I’ll admit it, I was nervous about Mexico. This was until I actually travelled and experienced the magic there. Mexico was everything I could dream of: delicious delicacies, sophisticated ruins and incredible nature in the way of turquoise Cenotes, sweeping beaches and tumbling waterfalls.

There are steaming jungles and pre-Hispanic civilisations that built some of the world’s greatest archeological monuments. The eco-tourism scene is set up extremely well and pays homage to the indigenous communities in Mexico. The homemade salsas and tacos tasted fresh, punchy and delicious and the use of local ingredients contributes to one of the ‘best kept secrets’ of arguably some of the best street foods scenes in the world. It’s the sweetness of Mole sauce, the spice of a salsa Verde or the sourness of a fresh squeeze of lime on your tostadas.

The first thing you need to do before travelling to Mexico is to wipe away the western rhetoric fed to us. The movies with kidnappings, the political forcefield of how local people are portrayed and the cold and hard entertainment industry monetising stories of cartels and drug raids. There is no denying many areas in Mexico suffer from a poor safety record, however for the purpose of this blog I’ll cover a well trodden route covered by both international travellers and locals alike. We travelled to Mexico City, Puebla, Oaxaca, Merida, Valladolid, Holbox and had one night in Cancun over 2 weeks.

Mexico City

My flight arrival time was 11:10pm. My minds eye was already picturing the worse case scenario, like a playbook of nightmare issues attached to leaving the airport at midnight: hotels bolted shut, lost luggage and taxi scams. I pictured the safety and vestige of an airport hotel for ‘one night only’ only to completely gawk at Hilton Airport hotel costs of over £250 per room for a generic stay. In the end, we took an Uber and stayed in the Reforma area in Mexico City (CDMX) at Ibis Styles Reforma for 4 nights. I don’t know why I was worried about the midnight arrival, I can only attribute this to the political rhetoric’s fed to us about Mexico in the media.

The hotel was perfectly situated for exploring Central Historico, yet still within walking distance of Chapultepec Castle and the Museum of Anthropology. CDMX is one of the world’s largest, liveliest, and most culturally rich cities. Set high in the Valley of Mexico at about 2,240M (7,350 ft) above sea level, it blends ancient history with modern urban life in a way few places can match. With over 150 museums, Mexico City stands on what was once Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital founded in the 14th century before the Spanish arrived in 1519.

Overall, CDMX felt safe, thriving, clean, green and exciting! We absolutely loved the hot air balloon experience over Teotihuacan Pyramids, Sky Balloons are the best provider for this.

– Stayed Ibis Styles Reforma
– Favourite food La Casa de Toño en Zona Rosa – Try Pozole: a traditional pozole rojo is a rich, brothy soup made with pork or chicken hominy, and red chilli (you often have to queue and obtain a ticket with a number on to eat during busy periods)

Mexico City Trip Tips

– Uber works very well in cities such as Mexico City and Puebla.
– If you go for the Day of the Dead Festival, the date is confirmed last minute by the city, it often falls on the 1st or 2nd November. Go early to secure a good spot. The Parade route is here.
– The Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City needs to be booked at least a couple of weeks in advance to secure entry.
– There are many bus providers, however ADO is the best brand out there in Mexico. A small numbered slip is passed to you when you leave your bag in the undercarriage, you can only collect your luggage by presenting the slip again to the representative. Bus tickets can be purchased at the bus station directly (you can pay by cash or card) or I highly recommend booking a few days in advance, as some bus timings are discounted. I downloaded the ADO App onto my phone. ADO buses are extremely comfortable.

Puebla

Situated just a couple of hours from Mexico City, Puebla packs a punch. We had a just one night stay here. The historic centre is easy to navigate and walkable in a day. Founded in 1531, Puebla is known for having one of the best preserved colonial centres in Mexico. Its historic downtown is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and filled with Grand plazas and fountains, ornate churches, colorful tiled facades and cobblestone streets. Have a stroll down ‘Calle de los Dulces’ the street earned its nickname because it is lined with shops selling typical Poblano sweets.

– Stayed Hotel Isabel Único, a few steps away from the cathedral.

– Favourite food Cemita is a gigantic face sized sandwich from Puebla, known for its rich flavours, crispy bread, and generous fillings. It’s one of Puebla’s most beloved and iconic street foods. Sandwiches are filled with cheese, grilled meat, onions and salsas. We had a cheap meal at Molotes de la esquina (cash only).

Puebla Trip Tips

– Lucha Libre in Puebla was amazing! Instead of arranging late night Ubers from CDMX (while battling jet-lag!), we were a short walk from the Arena itself in Puebla. There are ticket touts on the day however, I purchased my tickets a day before on Ticketmaster. Originally I tried to purchase them in advance from the UK but the Ticketmaster website on the MX domain would not let me buy them from the UK, it’s no problem to buy the tickets a few days before in-country online. Check when Lucha Libre is running as the wrestling shows are only on a couple of times a week. Tickets vary between £5 to £22 per person for Lucha Libre. Definitely experience the high energy, secret identities, swearing and heckling, it’s brilliant! If you go for ring-side, there is a risk of wrestlers being thrown out of the ring onto you.

– I used Airalo as an E-Sim for data in Mexico. It was £12 for 5GB of Mobile Data for 2 weeks. Data / mobile signal is often restricted to cities (with no signal at all on the road travelling from A to B or in rural communities), a online referral code is FELIX5695 for $3.00 off credit.

– You must have a minimum of basic Spanish when travelling Mexico, English is not widely spoken at all and the assumption shouldn’t be made (in any country for that matter) that locals should understand your language.

Oaxaca

Our favourite location in Mexico! Oaxaca was a 5hr bus journey from Puebla and is one of Mexico’s most culturally rich, diverse, and beloved regions. The region is famous for its Indigenous traditions, street food scene cuisine, colonial beauty, vibrant textiles, and breathtaking landscapes. Both the city of Oaxaca and the state of Oaxaca hold a special place in Mexico’s identity.

Oaxaca Trip Tips

– Stayed Bokatrip Xochimilco
– Food Tacos del Carmen for breakfast. It’s a favourite street stall amongst locals offering empanadas and tortillas filled with chorizo, beef or pork. There are vegetarian options with mushrooms, courgettes and cheese as well.
– Activity Coyote Aventuras are a operator that run some incredible community based tourism trips. We booked the 2D/1N waterfall + trek trip, the tour introduced us to the beautiful rural scenery and indigenous cultures surrounding Oaxaca. I highly recommend it. I can also recommend Oaxaca Eats as a fantastic woman-owned food tour business exploring the regional delicacies that are unique to Oaxaca.
– We loved our visit to nearby archaeological site of Monte Albán (30 minutes outside of town). We took an Uber there but struggled sourcing a taxi back, buses back to the centre of Oaxaca run every hour for 60 MXN per person.
– In Oaxaca, you can request Uber for a small fee, then the driver asks for a cash top up on top of the fare via direct message. They ask your permission first and tell you the cash fee upfront.

Merida
We flew from Oaxaca (via Mexico City with Aeromexico) to the Yucatan, our first stop was Merida! Mérida, the capital of the state of Yucatán, is known for its safety, hospitality, colonial beauty, and deep Mayan roots. Founded in 1542 over the ruins of the ancient Mayan city, it has become a vibrant cultural hub full of history, food, music, and charm. It was once part of a wealthy henequen (sisal) industry, which brought grand mansions and wide boulevards to the city.

Stay – Casa Elda Merida, new and centrally located. The comfiest pillows ever on the trip.

Eat – Taquería De La Unión, for some of the best homemade chips and guacamole we had in Mexico. Top tip: You can always ask for more free tortilla chips if you run out!

– Eat We LOVED a modest market stall called Taqueria Gil Valdez off Parque de Santa Ana so much that we went twice for breakfast. It is 32MXN / £1.60 for the most delicious torta de lechón – pulled pork sandwich with crackling.

Merida Trip Tips
– Many beach holidaymakers travel to Cancun and visit Chichen Itza and a Cenote as a day trip, I’d recommend visiting Cenotes from Merida instead of near Valladolid to avoid the 1000s of beach holidaymakers who stay in the ‘hotel zone’ in Cancun then flock on coaches to Cenotes near Chichen Itza for day trips. Viajes Colibrí Yucatán was a great provider for a Cenotes day trip near Homun.
– In restaurants, the standard tip is 10% to 15% payable by adding this on your card. With Mexico bordering the US, tipping culture isn’t as ‘in your face’ compared to the US however tips are very gratefully received. Tipping mostly applied to restaurant dining and Guides (one of our guides was looking for a 3rd job due to monetary constraints!). We left 50 MXN (£2) for room cleaning staff / drivers here and there where we could.

Valladolid

Valladolid is a picturesque city in the eastern part of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. Known for its colonial architecture, friendly locals, and proximity to cenotes and Mayan ruins, it’s often called “the heart of Yucatán” because of its central location between Mérida, Chichén Itzá, and the Caribbean coast. Its streets still feature colonial-era pastel-colored buildings, grand churches, and lively plazas. The Convento de San Bernardino de Siena is one of the oldest and most historic buildings in the city, built in 1552. Overall Valladolid was pretty but I felt a bit mixed about the town, our guide informed us that locals have been outpriced of Valladolid due to coachloads of tourists from Cancun. We also witnessed the gradual ‘American-lisation’ of the Yucatán where street stalls and shops started to price in both Mexican pesos and US dollars.

Valladolid Trip Tips
– Stay Meson de Marques (although the breakfast was average, we felt that all the meals we had in the hotels were the worse ones, every street food item was far nicer!)

– Eat Oasis Restaurant and Pizzeria. The warmth and kindness received at this family run restaurant was a memory to remember. Walk away from the main square, don’t let unlit roads sway you and go where the locals go.

– We had a fantastic guide called Russell between Merida and Valladolid, we visited Izamal and had an hour exploring there

– Chichén Itzá is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico, with 6,000–8,000 visitors daily on average. We opted to leave this out as both Monte Alban and Teotihuacan Pyramids allowed us to climb up some pyramids for elevated views, this is not permitted at Chichen Itza due to over-tourism.

Holbox
We wanted to escape the hoards of beachgoers in Cancun and opted to stay on Isla Holbox instead. Holbox is a small, car-free island located in the northern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula, within the Yalahau Lagoon of the Isla Holbox Biosphere Reserve. Known for its relaxed vibe, pristine beaches, and wildlife, it’s the serene escape for nature lovers and those looking to disconnect. The negatives of Holbox were residual puddles from rainfall (difficult to wade through) and that there was alot of building work going on towards the western side of the island.

Stay – Holbox Deluxe Apartment. This property worked well for us as it was a 2 bedroom arrangement.
Eat – Birria La Catrina (for one of the BEST Quesabirrias in Mexico). Try ceviche at the family run Ceviches la Chingada.

Holbox Trip Tips
– I felt very car sick on the drive from Valladolid to Chiquila dock. When we there in November 2025 it looked like the Government was resurfacing the road.
– The biolumunsicient tour is most prevailent from May to September. Playa Cocos was one of the worse mosquito infestations I have ever experienced worldwide, bring plenty of DEET especially during dusk (this did not stop me getting over 30 bites in one evening through clothing).
– The Holbox ferry is approximately 600 MXN for a open return (£26pp) and runs every 30 minutes. You can pay by card.
– Nearly all ATM machines charge for cash withdrawals, check this blog post here for the card fees, I use Monzo which offers fantastic rates abroad.
– We loved our visit to Refugio Animal Holbox, you can take a dog for a walk on the island between 9am – 11am and from 5pm to 7pm to avoid the heat of the day.

Before I travelled, my expectations for Mexico were not high (even though the country ranks first in the Americas and seventh in the world by the number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites!).

Do you know why I had lower expectations? It’s because I was brainwashed by western propaganda – that I had to be extra careful in the country. It was the familiar sharp intake of breathe when friends/family heard we were going to Mexico ‘please be careful’ was the response. This was ironically the story told by those who had never visited the country before.

I loved Mexico as it ticked every box for me (Nature, Culture and Food). Mexico itself was a sensory explosion and it was simply the feel of travelling there – the stunning sights, incredible flavours, deep history, and a vibrant culture.

Our guides often asked ‘Why Mexico, didn’t people just tell you that its dangerous here?’ The dark humour raised both an awkward smile and a chuckle, locals are aware of their tarnished portrayal in the media, especially from the US. It was saddening and another reason to hammer home the quote we see so often that “Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in”. A trip to Mexico offers it all and in a way that feels authentic and accessible.

Drop me an email or message here and I will be happy to help with any questions about travelling to Mexico. I’d love to return again to explore destinations I did not visit such as Guadalajara, Baja California and Chiapas.