San Miguel de Allende made the list of best alternative destinations for American Express travelers in 2024. (Bill Perry/Shutterstock)
The UNESCO World Heritage city of San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato has made it onto yet another global travel recommendations list, as a “trending destination” for 2024.
The American Express Trending Destinations: Off the Beaten Path list uncovers hidden vacation spots and experiences that travelers – especially Millennials and Gen Z, are seeking out. The list looks at tourist destinations popular with American Express cardholders, such as Amalfi, Istanbul and Mexico’s Riviera Maya, and suggests alternative experiences based on personal preferences.
Snowy Niseko in Japan topped the list of best alternative destinations. (Niseko)
“People are looking for new experiences and to immerse themselves in the local culture when they travel,” President of American Express Travel Audrey Hendley said.
“Whether you crave a new adventure or just want to beat the crowds, this list is a great place for every type of traveler to find their next vacation destination,” he added.
According to Amex, Japan became the fastest-growing destination for Millennial and Gen-Z travelers in 2023. The company said that bookings were up more than 1,300% compared with the “normal” pre-pandemic year of 2019.
Meanwhile, San Miguel de Allende saw an increase of 400% in bookings and Rajasthan’s Jaipur and Udaipur rose over 600% in 2023, making these cities rank among the top five fastest-growing alternative destinations.
San Miguel de Allende saw a 400% increase in reservations this year according to Amex. (Shutterstock)
San Miguel de Allende has consistently ranked as one of the top cities to visit in rankings made by international travel magazines, including the title of the world’s best small city by Condé Nast. In June, Condé Nast also included San Miguel de Allende in its list of the 32 best places to spend Christmas.
Earlier this year, Amex released its Global Trends Report revealing that 89% of younger travelers are interested in visiting off-the-beaten-path destinations they have never been to before.
The complete list of trending destinations includes:
Hats, sarapes, and pillows decorate a Mexican home. (Freepik)
Mexican home decor is alive with dazzling colors, patterns and textures, rich with a history of unique artisanal materials, textiles and techniques. It’s an irresistible eclectic look born out of a blending of wildly diverse cultures: the native Aztec and Maya tribes, the Spanish missionaries and conquistadores, plus some Native American and Southwest influences. No wonder Andre Breton said, “Mexico is the most surrealist country in the world!”
We compiled a guide to the essential traditional and authentic Mexican accents for your home – with a few insider tips to home stylingso you can evoke some of Mexico’s vivid and soulful style wherever you are.
Where do I go in Mexico for the colorful handicrafts and art?
Stroll around any city – Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, Oaxaca, Mérida, San Miguel de Allende, and all the smaller towns in between – and go in search of the artisanal markets (mercado artesanal). You’ll find pretty much all of our list below. You will also find design stores, specialized boutiques, and pop-up stores with one-of-a-kind products, often created with high-quality materials and an exotic local touch.
Anna Karp, a co-founder of the renovation site Bolster, feels, “Appropriating a ‘look’ without looking into the substance that created such a look is a true loss.” She encourages approaching decorating by adopting an appreciative mindset of the decor’s heritage instead of simply mimicking a style.
Tiles
A tile bench that you can create yourself. (Freepik)
Some Mexican tiles might be the closest way of adding a splash of Mexican style and color to your home while adding life to walls and floors!
The Talavera tiles are trendy, famous and traditionally hand-painted. These tile inlays decorate kitchens, bathrooms, fireplaces, walls and floors. They were initially designed for homes where hot weather omitted the need for area rugs and are both functional and beautiful.
Pottery
Authentic Talavera pottery originates from Puebla and was originally brought to Mexico by Spanish settlers. The white and blue ceramic pieces at any market and ceramic store are a big part of Mexican identity. Mexico’s culture, flora and fauna influence the designs. Talavera pottery can include tiles, dishware, platters and trays, serving pieces, wall art, and other decorative accents.
How do I say pottery in Spanish? Cerámica!
Terra cotta
Terra cotta finishes add an authentic Mexican feel to any room in your home, inside or out. You can use it in planters, pots, floor tiles, or wall accents. You’ll find these in the shapes of squares, diamonds and hexagons, and you might try combining them in interesting patterns.
Mirrors
Jazz up the simplest of rooms with the rustic and ornate tin mirrors crafted by hand in Mexico, using traditional and modern artistry. The wonderful tin heart designs – the Sacred Heart is one of the most common motifs in religious folk art created in Mexico – or the combination of tin and colorful ceramic as a border are a staple of any Mexican home.
How do I say mirror in Spanish? Espejo.
Wall art and artwork
How about playing with displaying traditional Mexican arts, crafts, clothing, textiles and other ornaments? Beauty from all over the country can be found in most markets and design stores.
Classic wall hangings made of tin or copper
Artwork like papel amate, originally from Guerrero and Puebla. They make a truly original gift – to yourself or your loved ones!
Embroidery and hand-made weaving. Mexico’s textiles infuse color as well as pattern. Oaxaca holds various woven beauties from tribes like the Mixtec and Nahua.
Clothing as artwork!
The traditional garments of Oaxaca or Chiapas are outstanding pieces of art. You can repurpose them as decorative elements by draping them over a chair, hanging them on a wall, or – repurposing a dressmaker’s mannequin to fill a corner of your room with a whiff of exoticism! Find clothing at markets or traditional design stores.
Mexican light fixtures
Some famous favorites are the tin fabricated hanging star light, lantern, or standing obelisk, whose perforations allow for a dreamy night glow. Choose frosted or colored glass to play with mood through color. You can also find geometric African-style pendants fusing metal, glass and ceramic wall sconces.
Blankets and cushions
The typical striped blankets are sarapes – beautiful throws or cushion covers that will liven up the beigist of rooms, couches, or beds with a bold splash of color. Sarape de Saltillo is the original name of these blankets, made of wool with a beautiful knit.
A unique and colorful hand-embroidered cushion cover from Mexico is perfect for brightening any room with little effort! The designs draw on a wealth of Mexican nature symbology and display the lineage of traditional handicrafts passed down over generations.
Rugs
The striking, geometric symbols woven into Oaxacan rugs are beyond decorative, although they look fabulous! They represent aspects of the Zapotec culture, with its deep connection to nature, and share many similarities with ancient Incan and Maya symbols.
How do I say rug in Spanish? Tapete.
Copper pots and clay pots
Have you ever wondered why in traditional Mexican restaurants they still cook with clay and copper pots? Because it tastes so much better! Copper is also a great heat conductor; it looks lovely in any kitchen decoration. But go bold and use copper and clay pots creatively – they make fantastic plant holders or accents in any room or outdoor patio.
Brightly painted wooden artwork
You can discover a wide variety of Mexican folk art – hand-painted bowls, crosses and plates. This craft has a long and rich history stretching back 3,000 years when the Olmec, Maya, Teotihuacán, Toltec, and Aztecs ruled over the lands of Mexico. Indigenous groups fabricated objects for daily use as well as ceremonial occasions.
Carved gourds
A unique form of Mexican folk art made from the calabash fruit, which grows in the coastal areas of Guerrero and Oaxaca. Another pre-colonial craft, lacquerware, displays a fine decorative glossy coating applied to various wooden objects, from trays and boxes to bowls and animal figurines.
Ironworks
Find some handcrafted wrought iron pieces – still important in San Miguel de Allende, Leon, Guanajuato, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico City, and Puebla. You can find lamps and even chimney tools and use them as decorative pieces for the home. San Cristobal de las Casas is known for its intricate crosses made of wrought iron and are popular with Mexicans as symbols of divine protection – and placed on mantels or bookshelves, they can add a mythical, mystical touch.
Huichol art
Wixrarica (huichol) art. (Decogalería)
These pieces, found in local craft fairs, specialized Huichol stores, and artisanal markets, are said to be inspired by the hallucinations provoked by the ceremonial use of peyote. Colorful, abstract, geometric and unique. One piece in a room will stand out magnificently!
Alebrijes
Hand carved out of copal wood, the Alebrijes are beautiful fantasy hybrid animals and the most recognizable Mexican folk art. They’re not religious figures but originate from the feverish dreams of Pedro Linares López. Each artist brings their vision to the creation – it might look like a dragon, with maybe a bit of horse and the addition of a fishtail or wings!
Colorful Skulls and Skeletons
You might come across some Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) traditional art in Mexican interior design! The Mexicans celebrate their ancestors with skulls and skeletons with ornate decorations. The shape and colors on the skull also bear meaning, such as hope and purity.
Paper Flowers
These flowers, of all shapes, sizes and colors – on wire stems or string garlands – are beautiful to put in vases, string up on terraces, or any room. I know people from the UK and New York who go home with suitcases of them for friends and relatives.
Baskets
Basket weaving is one of Mexico’s oldest traditions and palm weaving has been practiced here for thousands of years! Traditional products such as petates (mats) and tenates (boxes with lids) are still sold by indigenous artisans in Mexican markets today.
Hats
Hats on the wall are a great way to decorate. (Freepik)
You can’t be without a sombrero somewhere on your wall, window ledge, or hooks! The sombrero marks the image of Mexicans for the rest of the world, from the mariachi musicians to Emiliano Zapata! Pick up all shapes, sizes and colors at the markets and – distribute creatively in your home!
Cactus
Create some desert chic accents! Due to the arid landscapes throughout Mexico, succulents and cactus plants thrive and are a perfect accent – from the spiky and bulbous to the long and fleshy, from the tiny to the grand – for any interior or exterior space.
No wonder Mexican home decor is trending! You can’t fail to spice up a colorless space or a meh mood with these splashes of style and pizzazz from Mexican crafts and textiles. Just stroll through the Mexican streets and ask for the nearest artisanal market or design stores. And don’t forget to notice certain open-door Mexican homes, inviting you to find some of these treasures at a snip if you’re lucky! Mexico is great for street shopping and self-directed home sales! Above all, have some fun and soak up the wild and wonderful world of Mexican craftsmanship to accent your home.
Henrietta Weekes is a writer, editor, actor and narrator. She divides her time between San Miguel de Allende, New York and Oxford, UK.
Plastic surgery and other elective procedures are significantly cheaper in Mexico than in the U.S., though problems with unlicensed practitioners deter some would-be medical tourists. (Freepik)
You may find yourself in search of cosmetic surgery – that “mommy makeover”, tummy tuck, or breast lift – that is safe, affordable, and of the highest standard. We met Dr. Roberto Galaso Trujillo from the prestigious ABC Medical Center in Mexico City, who told us what you need to know to trust the process for a procedure from start to finish.
What academic training and experience should you look for as a patient seeking the best plastic surgery in Mexico?
Renowned Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Galaso.
“In Mexico, you have to train in general surgery for 3 years in order to become a plastic surgeon”, says Dr. Roberto Galaso, a smart, young, professional surgeon who runs his cosmetic and plastic surgery practice out ofABC Medical Center, CDMX, one of the most esteemed hospitals in the country. He furthered his studies in reconstructive and plastic surgery for 4 years at the Hospital Dr. Manuel Gea González, considered one of best in Latin America, under the mentorship of Dr. Fernando Ortiz Monasterio, a renowned surgeon and the first to perform cleft palate surgery and other craniofacial malformations successfully. “I also learned how to perform breast augmentation and aesthetic surgery with this doctor and witnessed the flood of international patients.” It is highly competitive to be accepted into this program.
After completing this 7-year training, Dr. Galaso traveled to the US, Turkey, Spain, and Colombia to improve his expertise in breast surgery and liposculpture surgery, which has become his specialty. In Mexico, in addition to training, it’s a requirement for a doctor’s thesis to be validated by top surgeons. Alongside this critical training – necessary for safe and successful outcomes -Dr. Galaso went on to receive his board certification from theAmerican Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery(ISAPS).
When exploring your options for medical tourism, researching a doctor’s training thoroughly is imperative. Double-check that a doctor is certified to practice in Mexico, like Dr. Galaso.
How safe is plastic surgery in Mexico?
Dr. Galaso tells us that attending the professional international conference circuit helps him keep abreast of the latest information and technology from other experts, as well as being able to contribute his own advancements.
Last year, at the large gathering for The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, aka “The Meeting,” he presented on rhinoplasty. This year’s meeting will be held in Austin in late October. He already attended the International Society of Aesthetic Surgeons conference that took place in Athens, Greece.
“And the year before that, I gave a presentation in Seoul about reconstructive jaw surgery. It’s very common to have malformations in Mexico.” Next year in February, he will attendIMCAS, aka “the congress,” the most important annual gathering of aesthetic and plastic surgeons and dermatologists, to be held in Paris. “The truth is, aestheticians in Mexico have been known to administer procedures that should be done by plastic surgeons, so it’s really important to work with a board-certified doctor that absolutely knows what they’re doing”, he tells MND.
Why choose a hospital for cosmetic or plastic surgery?
Dr. Galaso’s office at ABC Hospital, Mexico City.
“You need rigorous health checks, and I am careful to say yes to a patient,” Dr. Galaso states. Naturally, peace of mind around your procedure is of utmost importance, and the environment you choose will be key. For the last 4 years, Dr. Galaso has been proud to have been granted space for his surgery and office at ABC Medical Center, one of the most respected hospitals in Mexico. In order to practice there, a committee has to validate the doctor’s 7-year training results, and it’s a requirement to have 5 published peer-reviewed medical articles. Every 2 years, doctors will go through a further review process.
What is “mommy makeover” surgery?
Trending right now isDr. Galaso’s specialty surgery, ‘body contouring,’ commonly known as the ‘Mommy makeover.’ “It’s very popular,” he tells MND. But not just for Moms; women who feel unhappy about having loose or lax skin are investing in this procedure for impressive and delightful results. “Tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty (aka ‘the corset waist’) and breast lifts are really popular right now, as well as breast reduction and shaping.” The majority of his patients are Mexican, but he’s now seeing a rise in international clients, especially from the US.
“I’m finding men are currently looking for liposuction and facial reconstruction, like rhinoplasty. They want to look well-formed and strong, often with a six-pack!”
What to expect before your plastic or cosmetic surgery in Mexico
Patients don’t often have a lot of time to spare when they travel to Mexico for surgery. “We have expert protocols around pre-operative care and post-operative recovery. We usually need 2 weeks maximum to feel confident sending patients home,” Dr. Galaso says. The International Plastic Surgery Program by Dr. Galaso offers a VIP package, where clients can stay at theSt Regis nearby, which includes chauffeur service from the airport to the hotel, a 24/7 butler, meals according to dietary requirements, nurses, therapists and follow-up appointments with Dr. Galaso. The regular package offers standard rooms at the Hyatt House hotel, which connects via a bridge to the ABC Medical Center. Transport, meals, and after are included. The only additional patient expense is the plane fare. Dr. Galaso’s team of therapists and nurses provide daily follow-up care and are mostly bilingual, Dr. Galaso is on call and close by for any questions or needs.
He reiterates the importance of the preoperative process and much communication with the patient’s doctor, garnering a thorough preoperative analysis through examination of all medical reports. A patient typically arrives for surgery with Dr. Galaso 2 days prior.
Cosmetic procedures in Mexico can be as safe and effective as in the US, under the right care – and easier on the wallet.
“So many people were traveling to Colombia from the US and Mexico for body contouring. It was an overlooked niche that I felt qualified to offer in Mexico.” Now, about 20% of his patients are coming from America, and of course, it’s far less expensive than in the US. The cost for a liposuction procedure, and other procedures, in Mexico is typically 20% less than the same treatment in the US, depending on the patient and personal requirements for the procedure, according to data search on Treatment Abroad.
You can benefit from the exchange rate and cost of living, but Dr. Galaso recommends not searching for a deal when researching plastic surgery in Mexico. “We offer packages for international patients,” he tells me. “You’re paying a bit more, but still a lot less than in the US, for the hospital environment and the additional services.”
If you’re serious about that plastic surgery you’ve been thinking about and researching, a 2-week trip to CDMX will get you the cutting-edge techniques available to plastic surgeons today, as well as Dr. Galaso’s commitment to professional ethics. Far more cost-effective than the same procedure in the US, his work can change the way you see yourself.
This article is sponsored by Dr. Roberto Galaso Trujillo, an accomplished Board Certified Plastic, Aesthetic, and Reconstructive Surgeon practicing in Mexico.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal or medical advice. Individuals should always consult with qualified professionals regarding medical procedures, including plastic and/or cosmetic surgery, and medical aesthetic treatments, as well as consider their jurisdiction’s applicable laws and regulations.
The Federal Roads and Bridges authority will increase itolls on highways and bridges, to fund repair and maintenance works.
(Dassaev Téllez Adame/Cuartoscuro)
The Federal Roads and Bridges Authority (Capufe) has announced anincrease in tolls on highways and bridges, with the extra proceeds going towards highway operation and maintenance.
Which highways are affected?
The increase applies to the highway network concessioned to the National Infrastructure Fund (Fonadin), which operates throughout Mexico. It includes the major highways in and out of Mexico City, such as the Mexico City-Puebla, and Mexico City-Querétaro routes.
Many of these highways are divided into multiple sections, with a toll booth in each. For instance, the Mexico-Querétaro highway has six booths, with the toll paid at each one.
Although the Cuernavaca-Acapulco road was originally included in the toll increase, President López Obrador announced that tolls on the road would remain unchanged, as the government seeks to stimulate the local economy after Hurricane Otis.
How much is the increase?
Mexico’s toll roads are kept in good condition thanks to the tolls charged to road users. (SICT)
The tolls will go up by an average of 3%, although the exact figure will vary slightly due to rounding effects on the different vehicle rates. The increase keeps the tolls in line with Mexico’s inflation rate, which stood at 4.26% in October.
On the Mexico City-Puebla Highway, the rate for a car will increase from 198 pesos (US $11.48) to 204 pesos (US $11.83), while the motorcycle rate will go up from 99 pesos (US $5.70) to 102 pesos (US $5.91).
On the Mexico City-Cuernavaca highway, the car rate will go from 136 pesos (US $7.89) to 140 pesos (US $8.12), and the motorcycle rate will go from 68 pesos (US $3.95) to 70 pesos (US $4.06).
When does the increase take effect?
The increase took effect on Wednesday, Nov. 15.
This is the second change in toll costs this year, after the Infrastructure, Communications and Transport Ministry (SICT) hiked the rates by 7.82% in March, reflecting 2022’s higher rate of inflation.
As one cold front recedes and another arrives, some areas of Mexico will experience heavy rain or freezing conditions. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)
A massive cold front that dropped temperatures in parts of Mexico to -10° Celsius has moved toward the Caribbean Sea on Thursday, prompting the National Meteorological Service (SMN) to predict better weather for much of the country.
SMN said the departure of cold front number 9 could lead to Thursday highs of 35° C to 40° C in 13 states: Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca (coast), Chiapas (coast), Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo.
While skies will brighten, temperatures across the country may remain lower than average, warn forecasters. (Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro)
Chihuahua (southwest), Durango (west), Morelos, Puebla (southwest) and Tabasco are predicted temperatures in the range of 30° C to 35° C.
However, because one cold front is being replaced by another one — or maybe even two — there could be frost and temperatures down to -5° C to 0° C in the mountains of Chihuahua and Durango over the next few days. Many other areas in the northern and highland regions of Mexico may also experience lows from 0° C to 5° C.
The departure of cold front number 9 led to a decrease in rain across Mexico, although the National Water Commission (Conagua) did issue a Thursday morning prediction of heavy rains in Sonora, Oaxaca, Baja California and Chiapas due to a subtropical jet stream and instability at high levels of the atmosphere.
Isolated showers and rains were expected in Baja California Sur, Michoacán, Guerrero, Puebla, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Chihuahua, Jalisco, Colima, Yucatán and Quintana Roo.
Five cold fronts are expected in November, with another eight in December. (@meteored/X)
In all cases, the SMN warned that thunderstorms and hail were possibilities.
This winter, according to Conagua, Mexico will experience 56 cold fronts — banks of cold air that move down from Canada and the United States — causing temperatures to drop and precipitation to increase across the country.
Conagua predicted that five of these winter storms will hit Mexico in November, with eight more coming in December.
Cold fronts numbers 10 and 11 are said to be on their way to the northern part of the country, with authorities warning that each “will take a toll” on Mexico.
Cold front number 10 will begin to be felt on Friday. The next day, lows down to -5 °C could be experienced in some northern states.
coffee is the second largest world commodity after petroleum. (Canva)
Coffee is the second most consumed beverage in the world, surpassed only by water, according to data provided by Mexican coffee expert José de Jesús Olvera.
Though coffee’s origins are distant and uncertain, there are stories of Ethiopian Bedouins observing goats eating the berries of certain bushes and demonstrating greater energy levels and a certain excitability. The goat herders’ curiosity led to the first human consumption of coffee. The way coffee is consumed has changed greatly since then, evolving from an Arabic preparation called Qahwah, which is made with turmeric to Turkish coffee, arguably the beverage’s most sophisticated preparation.
Coffee’s arrival in Italy was a watershed moment for its growing popularity. In Italy, coffee started to be prepared differently and from there it went on to conquer the rest of Europe. In the Arab world, coffee was considered the drink of the elites of intellectuals, stimulating reflection and conversation. European cafés were the beginning of coffee’s conquest of the rest of the world. Today, espresso is one of the most popular drinks among coffee purists.
In Mexico, coffee plants were brought by the French and they soon adapted to favorable climates in Córdoba, Veracruz, an area that quickly became an exporter of coffee and is today one of the most important coffee regions both in Mexico and globally. Coffee production requires many hands and has become a source of income for entire families.
Today, Mexico’s coffee-producing regions are found mostly in the central and southern parts of the country.
“Coffee is a good business, and it represents 867 million dollars of the Mexican economy in exports. Three million people work in the coffee industry. In the area around the Gulf, it is produced in San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, Puebla, México, Veracruz and Tabasco. On the Pacific Ocean, you will find coffee in Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco, Nayarit and Oaxaca. In the southwest, you’ll find coffee production in Chiapas,” said Olvera, who has a doctorate in social anthropology.
Mexico currently has three denomination de origin regions for coffee production: one in Veracruz, one in Oaxaca and one in Chiapas. A fourth region, Puebla, looks likely to join them. Mexico is the world’s ninth-largest coffee producer.
Mexicans have also made coffee their own, creating café de olla, an extremely popular coffee variation that is sweetened with unrefined brown sugar and can include cinnamon as well. In almost every small town throughout the country, you can wake up to the delightful smell of café de olla. Though café de olla is one of coffee’s most popular ways to prepare coffee in Mexico, in the past decades the trend of specialty coffee has made its way into homes, cafes and restaurants across the country.
What is specialty coffee?
Specialty coffee is divided by different levels of bean quality, region, level of acidity, roast type and, obviously, the type of bean. Arabica beans are the most-consumed bean, popular for their smooth flavor. This is both the most-cultivated type of coffee on the planet and the type used to make specialty coffee. Robusta beans, as their name implies, are more resistant to infestations and to difficult climates. Coffee brewed from robusta beans is generally more bitter, has a higher concentration of caffeine and is usually used in blends and instant coffees. A third type of bean called Liberica is cultivated and consumed at a much lower rate.
Today, drinking specialty coffee is more common in Mexico. (Canva)
The process of making coffee has become simple, and there are various methods to make it at home. Specialized coffee machines, like the French press or the Italian moka pot, each require different size grinds and provide slightly different results.
In national competitions, which are more and more common in Mexico, coffee is judged by its acidity, sweetness and general balance of aromas across many cups from the same batch of beans to ensure quality across the board. Judged coffee is usually awarded points on a scale between 6 and 9, with the idea that the coffee in competition already has a certain basic standard level. A 10 is awarded very infrequently and only in exceptional cases.
No coffee is the same, and it’s difficult to compare coffee from distinct types of beans or growing regions. It must be understood that each is an expression of its terroir (a concept that describes how local environmental factors affect a crop, usually applied to wine) as well as the techniques used in its fermentation and roasting.
Today in Mexico you can find coffee from around the world, imported from South America, Asia, or Africa, but my recommendation is to buy Mexican-grown coffee; There is a price point and type for every palate.
Coffee and the palate of its Mexican consumers have certainly changed over time, I think for the positive, and even though Mexicans have yet to be great consumers of this beverage, we produce high-quality beans. Today, drinking specialty coffee is more common. It’s clear that waking up to a cup of Mexican coffee is the best way to start your day right.
The new Mexicana airline has acquired aircraft - but when can travelers purchase tickets? (Cuartoscuro)
What’s going on with the revived Mexicana de Aviaciónairline?
The new government-operated airline was forced to suspend ticket sales while awaiting its Air Services Operator Certificate (AOC) from Mexico’s Federal Aviation Agency (AFAC), but was granted the certificate on Oct. 30.
The announcement as it appeared on the Mexicana website. (Mexicana de Aviación)
When will online reservations go live?
The online ticketing system briefly operated between Oct. 3-18, but was taken offline after AFAC ruled the airline could not sell seats without an operating license. Those who had reserved a seat on the airline were unable to pay.
Mexicana has now contacted these ticketholders, with details on how to complete their purchases.
“From November 25, you will receive an email where you can conclude the reservation and payment process for your trip,” said the airline.
Mexicana will reportedly begin operations with a fleet of aircraft leased from Querétaro airline TAR. (Querétaro Turismo/X)
When will flights begin?
The airline has said it will begin operations on Saturday, Dec. 2 this year, with 19 flights to 13 destinations within Mexico scheduled for the first day.
While Mexicana had announced their intention to use a fleet of Boeing 737-800s, website Aviación 21 reported last week that the airline will now lease a series of Embraer E145 instead, due to a shortage of available aircraft to lease from Boeing.
The flights will be operated under the Mexicana brand by Transportes Aéreos Regionales, the Querétaro-based airline TAR that owns them.
The Embraer E145 aircraft are being repainted in the new Mexicana livery. (Xime Garmendia/X)
Which destinations are included?
Destinations from Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) in Mexico City currently include:
Acapulco
Guadalajara
Huatulco
Monterrey
Mazatalán
Oaxaca
Puerto Vallarta
Villahermosa
Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo
While the airline has announced operations to 11 other destinations, tickets are not currently available to purchase for those routes. Travelers who have already reserved tickets will be compensated, according to the airline.
Tulum, which the airline had previously announced as an operational hub, is no longer mentioned on the website and does not appear on any maps published by the airline.
Puerto Vallarta is among the destinations offered by Mexicana. (Taylor Beach/Unsplash)
How much will tickets cost?
Based on an October price check by MND, a Mexicana flight from AIFA to Cancún departing on Dec. 5 costs 1,447 pesos (US $80), including Airport Use Fee (TUA) and additional taxes, seat selection, checked baggage of up to 15 kilograms, one piece of carry-on luggage and a 10-kilogram personal item.
The same flight, including one checked baggage of up to 25 kilograms, costs 6,669 pesos (US $371) at Aeroméxico and 6,013 pesos (US $334) at Volaris.
The peso continued its hot streak over the weekend, trading at 16.30 before closing at 16.33 to the dollar on Monday. (Shutterstock)
The Mexican peso extended its winning streak to five days in Thursday morning trading to reach its strongest position against the US dollar since late September.
Bloomberg data shows that the peso appreciated to 17.22 to the dollar just before 8 a.m. Mexico City time. The last time the peso was stronger than that level was Sept. 22 when it closed at 17.20 to the greenback.
At 10 a.m., the peso was trading at a slightly weaker 17.26 to the dollar.
The peso closed at 17.82 to the greenback last Thursday but has appreciated every trading day since then. It reached 17.65 last Friday, 17.61 on Monday, 17.34 on Tuesday and 17.30 on Wednesday, according to Bloomberg.
The peso’s latest winning streak began last Friday with a general weakening of the US dollar.
The DXY index, which measures the value of the dollar against a basket of foreign currencies, also fell on Thursday morning after data showed that claims for unemployment benefits in the United States increased to a three-month high last week.
The president shows the steady decline in inflation since June. (Gob MX)
“The dollar edged lower on Thursday after US jobless claims rose more than expected last week, indicating a cooling labor market that could prompt the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in early 2024 and engineer an economic soft landing,” Reuters reported.
The Mexican peso, which was trading at about 19.5 to the dollar at the start of 2023, has benefited this year from the significant difference between interest rates here and those in the US, which are currently set at a 5.25%-5.5% range.
Bank of Mexico Governor Victoria Rodríguez told the El Financiero newspaper earlier this week that “the improvement in the inflationary outlook we’re anticipating could allow us to begin discussing in future [monetary policy] meetings the possibility of adjusting our reference rate downwards.”
Victoria Rodríguez Ceja, head of the Bank of Mexico. (Presidencia)
She said that cuts to the key interest rate will occur when macroeconomic conditions allow them, adding that “we do not see that for the rest of this year.”
The Bank of Mexico (Banxico) board will hold its final monetary policy meeting of the year on Dec. 14, but based on Rodríguez’s remarks an initial cut to the 11.25% rate appears unlikely before 2024.
The central bank governor also said that interest rate cuts, when they come, will be “gradual” and won’t necessarily be “continuous,” indicating that the benchmark rate could be lowered and then held at the new level through subsequent monetary policy meetings.
The Bank of Mexico has maintained a high key interest rate of 11.25% to put downward pressure on inflation. (Cuartoscuro)
Banxico raised its benchmark rate by 725 basis points during a hiking cycle that began in June 2021 and concluded in May with the decision to hold the rate at 11.25%.
The peso was trading at close to 20 to the US dollar when the tightening cycle began and below 18 when it ended.
In addition to the difference between interest rates in Mexico and the United States, strong incoming flows of foreign capital and remittances are among the factors analysts have cited for the strengthening of the peso this year.
Homicides in Mexico declined in October, showing a more than 13% drop compared to October 2022. (Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro)
Last month was the least violent October since 2016, according to federal government data on homicides.
Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez presented statistics at President López Obrador’s Tuesday press conference that showed there were 2,404 homicides last month, a 13.2% decline compared to October 2022.
October 2023 was the least violent October in seven years, according to Security Minister Rodríguez. (Margarito Pérez Retana/Cuartoscuro)
She noted that it was the lowest homicide count for the month of October in seven years.
Homicides fell 4.7% compared to September, during which 2,524 murders were recorded.
Data showed that there were 25,004 homicides between January and October, a 4.2% decline compared to the 26,092 recorded in the first 10 months of last year.
Just over 47% of the homicides this year occurred in just six states. Guanajuato was the most violent, followed by México state, Baja California, Chihuahua, Jalisco and Michoacán.
México state was the second most violent state in the country last month. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
Murder numbers have declined on an annual basis in four of those states.
Homicides in Guanajuato, which has been Mexico’s most violent state in recent years, fell 1.8% between January and October compared to the same period of 2022, while Baja California recorded an 11.1% drop. Murders decreased 6.4% in Jalisco and fell 29.5% in Michoacán.
México state and Chihuahua were the only states among the six most violent where homicides increased in the first 10 months of 2023. The former recorded a 1.4% increase while murders rose 2.2% in the latter.
Baja California Sur recorded the lowest number of homicides among Mexico’s 32 federal entities in the first 10 months of the year with just 22. Four other states recorded fewer than 100 murders between January and October: Yucatán (28); Aguascalientes (74); Durango (83); and Campeche (87).
Baja California Sur, home to Los Cabos, had the lowest murder rate in October according to official figures. (Sectur/Twitter)
Rodríguez highlighted that homicide numbers have trended downwards during the current government’s six-year term, whereas they increased while former presidents Vicente Fox (2000-2006), Felipe Calderón (2006-12) and Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-18) were in office.
Homicides are down 18% in 2023 compared to the first full year of López Obrador’s presidency, according to the data she presented, whereas murder numbers increased 1.6% between the first and last years of Fox’s administration, 192.8% during the Calderón-led government and 59% during Peña Nieto’s rule.
Despite the downward trend recorded since the current government took office in late 2018, López Obrador’s six-term will go down as the most violent on record, with almost 172,000 homicides to date.
Security minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez speaks at the president’s morning press conference about homicide rates. (Rosa Icela Rodríguez/X)
Rodríguez also presented data for a range of other crimes. Among those whose incidence declined in the first 10 months of 2023 compared to the same period of last year were people smuggling, financial crimes, femicides, organized crime offenses, kidnappings, cattle theft, muggings, robberies of businesses and home burglaries.
Among those whose incidence increased were firearm offenses, tax crimes and truck robberies.
“Almost all federal jurisdiction crimes declined significantly,” Rodríguez said, adding that the “majority” of common jurisdiction offenses also decreased.
Summer usually brings rain in Mexico, and lots of it in some places (like where I live). Because Mazatlán is an old town, the streets and drains in its Centro Histórico struggle mightily with these tropical deluges. After a big storm, depending on where you live or want to go, it can be challenging to get around; not to speak of dealing with a house that’s suddenly full of water.
That happened to me a few months ago, when a storm blew in with what authorities would later say was about five inches of rain in three hours. I heard it blustering outside in the wee hours of the morning, but since my computer, phone, and TV were unplugged and all the windows were closed, I didn’t worry about it. In the three years I’ve lived here, my first-floor apartment on the edge of Centro Historico has never flooded.
Well.
When I got up at 5:30, my feet hit the floor with a splash. Not quite awake, my brain couldn’t register what was happening. I switched on the light and saw water rippling into the living room. The entire apartment was filled with about two inches of water: rugs soaked, cats up on the dining room table meowing in confusion.
There was nothing to be done but switch gears for the day. I commiserated with a few friends through WhatsApp who were in similar situations and got to work.
Once an initial clean-up was completed, I made coffee and took it to the balcony, where there’s a small but pretty view of the ocean and the malecón. The iconic oceanfront boulevard has drain grates that clog when water fills the nearby streets. I sat sipping my coffee, chuckling at drivers trying to navigate through water up to their car windows.
Suddenly, a trio of taxi drivers came wading through the dirty brown water. They got to the drain and started pulling out the flotsam and jetsam blocking it: trash and plastic bags, handfuls of who-knows-what, big palm fronds. A car stalled; they laughed with the driver and pushed him slowly clear of the water. There was lots of splashing.
Janet at the beach in Mazatlán (Janet Blaser)
I was struck by their kindness and what we would call in the U.S. their “sense of community.” Rather than wait hours for the city to take care of it, they took matters into their own hands and did what needed to be done, even though it meant sodden shoes and clothes drenched in filthy water. And they did it with smiles and laughter, the joy of “being in this together,” for better, or in this case, for worse.
This sort of attitude is part of what drew me to move to Mexico; it felt kinder and more caring than the U.S. That’s not to say I didn’t love my life in Santa Cruz, California, or that I didn’t have a big warm community there—I did (and to some degree still do). But here, I find more of an openness to interact, a more ready willingness to reach out and be in the moment, even with us foreigners. Another thing is that as a single older female, in the U.S. I’m often invisible. In Mexico, that’s not usually the case. I’m acknowledged, assisted, and – dare I say – respected. My age is simply a fact of life, not something to be embarrassed by.
I think we are curiosities to our Mexican neighbors. With so much hype from the U.S. about it being “the greatest country in the world,” they rightly wonder why we are here. In this new life, kindness and connection become essential because, as strangers in a strange land, we need as much help as we can get from wherever it can come from. I’ve learned to be humble and grateful and that sometimes all that’s needed is a deep breath, eye contact, and a smile.
Lorena at the corner store is another example. I probably met her 15 years ago when I lived two doors down from her little store. To say that I quickly became a regular customer is an understatement. I could — and did –buy everything there, from one band-aid to a handful of cilantro to a round of delicious farm-fresh queso fresco. She introduced me to many things specific to Mexican cuisine and life in Mazatlán. She was a patient Spanish teacher as I stumbled with pronunciation, usage, and knowing the right word. Together, with lots of smiles and laughter, we figured out what we were trying to do.
It’s the same with the vendors at the mercado where I do my weekly shopping, the owner of the pensión (lot) where I park my car, and the neighbor whose cat likes to sit on my balcony. All of them stretch out of their comfort zone to help me find a comfortable way to be – a comfortable me to be – in this new place I’m calling home.
