Question about Mexico travel

[texas_jack]



than look at the firsti option i put up..
merida/progreso
touristy yes but mostly for nationals still as wonderful beaches great food etc.
somthing quieter could be campeche, historic walled city beaches etc.
or maybe a like veracruz...internationally under the radar but the tourist industry is developed around nationals there are plenty of resort like hotels etc.
and one other point comprender is not really used often at least in spoken spanish in mexico

At this point I wouldn't go anywhere but the touristy places in Mexico. You realize they dumped about 50 headless bodies in Veracruz just a few months ago right? The cartels have admitted they just grab random people off the streets for sheer terror purposes. And I say this as a guy who's bussed and driven all over Mexico. Stay off the roads and out of the non tourist areas. **** is bad.

 

[sns23]

If you leave the luxury resort you will get murdered

 

[Rambo]



At this point I wouldn't go anywhere but the touristy places in Mexico. You realize they dumped about 50 headless bodies in Veracruz just a few months ago right? The cartels have admitted they just grab random people off the streets for sheer terror purposes. And I say this as a guy who's bussed and driven all over Mexico. Stay off the roads and out of the non tourist areas. **** is bad.

If you leave the luxury resort you will get murdered

That's really only in the north. The rest of Mexico is relatively safe. Relatively being the operative word there.

 

[scarphe]



At this point I wouldn't go anywhere but the touristy places in Mexico. You realize they dumped about 50 headless bodies in Veracruz just a few months ago right? The cartels have admitted they just grab random people off the streets for sheer terror purposes. And I say this as a guy who's bussed and driven all over Mexico. Stay off the roads and out of the non tourist areas. **** is bad.

i spend a good bit of time in veracruz and the surrounding area. And yes i realize all that hell the grenade news was not even mentioned by you and can anectdotally I walk around and feel perfectly safe.

 

[lefty]

You want a place called Isla Holbox. Fishing village island off the top of the Yucatan. http://www.holboxisland.com/

No cars, so a quiet and safe place. Hotels range from backpackery to 3 stars. Cheap as hell. Sit on the beach and have a fresh grilled fish, guacamole and a beer for about $5.

Hit the right time and you will see one of the largest gatherings of whale sharks in the world. Also a wind surfing destination.

Go to the village zocalo at night and let your kids hang out with the local kids.

lefty

 

[texas_jack]



i spend a good bit of time in veracruz and the surrounding area. And yes i realize all that hell the grenade news was not even mentioned by you and can anectdotally I walk around and feel perfectly safe.

Veracruz and Merida are both nice though. I especially like Merida. I haven't been since college though.

 

[imatlas]

Merida is nice, but might be a bit dull for a family. Isla Holbox and Isla Mujeres are both nice, Holbox is the sleepier of the two. Isla Mujeres has gotten a bit over-developed, but not even close to the degree that Cozumel and PDC have been overrun.

I really enjoyed staying in Akumal, down the coast from Playa del Carmen. We don't go to all-inclusive resorts, but we our hotel room had a beautiful view of the water and the hotel restaurant was excellent. The cove there is known for sea turtles - Akumal means "Place of Turtles" (supposedly). Tulum is a short ride away, and Chichen Itza is an easy day trip.

 

[texas_jack]

When I went in 98 tulum was a sleepy beach town. The only hotel we found was an old concrete place with no air conditioning. I think we slept in our hammocks in a palapa on the beach the first night for like $5. I hear it's all built up now.

 

[Rambo]



When I went in 98 tulum was a sleepy beach town. The only hotel we found was an old concrete place with no air conditioning. I think we slept in our hammocks in a palapa on the beach the first night for like $5. I hear it's all built up now.

It is. I was there for 6 days. Still a 1 street town, but the town has a whole bunch of **** on it. The beach has hotels everywhere now as well. You can still sleep in a palapa but it'll probably cost you $10 nowadays.

 

[globetrotter]

honestly, for young kids (my kids were 7 and 3 more or less) we had a lot of fun. white trash that I wouldn't talk to, but nice beach, nice pool, I was drinking margaretas at 11 am, safe.

on the way out, we stopped for 2 days in Mexico city - hit the anthropological museam and the pyramids outside of town. it was perfect for my kids, and safe.

if you have any specific questions pm me

 

[globetrotter]

another thing that I would highly recomend - I was just in Mexico city this weekend, and it turns out that on the last sunday of the month they have a huge bike thing, where tens of thousands of people, including a lot of families, bike around town. the city will lend you a bike, and you can rent better bikes or buy accessories. it was a lot of fun, and you got a chance to mingle with a lot of mexicans in a very safe enviroment. I'd bring my kids to do that

 

[Rambo]

That sounds fun. I'll time my trip around that. Thanks Z.

 

[imatlas]



honestly, for young kids (my kids were 7 and 3 more or less) we had a lot of fun. white trash that I wouldn't talk to, but nice beach, nice pool, I was drinking margaretas at 11 am, safe.

on the way out, we stopped for 2 days in Mexico city - hit the anthropological museam and the pyramids outside of town. it was perfect for my kids, and safe.

if you have any specific questions pm me

I saw you mention the anthropological museum in another thread - as you said, it's one of the best museums of its type in the world, but my 20 year old memory is that very little of the signage was in English. My Spanish was a lot better in those days, and I'm not sure how much of it I'd get now.

At any rate, I always recommend that people visit Mexico City. It's one of my favorite cities, and I feel almost at home there. A friend once told me that I'm the most Mexican gringo he'd ever met

 

[Cuttingboard]

My wife and I go to a small adult only resort just north of Playa several times a year and we love it. We venture into Playa several times a week for dinner, people watching and bar hopping. I've heard really good reviews from families about the royal haciendas resort.