Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez led a comprehensive update on the number of Mexicans deported from the United States since Trump took office and their status within the country. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)
With President Claudia Sheinbaum on her way to Canada to attend the G7 Summit, Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez presided over the federal government’s Monday morning press conference.
Here is a recap of the June 16 mañanera.
More than 56,000 Mexicans deported from US since Trump took office
Deputy Interior Minister Arturo Medina Padilla reported that 56,298 Mexicans have been deported from the United States to Mexico since U.S. President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20.
He said that 12,183 of that number returned to Mexico on flights that touched down at the Felipe Ángeles International Airport in México state, or at the airports in Villahermosa, Tabasco, and Tapachula, Chiapas.
Those who are “repatriated” via the Mexico-U.S. border and who decide not to go to one of the 10 reception centers set up by the Mexican government in border cities are also “attended to with warmth and humanism,” he said.
Deputy Interior Minister Arturo Medina said on Monday that 24,082 Mexicans have chosen to access shelter and services at the 10 reception centers, located in cities including Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez and Reynosa. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)
“They receive their repatriation letter, food, access to telephone calls, legal advice and bus tickets to their places of origin,” Medina said.
He said that 24,082 Mexicans have chosen to access shelter and services at the 10 reception centers, located in cities including Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez and Reynosa.
That figure represents around 55% of Mexicans deported to Mexico via the border with the U.S. in recent months.
Medina said that almost 237,000 individual “services” have been provided to deportees who went to reception centers, a figure that includes the serving of meals, the delivery of medical treatment, the issuance of stored-value “well-being” cards and enrollment in the IMSS social security scheme.
He also said that the National Migration Institute has transported more than 13,000 Mexican deportees to their home states. Medina said that “the main destinations” have been Coahuila, Durango, Zacatecas, Querétaro, Aguascalientes, Mexico City, Michoacán, Jalisco, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas and Puebla.
He also said that the government is currently in the process of relocating the deportee reception center in Nuevo Laredo to Tapachula, and that in Nuevo León to Villahermosa.
Rodríguez: Investigations into deaths of mayor and judge are ongoing
A reporter asked the interior minister what information she had about the murder of the mayor of San Mateo Piñas, Oaxaca, and the murder or suicide of a judge who heard high-profile cases including ones involving Ovidio Guzmán (one of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s sons) and José Luis Abarca, the ex-mayor of Iguala linked to the disappearance of 43 students in that city in Guerrero in 2014.
The mayor of San Mateo Piñas, Oaxaca, Lilia Gema García Soto. (@trespm/X)
Lilia Gema García Soto, the mayor, was shot dead inside the San Mateo Piñas municipal government palace on Sunday. Everardo Maya Arias, the judge, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head in Zinacantepec, México state, on Sunday. A firearm was found next to his body.
Rodríguez acknowledged that “these regrettable events” occurred, and noted that they were discussed at the government’s security cabinet meeting on Monday morning.
“We’re going to monitor the events that occurred in these places,” she said, adding that investigations aimed at apprehending those responsible will continue.
Reports on the outcomes of the investigations will be provided in due course, Rodríguez said.
Top ministers accompany Sheinbaum to Canada
Rodríguez enumerated the ministers representing Mexico alongside Sheinbaum at the G7 Summit in Canada on Tuesday.
Foreign Affairs Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente.
Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard.
Security Minister Omar García Harfuch.
Finance Minister Edgar Amador Zamora.
Rodríguez, who occupies the position usually considered second most powerful in the Mexican government, said that Mexico’s ambassadors to Canada and the United States and a few other officials will also attend the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta.
The president was greeted by members of the Tsuut'ina Nation upon her arrival in Calgary on Monday evening. (@Claudiashein/X)
President Claudia Sheinbaum will hold bilateral talks with several world leaders at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada on Tuesday, but U.S. President Donald Trump will not figure among them.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum poses for pictures with supporters as she arrives for the G7 Leaders’ Summit held at the Rocky Mountain resort village of Kananaskis, at Calgary International Airport in Canada. Photo by Todd Korol pic.twitter.com/pPNJHAwV3T
According to Sheinbaum’s official schedule for Tuesday, the president will hold one-on-one talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
In addition, she is scheduled to meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa.
Sheinbaum departed Mexico City on an Air Canada flight on Monday morning and is scheduled to begin her journey back to Mexico on Tuesday night. She was invited to attend the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, by Prime Minister Carney.
The leaders of several other non-G7 nations, including those of India, Ukraine, Brazil and Australia, will attend the annual meeting of the G7, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Sheinbaum’s full schedule for Tuesday, as reported by Mexican media, appears below.
11:20 a.m. – 11:30 (local Alberta time): Participation in the official G7 photo shoot.
11:40 – 12:10: Meeting with von der Leyen and Costa.
12:20 – 12:50: Bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi.
13:00 – 15:30: G7 plenary session.
15:40 – 16:40: CANCELED: Bilateral meeting with U.S. President Trump.
16:40 – 17:40: Bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Merz.
17:40 – 18:10: Bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Carney.
The New York Times reported that both the global economy and the war in Ukraine will be “difficult topics” at this year’s G7 Summit.
Sheinbaum pledged to defend Mexicans on both sides of the border in meeting with Trump
Sheinbaum has spoken to Trump by telephone on seven separate occasions since she became president last October. However, the meeting in Canada was to be the first time the two leaders had held face-to-face talks.
At an event in Tlaxcala on Saturday, the president had noted that she would meet with Trump “and his team” in Canada.
“You should know that we will honorably defend Mexicans here and on the other side of the border,” she said.
Sheinbaum said she would be “firm” in her meeting with Trump, but open to dialogue and committed to “seeking agreements for the well-being of our nations and people.”
She also said she would convey the message that “when we’re together we’re stronger” and that “when we respect each other we’re stronger.”
“That’s what we’re going to defend, always with our heads held high, always with valor, because we defend and represent the people of Mexico, a generous, brave, hardworking people, who work here in our country and also on the other side of the border,” Sheinbaum said.
Security, migration and trade would have been other top issues for discussion in the president’s meeting with Trump.
The number of encounters between U.S. authorities and migrants, and fentanyl seizures at the Mexico-U.S. border, have declined significantly since Trump began his second term on Jan. 20, indicating that the northward flow of migrants and fentanyl has fallen in recent months.
Earlier this month, Sheinbaum attributed the “very significant” decline in fentanyl seizures at the border to her government making fentanyl busts on “this side of the border” — including the largest bust in Mexican history last December.
United States officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have acknowledged Mexico’s cooperation on security matters, but trade remains a contentious issue between the two countries.
Sheinbaum discussed issues including immigration and security policy with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau last week. (Presidencia)
Prior to Trump’s abrupt departure from the G7 on Monday, Barthélémy Michalon, an international relations professor at the Tec. de Monterrey University, told the news website Expansión that Sheinbaum’s meeting with Trump at the G7 Summit would take place on a “stage” that would be “much less tense” than a meeting at the White House.
“We’ve been witness to receptions of political leaders there with a rather adverse environment toward the guest,” he said, referring to Trump’s meetings at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February, and with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in May.
“So [the G7 Summit provides] a way to meet with Trump without these conditions of possible hostility,” Michalon said.
The White House asserted in February that “the government of Mexico has afforded safe havens for the cartels to engage in the manufacturing and transportation of dangerous narcotics, which collectively have led to the overdose deaths of hundreds of thousands of American victims.”
Sheinbaum says ‘the people of Mexico’ will accompany her on trip to Canada
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) June 16, 2025
“On Monday, we’re going to a meeting to which we were invited. I use the plural because the people of Mexico are going, all of us together. When the presidenta goes to international meetings, we all go together. We’re going to honorably represent the people of Mexico,” she said.
On Monday morning, Sheinbaum shared photos to social media that showed her at the Mexico City airport and boarding her Air Canada flight to Vancouver, from where she was scheduled to travel to Calgary, Alberta, on Monday afternoon. Foreign Affairs Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente is among the Mexican officials who will be present at the G7 Summit alongside the president.
Rafael Velázquez Flores, president of the Mexican Association of International Studies, told Expansión that Sheinbaum made the “right” decision in taking up Carney’s invitation to attend the G7 Summit.
“Mexico must be present in the main global forums to take advantage of opportunities that promote the national interest,” he said.
“Not every country is invited to this [G7] meeting, so it is a privilege for Mexico,” Velázquez said.
Monterrey's reputation as Mexico's business center has been confirmed statistically, as foreign direct investment in Nuevo León (the state it's the capital of) has been soaring. (Charles Elizondo/Unsplash)
Federal Economy Ministry data indicates that Nuevo León received nearly US $2.7 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) through the first three months of the year, with the United States being the principal source of the funding.
The new investments in Nuevo León this year represent a 7% increase over the same three months last year, when the state attracted US $2.5 billion from January through March 2024.
U.S. companies were responsible for more than half the total — $1.45 billion — during this time period, according to the newspaper El Financiero. This figure represents 54% of all FDI in Nuevo León during Q1 of 2025 and is 134% greater than during the same quarter in 2024.
The Netherlands ranks second on the FDI list with more than $566 million in new investment from January-May 2025. Argentina is third with $221 million.
In all, the state attracted $32.7 billion in 2024 and, since Governor Samuel García took office in October 2021, Nuevo León has received roughly $73 billion in FDI. The new investment has created 361,500 new jobs in the state. Of the 348 projects funded by investment since 2021, 169 correspond to new developments and 179 were expansion projects.
According to the newspaper El Economista, the $2.7 billion in FDI in Nuevo León — 13% of the national total — was more than any other state in Mexico, coming in only behind the $11.8 billion FDI in Mexico City, which represents 55% of the national total.
Acting state Economy Minister Emmanuel Loo said an additional $9 billion of investments have been confirmed and will be formally announced in the coming weeks, adding that approximately $10 billion is on hold pending U.S. trade and tariff policy decisions.
The manufacturing industry is the No. 1 recipient of the investment, accounting for just over half of the total FDI, followed by commercial investments, financial services and insurance.
In Guadalajara, U.S. citizens and Mexicans gathered outside the U.S. Consulate to protest against the Trump administration. (X)
Mexico City and Guadalajara were among the Mexican cities where “No Kings” protests against the policies and actions of U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration took place on Saturday.
The Mexican “No Kings” protests — which also took place in a number of other cities including Mérida, Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta, Mexicali and San Miguel de Allende — coincided with “No Kings” protests held across cities and towns in the United States.
They were held to “reject authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics and the militarization of the … [United States’] democracy,” the Associated Press reported, citing a statement by protest organizers.
Saturday also happened to be Trump’s 79th birthday.
In Mexico City, hundreds of people, including both U.S. and Mexican citizens, marched from the Luis Cabrera plaza in the Roma neighborhood to the U.S. Embassy, located on the Paseo de la Reforma boulevard.
“Fuera racismo, fuera Trump” (Out with racism, out with Trump) was one of the “most-heard slogans” during the march, the newspaper Diario de México reported.
Among the placards held up by protesters were ones that read: “I like my ICE crushed” and “NO FAUX-KING WEY.”
ICE refers to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is carrying out raids targeting undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
In Mexico City, hundreds of people, including both U.S. and Mexican citizens, marched from the Luis Cabrera plaza in the Roma neighborhood to the U.S. Embassy. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
The news website Expansión reported that people affiliated with Democrats Abroad were among the protesters in Mexico City. One of the messages they conveyed was that “to migrate is a right, not a crime.”
“No one is illegal on stolen land,” said members of the Revolutionary Union of Art Workers, according to Expansión.
One protester associated with the Juventud Anticapitalista (Anti-Capitalist Youth) collective asserted that Trump’s policies “seek to create an internal enemy with the aim of strengthening his government.”
In Guadalajara, U.S. citizens and Mexicans gathered outside the U.S. Consulate to protest against the Trump administration.
One protester held up a placard that read: “No kings! Stop the fascist! Salva la democracia [Save democracy].”
Another protester in the Jalisco capital, Mercedes Dueñas, told the newspaper Milenio that “the people are against President Trump, who thinks he is a king.”
“We came to the American Consulate to show people that we don’t agree, that we’re in a constitutional crisis in the United States, that we love Mexico and are very ashamed of the way he treats Mexico,” she said.
Another protester in Guadalajara said that Trump’s military parade “for his birthday” was like “something from North Korea” or Russia.
In Puerto Vallarta, where hundreds of protesters gathered on Isla Cuale, a U.S. citizen identified only as Benjamin told the newspaper La Jornada that the purpose of the protest was to “say no” to Trump.
“He wants to install a dictatorship. We’re here to protect democracy and to say that we won’t accept him ruining the United States,” said Benjamin, who has lived in Puerto Vallarta for 22 years, according to La Jornada.
He said that Americans who live in Puerto Vallarta are watching events in the United States very closely.
“People think we’re just here to drink and relax, but we’re paying attention and we don’t accept what’s happening in the United States,” said Benjamin, who highlighted the importance of immigrants to the U.S. economy and described immigration raids as “stupid.”
“Racism in the United States is bad and getting worse,” he said.
In San Miguel de Allende, more than 200 people, including U.S. citizens and other foreigners, joined a “No Kings” protest outside the U.S. Consular Agency, according to the AM newspaper.
Lucina Kathman, a U.S.-born writer and activist who has lived in San Miguel de Allende for decades, described Trump as a “dictator” in remarks to AM.
“What a sad country the United States is, with a man who thinks he’s a leader but is nothing more than a dictator,” she said.
“I was born there but I chose Mexico for its warmth. Today, more than ever before, I reaffirm that decision,” Kathman said.
Karol Smith, who also attended the protest in San Miguel de Allende, told AM that, “we are happy to be far away from the United States today.”
Trump “should learn from President Sheinbaum,” she added.
An unnamed Mexican-American man who attended the protest in San Miguel de Allende with members of his family told AM:
“We are here because we believe in justice, because we love this country that has taken us in, and because we will not stand by idly watching human rights being trampled on.”
Tropical Storm Dalila, seen here, brought heavy rain to the Guerrero coast, with Hurricane Erick following shortly after. (Carlos Carbajal/Cuartoscuro)
Tropical Storm Dalila knocked out a bridge, damaged Acapulco’s beaches and caused power outages in the state of Guerrero as it swept past southwestern Mexico over the weekend.
Dalila formed in the Pacific on Friday and then moved parallel to the Mexican coast, dumping between 75 and 150 millimeters of rain on states from Chiapas to Nayarit.
With boat traffic suspended on Saturday due to the storm-tossed waters, authorities told Acapulco residents and visitors to exercise caution. Not everybody heeded the warning. (Carlos Carbajal/Cuartoscuro)
Though the storm never approached hurricane status, it was followed closely by tropical wave No. 3, with the western state of Guerrero receiving the brunt of the meteorological phenomenon. Some areas along the coast — still recovering from Hurricanes Otis (October 2023) and John (September 2024) — received 15 hours of rain accompanied by high winds, while waves as high as five meters pounded the shoreline.
The Omitlán bridge that connects central Guerrero with the Costa Chica region collapsed as flooding inundated several coastal cities. Costa Chica refers to an area of rolling hills and coastal plains along the south coast of Guerrero, extending from just south of Acapulco to the Oaxaca border.
Roofs were blown off houses and trees were felled in the municipalities of Coyuca de Catalán, Ciudad Altamirano and Ajuchitlán in the mountains above Acapulco. Residents were forced to take refuge in shelters, while some towns were cut off as heavy rains made fords impassable.
The small town of Cerro Prieto de Atoyac, to the northeast of Acapulco, was particularly hard hit, its residents without electricity the entire weekend.
#Atención 🛑 Este lunes sigue sin paso el puente del Río Omitlán que se ubica en el municipio de Juan R. Escudero tras los daños causados por las lluvias intensas de la tormenta Dalila. El reporte indica que mañana podría reanudarse la circulación.
At least five beachside restaurants in Acapulco were damaged and the Acapulco-Pinapotepa coastal highway was shut down for hours on Sunday. At least 50 residences were destroyed in the Diamante district of Acapulco, which is known for a wide array of high-end condominiums and modern hotels and resorts.
Roads in the coastal mountain areas were washed out in the Montaña, Costa Chica and Sierra regions of Guerrero.
By Sunday night, the rains had subsided in Guerrero and Dalila had been declared a post-tropical storm by the National Hurricane Center (NHC), although local officials warned that high waves and storm surges were still a threat.
At 8 p.m. Sunday, the NHC said Dalila was expected to turn toward the west, away from the Mexican coast, and continue westward another day or two. Maximum sustained winds had decreased to 35 mph and the storm was forecast to dissipate by late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
The number of tourists disembarking from cruise ships in the Yucatán port city of Progreso, less than an hour from Mérida, increased by 27.2% in the first three months of this year.
(Martín Zetina/Cuartoscuro)
Cruise tourism to Mexico has experienced major growth this year at both ends of the country.
From January through April 2025, Progreso’s Puerto de Altura in the Caribbean state of Yucatán received 74 cruise ships with 200,383 passengers — a 131% increase in ship arrivals and a 110.6% increase in cruise ship passengers compared to the same period in 2024.
Ensenada in Baja California has seen 38% more cruise ship passengers this year and recently welcomed, for the first time in its port’s history, Royal Caribbean’s gargantuan Ovation of the Seas. (@PortofLA/on X)
In April alone, the port of Progreso received 26,135 passengers, up 27.2% compared to the same month the previous year.
The state Ministry of Tourism Development (Sefotur) estimates that 158 cruise ships carrying 400,000 passengers will dock in Progreso by year’s end. That would mean an increase of 35% over last year.
To cope with increasing numbers of cruise ship arrivals, the Puerto de Altura in Progreso, a popular beach destination located less than one hour from Mérida, is undergoing an expansion. With an investment of 12 billion pesos (US $634 million), the infrastructure project seeks to renovate the port and increase its capacity from 80 hectares to 116.
Ensenada welcomes 20% more cruise ships
According to the National Ports System, Ensenada in Baja California received 112 cruise ship arrivals — up 20% over 2024 — and 387,846 cruise ship passengers between January and April, an increase of 38%.
In a presentation on June 11, state Tourism Minister Miguel Aguiñiga Rodrígez said the cruise industry generates an estimated US $74.86 million in Baja California. Official figures estimate that Ensenada will register around 351 arrivals and more than 1.1 million cruise passengers this year.
Ensenada recently celebrated the arrival of the Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the port’s history. Measuring 348 meters in length, it accommodates approximately 4,800 passengers and 1,300 crew members.
“The arrival of the Ovation of the Seas represents a boost to Baja California’s connectivity, while also contributing to the growth of passenger traffic by sea,” the Tourism Ministry said. “This type of cruise reflects the shipping companies’ confidence in the region’s port infrastructure and tourism potential.”
Classic British high tea has arrived in Mexico, and you're invited! A new San Miguel tea room is giving customers the chance to experience the most sophisticated of British traditions and bring out their Lady (or Lord) Bridgerton in the process. (Jelleke Vanooteghem/Unsplash)
From London to Los Angeles, from Bangkok and beyond, the British tradition of afternoon high tea is enjoying a renaissance, with younger people embracing a ritual once considered a bit stuffy that is evolving into a more playful experience of late. Just in time for this resurgence of interest, San Miguel de Allende has gained a Victorian-style tearoom.
Simply named The Tea Room, it has everything an Anglophile could hope for: tiered trays filled with classic teatime fare, including finger sandwiches, scones, crumpets, sausage rolls, chicken salad, quiche, clotted cream and lemon curd. And, of course, authentic English tea.
Ryan McNab followed his Mexican wife to San Miguel de Allende before U.S. expat Eve Mickendrow arrived and they decided to create The Tea Room. (Anne Richards)
An early call to the culinary arts
This is also a love story.
Once upon a time, a youngster named Ryan McNab was raised by his grandparents in Leeds, England.
“My grandma taught me how to cook,” McNab says. “All of my earliest memories are helping to make food for the family on a Saturday. Just sandwiches, but I’d make faces on the bread with olives.”
Ryan began working in pubs at 16.
“I went through the school system, but it failed me, or I failed it. I don’t really know. At 18, I started serving drinks at a bar. Quickly got into pub management. I realized it wasn’t for me. The stress. Dealing with drunks. I decided to go back to school.”
Back at university in Leeds, Ryan met a young Mexican woman named Julieta Moreno.
“I was 17, living in the U.K., and attending design college,” Julieta said. “One day, this cute English guy offered to lend me one of his colored pencils. That was it. Like Ed Sheeran’s lyrics: We were just kids when we fell in love.”
During those early years, Ryan continued to work in pubs to put himself through school.
“Pub management taught me that you have to be prepared for the chef not to show up, so I would step in. Wash dishes. Do prep work. If you do that for long enough, you learn the ropes.”
Then, Julieta had to return to Mexico to complete her education.
“Of course, being so young, we had no idea how to make the relationship last the hardships of ‘adulting,’” she said.
With Julieta gone, Ryan focused on baking and became a successful pizza chef, opening several restaurants and a food truck. He also spent six months running high tea in the kitchen at the Castle Howard Estate, a private home set in 1,000 acres of sweeping parkland within the North Yorkshire countryside
“It was a 300-year-old property, and most of the people who worked there also lived there. It was a bit like working in ‘Downton Abbey,’” Ryan said.
But Ryan and Julieta struggled to keep in contact.
“I was working full-time and had very little vacation,” Ryan said. “This was in 2006, before Facebook, or even iPhones. We had to meticulously plan our calls. ‘You have to be by this particular phone on Mexican time, and I need to phone at exactly the right time English time.’ It was just really hard.”
Before he came to Mexico, Ryan spent six months running the high tea at England’s Castle Howard Estate in Yorkshire. (Internet)
Estranged sweethearts reunite
Ryan and Julieta eventually drifted apart, not speaking for 15 years — until a cat photo on Instagram reconnected them.
“What brought me to Mexico was — well, weirdly, it was a cat,” Ryan said. ”I had a Maine Coon named Abby, a beautiful cat that I was given for my birthday during COVID. I was locked down in this tiny cottage, and I posted a picture of Abby on Instagram.”
Julieta’s mom, in Querétaro, saw the picture and commented. She and Ryan began chatting. A few days later, Ryan “plucked up the courage” to reach out and ask Julieta how she was doing. Was there a husband? Kids?
“Fifteen years later, after no communication, Ryan decides to send me a message just saying, ‘Hi, how are you?’” Julieta said with a laugh.
A few months later, after many texts and voicemails, the pressing question became: “Are we back together?”
Ryan visited Julieta in San Miguel de Allende the following November for Day of the Dead. Three weeks after being together again, he proposed.
“A new adventure began,” Julieta said. “It was my turn to show him the way of life in my country. He [quickly] embraced this culture and began adapting his love for cooking to new ingredients and a new altitude. Good thing his wife loves eating!”
The culinary experience at The Tea Room also includes English teatime classics like crumpets, scones and clotted cream, as well as more filling fare like sausage rolls and quiche. (Anne Richards)
The English crumpet arrives in San Miguel de Allende
Julieta’s parents, who once lived in the U.K., missed a few hard-to-find specialties in Mexico.
“One day, Julieta’s mom asked me if I knew how to make crumpets,” Ryan said. “They had a list of things they missed, crumpets being the main thing, but also lemon curd and shortbread. I thought maybe if I perfected crumpets, I could sell them. There’s an organic farm called Chinaberry here with a website where people can order fresh fruit and veg, but also items from different vendors. They said I could work with them.”
Ryan started a small business and called it Señor Crumpet.
Business was initially good, but during the tourism low season that year, Ryan found himself lacking customers. Julieta mentioned that the upscale San Miguel de Allende French bakery Marulier was hiring an assistant baker.
Ryan applied.
“I thought, ’It can’t hurt to try.’ I went in and had a chat with the owners and head chef, and they were really lovely. The interview turned into a ‘When can you start?’ situation.”
It was while Ryan was splitting his time between Marulier and Señor Crumpet that Eve Mickendrow (the southern belle) entered the story. Eve had relocated to San Miguel from South Carolina, where for 25 years she’d owned Time Well Spent, an English teahouse.
Ryan and Eve joked about the fact that she’d operated a teahouse and that he was a British baker. One day, Eve said to Ryan, “Can I take you somewhere?”
That “somewhere” was the spot she had chosen to open a new tearoom in town.
The location was a quaint, a charming, upper-floor space not far from downtown. Eve’s vision was to create an inviting traditional British tearoom in the Mexican mountains.
‘It felt like fate’
“The initial idea,” Ryan said, “was that she would open the tearoom and I would supply her with crumpets and scones. The more we talked, the more it seemed like we should partner up. Eve and I have both said all the way through the process that it was never stressful. It just felt like fate.”
“Eve did everything,” Ryan continued. “A color palette, chinaware, vintage teapots, a fairy theme with a tea party room for kids. But we agreed it should never be too flashy. It needs to be about people sharing tea. We want people to go and feel like they could sit for however long, have tea and a natter. If you sit down and want to stay for three or more hours, that’s great.”
“I love the concept,” Julieta said. “It’s a space that invites coziness, the warmth of friendship and the tranquility of reading a book with a nice cup of tea.”
From native plants to local flavors, mindful movement to public transit, here are the latest events and updates shaping daily life in San Miguel.
El Charco del Ingenio hosts 2nd Biocultural Plant Fair
(El Charco del Ingeniero)
On June 21-22, El Charco del Ingenio, San Miguel’s beloved botanical garden and nature preserve, will host the Second Biocultural Fair of Semi‑Desert Plants, a celebration of the region’s resilient native flora. The event is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring workshops, guided tours, live music, and art exhibitions.
Beyond just a plant sale, this fair is an invitation to “listen to the land and its voices”. Talks and workshops throughout the weekend will cover topics such as designing pollinator-friendly gardens, using native plants for natural pest control, and exploring the agave plant’s deep cultural and ecological significance. A session on native trees will spotlight their critical role in strengthening ecological balance and resilience in the face of climate change.
This event will be an homage to the living knowledge of the land and to the resilient species that flourish in the desert, like huizaches, yellow-flowered fraile plants, cacalosúchiles, and dozens of local succulents.
California glamor meets Mexican cuisine in the park
(Palm Springs Food and Wine Festival)
San Miguel de Allende’s premier Food & Wine Festival, San Miguel y sus Sabores, returns to Parque Juárez from June 27 to 29, bringing together flavors from across the region. Many of the city’s top local restaurants will offer signature tastings for under 70 pesos, with live music, DJ sets, and a laid-back, open-air setting in the park.
The students will train with San Miguel chefs and receive college credit through a first-of-its-kind culinary and hospitality exchange program in partnership with the Universidad Tecnológica de San Miguel de Allende (UTSMA). In return, UTSMA students will intern alongside visiting Palm Springs chefs at local restaurants, culminating in a collaborative culinary showcase.
This exchange builds on a growing partnership: earlier this year, Palm Springs hosted San Miguel de Allende chefs during the Palm Springs International Food & Wine Festival. That collaboration sparked a spirit of exchange, and this summer, the cross-cultural learning deepens as the U.S. contingent travels south.
With free entry, affordable tastings, and cultural activities, San Miguel y sus Sabores offers a delicious way to celebrate local flavors, and, this summer, global friendships as well.
Preserving San Miguel’s 125-Year-Old Clock
(Karla Parra)
Perhaps you’ve noticed the jardín principal (the main plaza) is quieter than usual. That’s because San Miguel de Allende’s iconic clock tower is paused for restoration.
Installed in 1900, this cherished timepiece has kept time for 125 years. Its manual mechanism requires winding every eight days and careful maintenance every three years. The bells, tuned to “Re” on the hour and “Sol-La” on the quarter-hour, have become part of the city’s rhythm.
To preserve it for future generations, the local government has launched a restoration project, with clockmaker Daniel Vázquez (who inherited the role from his father, Raúl Vázquez), overseeing the work. During this rare month-long pause, the clock has fallen silent, offering a chance to reflect on its deeper meaning, according to city mayor, Mauricio Trejo: “This clock not only gives the time; it gives identity, history, and community.”
Bus fare increases in San Miguel under discussion
(Nomads Beyond)
Bus riders in San Miguel may soon see a fare increase, the first in thirteen years. While transportation operators (concesionarios) have proposed raising the fare by up to 5 pesos more (from the current 8 peso fare). Reports have circulated about a possible jump to 18 pesos. Mayor Mauricio Trejo Pureco has firmly denied an 18 peso figure, saying any increase would be very minor.
A fare increase may be in store, nonetheless, with the mayor advocating for bus users and insisting that any increase be tied to tangible service improvements. These include eliminating window tinting and spoilers, standardizing the color of all vehicles, requiring drivers to wear uniforms and maintain a clean appearance, and banning music with lyrics that glorify crime to ensure a safer and more respectful ride.
A final agreement is expected this month.
San Miguel de Allende inspires Mexican Actor Diego Boneta’s debut novel
(Billboard)
San Miguel de Allende plays a central role in The Undoing of Alejandro Velasco (La perdición de Alejandro Velasco), the debut novel by Diego Boneta, a Mexican actor best known for portraying iconic Mexican singer Luis Miguel, in Netflix’s biopic. Set against the city’s historic and artistic backdrop, the psychological thriller explores themes of privilege, rivalry, and long-buried secrets within Mexico’s elite, steering away from the narco narratives that often dominate portrayals of the country.
In choosing San Miguel, Boneta described it as “the Florence of Mexico”, adding, “I really wanted it [the book] to feel like it came from my heart. So I had to write about things I’m truly passionate about, and San Miguel is one of them,” he said. “It’s truly a magical town.”
The story follows Julian Villareal as he navigates the aftermath of his tennis rival’s death and uncovers the secrets of the wealthy Velasco family. The novel, released May 1, 2025, is available in both English and Spanish, with Boneta narrating the audiobook versions. A TV adaptation is already in development with Amazon Studios, and Boneta will star as Julian.
Mexico, a leading global vehicle producer, faces a complex automotive landscape where cars remain notably expensive for domestic consumers despite high export volumes. Factors contributing to high costs include supply chain issues, advanced vehicle technology, and significant taxes. Gasoline prices are also high, even though Mexico is a major oil producer.
Paradoxically, while Mexico exports nearly 88% of the vehicles it produces, imports account for 66% of domestic car sales. About one-third of these imports come from China, making Mexico the top importer of Chinese-made cars globally. This includes a significant percentage of General Motors cars manufactured in China.
MND Deep Dive Podcast | Mexico's Automobile Conundrum
This situation presents a “conundrum” for President Claudia Sheinbaum, particularly ahead of the USMCA trade agreement renewal in 2026 and potential U.S. tariffs on Mexican-made vehicles threatened by former President Trump. Balancing relations with China and the U.S. may require difficult decisions regarding Chinese investment or import quotas.
Amidst these challenges, Mexico is exploring electric vehicles and improved public transportation. A significant project is the domestically designed Olinia EV, intended to be accessible and affordable for Mexican families, with an expected price under 500,000 pesos (around US $25,000). The Olinia project aims to support Mexico’s clean energy transition and build domestic EV manufacturing capability, potentially being produced in states like Sonora.
This podcast was produced using AI tools. All information collected and discussed in this episode was investigated, written, and edited by human journalists. Compiled from a Mexico News Daily article by Travis Bembenek. Edited by Rose Eglhoff and Caitlin Cooper. Podcast produced by Chris Havler-Barrett.
When my family and I moved to Mexico in 2021 as digital nomads, we had the intention of staying in the country for just a year. But a year turned into two, then three, and now we’re approaching our fourth year here in Mexico.
Having been a digital nomad for the past 15 years, I’ve traveled and worked remotely in many countries, 150 to be exact. But Mexico just keeps pulling me back. The slower pace of life, family-oriented culture, decent infrastructure, comfortable lifestyle and affordability all contribute to making this place so appealing to me. And I’m not the only one who thinks so.
Digital nomads are increasingly drawn to Mexico, where they can find a more appealing way of life. (perzon seo / CC BY 2.0)
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of digital nomads arriving in Mexico has skyrocketed. The US State Department estimates that 1.6 million Americans live in Mexico, with even more temporarily based here as digital nomads. In the Expat Insider survey 2024 conducted by InterNations,Mexico was voted as the second-best country to live in the world.
With that, we debut Where to Travel in Mexico 2025, a series to uncover the best locations across Mexico to visit for various types of travelers: whether you’re a solo traveler, foodie, outdoor adventurer or road tripper. In this first edition, we zoom in on digital nomads in search of a good temporary base in Mexico. We’ve handpicked seven locations that are most suitable for digital nomads in terms of internet connections, community and amenities.
Mexico City: For the metropolitan traveler
Mexico City is the perfect place for the nomad looking for an active off-work lifestyle: there are festivals and plenty of things to do every weekend. (Michael Potts F1/Shutterstock)
The capital of Mexico has become a well-established digital nomad hub, popular with remote workers in their late 20s to early 30s who prefer bustling city life to slow-paced seaside towns.
The city is home to over 150 museums, countless parks, festivals almost every weekend, an unrivaled food scene, a vibrant nightlife, a mild year-round climate, as well as pristine nature less than an hour away. Let’s not forget how easy it is to find high-speed fiber optic internet, cozy coffee shops and networking events.
Roma and Condesa are popular neighborhoods for digital nomads; safe, walkable and super lively. Laptop-friendly cafes abound, serving solid WiFi and strong coffee. Don’t miss the bookstore-cafe Cafebrería El Péndulo and the aesthetically pleasing Madre Cafe — order the sheep molletes! Bars and restaurants in the area also frequently host group dinners and trivia nights for remote workers.
Playa del Carmen: For the holistic hoofer
Imagine your office is steps from the ocean: This is just one of the reasons Playa del Carmen is so popular with digital nomads. (posztos/Shutterstock
With a privileged location on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, largely appeals to young remote workers who enjoy an outdoorsy lifestyle and seek healthy food and fitness amenities. If you like Pilates on the beach, aerial silks in a park, SUP at sunrise and ice baths, this is the place for you. Spend your weekends taking surfing classes, island-hopping, or exploring the ancient ruins nearby – there’s a huge variety of things to do in the area.
The beach town is walkable, and cycling is another easy option to get around, thanks to the bike lanes and bike rental system. Unlike beaches in Cancún, the strands in Playa del Carmen aren’t blocked out by massive resorts and are easily accessible. Sadly, they get blanketed in sargassum seaweed, typically from April to August, but you can always cool off in the clear cerulean waters of the region’s cenotes.
Playa del Carmen was my family’s first home base in Mexico, and it felt like a dream spending after-work hours kicking back on the beach and adventuring in ecoparks. The downside to Playa del Carmen? It gets crowded with tourists during high season, and the incessant hassling from tourist touts can be overwhelming. But we found that veering off the pedestrianized Quinta Avenida often led to quieter, more authentic experiences.
San Miguel de Allende: For cultural explorers
Old World charm and a slower way of life that appreciates Mexico’s traditions are why many nomads who come to San Miguel de Allende end up staying permanently. (Plan B Viajero/Shutterstock)
Named the best city in the world by Travel + Leisure in 2024, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, is well known for its architecture, quaint cobblestone streets and flower-peppered rolling hills. Its ochre-colored buildings are often topped with atmospheric rooftop bars, where you can sit and contemplate the sunset, with traditional Mexican music playing in the background. The small town vibes, artsy flair and Old-World ambiance all combine to make this one of the loveliest settings in Mexico.
This town has a long history of playing host to retirees and older folks, but more and more remote workers are setting up temporary homes here. I currently live here with my family and have found an amazing community of people who are also seeking a slower and more intentional way of life. Because life is less structured here, people have the time to engage, connect, pursue passions and live life on their terms.
As a cultural hub, San Miguel de Allende makes a fantastic home base for travelers who want to truly immerse and learn about Mexican culture and traditions. Get lost in the Mercado de Artesanías, learn Spanish at the Instituto Allende or take a textile weaving or ceramic workshop at the Fábrica Aurora.
La Paz: For divers and snorkelers
Does your digital nomad dream involve taking your laptop to the beach? La Paz might be for you. (Emily Marie Wilson/Shutterstock)
Hugging an inlet from the Sea of Cortez, La Paz is a low-key city on the east coast of Baja California Sur. Despite being just an easy two-hour drive from Los Cabos, La Paz cannot be more different: It’s refreshingly slow-paced and uncommercialized. You won’t find massive all-inclusives, high-rises or Señor Frog’s. This is where the desert meets the sea, and a world of rugged ecotourism experiences awaits.
Remote workers who love the ocean are in for a treat here. La Paz is the gateway to the Sea of Cortez, dubbed the “Aquarium of the World” by renowned oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau for its incredible marine life and biodiversity. Within its protected waters, you can swim alongside whale sharks from October to April, visit a large sea lion colony off Espiritu Santo Island, or simply kick back at the secluded Balandra Bay, one of the most picturesque beaches in Mexico.
La Paz is perfect for digital nomads who want to live and work by the beach, but away from the crowds. Kristen Gill, an American travel writer who’s called La Paz home for seven years, tells us, “What I like most about La Paz is its chilled out atmosphere that lets you slow down and enjoy the natural beauty of the place, surrounded by mountains, desert and sea. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants nestled within its lively city center, where you can work and hang out with friends.”
Xalapa: For outdoorsy types
Besides offering a multitude of outdoor activities, Xalapa’s lush climate also means it has a vibrant agricultural tradition — and farmers’ markets with a wide array of healthy fruits and vegetables. (Utopica/Facebook)
For those seeking under-the-radar locations rarely visited by foreigners, Xalapa is easy to love. Xalapa is often unknown outside of Mexico, and yet Veracruz’s mountainous capital boasts some of the most pristine natural settings in the country, ringed by volcanic mountain ranges, coffee plantations, cloud forests and tropical savanna. Digital nomads who love nature will revel in Xalapa’s mountains, spending weekends hiking in misty highland forests and soaking in hot springs.
Because of its lush, natural setting, Xalapa has an abundance of fresh, local produce that makes for amazing flavor-packed foods. It’s the birthplace of the mighty jalapeño and one of the best places in the country to try the quintessentially Mexican chile relleno.
As a university town, Xalapa has an impressive selection of cafes and coffee shops serving up locally-grown coffee at incredibly affordable prices. Sip gourmet coffee and enjoy avocado toast amidst the lush vegetation of Flor Catorce, or work the day away at the tastefully designed Bolena Café, which resembles an upscale furniture store.
Crunch Ranjani, a copywriter currently based in Xalapa, shares why it’s a great spot for digital nomads: “Xalapa has all the amenities you could want in a big city, but with small city vibes. It has a great cultural scene with lots of music events, exhibitions and lots of hiking trails and pueblos mágicos to visit when you’re not working.”
Puerto Vallarta: For the tropical adventurer
Brightly colored homes in Puerto Vallarta’s historic downtown. (Robert Harding Video/Shutterstock)
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, is hugely popular with digital nomads, and for good reason. Unlike most beach towns, it has a historic center with cobbled streets and old-school charm. It’s backed by jungle peaks with small, laid-back beach towns in close proximity. And it’s one of the safest cities in Mexico and boasts a decent cost of living.
This coastal city wouldn’t have made the list several years ago, as the internet was spotty, but the city has since improved its infrastructure and fiber optic internet has become common. These days, there’s no shortage of coffee shops and coworking spaces here; Joint, The Green Place, Miscelánea and Natureza Cowork are popular ones.
Puerto Vallarta is known for its LGBTQ-friendly attitudes and large international community, so expect to meet lots of like-minded travelers here. You can also easily find fitness classes all over the city, from aerial silks to kickboxing. Although it’s one of the pricier parts of Mexico, Puerto Vallarta still offers relatively low prices for foreigners: You can rent a one-bedroom apartment for around US $600 that often includes high-speed internet, a gym and a rooftop pool.
San Cristóbal de las Casas: For offbeat travelers
The city of San Cristóbal de las Casas was founded by the Spanish in 1528, but over a span of nearly 500 years, the Indigneous people of this area have held on tightly to their traditions. (Government of Mexico)
Sprawling across southern Mexico close to the Guatemala border, the state of Chiapas is covered in lush tropical jungle, spectacular waterfalls and spearmint lakes. Sadly, Chiapas is often overlooked by travelers due to the presence of the Zapatistas, a militant group known for uprisings against the government in the 1990s. Today, this region is relatively safe to visit, in particular the Magical Town of San Cristóbal de las Casas, which makes for an excellent launchpad for outdoor adventures.
Perched at 7,200 feet above sea level, San Cristóbal is a burst of colors and Indigenous culture. Its cobblestoned streets are lined with terracotta-roofed colonial houses, backdropped by misty mountains and hilltop churches. Indigenous Tzoztil ladies stroll along the sidewalks in their embroidered huipils, selling beautiful artisanal textiles. The markets in San Cristóbal are said to have the best quality textiles and handicrafts, at the best prices in Mexico.
Digital nomads looking for milder climates will enjoy the cool year-round weather here; though it can get chilly in winter. Thanks to its location close to the southern border, San Cristóbal is a great temporary base for travelers who plan to travel Guatemala overland. There’s an incredible amount of places to explore around San Cris: from the Tzoztil village of San Juan Chamula to the tumbling cascades and turquoise pools of the El Chiflón falls, the impressive Cañón del Sumidero and the multi-colored lakes and pine forests at Lagos de Montebello.
What’s right for each type of traveler?
We’ve put together a table summarizing which destination would suit travelers based on their experience in Mexico.
Beginner travelers are those with limited international experience; maybe this is their first trip to Mexico. Ideal for first-timers who prefer margaritas with training wheels. These travelers stick to well-trodden paths, mastering “¿Dónde está el baño?” while clutching a phrasebook. They thrive in destinations where guacamole arrives with optional spice and the hotel staff speak Google Translate.
Intermediate travelers are those with some international experience who can handle moderate language barriers and cultural differences. Ready to trade resorts for real-deal experiences, these travelers navigate cobblestone streets without face-planting. They’ve graduated to ordering “tres tacos al pastor” without pointing and can haggle for a sombrero in Oaxaca’s markets… but still overpay by 20%.
Advanced travelers are those with extensive experience navigating complex destinations independently. These wanderers treat Mexico like a choose-your-own-adventure novel written in Spanglish. They’ve adopted a street dog named Churro, debate the merits of different artisanal mezcals and know which mercado stall has the best tamales oaxaqueños.
Nellie Huang is a professional travel writer and author based in San Miguel de Allende with her family. She has contributed to BBC Travel, CNN, International Business Times and National Geographic and co-authored Lonely Planet’s 2025 Mexico guide. Read about her adventures worldwide on wildjunket.com and follow her updates on Instagram @wildjunket.
