Were to go in Mexico?

[jhamaker]

I have an Alaska Airlines ticket to anywhere they fly, need to use it pretty much now. Where to go to explore?

[ScottP]

Cavern diving on the Yucatan peninsula, starting from Cancun.

[Cobra_Commander]

that looks safe and relaxing

[archenemy]

That area is not doing so well right now, I hear. Still suffering from a hurricane.

 

However, if you are actually interesting in diving the Yucatan, I have been there and would be happy to pass on info.

[ZimZam]

They're in the Xcaret/Tulum area yes? I've been there and they're beautiful.

[jlag]

What type of fun are you looking for? Climbing, kayaking, just relaxing and drinking beer? Let me know, I can probably give you some direction.

[mtn_mouse]

Fly to Cabo San Lucas. Rent a car and drive east to San Jose del Cabo, then get on the dirt road following the se coast to the Sea of Cortez, Cabo Pulmo, Los Frailes, Los Barrailes. Then loop back on the paved road. Absolutely the best place in Baja.

[ncascademtns]

Fly to Cabo San Lucas. Rent a car and drive east to San Jose del Cabo, then get on the dirt road following the se coast to the Sea of Cortez, Cabo Pulmo, Los Frailes, Los Barrailes. Then loop back on the paved road. Absolutely the best place in Baja.

 

Now that sounds like fun!

[spicoli11]

Todos Santos for the big wave of mexico

[RocNoggin]

I thought Porto Escondido was the place for big waves in Mexico?

 

not too long ago someone posted about climbing on the beaches there...go back through some recent posts, this month I believe, and you should be able to find some climbing information regarding the beaches on the west coast.

 

have you climbed any of the volcanos down there?

 

look in the "climbing partners" section, I thought someone was looking for partners to rock climb in Potero or whatever that canyon is called.

[spicoli11]

I'm talking the island in northern baja....not the town in southern baja. Escondido does hold large swell....but this is the legendary spot

http://www.wannasurf.com/spot/Central_America/Mexico/Baja_Norte/todos_santos/index.html

[Toast]

If you speak a little Spanish, are daring and genuinely friendly, you can delve into some really cool spots for cheap cheap, eat really well, and see the real Mexico.

 

Pretty much fly into any major city, hop a collectivo to el Centro Terminal (the central bus terminal, every city has one), and take your pick of any of the smaller towns via bus. I know it's a cliche, but it's not the destination, it's the journey.

 

Food at the roadside bus stations that pop up in the middle of nowhere is generally good, healthy, abundant in variety, and nothing you'll ever get north of the border. Same goes for the food stalls generally located in the back of the town market (every town will have at least one mercado.) Sample mouth watering stews, fresh soups, and tamales that will defy any preconceived notions. They're really yummy down there, but nothing even close up here. Believe it or not, bread in Mexico is scrumptious and beats most french baguettes you'll find in stores around here. Be careful around street food. Don't get me wrong, I eat plenty, but there generally aren't the sanitary facilities available with those little carts that the food stalls in the market have.

 

Little towns that come to mind:

 

North of Puerto Vallarta airport: Tepic, San Blas, Chacala (tiny little beach town, super cool)

 

Inland via Mexico City or Guadalajara: Zacatecas, Patzcuaro, Morelia, Urupan, Guanajuato

 

Oaxaca: I haven't been in this area, but it is the next place in Mexico I'll explore.

 

South and West of Cancun: See la Routa Maya in other posts. There are new ruins that were discovered in Guatemala just south of the mexican border. See them now or they'll turn into a defoliated tourist trap in a few years.

 

Before you go, browse some of the posts on the Thorn Tree.

[jlag]

Taking the road around the Sea of Cortez is awesome. I've been to Cabo Pulmo, it's really chill with good snorkeling. The other spots are really good times as well. Just depends on what you want to do. Unless you want to spend most of your time on the toilet I wouldn't advise eating at the roadside stands. Yes the food is really good, but sooner or later you'll be pissing out of your ass.

[lummox]

copper canyon.

costa alegre (the coast between puerto vallarta and barra de navidad).

get high with the huichol.

chill in morelia. of guanajuato. or san miguel de allendes. of queretaro.

[plexus]

Lived in Oaxaca for five months Toast, you'll love it down there. There is limestone climbing with huge tuftas in Rio Blanco (SE of Orizaba in the state of Veracruz). There is some interesting lakeside climbing just outside of the city of Puebla.

 

For something unlike any other part of Mexico, I would head to the highland forests. The natives speak Spanish as a secondary language and many of them are turning to exo-tourism as a form of living as opposed to logging. Anything along the central spine south of Mexico City.

[sexual_chocolate]

I've had a lot of fun at a place called Zipolite, north of puerto escondido, way south on the pacific side. it was a cool mellow relatively unknown international counterculture hippie hangout in the early nineties, but was definitely getting more popular, sadly but understandably. Lived in a hammock under a palapa for three weeks or so (how quickly time went by there!), bodysurfing and diving and relaxing and eating awesome local seafood, all for a few bucks a day. Worth a visit I think, if you're in the area.

Edited December 17, 2005 by sexual_chocolate

[Sol]

right now i´m in San Cristobal de las Casas, in chiapas mexico. i´ve been down here traveling for 2 months with my girlfriend, trad chica. its great, can´t really say too much about the climbing down here. left rock gear back in the states after roadtriping for 2 months. we didn´t make it up to the yucatan but reports from other travelers are that it is fully functional as long as you don´t want a $90 room in cancun. be prepared to drop some loot as the yucatan is the most expensive part of mexico. as far as mexico goes we had a great time surfing in puerto escondido for 2 weeks, spent some time in oaxaxa, which is nice as well, and are enjoying are stay in san cristobal.

 

one thing worth mentioning is that there is no reason to limit yourself to mexico, we have also traveled in guatemala and belize. they are both very different than mexico and offer a bit more of a foreign traveling expereience.

 

guatemala is super duper cheap. in guate, check out the town of san pedro la laguna on lake atitlan. its a small lake side town accessible only by boat nestled on the side of a huge caldera filled lake surrounded by volcanoes. we payed $5 a night for a room in a hotel with a private bathroom, about $2 for a meal, and $4 for an ounce of funk. word. in guate also check out livingston and rio dulce on the caribbean coast. completely diffferent than the rest of guatemala, due mostly to the caribe garifuna culture that lives in the region. you haven´t danced until you try to dance to a garifuna band.

 

belize is super cool too. the most relaxed layed back country i´ve ever been too or even imagined. every single person you meet is stoked to strike up a conversation with you. many of the businesses close down when they feel that they´ve made enough money for the day. highlights of our time in belize include dangriga, which is said to be the center of the garifuna culture. also tabacco caye, a tropical island which is the size of about 1.5 football fields, and a 30 minute boatride from dangriga. it was absolutely incredible, super friendly locals, amazing snorkeling 20 feet from the shore, not a damn tv or phone or computer or anything. as close to paridise as we have ever imagined.

 

some places in central americal in which i intend to travel next include: the bay islands in honduras which sports the cheapest scuba diving in the world, panama, and the incredible surfing in nicaragua.

pm me if you want any other information, and hey get the hell out of the rainy northwest and go travel, cheers.

[jhamaker]

I have time to pack, or research.

 

Argh! My passport is expired. Should I expect any trouble getting back?

[lummox]

in guate, check out the town of san pedro la laguna on lake atitlan. its a small lake side town accessible only by boat nestled on the side of a huge caldera filled lake surrounded by volcanoes.

negative. san pedro is road accessed. fukin dumass stoner

[Sol]

in guate, check out the town of san pedro la laguna on lake atitlan. its a small lake side town accessible only by boat nestled on the side of a huge caldera filled lake surrounded by volcanoes.

negative. san pedro is road accessed. fukin dumass stoner

northwest weather got you down dickwad. maybe you haven´t heard about the hurricane that hit the area a couple a months ago. travel to san pedro from the south is not recommended as of 2 weeks ago because of unstable and missing roads. loser.

[Sol]

I have time to pack, or research.

 

Argh! My passport is expired. Should I expect any trouble getting back?

expired passport is definetly not a go. you can renew your passport for $60, and then pay and additonal $60 to get it rushed, mine took about 2 weeks.