Higher ground: San Miguel de Allende’s most scenic spots (that aren’t rooftop bars)

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August 31, 2025

daniels-joffe-V-QtUsMAIRM-unsplash (1) — Gaze down on San Miguel's majesty from these great spots. (Unsplash / Daniels Joffe)

“Nature does not hurry,” wrote the Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu. “Yet everything is accomplished.”

And so it is with San Miguel de Allende’s xeric flora, generously offering us a peek at its soft amethyst jacaranda blossoms, sighing open for 30 to 40 breathtaking days each year around Semana Santa. As for the rest of the year, everywhere you look, explosive fuchsia bougainvillea vines are making their skyward climb up the façades of ochre and terracotta blush Spanish colonial buildings.

Ocher colored facades are a specialty in San Miguel de Allende. (Unsplash/Jezael Mengoza)

Keep looking up. Each November, over 200 hot air balloons soar over the Parque Metropolitano in Léon – just two hours away by car – as part of the International Hot Air Balloon Festival. On almost any other day of the week, early risers can enjoy a more modest spectacle of a handful of striped orbs rising over San Miguel de Allende (or, better yet, hop into one) before dawn.

Even better than rooftop bars

In a city that enjoys a remarkable dose of sunshine (300-330 days annually), average high temperatures in the 70s Fahrenheit nearly year-round, an altitude of over 6,000 feet and a reliable mélange of warm days and cool nights, its rooftop bars are magnets for both socialites and mixology enthusiasts. But as mocktail mania and the number of Gen Z’ers eschewing alcohol continue to grow, so do San Miguel’s opportunities to get a breathtaking view from the top — without a bar tab.

Roaming the streets of San Miguel de Allende on foot or by car presents a plethora of iconic photo opportunities, rife with free (or at least cheap) glimpses into the city’s rich artistic heritage and endemic desert botany, with architectural triumphs at nearly every turn.

Bored of meeting up at bars? Have a budget-conscious thirst for adventure? Eager to see the heart of Mexico from higher ground? These often overlooked views are definitely worth the climb.

First stop: Punk Pizza and beef tongue tacos

Bong Pizza is one of San Miguel de Allende’s most Instagrammable spots. (Instagram)

As the Salida a Celaya strip heats up San Miguel’s gastronomical landscape, a new food truck plaza quietly hung up its string lights a few months back, with local nomads Bong Pizza announcing via Instagram last week that they’re permanently parked and open for business Wednesday and Thursday, 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Before you make your way down the highway in search of new sights, stop at Celaya 47 (next to Boom Fitness) to indulge in Chef Mauricio Garza’s unbeatable sourdough pies. Or make it a panoramic picnic by adding tender beef tongue tacos and crispy fries to your order from the neighboring trucks. From this elevated vantage point, you’ll have a prime view of the Parroquía de San Miguel Arcángel, a fairly large slice of the city’s pastel feast for the eyes. Nature’s gentle giants, the Picacho mountains, are almost close enough to touch, with the entire panorama sprawling out into equally stunning illuminated tiers at night. Spark up a delicious dialogue between the casual comida corrida and a city beckoning you closer.

Serene hilltop sanctuary: Casa Shala

If one were of the gatekeeping mind, this mindfulness lover’s retreat away from the all-hours fireworks in El Centro would remain off the list. Casa Shala’s owners, Diana and Martín, describe their regenerative organic cafeteria (Zen Cafe), sacred space and yoga studio as a place to “explore the expansion of consciousness together,” a tranquil sanctuary where everyone is welcome. Their mind-body-spirit haven is tucked away in La Palmita, an overwhelmingly tourist-free neighborhood where active, outdoorsy types will also find an emerging climbing community and their training gym, plus walking access to several free lookout points, including the Mirador Cruz del Pueblo.

However, the best-kept secret is hiding on the second floor. Even my toddler twins were stunned into silence when taking in the rolling hills tucked behind the muted maroon rooftops stretched across the horizon. This postcard-come-alive is perhaps the best vantage point in the entire town. Signing up for a music workshop or a cacao ceremony will give you plenty of time to enjoy the scenery in silence before or after your activity.

Worth the drive (and the best time to go)

After a renovation, El Charco del Ingenio botanical gardens are more stunning and welcoming than ever. With a modest 100 pesos entry fee (50 pesos for students, teachers, and seniors with a valid ID; free for children under 10), visitors can enjoy an entire day of wonder, locally-sourced nourishment at the cafeteria, regional fair trade tinctures and trinkets in the sustainable gift shop at the entrance and an unmatched view of San Miguel de Allende after a brisk, self-guided walk to the edge of the property.

Last year, the Dalai Lama himself consecrated El Charco del Ingenio as a “Zone of Peace,” one of only five declared as such in all of Mexico. Along the regional plant trails, moments of quiet contemplation are abundant, with ample foot paths guiding your way to the western viewpoints where the Obraje Dam, the Laja River Valley, the Sierra de Guanajuato, and the city of San Miguel de Allende are all visible, framed by centuries-old mossy boulders and sculptures amidst the staggering diversity of Mexican wildlife. Through a “dam curtain,” the Northern Reserve Trails unveil an equally awe-inspiring view from around the ravine’s verdant edges.

If you’re not planning your trip around a guided tour (recommended for first-time visitors to get a true sense of the garden’s vast offerings) or one of their bimonthly birdwatching excursions, it’s wise to avoid the midday heat, especially during the hotter months. Cell service is spotty or nonexistent at El Charco, so reserve your transportation in advance. You can also request a return ride at the welcome reception desk, though taxis charge a higher fare when booked on-site.

Lovers’ lanes: Callejón del Chorro, “El Nigromante,” and Calle Alda

"El Nigromante" Centro Cultural in San Miguel de Allende — “El Nigromante” Centro Cultural in San Miguel de Allende is one of the city’s many scenic stops. (Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura)

Views aside, the former convent turned popular art museum, El Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramírez “El Nigromante,” is an art lover’s paradise, filled with the floor-to-ceiling folkloric frescos of David Alfaro Siqueiros, Pedro Martínez and Eleanor Cohen. Even from the tunnel of trees giving way to the fountain-dotted courtyard at Bellas Artes (one of its other local nicknames), the vibrantly citrus-toned dome of the nearby Iglesia de la Concepción hovers in the periphery. On the second level, more peek-a-boo cityscapes emerge like tiny polaroids ready to frame.

After strolling the corridors of “El Nigromante,” take a languid stroll five minutes south to Calle Aldama, ranked number 12 in the world for “most beautiful streets” in 2024 by Architectural Digest Mexico and Latin America. Though the cobblestoned walk is a relatively short and easy one – approximately seven kilometers – it is highly prized for being San Miguel’s most Instagrammable alleyway by a long shot. At the street’s culmination point is an incomparable view of the Parroquía, a path exploding with protective palms and the flowering histories of revolution, Mexican sage and Texas mountain laurel. The street gets its name from the Mexican rebel soldier and national hero, Juan Aldama, and provides an idyllic backdrop for the most praiseworthy shots of the town’s aesthetic essence.

A pause for ‘fuel’

Paseo del Chorro is one of San Miguel de Allende’s prettiest walks. (Visit San Miguel de Allende)

If you haven’t already paused to fuel up at one of the dozens of cafés along your path by now, take a sip or a bite before heading downtown to make your way up the Paseo del Chorro y Lavaderos (Callejón del Chorro). Here, cascading terraces preserve local lore about the city’s founding place, carrying the echoes of its robust social and artistic gatherings. Nearly 20 exquisitely designed public washing stations dating back to the 18th century, painted with burgundy stains reminiscent of monks’ robes, pave your journey up to a small chapel at the top of the stairway.

Saunter at the pace of ‘ahorita’

Just steps from all the most-visited tourist landmarks near the town square in the Jardín Allende, “El Chorro” is also a flat 10-minute walk from Parque Benito Juárez. It provides shade, snacks and a newly revamped playground with fun-filled challenges for little explorers of all ages. If you’re lucky, you might catch a spirited pickup basketball game. Or an elegantly dressed wedding party clustered in a celebratory parade.

If only for this scenic saunter, move at the Mexican pace of “ahorita,” which could mean you’ll arrive at your final destination soon, later or at an unspecified time far into the future, depending on who you ask. Lovers of unhurried wandering will find this art is not lost. Nor shall they be if willing to throw plans to the wind for the chance at reclaiming childlike wonder. Few places on Earth are better when it comes to those seeking momentary rapture.

Simone Jacobson is a Burmese American cultural connector, toddler twin mama and writer based in San Miguel de Allende. By day, she is the Content Director for Well Spirit Collective. In all other moments, she strives to raise compassionate children who never lose their curiosity, tenderness and radiant light. Read more by Simone here.

The fascinating history of charrería in Mexico

By

MND Staff

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August 31, 2025

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947462_Mérida-Día-de-la-Charrería-1_impreso-850px — Charrería in Mexico is long and storied. Speaking of stories, it's a stranger one than you might think. (File Photo)

Charrería, Mexico’s national sport, is a unique competitive equestrian tradition deeply associated with Mexican identity. Mexico was home to the first cowboys, and the charro suit, since adopted by mariachis, remains one of the most iconic symbols by which Mexico is recognized around the globe.

Unlike popular traditions like Day of the Dead, which have deep roots in Indigenous heritage, charrería is a product of cultural syncretism. It emerged from the combination of European influences and native traditions. However, it also blended European fashion, ranching practices and local ingenuity, creating something distinctly Mexican.

Of all these influences, two stand out. The fashion preferences of Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg and the strong fibers of a plant known as henequén. While seemingly unrelated, these two elements shaped the ranching lifestyle of charrería and the competitive spirit that followed, producing a lasting legacy.

Let’s explore how a plant and an Emperor influenced one of Mexico’s most cherished traditions.

Henequén in Yucatán

“Perhaps the most important single local contribution to charrería is the henequén rope,” Chuy Mora, a third-generation charro in Guadalajara and founder of Entre Charros cultural experiences, told me. “Without henequén ropes, we wouldn’t have charrería as we have it today.”

Henequén is a strong, natural fiber extracted from the leaves of an agave plant native to the Yucatán Peninsula. Known as “ki” in the Mayan language, the native communities used henequén fibers to produce ropes and twine, among other goods.

The ropes used by the natives were stronger and lighter than those traditionally used in Europe, which were mostly made from local plant fibers like hemp and flax. While strong and flexible, they would break easily.

“Although rope had always existed, the materials were very weak, and the result was a weak and thin rope which was very difficult to wield,” Mora said.

Henequén in Mexico — Henequén had a profound influence on the charrería. (Gobierno de Mexico)

When the Spanish conquistadores arrived in Mexico and discovered the benefits of henequén, they established a large agro-industry around it. During the 19th and 20th centuries, it was exported in large quantities from Yucatán to the United States and Europe, to support commercial goods like sacks, bags and rugs — in addition to cords and ropes.

The effect of henequén on cattle ranching

Just as henequén ropes held ships steady on the high seas and tied down crops in the fields, they also supported the evolution of charrería. The cattle sector, in particular, not only benefited from henequén ropes but changed dramatically because of them.

“Henequén revolutionized cattle management because the rope wouldn’t break when roping an animal,” Mora pointed out. “It also revolutionized the saddle. From being made of straw or leather, they had to add a wooden frame that could withstand the rope tie. It revolutionized livestock farming worldwide.”

The suertes (“chances” or “luck”) charros perform in today’s charrería competitions, which replicate the techniques ranchers traditionally use to manage their cattle, were made possible by henequén. Without it, the skills charros use today to wield ropes wouldn’t exist.

“Thanks to henequén, ranchers developed new skills in handling the rope that were not possible before,” Mora said.

The popularity of henequén eventually decreased after synthetic fibers were invented in the 20th century. But its long-lasting impacts cannot be overstated.

Maximilian’s influence on the charro suit

Over a century and a half ago, Mexico was ruled by Austrian Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg and his wife Carlota, during a period known as the Second Mexican Empire. Although they reigned for only a short period of time (1864-1867), Maximilian and Carlota left a lasting impact on Mexico’s culture. One of these influences was the charro outfit, significantly shaped by Maximilian’s fashion preferences.

“Maximilian didn’t want to impose European fashion in Mexico,” Mora said. “Rather, he wanted to reach out to the people and project an image of a popular emperor.”

Instead of wearing rigid European uniforms when he toured the country, Maximilian adopted and promoted the dress of Mexican hacendados (landowners), which blended Spanish and local elements.

Until then, the charro attire was practical and more closely tied to the countryside and ranch life. It was the dress workers would wear during fieldwork. Under Maximilian and Carlota, the suit became a prestigious fashion item. So much so that the upper classes began wearing it, too. Thus it soon acquired an air of aristocratic elegance at receptions, parties and parades.

Nearly a century later, during Mexico’s Golden Age of Cinema, the image of the charro was deeply cemented in the collective imagination through legendary figures like Jorge Negrete and Pedro Infante. Their performances, often wearing the charro dress inspired by Maximilian, turned charros into a cultural icon. These movie stars embodied a proud, romantic, and distinctly masculine ideal of Mexican identity.

The cultural legacy of mariachis

This ideal traveled the world thanks to the mariachi, who adopted the charro suit early in the 20th century.

Coplas (Remasterizado) - Jorge Negrete y Pedro Infante Full HD

Watch this video on YouTube

“The mariachi of Justo Villa, made up of four musicians, was originally from Cocula, Jalisco. When Porfirio Díaz visited the hacienda of La Sauceda, he heard them play and took them with him to Mexico City,” Mora explained. “From there, they were sent to a fair in Chicago, and they sent them dressed in charro suits. This was the beginning of their international fame.”

The charro suit remains Mexico’s most emblematic dress. It is made up of a short jacket, fitted trousers with silver buttons, a white cotton shirt, a bow tie, a wide-brimmed sombrero and ankle boots. Depending on the occasion, a charro can choose from three versions. There’s the work suit, the half-gala suit, and the gala suit. However, mariachis always wear the gala suit.

Gabriela Solis is a Mexican lawyer turned full-time writer. She was born and raised in Guadalajara and covers business, culture, lifestyle and travel for Mexico News Daily. You can follow her lifestyle blog Dunas y Palmeras.

Nauka and Siari mark a new chapter in the rapid evolution of Riviera Nayarit

By

Meagan Drillinger

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August 31, 2025

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678880bad4a048f2dfb9f22e_seaside-cliffs-optimized-narrow copy — (Nauka Nayarit)

This December, a new development is set to open on Riviera Nayarit’s northern coastline. Meet Nauka, a members-only residential community, and within that, Siari, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve that shares the land but operates independently. Marketed as a sanctuary of jungle, mangroves, volcanic cliffs and golden-sand beaches, the project is also emblematic of a broader shift in Nayarit, where luxury development is pushing farther north, reshaping what has traditionally been one of Mexico’s more remote stretches of Pacific coast.

Opening the Northern Coast

Until recently, this area was difficult to reach. A two-and-a-half-hour drive on winding local roads kept it beyond the reach of most visitors. That has begun to change with the construction of a new toll highway, slated to be completed in October. Developers say the road will cut travel times down to about 45 minutes. Coupled with a new airport terminal in Tepic and an express shuttle service that will run from that airport to the coastline when it launches in December, it could make the region accessible for weekenders from California, Texas, and beyond.

Mark Birnbaum, co-founder of Life Properties and a partner in the project, calls the new infrastructure a game-changer, and it is. But for longtime residents of the coast, it raises familiar questions about who will benefit most, and what kind of Riviera Nayarit will emerge once accessibility is no longer an obstacle.

The making of Nauka

Set across 800 acres, Nauka takes its name from the Huichol word for “Four.” The number is a reference to its four distinct landscapes: jungle, cliffs, mangrove estuaries and oceanfront. Developers emphasize that only 400 memberships will be sold, tied to private residences or lots. Rentals are restricted to other members and their guests, avoiding platforms like Airbnb.

The vision is community, but an exclusive one featuring beach clubs, restaurants, wellness areas and a Tom Fazio-designed golf course. A deep-water marina, expected to open next year, will add 250 boat slips.

Siari, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve

Sharing the same stretch of coastline is Siari, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve, an 87-room hotel with 34 branded residences. Unlike traditional resorts, Ritz-Carlton Reserves are positioned as ultra-luxury properties tied closely to their natural setting and local traditions.

Guests at Siari will have their own enclave, with dedicated restaurants, wellness offerings and cultural programming. Residents of Nauka will be able to use select Siari amenities, but access does not flow the other way. Hotel guests can move freely through Nauka’s members-only areas.

Riviera Nayarit’s development crossroads

For some, Nauka and Siari are signs that Riviera Nayarit is entering the same luxury boom that transformed Los Cabos and Punta Mita in recent decades. Advocates argue that the projects bring jobs, investment and international attention to a region long overlooked. Developers have pledged to hire locally and source products and food from nearby communities.

But the arrival of another master-planned community also feeds into ongoing debates about coastal development in Mexico. Who gets access to the country’s beaches? What ecological costs are at stake? How will small fishing or farming communities nearby be folded (or not) into the region’s new economy?

Environmental preservation, developers say, is part of Nauka’s DNA

“We treat this land as environmentally preserving as humanly possible,” Birnbaum said, adding that design choices were made to integrate residences with the surrounding landscapes.

Trees and jungle plant life — Punta Mita’s abundant nature could be coming under threat. (Nauka Nayarit)

Furthermore, Mexico’s current administration is establishing new measures to protect the country’s resources in the face of growing development. Earlier this year, UNESCO and SECTUR established a new partnership to bolster public policy on sustainable, cultural and community-based tourism. Nayarit is one of the seven participating states.

Mexico also has a legal and regulatory framework that supports the sustainable development of master-planned communities. The General Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection Law (LGEEPA) is the central piece of environmental law in Mexico and governs environmental protection, impact, natural resource conservation and pollution control. To obtain permits, new developments must meet stringent criteria for protecting the natural environment.

Still, with 800 acres of formerly untouched coastline now earmarked for golf courses, marinas and residences, the tension between growth and conservation is not easily resolved.

Why Mexico, why now?

Mexico’s Pacific coast has already proven the appeal of second-home ownership through projects in Puerto Vallarta and Punta Mita. But with those areas increasingly crowded, the push farther north is, in some ways, inevitable. The new highway and airport cement Riviera Nayarit’s position as the next frontier.

Birnbaum describes it succinctly: “You look at Hawaii and Costa Rica. They are beautiful, but far. Here you get the same beauty, but without the long flights or jet lag.”

That pitch may resonate with buyers in Texas, California, Arizona and Nevada, where two- to three-hour flights put Nayarit within easy reach. But for others, it raises familiar concerns. Namely, that Mexico’s coasts risk becoming increasingly carved up into enclaves that cater more to second homeowners and luxury travelers than to local residents or everyday visitors.

Looking ahead in Riviera Nayarit

Nauka and Siari are expected to fully open this December, with the marina and additional residential offerings to follow in 2026. Developers say the membership will remain capped at 400, and beyond the Ritz-Carlton Reserve, no further hotels are planned for the property.

Whether the development becomes a model of sustainable growth or another flashpoint in Mexico’s ongoing struggle to balance tourism with conservation remains to be seen. What is clear is that this stretch of Nayarit, long protected by geography, is entering a new era.

Wherever you stand, the coastline north of Punta Mita will no longer be a blank spot on the luxury traveler’s map.

Meagan Drillinger is a New York native who has spent the past 15 years traveling around and writing about Mexico. While she’s on the road for assignments most of the time, Puerto Vallarta is her home base. Follow her travels on Instagram at @drillinjourneys or through her blog at drillinjourneys.com.

Taste of Mexico: Calabaza

By

María Meléndez

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August 30, 2025

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Mexican squash plants — (Eugene Golvesov/Unsplash)

Walk into a Mexican market in late October and you’ll see them piled high: squat, heavy pumpkins with mottled green skin, chilacayotes with their pale stripes, the burnished orange of Castilla squashes. They sit there quietly, a reminder that before they became Halloween props or the raw material of lattes, these plants were civilization itself.

In past articles I’ve reflected on the way modern life has reshaped our culinary traditions. In my own whitexican reality — where the grocery run means a polished Chedraui Selecto— pumpkins appear in the produce section only briefly, around Halloween, and usually as decoration rather than food.

This is a strange fate for a plant that throughout Mexican history has always occupied a central place at the table. Mesoamerican diets were built on the milpa system, a genius agricultural strategy in which corn, beans, chili, squash, and edible greens grew together. I’ve written before about corn, beans and chilies. Squash has been waiting for its turn.

Squash: The first plant

Of all the crops in the Americas, squash came first. 10,000 years ago, it was the inaugural domesticated plant of the region. Mexico, in fact, is the global point of origin for squash. The oldest evidence lies in a cave in Oaxaca, where archaeologists uncovered seeds dating back eight to ten millennia. Similar remains appear in Puebla and as far north as Tamaulipas.

As it was domesticated, squash lost its bitterness and grew in size. But its real contribution wasn’t just nutritional, but ecological. Its broad, thick leaves created a natural mulch, reducing erosion, holding in moisture, and suppressing weeds. In the milpa, squash didn’t just grow alongside corn and beans; it made them thrive.

The squash family is sprawling — about ninety genera and some 800 species. But only five are truly central to the Mexican table:

• Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo)

• Castilla pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata)

• Pipiana squash (Cucurbita argyrosperma)

• Winter squash, or zapallo (Cucurbita maxima)

• Chilacayote (Cucurbita ficifolia)

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Squash before the conquest

Pre-Hispanic cultures knew squash intimately — not just as food but as a symbol too (stop me if you’ve heard this before). Museum-goers will recall clay vessels shaped like gourds; their form carried deep meaning. One of the earliest depictions, from Chalcatzingo in Morelos, shows an Olmec ceremony carved in stone. Squash, we learn, was part of ritual life, tied to creation myths, offered as a divine gift, and placed on altars during the month of the dead.

The plant’s value lay in its total generosity. Every part could be used: blossoms in soups, seeds (pepitas) as snack or sauce, stems and leaves in stews, pulp cooked down to sweet or savory dishes. Of these, the seeds were most prized — nutrient-dense, storable for long periods, and rich in protein. Ground into paste and simmered with tomatoes, they became the ancestor of today’s pipián. Ground with chili and stirred into atole, they made a hearty drink.

Colonial continuities

With the arrival of European techniques, squash didn’t disappear. It adapted, folding itself into sweets, preserves, moles, and countless stews. Many of those colonial recipes survive, passed from kitchen to kitchen, pot to pot.

Still, urbanization has eroded the habit of cooking with the full diversity of squash. In rural Mexico, though, the milpa still frames daily life, and squash remains indispensable. At city markets, the larger varieties — Castilla, pipiana, winter squash — begin appearing at the end of September and linger until late November.

Flor de calabaza tacos — Today, flor de calabaza is as important an ingredient as ever. (Directo al paladar)

When you see them in your supermarket, don’t pass them by. Squash is more than a seasonal ornament.

The case for Mexican squash

The health case is formidable. Squash promotes vision (vitamin A), strengthens immunity (vitamin C and antioxidants), and helps regulate blood pressure (potassium). Its low glycemic index and high fiber content make it useful for blood sugar control, while its anti-inflammatory properties benefit those with chronic conditions.

Pepitas, meanwhile, are tiny nutritional powerhouses. Thirty grams deliver fifteen percent of daily protein needs and nearly half of the recommended phosphorus and magnesium. They are 50 percent oil, 35% protein, and full of vitamins A, C, E, and several Bs.

How to eat squash

Zucchini and chilacayote fit easily into everyday cooking — soups, stews, moles. Castilla, pipiana, and winter squash are better suited for creams, desserts, or en tacha—cooked slowly with piloncillo (raw cane sugar) until it becomes a sticky, burnished sweet.

This last dish has become a seasonal staple on Day of the Dead altars. What most people don’t realize is that the tradition runs deep. In pre-Hispanic times, squash was offered to Mictlantecuhtli, lord of the underworld. Today we say it’s because calabaza en tacha was a favorite dessert of the departed. Either way, it is ritual food, eaten as an act of memory.

As for me, I’ll be keeping it simple. The big squashes haven’t yet arrived in my market, so I’ll reach for zucchini — the everyday workhorse — and fold it into a stew or soup. It’s not as dramatic as candied squash on an altar, but it’s faithful to the spirit of the plant: nourishing, adaptable, present in the small acts of daily cooking.

And when the heavier pumpkins finally do appear, stacked in late-October stalls like quiet guardians of the season, we’ll know they’re more than decoration. They’re reminders that even the humblest ingredient can carry the weight of civilizations.

María Meléndez is a Mexico City food blogger and influencer.

Mexico’s week in review: Trade talks with Brazil, tariffs on China and televised attacks

By

MND Staff

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August 30, 2025

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Preparations for Independence Day festivities in Mexico City's Zócalo are underway. (Victoria Valtierra/Cuartoscuro)

The week of August 25-29, 2025, delivered significant developments across Mexico’s political, economic and social landscape. It started with a former Sinaloa Cartel leader pleading guilty in U.S. court and ended with a fist fight in Mexico’s Senate. In between, Mexico’s trade agreements and geopolitical allegiances were top of mind, but sometimes at odds. Good news for Mexico City’s water supply, along with a reminder that the FIFA 2026 World Cup is just around the corner, provided bright spots amid the political turbulence.

Didn’t have time to read every story this week? Here’s what you missed.

Sheinbaum’s approval rating soars

The high note

Polling data revealed Sheinbaum enjoying unprecedented approval ratings of 71.4% eleven months into her term, making her the most popular Mexican president at this stage in decades. The Mitofsky Group survey placed her significantly ahead of predecessors, including López Obrador (62%), Fox (62%), Calderón (66%) and Peña Nieto (56%).

Nearly 66% of respondents said Mexico is better off since she took office, with achievements in social welfare programs (8.9%), student scholarships (8.8%) and senior citizen support (8.2%) driving her popularity.

The low note

Despite her high overall approval, 46% identified security as the country’s primary concern.

Other primary issues of concern were the economy (9%), corruption (8.1%) and unemployment (5.6%).

‘El Mayo’ testifies in the United States

The week’s most significant development came with Sinaloa Cartel leader “El Mayo” Zambada’s guilty plea in U.S. federal court on Monday. The 75-year-old cartel co-founder’s testimony went beyond drug trafficking admissions, as he confessed that his organization systematically corrupted Mexican institutions by paying bribes to “police, military commanders and politicians” to “operate freely.”

A day later, Sheinbaum highlighted DEA Administrator Terrance Cole’s remarks placing former security minister Genaro García Luna “on the same level” as “El Mayo” — essentially labeling Calderón’s top security official as equivalent to the criminals he was supposed to fight.

“… It really caught my attention when … [Cole] mentioned [García Luna]. There are a lot of interesting things from yesterday, but we’ll leave it at that,” said Sheinbaum, an ardent critic of Calderón and the 2006-12 government he led.

Politics gets physical and personal

Political rhetoric escalated this week with controversial TV appearances.

On Sunday, Mexican Senator Lilly Téllez again appeared on Fox News, telling Rachel Campos-Duffy that Sheinbaum threatened to prosecute her for telling the network that Mexicans want U.S. help fighting cartels.

“The president has threatened me, to proceed against me with criminal prosecution, to get me out of the Senate and get me in jail just because I told you, in this space, in Fox News, what is the reality of our country with the cartels,” the PAN senator said.

Asked at her Monday morning press conference whether Téllez’s remarks were true, Sheinbaum responded: “No, false.”

Sheinbaum subsequently said it was “not a minor issue that a senator gave an interview to a foreign media outlet calling for intervention” from the United States.

Opposition Senator Téllez tells Fox News that Mexicans want US help against the cartels

On Tuesday, the president defended Mexico City against claims by White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller — again on Fox News — that the capital is “run by criminal cartels.” At her daily press conference, Sheinbaum countered with data showing a nearly 60% reduction in homicides since 2018.

The week’s most dramatic political moment came when PRI chief Alejandro Moreno physically attacked Morena’s Senate leader Gerardo Fernández Noroña on Wednesday. The altercation, which left a photographer injured, reflects deeper institutional tensions as the PRI has been reduced to just 14 senators — their lowest representation since 1929.

Other key political developments included:

Criticism of banks for not promoting Mexico’s CoDi digital payment system, which generates no commissions despite government backing.
Sheinbaum’s announcement that seized assets from “El Mayo” should benefit Mexican people.

US Secretary of State to visit Mexico next week

The U.S. Department of State announced on Thursday that Secretary Marco Rubio would travel to Mexico and Ecuador between Sept. 2 and 4 “to advance key U.S. priorities.”

A statement from a Department of State spokesperson said those priorities include “swift and decisive action to dismantle cartels, halt fentanyl trafficking, end illegal immigration, reduce the trade deficit, and promote economic prosperity and counter malign extra continental actors.”

Sheinbaum confirmed Rubio’s visit on Friday, but said the forthcoming security pact between Mexico and the United States “wouldn’t necessarily be signed” next week because “everything that has to do with bilateral relations has its protocols.”

Business and economic developments

Mexico demonstrated economic resilience with GDP expanding 0.6% quarter-over-quarter in Q2 and export performance remaining strong with 4% annual growth in July, despite U.S. tariffs.

Trade tensions: Choosing sides vs. superpowers

Mexico’s strategic positioning between the U.S. and China came into sharp focus with conflicting developments. While plans emerged to raise tariffs on Chinese imports as part of the 2026 budget proposal — clearly signaling alignment with U.S. demands — the week also revealed the limitations of Mexico’s relationship with other major economies.

Mexico-Brazil trade talks produced only modest agreements on agriculture and biofuels, falling far short of the comprehensive trade pact Brazil sought. The lukewarm results highlighted Mexico’s constraints within existing trade frameworks and its priority focus on North American relationships.

Mexico and Brazil’s big trade summit yields small deals as allies pull the Latin American giants in separate directions

Additional trade challenges included:

Mexico’s steel exports to the U.S. declining 16.6% due to 50% tariffs.
The national mail service suspending package delivery to the U.S. following tax exemption eliminations.

New AI investment

Foxconn announced a $168 million expansion of its Jalisco plant. According to the Taiwanese newspaper United Daily News, Foxconn’s investment in the country aims to meet demand by increasing Foxconn Industrial Internet’s (FII) production capacity at its plant in Jalisco state, where it has already begun manufacturing artificial intelligence (AI) servers.

Infrastructure and the environment

Water wins

The week brought welcome water news as Mexico City’s main supply system reached 70.7% capacity, its highest level in five years thanks to heavy summer rains. The Cutzamala System recovery from May’s drought low of 48.9% provides crucial breathing room for the capital’s 20+ million residents. Complementing this recovery, Amazon announced a $2.45 million water efficiency project implementing smart management systems to save 25% of water usage in targeted areas — demonstrating how technology partnerships can enhance infrastructure resilience.

Cross-border environmental concerns

Mexican scientists played a crucial role in restoring California red-legged frogs to Southern California habitats, growing the population from 20 to over 400 individuals before transferring breeding materials across the border.

Earlier in the week, activists reported harassment while protesting SpaceX launches that have scattered debris across the Gulf Coast, highlighting tensions over cross-border environmental impacts.

Sports achievements

Mexican sports dominated headlines with impressive international achievements:

Renata Zarazúa advanced in the US Open, marking a breakthrough for Mexican tennis.
Mexico’s Under-8 baseball team achieved notable success in international competition.
Checo Pérez announced his return with Cadillac to Formula 1, ensuring continued Mexican representation.

The week’s sports diplomacy highlight came when FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited the National Palace, presenting Sheinbaum with a giant replica ticket for the 2026 World Cup opening ceremony. In a gesture capturing her leadership style, Sheinbaum announced she would give her actual VIP ticket to a young girl who loves soccer but wouldn’t otherwise have the means to access the stadium.

The tournament is projected to generate US $3 billion in economic benefits and create 24,000 jobs.

Social and cultural highlights

The week’s most heartwarming story featured a quinceañera who found thousands of supporters after being stood up on the day of her 15th birthday party.

Celebrity developments included:

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez touring Mexico City cultural sites, including the Frida Kahlo Museum.
Selena Gomez’s Tajín-inspired makeup hitting Mexican shelves.

Looking ahead

The week’s developments position Mexico at a critical juncture, with Sheinbaum’s record approval ratings providing significant political capital for navigating challenging bilateral relationships. Successful infrastructure investments and technology commitments signal confidence in long-term growth, particularly supporting nearshoring trends.

However, challenges remain: political institutional tensions could complicate governance, while planned Chinese tariff increases represent a delicate balancing act between U.S. demands and diverse trade relationships. As Mexico approaches the 2026 USMCA review, this week’s developments suggest the country is well-positioned to balance competing priorities while preserving sovereignty and promoting development.

Mexico News Daily

This story contains summaries of original Mexico News Daily articles. The summaries were generated by Claude, then revised and fact-checked by a Mexico News Daily staff editor.

Do you have friends or family who are ‘Confidently Wrong’ about Mexico? A perspective from our CEO

By

Travis Bembenek

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August 30, 2025

36

Mexico News Daily's new podcast, "Confidently Wrong," helps encourage a deeper and more nuanced understanding of important topics around the country — starting with San Miguel de Allende.

Over the years, I have had countless family members and friends confidently tell me that I was crazy for spending so much time in Mexico. They first told me this nearly 30 years ago when I studied in Guadalajara and it has been a constant theme ever since. Why Mexico? Is it safe? Can you drive there? Can you drink the water? Can you have ice? Can you eat lettuce? Can you go out and walk at night?

I feel like for the better part of my adult life I have been trying to explain to people that much of what they have heard about Mexico, or much of what they have read or seen in the media, isn’t necessarily all true or might not be totally accurate. That’s not to say that Mexico is perfect or doesn’t have its share of problems — of course it does and some big ones at that — but I am consistently surprised at how many people seem so confident in expressing strong opinions about Mexico based on information that is incomplete, incorrect, and in some cases, just plain hearsay.

As our readers know, at Mexico News Daily we strive to be the most balanced and complete source of news and information about Mexico — and we create content each and every day to accomplish that. But, getting the big picture requires more than just the headlines and at times, a deeper dive is needed to really understand a topic. Context matters and sometimes, a conversation is needed.

That’s why I am excited to announce that MND is beginning a new podcast called “Confidently Wrong.” In this regular podcast, we will pick one topic where we see a significant amount of misinformation, incomplete information or just a general lack of understanding. We will talk through what people are saying and try to provide history, context and data that helps provide a more complete perspective on the topic.

The goal of the podcast is not to win an argument. It is not meant to convince you that we are right and you are wrong. It’s to help encourage a deeper and more nuanced understanding of important issues in the country. It is to provide you with the information needed to be able to think critically.

I will be joined by George Reavis, an American who has lived in Mexico for nearly a decade. He’s also the founder of MexEdge, a company that helps protect people against currency fluctuation risk when they are buying or building real estate in Mexico. Since George is working with people who are making big decisions, he is often on the front lines of people being confidently wrong on things they have heard about many topics in Mexico.

In this first episode, George and I are tackling the topic of San Miguel de Allende and the frequent comments we hear that only gringos live there, that it’s been ruined by foreigners, no longer attractive for Mexicans to visit, and ground zero of gentrification.

Please have a listen and tell us what you think. Also, if you have any suggestions on topics you think we should cover where you frequently hear people being “Confidently Wrong” about Mexico, please let us know and we will consider them for future episodes.

Check out our first episode:

MND presents "Confidently Wrong" - a new podcast that helps you better understand Mexico

Watch this video on YouTube

Thanks for tuning in!

Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.

MND Tutor | Quinceañera

By

MND Plus

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August 30, 2025

0

🌵 Choose your level of Spanish

Let us know how you did!

Triumph and tragedy: The life of Baja California Sur’s greatest poet

By

Chris Sands

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August 30, 2025

1

unnamed (2) — Part poet, part historian and passionately Mexican, who was Fernando Jordán? (Barbro Dahlgren)

Sometime around 3 a.m. on the morning of May 14, 1956, at a house on Revolución de 1910 Street, a few blocks from the malecón in La Paz, Baja California Sur’s capital city, and on the block where the Hotel Seven Crown Centro Histórico stands today, someone fired a .44 caliber bullet into the heart of Fernando Jordán Juárez, killing him instantly.

Was it murder or suicide?

The gunshot may have been fired by Jordán himself, although a compelling case can be made for either murder or suicide. Jordán had recently fallen out with his mentor and editor at Impacto magazine, Regino Hernández Llergo, after he refused to run a piece on a corrupt businessman. This wasn’t the first influential person, from politicians to other powerful people, that the writer had felt compelled to go after in print.

La Paz malecón 1957 — The malecón of La Paz as it looked in 1957, the year after the city’s greatest poet was shot to death. (Howard E. Gulick Collection, UCSD)

Jordán, staying at the house of a friend the night he died, was also said to have burned several letters before the fatal gunshot was fired. But were these letters of a personal or professional nature? It was intimated at the time that Jordán was involved in an affair with a married woman, also not for the first time. Could his death have been at the hands of an angry husband?

Several people who knew Jordán well, including his brother Raúl, believed he was a suicide, and that was the official verdict rendered before he was interred at the Panteón de Los San Juanes cemetery in La Paz. On the other hand, how many suicides cover themselves with a sheet afterwards? Or indeed, shoot themselves in the heart? Nearly 90% of suicide shots are to the head. These unexplained clues led to many speculations after Jordán’s death, including the possibility of a state-sanctioned assassination.

Only one thing was certain. The state’s greatest writer and poet was dead at the age of 36.

The early life and journalistic career of Fernando Jordán

Remarkably, given how indelibly associated Jordán is with the Baja California peninsula, he spent time there during only six years. His final six, as it turned out. Jordan was born in Mexico City in 1920 to a father, Amado Jordán Sánchez de la Barquera, a military fencing master, and a mother, Elena Juárez Villegas, who was the daughter of two doctors. Given his parentage, he seemed destined for a good education. But the signal event of his young life was when, following his graduation from vocational school, he changed his mind about becoming an architect and decided to enroll in the National School of Anthropology and History (ENAH) to study anthropology.

Jordán met his wife, Swede Barbro Dahlgren, the mother of his two children, while at ENAH. His anthropological training informed everything he would write. However, while his wife became a respected academic (with notable work on Baja California’s prehistoric rock art), he opted for a career in journalism, starting at newspapers like La Prensa and Novedades before moving on to magazines such as Mañana and Impacto. Hernández Llergo was an important figure at the latter two, and Jordán’s talents were unleashed on assignments that took him all over the country, from the Revillagigedo Islands to Yucatán, Chiapas, and the Alta Tarahumara.

His biggest assignment, however, wouldn’t become clear until a September evening in 1949 at the Impacto offices on Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City. In response to Hernández Llergo’s query as to what he wanted to do next, Jordán pulled out an aerial map of the Baja California peninsula and began speaking passionately of his travel plans.

Baja California: “The Other Mexico”

Jordán’s 1951 book, “El Otro Mexico: Biografia de Baja California" — Jordán’s 1951 book, “El Otro Mexico: Biografia de Baja California,” was a landmark work whose legacy has been enduring. (Chris Sands)

The series of articles Jordán wrote about the Baja California peninsula for Impacto would ultimately be published, forty years after his death, as the book “Baja California, Tierra Incógnita.” However, the book that established his reputation during his life was published in 1951. Inspired by his travels, “El Otro Mexico: Biografía de Baja California” was a landmark work, a masterpiece, that the distinguished professor, historian, and journalist Arturo Sotomayor would call “the most transcendent and valuable Mexican book of the last quarter century.”

What makes this book so special, and why has it cast its spell on generations of readers since it first appeared? The book seamlessly integrates history, anthropology, and journalism, but with large helpings of what can only be called poetry. Jordán himself claimed he “handled history like a novel and geography like an adventure,” but without violating “any of the precepts of the historian, the geographer, or the biographer.”

The book’s first printing immediately sold out, and although it wouldn’t lead to a financial windfall for its author, its subject matter would also provide him with a canvas for his second masterpiece in 1955.

Calafia, Jordán’s lasting triumph and legacy

La Paz famously dates its birth as a city to May 3, 1535, when Hernán Cortés arrived there. Jordán’s poem “Calafia,” written in the 24 hours preceding the Juegos Florales of 1955, celebrating the 420th anniversary, and for which he received 500 pesos as the winner of the poetry contest, looks back at the first meeting between conquistadors and the Indigenous Guaycura, and the naming of the land California.

“Yours is the magical coast of pearls and sand,” he writes in a translated stanza from the Guaycura’s perspective, welcoming the conquistadors to “the forests of cardóns / the mountains that rise / to look out at the sea / the fountains that cut emeralds / over the dry earth / the valleys where the sun / takes its siesta / the islands of mysteries and fish / and the veins / these veins fused by the devil / with the bellows of God.”

Calafia remains the greatest poem ever written about La Paz, Baja California Sur, and the Baja California peninsula, and its legacy endures, even if, sadly, it was a valediction for its author, who died only a year after writing it.

Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related content and lifestyle features focused on food, wine and golf.

Time to de-worm yourself? Maybe ask your doctor first.

By

Sarah DeVries

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August 30, 2025

14

Woman taking a pill — An MND health announcement, in conjunction with Sarah DeVries: Think before you deworm.(Danilo Alvesd/Unsplash)

Disclaimer: Y’all know that I’m not a doctor, right? Be sure to talk to an actual one before taking any action.

Even if you’ve lived here for a while, there’s something you might not know: lots and lots of Mexicans “de-worm” themselves periodically.

That’s right. Plenty of people just kind of expect to get parasites in their gastrointestinal systems. But that’s not to say that they take it sitting down! Many families, once or twice a year and together, take a one or two-dose “deworming” chewable to get rid of them, and then just move on with their normal lives.

When I first found out about this, I’ll admit I found it…odd. “Say what you will about the American food system,” I’d joke, “but we don’t all take de-worming as a matter of course.”

From my research, I’ve found that Chileans, incidentally, feel the same way.

Anyway.

If Moctezuma’s Revenge has ever fallen upon you here in Mexico, it’s very possible that a “de-worming” pill was part of what the doctor ordered for your treatment. Why? Because intestinal parasites — especially if you’re accustomed to eating “on the street” — are prolific. That’s what the companies that sell de-worming pills say, anyway.

Then again, that’s what the IMSS says, too. It’s always struck me as strange, though, that a practice so prevalent in one country can be nearly unheard of in its neighbor. So what gives?

Much of the reason that de-worming is encouraged here is because of a fairly large variety of food and water sanitation. You know how everyone says, “Don’t drink the water” in Mexico? Well, there’s a reason for that. While water sanitation plants in Mexico do their best, the pipes that they flow through can’t necessarily be trusted, for example:

Everyone seems to have different levels of comfort with the risks they take. I don’t drink water straight from the tap myself, but I do drink it boiled in tea or coffee. I also brush my teeth with it. So far, so good!

For most of us reading this, it’s a matter of choice. But for the millions of Mexicans who don’t have access to properly sanitized water, the risk is higher.

There’s also the question of keeping one’s food free of contamination. Some of this is simply cultural; you cook food, and then you leave it out during the day because you’re going to have some more later. Eggs don’t get stored in the refrigerator, and often mayo doesn’t either — even after opening.

Contrast this to my childhood, where almost any food that sat out on the counter for more than an hour had to be thrown away, deemed by my mother as officially no longer safe. I’m guessing others had similar experiences. We also tend to eat much more processed food in the US, which means more preservatives, which are what they sound like — they “preserve” the food.

But here in Mexico, we’re closer to nature. And when you’re closer to nature, you’re, well, closer to nature. And parasites are part of nature. At least in my case, that reminds me to not get too romantic about it all. “Nature” is not all frolicking through the forest as sunlight dapples on the soft mossy ground, after all. It’s also ticks and mosquitos. And parasites.

tap water — Caution: May contain extra protein. (depositphoto)

As I’ve written before, Mexicans are perfectly okay with getting away from nature. Take their cleaning practices: nothing is truly clean if it hasn’t been doused in bleach, and the fewer “uncontrolled weeds” you have on your property, the better. I’m not saying Mexicans hate plants. They just want to be able to control them to a certain degree if they can afford to.

In a way, Mexicans “de-worm” everything they can, whenever they can. Do you know anyone in your home country who washes their bathroom and kitchen with bleach at least every two days? It’s all about the cleanliness around here.

I myself have never been known as the queen of hygiene. I’ve never bathed more than twice a week (except after a visit to the gym). I grew up in a home that was pretty much always not just messy, but dirty; any self-respecting Mexican would have fainted to see it. Nowadays, my home is always neat and orderly (natural inclination or trauma response? We may never know.) But truly clean and disinfected, a la mexicana? That only happens once a week, when the lady who helps me with the house comes.

She may not worry about the food sitting out after breakfast, but boy does she make sure the floor is spotless.

In the end, I think de-worming is an extension of this tendency to keep the “bad” parts of nature at bay. Their presence is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean we should let them defeat us! Especially for people who live in more rural areas. Or those too poor to have access to clean water or be choosy about how clean the food they ultimately consume is kept — I’ve known even city dwellers without refrigerators — those little de-worming pills can be a literal life-saver. You can’t stop eating or drinking water, but you can fight against any unwelcome guest that makes it in with them!

As for myself, it’s not often that I rush out to the pharmacy for one. But I could if I wanted to — they’re available without a prescription. Still, I wouldn’t recommend diving in without input from a doctor and perhaps a laboratory. Why take something you don’t need, after all?

Medical treatment can be, in the end, just like anything else: there are cultural components. Just ask the doctor who offered to have someone rub an egg on me to draw out an infection.

In the meantime, keep clean and when in doubt, ask a doctor!

Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.