours after a predawn launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
A “failure within the propulsion system” was threatening Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic Technology’s bid to make the first U.S. soft landing on the moon since the final Apollo landing in 1972.
Mexico is sending microbots to the moon, as part of NASA’s Artemis program. (UNAM/Cuartoscuro)
The problem arose about seven hours after Monday’s 2:18 a.m. EDT launch from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The liftoff of the Peregrine lander occurred via a new Vulcan rocket built by the United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, and a successful separation followed shortly thereafter.
At first, Astrobotic said, Peregrine was unable to point its solar panel toward the sun to collect battery power.
About three hours later, Astrobotic posted on the social media site X that it had “successfully re-established communications” and that “the team’s improvised maneuver was successful in reorienting Peregrine’s solar array towards the Sun. We are now charging the battery.”
However, minutes later, Astrobotic issued another update: “Unfortunately, it appears the failure within the propulsion system is causing a critical loss of propellant. The team is working to try and stabilize this loss, but given the situation, we have prioritized maximizing the science and data we can capture. We are currently assessing what alternative mission profiles may be feasible at this time.”
The lander suffered a propulsion issue right after it separated from the rocket that blasted it into orbit. (Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares UNAM/X)
Peregrine’s touchdown around Feb. 23 was to mark the first-ever lunar landing by a private company. Only the United States, Russia, China and India have landed spacecraft on the lunar surface, and only the U.S. (five times) has put humans there.
Peregrine was the first private U.S. spacecraft to be launched as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. It is carrying about 20 NASA and commercial payloads.
Included among that are five microbots created by a team of Mexican scientists and nearly 250 university students. They were developed in the Space Instrumentation Laboratory of the Institute of Nuclear Sciences (LINX-ICN), part of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
“We have ‘our souls hanging by a thread’ because the ship #Peregrine, operated by the company #Astrobotic, appears to have a problem with a motor, which is now being attended to,” the UNAM’s Institute of Nuclear Sciences said in a Facebook post around 2 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST).
The Mexican microbots each weigh about 60 grams and are 12 centimeters in diameter — a tad smaller than a standard saucer for a coffee cup.
Once on the moon’s surface, the bots were to recognize one another, connect electronically and then assemble a panel that can generate energy. As per what the UNAM gazette reported in 2022, the robots would have then begun taking measurements that have never been taken before, including lunar plasma temperature and the size of particles floating just above the moon’s dusty surface.
The project, under the direction of the Mexican Space Agency (AEM), was dubbed “Colmena,” which means beehive in Spanish.
It is part of Mexico’s participation in the Artemis program, led by NASA in conjunction with six other space agencies around the globe. Formalized in late 2022, Artemis also includes emerging space programs in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Brazil and Mexico.
The president outlined his ambitions to further reform minimum wage and pensions at an event commemorating a workers' strike in Río Blanco, Veracruz on Sunday. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador pledged on Sunday to propose changes to the constitution that would ensure increases to the minimum wage outpace inflation and lift the pensions workers receive in retirement.
The commitments, made at an event in Río Blanco, Veracruz, to mark the 117th anniversary of a textile workers’ strike and riot, add to the president’s already ambitious agenda in 2024.
The president joins the crowd gathered in Río Blanco on Sunday. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)
López Obrador, who has less than nine months left in office, has also said he will pursue other constitutional changes this year, including one that would allow Mexican citizens to directly elect Supreme Court justices and other high-ranking judges.
Proposed minimum wage reform
Before his six-year term concludes on Oct 1., AMLO pledged to send a proposal to Congress to change Article 123 of the constitution to ensure that annual increases to the minimum wage exceed the prevailing inflation rate.
Before making that commitment, López Obrador asserted that “there was a constant decline” in workers’ purchasing power between 1982 and 2018, a 36-year span of time he describes as Mexico’s “neoliberal or neo-Porfirian period.”
López Obrador mentioned that during the previous “neoliberal” period, the minimum wage was barely sufficient to buy five kilograms of tortillas. The daily minimum wage has increased 182% since AMLO took office. (Cuartoscuro)
Increases to the minimum wage during that period were on many occasions lower than inflation in percentage terms, he said, adding that the cumulative loss in the “purchasing power of the minimum salary” was 70%.
In 1980, 50 kilograms of tortillas could be bought with the daily minimum wage, “but when we arrived to the presidency, the minimum wage was barely enough to buy five kilograms of tortillas,” López Obrador said.
“And even though we’ve increased the minimum salary by more than 100%, the [daily] minimum wage is barely enough to buy 10 kilograms of tortillas. Just look at how much the purchasing power of the [minimum] wage deteriorated,” he said.
The daily minimum wage has in fact increased 182% since López Obrador took office on Dec. 1, 2018.
It was 88.15 pesos (US $5.25 at today’s exchange rate) in 2018, and is now 248.93 pesos (US$14.82) in most of the country after a 20% increase took effect Jan. 1.
AMLO also pledged to propose a change to the constitution that would increase workers’ pensions in retirement.
“We’re going to review the labor counter-reform of [former president Ernesto] Zedillo, the one on pensions,” he said.
López Obrador said that “the teachers’ union and other workers” had suggested changing Mexico’s pension system to him.
Citizens waiting in line to receive their pensions or other social program payments at a Bank of Wellbeing location in Guadalajara. (Cuartoscuro)
It is “completely inhumane” and “unfair” for a person — after working for 30 years — to receive a pension that, at best, is equivalent to just half of what they earned when they were still in their job, he said.
However, that’s the way things are as a result of the pensions reform carried out by the 1994-2000 Zedillo government, AMLO said.
“That will no longer be the case – I’m also going to send a reform to that anti-worker legislation, that legislation that is contrary to the interests of workers,” he said.
“… To hell with neoliberalism, to hell with neo-Porfirianism,” AMLO said during an animated address.
Ensuring that increases to the minimum wage outpace inflation and lifting pensions “are the two commitments I’m making here in Río Blanco in memory of the martyrs, of those who fought for better salaries and better working conditions,” López Obrador said.
The uprising in Río Blanco, a town in Veracruz near Orizaba, occurred during the presidency of Porfirio Díaz. The Mexican Revolution — a broader fight against Díaz’s long-running rule — commenced just under four years later in November 1910.
Getting the proposals through Congress
As the proposed reforms seek to change the constitution, they must be approved by two-thirds of lawmakers in both houses of Congress to become law.
The ruling Morena party and its allies don’t currently have a supermajority in either the Chamber of Deputies or the Senate. However, that could change after the June 2 elections, at which Mexicans will not just vote for a new president but also renew both houses of Congress.
Claudia Sheinbaum, former mayor of Mexico City and Morena candidate for president in 2024. (Cuartoscuro)
The newly-elected lawmakers will take their seats on Sept. 1, and thus López Obrador will possibly have a one-month window of opportunity to win approval for his proposed constitutional reforms from a Congress that sympathetic to his agenda.
He has already called for citizens to support Morena not just in the presidential election — at which Claudia Sheinbaum will represent the ruling party — but in the congressional ones as well.
“You have to vote not just for the [Morena] candidate for president, you have to vote for the lawmakers, the candidates for deputies and senators, so that the transformation has a qualified majority,” AMLO said last May.
Reaction to the pensions proposal
Two experts who spoke to the El Financiero newspaper raised concerns about López Obrador’s plan to increase pensions.
Víctor Gómez Ayala, head of analytics at the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness, said that increasing pensions for state workers would force the government to cut spending in other areas.
Gómez Ayala, head of analytics at think tank IMCO, says that AMLO’s pension reform would strain government finances. (LinkedIn)
There would be less money for spending on infrastructure, on social programs, to repay debt and to meet other government expenditure requirements, said the Mexico City-based think tank analyst.
Rolando Silva Briceño, a vice president of the Mexican Institute of Public Accountants, said that paying pensions to retired workers that are equivalent to 100% of their former salaries is “practically impossible.”
Retired workers in highly developed countries such as Norway and Denmark don’t even receive pensions equivalent to their former salaries, he said, adding that in a best case scenario they get 70% of their working wages.
The current government has already made a major change to the pension system
Arturo Herrera, finance minister at the time, said that workers’ pensions in retirement would, in time, increase by an average of 40%.
Carlos Salazar Lomelín, president of the Business Coordinating Council, an umbrella organization representing 12 business groups, said that the plan was a “historic achievement for Mexico” and “truly momentous.”
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said in 2021 that Mexican had “implemented the most comprehensive reform among OECD countries, raising earnings-related contributions, as well as current and future first-tier benefits and increasing the guaranteed pension (minimum pension).”
“The increases in first-tier benefits, and making it universal from age 65, will boost income for all retirees and increase pension spending from a currently very low level compared to other OECD countries,” the Paris-based organization said.
Aeroméxico decided to ground its Max-9 fleet on Saturday, following an order by the United States Federal Aviation Administration to inspect the planes in the U.S.(Misael Valtierra/Cuartoscuro)
Aeroméxico has canceled or delayed over 100 flights while it inspects its fleet of 19 Boeing 737 Max-9 planes, after an Alaska Airlines plane of the same model suffered a dangerous blowout in the United States on Friday.
Aeroméxico decided to ground its Max-9 fleet on Saturday, following an order by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct immediate safety reviews on all Max-9 planes operated by U.S. airlines or on U.S. soil.
Aeroméxico has canceled or delayed over 100 flights scheduled to leave from Mexico City International Airport on Boeing 737 Max-9 planes. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
As of Sunday evening, Aeroméxico had canceled 13 flights on Saturday and 58 flights on Sunday, and delayed another 18, according to the newspaper Reforma. It expects to cancel another 17 on Monday.
Routes affected by the cancellations include flights between Mexico City International Airport (AICM) and San Francisco, Miami, Chicago, Las Vegas, Tijuana, Cancún, Chihuahua, Puerto Vallarta, Monterrey, Los Cabos, Mérida, Hermosillo and Miami. Delayed routes include those between the AICM and Tijuana, Zacatecas, Orlando, Madrid and New York.
Sources from the Mexican airline told Milenio newspaper that the number of passengers affected represents only 5% of the total expected to fly during those three days.
“The inspection of our Max-9 fleet will be concluded as soon as possible to continue with scheduled operations and we will continue to work in coordination with Boeing, as well as with the relevant authorities,” Aeroméxico said in a statement on Saturday.
Footage from inside the aircraft showed a gaping hole where the plug had separated from the fuselage. (Affectionate-Taro470/Reddit)
Alaska Airlines flight 1282 was forced to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon, on Friday evening, after a panel blew out shortly after takeoff, depressurizing the cabin and leaving a gaping hole in the fuselage.
The Max-9 jetliner’s 171 passengers and six crew members donned oxygen masks as the pilots returned the plane safely to Portland, around 20 minutes after departure. Nobody was seriously hurt, thanks to the fact that the plane had not yet reached cruising altitude and nobody was walking around the cabin.
Alaska Airlines immediately grounded its fleet of 65 Max-9 jets for safety reviews. In a statement over the weekend, the U.S. airline said that it had so far inspected the panels on 18 jets and cleared them to return to service, and expected to complete inspections over the coming days.
Around 171 aircraft worldwide are believed to require similar reviews, which take around four to eight hours per aircraft.
Early on Monday, a Portland schoolteacher named Bob alerted the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that he had found the missing door plug in his yard. Board authorities will examine the detached piece of the plane to better understand what caused the accident.
Rainfall and strong winds are forecast for most of Mexico on Monday as cold front 25 blows in from the northeast. (Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro)
Another cold front is expected for parts of Mexico this week. According to the National Meteorological Service (SMN), cold front No. 25 is expected to move over Mexico’s north and northeast regions on Monday, resulting in rainfall accompanied by strong winds and dust devils.
Forecasters warned of 100 km/h wind gusts in some regions of Chihuahua, Durango and Zacatecas.
Persistirán hoy los #Vientos intensos y las #Nevadas en entidades del noroeste y norte de #México.
Snow and sleet are also expected in Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango and Sinaloa, along with possible freezing rain in the mountains of Coahuila.
A polar air mass associated with the front is expected to bring frigid temperatures and frost to the northern regions of the country on late Tuesday and early Wednesday, with temperatures ranging between -10 and -15 degrees Celsius in the Chihuahua, Durango and Sonora mountains.
Minimum temperatures of -5 to 0 degrees Celsius and frost are forecast for mountainous areas of Aguascalientes, Baja California Sur, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Nuevo León, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Tlaxcala and Veracruz.
In high-altitude areas of Guanajuato, Jalisco, Mexico City, Michoacán, Morelos, Oaxaca, Querétaro and Tamaulipas, temperatures are expected to drop to 0 to 5 degrees Celsius.
Mexico’s capital will experience maximum temperatures ranging from 12 to 23 Celsius, and minimum temperatures of 12 to 14 Celsius, accompanied by a partly cloudy sky throughout Monday.
The subtropical jet stream will result in strong to very strong winds in the west and center of the country including the Valley of Mexico. This may cause dust devils, rain and showers across the central region and extending south.
Meanwhile, maximum temperatures of 35 to 40 degrees Celsius are forecast for Campeche, Chiapas, Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, eastern Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz and Yucatán, and 30 to 35 degrees Celsius on the coast of Jalisco.
In the Yucatán peninsula, rain and showers are possible from Monday into Tuesday.
Jan. 4: As the celebration of Three Kings' Day approached, bakers at the La Joya Bakery in Mexico City prepared 500 sweet traditional "rosca" breads a day. (GRACIELA LÓPEZ /CUARTOSCURO.COM)
Take a visual tour of Mexico — from ringing in the new year to visits from the Three Kings — with this selection of pictures from the week.
Veracruz, Veracruz
Dec. 31: Tourists enjoy the last sunset of 2023 on Playa Villa de Mar in Veracruz. (VICTORIA RAZO/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
Acapulco, Guerrero
Jan. 1: In the early hours of the first day of 2024, thousands of residents and tourists watched the fireworks display over Acapulco Bay as the city continues to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Otis. (CARLOS ALBERTO CARBAJAL/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
Dolores Hidalgo, Chiapas
Jan. 1: In honor of the 30-year anniversary of the Zapatista National Army of Liberation (EZLN) uprising, zapatistas and their supporters gathered in Chiapas. (ISABEL MATEOS/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
Mérida, Yucatán
Jan. 1: Mexican rejoneador (bullfighter on horseback) Fauro Aloi at the first bullfight of the year in the Mérida Bull Ring. (MARTÍN ZETINA/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
Cancún, Quintana Roo
Jan. 4: Tourists on kayaks see a colorful dawn with Cancún on the horizon in Nichupté Lagoon. (ELIZABETH RUIZ/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
Reynosa, Tamaulipas
Jan. 4: One hundred special forces soldiers of the Mexican Army were sent to Reynosa, Tamaulipas on Thursday to reinforce security in the border region. (SEDENA/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
Mexico City
Jan. 5: Doctors and nurses dressed as Balthazar, Caspar and Melchior delivered gifts to children at the Coyoacán pediatric hospital for Three Kings’ Day. (MARIO JASSO/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
2024 is going to be a big year for Mexico, says Travis Bembenek. (Cuartoscuro)
I think 2024 is going to be a significant year for Mexico, so I’m going out on a limb to make some predictions for this year.
Below you’ll find my 17 predictions of the top news stories in Mexico this year. Please note that I am not expressing an opinion on whether these are good or bad things to come, but just my best guess at what will dominate the headlines.
The nearshoring boom will continue to accelerate and Mexico will receive a record amount of foreign direct investment.
One if not two Chinese auto companies will announce massive plant investments in Mexico.
Increased discussion and tension will arise among USMCA partners (U.S., Canada, Mexico) over the rapidly increasing Chinese investment and imports into Mexico.
The NBA will confirm that an expansion team will come to Mexico City.
Claudia Sheinbaum will win the presidential election in a landslide.
The Mexican peso will not move significantly in reaction to the election results (as it often does).
The Maya Train project will be more positively viewed by the end of the year and increasingly be recognized as a strategically important investment for the region.
The Tulum airport will receive a surprisingly high number of new flights and become a major flight destination.
The Isthmus of Tehuantepec train will get increased interest and attention due to continued problems with the Panama canal.
Mexico will become an increasingly important topic in the upcoming U.S. elections. Issues like immigration, fentanyl, and drug cartels will cause some candidates to threaten significant actions against the country.
Despite the campaign rhetoric, Mexico will increase its lead and share as the largest trading partner of the United States.
Tesla will accelerate its plant investment in Monterrey.
The number of U.S. and Canadian citizens moving to Mexico will continue to accelerate.
A record number of international tourists will come to Mexico.
The Bank of Mexico will finally begin to lower interest rates in the first quarter of the year, which should weaken the peso gradually.
The Mexican peso will end the year above 18 to the US dollar.
Mexico will end 2024 as the 10th largest economy in the world (moving up 2 places from 2023 and 4 places from 2022).
What do you think? How many of my predictions do you agree or disagree with? In the spirit of dialogue and debate, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for over 27 years.
Sideboard design for Hermès in Cancún. (Courtesy: Mestiz)
The Mestiz adventure began almost 10 years ago, when newly-graduated architect David Varela met the Tamayo brothers, master textile artisans in his home state of Coahuila. It was during this meeting that Varela developed a deep appreciation for Mexican folklore.
Today, Mestiz has established itself as a globally renowned company, working on projects for brands like Hermès and collaborating with organizations such as the Rockefeller Foundation. Mestiz specializes in creating “wild objects,” as described by its creator, David Varela. These pieces transport viewers to a parallel universe that combines the humor, fantasy and mysticism of Mexican folk art.
Daniel Valero at his studio in San Miguel de Allende. (Courtesy: Mestiz)
Recently, Mestiz opened a new studio in the historic center of San Miguel de Allende and created an experiential design activation for Casa Dragones’ headquarters there with a parallel Day of the Dead altar in front of the Rockefeller Foundation in New York. Mexico News Daily sat down with David Varela to discuss the design philosophy of Mestiz and the studio’s most recent projects. You don’t want to miss getting to know this notable, young Mexican creative.
Why do you describe your unique objects as wild?
It was difficult for me to classify whether Mestiz was art, design, or craftsmanship, and I was always asked about it. One day I decided to create my own category that I call “wild,” because the term wild comes from what is not domesticated. It was my way of saying I make pieces, I go with the craftsmen and I adapt to what they do: from what I learn we create new things. What I propose is to create a long-term relationship in which we create wild pieces that are different from what they do, but inspired by what they already know how to do.
Can you describe your alter ego and how it influences your design process?
It comes from the same idea of the name: Mestiz. When I started the project, I didn’t want it to have a name because I thought I was generating an alter ego to make a mixture of craft techniques from two different generations: craftsmen and designers. It was born out of a synergy of craftsmanship, design and art, with the idea of creating something different. The alter ego is Mestiz, this mixture of ideologies, techniques and ways of thinking, but all in the same direction. Mestiz is not Daniel, nor only the craftsmen, it is something else, born from the meeting of two worlds.
What aspect of the Mexican artisan tradition inspires you the most?
I believe that handicrafts and gastronomy are the best ways to get to know a place: both are like an open book of the history of each place. Mexico has so much cultural richness, and its geography is so complicated, that each region has developed its type of gastronomy, music and crafts. I don’t want to focus only on the handicraft technique, but also on the folklore, the mystical and religious themes of a place, because the handicraft or popular art has a lot of that, each manifestation speaks of a cosmogonic theme. I am also inspired by their sense of humor, fantasy, or surrealism. In handicrafts there is a lot of play, conversation, joy and sadness: all emotions are valid. All this is what I love and what I always try to absorb to create my pieces.
San Miguel de Allende Studio. (Courtesy: Mestiz)
Can you tell us about “Los Dos Soles Ofrenda” in New York City and its significance?
It was a portal: two suns that connected and created a bridge between San Miguel de Allende and Rockefeller Center. The project was made for the Rockefeller Foundation and Casa Dragones, the tequila brand based in San Miguel de Allende and New York). Then, snakes inspired by the fauna and vegetation around San Miguel de Allende came out of this portal and took over the space, creating a micro-universe: the serpents at the end moved to the plaza and served as benches: I wanted people to interact with the offering, because an altar is something very private and intimate. In the back there was a blue wall where people could leave a photo of a loved one, the response of the people was impressive. There was a day when it looked like Mexico had won the World Cup: there were 3,000 people in the plaza, people with flags and hats. I had never worked in a public space before and I loved the energy.
Can you share some details about your new studio in San Miguel de Allende?
My new studio is located in a historical building in San Miguel called Pasaje Allende: this space was abandoned for a while and we renovated it. Now is a place to show people the pieces, but in the end, it’s not a shop or a gallery, it’s my studio and it works by appointment, it is not open to the public.
What are your thoughts on the current Mexican design scene? Do you find it to be innovative?
I feel that in general the Mexican creative scene is in a good moment. The eyes of the world are on Mexican design. If a few years ago they were focused on what the Scandinavians were doing, now they are interested in what is happening in Latin America, but I think especially in Mexico.
Ana Paula de la Torre is a Mexican journalist and collaborator of various media such as Milenio, Animal Político, Vice, Newsweek en Español, Televisa and Mexico News Daily.
The word mezcal comes from Nahuatl mexcalli, which means "oven-cooked agave", from metl and ixcalli. (Freepik)
Since it comes in a gigantic number of varieties, you might feel unsure about how to order a mezcal. Let’s first simplify the various ways mezcal can be classified.
There are more than 200 species of agave in Mexico. (Thomas Wavid Johns/Unsplash)
So without burying you under an enormous pile of agave flavor profiles, why don’t we just identify some that will provide a good range of differing characteristics?
Tobalá
Sometimes called the King of Agaves, the Tobalá renders a mezcal that is found especially elegant by many, with a light, mildly sweet, floral flavor.
Tepextate
During a mezcal tasting, a Tepextate is known to widen eyes and turn heads. To me, it features a green, herbal flavor, with some describing it as a melange of freshly cut sweet and spicy peppers.
Madrecuixe
For me, a good Madrecuixe is mineral with a nice sweetness, but most of all, earthy! There can be so much complexity that, not unlike other mezcal varieties, just keeps unfolding as both the drink – or the night goes on.
There are so many more that it’s a crime not to describe other varieties, but we’ve got to start somewhere, right?
Ordering mezcal by profile
Another indulgence of mine is cigars. In that world, profile refers to strength of flavor and aroma; so I’ll borrow the term. After years of observation, I’ll assert that most mezcal drinkers are either those who like a softer profile or a full-flavored one.
I could expound as to why we Mezcal Maniacs sometimes think people aren’t, as the Oaxacans recommend, taking mezcal with besitos, or “little kisses.” But I’ll sum it up like this: a spirit stronger in flavor and alcohol is normally best appreciated with smaller sips than usual. Otherwise, it may overwhelm the palate so you’re not able to appreciate it fully.
Some of us figure this out immediately, others take longer and still others aren’t necessarily open to changing their sipping flow rate. It’s all good.
If, like me, you’re enchanted by adventurously full flavors, you might consider one that is at least 47% – or even more than 50% ABV. Those besitos may just expand your mind! Admittedly, some of these biggies can feature a stronger bite, but you’d be surprised: at times a 52% is just as smooth as you please.
If the above didn’t sound appealing, consider one further south of 47%. But if it’s under 42% and you don’t like it, it may not be the agave’s fault. There’s just not enough oomph in the distillation to register a significant flavor experience.
Joven vs. reposado or añejo
A joven (young) mezcal is one that is mostly quite clear, a reposado has rested in a wood barrel for from 2 to 12 months and an añejo for more than a year. I think you’ll find most serious mezcal drinkers are focused on joven. But if, like many, you’ve become accustomed to the mellowed experience provided by many whiskeys and bourbons, give the reposados and añejos a try too.
My opinion is that, with some exceptions, what the wood adds in flavor detracts from all the other things that many of us love about mezcal.
Ordering mezcal: the bottom line
I didn’t mention cocktails here, as it seems to me a mezcal education is better focused on the spirit itself. If you don’t know what it tastes like outside of a cocktail, you’re unlikely to appreciate its contribution when inside one. It’s common to hear you shouldn’t waste a mezcal made from an expensive, wild-harvested agave in a cocktail. But, although I don’t drink them often myself, a mezcal that stands out to you when neat will normally improve a cocktail dramatically.
This article may not end the way you figured. You see, I’m going to suggest that the best way to order a mezcal is to find a mezcal establishment with both a great variety of distillations and an experienced staff that will ultimately know how to guide you.
Sure, you’ve got a primer here. I’ve given you a fairly wide array of agave varieties to consider, you know there can be both soft and full-flavored profiles and you can take a shot at wood-rested options too. But a dynamite bartender can help you plot a course to eventual mezcal ordering confidence.
And how about actually buying a bottle of mezcal? I’ll address that next!
Jonathan Lockwood is an American Voice Talent living in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. He is also a Mezcal Lover, Explorer, and Collector and writes the Mezcal Maniac Substack. Read and subscribe here: https://mezcalmaniac.substack.com.
