andreaac

I need a vacation badly and have ruled out long juants that would require too much travel time. Where in Mexico would be good to travel with a 20-21 month old baby? I know that the drinking water is always a concern..could you shed some light on that topic.

We need a place where we can get more than just a hotel room...more like a place with a kitchen/kitchenette, etc. A good beach is a must! I've heard good things about Isla Mujeres. Any insight? Other suggestions for locations are welcome.

Other requirements are, interesting local culture and interesting things to do and see. We do not want any city atmosphere so Cancun is definately out. HELP!

marilynl

I'll just tell you our family's experience and you can decide if it applies to you. We went to Puerta Vallarta when our dayghters were 18 months and 3.5 because we thought the Mexicans would be very tolerant of children. We thought we'd like a condo to have a kitchen and to be right on the beach.

The part about Mexicans liking children was true. However, the condo was not a good choice because of the relative lack of activities. THe girls were TERRIFIED of the beach, so different from our placid Lake Michigan one at home. The other hazard was all the tile, which combined with wet kiddie feet, was sometimes a real nuisance.

So my advice would be to look for a huge resort with lots of activities and other kids. Oh, the other thing was all the juices and the milk tasted different to them--only Coke tasted the same, they said!

babykitty

We just got back from the Iberostar Paraiso Lindo, about an hour south of Cancun. We had our 20 month old daughter with us. It was a great place. The resort has a children's area--nice jungle gym & pool. She was too young for the mini-club, but loved playing on the playscape. She loved the pool & the beach & running around in general. They have 24 hour room service so food was never more than 30 minutes away. We had a mini-fridge in the room & that was sufficent. Another couple with a 18 month old asked the staff if they could take a carton of milk to keep in their room & they were able to keep some on hand.

The staff was super nice & we had no concerns with the water. We rented a car & brought our car seat which was nice be able to get out & about & run to the grocery store in PDC for some snacks & diapers.

She/we had a great time. A couple of day trips to Tulum & PDC were enough to keep us from being bored. She also enjoyed watching Clifford & Sesame Street in spanish!

Ryan

We went to Acapulco last month with our 26 month old son and 10 month old daughter. We had absolutely no problems. I would strongly suggest that both you and they stick to bottled water. It isn't nearly as bad as it may have been years ago, but outside modern hotels, the water likely isn't purified.

There are plenty of modern supermarkets in Mexico and getting milk, bottled water, or snacks for your child won't be a problem. (We stayed at the Hyatt, partly because it was in walking distance to a Wal-Mart. I know.)

As both our children have very fair skin, we are very cautious with them in the sun. We have almost a full length wetsuit for our daughter. With our son, we kept a t-shirt on him both at the beach and in the pool. The sun, probably moreso than the food and water, may present your biggest challange.

Ryan

I should add that we've found the extra money for a suite to be worth it. It gives them a bit of space and some quiet when they are sleeping.

TC

There are young children at the Coral Princess Resort in Cozumel each year when we go. The staff adores little ones, the beach is a great place for them to play it even has a shallow pool, there's a small activity room with movies for the kids too. The poolside waiters alway save morning toast for the little kids to feed the fish. The hotel can set up baby-sitting and the oceanside rooms have a nice little kitchen and sitting area for extra space. You can see the set up on their web site at: www.cozumel-hotels.net/coral_princess/

You should be able to get a nice package at the CP through any travel agent as they work with many of the tour companies like Apple.

I think Cozumel is a great place to take kids. Its safe, it has nice local atmosphere, but also sophisticated enough to have a grocery where you'll find all you need for a little one and a good doctor on the island just in case.

andreaac

Thank you all for your most thoughtful responses. We have decided to vacate elswhere instead of Mexico. The areas of Mexico we truly would like to visit...the Yucatan region...to see the Mayan ruins is just not suitable for a young toddler. We will wait until he's a little older. We've picked an island vacation instead.

Again, many thanks.