Is this drink a "rusa" or a "suero"? The answer, as always, depends on where you are in Mexico. (Keesha's Kitchen/Unsplash)
As you may know, Mexicans are fond of limes and the citrus fruit is used extensively in many dishes and drinks throughout the country. Previously on MND, we discussed what is perhaps the most famous lime-based drink in Mexico, the michelada. Today, it’s time to talk about another very popular drink made with lime: the “rusa” or “suero.”
What is a rusa (or suero)?
This drink is one of the most refreshing alternatives to alcohol (as it’s made with lots of ice) and is perfect if you don’t want to drink, or are recovering from a hangover. A suero is essentially three ingredients: sparkling water, lime and salt. This combination also makes it a perfect hangover remedy — its hydrating properties combat dehydration and help relieve stomach upsets and nausea. Moreover, lime is a good source of vitamin C. Since salt helps retain liquids, the suero will also assist in maintaining fluids in your body, which is ideal for a hangover.
Meet the popular drink made with lemon, salt and mineral eater: the “rusa” or “suero.” (OpenAI)
Furthermore, according to the Cleveland Clinic, this combination of ingredients will alleviate a sore throat, promote optimal digestion and aid in protecting against mouth ulcers and other diseases. Drinking mineral water with salt enables us to replenish the electrolytes we lose throughout the day.
This drink tastes delightful, and honestly, it feels like heaven on a hot day, thanks to the super cold temperature at which it is typically served.
As a tip, many restaurants may not have it on their menu, but you can typically request it as it is super easy to prepare. Just ask for mineral water with lemon and salt, and it will be served!
Do I call it rusa or suero?
As with the michelada (also called chelada in some parts of Mexico), the name rusa or suero depends on where in the country you are.
The suero is one of Mexico’s most popular hangover cures. (OpenAIx).
Suero
This drink is called a “suero” in places like Mexico City and its surrounding areas such as México state, Puebla, Tlaxcala, etc. In this region, some people also refer to it as “Tehuacán preparado” (Tehuacán used to be a popular brand of mineral water), but it is largely known as “suero.”
Some popular sports drinks, such as Electrolit or Suerox are often known as sueros as well. These are available from most stores and pharmacies, but often come in a variety of flavors, not just lime.
Rusa
In places like Guadalajara, Veracruz and the northern part of Mexico, lime juice, mineral water and salt is called “rusa.” People sometimes add Squirt soda and tequila in Guadalajara.
In Zacatecas, people refer to suero as “agua loca” (crazy water).
Ana Paula de la Torre is a Mexican journalist and collaborator for various outlets including Milenio, Animal Político, Vice, Newsweek en Español, Televisa and Mexico News Daily.
Actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have bought a stake in the Club Necaxa soccer team, seen here in July last year. (Cuartoscuro)
Which Major League Baseball teams played in Mexico City over the weekend? Which star Mexican soccer player is possibly moving from Europe to the U.S.? Get caught up on the weekend in sports news in Mexico with this roundup.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney buy stake in Mexican soccer team
U.S.-based actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have received a lot of publicity for buying a low-level pro soccer team in Wales and trying to get it promoted to the third tier of English soccer.
Their endeavor even generated a popular TV docu-series on FX titled “Welcome to Wrexham,” winner of multiple Emmy Awards.
Welcome To Wrexham | Season 3 Trailer
Now that the two celebrities have bought a stake in Mexico’s Club Necaxa, will a series titled “Welcome to Aguascalientes” be in the offing?
Probably not.
Club Necaxa already plays in Mexico’s top professional league, Liga MX, and even though it could be considered an underdog — three titles in 78 years, none since 1998 — it doesn’t offer the same drama of a well-loved, small-town team looking to move up from the fourth division.
Wrexham has a population of 135,000 and a soccer stadium that has been hosting matches for 147 years — whereas the city of Aguascalientes has a population of 950,000 and Victoria Stadium, considered the first modern stadium in Mexico when it opened in 2003.
News of the Reynolds’ and McElhenney’s Necaxa purchase first came from Variety, which noted that while the size of the stake is “unclear,” it is a “minority interest” of “significant” size.
Reynolds, 47, has starred in a range of films, including the highly successful action-comedy “Deadpool” in 2016, and he was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2010. McElhenney, also 47, is known for his work on the TV comedy “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”
Actress Eva Longoria is another celebrity co-owner and investor in CF Necaxa. (Club Necaxa/X)
Club Necaxa, which was founded in 1923, also counts actress Eva Longoria among its investor-owners. NX Football USA — a group that includes Longoria, Major League Baseball star Justin Verlander, model Kate Upton and NFL player Odell Beckham Jr. — has owned about 50% of the team since 2021.
Reynolds and McElhenney and the other owners will work to enhance Club Necaxa’s standing and grow its profile in a league dominated by popular teams such as Club América and Cruz Azul in Mexico City, Chivas de Guadalajara, Monterrey and Tigres UANL of Monterrey.
Liga MX plays two seasons each calendar year, and one just came to a conclusion. Necaxa (pronounced ne-cox-suh) finished in a tie for eighth with 7 wins, 6 ties and 4 losses — good enough to qualify for the play-in round of the playoffs. Necaxa will play Querétaro on Thursday.
Coming into this season, Necaxa’s record in the 2020s of 36 wins, 29 ties and 74 losses included two last-place finishes and one second-to-last.
According to Transfermarkt.com, the value of the franchise is US $34.3 million, although Sportico.com places its value “in the mid- to low-$200 million range.”
Major League Baseball back in CDMX
The Houston Astros swept two games from the Colorado Rockies at Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium in the MLB World Tour: Mexico City Series.
The Astros won 12-4 on Saturday in front of a crowd of 19,934 and 8-2 on Sunday with 19,841 fans on hand.
The Houston Astros faced off against the Colorado Rockies at the Alfredo Harp Helú stadium in Mexico City over the weekend. (Screen capture)
The 5-year-old ballpark, home to the Mexico City Diablos Rojos of the Mexican League (LMB), has a capacity of 20,062.
The Astros entered the series on a five-game losing streak and were off to their worst start since 1969 with a 7-19 record. But playing at a high altitude helped them hit six home runs in the series, including two each by Kyle Tucker and Cuban native Yordan Álvarez.
The struggling Rockies, who hit only one home run, have now dropped 11 of their last 14 games.
The stadium is situated 2,239 meters (7,349 feet) above sea level, more than 2,000 feet higher than MLB’s highest-elevation stadium, Coors Field in Denver. Batted balls sail further in a higher atmosphere with less air resistance.
When Major League Baseball made its debut in Mexico City last year, the San Diego Padres pounded the San Francisco Giants 16-11 in a game that featured 11 home runs.
In late March, the New York Yankees played the Diablos Rojos in a pair of exhibition games at Harp Helú Stadium. Mexico City won 4-3 and 2-0, although the Yankees had left most of their star players back in Florida for spring training.
President López Obrador, an ardent baseball fan, posted photos with management of both the Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies to his X account. (López Obrador/X)
The Astros seemed to benefit from the support of the crowd in Mexico City. Even though the Rockies were designated to be the home team, many fans were wearing Astros colors.
“We did not feel like the visiting team,” said Astros manager Joe Espada. “There was a tremendous passion and energy in the stadium, and it really felt like home.”
Baseball in Querétaro and San Diego FC courts Hirving Lozano
Baseball fans in Querétaro are aflutter: their city has an expansion team in the LMB (Liga Mexicana de Béisbol) this season. One problem: The new stadium wasn’t ready for their home opener on April 16. So the Querétaro Conspiradores played their first “home series” in Puebla, then finally opened at their real home last Friday, drawing a crowd of 4,100 in a 14-5 win over the Yucatán Leones.
Finsus Stadium, which isn’t yet a finished product, is located in a countryside setting in the municipality of Huimilpan — a fan-unfriendly 40-minute drive from downtown Querétaro. When finished, it will have a capacity of 6,500 for baseball.
The Athletic is reporting that the MLS expansion team San Diego FC is in “advanced talks” to sign Mexican national team star Hirving “Chucky” Lozano away from his team in Europe, PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands. San Diego, which will enter MLS in 2025 and would love a marquee player like the 28-year-old Lozano, would pay a transfer fee of around US $12 million to the Dutch club, The Athletic added.
Traffic cameras show northbound commercial traffic at a standstill at the Ysleta-Zaragoza port of entry on Monday afternoon. (City of El Paso)
Trucks are facing long delays at the northern border with Texas after authorities in the Lone Star state once again ramped up inspections of commercial vehicles.
Since Saturday, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has been stopping and inspecting all cargo trucks entering the state via the Ysleta–Zaragoza International Bridge between Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and El Paso, Texas, according to the news website Freight Waves.
The news outlet Border Report said Monday that trucks are waiting eight hours or more to enter the United States at the Ysleta port of entry due to “enhanced inspections of commercial vehicles.” The usual wait time is about one hour, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website.
Both Freight Waves and Border Report cited a message sent by CBP to the trade community advising stakeholders of the DPS inspections. The Texas government has conducted stringent inspections of northbound trucks at certain times in recent years, ostensibly to combat the entry of undocumented migrants and narcotics.
The inspections — which are in addition to checks carried out by United States federal agencies — are seen as a way to pressure U.S. and Mexican authorities to increase enforcement against migrants. Texas Governor Greg Abbott is an outspoken critic of United States President Joe Biden and what he characterizes as weak and ineffective U.S. government policies at the border.
As of late Monday afternoon, the DPS had not made a public announcement about the inspections that began on Saturday.
Increased cargo inspections at border crossings from Mexico into Texas also caused backlogs in October 2023. (Comentario U de C/X)
The current operation “may expand to other El Paso [port of entry] cargo facilities and will affect wait times and the flow of commercial vehicles making entry into the U.S.,” Fernando Thome, a CBP official in El Paso, said in an e-mail to the trade community. “The duration of these enhanced inspections by DPS is unknown.”
The current DPS operation commenced after large numbers of migrants began arriving in Ciudad Juárez, according to Border Report.
“Some of those migrants have been coming across the Rio Grande into El Paso, walking several miles along the levee to skirt the Texas Army National Guard and razor wire in place there,” the website reported.
The Texas National Guard reinforces barriers razor wire barriers, part of a strategy designed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. (Gov. Greg Abbott/X)
“You can imagine what it is to be a supply chain manager when something like this happens. It just creates major havoc in the entire supply chain,” Jerry Pacheco, president and CEO of the New Mexico-based Border Industrial Association, told Border Report.
“The worst thing is it’s uncertain when it’s going to end. You can’t even plan for this. It completely disrupts our cross-border trade,” said Pacheco, whose organization is based just west of El Paso in Santa Teresa.
“Whenever Texas DPS has done this, they never found anything substantial on trucks coming across the border,” he added.
In light of the inspections at the Ysleta port of entry, CBP has expanded inspection hours at two other crossings — the Santa Teresa port of entry and the Marcelino Serna port of entry between the municipality of Guadalupe in Chihuahua and Tornillo, Texas.
Xóchitl Gálvez, Claudia Sheinbaum and Jorge Álvarez Máynez tackled economic and energy issues at Mexico's second presidential debate on Sunday. (GRACIELA LÓPEZ /CUARTOSCURO.COM)
Economic growth, employment and inflation. Poverty and inequality. Infrastructure and development. Climate change and sustainable development.
They were the four designated topics at Mexico’s second presidential debate on Sunday night, but personal attacks and accusations of corruption were also a prominent aspect of the encounter between the three candidates five weeks ahead of the June 2 election.
Xóchitl Gálvez, candidate for a three-party opposition bloc, went on the offensive early, accusing front-runner and ruling party aspirant Claudia Sheinbaum of being the candidate for a “narco-party” and repeatedly referring to her as “the candidate of lies.”
Sheinbaum, who is aiming to perpetuate the so-called “fourth transformation” of Mexico initiated by her political mentor President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, dubbed her rival “la corrupta” (the corrupt one) and frequently highlighted that she represents parties that were previously in power and therefore stands for an “old” economic model “that already failed.”
The third candidate, Jorge Álvarez Máynez of the minor Citizens Movement party, stayed above the fray more than his two rivals, although he too launched a number of verbal attacks, more of which were directed at Gálvez.
During a two-hour debate in Mexico City, the aspirants were tasked with responding to questions from citizens. The format also allowed the candidates to directly interact with each other to a greater extent than was possible in the first debate.
The format of the second presidential debate allowed more interaction between candidates than in the first debate. (INE/Cuartoscuro)
Economic issues are front and center in the lead-up to the June 2 elections, in which Mexicans will not only elect a new president but also thousands of municipal, state and federal representatives.
Gálvez: Candidate for the National Action Party (PAN), the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD)
The opposition bloc candidate highlighted that prices for a range of basic products such as tortillas and eggs have increased significantly during the current government, and emphasized that many Mexicans are unable to make ends meet.
“The main economic problem for Mexicans is extortion,” she said, claiming that criminals cause prices to rise by demanding regular payments from businesses across a range of different sectors.
“The criminals already have a party. Morena has become a narco-party,” Gálvez said.
Presidential candidate Xóchitl Gálvez, representing the PAN-PRI-PRD coalition, arrives at Estudios Churubusco, where the second presidential debate was held. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
“… Morena abandoned you by not combating crime. So that prices of products go down, I’m going to punish the criminals, extortion will end,” she said.
The candidate also said that a government she leads will get to “work so that you have a good job.”
In addition, it will “take advantage of the relocation of companies,” Gálvez said, referring to the growing nearshoring trend.
Among the candidate’s specific economic proposals was one to eliminate income tax for workers who earn less that 15,000 pesos (US $880) per month, a measure she said would benefit 20 million Mexicans.
Gálvez also pledged to create a government institute that will provide loans to entrepreneurs.
“We’re going to support you with cheap credit, with training. Of the three of us, the only one who knows how to create jobs is me,” said the tech entrepreneur turned politician.
Sheinbaum: candidate for the National Regeneration Movement (Morena), the Labor Party (PT) and the Ecological Green Party of Mexico (PVEM)
The Morena candidate spent considerable time defending the economic record of the current government, highlighting that the economy has grown at a faster rate than during the so-called “neoliberal” period and that the minimum wage has more than doubled.
“These are not words nor lies, they are facts,” Sheinbaum said.
Claudia Sheinbaum touted López Obrador’s minimum wage increases as an example of the ruling party’s economic record. (INE/Cuartoscuro)
The former Mexico City mayor acknowledged that there is still work to do, and committed to closing the salary gap between men and women, making additional increases to the minimum wage and building 100 industrial parks in order to capitalize on the nearshoring phenomenon.
The leading contender said that her main rival “has accepted that she is the candidate of the PRI and the PAN, of the old model, of the past, of the neoliberalism that already failed.”
For her part, Sheinbaum plans to continue López Obrador’s so-called “Mexican humanism” model of governance.
“… We represent the transformation and the transformation has given well-being to the people of Mexico. That’s why we’re going to continue with the transformation and advance with the transformation,” she said.
Álvarez Máynez: candidate for the Citizens Movement (MC) party
The 38-year-old former federal lawmaker asserted that the two states governed by the MC — Jalisco and Nuevo León — are Mexico’s job creation powerhouses.
Jalisco and Nuevo León have implemented a model that has yielded results, with investment, with decent jobs for the people,” said Máynez, as the candidate prefers to be known.
“That is the model with which we are going to govern the country,” he said.
MC candidate Jorge Álvarez Máynez celebrates as he leaves the second presidential debate. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
Máynez, who is in a distant third place in the polls, pledged to raise the minimum wage to 10,000 pesos ($590) per month, an increase of around 33% from its current level.
He also highlighted that he is in favor of initiatives such as a five-day, 40-hour working week (Monday-Saturday is currently standard) and increasing the length of paternity leave.
With regard to nearshoring, Máynez said that Mexico can take advantage of the opportunity if it combats insecurity, invests in renewable energy, addresses water scarcity and carries out an “education revolution that allows equality of opportunities so that everyone is part of the prosperity.”
Among his other economic proposals was one to provide students with free access to “concerts, books, artistic shows, theater and dance” performances.
“In that way we’re going to educate an audience who will continue consuming culture throughout their whole life [and] strengthen the creative industries … that today are practically abandoned,” Máynez said.
Other proposals and remarks
Gálvez:
The PAN-PRI-PRD candidate declared that she wants to build a “united Mexico without hate, without division — a Mexico without poverty, …[with citizens] who can go out to the street without feeling fear.”
She sought to land an early blow on Sheinbaum by referring to her as “the candidate for a narco-party.”
Gálvez said that claims about her planning to privatize Pemex, Mexico’s state-owned oil company, were false. (Cuartoscuro)
While Gálvez accuses the Morena government of being soft on crime with its non-confrontational “hugs, not bullets” security strategy, at the beginning of the debate she supported her “narco-party” claim by noting that the ruling party had promoted a T-shirt featuring Santa Muerte (Holy Death).
While she spent a significant amount of time attacking Sheinbaum for her alleged dishonesty, and asserting she is to blame for poor water quality in parts of Mexico City, the collapse of a school during a powerful 2017 earthquake and the 2021 metro disaster, the PAN-PRI-PRD candidate also outlined a number of undertakings and proposals.
She pledged to maintain the current government’s welfare and social programs — and “strengthen” them. “I know how poverty hurts,” she said before indicating that she agreed with López Obrador’s maxim “For the good of all, the poor come first.”
She committed to building a range of public works including water, renewable energy, health care and education projects. She said her government would listen carefully to determine “regional needs” before going ahead with projects.
She promised that a government she leads would not privatize Pemex — as Sheinbaum claimed it would — and pledged to stanch the state oil company’s economic losses. “Pemex is going to be a company with a new business model in which money is invested where it is profitable, which is … [in oil] exploration,” she said.
She pledged that a government she leads would comply with Mexico’s international commitments to mitigate climate change. “This government is a government of oil, of fuel oil. … My bet is on renewable energy,” she said.
Sheinbaum:
“The only declared narco-government that has existed is that of Felipe Calderón, of the PAN,” the Morena candidate declared in response to accusations leveled at her by Gálvez.
Sheinbaum repeatedly referred to her main rival as “the PRIAN candidate” in an attempt to link here to previous PRI and PAN government she characterized as corrupt and self-serving.
Sheinbaum promised to continue the current administration’s work to expand the country’s passenger rail system. (Maya Train/X)
Under those governments, there were “privatizations with corruption, conversions of private debt into public debt, … starvation pensions, low salaries and tax increases,” she said.
“In contrast, the transformation model, which began with this government, is a humanist model, an honest model … with better salaries and better pensions without raising taxes. There have been programs for well-being and strategic projects for national development,” said Sheinbaum, who leaned heavily on her closeness to López Obrador and association with his administration.
The Morena candidate accused Gálvez of acting illegally to obtain contracts for her companies when she was a senator, mayor of the Mexico City borough of Miguel Hidalgo and director of the federal Indigenous people’s agency during the 2000-06 presidency of Vicente Fox. She subsequently referred to the PAN-PRI-PRD candidate as “la corrupta.“
“From now on [I’ll call you] narco-candidate,” shot back Gálvez, who denied all accusations of corruption.
Sheinbaum also denied the allegations her main rival made against her, and outlined a range of initiatives she would undertake if she wins the election and succeeds López Obrador on Oct. 1.
She pledged to maintain the government’s social programs, increase their payments above the level of inflation on an annual basis and enshrine them in the constitution. “It’s false that the PRIAN candidate will maintain them,” she asserted.
She committed to extending social security benefits to agricultural day laborers known as jornaleros.
She pledged to implement a National Water Plan that will include “the application of technology” in the agricultural sector in order to “release water for human consumption” and “produce more food.” She also pledged to lead a government that is committed to recycling more water.
She promised to “develop 18,000 kilometers of rail tracks” so that passenger trains can run on them.
Máynez and Sheinbaum both discussed projects to mitigate the effects of the drought conditions much of Mexico has face in recent years. (Wikimedia Commons)
Máynez:
The MC candidate said that his party is “committed to making changes in this country that favor the majority” of people.
He said that a government he leads would turn the Special Tax on Production and Services into a “green tax” with revenue going to “electro-mobility and public transport” projects. He also promised to implement solar panels on government buildings such as schools.
He pledged to extend scholarships for students for a year after they complete high school or university to assist them as they make the transition to the workplace.
He argued that “the new generations” should not just have access to pensions when they retire, but also social housing via a program that guarantees the right to a home.
He pledged to increase public investment and dedicate additional resources to a “national regional development program” so that infrastructure works “reach the whole country.”
He said that a government he leads would make support for the agricultural sector a priority. “We have to provide justice to those who fill our tables with food. But without water there is no countryside. That’s why the main problem we have to fix in terms of infrastructure is … water,” he said.
The three candidates will face off in one final debate on May 19, exactly two weeks before voters go to the polls to elect a new president for a six-year term that will conclude in 2030.
The bus was carrying pilgrims from Guanajuato to the Sanctuary of Chalma when two tires blew out, causing it to flip over. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)
México state authorities confirmed that a bus accident on the Capulín-Chalma highway early Sunday morning resulted in the death of 18 passengers, with 27 others reported injured.
The news agency Aristegui Noticias reported that the bus driver lost control after two tires blew out, causing the bus to flip over. Photos from the crash site clearly show the bus on its side and two tires missing.
Although México state authorities were still investigating the cause of the accident, the newspaper La Jornada reported on Monday that the bus had been speeding, adding that there were visible skid marks extending about 50 meters from the scene of the accident.
The passengers were from the city of San Luis de la Paz in the northeastern part of the state of Guanajuato. The bus was reportedly en route to the Sanctuary of Chalma, the second-most visited religious shrine in Mexico.
The sanctuary houses a Black Christ figure that is venerated year-round because of the many miracles attributed to it. During Easter Week last month, local authorities said more than 30,000 pilgrims visited the sanctuary.
Paramedics and emergency personnel from the México state municipalities of Tenancingo, Zumpahuacán, Tenango del Valle and Toluca arrived to give attention to the victims. Several of the badly injured victims were transported to hospital by helicopter.
Civil Protection authorities in San Luis de la Paz were coordinating with México state officials to keep the victims’ families informed.
Fourteen people were pronounced dead at the scene and another four died at area hospitals. The 27 survivors were being treated at hospitals in Toluca, Metepec, Tenancingo and Malinalco.
A bulletin issued by the state police said the accident occurred near the town of El Guarda de Guerrero which is just outside the city limits of Santa Cruz Tezontepec, about 10 kilomters north of Malinalco and 24 kilometers (15 miles) from Chalma.
A drive down Oaxaca's new highway takes in some of the very best beaches in the state. (Photos by Anna Bruce)
Last week, I finally made the journey from Oaxaca city to the Pacific coast on the new “super-highway,” which opened in February. The has more than halved the drive from Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido, which has dropped from seven hours to under three. Rather than winding over the mountains, the route uses tunnels and bridges to cut through, shaving off almost 90 kilometers.
I first visited Oaxaca over 20 years ago. My family and I took the bus over the mountains from Oaxaca city to the town of San Pedro Pochutla, near the coast, which serves as a hub to reach the numerous bays near Puerto Escondido. As a British teenager, the Oaxacan beaches were as close to paradise as I could imagine, with their turquoise waters, towering palms and tropical vibes.
The new, modern highway has significantly shortened travel times between Oaxaca city and the popular beach resort town of Puerto Escondido. (Gobierno de Mexico)
Over the years since then I have explored many of Oaxaca’s most popular beaches, as well as some of the more hidden ones. I have driven, bussed and flown in a tiny Aerotucan plane. Nowadays regular flights to Puerto Escondido and Huatulco from Mexico City have increased the amount of visitors to each and driven the expansion of local infrastructure.
Huatulco
Huatulco has long been known as more of an Acapulco-style resort location, developed by the National Fund for Tourism Promotion (Fonatur). Deterred by this reputation, I didn’t visit until recently. However, Huatulco has nine bays and 36 beaches, many of which are still virtually untouched by tourism.
Last time I went I was based in La Crucecita, a small town slightly inland. From there I walked to bays like Entrega, Violin and Maguey.
Unlike the high rise hotels that you find in other parts of Huatulco, Entrega has more of a family feel. It was busy when I was there on a Sunday in the December high season, but it felt quite local with fishermen offering fresh clams and oysters.
The clam sellers of La Crucecita offer fresh catches to visitors.
Violin isn’t far from Entrega, up the main road and then down a steep path to reach vivid blue waters. If you can make it, you will likely have the beach to yourself.
From there, the walk on the footpath is a tough and very exposed one. There are tours that take you through the eco reserve, stopping at amazing beaches like Cacaluta. It is important to be cautious here, as this wild beach has small waves but often a strong undercurrent. Some days it’s not possible to swim at Cacaluta at all, so do check the conditions. This beach was used for scenes in Alfonso Cuarón’s “Y Tu Mamá También,” a story about chasing the dream of remote paradise.
The furthest point I walked to was Playa Maguey, which was sweet and peaceful at the end of a challenging road hike. If you aren’t up for the hike, getting around by boat is the easiest way to find the more remote bays. One particular bay I have spent some wonderful days in is San Agustin, known to have some of the best snorkelling in Mexico.
The first places I went with my family were Mazunte, San Agustinillo and Zicatela. Unsurprisingly, these places have changed over the years, with more restaurants and hotels. Yet they still preserve their unique personalities, as do many of the bays that stretch along the coastline of Oaxaca.
Mazunte
Agustinillo is home to some amazing marine life.
The first place I ever stayed in Mazunte was an eco-lodge on the hill overlooking the bay. There was no electricity, and it really felt like a hidden oasis. Now it has become a favorite with travelers looking for wellness retreats and a place to meet other travelers. Mazunte is the only one of Oaxaca’s beach towns designated as a Pueblo Mágico. It is also home to the National Mexican Turtle Center at the community-managed Laguna Ventanilla.
There are technically three beaches in Mazunte: the main beach, Playa Mazunte, which then curves around to Rinconcito and Playa Mermejita. I have spent the most time at Rinconcito, where the beach dips quickly into deep water. Although deep, the beach is protected, so you can float in the water without worrying so much about currents.
Being protected means you don’t get much of a sunset at Mazunte or Rinconcito, but you can take a paddle board round to Punta Cometa to see a spectacular one at Oaxaca’s southernmost point. Round the point of Cometa is Playa Mermejita where there is a growing scene of boutique hotels. Mermejita is not safe to swim, but its black volcanic sands and amazing sunsets give it a magical quality.
For a truly relaxing beach vacation, San Agustinillo is perfect. The village being a fifteen-minute walk from Mazunte means you can find the social aspect of Mazunte when you want but can go back and chill in San Agustinillo when you need a break. I usually stay to the point furthest right of the bay, where the fishermen hang out by their boats in the afternoon before surfing in the evening.
These fishermen also offer dawn trips in their boats to see the area’s abundant marine life. I’ve had amazing experiences with Pacifico Mágico tours, seeing whales, turtles and rays and swimming with dolphins.
Zicatela
Zicatela is Mexico’s foremost surf spot. (Arturo Pérez Alfonso/Cuartoscuro)
Zicatela is one of Oaxaca’s best-known beaches. Located near the Puerto Escondido airport and bus terminal, it has a great food and nightlife scene. Nicknamed the Mexican Pipeline, Zicatela is a professional surf destination during the summer and fall. It’s not safe for swimming, but walking the beach’s shore is beautiful, as waves rise up to reveal fish and rays like a window into the ocean.
If you are looking for beaches further from the beaten path in the vicinity of Puerto Escondido, to the west are Playa Bacocho and the hidden Playa Coral. About a 30-minute drive east is Agua Blanca. If you are driving the new highway, it’s a short drive, exiting at kilometer marker 172. From there, it’s approximately two kilometers to the beach.
Agua Blanca
Agua Blanca has escaped much of the development that has sprung up across Oaxaca.
Following last week’s drive on the highway we settled in Agua Blanca, staying at a newly-built boutique hotel called Casa Utopia del Mar, perched at the far right of the small town. It seemed like we had that bit of the beach to ourselves, enjoying dawn, dusk and the eclipse in peace. The ocean was a bit rough to swim, but with a private pool overlooking the beach we had the best of both worlds.
Agua Blanca has stunning rock formations just off the shore that create rock pools perfect for exploring. It is also the best place I have been for oysters, where you can get fresh food at most of the small restaurants nestled along the coast. We shared some mezcal at one of these local spots called Cocodrilo, where we spotted owner Luis García opening oysters with a hatchet.
García moved to Agua Blanca in 2016 when it had still felt very secluded. “The reason I moved to Agua Blanca is because it is a very quiet place,” he told me. “At night all I can hear is the ocean waves and the water moving making splashes.” In 2022, he developed his restaurant. “This place is very famous because of the oysters. The people also go fishing and free diving for their own seafood like octopus and lobster.”
With regard to the new highway, García said that he knows the place will change eventually, but for now “no place is comparable to the beauty of Agua Blanca.”
Despite development, Oaxaca is still full of hidden secrets
Oaxaca is still there for intrepid explorers to discover.
Undoubtedly we will see considerable change as the Oaxaca coast opens up to tourists beyond its most famous bays. More and more of my friends are choosing to visit beaches near Puerto Angel that still have a fishing vibe, instead of the classic surf beach combo of Zicatela, for example.
Other favorites with travelers who are happy to commit the time to get off the beaten path include the lagoons of Chacahua and the dunes of Chipehua. These are both several hours from Puerto Escondido and Huatulco, respectively.
My friend describes the experience of visiting Chacahua: “The magic is taking the collectivo boat about 45 minutes through the mangroves and arriving where the lagoon meets the sea. When you get off the boat there is only one way to go, and that’s towards the ocean side. You can instantly spot anyone who just arrived based on the confusion on their faces while they’re trying to decide which cabana they want to stay in. Everything is cash. If you run out there are no ATMs but you can buy cash with your card at the supermarket for a 10 percent fee.”
Chacahua is a location that locals and those in the know guard fiercely. Hopefully, the opening of the road will encourage more people to discover the diverse beauty of the Oaxaca coastline while respecting the areas they are visiting.
The road is free to use for everyone until September 2024. After September, it will continue to be free for state residents with Oaxaca-registered cars, but a toll will be put in place for everyone else. The easiest way to make the journey is via ADO coaches, which run every 1-2 hours and cost 299 pesos.
Anna Bruce is an award-winning British photojournalist based in Oaxaca, Mexico. Just some of the media outlets she has worked with include Vice, The Financial Times, Time Out, Huffington Post, The Times of London, the BBC and Sony TV. Find out more about her work at her website or visit her on social media on Instagram or on Facebook.
There's more to Playa del Carmen than cheap tequila and beach life. Check out the best cafe spots the city has to offer. (Ah Cacao/X)
Have you ever wondered if Playa Del Carmen had more to offer than beaches? The city is globally renowned for its nightlife district and a fantastic vacation spot. But there’s a strong expat and digital nomad community here, which has led to a diverse variety of restaurants and cafés to choose from if you know where to look.
Whether you’ve come to Playa Del Carmen for a quick getaway or want to dance all night, there is something for everyone. If you’re willing to explore this once sleepy fishing village of Quintana Roo beyond its resorts, here’s your guide to get started.
Chez Celin
French inspired Chez Céline takes the cake as Playa’s best bakery. (Chez Céline/Facebook)
France is well-known for its café society, and you see that influence take shape at Chez Celine from the ambiance to the quality of the cuisine. With most of its tables situated outside, it also encourages you to socialize with friends and watch the world go by.
This French styled bakery, café, and restaurant is a popular hotspot for breakfast in Playa Del Carmen. If you don’t make a reservation or arrive early in the morning, you could be waiting in line for hours until you can be seated.
Highly ranked on Tripadvisor with thousands of positive reviews, you can find Chez Celine on 5th Avenue along Calle 34. From their smoothies, scrambled eggs, and sandwiches, you can’t go wrong with anything on their menu.
Ah Cacao Chocolaté Café
As the name suggests, Ah Cacao offers visitors to the city the chance to try drinking traditional Mayan chocolate. (Ah Cacao/Facebook)
A trendy café found in the heart of Playa Del Carmen’s bustling 5th Avenue, Ah Cacao offers your traditional Mexican coffee fix at a fair price. It’s also the perfect spot to try Mayan chocolate in a beverage form, along with other drinks and pastries.
If you care about supporting local farmers and understanding where ingredients come from, you’ll also be happy to know that’s a big part of this café’s mission statement.
There are four locations overall in Playa. Three are between Calle 30 and 40 near plenty of resorts and beaches, while the fourth is on Calle 2—a short walk from the Cozumel ferry and the outdoor mall where the 5th Avenue strip begins.
Café Italia
Combine remote work with great food at Café Italia. (Café Italia/Facebook)
Located a short walk outside of Calle 4, you’ll find this gem along a path where there are other incredible restaurants you won’t find on 5th Avenue.
It’s a locally run business with delicious food and coffee. It’s never too crowded during the day, which makes it perfect for digital nomads, and it’s also a great spot to find other expats if you just moved to Playa and want to meet new friends.
But on my recent stay in Playa last February, I explored their menu deeper instead of sticking to my usual. After having their empanadas, avocado toast, and a few of their pastries, I can say with confidence this is a phenomenal café and that everyone should try it at least once.
Sabrina Pizzeria
Café Italia might offer great pastries, but Sabrina can’t be beaten when it comes to pizza. (Sabrina/Facebook)
If you want to teleport to Italy while you’re in Mexico, this is the place to go! Located outside 5th Avenue between Avenues 10 and 15, you’ll be happy to enjoy an authentic Italian dinner here for a better price than you’ll find anywhere else in Playa.
There’s a present Italian and Argentinian expat community in Playa Del Carmen and not only can you see that influence in their menu, but also in their regular clientele. From their pizzas, pasta dishes, desserts, and coffee, Sabrina Pizzeria might be the most hidden gem on this list. Based on the reviews, most people who have been lucky enough to stumble upon this restaurant agree.
Marley Coffee
It’s all peace and love at Marley Coffee. (Marley Coffee/Facebook)
For those who love Bob Marley and Rastafarian culture, this is an essential café to experience.
Marley’s Coffee is all about honoring the life and career of the legendary musician by spreading love, closeness, unity, and sustainability in everything it sells. You also see it in the number of paintings there are of Bob Marley at this café, as well as in the quality of its beverages and overall ambiance.
From their frappés, smoothies, and coffee, you can’t go wrong with what you order. Better yet, the reviews speak for themselves!
Excited about your next trip to Playa del Carmen?
(Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
No matter what you’re craving, Playa Del Carmen has a restaurant, café, bakery, or market that is ready to meet those needs. From Italian, French, Argentinian, Middle Eastern, Kosher, Thai, Cuban, French-Canadian, and, of course, Mexican, there are so many different cuisines to explore in this part of Quintana Roo.
So, do your research and enjoy being spoiled for choice!
Not only will you contribute to the Mexican economy, but you’ll also be supporting the locals who make Playa what we all know and love.
Ian Ostroff is an indie author, journalist, and copywriter from Montreal, Canada. You can find his work in various outlets, including Map Happy and The Suburban. When he’s not writing, you can find Ian at the gym, a café, or anywhere within Mexico visiting family and friends.
The sea turtle nesting season in Mexico typically takes place between May and June. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
Sea turtle nesting season is underway in Mexico with turtle sightings reported in the states of Campeche and Quintana Roo, according to the La Jornada Maya newspaper.
Last week, the arrival of an endangered species of sea turtle on Playa Norte beach on Isla del Carmen, Campeche was cause for excitement. Onlookers watched as the turtle — reported to be either a hawksbill or a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, both of which are considered critically endangered — crawled out of the sea and dug a hole before depositing her eggs.
Quintana Roo also reported its first sea turtle nest of 2024. (Ayuntamiento de Solidaridad)
Civil Protection authorities were notified and — with the help of beachgoers — protected the nest from scavenging birds and dogs. La Jornada Maya reported that Isla del Carmen is a popular nesting area with a high hatch rate.
Over the weekend, after the arrival of a pregnant loggerhead sea turtle on a Quintana Roo beach, the Environment Ministry (Semarnat) issued a call to the public asking for help to protect turtle nests by informing the authorities if a turtle is spotted laying eggs.
Semarnat did not disclose the location of the first nest but did reveal that the turtle laid 65 eggs. Officials also announced the installation of a monitoring station to protect the nest.
Mexico is one of the most important turtle nesting sites in the world: six of the world’s seven species of sea turtles nest on Mexico’s beaches. Sea turtles can lay up to 100 eggs which incubate in the warm sand for about 60 days before hatchlings emerge.
Experts say the nesting season started late this year in Mexico due to high temperatures and a lack of rain, making the sand too hot for nesting.
The Tortuguero Isla Matamoros Camp — an organization that works to protect sea turtles, flora and fauna in the Laguna de Términos region which includes Isla del Carmen – last month warned of a negative outlook regarding sea turtle nesting season in Campeche.
Rosario Velueta Benítez, the president of the Tortuguero Isla Matamoros Camp, told the newspaper The Yucatán Times that the Easter holidays would negatively impact the nesting season, saying the massive influx of visitors would compact the sand and make it unsuitable for nesting.
State authorities implemented a control and surveillance plan along the Campeche coast in hopes of preventing excessive compaction of sand by designating specific areas for bathers in order to protect nesting areas.
The quiet mining town of Real del Monte, Hidalgo, which saw an influx of British miners in the 19th century. (Real del Monte/Instagram)
To conclude our “Global Mexico: U.K. in Focus” week at Mexico News Daily, we’ve compiled a selection of previously published stories that are related in one way or another to both the United Kingdom and Mexico.
They are presented below in the order they were published.
A British-Mexican woman whose art is ‘pure escapism’
In 2018, Susannah Rigg wrote about the life of Leonora Carrington – an English-born painter and novelist who lived in Mexico most of her life – and the San Luis Potosí jail-turned-museum that houses some of her works.
The Mexican towns where ‘being British’ is part of their identity
In 2021, Leigh Thelmadatter delved into the British legacy in Pachuca, the capital of Hidalgo, and the nearby town of Real del Monte, where Cornish miners first arrived in the 1820s.
In 2022, we published this obituary of Diana Kennedy, a writer and cookbook author who became the foremost authority on Mexican cuisine in the English language.
Edward James – ‘crazier than all the surrealists put together’
Also in 2022, Leigh Thelmadatter took a look at the life of poet and patron of the arts Edward James and the sculpture gardens he created in San Luis Potosí.
Late last year, Gordon Cole-Schmidt recounted the story of how English miners introduced soccer to Mexico while working in the central state of Hidalgo.
Mexico News Daily CEO Travis Bembenek considers the market for elder care in Mexico aimed at the foreign population as a potential investment opportunity. (Shutterstock)
At Mexico News Daily, we highlight key growth industries and report on the major investments taking place in Mexico.
Just earlier this week, we reported on how Mexico has received announcements of foreign direct investment (FDI) from January to April 15 of this year totaling more than all FDI recorded in 2023, which was a record year.
We get a lot of questions from readers asking us about the big opportunities for investment in Mexico moving forward, and we try to highlight some of those as well.
Water scarcity is a huge issue across the nation and we have been covering the risks as well as opportunities, and what some companies are doing to help address the problems. We have also covered the automotive, digital services, medical device production, semiconductors and aeronautics industries, which are attracting significant investment.
Other big opportunities that we have written about are in infrastructure, commercial, residential and industrial real estate, as well as in agricultural production. Just recently the CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico, Pedro Casas, highlighted 4 key growth industries in an article he wrote for Mexico News Daily.
A significant opportunity that I think is still in its infancy is the senior health care services industry.
Many people have asked me for my thoughts on this topic, specifically regarding the areas of senior living and care, as well as medical tourism. I don’t have expertise in these industries, and so far, our coverage has been limited to a recent article we did on Mexico’s first hospice care clinic, which is opening soon in San Miguel de Allende.
However, it is an intriguing topic for many reasons. Today there are at least 1.6 million U.S. citizens and over 12,000 Canadians already living in Mexico — many of them are retirees. Many more are coming every day. Many have been in Mexico for years and have no plans to go back to live elsewhere. As we all know, providing safe and affordable health care services is already a major concern in many parts of the U.S. and Canada.
Rapidly rising costs — from the products and services themselves, to the real estate, to labor — have all contributed to the skyrocketing total costs of care. To make matters worse, since the pandemic, many hospitals have been struggling with labor shortages that make it difficult in many areas to provide the care needed.
Surprisingly, there are very limited options for senior living and senior care in Mexico focused on the foreign market. I have heard of assisted living facilities focused on serving seniors in places like San Miguel de Allende, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta and Chapala/Ajiiic. However, these types of specialized services being done in Mexico have their own challenges — language barriers, staff training, on-site specialized medical care, and healthcare insurance — just to name a few.
Mexico seems like a very logical answer to many of these problems considering that the country has a relatively young and well-trained workforce. In addition, the costs of everything from labor to real estate are often significantly lower. The ability to have 24-hour care in most parts of Mexico is far more economically viable. Mexicans culturally are accustomed to very close extended and multi-generational families. As a result, it is a culture that is known for a high degree of respect, warmth, care and empathy towards elders.
Most people I speak with who have had experiences with Mexican doctors, nurses, and health care providers overwhelmingly have nothing but positive things to say about the quality of care that they have received.
Health care is arguably one of the most complicated industries on the planet, so I am not saying that this opportunity would be easy. As with any business idea, it comes with significant risks and challenges. Building and managing adequate facilities with the properly trained staff in Mexico would not be inexpensive or risk-free. But the opportunity is too big to not gain more attention from the business and investment community.
Based on what I hear from talking to expats around the country, this is a large and growing market that is here to stay; there is a significant market need; and supply is extremely limited.
Let’s hope that some bright entrepreneurs and business folks go after it, as demand for these services increases.
Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for over 27 years.
