Hola Mexico!

 I decided to start with a country that most of us have likely been to due to the proximity and affordable flights from the United States-which is MEXICO!

Chichen Itza

I have been to Mexico 3 times. I went the year my ex and I divorced for our 10-year wedding anniversary to a gorgeous adults-only resort in Cancun when I went for the first time. It was dreamy, the ocean warm, and the food and drinks plentiful. We ventured to the ruins of Chichen Itza one day and saw ancient Mayan temples. I highly recommend this. We visited in July, and MAN was it hot, but honestly, with pools and ocean, we were just fine.

Barrett and I ventured to Mexico for our 2nd or 3rd anniversary and went to the island of Cozumel. We also stayed at an all-inclusive resort with many activities and restaurants. We snorkeled a ton and went on snorkeling excursions. We taxied to town to shop. We swam in the ocean every day except one when the wind made the sea very rough and brought with it thousands of thimble jellyfish. We visited in February. 

In the summer of 2021 after all of the COVID madness but while the world was still opening back up, we took the kids and spent 8 days in June in the Riviera Maya (which is very near Cancun but also Tulum).We stayed at a beautiful all-inclusive resort with connecting suites and a swim-out pool. The food was great and the resort had fun activities each day and night that kept the boys pretty entertained while we sipped pina coladas and read. They had dance lessons and a bubble party in the pool. We rented a car this time and ventured out almost every day to see the nearby town of Puerto Morelos, to go cenote snorkeling, and visit the ruins of Tulum. It rained the first 3 days of our trip, like steady, heavy rain, but we had fun. 

A note about oceans: Now, I am the type of traveler who LOVES to be IN the ocean. I don't care how nice a pool is if there is an ocean to swim and snorkel in. Many countries in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico as well as even further out near Africa have been struggling with sargasso the last few years. Sargasso is a type of brown seaweed from a micro-algae bloom that can thoroughly populate the ocean at certain times of the year based on the wind and weather conditions and can completely cover the sea as it starts to rot on top of the water. This can make entire areas unswimmable as it is irritating to the skin if you try to swim in it and it smells really, really bad as it decomposes and covers with flies. Be careful of this when traveling in these areas. With our upcoming trip to the Bahamas, we did a ton of research on what side of the island to stay on. See more: Seaweed is spoiling Caribbean Beaches

Disclaimer time: I have some major disclaimers before I score Mexico: we have found that traveling to all-inclusive resorts which include your room, resort activities like having kayaks, dance lessons, etc., and all food and drink have been the most budget-friendly for all types of travel. That being said, the price tag was still hefty taking a family- although we did opt to stay in a two-connecting room suite for room to spread out (which was AMAZING!). The only time copious travel outside of the resort was done was when we took the children to Riviera Maya. I think for the first few visits to Mexico especially if there is any worry regarding the safety or finding your way around an all-inclusive resort or even a resort, in general, makes sense. Now that I have been a handful of times and Barrett has driven around once, I think I would be more likely to try striking out on our own and getting a home rental for vacation. So all of that to say that my reviews of Mexico are very resort-based, and I know that that does not involve seeing as much of the country as I would like to be able rate it. I have not been to the Pacific side of Mexico at all yet, and I would love to explore the Yucatan more.

Ratings: 20/25 for a respectable 80%

Natural Beauty: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Mexico is really lush and gorgeous in many areas. The ocean is warm and the sand is sugary (not powdery FYI, a bit more grainy). It has pretty good snorkeling, though not great.

Comfort: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I feel pretty safe in Mexico most of the time though there have been a few really insistent vendors or window washers. Even off the resort, Mexico was pretty easy to navigate and to find food and toilets. 

Sights: ⭐⭐⭐ I gave Mexico a 3-star for the sights I have seen. Chichen Itza and Tulum are breathtaking, but the rest of what I have seen is the mostly pretty ocean and heavy emphasis on partying or ocean activities. To put this in perspective, a country that would rank really high in sights to see would be England where there are castles, cathedrals, and iconic architecture everywhere. I do need to do much more wandering of Mexico's other regions for a more fair scoring. 

Relaxation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Mexico is an area where relaxation is synonymous with pleasure. Lovely vistas with comfy loungers, all the food you can eat, all the drinks you can drink. Each time I have visited Mexico we have at least spent an entire day hanging out at the resort being waited on by beach wait staff as we looked at the ocean, swam, read, and snoozed. 

Affordability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I almost gave 5 stars, but that belongs more to countries like Cambodia (which we travel to in 2024) where a 5-star resort is about $100 USD a night. Mexico is affordable-ish. The extra activities and sway for even better suites can add up quite a bit. Can it be done more cheaply? Definitely! I will say that all-inclusive traveling has definitely saved us money in feeding ourselves and our teenagers! The all-inclusive resort food that I have had across three different resorts in three different years in various areas of Mexico has always been pretty good, not fabulous, but definitely edible and enjoyable.

Would I return: YES. Mexico is fairly easy to travel to from the Pacific Northwest and a great option for even an extended weekend which Barrett and I have talked about repeatedly doing. Somebody who has traveled to the Pacific side of Mexico I need you to convince me why I should go there? My main question to you is can I get in the ocean at any time of year and see sea- life?

Trip Cost: For 1 week for a couple all-inclusive with a few activities and flights is anywhere from $3,500-5,000 depending on the resort. For a family of 4 (again depending on the accommodations you choose) for an all-inclusive look to spend $7,000-8,000 or so. If you were to do a cheaper hotel without food included or something like a VRBO or Airbnb I bet this cost would go down quite a bit.

Mexico is a great place for the beginning international traveler as English is widely spoken especially in the resort areas, and most of us know at least un poquito de Espanol. The US dollar is also widely accepted. Try a resort and then venture further. 

Readers--what are your favorite Mexican destinations and why?