KJP

I'm trying to decide if I want to take a trip to Mexico for a celebration. It will be 2-3 women traveling together. If you could go for a week, where would you go? Things to take into consideration: 1-our safety as women traveling with little or no Spanish skills, 2-we're not much on going somewhere just to lay around on a beach--something a little more active, but not too extreme as one of the travelers has some back problems, and 3-none of us have ever been to Mexico before. Any suggestions would be great as we don't even know where to start to look at what's available.

Thanks!

sharie

Oh fun! I'd go to Cancun or somewhere along the Riviera Maya. Knowing how to say please and thank you in spanish helps a little. Everywhere I went I was asked where my husband was or where the father was. It was annoying. Guess they don't have many independent single mothers there.

Chichen Itza and Tulum are a must see.

Make sure you don't drink the water or eat salad.

suze

Well, I would go to Puerto Vallarta or Cabo San Lucas myself because I love them both and they are easy to get to from Seattle where I live. I've gone solo to both places with ease, so I'm sure your group would be fine.

But where are you flying from? If it's from the East Coast US then the Caribbean side would be closer for you (somewhere like Playa del Carmen, Isla Mujeres, Cancun).

Fra_Diavolo

I'd recommend the Yucatan, but mix it up a little. Take a couple of days in Merida (the weekend is best, they close the downtown to traffic, set up music stands and craft stralls, and there's dancing in the streets). Then a couple of days touring Uxmal and the Puuc cities. Stop at Chichen Itza on the way to the coast, also Ek Balam if possible. Cancun is big, Playa del Carmen less big -- also a number of resorts. If you get bored of the beach and haven't had your fill of ruins, visit Tulum and/or Coba.

I'm assuming winter or spring weather for this trip. In the summer I'd suggest the colonial cities north of MC -- Queretaro, Guanajuato, San Miguel, or perhaps south to Oaxaca. These places (and MC itself) are in the mountains and cooler than the coast.

Femi

I spent a week at a horseriding ranch situated in the countryside of Mexico State (Trip Report here: http://www.fodors.com/community/mexi...-in-mexico.cfm ). You could combine 3-4 days there with a stay in nearby San Miguel de Allende.

KJP

Thanks for those suggestions. We'll be coming from various locations if we can all go--from the west coast and from the southeast. We will be going late winter-early spring depending on how our schedules mesh.

KJP

Femi, I am curious why you recommend a stay in San Miguel de Allende since you described it as a disappointment in your trip report. Just wondering what changed your viewpoint...

maryanntex

I'd go to Oaxaca. Monte Alban is wonderful, and there is also lots of interesting shopping--rugs, ceramics, carved wooden animals, etc. There are cooking classes there, too, although I don't have personal experience with any.

Femi

It wasn't for me, but I do realise it remains very popular with most people. As you're going with friends and have never been to Mexico before, I thought it might be nice to have a mix of locations and a change of scene. San Miguel is within easy reach of the ranch and meets your requirements for activity and safety.

CancunWithMe

I have been lucky enough to had a chance to travel around many different cities/towns around Mexico. It is extremely hard to give good advice without knowing more.

Some key items that might help you decide. If you guys would quickly get frustrated with the "language" barrier, then your best bet would be "touristic" areas such as Mazatlan, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, etc. At these spots, if you stay in the tourist zones you won't have much problem only speaking English. If history and culture is what you are looking for, then big non costal cities like DF, Guadalajara, Puebla, etc could be a good choice.

A local joke here in Cancun (where I live) is "The nice thing about Cancun, is that it is so close to Mexico", implying that it is not really Mexico.

One "generic" place I can recommend (well second) is Cancun/Riviera Maya. Between Cancun and Tulum you will find all different types of accommodations available to meet any kind of budget.

This part of Mexico is a good starting point to get aquinted with what Mexico has to offer. Some come to relax at the white sandy beaches, while others come to explore. In Cancun and la Riviera Maya you have quick access to cenotes for swiming and diving, reefs for snorkeling and diving, Mayan ruins dating back to 500 AD, great night life, jungle tours with jeeps or ATVs, parasailing, zip lines, etc.

Manny

jetsetj

I am toying with the idea of going to San Miguel de Allende and/or Guanajuato for 1 week.
Is it safe and easy to drive between the two?

Our goal is to have a very mellow time walking in a small town, shopping, eating and enjoying everyday Mexico.

TC

Meet at the Houston airport and fly on together to Cozumel. You can't find a safer place, there's plenty to do both in and out of the water, the people are amazingly warm and friendly, the restaurant choices are to die for, shopping is great, the island is small enough that you'll feel like you've really done it in a week without dashing hither and dither, Spanish skills are not needed, its inexpensive, there are lots of great choices for condos so you could all stay together yet have plenty of room to spread out. If you want more info, just let me know.

emd3

I'd definitely go to the colonial towns. With a week, you could rent a nice house in San Miguel and also visit Queretaro and Guanajuato and Dolores Hidalgo as day trips. Or stay in Guanajuato and see the other town on day trips. There are some great houses w/3 bedrms on vrbo.com. I just rented a very nice new one in a gated community 7 min. walk to the zocalo in San Miguel for $700 a week.

cabron

I would also endorse my town, Puerto Vallarta, the safest place I've ever lived in the world.
Lot's to do, wonderful restaurants, great climate and a beautiful setting, with the jungle covered mountains coming right down to the shore.

jetsetj

emd3 or anyone with info,
Have you rented a car and driven in the Guanajuato area?
if so, did you find it safe?
we would only be on the road in daylight hours.

I have looked on vrbo.com also and found several studio or 1 bedrooms in San Miguel and Guanajuato,that would be fine for DH and myself.

We would be going in April for our anniverary.
Is that a good time weatherwise?

emd3

April is an excellent time to go, but be aware of Semana Santa (Holy Week, which is March 29-April 4, 2010). Lots of Mexicans travel at that time, to visit their families and vacation - it is like spring break for them. It will be crowded at that time. There are also usually some nice religious processions in the towns around that time.

I do not drive in Mexico (it is always easier for me to just bus or fly within the country), but my best friend does drive there a lot, and I have driven many places in Mexico w/her during daylight hrs without any problems. However we have not driven around those colonial towns so can't advise about that in particular.

Fra_Diavolo

Haven't driven in Guanajuato, but I have *been* driven there and it looks pretty difficult. The city is honeycombed with underground roads and has a large pedestrian-only zone. It's the kind of place where local knowledge comes in handy.

emd3

jetsetj, what price range are you looking at for your studios in Guanajuato? I know of someone who has a one bedroom (w/separate living area and kitchen), nice, secure, 1 yr old apartment, very close to the centro, for $200 a week there. If you might be interested, let me know and I will forward the pics and info on to you. Not advertising, I just happen to have gotten the info myself from them when I was considering renting there.

jetsetj

thanks all for there comments, much needed
emd3, $200.00 a week is a fair price. does it have any private outside area? that is important to us.

can you send me a link to the apt?

Thanks again