Monday, April 28, 2025

What’s on in February in Los Cabos

By
Chris Sands
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0
La Paz Carnival
It's a busy month in glorious Baja California Sur. (Turismo de La Paz)

High tourist season remains in full swing this February, featuring everything from weekly and annual cultural to-dos to seasonal outdoor adventures like whale watching, surfing, and windsurfing. Of particular note is Sabor a Cabo, a yearly food and wine festival that brings together top regional chefs and showcases live entertainment. 

Todos Santos Writers Workshop 

Todos Santos Writers Workshop
(Todos Santos Writers Workshop)

Best known for its painters, Todos Santos has also proved a congenial community for writers. Participants enjoy craft workshops and faculty readings — not to mention food, drinks, and fiestas — from an experienced faculty whose published work encompasses fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry, and other literary genres. 

Dates: February 1 – 8
Location: Posada del Molino
Cost: $2200

San José del Cabo Art Walk

2024 Alebrije Parade in Mexico City
(Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)

The historic Art District in San José del Cabo takes center stage each Thursday

evening from 5 pm to 9 pm during high tourist season — November through June — when residents and visitors alike are invited to stroll its cobblestone streets and peruse the many eclectic fine arts galleries. Nearby bars and restaurants (of which there are many of superb quality) also benefit, since the event finishes around dinner time. 

Dates: February 6, 13, 20, 27
Location: Gallery District in San José del Cabo
Cost: Free

Half-Marathon in San José del Cabo

Los Cabos Half Marathon
(Los Cabos Half Marathon/Facebook)

Los Cabos isn’t all food fests and bacchanals. This 21k — better known in the U.S. as a half-marathon — allows participants to enjoy a healthy competitive run (trophies are given to the top three finishers in various categories) while enjoying some picturesque scenery (the event starts and finishes in the heart of San José del Cabo). If 21k is too much of a test for your stamina, 5k and 10k sign-up options are also available.

Dates: February 9
Location: Starts and finishes at Plaza Mijares in San José del Cabo
Cost: 1050 pesos for the 21k

Carnaval in La Paz

La Paz Carnival
(Turismo de La Paz)

Two cities on the Baja California peninsula boast notable Carnaval celebrations:  Ensenada and La Paz. The six-day pre-Lenten farewell in La Paz is centered on the capital city’s malecón. It offers voluminous food and drink, plenty of live music from high-profile performers, and the coronation of a festival king and queen. This year’s theme is “El Mundo Baila.”

Dates: February 13 – 18
Location: La Paz
Cost: Free

Valentine’s Day Dinner at Sunset Monalisa

Valentines Day meal at Sunset Monalisa
(Sunset Monalisa)

No restaurant in Los Cabos can top Sunset Monalisa for romantic dining and spectacular sunset views of Land’s End. Considered one of the world’s most iconic seaside eateries, it pulls out all the stops for its annual Valentine’s Day menu. However, space is limited and the prices aren’t cheap.

Dates: February 14
Location: Carretera Transpeninsular 5.5
Cost: 4,750 pesos

Baja Shakespeare 

Baja Shakespeare Company
(Baja Shakespeare)

For 25 years, Baja Sur’s beautiful East Cape has welcomed visitors for fun-filled theater twists on cultural classics…often but not always Shakespeare. This year’s selection, Madre Mia, is as the name suggests, a Mexican-style take-off on everyone’s favorite musical filled with ABBA songs: Mamma Mia!

Dates: February 21 – 23, February 26 – March 1
Location: Hotel Palmas de Cortez Conference Center, Los Barriles
Cost: 500 pesos

Sabor a Cabo

Sabor a Cabo festival
(Donde Ir)

The biggest food and wine festival in Los Cabos returns for its 16th edition to Club Campestre, the Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course in San José del Cabo that has hosted several previous events. As usual, top regional restaurants and Mexican wine producers will provide the food and drinks. Live entertainment is also featured.

Dates: February 22
Location: Club Campestre, San Jose del Cabo
Cost: 5,700 pesos

Whale Watching Season

A humpback whale jumping in Baja California Sur
(Brigitte Werner/Pixabay)

Annually in winter more than 5,000 blue, gray, humpback, and other whales migrate from their arctic feeding grounds to breed in the shallow water coves and inlets of beautiful Baja California Sur. In this regard, these leviathans of the deep are very much like the snowbirds who flock to cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo to escape frigid winter temperatures in the U.S. and Canada. They’re just much, much larger.

Dates: December 15 – April 15
Location: Sea of Cortés and Pacific Ocean
Cost: Free, with tours available at various price points

Surf Season on the Pacific Coast

After the passage of the storm Lidia through Jalisco and Nayarit, only one person was reported dead and material damage to houses and roads. In Puerto Vallarta there were only fallen trees and superficial damage to buildings. In the morning people began to remove the debris, there were no injuries. Tourist activity resumed early in the morning.
(Agencia Perspectiva/Cuartoscuro)

Summer may be the best time to find great waves off Los Cabos’ Sea of Cortés-facing beaches. But beginning in November the surf scene is centered around Pacific Coast beaches like Cerritos, La Pastora, and San Pedrito. Surfing is indeed good year-round in this part of Los Cabos (La Paz municipality, to be exact). However, conditions are at their peak from November to March, thanks to seasonally bigger and more consistent swells. 

Dates: November – March
Location: Pacific Coast surf beaches like Cerritos, San Pedrito, and La Pastora near Todos Santos
Cost: Varies according to the company for lessons and rentals

Windsports Season on the East Cape

Windsurfing
(Ludomil Sawicki/Unsplash)

While the Pacific Coast is Los Cabos’ wintertime surf mecca, windsports enthusiasts flock to the East Cape. Why? From November to March each year, strong El Norte winds blow hundreds of miles down the Sea of Cortés, creating optimal wind and kite surfing conditions in small East Cape communities like Los Barriles and La Ventana. The wonderfully named Lord of the Wind Competition may be a thing of the past. Still, the East Cape is the place to be if you love kiteboarding, kitesurfing, windsurfing, or similar pursuits. 

Dates: November – March
Location: East Cape of Los Cabos
Cost: Varies for lessons, camps, and rentals

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.

6 victims in Philadelphia plane crash were Mexican

By
MND Staff
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0
Josué Juárez, victim of air ambulance crash in Philadelphia
The crash took the lives of the air ambulance's pilot, Josué Juárez, two passengers and three crew members. (X)

Six Mexican citizens were killed Friday when the air ambulance in which they were traveling crashed onto a busy street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mexican authorities said.

One person in a car was also killed while more than 20 others on the ground were injured when the Tijuana-bound medevac plane crashed in the Castor Gardens neighborhood shortly after departing from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport.

The medevac plane, bound for Tijuana, crashed in the Castor Gardens neighborhood shortly after departing from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport on Friday evening.
The medevac plane, bound for Tijuana, crashed in the Castor Gardens neighborhood shortly after departing from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport on Friday evening. (City of Philadelphia)

The plane exploded in a “massive fireball” when it hit the ground, Reuters reported.

The Mexican victims included a girl who had received medical care at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Philadelphia and her mother. The Ensenada municipal government identified them as Valentina Guzmán Murillo and her mother, Lizeth Murillo Osuna.

The girl recently completed treatment at the Shriners Hospital “for a condition not easily treated in Mexico,” the Associated Press reported.

The four other Mexicans killed in the crash were the pilot of the Learjet 55 and the air ambulance crew members.

The cause of the accident has not been established.

The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Sunday that investigators had recovered the cockpit voice recorder of the Learjet 55 and the plane’s two engines.

“NTSB investigators have obtained surveillance videos of the crash and numerous witness statements. … A preliminary report is expected within 30 days from the date of the accident. …  A probable cause of the crash and any contributing factors will come in the final report, which is expected in 12 to 24 months,” the safety board said.

President Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged the death of the six Mexicans in a social media post on Saturday morning.

“I regret the death of the six Mexicans in the air accident in Philadelphia, United States. Consular authorities are in permanent contact with the families,” she wrote.

“I’ve asked the Foreign Affairs Ministry to provide support in all that is required. My solidarity with the loved ones and friends [of the deceased],” Sheinbaum said.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said Sunday that five of the people injured on the ground remained in the hospital and three were in critical condition. She said that a total of 22 people were injured, while at least 11 homes and some businesses sustained significant damage in the fiery crash.

With reports from AFP, Reuters and AP 

Sheinbaum reaches deal with Trump to postpone 25% tariffs on Mexican exports

By
MND Staff
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39
Sheinbaum Feb. 3, 2025
Sheinbaum said on social media that she had a "good conversation" with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday morning and that "we reached a series of agreements" including one to postpone the 25% tariff. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)

The United States’ proposed 25% tariff on Mexican exports will be postponed for one month “as of now” thanks to a deal between the Mexican and U.S. governments, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday.

Sheinbaum said on social media that she had a “good conversation” with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday morning and that “we reached a series of agreements” including one to postpone the 25% tariff, which was due to take effect on Tuesday.

She said that Mexico would “immediately” deploy 10,000 National Guard troops to the northern border “to avoid the trafficking of drugs from Mexico to the United States, in particular fentanyl.”

Sheinbaum also said that the United States had committed to “work to avoid the trafficking of high-powered weapons to Mexico” as part of the tariff deal.

“Our teams will begin to work today on two issues: security and trade. The tariffs are placed on pause for one month as of now,” she wrote.

For his part, Trump said on Truth Social that he had “a very friendly conversation” with Sheinbaum and that she “agreed to immediately supply 10,000 Mexican Soldiers on the Border separating Mexico and the United States.”

“These soldiers will be specifically designated to stop the flow of fentanyl, and illegal migrants into our Country,” he wrote.

“We further agreed to immediately pause the anticipated tariffs for a one month period during which we will have negotiations headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and high-level Representatives of Mexico. I look forward to participating in those negotiations, with President Sheinbaum, as we attempt to achieve a ‘deal’ between our two Countries,” Trump said.

AMLO: social problems not solved with coercive measures. Trump: tariffs will force companies to leave Mexico.
Trump previously threatened to impose a 5% tariff on Mexican exports in 2019, but former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador reached a deal to avert the tariff by sending more military to Mexico’s borders.

The agreement the Mexican and U.S. agreements reached on Monday is reminiscent of one negotiated during the first Trump administration when Andrés Manuel López Obrador was president of Mexico. In 2019, Trump threatened to impose a 5% tariff on all goods from Mexico to pressure the country to do more to stop immigration into the United States.

However, Mexico and the U.S. reached a deal in June 2019 that averted the proposed tariff. As a result of the agreement, Mexico beefed up security at both its southern and northern borders.

Trump said on Sunday night that he would speak to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and “Mexico” on Monday morning, but added that he didn’t expect “anything dramatic” to come of the talks.

“We put tariffs on. They owe us a lot of money and I’m sure they’re going to pay,” said the United States president, who has railed against the trade deficits the U.S. has with its USMCA trade partners.

The U.S. and Canada reached a deal on Monday afternoon that paused Trump’s planned 25% tariff on Canadian exports for 30 days.

White House accuses Mexican government of providing ‘safe havens’ for cartels 

In a “fact sheet” issued on Saturday, the White House said that Trump was responding to the “extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs” by implementing tariffs on exports from Mexico, Canada and China.

The threat, the White House said, “constitutes a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.”

“Until the crisis is alleviated, President Donald J. Trump is implementing a 25% additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% additional tariff on imports from China. Energy resources from Canada will have a lower 10% tariff,” the fact sheet said.

“President Trump is taking bold action to hold Mexico, Canada, and China accountable to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country.”

The White House also said that “the Mexican drug trafficking organizations have an intolerable alliance with the government of Mexico.”

“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,” the White House said.

“This alliance endangers the national security of the United States, and we must eradicate the influence of these dangerous cartels,” the fact sheet said.

Given that Trump has laid the groundwork to designate Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, the assertion that the Mexican government “has afforded safe havens” for cartels is virtually akin to accusing Mexico of harboring terrorists.

Unsurprisingly, Sheinbaum rejected the White House’s claim.

“We categorically reject the libel the White House makes against the government of Mexico,” she said in a social media post on Saturday.

Sheinbaum also said that the Mexican government is opposed to “any attempt at interference in our territory” — i.e. U.S. military action against Mexican cartels on Mexican soil.

In a lengthy social media statement, the president effectively accused U.S. gun stores of having an alliance with Mexican criminal groups because “they sell high-powered weapons” to them “as the United States Department of Justice showed in January of this year.”

Sheinbaum also highlighted the Mexican government’s efforts to combat drug trafficking.

“In four months our government has seized more than 40 tonnes of drugs, including 20 million doses of fentanyl,” she said.

“More than 10,000 people linked to these [criminal] groups have been detained,” Sheinbaum added.

She stressed that “Mexico doesn’t want confrontation” with the United States, and asserted that problems aren’t solved “with the imposition of tariffs” but rather through dialogue.

Sheinbaum said on Saturday that her administration would respond to the United States’ tariffs on Mexican exports with its “plan B,” which she explained “includes tariff and non-tariff measures in defense of the interests of Mexico.”

For now, those retaliatory measures will not be necessary given that Mexico and the United States — each other’s largest trade partners — have agreed to keep their hundreds of billions of dollars of annual trade tariff-free, at least for the next month.

Mexico News Daily 

I speak Spanish better than you do: The dark side of expat relationships

By
Louisa Rogers
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15
A facebook news feed on a laptop and mobile phone
Is social media creating tension between expats in Mexico? Perhaps we should take a moment to reflect on our situation and react appropriately, explains Louisa Rogers. (Austin Distel)

The combative nature of expat relationships in Mexico was recently on full display in one of Guanajuato’s Facebook chat groups. The initial question was innocent: a person asked why it can be so difficult to get change in Mexican shops (he should have tried 20 years ago!) Some responses were helpful and informative, but a few were very harsh, saying in effect, “If getting change is so important to you, go back to where you came from.” 

I asked the administrator of this group, John Fiori, about this kind of hostility, and he told me he noticed a repeated set of themes that people become contentious about, which he doesn’t hear in face-to-face conversation. These include: 

Guanajuato might look like paradise (and maybe it is) but relationships between residents can sometimes be fractious. (Feather and the Wind)
  • Don’t tip too much, because it messes with the local economy. 
  • Similarly, don’t pay too much for your house.
  • Don’t take a job from a Mexican.
  • You should make Mexican friends, like I do, rather than hang around fellow gringos.  
  • San Miguel (or pick the town) is filled with gringos, which is why Guanajuato is better.
  • You need to speak Spanish.
  • We are foreigners, not expats.
  • We moved here, but now you can’t, because Guanajuato is full.
  • You’re not prepared enough to move to Mexico.
  • Don’t try to change Mexico. Just go home.

I cringed when I read these, because I have been guilty of some of them. In 2018, when my husband Barry and I became aware how many new people were moving to Guanajuato, I felt threatened, as though I had some territorial right to the city that superseded theirs. But I got my comeuppance when I ran into a resident who had lived in Guanajuato much longer than we had. I mentioned to her that I felt overwhelmed by the influx of newcomers. “That’s how I felt when people like you started coming,” she said. Touché!

I notice my desire to sometimes one-up other foreigners. “Barry and I have lived here 20 years,” I boast, as though this confers some moral superiority. And I feel envious of my peers who have more Mexican friends than I have. As these examples show, foreigners unite around language and culture, but, based on my experience and others I’ve talked with, competition, hostility, and anxiety can also be part of the mix. 

Social media and FOMO

Social media apps on a smartphone
Social media can help us stay connected with one another, but it can also make us feel left out sometimes. (Brett Jordan/Unsplash)

Barry and I usually arrive in Guanajuato in late November, not long before Mexico’s extended holiday season — from Día de la Virgen to Noche Buena to Día de los Tres Reyes. The season is challenging, because gringo parties abound, and we often aren’t invited. Since we don’t live here full time, people don’t necessarily think of us. Or who knows, maybe we’re not invited for some embarrassingly personal reason! 

Ironically, I’m not much of a fiestera, a party animal, and I usually feel very cozy spending winter evenings in our sala at night, reading and watching movies. But I still feel hurt if we’re left out, especially when I scroll through photos of private parties that people post on Facebook. “Do you have to showcase a gathering where not everyone is invited?” asks my inner 12-year-old.

Then my adult self tries to reframe it. They’re simply sharing their pleasure, not intending to be hurtful. Be happy for them, I tell myself. But no matter how hard I try, I still feel like I’m back in the eighth grade, wanting to be part of the popular crowd. This year my solution was to log out of Facebook for awhile, and that helped. 

I don’t believe people go out of their way to exclude others. After all, Barry and I host an annual Boxing Day party, and this year, because too many guests makes me anxious, we kept the invitation list small. Probably others feel the same constraints. 

A man with a megaphone is mobbed by a crowd. Looks like a contentious expat relationship.
Do we need to constantly broadcast our feelings about others? Probably not. (Sushil Nash/Unsplash)

Fiori thinks group activities are “easier to see in Guanajuato because there are relatively few of us, so what everyone else is doing is more visible.” I agree, especially because Guanajuato’s expat community is a village within what is already a small city. If we were talking about gringo parties in big cities like Mexico City, Guadalajara, or Querétaro, there would be much less of a sense of “insider” and “outsider.”  

Criticism of other expats

For the entire time we’ve been here, I’ve heard gringos in Guanajuato making sweeping generalizations about those in San Miguel, even people they didn’t know. “They all live in gated communities.” “They’re not embedded in the culture.” “None of them speak Spanish” (though many Guanajuato gringos don’t speak Spanish, either.) 

One year, while in San Miguel as a presenter at the Writers Conference, I mentioned this to a local expat. “That’s what we say about the folks in Lake Chapala,” she said, laughing. “None of them speak Spanish!”  

Early on, I asked one of my first teachers how she viewed the foreigners in Guanajuato, versus those in San Miguel. She shrugged. “You’re all gringos, wherever you live,” she said. That put it in perspective! These nuances that seem so important to us were negligible in her eyes.

Like other gringos in Guanajuato, I make an effort to accept the cultural values I find in Mexico, which sometimes differ from my own. But recently I’ve decided to spend just as much effort accepting and appreciating the divergent values I find in my own tribe.

Louisa Rogers and her husband Barry Evans divide their lives between Guanajuato and Eureka, on California’s North Coast. Louisa writes articles and essays about expat life, Mexico, travel, physical and psychological health, retirement and spirituality. Her recent articles can be found on her website, authory.com/LouisaRogers.

6 epic ways to celebrate your birthday in Mexico City

By
Monica Belot
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0
birthday Mexico City
Happy birthday to you. Now, how are you going to spend it? (Chilango)

Your yearly existential crisis may be approaching, but this year, make your birthday a fun and unforgettable one a la Mexico City! While another trip around the sun might not guarantee wisdom, we can at least promise you a good time with our guide to celebrating your birthday in the beautiful capital city that knows how to have a proper celebration. From quinceañera-inspired glamour to trajinera debauchery, we’ve compiled a plan for a variety of dream birthday scenarios.

Before choosing your perfect Mexico City birthday adventure, here are some essential party-planning resources to get the festivities started right: For basic celebration supplies like balloons, candles and gift bags, head to major grocery chains like Soriana or La Comer. Want to keep things authentically Mexican? Find a festive piñata at a dedicated store along Circuito Interior in Cuauhtémoc or San Rafael, where you’ll find everything from traditional star shapes to Pixar characters to custom designs. No birthday is complete without cake: pick up a gorgeous creation from Clo Patisserie or embrace tradition with a classic Mexican pastry from Pasteleria Ideal, where the multilayered cakes are local legends. With these basics covered and your party supplies secured, you’re ready to explore our birthday adventure options and create unforgettable memories in CDMX. Now, choose your celebration style…

Potluck picnic in Chapultepec Park

Chapultepec Park.
Chapultepec Park offers serenity and calm in the middle of the capital, so why not make the most of it? (Sed/Unsplash)

Best for those who like a little nature and calm — or need to include kids and dogs — settle on a slice of Chapultepec Park for your birthday festivities. This sprawling green space, twice the size of Central Park, is the ultimate sunny spot to kick off your next year with fresh air and optimism. There are multiple nooks for a gathering, including next to the park’s lake for peak people-watching. Pro tip: Pack a charcuterie spread from one of La Europea’s many shops around the city or let Marne Panaderia in nearby San Miguel Chapultepec neighborhood handle the pastries. And yes, those paddle boats are totally acceptable birthday entertainment, even if you’re pushing 50.

From axes to karaoke

Karaoke birthday Mexico City
Celebrate your inner diva, it’s your birthday after all. (Brandi Alexandra/Unsplash)

For those who like to get their birthday angst out by engaging in play and song, Mexico City offers a bounty of activities. And nothing says “Happy Birthday” quite like throwing sharp objects around. For these delightfully cathartic activities, Club del Patio Roma offers everything from axe throwing to baseball cages to table games, all in a carnival-esque setting complete with colorful cocktails, chicken wings, burgers and other exotic delicacies. Inclined to burst out in song? Bar Oriente in Roma offers private karaoke rooms nestled within a bouncing nightclub. Want a little bit of both? Royal Bol in Santa Fe brings you the best of both worlds with private Korean-style karaoke rooms and a bowling alley. Because in CDMX, who says you can’t have it all?

The quinceañera experience

Quinceañera
Be the belle of the ball with a quinceañera package. (Melanie Rosillo Galvez/Unsplash)

So what if you’re hitting middle age? Channel your inner quinceañera with a full-blown celebration that would make any Mexican teenager proud. The formula: rent a stretch limo, break out your most outrageous formal wear and cruise the city like it’s 1999. On any given weekend, you’ll spot these celebratory convoys, from stretch Hummers to party buses, bumping and grinding through Reforma with neon lights and music on full blast, packed with teenage revelers living their best lives. Watch as they spill out onto the streets for impromptu photo sessions, striking poses against the Angel of Independence or the glittering towers on Reforma. Throw on some reggaeton beats and sip on cocktails in souvenir glasses. Whether you’re 15 or 55, there’s something liberating about embracing the over-the-top pageantry. Don’t forget the essentials: a mandatory sparkling tiara and main character energy for your own coming-of-age story — even if you came of age so decades ago. 

Fiesta in Xochimilco

There ain’t no party like a Xochimilco party. (Victoria Valtierra/Cuartoscuro)

Booze and boating don’t often mix well — unless it’s in the Xochimilco canals. For the ultimate celebration, Xochimilco offers an experience that’s something like a mix of bumper boats, mariachi, floating snacks and limitless margaritas. Revelers board the iconic colorful trajineras — traditional flat-bottomed boats — that transform into floating party platforms. Trajinera rentals typically come with an arsenal of micheladas, mixed cocktails and beers, then drift through the ancient canal system while mariachi bands weave between boats, serenading your group with melodies. The festive atmosphere is infectious, with neighboring boats joining in spontaneous celebrations. Pro tip: Negotiate with the mariachi bands directly for personalized performances. 

Chill and classy

 

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For those seeking a touch of sophistication, start your evening with carefully mixed cocktails at Casa Prunes, a stunning Art Nouveau mansion in Roma built in 1916. The historic setting, complete with original stained glass and ornate woodwork, provides the perfect backdrop for toasting to a fabulous year ahead. While Casa Prunes offers dinner service, we suggest you venture out to either Carmela y Sal, where Chef Gabriela Cámara’s crafts her unique take on contemporary Mexican cuisine, or Nostos, where the deliciousness of Mediterranean food and warmth of Greek hospitality meets an intimate setting that feels both upscale yet approachable. Both venues strike that perfect birthday sweet spot: elevated enough to feel celebratory, but relaxed enough that you can still carry a conversation with friends.

Dance ’till you drop 

 For those seeking a full-on party night, begin your birthday celebrations at Ling Ling on the top floor of the Ritz Carlton on Reforma, where dim sum and 360 degree city views create the perfect start. The people-watching is as engaging as the vistas, set against a backdrop of gorgeous decor— cloud ceilings, anyone? After dinner, head to Café Paraíso, where tropical vibes and eclectic music will have you dancing until the wee hours. Cap off your birthday adventure at House of Boogie, an underground venue that boasts infectious house beats and a diverse crowd. Here, the intimate dance floor stays packed until the early hours, making it an ideal spot to dance your way into another year of life.

Birthday plans for all

Whether you choose an intimate cocktail evening, a raucous party night or a family-friendly outing, Mexico City offers birthday celebrations for every interest. What are some of your favorite ways to celebrate in CDMX? Let us know in the comments below. 

Monica Belot is a writer, researcher, strategist and adjunct professor at Parsons School of Design in New York City, where she teaches in the Strategic Design & Management Program. Splitting her time between NYC and Mexico City, where she resides with her naughty silver Labrador puppy Atlas, Monica writes about topics spanning everything from the human experience to travel and design research. Follow her varied scribbles on Medium at medium.com/@monicabelot.

 

 

A guide to Yelapa, Jalisco: Mexico’s hidden boho beach escape

By
Meagan Drillinger
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14
A guide to Yelapa, Jalisco
Yelapa, Jalisco offers a quiet, authentic beach escape within driving distance of bustling Puerto Vallarta. (Vallarta Lifestyles)

There are plenty of places to slow down in Puerto Vallarta, but the small seaside village of Yelapa is its own thing entirely. Perched on the southern coast of the Bay of Banderas, Yelapa is a place where time slows, cell service disappears, and you’re literally stuck between the beach and a jungle hike. This car-free fishing village remains one of Mexico’s last great escapes — a rustic, sun-drenched spot where flip-flops are optional and the town’s only ‘roads’ are winding footpaths.

Yelapa isn’t for everyone — there’s no ATM, no cars, and WiFi that works when it feels like it. But for those craving a place where life slows to the rhythm of the tides, where the biggest decisions revolve around tacos and tequila, and where adventure and relaxation meld together, Yelapa is paradise.

Getting to Yelapa

Yelapa Beach is bathed by emerald waters with gentle waves, suitable for swimming and water activities such as snorkeling, diving, kayaking, paragliding, parasailing and even sport fishing.
Yelapa Beach is bathed by emerald waters with gentle waves, suitable for swimming, snorkeling and fishing. (Visit Puerto Vallarta)

Yelapa isn’t a place you stumble upon — you have to seek it out. There are no roads in or out, so the only way to arrive is by boat. Your adventure begins at the Los Muertos Pier in Puerto Vallarta, where water taxis leave multiple times a day, or from Boca de Tomatlán, a small village 30 minutes south of PV, where smaller boats make the trip more frequently. Either way, expect a bumpy but beautiful 45-minute ride across the turquoise Bay of Banderas, with pelicans gliding overhead and the occasional dolphin sighting.

Pro tip: Pack light. Water taxis require a nimble exit, often right onto the beach, so you’ll want luggage you can handle without looking like a floundering tourist.

Where to stay in Yelapa

Casa Bahia Bonita, Yelapa
Casa Bahia Bonita offers stunning views of Yelapa’s bay. (TripAdvisor)

Yelp’s accommodations range from lovely Airbnbs to boutique hotels and jungle retreats, each with its own off-the-grid magic.

  • Casa Papaya — A dreamy oceanview casita with an outdoor kitchen and living space. The rooms are basic, but the views are unbeatable.
  • Casa Pericos — Indonesia meets Mexico at this palapa-topped beachfront hotel. Three lofts are available to rent, including a two-story 2,500-square-foot Penthouse with a private soaking pool.
  • Casa Bahia Bonita: This hillside retreat has spacious rooms, stunning ocean views, and easy access to both the beach and town. I recommend the cabins, which have gorgeous views of the bay.
  • Verana — The splurge-worthy option. A secluded, design-forward jungle retreat with private plunge pools and an infinity-edge spa.
  • Santuario Yelapa: Another splurge, but yogis won’t mind the expense. This peaceful haven offers yoga, meditation, and holistic healing experiences. Plus, the geometric pod rooms are beautifully designed.

Things to do: Adventure and beach bliss

This picturesque fishing village, nestled in a small bay about 20 minutes by road south of Puerto Vallarta, is the departure point for pangas and water taxis to other paradisiacal beaches such as Las Ánimas, Playa Caballo, Quimixto and Yelapa.
Nestled in a small bay about 20 minutes by road south of Puerto Vallarta, Boca de Tomotlán is the departure point for pangas and water taxis to other paradisiacal beaches such as Las Ánimas, Playa Caballo, Quimixto and Yelapa. (Visit Puerto Vallarta)

Yelapa may be small, but it’s packed with just enough to keep things interesting. Yelapa’s pedestrian pathways twist through a maze of colorful homes, local shops, and jungle backdrops. There’s no rush here — get lost, pet a few lazy street dogs, and soak in the laid-back energy.

Meanwhile, the cultural Museo Yelapa is a tiny but fascinating spot detailing Yelapa’s history, indigenous roots, and evolution from a fishing village to a bohemian hideaway.

For those who want to work the leg muscles, there are two waterfall hikes to choose from. The first is just a short walk from town and is great for a quick dip. The second, a more challenging trek into the jungle, rewards hikers with a secluded, cascading paradise.

Undeniably the star of the show in Yelapa is its golden stretch of sand. The main beach is the heart of the action, lined with palapa-shaded restaurants and friendly vendors selling everything from ceviche to silver. Rent a kayak, sip a michelada, or simply stretch out in the sun.

Where to eat & drink in Yelapa

Sirena Morena, Yelapa, Jalisco
Refuel at one of Yelapa’s great lunch spots, like Sirena Morena. (Sirena Morena/Instagram)

Food in Yelapa is unfussy, and you may notice a lot of restaurants lacking reviews, or that many reviews for restaurants in Yelapa are somewhat disappointing. But trust me — if you know where to go, you’ll find a great meal (or several) in Yelapa.

For breakfast, take yourself to Cafe Bahia for its strong coffee, homemade granola, and crunchy chilaquiles. Grab a seat on the patio and watch the boats come in.

If you’re looking for killer tacos, Tacos Los Abuelos is exceptional. Their handmade blue corn tortillas are piled high with a choice of shrimp, fish, steak, al pastor — you name it. And don’t sleep on their overstuffed burritos.

I never miss an opportunity to visit Pollo Bollo, a hole-in-the-wall serving perfectly grilled chicken, fish, and loads of fixings.

Then there is El Manguito, perched above the river serving up fresh seafood and ice-cold beer. Or Chico’s, a beachfront classic for shrimp tacos, icy micheladas, and prime sunset views.

Speaking of Micheladas, you’re going to want to snag one from Micheladas Vicky, the best stand in town. If you need a snack with your drink, get the michelada topped with plump, fresh shrimp. And don’t miss the Yelapa Pie Lady. No trip to Yelapa is complete without a slice of legendary homemade pie, created by the Pie Lady herself, Chelly Rodriguez. Try the chocolate, banana, or coconut slices. But really, you can’t go wrong with any of them.

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

State by Plate: A trio of culinary pleasures in Guanajuato

By
Chris Sands
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3
The state of Guanajuato is home to three national delicacies - the Torta Guacamaya, Strawberries and Cajeta. (Canva)

Appropriately, each of Guanajuato’s three largest cities is indelibly associated with a particular specialty food item. León, the state’s largest city by population,  with more than 1.7 million people, is famed as the inventor of one of the country’s most colorful and flavorful tortas. Irapuato, its second largest city with nearly 600,000 residents, is the “strawberry capital of the world,” with the jams and desserts to prove it. Celaya, the third largest city, invented cajeta, one of Mexico’s most distinctive and beloved sweets.

León and its tortas guacamayas

Torta Guacamaya, Guanajuato food
The torta guacamaya is an iconic culinary favorite created in Guanajuato. (Estado de Guanajuato)

Mexican tortas date back to the 1890s when they were first invented in Mexico City. However, the emblematic Guanajuato version wasn’t created in León until the early 1950s at the corner of Centenario and Rio Bravo streets on the border of two neighborhoods: San Juan de Dios and San Miguel. That’s where a chicharrón vendor named Don Deme was plying his trade in 1952 when two drunk customers showed up, precipitating a series of alleged events that birthed a legend.

Somehow all the ingredients of the new sandwich were assembled — bolillo bread, chicharrón, spicy árbol chili salsa, pico de gallo, perhaps avocado and a squeeze of lime — and one of the tequila-fueled customers became so colorful in his addled ranting that his friend told him he looked like a guacamaya: Spanish for macaw. The name stuck and the sandwiches have been thusly called ever since. 

Did it really happen that way? Your guess is as good as mine. But Guanajuato is one of only five states legally permitted to make tequila, so drinking it with your torta, especially if it were a state-made variety like Corralejo from Pénjamo, could be construed as an act of regional loyalty — even if you were to end up resembling a parrot by lunchtime. 

But regardless of its true origins, there’s no doubt that the guacamaya is a delicious sandwich, that many other renowned vendors soon took up its cause, from Don Diego to Don Chuy, and that it retains an exalted status in the city’s culinary firmament. 

Irapuato, the strawberry capital of the world

Strawberry pie
Irapuato’s strawberries are some of the best in the world. (aheadofthyme.com)

Of course, Guanajuatenses are experts at more than just the skillful blending of ingredients. They’re good at growing them, too. Guanajuato is a strong vegetable grower, producing far more broccoli, for instance, than any other state in Mexico and generating significant revenues via green chilies.

Fruits are likewise plentiful. Guanajuato is a top harvester of raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries, turning out about 20% of the country’s annual total of the latter. The center of this abundance of strawberries is Irapuato, better known as the “strawberry capital of the world,” a moniker that became associated with the city at the height of its productivity in the 1960s.

However, Irapuato’s history with strawberries began much earlier. Local politician Don Nicolás Tejada jumpstarted the local industry in 1852 when he brought 24 strawberry plants to the area from France. These were established in the Moussier area on the bank of the Guanajuato River, northeast of the city, and became the seeds of what would eventually become Irapuato’s claim to agricultural fame.

Irapuato strawberries
Strawberries are everywhere at Cristalita, a souvenir shop in Irapuato, the “strawberry capital of the world.” (Cristalita)

But two other 19th-century pioneers were also crucial advocates: German horticulturist Oscar Droege, who brought Old World growing techniques to the area, and Joaquín Chico González, who began shipping Irapuato’s bounty to Mexico City via railway in the 1880s, ensuring its commercial success. With their help, strawberry production in Irapuato flourished. By the 1940s, it had become the most productive growing area nationwide. 

Irapuato was eventually surpassed in strawberry-growing volume, but the city remains a major producer and a focal point for those who love the luscious red fruit. Its annual celebration, the Festival de la Fresa, is traditionally held in October or November and attracts a huge turnout: the 2022 edition drew an estimated 34,000 attendees. Local tourism authorities have also established a Strawberry Route so that visitors to the area can visit the strawberry fields and even pick their own. 

La Cristalita in Irapuato has been the mandatory souvenir stop since 1965. The shop stocks strawberries in every conceivable form, from fresh and frozen to marmalades, syrups, juices, candies and gift baskets with a little of everything.

Celaya and its sweet cajeta

Cajeta Celaya style, Guanajuato food
Cajeta, prepared traditionally Celaya style. (La Tradicional de Salgado)

During the colonial period, before Guanajuato became known as the birthplace of Mexican independence, it was a haven for goats. These omnivorous livestock were prized for their milk, an ingredient in myriad regional sweets dating to the 16th century. 

Cajeta grew out of the Spanish sweets tradition, but the addition of goat’s milk made it a uniquely Mexican confection. Historically, it has been made in copper pots with goat milk, sugar and cinnamon or vanilla stirred with long wooden spoons until the combination achieves a caramel-like consistency. 

Named for the wooden containers, called “cajetes,” in which it was displayed, the sweet treat has since become ubiquitous in Mexican cuisine. It’s used to make candies or fillings for candy, a favored flavor in popsicles and pastries, a topping that can be poured over ice cream or drizzled into coffee or hot chocolate for extra sweetness. It’s also used in countless desserts, often as a substitute for caramel.

It’s not just beloved for its sweetness, however, but for its role as a symbol of independence. After Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla uttered his famed cry of rebellion in Dolores, Guanajuato in 1810, his revolutionary army soon seized control of Celaya. According to legend, it was here that cajeta was first made and became an essential ration for soldiers. 

Cajeta had much to offer for wartime use: notably, it had a long shelf life, was easy to carry and provided abundant energy. It was also delicious, which qualified it as a morale booster. In 2010, 200 years after the war began, cajeta was officially named Mexico’s “bicentennial dessert.” 

Since 2018, Celaya has celebrated its famous creation annually with a Festival de la Cajeta. The most recent edition was held from Aug. 29 to Sept.1, 2024, and drew over 23,000 attendees.

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.

Is Airbnb ruining Los Cabos? A local’s opinion

By
Chris Sands
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15
Los Cabos Airbnb
Los Cabos is having an Airbnb boom. Locals aren't happy. (Josh Withers)

I don’t need to google Airbnb to know which destinations have passed laws inspired, or at the very least have been affected, by the rental marketplace. My friends in Los Cabos have been sharing the information unsolicited. It’s understood among those who live here that Airbnb plays a big part in the ongoing housing problems in Los Cabos, resulting in too few homes or apartments being available and for significantly more money than these units commanded only two or three years ago. 

So yes, I’m aware there are laws strictly regulating Airbnb rentals in many cities around the globe, including, notably, Barcelona and Mexico City. Barcelona is boldly banning all short-term rentals by the end of 2028 due to the housing crisis that has afflicted many popular vacation destinations. Mexico City has taken a more half-way approach (literally), as a new regulation stipulates landlords can rent out properties on sites like Airbnb for no more than half the days of the year.  

Barcelona
Barcelona banned Airbnb from operating in the city last year. (Logan Armstrong/Unsplash)

Reporting on Barcelona’s upcoming rental ban, Euro News noted that for residents “the economic gains are not worth the negative impacts on their lives. With private landlords buying up apartments to rent them out to tourists, it is very difficult for locals to find places to live. Demand, of course, pushes up prices for the housing that is available.”

That’s precisely the crux of the issue. Naturally, the hope that underpins the sharing of these stories is that similar laws or regulations will be enacted here in Los Cabos. 

Why tourists and digital nomads love Airbnb

Of course, Airbnb is a good resource for budget-minded travelers, one of the few remaining in Los Cabos. As cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo have increasingly embraced luxury travelers, average nightly room rates for area resorts have spiraled ever skyward, soaring past US $400 by 2022, and $500 by 2024.

Rental rates in Los Cabos are climbing ever higher as a result of high demand. (Hotel Tesoro Los Cabos)

Meanwhile, the average nightly rate for an Airbnb rental is about US $80 per night in Cabo San Lucas and $130 in San José del Cabo. Those aren’t the only rental marketplace options — VRBO and Booking.com, for example, also offer short-term rentals — and there are still a few good budget-friendly hotels in the area. However, there are fewer than there used to be.

So it’s understandable why tourists love having Airbnb as an accommodation alternative.

Why rental owners love Airbnb

The math for landlords with property to let has likewise become simple. If you’re renting out an apartment for 16,000 pesos a month and can rent it out on Airbnb for 1,600 pesos a night, you know you only have to occupy it for a minimum of 11 nights to make more from tourists than you could with locals. Or, conversely, you could use that knowledge to jack up the rate for locals, which is how modest one-bedroom apartments suddenly started going for 16,000 pesos per month, an unheard-of price only a couple of years ago.

Catering to the lucrative tourist market is worth more than the local one, a fact which has influenced many local landlords.  (One&Only Palmilla)

Since the average Airbnb occupancy is 56% in Cabo San Lucas and 64% in San José del Cabo, the tourist model looks more profitable … assuming tourism numbers remain consistently strong month over month, which they rarely do.

Why most residents of Los Cabos hate Airbnb

However, it is worth noting that the owners of these properties represent a minuscule proportion of the local population. The latest statistics from Airbnb show just 1,600 rentals available in Cabo San Lucas, so even if these were all owned by separate individuals (they are not) this would amount to less than 1% of the population in a city of over 200,000. 

No amount of profit justifies making so many suffer for the benefit of so few. Let us not forget that it’s not just beaches, golf courses, and year-round sunshine that draw four million or so tourists to Los Cabos each year. It’s the people who live here. That’s who gives the place its identity. That’s who provides the superb service at its resorts and the memorable food and drinks at its restaurants and bars, not to mention a hundred other things — from the artistic and the artisanal to the ordinary but essential services courtesy of cops, healthcare workers, and the like. 

Panoramic view of Los Cabos' iconic beaches.
Cabo is more than beaches and golf courses — it’s a vibrant community too. (Finding Dan/Dan Grinwis/Unsplash)

Digital nomads and tourists may visit these communities but they’re not who makes them what they are or who gives them a unique color and character. They’re just passing through. 

Unfortunately, residents — the heart and soul of Los Cabos — are increasingly being priced out. The siphoning of available home and apartment rentals for tourists and transients has not only sapped inventory for locals it has also driven rents through the proverbial roof. I couldn’t find statistics on this subject for Los Cabos, but an article from The New York Times about the same problem in Mexico City noted a rise of over 20% in one 10-month period in 2020. In Los Cabos, I would estimate rents have more than doubled area-wide in the last two to three years.

That should not be a surprise given Los Cabos, a municipality of 350,000, has surpassed Mexico City, a city whose extended area comprises more than 20 million people, in terms of money generated from short-term rentals: $320 million to $290 million as of 2023. 

Why isn’t the government of Los Cabos addressing this issue?

I would never suggest depriving tourists of the joys of a Los Cabos vacation. But their luxury should not be at the expense of locals who are homeless or forced to leave. Many cities, from Amsterdam and Barcelona to New York and Paris, are taking a stand on behalf of their residents. They’re not shutting out tourists; they are merely putting safeguards in place to ensure their cities are livable for everyone. 

Los Cabos has not addressed this issue substantively. You might think local politicians would side with the people who vote, but that’s not the case. Outside of addressing rental owners’ tax compliance, the local government has taken no meaningful steps to protect its citizenry from rent gouging or displacement. 

So that’s what’s threatening to ruin Los Cabos in my opinion. Not companies like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com, which will adapt to meet local regulations, but only if those regulations exist in the first place. 

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.

Como la flor: Adventures at the southern tip of Texas

By
Sarah DeVries
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7
Texas
Southern Texas is a beautiful place, and as Sarah DeVries discovered, a place to reflect on what the border really means. (NOAA)

I’ve been enjoying my travels in Texas for a couple weeks now.

The main reason was to help my dad get settled into yet another place. As I’ve discussed earlier, helping your parents when you live outside of their country is a tricky thing. It usually falls on my siblings, which is pretty guilt-inducing, so when I come, it’s got to count! Suffice it to say my dad’s new apartment looks awesome, though I can’t get him to learn how to access the Netflix account I signed him up for. 

Real excited on a real windy day to be standing in front of the river that divides this part of Texas from Mexico. (Sarah DeVries)

That’s not what we spent our whole time on, though. We also got to see my stepdad, and we got to see snow, weirdly. Also, at long last, I finally have a working US phone number! The Texas driver’s license proved to be trickier than I’d predicted, so that will have to wait until next time.

Driving through the Lone Star state

A nice thing about visiting Texas is that my sister loves to take road trips. Since we had an extra weekend free, we decided to head south.

I’ve been living in Mexico for over 20 years now, but have not been to the border on either side. 

McAllen
McAllen, Texas city motto: “Why does this place exist.” Allegedly. (Wikivoyage)

I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve never wanted to travel too far south in Texas. I’ve also never questioned my own prejudices about it. That border cities like McAllen and Brownsville are not worth a trip is kind of a given in Texas. But why?

The short answer, I’m pretty sure, is racism. Because on the border live almost exclusively Latinos. White and Black people are a minority down there, and a very Spanglish-style Spanish is spoken by most people.

But let’s back it up just a tad to our first stop on the way down: Corpus Christi.

Selena’s hometown

Sarah at the Selena monument
My sister (Lisa), me, my friend Kathy, and the Selena monument behind us. (Sarah DeVries)

Corpus Christi is a beautiful little city on the Gulf. It has several tasty breweries, some impressive murals and a good-sized stretch of well-maintained ocean-side sidewalks and parks.

Corpus was also the home to one of Texas’ most famous late singers: Selena. Because one of my best friends in Mexico is a huge Selena fan — her birthday was a Selena karaoke-fest — I decided it was only right to pay homage.

in photo: my sister (Lisa), me, my friend Kathy, and the Selena monument behind us.

Corpus Christi’s monument to Selena is marked by a giant white flower on one side and a life-size statue of the singer leaning cooly against a column on another. On the bricks surrounding the monument are dedications and messages from family, friends, and fans.

We were greeted by a man who might be Selena’s second biggest fan after my friend. He wore a Selena t-shirt and had a Selena sticker splayed across his back car window. He introduced himself as the caretaker of the monument, and was totally down for discussing all things Selena. He’d even had a small part in the movie they made about Selena! Of course, he also directed us toward a mural of Selena that was actually of Farah Fawcett, so who knows. Incidentally, the local friend we met for lunch in Corpus Christi is the daughter of the judge who tried Selena’s killer. Like a lot of places in Texas, it’s “todo un pueblito”: like a small town.

Selena, like many Texan Latinos of her generation and before, did not grow up speaking Spanish. She learned it later for her music. Likewise, it is never a safe bet that Latinos you meet in Texas will speak Spanish, though the likelihood that they do increases the further south you go.

Soon, we were back on the road and headed for Pharr, where a friend of mine had recently moved from Mexico. I also have a friend in McAllen, so it was finally time to make a trip!

McAllen sunset
The beautiful sunset on the way to McAllen. (Sarah DeVries)

On the border

As we headed south, we noticed more and more police vehicles lying in wait, and I began to grow nervous. The border isn’t scary to me because it’s close to Mexico; it’s scary because it’s crawling with Border Patrol and immigration agents. Would we be stopped? Would our car be searched?

Luckily, two pleasantly plump white ladies in a Prius is pretty low on the list of suspicious-looking people.

The next morning, we were going to see the actual border, and I was as giddy and excited as I’d be if I were about to meet a celebrity. The border! The real border! I was going to be on it!

We saw it on a nice hike in a beautiful park, the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. The air was fragrant with the smell of its plants, and we even saw a couple of javelinas cross in front of us. Finally, we reached the point I was most excited about: the Rio Grande.

It actually wasn’t all that grande. Still, I was thrilled. Just across the water was the top part of Mexico! I took an embarrassing amount of pictures before heading back.

Real excited on a real windy day to be standing in front of the river that divides this part of Texas from Mexico.

The border cities, by the way, were just normal Texas cities, only with more Spanish on their signs. The only features that seemed to make them distinct were the conspicuous presence of chain-link fences around schools and more properties than you’d expect, and speed bumps. Notable as well were the kinds of mixed-income neighborhoods I associate with Mexico. Agricultural fields stretched around the area, and I couldn’t help but wonder who would be tending to them if Trump decided to carry out his planned mass deportations.

Our trip was short but worth it. Hopefully, it was just the first of many as I seek out the lesser-known parts of my Texas roots.

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

What could a Sheinbaum-Trump deal look like? A perspective from our CEO

By
Travis Bembenek
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66
Two hands reach out for a handshake, representing a deal between Trump and Sheinbaum
As Trump holds the threat of tariffs over Mexico, how can he and President Sheinbaum make a deal? (Shutterstock)

As of publication mid-day Saturday, Feb. 1, there has been no official announcement from Trump regarding tariffs on Mexican products.

I will avoid sharing my opinion in my column today regarding President Trump as a businessman, leader or politician. Whatever I would say here would result in half of readers enthusiastically agreeing with me and the other half most certainly harshly criticizing me. That’s not my intention here. What I can say with confidence is that I think Trump is a very shrewd and effective negotiator. Let me explain.

There are several different types of well-documented, effective negotiating strategies. However, over my nearly 30-year business career, I have often found that it is the person that is doing the negotiating that matters as much as the actual negotiating strategy. If the person on the other side of the table is (or appears to be) unwilling to compromise, very aware that they have a sizeable advantage, willing to walk away or willing to do something unthinkable or crazy, it makes for an extremely difficult negotiating situation for the other party.

Two photos, one of U.S. President-elect Trump and another of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum
The United States’ economic and political power puts President Sheinbaum at a disadvantage in any negotiation scenario. (Gage Skidmore via Flickr/Cuartoscuro)

Early in my career, I worked for a smaller-sized company that had annual revenue under US $200 million. We had a very large customer with annual revenue over US $20 billion — over 100 times larger than us! To make matters more complicated, this customer represented a very large percentage of our total revenue. Negotiations with this customer were a nightmare because they knew that at the end of the day, they could demand almost anything and we would have to give in. Unfortunately, the culture of that company was to extract whatever they could from their suppliers in nearly every negotiation. It was a true David versus Goliath situation every time a new deal came up — and sure, David can win once or twice, but not on a regular basis. They can and did get the best of us every chance they could. Some companies and their negotiating employees use this power lightly, respecting the smaller company — others do not.

A similar asymmetry exists between the U.S. and Mexico. The United States economy is almost 15 times larger than Mexico’s. Mexico sends nearly 80% of it’s exports to the United States. Talk about a David versus Goliath negotiation! To make matters more difficult for Mexico, Trump has demonstrated himself to be the type of negotiator who is willing to use any and all negotiating tools at his disposal to get what he wants. Needless to say, that puts Sheinbaum in a difficult spot. So how could this play out?

Trump is pushing Mexico in five key areas, each of which represent a negotiating opportunity for both sides. He wants Mexico to:

1. Curb the flow of migrants at the southern border.
2. Crack down on the cartels and curb the flow of drugs to the U.S.
3. Receive Mexican nationals who will be deported from the United States.
4. Crack down on Chinese investment in Mexico.
5. Stop the flow of Chinese vehicles into Mexico.

A stretch of the Mexico-US border wall in the desert
Many of Trump’s demands relate to the flow of migrants and drugs across the Mexico-U.S. border. (Greg Bulla/Unsplash)

He is clearly using the threat of tariffs on Mexican exports to the United States to pressure Sheinbaum into doing what he wants in each of these areas (as we saw last week with Colombia). Trump has put so many demands on the table, and given the above-mentioned asymmetry of the negotiation, it naturally puts Sheinbaum and her team on the defensive. Mexico would like to stop the flow of U.S. guns into Mexico and obviously avoid tariffs from the U.S., but beyond that is not making any significant demands of the United States. Fortunately for Mexico, tariffs on Mexican exports to the US is likely something that would hurt the U.S. economy as well — no matter what Trump says.

Here is what I think will ultimately happen: Look for Mexico to show some significant steps and progress in each of the five key areas. In fact, in each one of them, Sheinbaum’s administration has already taken some initial steps and more tangible actions than her predecessor. This will be noticed and should be well-received by the new U.S. administration. She also has shown that she is smart, tough, charming and very likeable. From my experience, this will help her tremendously in the negotiation.

To avoid inflation risks in the United States, any tariffs that ultimately are applied against Mexico will likely be very targeted, much smaller than threatened, and short term. The threat will, however, push Mexico to take even more action in each of the key areas while at the same time not causing too much tariff-related pain on either side of the border.

Sheinbaum’s administration has been doing a good job pointing out the deep interconnectedness of both economies and its benefits, as well as the risk that tariffs could stoke inflation. The arguments have been presented in a calm, fact-based and objective manner. This has been an important strategy, but in this case pure, rational logic likely will not be enough. She needs to give “wins” to the Trump administration on each of the five areas that they can tout to the American people.

In summary, I think that Mexico will continue to take actions and make some progress in each of the five key areas. As a result of this, and due to the risks of economic damage to the U.S. that would come from tariffs on Mexican goods, I do not think that the U.S. will  impose any long-term, serious or substantial tariffs on Mexico. It will not be an easy or smooth ride for Mexico over the next year, but I am convinced that what will come out of this negotiation will be an increased level of dialog, coordination and cooperation between the two countries on many issues and an unprecedented amount of new investment and growth in the years to come.

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

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