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What’s new in Los Cabos for 2025?

By
Chris Sands
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0
Los Cabos from a bird's eye point of view
What's in store for Los Cabos in 2025? (World of Hyatt/Park Hyatt Los Cabos)

Los Cabos has experienced explosive growth in recent years, with rising numbers of tourists helping to propel population growth in the area. Home to cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, the municipality welcomed about 4 million visitors in 2024, more than one million more than visited only three years ago. Meanwhile, the population has tripled (and then some) since 2000, increasing from 105,469 to 351,111 at the latest census in 2020.

Expect these trends to continue rising in 2025. Of course, to achieve this, more tourists from new markets must be introduced to the destination. These plans are in the works, with new flights already announced and more being negotiated.

A photograph of the rock formations next to the famous Arch during sunset.
Los Cabos welcomed about four million visitors in 2024, 25 per cent more than visited only three years ago. (Miguel Angel Lopez Rojas/Wikimedia Commons)

“Connectivity” is the buzzword for 2025

The traditional markets for Los Cabos are all in North America. There are direct flights from 30 cities in the U.S., 16 in Mexico, and 11 in Canada. New flights from Nashville will begin in March — just in time for Spring Break — bringing the number in the U.S. to 31.

But the big news for 2025 (and beyond) will be an attempted expansion into more non-traditional markets around the globe. Currently, there is only one flight from Europe, the Condor flight from Frankfurt, Germany that began service in November 2024 and will run seasonally through April. Seasonal summer service from Madrid (Spain) has also been offered in recent years via Iberojet.

The Los Cabos’ Tourism Trust (Fiturca), has ambitious plans to expand into more European markets between 2025 and 2027 and is also looking to gain footholds in South America and the Middle East. Central America should also be mentioned since, according to FITURCA Director General Rodrigo Esponda, there’s a good chance service from Panama will begin in 2025. 

What about Asia? Yes, tourism officials are interested in this market, too. For example, there was a 500% increase in tourists from Japan in 2023, bringing the number of visitors from that country up to 5,000 for the year. 

New hotels & resorts are coming, too

The big news is that Park Hyatt Los Cabos at Cabo del Sol is officially accepting reservations beginning next summer, July 1, 2025. The upscale Hyatt brand is known for its luxurious accommodations, first-class cuisine and fine art collections. 

The Los Cabos version in the destination’s Tourist Corridor is certainly expected to deliver in the luxury department, with 197 rooms, villas, and suites — the latter featuring private plunge pools or terraces — and an enormous 59,000 square-foot spa and fitness facility that will outpace the extensive pampering spas at Grand Velas Los Cabos and Montage Los Cabos, at 35,000 and 40,000 square feet, respectively, as the largest on the peninsula. 

A handful of seaside swimming pools and access to the Tom Weiskopf-designed Cabo del Sol Desert Course should also entice visitors who can afford the rates, which start at US $765 per night off-season.

Other long-awaited high-profile hotels and resorts are tentatively slated for 2025, including a 70-room Soho House & Beach Club at Cabo del Sol, 55-room Amanvari at Costa Palmas, and the 120-room St. Regis at Quivira. However, no official opening dates have been announced for these properties.

Those looking to explore new accommodation options should also note recent openings like the boutique Tropicana Los Cabos, a 68-room, 2-suite Tapestry Collection by Hilton property renovated and remodeled in downtown San José del Cabo, which premiered on November 14, 2024.

A naturally inspiring setting in harmony with the landscape. An unparalleled standard of design and architecture. Aman Residences represent a complete immersion in the Aman lifestyle – an opportunity to discover the world, and your own sanctuary to retreat to whenever you need it.
The Los Cabos version in the destination’s Tourist Corridor is certainly expected to deliver in the luxury department, with 197 rooms, villas, and suites. (Aman)

Notable events in Los Cabos for 2025

Los Cabos has several high-profile sporting events that draw visitors annually, from fishing to PGA golf and ATP-sponsored tennis tournaments. The schedules for the most notable 2025 events have already been set, with one significant calendar change. 

  • Cabo Triple Crown of Fishing: June 19 – 22
  • ATP Los Cabos Open: July 14 – 19
  • Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore: July 29 – August 2
  • Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore: October 13 – 18
  • Bisbee’s Black and Blue: October 20 – 25
  • PGA World Wide Technology Championship: November 3 – 9
  • Cabo Tuna Jackpot: November 5 – 8
PGA World Wide Technology Championship
The PGA World Wide Technology Championship is also expected to see significant change in the coming years. (PGA World Wide Technology Championship)

The ATP Los Cabos Open, sponsored by Mifel and Telcel Oppo, has returned to the summer after moving up to February 2024 to serve as a lead-in for the Mexican Open in Acapulco. That change helped fellow Mexican Pacific Coast destination Acapulco return to sporting prominence after the devastation wrought by Category-5 Otis in 2023. 

Although judged a success, the two will no longer be held back-to-back. The ATP 250 series Los Cabos Open returns in July, the month it was held from 2016 through 2023. The ATP 500 series Mexican Open in Acapulco, the country’s most important tennis tournament, remains in the usual February/March calendar slot.

The PGA World Wide Technology Championship is also expected to see significant change in the coming years, as the host course shifts from the Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal layout at Diamante to the Woods-designed Legacy Course at Diamante either in 2026 or 2027. The year the change occurs will depend on when the Legacy Club, envisioned as a sort of Baja version of Shadow Creek in North Las Vegas, is finished. 

An update on new golf courses

An estimated 5% of Los Cabos tourists are drawn to the destination solely by the region’s world-class collection of golf courses. Eighteen are currently open and up to a half dozen more are expected to open their fairways and greens to the public and private members in the coming years. 

Unfortunately for destination duffers, it doesn’t appear any of these will open in 2025. But for those who’d like to look ahead, 2026 is shaping up as a banner year for golf in Los Cabos. Tom Fazio, whose first course outside the U.S. at Querencia in 2000 has been rated one of Golf Digest’s World’s 100 Greatest, has a second spectacular desert-meets-the-sea style layout set to debut at Querencia in 2026. Woods’ ultra-exclusive Legacy Club course, restricted to only 250 members, is also expected to open in 2026, as is the new Ernie Els-designed course at Oleada (Oleada Golf Links).

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.

Did Mexico really ‘miss the nearshoring boom’? A perspective from our CEO

By
Travis Bembenek
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13
A map of Mexico with a tiny Mexican flag planted on the country
Nearshoring has drawn billions of dollars of investment to Mexico, with even larger investments promised in the near future. (Shutterstock)

I start most days by reading the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The WSJ has been my favorite newspaper to read for nearly 30 years. Its regular reporting is well-written and informative. Its op-eds are often provocative but also well-worth reading. But a week ago, I read an opinion piece from a long time WSJ opinion columnist titled “How Mexico Missed the Nearshoring Boom,” and I almost fell out of my chair.

The columnist is one whose work I have read diligently for over a decade, and who I respect for her opinions and perspectives on Latin America. But this particular column’s thesis of a “missed opportunity” was, to me, totally incorrect.

A review of key nearshoring and export data would make it hard to conclude that the opportunity has been missed:

  • As of September, Mexico has received US $35.7 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2024, representing 8.5% growth over the same period of 2023.
  • Janurary through September 2024, private companies have announced plans to invest a total of US $64.7 billion in Mexico.
  • From October 2022 to July 2024, Mexico has seen 118 foreign investment announcements totaling US $122.7 billion.
  • Of the above mentioned $122.7 billion, so far only $13.2 billion of these projects have been completed — meaning 89% or $109 billion remains unrealized.
  • There are 93 new industrial parks currently being built in Mexico, which will bring the country’s total to 460.
  • As of the close of Q3 2024, Mexico’s exports to the United States had increased 6.5% over the same period last year.
  • Just last year, Mexico became the leading exporter to the United States for the first time in 20 years.
  • At the close of Q3 2024, Mexico continues to consolidate its lead, now representing 15.9% of total imports to the U.S., versus 14.4% for Canada and 10.8% for China.

These numbers present the real story, show a clear trend, and provide no evidence of a “missed opportunity.” In fact, if the next U.S. administration enacts a 60% tariff on China as has been suggested, then Mexico could become even more attractive and further increase its leading position in exports to the United States.

As Mexico News Daily has frequently reported, business leaders on the ground in Mexico insist that the nearshoring boom is real, that it is in fact happening, and that there is much more impact yet to come.

Shipping containers in a shipyard
With more than US $100 billion in announced investments still unrealized, nearshoring has yet to reach its full potential, argues Mexico News Daily CEO Travis Bembenek. (Shutterstock)

More importantly, the results of many companies show just how real the trends are. Sales of many export-oriented companies are growing double digits, profits are increasing, and many of those companies are making significant investments in plants, equipment and people to continue driving growth in the years to come. Industrial parks are at record low levels of occupancy and new ones are being built throughout the country. That is precisely why it’s so important to listen to business leaders on issues like these, hear firsthand what they are doing, and look beyond the political rhetoric. Business leaders make decisions that involve money and often long-term investments, so observing their actions matters.

There is, of course, much uncertainty on the horizon for global trade flows and manufacturing plans given the promises of significant tariffs coming soon from the Trump administration — and Mexico will most certainly be impacted. But it’s hard to not see this uncertainty having an even more significant impact on China, which should only make Mexico even more attractive as a nearshoring destination. Mexico has and always will have geography in its favor, and its cost of labor, workforce skills and productivity levels are globally competitive.

The nearshoring boom has not had as large an impact as quickly as had been hoped for Mexico, but I think it’s important to recognize that such significant changes in supply chain strategy often take time. Many companies spent the last several decades moving manufacturing to Asian countries, so it is reasonable to expect that changes in a company’s manufacturing footprint do not happen overnight.

It is also likely that many companies were waiting for more clarity on the Mexican elections, the U.S. elections and potential trade policy changes. With some of those big questions resolved, it seems reasonable to expect that things will now begin to move faster.

A split screen image of US President-elect Donald Trump on the left and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on the right
With presidential elections over in Mexico and the U.S., the new policy landscape is becoming more clear. (Mexico News Daily via Cuartoscuro/Twitter)

Mexico, despite its imperfections, has shown to be a consistent and reliable destination for investment for many years. I personally think that we are still in the early innings of what will be a significant nearshoring opportunity for both Mexico and North America as a whole for years to come. Declaring that it was a missed opportunity is neither correct nor constructive.

The real missed opportunity was chance to present an accurate picture of nearshoring in Mexico. What was presented in the article is far from the reality that I see and hear on the ground, or from what the data shows. It was yet another example of what I have seen as the consistent trend of international media to often only focus on the negative side of the story when it comes to Mexico. That was, of course, a significant motivator of ours in buying Mexico News Daily: to present a more complete and comprehensive perspective on the country that is sorely lacking in most international media today.

I will say that the nearshoring boom has not come as quickly as hoped and has not yet had nearly the impact expected. Yet hardly a day goes by without critical improvements in the country’s security, energy, water, education and infrastructure. Mexico (both the public and private sectors) have much work to do to fully realize the benefits of the nearshoring opportunity, but it is moving in the right direction.

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

I don’t want to, but someone else please start these businesses in Mexico!

By
Sarah DeVries
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32
A person using their smartphone to pay
Please, somebody, anybody, create these businesses for me. I'll be your best customer, I swear. (AS Photography/Pexels)

When it comes to finding products and services at reasonable prices, Mexico is a veritable smorgasbord of options. Beauty services abound, and fresh food — even fresh meat — can easily be found and bought the very day you need it. However, as Mexico News Daily’s resident philosopher queen and generally deep thinker, I have taken it upon myself to think of other, better business ideas that we need today.

There are actually plenty of things you can buy without even leaving your house! I hear a man selling tortillas and masa (cornmeal dough) on my street daily, and I can get garrafones of water delivered, too. Private services offer to cart my trash away. Other services are provided even though I haven’t asked for them, like the neighborhood’s self-appointed “security guard”.

A man holding a 'garrafón de agua', ready for delivery in Mexico.
In Mexico, if you need it, it usually magically appears at your door. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)

Put simply, it’s fairly easy to get what you need here. Not everything is super simple, but lots of things, surprisingly, are.

But as we all know, enormous tariffs from the US could ensure that Mexico begins facing quite a bit of pain. After all, world trade only works if all parties agree to the same terms. It’s hard to say what will happen at this point, but a good general rule of thumb is that the more a country can produce for itself, the less vulnerable it is to economic exposure during political shifts.

All worries aside, I still find myself wishing that Mexico had certain other products or services. I’m not much of a business person myself, but hey! Other people are. Perhaps I can entice someone?

Following is a short list of businesses I wish people would start in Mexico.

New businesses to start in Mexico: a miscellaneous (and imprecise) wishlist

Scented candles 

Someone feeling the warmth of a scented candle
Don’t laugh, ok? (thevibrantmachine/Pexels)

I know this one may seem a little silly to you. But I am really into good quality scented candles, and they are hard to come by! I’m not encouraging anyone to steal the Yankee Candle recipes; I’m just saying I wouldn’t be mad if they did, and made them in Mexico for the local market.

The homemade candles I’ve come across are okay, but I have yet to be wowed. The first place to come out with strong-smelling pumpkin candles for the fall and pine for the winter will have my loyalty forever.

Real tea

This one was suggested by our British editor: real tea. Yes, Mexico is a coffee-drinking place. But for “real” tea drinkers like the British or those colonized by the British, our cute little “herbal infusions” just aren’t going to cut it. PG Tips and Yorkshire were mentioned. Surely there’s a good way to import the stuff! [Editors note: If you make this happen I’ll give you a raise]

I’m a hardcore coffee drinker myself, but I can still have sympathy. What if you went somewhere and Nescafé made up the entirety of the offerings?

Really nice textiles 

A cozy room with nice linen sheets.
Would some Mexican-Egyptian cotton kill you? Jeez. (Zak Chapman/Pexels)

Curtains, tablecloths, sheets, blankets…we need more variety! And it’s not that Mexico doesn’t already produce textiles; they do. But it would be nice to see the country’s cotton farming industry take off again in a way that would let us produce really nice textiles. I mean, you can get sheets and curtains here, but the material is usually pretty, well, threadbare. We could be making 100% cotton 600 thread count sheets instead of importing them, people! And paired with the beautiful designs to be found around here, I’d think the sky’s the limit.

Same-day delivery from big box stores (like Costco and Sams)

This might seem a little silly, but it’s always struck me as odd that grocery stores have had this option since the COVID-19 pandemic, but these stores don’t! I’ve long suspected it’s simply snobbery, but I’m sure logistics has something to do with it, too.


Still, if you have some basics that you need all the time (for me, it’s the boxes of milk!), it would be awesome to not have to schlep over there.

Products to combat mold and humidity

Dehumdifier
Like this, but imagine it worked. (Amazon)

Honestly, I’m thinking of entire stores just dedicated to this.

If Pinterest ads and YouTube Mexican dad videos are to be believed, there are solutions! And even in dry areas like Querétaro, I’ve rarely lived in places that weren’t affected by humidity. Part of the issue is that buildings are made from concrete, and concrete is porous.

The dreaded salitre (the white powder that appears on walls). Paint sloughing off the damp walls. Moldy shoes in the closet. I would pay such good money to find a consistent and effective solution to these issues!

Climate-based architecture

Along the same lines, a construction company that focused on creating residencies and buildings based on the local climate could really make a difference. Why are houses in humid Xalapa and dry Querétaro built the same way?

Our weather is going to get more extreme, not less. Weather and climate are things we’re going to need to take into consideration as we continue building. Is one’s area hurricane-prone? Round constructions. Vulnerable to earthquakes? Ask Mexico City how they build now! Susceptible to drought? We need some safe water storage!

Water-catchment systems

Speaking of water, it would be great to have more makers and installers of water catchment systems! There are a few already, but they’re simply not big enough to cover the entire country. President Sheinbaum’s plans are good, but it’s going to take even more. Projects like Isla Urbana help ensure that homes have their own water. Wouldn’t it be something if all homes were outfitted with systems like this?

So that’s my list. Some of the things on it are a bit frivolous, and others, more serious and consequential. What ideas might you add?

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

How Mexico’s Modelo Especial became the most popular beer in the US

By
Chris Sands
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3
Modelo Especial Mexico
Modelo has become (Mexican) America's beer - but what's behind the prodigious rise? (Modelo Especial/Instagram)

About a year and a half ago, in May 2023, Mexico’s Modelo Especial became the most popular beer brand among U.S. consumers and has remained so ever since. It was not an unexpected ascension. Many experts had predicted that Modelo Especial would eventually surpass Bud Light in sales. What was surprising was that it happened when it did, as it required almost a perfect storm of contributory factors, from marketing savvy and shifting demographics to a competitor caught in the crosshairs of the culture wars.

The politics

Bud Light’s 22-year reign atop the U.S. beer market ended amid a storm of controversy. In March 2023, Bud Light was still clearly the most popular beer in the the countryU.S., with a market share of 10% compared to 7.7% for Modelo Especial. Then, in April, transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney promoted Bud Light in an Instagram post, causing a few outraged conservatives to call for a boycott of the beer. When Bud Light subsequently failed to stand by Mulvaney — she later said she felt abandoned by the brand — liberals were outraged, too. It was a devastating one-two punch and by May Modelo Especial had overtaken Bud Light for the top spot.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Dylan Mulvaney (@dylanmulvaney)

The culture war controversy badly damaged Bud Light — the brand’s losses in the wake of it were estimated to be well over a billion dollars — and undoubtedly helped Modelo Especial become the country’s most popular beer when it did. But it was going to happen anyway. “This was long a matter of, if not when. These trends have been building for a long time,” Bart Watson, chief economist for the Brewers Association told CNBC. “Modelo has been on a rise and Bud Light’s been on a decline as we’ve seen overall shifts in the beer market in the last 10 years.”

The demographics

Demographics are part of the reason for Modelo Especial’s rise. The Latino population in the U.S. has been steadily growing and now makes up a more significant part of the population than it did a decade ago: 19% in 2021 compared to 13% in 2013. Much of that 62 million-strong bloc is Mexican-American. In fact, according to statistics from the 2020 census, almost 36 million Americans have roots in Mexico (or as high as 40 million if you count the estimated four million unauthorized immigrants from the country). But even without factoring in the latter, Mexican Americans are now a robust 10.8% of the U.S. population — and many of them are of beer-drinking age.

In all but one U.S. state, White Americans make up the largest group of those aged 65 and older. Latinos, by contrast, are a rising force in the demographic categories beermakers covet most, accounting for 20.7% of those aged 35 to 44, 21.5% of those aged 25 to 34, and 23.6% of those 18 to 24. Even more importantly, perhaps, they make up 25.8% of potential future beer drinkers, those aged 5 to 17.

Modelo Especial, which last May became the best-selling beer in the U.S., is more popular than ever. (Edgardo Moya/Shutterstock)

This demographic shift has proven especially favorable to Modelo Especial, helping to push it past Bud Light and another popular Mexican beer, Corona Extra, in popularity. “Corona is for an older, whiter audience,” notes Matthew Barry, insights manager for Euromonitor International, via NBC News. “Modelo Especial has been positioned, on purpose, for a younger, more diverse market.”

The Mexican beer boom

That’s not to say Corona Extra isn’t doing extremely well in the U.S. It has remained a brisk seller, along with Coronita Extra and Corona Familiar. Mexican beer brands Pacífico and Dos Equis are also firmly entrenched among the top 20 beers favored by U.S. consumers.

Sales of Mexican beers, in general, are booming. It’s perhaps not surprising when one considers what an overwhelming share they now hold of the export market. In the early 1990s, it was 17%. Today, it’s 80%. As The Washington Post points out: Mexico sells more than twice as much beer in the U.S. as any other suds-exporting nation. The Netherlands is a distant second.

Aspects of the Grupo Modelo factory in the Anáhuac neighborhood, Miguel Hidalgo municipality
It’s not just Modelo – Mexican beer is having a moment in the spotlight. (Galo Cañas Rodríguez/Cuartoscuro)

Lest one thinks it’s only Mexican beers that are now flying off shelves, it should be noted that tequila and mezcal are also logging record sales, with the volume of the two combined increasing by a staggering 273% between 2003 and 2022.

Marketing savvy

The success of Modelo Especial is due to more than political controversies and shifting demographics. After all, the fastest-growing markets for the beer brand are now near the Canadian border, which are not exactly Hispanic hotbeds. For this, the credit should go to New York-based Constellation Brands, which by dint of a decade-old legal decision lucked into the opportunity of a lifetime. 

When the Belgium-based AB InBev, already the owner of Anheuser-Busch, purchased Mexico’s Grupo Modelo for $20 billion in 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice decided it was too close to a beer monopoly for comfort and filed an antitrust suit. The upshot was that AB InBev maintained global rights to Grupo Modelo brands. However, the U.S. rights were instead divested to Constellation Brands, which has seen its company valuation surge from $8 billion to $45 billion in the 11 years since.

It has been well-earned. Constellation Brands has made all the right moves, with savvy marketing that has stressed Modelo Especial’s connection to authentic Mexican culture and ads touting its “fighting spirit.” Promotion via partnerships with several popular sports leagues — the UFC and NCAA College Football, notably — helped to establish it as the fastest-growing beer brand, and Constellation’s distribution has been up to the task of meeting increased demand as the company has invested in more Mexico-based brewing facilities. 

Modelo Especial in Mexico

Modelo Especial is still exclusively brewed in Mexico, and yes, it’s the most popular beer in its home country, too – at least according to a Statista survey from November 2023 that showed it ahead of Victoria and Heineken (currently the world’s most valuable beer brand). 

So as Modelo Especial quickly approaches its 100th birthday (it was first brewed in 1925) it’s now more popular than ever, and that popularity should only continue to grow.

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.

Everything I wish I knew about going expat in Mexico

By
Meagan Drillinger
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19
An expat renting a house while living in Mexico
When you finally settle into your new life, you'll realize it was all worth it. You've got this. Maybe. If you follow the rules, that is. (Jakub Zerdzicki/Pexels)

When I touched down in Puerto Vallarta earlier this year as an official temporary resident of Mexico, it was a dream that was 10 years in the making. I had gone through the hoops to prove my financial solvency, getting approved in the U.S. and, ultimately, getting approved in Mexico for my temporary residency card and CURP number. I thought I was set.

The hard part was over, right? Turns out, becoming a temporary resident is just the prologue to the real story of settling into expat life in Mexico. What follows is a tale of paperwork, patience, and more hoops than I could have imagined.

Let me save you some suspense: getting a temporary residency is the easy part. It feels monumental at the time — and don’t get me wrong, it’s worth celebrating. But once you’ve navigated that process, the true adventures begin. Here’s everything I wish someone had told me about relocating to Mexico.

The car conundrum

A person requesting an Uber drive
If you’re an expat and want to buy a car, you either pay in full, buy used or renew your residency before buying. (Tim Samuel/Pexels)

After years of relying on public transportation and Uber, I decided it was time to buy a car. Armed with my CURP number, how hard could it be? Cue my first major wake-up call. In Mexico, you can’t finance a vehicle for longer than the length of your temporary residency. That means if you have a one-year residency permit (which is typical when you first apply), forget about those shiny new-car commercials promising low monthly payments for 48 months. Your options are: pay in full, buy used, or renew your residency before buying.

The caveat with buying a used car is that warranties aren’t guaranteed. If you’re lucky, the dealership might offer a short one, but that’s if you’re very lucky.

You’ll also need something called an RFC, which is a tax identification number now required in Mexico for anyone who wants to buy or sell property, including cars. You do not need an RFC if you plan to buy a motorcycle.

You could opt to bring your own car with you across the border, but if you plan to do that it’s a whole different set of rules that can include import taxes, taking the car back across the border every six months if you plan to keep your home country plates, or plating it with Mexican plates.

Plating the beast

The new vehicle plates of the State of Mexico will incorporate 14 security measures, as part of the 2024 Re-registration program.
There is extensive documentation expats need to have at hand when attempting to buy a vehicle. (Crisanta Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)

Once you’ve secured your ride, it’s time to get it plated. This involves registering the vehicle in your name and obtaining Mexican license plates, which, spoiler alert, requires even more paperwork than buying the car. To get your plates you’ll need:

  1. The car’s paperwork (think title, bill of sale, and proof it isn’t stolen — yes, that’s a thing).
  2. Your temporary residency card — no skipping this step.
  3. Your passport, because of course.
  4. Proof of address, usually a utility bill.

Seems straightforward, right? Not so fast.

The utility bill dance

People who are engaged in informal trade in the public transport system Metro went to the auditorium of the Cuauhtémoc district to join the program to support informal merchants of the "Metro".
In Mexico, a utility bill is used as a proof of address, even if your name isn’t on it. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)

In Mexico, a utility bill is like a golden ticket. It’s proof that you live where you say you live. But there’s a catch, while not everywhere will ask for it to be in your name, if has to be, then it’s a convoluted process (of course) to change it.

To switch an existing utility bill into your name you’ll need:

  • A copy of your lease
  • Your landlord’s official ID
  • The property’s deed
  • Proof that the property taxes have been paid
  • Signatures and identification from two witnesses

Still with me? Good. Because you’ll also need patience and a sense of humor. Pro tip: Try to bring all the paperwork they could possibly ask for in case the rules vary slightly, which they often do depending on the office, day, or mood of the clerk.

If you can’t switch the utility bill into your name, there’s a workaround: open a Mexican bank account. An official bank statement with your address can serve as proof but don’t expect to have this in hand immediately. Most banks require you to wait until the first week of the month before issuing your first statement.

Timing is everything (except predictable)

Here’s the thing about getting stuff done in Mexico: everything takes longer than you think it will. I mean everything. You might breeze through one step of the process only to hit a wall on the next. Offices close early, systems go down, or someone forgot to mention the extra photocopy you need. The sooner you accept this as part of the experience, the smoother yours will be.

In the end, though, everything does get done eventually. One day you’ll look at your perfectly plated car, your utility bill in your name, and your official bank statement and wonder why you ever stressed about it. 

Moving to Mexico is an adventure in every sense of the world. It’s not just about learning a new language or culture; it’s about learning to live life on Mexico’s timeline. The good news? With patience, humor, and a willingness to embrace the chaos, you’ll not only survive but thrive.

And when you finally settle into your new life, you’ll realize it was all worth it. Welcome to Mexico. You’ve got this. 

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

INAH calls off work at Hidalgo pyramid due to budget cuts

By
MND Staff
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2
A pyramid surrounded by ladders and scaffolding sits right next to a highway
Researchers collected 155 samples of ceramic, shell and lithic materials before re-burying the pyramid. (CINAH Hidalgo)

The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) has announced it will stop exploration and excavation work at a newly discovered pyramid in the state of Hidalgo, due to lack of budget. 

The discovery happened in June this year, in the municipality of San Agustín Metzquititlán, during expansion works at the Pachuca-Huejutla highway. Following the discovery, experts from the INAH visited the site for inspection.

The archeological site is made up of five sectors and includes at least 10 archaeological mounds. According to archeologists, it dates to the Epiclassic (650-950 A.D.) and Late Postclassic (1350-1519 A.D.) periods. During their initial investigation, they unearthed obsidian fragments and rock paintings depicting faces, arrows, and everyday objects, which appear to belong to an ancient citadel. 

Researchers also collected 155 samples of ceramics, shells and lithic materials from floors made of lime, coal, earth and charred wood. All samples will be subject to laboratory studies in the coming month.

The dimensions of the pyramid are between 300 and 400 meters, according to the newspaper El País.

According to the director of Tourism of San Agustín Metzquititlán, Héctor Labra Chávez, the base of the pyramid is located where the road passes and excavation work is necessary to learn more about the structure. He stressed that there are no vestiges of pre-Columbian civilizations in this area and noted the need to conduct more in-depth research in the area to learn about the culture that settled there.

El País and other outlets reported that, according to INAH sources, excavation on the site will not continue due to budgetary limitations. Labra, the local tourism director, said the municipal government offered to provide the financial resources to continue excavating the site, if INAH provided personnel.

However, after taking samples, INAH announced that the pyramid would be covered with geotextile fabric and re-buried to ensure its preservation. The institute also announced plans to build a 43-meter wall to protect the site.

Claudia Sheinbaum’s government budget for next year has made significant cuts to nearly all cultural areas. In 2024, INAH received a budget of just 8 million pesos (US $395,000). Next year, this amount will be reduced to 4.5 million pesos (US $222,000), representing a substantial decrease of 45%.

With reports from El País and Criterio Hidalgo

Possible IV bag contamination kills 13 children in México state hospitals

By
MND Staff
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A masked doctor attends to a tiny infant in a hospital incubator
Many of the patients infected were young infants. (Secretaría de Salud del Estado de México/Facebook)

Mexico’s Health Ministry is investigating a deadly infectious outbreak at four hospitals in México state that resulted in the death of 13 children, mostly infants, possibly due to contamination of their IV fluids.

On Thursday, the Health Ministry affirmed that the dead were among 20 stricken patients, of whom 15 were infected by Klebsiella oxytoca, a life-threatening and potentially antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

These bacteria are naturally found in the intestinal tract, mouth, and nose, according to the website Healthline. They’re considered healthy gut bacteria when found inside your intestines, but outside the gut, they can cause serious infections.

According to a report published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, K. oxytoca can cause life-threatening septic shock as well as severe heart failure.

The tragic situation caught President Claudia Sheinbaum unawares.

The Health Ministry had issued an epidemiological alert on Tuesday, but when Sheinbaum was asked about the outbreak during her daily press conference on Thursday morning, the president said she had heard that there was just one case and the situation was under control.

A white blood cell, colored blue, wraps around two pink rod-shaped bacteria in a microscope image. The bacteria are Klebsiella bacteria, like those that caused contamination of children's IVs in México state
A digitally colorized scanning electron microscopic (SEM) image shows a blue-colored human white blood cell interacting with two pink-colored, antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella bacteria, which are known to cause severe hospital-acquired infections. (David Dorward/NIAID)

Lab studies identified the K. oxytoca bacteria later Thursday after which the Health Ministry traced the infections to contaminated IV bags of total parenteral nutrition (TPN).

The U.S. National Institutes defines TPN as “the intravenous administration of nutrition outside of the gastrointestinal tract.” A special formula given through a vein provides most of the nutrients the body needs.

TPN is often prescribed when a baby is unable to get enough nutrition through feeding tubes or by mouth.

On Friday morning, Sheinbaum announced that national health regulator Cofepris had canceled the contract and sanctioned the company that supplied the contaminated TPN.

The Health Ministry said the TPN was provided by SAFE, a specialized facility established by PiSA Pharmaceútica that prepares and composes sterile medications for intravenous administration to patients.

The investigation is ongoing and conflicting reports have started to emerge.

On Friday, the México state Health Ministry (ISEM) reported that additional studies indicate only eight of the victims tested positive for K. oxytoca, according to the news site López-Dóriga Digital. The federal Health Ministry has not confirmed the report.

The ISEM said it has ordered all state hospitals on full alert, and that the outbreak is under control. Authorities will remain vigilant, it said, and monitoring activities have been redoubled. Extra training will also be offered to 3,000 nurses and health care workers in the state.

Sheinbaum said the government would provide support for the families of the victims.

The Health Ministry reported that three of the hospitals where the infections occurred are public hospitals, while the fourth is a private institution.

El País also reported that a pediatric infectious disease specialist at a hospital in the state of Hidalgo said she has seen 30 cases involving K. oxytoca since March, including three fatalities.

With reports from El Universal, López-Dóriga Digital, 24 Horas and El País

Will Red Bull fire F1 driver Checo Pérez? As rumors fly, here’s what we know

By
MND Staff
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Sergio "Checo" Pérez
Mexican Formula 1 driver Sergio "Checo" Pérez is under pressure after a poor season with Red Bull Racing. (Sergio Pérez/Facebook)

Mexican Formula 1 driver Sergio “Checo” Pérez has had a miserable 18 months: no first-place finishes in 41 races; last place in his “home” Grand Prix in Mexico City in October; and not a single top-three finish since April — a span of 18 straight races heading into this weekend’s season finale, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix  — all as his teammate, Max Verstappen, won his fourth straight World Championship title.

It’s the kind of season that could lead one’s team to drop him.

Checo
Pérez has endured a disappointing season with Red Bull Racing. (Sergio Perez/X)

The thing is, Pérez’s team for the past four years, Red Bull Racing, signed him to a two-year contract extension back in June.

With three second-place finishes in the season’s first four races, the driver from Guadalajara had begun 2024 in solid form. That followed second place in the overall 2023 standings behind teammate Verstappen.

During the mid-season break, speculation began over who would be Red Bull’s second driver alongside Verstappen in 2025. With Pérez’s contract expiring at the end of this season, Red Bull team management signed him to the extension in an attempt to provide the Mexican driver with a feeling of stability. Since then, however, Pérez’s season has gone into a tailspin, taking just nine points in the last seven races (compared to 126 earned by Verstappen). In the last race, the Qatar Grand Prix on Dec. 1, Pérez spun out and failed to finish for the third time this season.

His slide, which also includes poor qualifying times, has dropped Red Bull out of contention for a third straight No. 1 finish in the Constructors’ World Championship standings.

Pérez and Lawson fight for position
Liam Lawson (left) is a leading contender to take over the Red Bull seat if Pérez is released by the team. (Red Bull)

Week after week, speculation has grown among fans and media over what Red Bull will do for the 2025 season.

One option is to make Pérez, 34, a driver on Red Bull’s junior team, Visa Cashapp Racing Bulls, and promote 24-year-old Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda, or 22-year-old New Zealand rookie Liam Lawson, to the senior outfit in a direct swap. Another option is to simply cut Pérez and eat his contract. Red Bull also has several development prospects in lower formulae, including Isack Hadjar, who is currently second in F2. 

Media speculation has been so rampant lately that Pérez’s father, Mexican politician Antonio Pérez Garibay, vowed this week via an Instagram post to publicly confront the “lying journalists” who say Red Bull will replace Pérez for the 2025 season.

Pérez Garibay, a Morena party member who represented Jalisco in Mexico’s lower house of Congress, the Chamber of Deputies, for three years until Aug. 31, posted that, come Monday, he’ll be “publishing the list of lying journalists and lying media.”

That would apparently include veteran pundit David Croft of Sky Sports, who recently wrote: “Our sources indicate that Red Bull don’t want to continue necessarily with Sergio Pérez for next season. And [management is] trying to say you can either go nicely, step down, or we will … make that decision for you.”

According to Motorsport Week, Red Bull “has admitted the decision to renew” Pérez’s contract in June “failed to deliver the desired impact.”

Red Bull boss Christian Horner, who has been a staunch defender of the embattled Mexican, was quick to defend Pérez’s position. “Now, obviously, Checo is our driver. He remains our driver and [is] contracted to the team. … Obviously, this season hasn’t gone to anyone’s plan, particularly with Checo’s performance since Monaco. It’s been very, very tough for him … Once we get this race [Abu Dhabi] out of the way, we’ll sit down and discuss the future.”

Added Horner: “There’s huge respect for Checo within the team. And nobody likes to see him struggling like the way he has.”

Christian Horner
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has publicly backed Pérez on several occasions. (Red Bull)

Signing Pérez shortly after he had “four podiums in the first five races,” Horner continued, was done “to settle his mind and extend that run of form for the rest of the season … which obviously didn’t work … that’s just life sometimes.” 

It is believed that Pérez brings a considerable sponsorship package with him to Red Bull.

Red Bull is notorious for its ruthless treatment of underperforming drivers, with Pierre Gasly, Nyck De Vries and Daniil Kvyat all removed from the team midway through their contracts in recent years. Motorsports journalists have speculated that Pérez’s contract includes a major payoff if he is cut.

Pérez, who is currently eighth in the 2024 driver standings despite his woes, gave his thoughts on the matter Thursday in the United Arab Emirates: “Nothing has changed since before in terms of what I have said for the whole year. I have a contract for next year, and I will be driving for Red Bull next year.”

Pressed on the matter, Pérez said: “I’ve already said it. Nothing more to add. I have a contract for next year, so nothing more to add … The important thing now is to focus on this weekend.

“It has been very difficult,” he added. “We have had a great car, but a very difficult car to get 100% out of. No matter how good it is, if you can’t get 100% of your performance, you will hardly be able to have good results. That has happened this season.”

In 280 career starts in Formula 1, Pérez has six victories and 39 podiums.

With reports from Sports Illustrated, Motorsport Week and El Financiero

By Mexico News Daily staff writer Andy Altman-Ohr

Sheinbaum, one of the ’25 most influential women of 2024′: Friday’s mañanera recapped

By
MND Staff
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President Sheinbaum laughs surrounded by supporters in traditional Chiapas clothing, while holding a ceremonial mask
President Sheinbaum's approval ratings remain high as she wraps up her first 100 days in office. (Claudia Sheinbaum/X)

Before traveling to Chiapas to officially open a new highway between Tuxtla Gutiérrez and San Cristóbal de las Casas, President Claudia Sheinbaum held her final morning press conference of the week at the National Palace in the historic center of Mexico City.

Sheinbaum once again highlighted the government’s efforts to reduce violence in Sinaloa, and also responded to Donald Trump’s latest remarks about his telephone conversation with the Mexican president last week.

Presence of security minister in Sinaloa is the ‘best support’ feds can give to struggling businesses 

A reporter asked the president whether the government would provide support to businesses in Sinaloa that have sustained heavy financial losses due to ongoing violence in the northern state.

“The best support we can provide is that which we’re providing now,” Sheinbaum responded.

She explained she was referring to the presence of Security Minister Omar García Harfuch in Sinaloa.

“He’s in Sinaloa to strengthen the security strategy. That is the best support we can provide,” Sheinbaum said.

“He’s coordinating the [security] tasks of all the federal and state forces … and it will yield results. … In fact it is already producing results in terms of arrests,” she said.

On García’s first day in Sinaloa earlier this week, authorities seized more than 1 tonne of fentanyl in the municipality of Ahome. The security minister has reported arrests related to that bust in publications on the social media platform X.

The violence in Sinaloa is mainly related to a war between the Los Mayos and Los Chapitos factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Sheinbaum acknowledged on Friday that a lot of people will travel to Mazatlán and other parts of the state over the end-of-year vacation period.

“We’re going to work to guarantee security,” she said.

The president conceded earlier this week that violence in Sinaloa won’t “drastically decrease” in a short period of time.

Sheinbaum responds to Financial Times’ recognition 

Another reporter noted that Mexico awoke to the news that Sheinbaum was included on the Financial Times’ “25 most influential women of 2024” list.

Among the other women on the list are Taylor Swift, Kamala Harris, Ursula von der Leyen and Arundhati Roy.

Sheinbaum said she wouldn’t let the Financial Times article go to her head or consider it a personal endorsement.

“What there is is a recognition of what’s happening in Mexico,” she said.

A screenshot of Sheinbaum's ranking on the Financial Times website
President Sheinbaum is one of the 25 most influential women of the year, according to the Financial Times. (FT)

“I said, ‘let the transformation continue’ and ‘it’s time for women.’ That is noticed and felt in our country and that is the recognition … [of the Financial Times],” Sheinbaum said.

“… So I think, in effect, that it is a recognition of the people of Mexico,” she said.

In a short profile of Sheinbaum in the “leaders” section of its “25 most influential women” list, the Financial Times noted that not only is Sheinbaum the country’s first female president, “but also the first former climate scientist to hold the post.”

FT also said that the president is “renowned for her steely character” and described her as “a life-long feminist” who is “determined to present a strong front against bullying tactics.”

“Stand by for fireworks, and a big test of whether a woman cannot just lead Mexico, but do so in the face of Trump’s own version of MAGA machismo,” the Times said.

Sheinbaum disputes Trump’s latest account of their telephone call 

Speaking at the Fox Nation Patriot Awards ceremony on Thursday night, United States President-elect Donald Trump offered a new account of his telephone call with Sheinbaum on Nov. 27.

“I spoke the other day to the president, the new president of Mexico, very nice woman. And we had a very nice conversation,” he said.

“But she said, ‘Why are you doing this to me?’ continued Trump, referring to his pledge to impose a 25% tariff on all Mexican exports on the first day of his second term as president.

“I said, ‘I’m not. I’m just putting a lot of tariffs on because you’re allowing criminals to pour into our country, and we can’t allow that anymore,'” said the former and future U.S. president.

Donald Trump stands at a microphone
Sheinbaum attributed Trump’s Thursday evening comments to his unique communication style. (Gage Skidmore/CC BY-SA 2.0)

Asked whether she did in fact make the “why are you doing this to me?” remark, Sheinbaum simply responded that Trump has his own unique “way of communicating.”

“It was like when we had the call and he did a [social media] post where he says we’re going to close the border and that was never spoken about,” she said.

Sheinbaum responded to that claim last week by saying that “Mexico’s position is not to close borders but to build bridges between governments and between peoples.”

She also said: “Everyone has their own way of communicating, but I can assure you … that we never suggested that we were going to close the border, we would be incapable [of doing so].”

On Friday morning, the president said she wouldn’t be lured into a public “debate” over what was and wasn’t said during her call with Trump, but assured reporters that she and other officials in her government will always “represent Mexico in a dignified way.”

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)

‘Unemployed’ ex-president should apply for welfare benefits, Sheinbaum suggests

By
MND Staff
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Two portraits, one of Salinas de Gortari and one of President Sheinbaum
President Sheinbaum had a choice response for ex-president Salinas de Gortari's financial woes. (Enrique Ordoñez/Cuartoscuro, Presidencia)

With the year-end holidays approaching, it is only fitting that former Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari is being treated like a Christmas piñata by President Claudia Sheinbaum.

During her Wednesday morning press conference, Sheinbaum was asked about a video in which Salinas declared, “My name is Carlos Salinas and I am unemployed.” Then, responding to a question, Salinas adds, “I’m not a pensioner because someone took away our pensions.”

Salinas was referring to the pension granted to ex-presidents, which was rescinded by Sheinbaum’s predecessor and mentor, former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

When asked about this by a reporter, Sheinbaum admitted she had not seen the video before, but invited Salinas to “apply for a pension via the Welfare [Ministry].”

During Thursday’s press conference, Salinas’s name was brought up again and Sheinbaum was ready with more put-downs, first insinuating that Salinas did not even qualify as an ex-president.

“I don’t call him president,” Sheinbaum said, referring to the controversial 1988 election “Despite the differences I have with Fox, Fox won the presidency, but Salinas de Gortari arrived via electoral fraud.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stands at a podium smiling
A reporter’s questions gave Sheinbaum a chance to bash an old rival of her mentor on Thursday. (Presidencia)

Sheinbaum piled on further. “He’s so unemployed, yes, so unemployed. But nobody’s ever seen him fly commercial,” she said of the ex-president, who lives in Spain.

The story behind the video

During his six-year term which ended on Sept. 30, López Obrador frequently used Salinas as a punching bag. The feud goes back even further, with the former often referring to the latter as “El Innombrable” (“The Unmentionable One”).

In 2004 while López Obrador was mayor of Mexico City, leaked videos showed members of Salinas’inner circle taking bribes to finance the midterm elections. His chief-of-staff, finance minister and a borough president were implicated, and López Obrador accused Salinas of being behind the scheme.

(An added bit of irony: The borough president arrested as a result of the 2004 video scandal was none other than Carlos Imaz, who was married to Sheinbaum at the time.)

Salinas was also a constant thorn in his rival’s side during López Obrador’s first presidential campaigns (2006 and, 2012). A war of words erupted during the 2018 campaign after Salinas penned a critical op-ed in El País, warning the Mexican electorate about the dangers of populism.

Earlier this year, López Obrador claimed Salinas was behind a damning report published in Pro Publica, in which Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Tim Golden cited a U.S.  investigation into López Obrador’s links to drug cartels.

So the fact that Salinas is again serving as a punching bag is no big surprise.

However, the video that sparked this latest round of insults is over a year old.

El Universal columnist Salvador García Soto said it was taken from an interview of Salinas conducted by the media group Nexos as part of its series on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The interview was conducted in the context of the 30th anniversary of NAFTA, which Salinas negotiated with former U.S. President George H.W. Bush and Canada’s Brian Mulroney.

Finally, the framing of the video as an abject former president whining about the elimination of his pension is ironic on two levels.

Citing anonymous sources, García Soto reported that Salinas voluntarily canceled his pension in 2001. To be clear, of this there appears to be no prior reporting on the topic; the only former president to publicly decline the pension was Ernesto Zedillo (1994-2000).

With reports from El Financiero, Serpientes y Escaleras, Pro Publica, La Jornada and Expansión Política

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