we have rented a casa on tankah bay for 2 weeks the end of oct/nov. we normally take a cooler to our caribbean destinations and wish to do so on this trip. i have "heard" that no "meats" can be taken in. i can not determine if this means beef or all meats. and i can not find any source to say for certain if taking any foods or meats,etc is legal or not. with all the airline hassles these days i don't want to create a problem, but i know someone who says she went in with a frozen chicken and assorted other foods. does anybody know for sure what the laws are or know how i can find out. i've tried e-mailing the embassy in dc but got no reply. have phoned boston and dc consulates office and just got a series of recored stuff not pertaining to my concern...(i did leave a message this afternoon) HELP PLEASE

First of all with all the fabulous food in Mexico I would not take food unless you need a very specific diet of the unusual kind. US Chickens were defiantly banned last year, but unsure about now. If someone got in with one it was a error. But as I said the "range free" chickens in Mexico are vastly superior to any US bird. Beef was baned during the "mad Cow" threat. Not sure about now. Also no fruits &/or veggies are allowed.

You cannot bring anything on the plane and take it with you into the country that is not sealed in the original container. Any baggies of food like peanuts that are packed by you are not permitted. They make you throw it away if you have it on the plane before you get there. Food items that are still in their factory sealed bags are ok. I don't know about chickens but they do have chickens in Mexico and the grocery stores do sell them jus tlike they do in the U.S. Stop by one on your way to Tankah and pick some up if you need to. The new Soriana grocery store is on the highway 307 just past Playa Del Carmen on the right hand side. They have a great meat department. Their bakery is also very good. Fresh vegetables and anything else you can buy here you can get there for the most part.

oops, i should have specified that the cooler we take is frozen solid and goes through checked luggage, so carry on is not an issue. we do have 1 in our group with some dietary restrictions. we do realize that food is available in local groceries, and that local restaurants will provide excellent meals. however, we are a group of 3 ladies, first time in mexico and we are not sure that we feel comfortable to be out driving the roads at night very often (to go to dinner) and we like the convenience of traveling with some of our provisons. also 2 of us are avid cooks and like to prepare particular items; often we do a lot of the prep work at home so an item like crab cakes can just be defrosted and sauteed.
so really hoping to find a way to get an official responce - a list of what's legal and what's not.
we do of course need to shop locally as well, so colokid, i really appreciate the tip on where to find a good grocery! do you or stewbear know of any good little bakeries in tulum or akumal? we loooove sweets.
thank you.

The bakery at Soriana is quite good actually. I tried all three groceries last month for their baked goods and they same in second. Mega was the best in my opinion, than Soriana and then Chedraui. I honestly wouldn't be hauling a lot of food down there or any at all for that matter but that's your choice. If you get the red light at the airport exit and have to unpack all that stuff it's just a drain on your time. Plus the grocery stores are so good that I wouldn't worry. There is not too much in Tankah (I stayed there a few years ago)as far as grocery stores or any stores for that matter. Are you going to have a rental car?

Especially if you have avid chefs in your group, I would encourage you to buy local products and cook with them. That's part of the fun of traveling in Mexico! Food is beautiful there.

As far as finding out the official rules for a frozen cooler full of prepared food going into Mexico (I am doubtful it is allowed but do not know for sure), can't you ask your airlines &/or check with a Mexican government website?

I was interrupted by the phone but I would also suggest that you not drive the roads at night. I do drive down there without problems but the rules of the road are different and you need to know what they are. I do not drive after dark. If you take a taxi from the airport you can have them stop at the grocery before you continue down. If you rent a car the access and egress is very easy at Soriana. There is a brand new mall that is part of the Soriana shopping area that includes many smaller stores and a Woolworth's. If you still have a question and I doubt you will get an answer from the consulate. I would call the TSA or the airline itself and ask.

I got a red light at customs at BJX a couple of years ago and my luggage was inspected. I had two sealed bags of Seattle coffee beans from Costco.
I was told in no uncertain terms that those were prohibited, but was allowed to keep them when the agent found out I live here.
M

suze, i will try calling delta on tuesdsay and did look on a govt site which connected me to embassy which has not replied in over a week... will also try tsa and customs dept of both countries. this is becoming a research challenge now. (there'd be a smiley face here is i could figure it out)
we are renting a car or small suv so will probably stop at soriana on our way to the casa.
what about fish? are there any places to pick up from boats? will i find roadside stands, like in US, with fresh fruits, vegies, flowers?
i am slowly adapting to the idea that we may not be able to bring our cooler, but i gotta tell you i'm from maine and we were really looking forward to lobster salad sandwiches on our beach a lot.
thanks so much for all the tips.

wishing you all a wonderful trip!

i only know the west coast of Mexico so can't help you with details. but i really think you'll be fine without the cooler & doing some local-style cooking.

you make a smiley face by typing:
: - ) without the spaces

kindly, suze

They also have fish at Soriana and the other large grocery stores. If you want fresh you could try the boats at Puerto Morelos on the way down or Puerto Aventuras or perhaps Akumal. Glad you're going with the rental car but just be sure of the driving rules in Mexico. I'm with you on those lobster sandwiches; they would be nice. You'll have an amazing time anyway. Do you have plans to visit any of the ruins or zip lines?

You will be able to find lot of other seafood if you can't fine lobster. You are in Mexico, not Maine, so just enjoy some ceviche instead of Lobster Salad. Open up your opportunities, you can have lobster salad any day.

The ceviche at Los Pelicanos in Puerto Morelos was excellent. I agree...the lobster in MX is not Maine lobster. There are so many other choices. The fish tacos and shrimp tacos are excellent.

While a lobster roll in Maine sounds fantastic, I have a hard time imagining it on a hot beach in Mexico after it had traveled all those miles. Just doesn't seem like a great idea to me, with so many other fresh options.

Suze Last winter in Zihuatanejo the Commercial Mexicana had live Maine lobsters at prices under what they are in the states. They ran 300 pesos a kilo or just pennies over $12 a pound. I still pasted as just too much great food in Mexico.

oooh mike, yes i can have the sandwich anytime, but not on such a glorious beach... intrepid as we are we shall of course survive without!
yes we will be going to tulum with additional trips to coba or chichen itza and i've found directions to a tiny ruins across the way from xel-ha. we are thinking about the zip line. my travel buddy has done it on a trip to costa rica and other friends have done mex one and liked it. we are also thinking about a drive to punta allen. heard the atv jungle tour is too dusty... but we may go horseback riding.
ok, i guess you can't tell i'm getting excited.

We did the zip line with Selvatura/Selvatica last month and it was a great time. Don't know which ruins you plan on but be aware you can no longer climb Chichen Itza (since last Jan). There is a Comercial Mexicana (Mega) in PDC on Constitution and 30th. Don't know about the lobster situation though. It might be a good idea to get a Laura Mapchick map of the area if you're planning on driving around. They're a great resource.