The cave is located in Rancho Quemado, in Cadereyta de Montes, Querétaro. (INAH)
Hunting weapons and other items dating back approximately 1,900 years have been found in a cave in the central state of Querétaro.
The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) announced the discovery of the objects this week, which were found last year by four members of the Querétaro Cavers’ Association (GEQ) and then further explored by INAH.
A team of amateur cavers made the initial discovery before archaeologists from INAH were sent in to further study the finds. (INAH)
The spelunkers located the items in a remote ravine inside the Cueva del Tesoro (Treasure Cave), located about 40 kilometers northwest of Bernal, a popular Pueblo Mágico lying east of Querétaro city. The group notified INAH’s Querétaro Center, which put its team of archaeologists and speleologists into action.
To reach the trove of items from the cave floor, the INAH team had to ascend 200 meters from the bottom of the ravine to the cave, and then another 200 meters through a narrow passage.
The findings included wooden hunting instruments that, according to the results of a radiocarbon study, date from A.D. 7 to 132, meaning they were preserved for about two millennia. They were used by hunter-gatherers who lived in this semi-desert region for at least 9,000 years, INAH noted in a press release.
One of the objects is an atlatl measuring 51.5 centimeters. Sometimes called a spear-thrower, an atlatl is a tool that lets its user propel darts or arrows at high velocity. Alongside the atlatl were the remnants of two darts measuring 79 and 66 centimeters. Two pieces of crafted wood that INAH identified as probable digging sticks were also found with the hunting tools.
Detail image of the atlatl, which is a hunting weapon that was used to propel arrows or darts. (INAH)
All the items are well-preserved thanks to the dryness of the cave, INAH noted. Why the instruments were left in such a remote and hidden area is a mystery that will be clarified by future studies, the agency added. The agency’s most recent advances in analyzing the items will be made public at a conference this Saturday at the Templo Mayor museum in Mexico City.
INAH said that amateur spelunkers and its own archaeologists notified the agency of a dozen “hunting scenes” in Querétaro last year. Full sets of hunting equipment, however, are rarer: the agency described the items found in the Tesoro cave as “one of the few sets of pre-Columbian hunting tools found to date in Mexico.”
One of the first known discoveries of hunting tools in the area was in the late 1950s by American Cynthia Irwin-Williams, a pioneer among female archaeologists. Her findings, including projectile arrows dating to 7000 B.C., were made in the El Tecolote cave near Tequisquiapan, Querétaro.
Although finding hunting tools is fairly rare, discoveries inside caves are somewhat common occurrences around Mexico. Just last month, INAH announced it had found human remains, pottery fragments dating back 500 to 800 years and other objects in two caves in the state of Quintana Roo. One finding was made in Tulum and the other was nearby.
Another noteworthy find announced by INAH early this year included human remains, 1,500 utensils, spearheads and other artifacts between 2,500 and 4,500 years old in a cave in the state of Nuevo León.
Civil Protection authorities in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, have raised warning flags forbidding swimmers from entering the ocean. (Protección Civil Jalisco)
Many short-term visitors to Puerto Vallarta this week haven’t been able to experience their dream beach vacations.
All of the city’s beaches have been conspicuously dotted by red flags to indicate “rough seas, stay out of the water” — and also by purple flags due to sightings of crocodiles.
The red and purple flags have both been raised in Puerto Vallarta, denoting heavy seas and the presence of dangerous marine life. (Protección Civil Jalisco)
The purple flags run from Playa del Holi to Playa del Oro. They were placed there after the presence of crocodiles was reported near the Puerto Vallarta malecón (seafront walk) and elsewhere.
The red flags were raised on authority of Civil Protection, Risk Management and Firefighter operations in Jalisco because of choppy seas or mar picado, characterized by the presence of higher and more frequent waves — usually irregular, fast and with sharp crests, generating strong currents and dangerous undertows.
The red flags mean it is prohibited to enter the sea, either to swim or just to have fun. The flags went up on Tuesday, and there are no media reports to suggest that they have been taken down as of early Thursday afternoon.
The mar picado phenomenon generally occurs due to adverse weather conditions over the ocean, such as strong winds and storms.
In addition, the area has been jostled by some recent crocodile incidents — including the appearance of a crocodile on the popular strip of beach between Playa del Holi and Playa del Oro.
Like many other beach areas in Mexico, nearby there are streams and rivers that serve as the crocodiles’ natural habitat. According to marine animal experts, the crocs use the ocean only as a byway to reach estuaries and freshwater ponds, where they like to hunt.
Biologist Helios Hernández, who is in charge of the Puerto Vallarta reptile house operated by the University of Guadalajara, told the newspaper El Financiero that the probability of a crocodile attacking a human is very low; they only do so when they feel that their space is invaded.
For months now, the appearance of crocodiles has been recorded along the municipality’s coastline.
Crocodiles, such as this one seen in Ixtapa, Guerrero, often use the shoreline as a way to get between their hunting grounds in nearby rivers. (Screenshot)
One crocodile in particular is said to be seen regularly by tourists and merchants at the mouth of the Cuale River, under the bridge that overlooks the malecón. Locals have named him “Pancho,” and because he is usually stationary, he (or maybe she?) has become something of a tourist attraction.
Also, in the last week of December, a crocodile was captured wandering the streets of Marina Vallarta, an upscale planned development. Earlier that month, a shrimp fisherman had his arm taken off by a crocodile in the Ameca River, which feeds into the Pacific Ocean just north of Puerto Vallarta.
Data storage firm KIO has acquired a large new site in the Asia Pacific Park in Pesquería, which will serve as its second Nuevo León data center. (KIO)
KIO, a United States-owned provider of IT infrastructure services, has announced it will build a second data center in Nuevo León.
The company announced its “thrilling” 2024 expansion plans in a statement posted to its website, revealing that it has acquired a 14,000-square-meter site in the Asia Pacific Park in Pesquería for its second Nuevo León data center.
KIO already operate a major data center in Monterrey, but will now open a second site to meet growing demand. (KIO)
Pesquería, a municipality about 40 kilometers northeast of Monterrey, is home to the Mexican operations of companies such as South Korean automaker Kia and Argentine steelmaker Ternium.
KIO, founded in 2002 with 100% Mexican capital but sold to Miami-based private equity firm I Squared Capital in 2021, said that its second Nuevo León data center “will initially feature two 1,200 m2 Data Halls with enough energy to supply 2 MW of energy in its first phase.”
The facility will have “a growth capacity of up to 8 MW, with plans to expand to eight halls in a later phase,” the company said without citing any investment amount.
It will be known as KIO MTY2 in acknowledged that it is the company’s second data center in the Monterrey area. KIO MTY1 is located in San Pedro Garza García, an affluent municipality immediately west of the state capital.
KIO MTY2 “will offer robust connectivity with triple-route redundancy for carrier connections,” said Santiago Suinaga, CEO of KIO Data Centers.
“Our focus is also on proximity to the North American market, attracting clients and sectors needing specific connectivity with U.S.-based companies,” he said.
KIO also announced that it is on track to complete construction of its second data center in Querétaro this year. The company is also planning a third data center at the El Marqués Industrial park, located in the municipality of El Marqués, located immediately east of Querétaro city.
Construction of KIO QRO2, as the second Querétaro facility is called, is “a major leap forward for both us and our clients,” Suinaga said. “We’re growing stronger every day.”
KIO is also building a new campus in Querétaro. (KIO)
KIO said that its Querétaro “mega-campus” of “three interconnected data centers” – in which it is investing hundreds of millions of dollars – will offer “enhanced connectivity and high availability for clients needing extra space for growth or new ventures across various sectors.”
The company has 13 “core data centers” in Mexico, Colombia, Panama, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and Spain. In addition to Querétaro and Nuevo León, KIO has data centers in Mexico City, México state, Sonora and Yucatán.
The company says on its website that its data centers have “the highest security, availability and density in the region to administer and monitor public, private and hybrid Cloud services, cybersecurity, business applications, automation and artificial intelligence.”
In its statement announcing the new Nuevo León data center, KIO said that over 1,000 clients from a range of sectors including telecommunications, banking, media and retail have used its services.
The Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, part of the Lacandon Jungle, which some tourism companies have stopped visiting in recent months for security reasons. (Creative Commons)
The tourism industry in parts of the southern state of Chiapas is under threat from organized crime.
The director of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) has advised against visiting certain archaeological sites in the state due to security concerns, while a tourism operator said that travel agencies from three European countries have decided to not include visits to the Lacandon Jungle area in their itineraries.
The Lacandon jungle is home to several important Maya ruins, including the city of Yaxchilán. (Mauricio Marat/INAH/Cuartoscuro)
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel — as well as local gangs affiliated with Mexico’s two most powerful criminal organizations — have been engaged in a turf war in the border region of Chiapas for close to three years. They are competing to control routes along which narcotics, weapons and migrants are transported north after entering the country from Guatemala.
INAH director Diego Prieto told the Latinus news website that tourists should not visit archaeological sites near the border with Guatemala such as Yaxchilán and Bonampak due to the risk of becoming a victim of violence.
Due to insecurity, boats that take tourists along the Usumacinta River to Yaxchilán from the town of Frontera Corozal are not currently operating, he said.
“At INAH we suggest that you don’t go [to the border region of Chiapas] so you don’t have an unfortunate experience,” Prieto said.
Earlier this week, the tourism company Anfitriones Turísticos de Chiapas (ATC) said in a Facebook post that “the tourism environment has been drastically disrupted” in some parts of Chiapas for more than three months.
As a result of “situations” that recently occurred with three groups of French tourists, “French, British and Belgian [travel] agencies that we represent have decided to not continue taking tourists to the entire Lacandon area,” ATC said.
The company said it had agreed to “reprogram” tours that included visits to the Lacandon Jungle, an area of great biodiversity and beauty that is rich in Maya history.
ATC’s post began with an alarming remark: “Chiapas tourism goes bust. Adiós Yaxchilán, adiós Bonampak.”
The government is accused of standing idly by in Chiapas, as rival cartels fight for control of the Guatemalan border region. (Toño Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)
“… When your drivers and guides come across a blockade with native people who cover their face, you know you can negotiate your passage or use alternate routes. But when your vehicle with foreign tourists has to go through stone attacks and shootouts and you realize that native Lacandon and Ch’ol people have the offensive force to take on the Mexican army and the National Guard, you openly say Chiapas has gone to shit,” the bluntly-worded post said.
The company also said that armed men are in control of Bonampak, a claim with which cultural journalist Adriana Malvido agrees.
“The insecurity, the incursion of organized crime, the violence and the fear that run through the state from the Sierra Madre to the Lacandon Jungle and to San Cristóbal de las Casas has reached Yaxchilán and Bonampak, where archaeologists and restorers haven’t been able to enter for over a year,” Malvido wrote.
The presence of crime groups in the border region of Chiapas and the associated violence has caused large numbers of residents to flee, while the Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Human Rights Center and others have highlighted cases of forced recruitment of locals by criminal organizations.
Isaín Mandujano, a journalist in Chiapas, said last September that cartel violence has caused the displacement of thousands of border region residents since 2021 as well as the deaths and disappearances of hundreds of citizens, including “a lot of innocent people.”
Both the army and the National Guard have a presence in the region but “do nothing to stop the violence,” he said.
German tire manufacturer Continental will build a second site in the central state of Aguascalientes as part of a US $90 million investment in the region. (Tere Jiménez/X)
German tire manufacturing giant Continental AG announced it will open a new hydraulic hose factory in Aguascalientes’ Vesta Park, with an investment of US $90 million.
Construction on the plant will start in mid-2024, and the site will begin operations in the second half of 2025, according to company representatives. The state government predicts that it will generate 200 direct jobs and generate significant revenue for the economy.
“This will be Continental’s second plant in Aguascalientes,” Marco Galluzi, Continental’s managing director in Mexico, posted on LinkedIn. “We continue to grow and bet on Mexico; in this country, the company employs around 24,000 people in 12 states.”
Ina post on social media service X, the Aguascalientes state government said that Continental’s decision to invest further in Aguascalientes was testament to the state’s “security, good business environment and the labor force of our people.”
Continental’s representatives echoed this praise of the central Mexican state.
“From our experience in Aguascalientes, we know that we have the right talent to meet the requirements of a high-tech plant like this,” Galluzi said. “We also have a progressive and attractive environment with safety and a high quality of life.”
The new hose plant will be constructed in Aguascalientes’ Vesta industrial park. (Adalberto Ortega/Vesta)
The new plant will use solar panels and recycled water. It will supply hoses to various key industries, including construction, energy, agriculture and automotive, taking advantage of Aguascalientes’ central location.
“We are a strategic logistics point in the American continent,” said Aguascalientes governor María Teresa Jiménez Esquivel. “We have a road system that connects us with the main ports of the Atlantic and the Pacific, as well as air connectivity.”
Central Mexico is one of the regional hubs of the nearshoring boom, due both to its location and its abundance of engineering and technical service providers, as U.S. and Asian manufacturers seek to relocate manufacturing operations to the country.
“Mexico is prepared to become a leader in the manufacturing sector, with a different production and supply structure,” said Sergio Pérez Castilleja, an executive at global real estate firm Newmark earlier this week. “We are ready for it.”
Entering pets into the country is free of charge unless you’re traveling with 3 or more pets. (Shutterstock)
With more and more people traveling back and forth with their pets between the United States, Canada and Mexico — in addition to the increasing number of expats from other nationalities that bring their pets with them — we’ve created this guide to help you discover the types of pets that are allowed to enter the country, vaccinations required for entry, fees charged by the government, and all essential regulations to bring your pets with you.
While this guide answers the essential questions to bring your pet into the country by land, sea or air, be sure to always check the government’s website or contact your airline or the Mexican authority directly for additional and updated information (all relevant links hyperlinked below).
Which animals are considered pets in Mexico?
According to the Animal Protection Law, domestic animals are those raised in the company of humans and under their care. However, regulation to bring pets into Mexico currently only applies for cats and dogs.
If you wish to bring into the country other types of domestic animals, click here.
If you wish to travel with an emotional support animal, check any additional requirements directly with your airline.
Is there a fee to enter pets in Mexico?
Entering pets into the country is free of charge unless you’re traveling with 3 or more pets.
Other expenses you need to consider are those applied by the airline of your choice.
What documents and vaccinations are required for cats and dogs to cross the border?
Good news for U.S. residents: It is no longer necessary to have a health certificate for dogs and cats when entering Mexico. You can take your pets to the border without any documentation, but they will be inspected by the National Agri-Food Health, Safety and Quality Service (Senasica) upon arrival. For further guidance, please refer to the instructions on this page.
If you travel from any other country, you must present the following:
Certificate of Good Health (Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación)issued by a veterinarian within 15 days before the trip.
Name and address of the exporter and importer, as well as the identification data of the pet and its final destination.
An updated Vaccination Card including the following mandatory vaccines: Canine parvovirus, distemper, canine hepatitis, and rabies. Non-core vaccines (Bordetella and the Leptospirosis bacteria) are given based on the dog’s risk of exposure (pets under 3 months of age are exempt from a vaccination card).
Proof of deworming within the last 6 months.
Once you have submitted all the necessary documents, your pet will undergo a physical examination by OIA officials.
The officials will verify that the pet’s physical description mentioned in the Health Certificate matches its actual physical characteristics, such as sex, breed and color. Additionally, they will inspect the pet’s health status and ensure that it is free from external parasites.
Can I bring my pet’s food, toys, and accessories?
Yes, provided you comply with the following requirements.
Food:
These are the products for animals allowed into the country according to the Senasica:
Toys and accessories:
The import of bedding, implements, accessories, toys, treats, or prizes containing animal ingredients is prohibited and will be removed and destroyed if they are discovered.
Yes. If you send your pet as a cargo, check the requirements on the airline of your choice and consider using the services of a customs agent (agente aduanal) for its release before Customs. While in some countries a “customs agent” refers to a government representative, in Mexico an agente aduanal usually means a professional who specializes in helping clients navigate the customs process.
Can I bring my pet if it’s undergoing medical treatment?
Yes.
If your pet is undergoing medical treatment or can’t be vaccinated against rabies, then upon arrival to Mexico, you need to present a medical prescription on letterhead with the number of your Professional Certificate or equivalent. This prescription should explain the condition of your pet and its treatment so that you can enter its medicines.
You can attach a photocopy of the certificate along with the prescription.
What happens if I arrive in Mexico without the required documentation?
If you don’t possess a Certificate of Good Health or a Vaccination Card, you’ll need to seek out the services of a private veterinarian of your choice in Mexico. The veterinarian must administer the necessary treatments and issue the Certificate of Good Health.
After an evaluation, official personnel or an Authorized Third-Party Specialist (TEA) can confirm the good state of health.
Since Feb. 2023, it is easier to frequently travel to Mexico with your pet.
This program (Programa Mascota Viajero Frecuente) aims to speed up the review and inspection of your pet at Agricultural Health Inspection Offices (OISA) located at entry points into the country.
By enrolling your pet in the Pet Frequent Traveler Program (PFTP), you’ll only need to present a Certificate of Good Health once every six months.
To register, you must upload to the Tourism Certification System your pet’s Certificate of Good Health, Vaccination Card, and Veterinarian Certificate.
For any additional information or queries, please contact the OISA or click here.
Gabriela Solís is a Mexican lawyer based in Dubai turned full-time writer. She covers business, culture, lifestyle and travel for Mexico News Daily. You can follow her life in Dubai in her blog Dunas y Palmeras.
The Strength and Heart for Mexico coalition campaign leaders, including from left to right: Santiago Creel (PAN), Jesús Zambrano (PRD), Marko Cortés (PAN), Xóchitl Gálvez, and Alejandro Moreno (PRI). (Cuartoscuro)
Reforming Pemex and the Federal Attorney General’s Office and reviving the international trade and investment agency ProMéxico are among the initiatives a government led by opposition presidential candidate Xóchitl Gálvez would undertake, according to a draft plan obtained by the El Universal newspaper.
Gálvez, a federal senator currently on leave to campaign for the presidency, will represent an alliance made up of the National Action Party (PAN), the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) at the June 2 election.
The three presidential candidates (left to right): Xóchitl Gálvez, Claudia Sheinbaum and Jorge Álvarez Máynez. (MND)
Poll results show that Claudia Sheinbaum, the candidate for an alliance led by the ruling Morena party, is the clear favorite to become Mexico’s next president. The third candidate in the race, Jorge Álvarez Máynez, who represents the Citizens Movement (MC) party, is today polling well behind both Sheinbaum and Gálvez.
While an opposition victory currently appears unlikely, the document “Electoral Platform of the Strength and Heart for Mexico Coalition” offers an insight into the objectives a government led by Gálvez might pursue should she prevail on June 2.
In a report published on Thursday, El Universal said that the document was developed by PAN, PRI and PRD leaders with the participation of eminent figures such as José Ángel Gurría, a former cabinet minister and secretary general of the OECD. The draft plan is subject to approval by the opposition alliance’s council, the newspaper noted.
What’s in the plan?
Xóchitl Gálvez will represent the three major opposition parties (PAN, PRI and PRD) at the presidential elections this year. (Cuartoscuro)
El Universal provided an overview of the contents of the document, but details on Strength and Heart for Mexico’s proposals were scant.
Among the proposals are to:
“Completely reform” Pemex, the heavily indebted state oil company, and the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR)
With regard to the FGR, the aim is to “guarantee that it is authentically independent” of government, according to the document. The current government, which carried out its own reform of the Attorney General’s Office, asserts that is already the case.
Reestablish ProMéxico, which was disbanded by the current government
Put an end to the military’s involvement in public security
A Gálvez-led government would gradually return members of the armed forces to their barracks, according to the document. Before he took office in late 2018, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador pledged to do exactly that, but like his predecessors, he has used the military to patrol the streets of Mexico and combat organized crime.
In an interview last year, Gálvez said she was opposed to the presence of “the army in the streets.”
Transform the National Guard into a civilian security force
President López Obrador created the National Guard (GN) and has tried to put the force under control of the National Defense Ministry. The opposition says they would make the GN a civilian force. (Cuartoscuro)
The Strength and Heart for Mexico document says that the National Guard should be a civilian force that is well-funded, respects human rights and whose members are well-trained.
Gálvez has previously said that the federal security minister must be a civilian, rather than a military leader, and the National Guard must be a civilian force.
Review the current government’s infrastructure projects and social programs
According to the draft plan, projects such as the Olmeca oil refinery on the Tabasco coast, the Felipe Ángeles International Airport and the Maya Train railroad were built without an “in-depth assessment” and without adequate environmental impact studies.
Thus, a Gálvez-led government would scrutinize the projects, according to the draft plan.
If elected, Gálvez’s government would scrutinize AMLO’s signature infrastructure projects like the Maya Train, which the opposition says lacked adequate planning and environmental assessments. (Cuartoscuro)
In addition, it would create a body to audit programs such as the Sowing Life reforestation/employment scheme and the Youths Building the Future apprenticeship initiative.
Consider a universal basic income scheme
According to El Universal, the draft plan “takes up” Ricardo Anaya’s idea of providing citizens with a universal basic income.
According to the draft plan, the Strength and Heart for Mexico alliance aims to establish a coalition government that “combats the threat of client authoritarianism” and “puts an end to [a] centralist presidency.”
In their document, the PAN, the PRI and the PRD asserted that Mexico, under the leadership of the current president, “has been led to a phase of multiple risks” and significant “economic, political and social vulnerability.”
The current government is incapable of providing security, health care, education and prosperity to citizens, the parties said, adding that Mexico is a “divided and polarized” country” whose people are engaged in a “destructive confrontation.”
That situation is caused by a government whose head “acts like the leader of his party” and promotes “disunity among Mexicans,” they said.
The opposition parties characterize President López Obrador as a polarizing figure, who has divided rather than united Mexicans. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)
Thus, Mexico urgently needs a new government “that guarantees a horizon of opportunities for change, supported by a call for reconciliation in order to achieve unity as a value and a path” ahead for the country, the document said.
López Obrador has denied that Mexico is polarized given that poll results show that he has maintained strong support throughout his presidency.
There is no political polarization in Mexico “because that occurs when societies are divided in two,” he said last October.
“That’s not happening in our country because the majority [of people] support the transformation, not [just] 50%,” López Obrador said.
Sandwiched between the mountains and the sea, Conchas Chinas beach is known for its spectacular natural beauty. (Shutterstock)
It may feel like we’re in the throes of winter right now but believe it or not, spring break is just around the corner and when it comes to spring break travel, nowhere is quite like Mexico. Puerto Vallarta is often the first place that springs to mind for sun-seeking travelers. The bustling Pacific Coast beach city is known for the enormous Bay of Banderas, surrounded by dozens of beaches that create that idyllic beachy backdrop.
But when it comes to the best beaches in Puerto Vallarta, where do you even begin?
You may be surprised to learn, however, that most of Puerto Vallarta’s top beaches aren’t even in Puerto Vallarta itself. Since Puerto Vallarta is a full-fledged beach city, some people find that the beaches in PV proper are crowded and can have expensive tourist traps. So if this spring break you want to chase those postcard-perfect slices of sand, you’ll have to know exactly where to look. After years of exploring the coastline, I’m here to let you in on where to find the very best beaches in Puerto Vallarta and what you need to know to enjoy them to the fullest.
Playa Las Gemelas
Las Gemelas Beach, 15 minutes from Puerto Vallarta. (Shutterstock)
Just outside of Puerto Vallarta, about 15 minutes south of the world-famous Zona Romantica, lies Playa Las Gemelas. The aptly named “Twin Beach” is split in half by Condominios Girasol Sur, making it two beaches in one.
The trip out of town is what helps to keep the crowds at bay. On weekdays, you’ll find the shoreline to be relatively empty, so you’ll be able to claim a sugary soft patch of sand to call your own. The water here is also a beautiful gradient, running from a gentle turquoise to a glorious deep blue.
This beach has no facilities, so you’ll have to bring what you need for the day. But its undeveloped, rugged beauty is what makes this one of the best beaches in Puerto Vallarta, and should be at the top of the list for any beachgoer looking for a quiet getaway.
Playa Conchas Chinas
To the south of Puerto Vallarta lies the always-busy Playa Los Muertos, a much smaller, quieter, stunningly beautiful beach. It’s hard to believe that such a beautiful beach sits mere steps away from one of the most overcrowded beaches in the Puerto Vallarta area.
Sandwiched between the mountains and the sea, this beach is known for its spectacular natural beauty, crystal clear water, and its proximity to downtown. If you like exploring tidal pools, this is the beach to visit.
Surrounding the beach is the upscale Conchas Chinas community, with its grand hillside villas and terraces with panoramic views of the bay. South of Playa Conchas Chinas is Playa Lindomar, which has a casual little restaurant called La Playita that is well worth the visit. Directly to the north of Conchas Chinas is the Zona Romántica and all the tourist-friendly facilities you’ll need.
Playa Caballo
My favorite beach in Puerto Vallarta takes a little legwork to access, but that is all the more reason to love it. Most travelers headed to this part of town are in pursuit of Playa Las Animas, a beach accessible only by boat and known for its string of beach restaurants and bars. This is not the beach I’m talking about.
I’m talking about Playa Caballo, directly adjacent to Playa Las Animas, but with a completely different vibe. This undeveloped beach is straight out of a fantasy novel, with soft, powdery sand and a color palette of extreme jungle greens set against sparkling turquoise.
The only way to access Playa Caballo is to either take a water taxi to Las Animas and hoof it on foot or to hike along the Cabo Corrientes trail that begins in Boca de Tomatlan and runs along the coastline to Playa Las Animas. I recommend hiking in and taking the water taxi out.
You won’t find any services on Playa Caballo — it’s truly a pristine beach. However, there is a beach club nearby at Casitas Maraika, plus all the restaurants and facilities over on Playa Las Animas.
Playa Las Glorias
When I need a quick beach fix without having to work too hard, I always find myself at Playa Las Glorias, located between the Hotel Zone and Cinco de Diciembre neighborhoods. This predominantly locals-only beach has remained quite quiet thanks to its position in front of a construction site, where work has been a start-stop for years. It’s a rare underdeveloped bubble smack dab between two of Puerto Vallarta’s most bustling neighborhoods.
The best way to get to this beach is to head to the Costa Club Punta Arena and walk past the construction site, which overlooks the beach. A few companies have their jet ski rental operations here, and a very small wooden shack is run by a young couple, selling snacks, fresh coconuts, water, and beer.
Playa Camarones
Heading away from Playa Las Glorias towards downtown and the Malecon, you will cross over Playa Camarones, the principal beach for the Cinco de Diciembre neighborhood. This beach has a lot more action than Playa Las Glorias, but its clientele is made up of mostly locals and expats. It has a much different, more laid-back energy compared to beaches closest to Zona Romantica.
My favorite place to spend the day at Playa Camarones is at El Solar, a toes-in-the-sand beach club and restaurant that always blasts a great playlist and serves a deliciously fresh menu focusing on seafood. The tuna poke and the Baja shrimp tacos are always a hit.
Playa San Pancho
Sunset at San Pancho beach. (Shutterstock)
Crossing the bridge from the Puerto Vallarta airport puts travelers in the state of Nayarit. The coastline here, known as the Riviera Nayarit, has its fair share of beautiful beaches too. Most visitors to the state are headed to Punta Mita or Sayulita, two well-established tourist destinations boasting a boho chic vibe.
But in my opinion, the best beaches here are found in the smaller village of San Pancho, just 15 minutes north of Sayulita. Sleepy San Pancho (short for San Francisco) is a beloved beach town among locals and those in the know. Often compared to Sayulita 10 years ago, this much quieter stretch of sand has some of the best beaches around — even better than those in Punta Mita and Sayulita. Picture a broad swath of golden-hued sand, groves of palm trees, surfer bungalows, sandy streets, and a laid-back (but growing) restaurant and bar scene.
The most economical way to get to San Pancho from Puerto Vallarta is by bus, but you can also take a taxi or an Uber for a more direct and faster trip.
Playa Colomitos
Back on the opposite side of the bay, Playa Colomitos is one of the smallest beaches in Puerto Vallarta, but also one of the most beautiful. Just a short distance from Boca de Tomatlan, the best way to visit this beach is to take a five-minute water taxi from the village, or a 30-minute hike along the coastal hiking trail. Yes, this is the same hiking trail that goes all the way to Las Animas, but if you are not up for the entire hike, it’s equally rewarding to stop at Playa Colomitos.
Sandwiched between two rocky outcrops, Playa Colomitos is a jewel of a beach. The soft, fine sand is surrounded by thick jungle and the water is calm and great for swimming. You won’t find any beach facilities here, so you’ll have to bring what you need with you. You can also return to Boca de Tomatlan for lunch or a refreshing drink before heading back to Puerto Vallarta.
Playa Yelapa
Playa Yelapa is the most remote beach on this list, only accessible by water taxi from Puerto Vallarta’s Los Muertos Pier or Boca de Tomatlan. This rugged, insular village, sliced by the Tuito River, climbs up from the beach into the rocky, jungle-covered hills. Fun fact: If you hike upstream, you’ll reach a beautiful waterfall.
The beach here is sheltered by a small bay, so the water is always warm and safe for swimming. A row of modest beach bars and restaurants line the sand, all serving fresh seafood and strong drinks.
I recommend spending a night or two in Yelapa. It’s the perfect way to escape the fray of Puerto Vallarta and soak up the natural beauty of the southern end of the Bay of Banderas.
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.
Maya Train pilings have been found to penetrate the roofs of underground caves.(@gchristy65/X)
Steel and cement pilings that pierce through the roofs of limestone caves along a section of the Maya Train railroad have affected the quality of subterranean water and destroyed “archaeological and geological heritage,” experts say.
Members of two environmental groups that assert that the construction and operation of the Maya Train railroad is harming the environment visited caves in the Aktun T’uyul system south of Playa del Carmen in Quintana Roo on Sunday.
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🔴El Tren Maya acuchilla el sistema de cuevas y cenotes de Quintana Roo
🗞️EL PAÍS recorre con espeleólogos una de las 122 cavernas impactadas por la construcción contrarreloj de más de 10.000 pilares
In photos and videos, they documented pilings that penetrate the roofs of caves in that complex.
The pilings, or columns, support an elevated section of track along Section 5 of the railroad, parts of which were inaugurated in late 2023. The elevation of the tracks was supposed to avoid damaging the caves and cenotes (natural sinkholes) that are ubiquitous in Quintana Roo and other parts of the Yucatán Peninsula.
In one video filmed on Sunday, hydrologist Guillermo D’Christy points out two of an apparent 12 pilings that were driven through the roofs of caves in the Aktun T’uyul complex.
“It was supposed that we were going to protect this system of caves and cenotes, the promise was they weren’t going to be touched, that’s what [National Institute of Anthropology and History Director] Diego Prieto said,” D’Christy says in his video.
“They lied to us because [the caves] are perforated and concrete is being injected into them,” he adds.
“The next [federal] administration will have a very big job because it will have to look at how to make amends for and mitigate all this damage being caused to the Yucatán Peninsula. … Putting a train through the jungle is the worst ecocide ever committed in this place.”
Impact on water quality the main concern
In addition to destroying the structure of the caves, D’Christy and biologist and speleologist Roberto Rojo say that the pilings have affected the quality of subterranean water, which is normally crystal clear but is now murky.
The two men, both of whom spoke to the El Universal newspaper, expressed concern about the potential impact of the corrosion of metal in the pilings on subterranean water in cenotes and rivers.
D’Christy and his team stand next to one of the pilings. (@gchristy65/X)
The biggest issue “of all this devastation and unlawfulness has to do with water,” D’Christy said.
“Two million [Quintana Roo] residents depend on water to live and if it’s contaminated, it will be terrible,” he said.
Rojo said it was unclear whether the murkiness of the water would be permanent or only last while work on that section of the railroad is taking place.
“We don’t know what the effect of the rusting of the structures will be and in general we don’t know what exact impacts these pilings will have because this wasn’t assessed with scientific rigor,” he said.
“As a speleologist, when I saw … the image of the piling crossing the cave, it made me very sad because the impact on the archaeological and geological heritage is irreversible,” said Rojo, who denounced the destruction of stalactites and stalagmites that are 800,000 years old and noted that the remains of ancient humans and “animals from the [last] Ice Age” have been found in the caves.
He also said that the installation of the pilings affects the humidity, temperature and light in the caves, which could affect native species that live in them. Rojo added that there is concern among cave divers about water quality in Quintana Roo, which he said is recognized around the world as “the Mecca of cave diving.”
D’Christy says that at least 122 caves, cenotes and subterranean rivers have already been affected by work along Section 5 of the railroad, which is slated to open next month.
“President López Obrador lied [about protecting them],” he told the Reforma newspaper, adding that experts warned that there was no way of avoiding damage to the caves and underground waterways.
D’Christy said that while some caves with cenotes have had pilings drilled into them, others have been completely filled in.
“We’re talking about ancient formations, a habitat that is unique in the world. … The big problem is that they’re putting steel and concrete pilings in Mexico’s most important aquifer after the Usumacinta River and changing the chemistry of the fresh water,” he said.
The Yucatán Peninsula is known for its karst limestone topography and vast subterranean network of caves and sinkholes, many of which are animal habitats. (Depositphotos)
The federal government’s pledge to protect caves and cenotes
President López Obrador promised that the construction and operation of the Maya Train railroad — one of his government’s signature infrastructure projects — wouldn’t have a negative impact on caves and subterranean waterways on the Yucatán Peninsula.
In May last year, he pledged that cenotes, underground rivers and caves would all be protected.
In 2022, a judge in Mérida, Yucatán, issued a provisional suspension order against the construction of the Maya Train railroad between Playa del Carmen and Tulum due to the “imminent risk” of “irreversible damage” to the Mayan jungle, caves, subterranean rivers and cenotes and the absence of environmental studies and permits.
However, the government succeeded in having that order, and other rulings against the construction of the 1,554-kilometer-long railroad, overturned.
El Universal reported that the installation of pilings along Section 5 of the railroad was “superficially mentioned” in an environmental impact statement submitted to the federal Environment Ministry in May 2022, but it didn’t say where they would be placed or how many would be used, and didn’t specify what impact they would have on the environment.
The conglomerate Grupo México and Spanish firm Acciona were contracted to build Section 5 of the railroad, but the government terminated their contract in 2022 and the Ministry of National Defense took over the project.
Jorge Escobar, a biologist, told El Universal that soil mapping studies — which could have prevented pilings entering caves — were not carried out.
Heavy machinery clears a section of jungle to make way for the Maya Train. (Paola Chiomante/Greenpeace)
Large swathes of jungle were cut down to build the railroad in Quintana Roo due to a route change, a move that triggered protests from numerous environmental groups and activists.
The Sélvame del Tren collective — whose name means “save the jungle from the train” or “save me and the jungle from the train” — has been among the most vocal critics of the multi-billion-dollar project. Its activists were among the environmentalists that documented the pilings during the visit to the Aktun T’uyul caves on Sunday.
There have long been concerns about the risks the construction and operation of the Maya Train pose to the environment and wildlife including jaguars.
López Obrador — who asserts that the railroad will help bring economic prosperity to Mexico’s disadvantaged southeast — has largely rejected opposition to the project on environmental grounds, and described critics as “pseudo-environmentalists.”
The entire railroad — which runs through Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, Quintana Roo and Chiapas — is slated to be operational before the end of next month.
Marine national park Isla Isabel in Nayarit is one of the most recently decreed nature reserves. (Conanp/X)
The forested Sierra Tecuani of Guerrero, prowled by five different species of big cats. The Bajos del Norte reef in Yucatán, where lobsters and rare fish species breed. The arid semi-desert of Zacatecas, home to 30% of Mexico’s golden eagles, as well as prairie dogs, black bears and fragile desert flora. All of these are included in the 20 areas of rich biodiversity declared Natural Protected Areas (ANP) by Mexico’s Environment Ministry (Semarnat) in January 2024.
With these 20 new ANPs, the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has now created more nature reserves than any other. But is Mexico doing enough to protect these national treasures of wilderness?
The Military Macaw is one of many vulnerable species that is native to Mexican forests. (Conanp/X)
How many nature reserves are there in Mexico today?
The new reserves bring Mexico’s total number of ANPs up to 225, covering 95.9 million hectares. Just over two thirds are marine protected zones, while the rest is on land.
How many have been added during AMLO’s administration vs prior administrations?
AMLO has declared 43 new ANPs during his administration, covering roughly 4 million hectares – more than any other president in Mexican history. General Lázaro Cárdenas del Río (1934-1940) is in second place with 41, followed by Ernesto Zedillo (1994-2000) with 30.
How does Mexico’s protected land area compare with other countries?
According to the National Protected Areas Commission (Conanp), around 23 million hectares ofMexico’s protected reserves are on land — about 11.74% of Mexico’s total land area. This compares to:
123.5 million hectares in theUnited States (12.9% of the country’s land area);
Michoacán, Jalisco and Baja California (12 in each)
The states with the largest areas covered by ANPs are Baja California, Baja California Sur, Coahuila, Campeche, Chihuahua and Sonora.
What is the federal budget for ANPs in 2024?
Mexico’s Draft Budget of Expenditures for 2024 (PEF 2024) proposes an 11.4% reduction to the environmental budget. The Conanp is one of the worst-hit agencies.
Its proposed budget for 2024 is just under 1 billion pesos (US $58.9 million) – a real-terms drop of 31.7%, according to an analysis by the Northwest Civil Society Coalition for Environmental Sustainability (NOSSA).
If confirmed, this budget equates to about 10.6 pesos (US $0.62) per hectare of protected area.
Conanp itselfhas estimated that it needs between 1.3 and 1.5 billion pesos (US $76.5-88.3 million) to adequately cover the cost of protecting Mexico’s ANPs — even before the recent additions. Critics fear that the budgetary shortfall will leave Mexico’s precious natural reserves more vulnerable than ever to illegal resource extraction, often at the hands of organized crime groups.
