what is your favorite place to go in Mexico and why?
 

I am gathering info to help me decide where to go in April 2010 for a week.

thinking of San Miguel de Allende or these areas around PV.
Sayulita
Bucerias
Rincón de Guayabitos

Any comments or suggestions much needed.

We are looking for a very walkable place with local culture, food and architecture.

Hi jet -

My favorite is probably Oaxaca. Fascinating city. Great architecture. Some of the best food in the country. Strong indigenous culture. You could spend hours just in the market. Charming zocalo - another place where you could spend hours. And then there's Monte Alban, just outside the city - a very large archeological site built on top of a mountain. Oaxaca seems to fit your stated interests really well.

I also like Guanajuato a lot. So beautiful.

I will say that I really love Mexico, have been to several places in Mexico, and San Miguel was hands-down my least favorite. Couldn't wait to get out of there.If you have your heart set on seeing San Miguel, I suggest staying in Guanajuato and seeing San Miguel as a day trip. Or, you could start in Queretaro (another really nice city) for 2 days, do an overnight in San Miguel, and then continue on to Guanajuato. Bus travel is very comfortable.


Sayulita is great. Very relaxed. Very nice beach. It's pretty quiet, though. Not sure I would spend a whole week there. Depends on what you're looking for.

And don't discount Mexico City. Fascinating, vibrant place.

Happy planning!

I agree w/Robertino about everything he said! I've been to Mex about 12 times, it's one of my favorite countries. Oaxaca does win the top spot, but Zacatecas, San Cristobal, PV, DF, Palenque are all up there near the top.

I think we'll be going to Veracruz for spring break . . . not too much info available here so I might get to report back with some up-to-date info.

I have very detailed reports from many of my Mex trips, email me at [email protected] if interested.

Buen viaje,
Sandy (in Denton)

Robertino said it all for me, too.

Third vote for Oaxaca.

I adore Puerto Vallarta myself but then I'm a city person.

Honestly I don't think any of those 3 you mention near PV fit the description of:

"local culture, food and architecture"

...they're all just small beach towns, nice enough, but nothing particularly cultural about them!

Depends Beach Zihuatanejo Hands down.
More activity at the Beach- PV
Small native city Patzcuaro
Larger colonial cities Morelia, Guadalajara
Metropolis- Mexico City

Robertino is exactly right on all counts. I started going to Oax to buy hand-crafted items for my wholesale business. I had to hire a care and driver & go out to the small towns. That is 80% of what made Oax so interesting. You have to go to the small towns and meet the carpet makers and carvers and pottery makers. My 1st driver was an 83 yr old guy named Pedro Carrasco Rodriguez, and his broken down car was about as old as he was. I had to carry thousands of dollars in cash & several times his old car broke down and I was left out among the cacti standing with my thumb out seeking a ride. I was lucky I lived thru it. But Pedro was one of the great men of all my travels, and all the local people I used for translation, freight, packing etc. all worked any hours of any day & were great. For a long time I had Oaxaca in my DNA & my body yearned to go back after being away a while.

thanks for the replies..
oaxaca huh? Sounds interesting.
I will do some research on it?

Robertino, What didnt you like about San Miquel de Allende?

i just looked on line to see what airfair would be from SEA to Oaxaca !!!

$783.00 !!

We paid $548.00 RT Nonstop SEA-AMS this fall.
no way can i pay over $700 to go to Mexico.

I think a trip to the Puerto Vallarta area is a fabulous idea. I didn't mean to poo-poo that part. Just that I wouldn't be expecting high culture or great architecture in small coastal/beach towns. It's still a GREAT idea. PVR is an easy airport.

$700.00 is right in the ball park for Oaxaca, you pay extra as you normally need to change in MEX. The only exception is the direct flight from Houston on Continental. You could bus if you could get a good deal into MEX or Puebla. Oaxaca is reasonably inexpensive, particularity with the downturn. We paid $42.00 U.S. last summer for a nice room at Las Glondrinas. I like Guanjuato as above. It is certainly more expensive. SMA doesn't do it for me. Maybe it was just the time we visited, but it was packed with tourists and seemed uber Americanized.

I love just about every trip I've taken to Mexico and have visited Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Mita, Los Cabos and Zihuatanejo.

Of all these, I dream of returning to the Mexican Carribbean -- Riviera Maya, PDC, yes, even Cancun.

But I'd be happy to return to any of these Mexican destinations, and would love to see San Miguel Allende and Oaxaca.

Yes, the problem is the connecting flight in Mexico City. You could fly one way, then take the bus back to MC. UNO runs a very comfortable deluxe bus between the two cities. The ride itself passes through interestn terrain -- desert, forest and mountain. Better yet, leave a few days early and stop in Puebla for two nights. The trip from MC to Puebla is about four hours. From Puebla, you can take a bus directly to the MC airport, about two hours. Puebla is another beautiful colonial city famous for its cuisine -- mole poblano, for example. Has a good market, a nice small museum -- well worth a stop. Nearby is Cholula with its great pyramid, and two small churches decorated with folk art.

please suggest apt.'s in Oaxaca..

thanks

I haven't stayed there myself, but have always heard good things about this establishment:

http://www.lasmariposas.com.mx/

Neighborhood is pretty good -- you'll definitely visit Santo Domingo.

I was able to fly into Monterrey Mexico fairly inexpensively, and then I took a Mexican airline, VivaAerobus (booked online in English on their website) from there to Oaxaca. The VivaAerobus portion RT was $200 USD. You can also fly into Mexico City and take VivaAerobus from there to Oaxaca. It was MUCH cheaper for me to do that in Oct. this yr than to fly into Oaxaca directly from the USA.

Hi jet - I hear ya on the airfare. That's one of the reasons I went to Peru (MUCH cheaper) instead of Mexico last September. Dude is right - generally the cheapest airfare to OAX is Continental via Houston. And Fra's idea of flying into Mexico City and taking the bus to Oaxaca with a stop in Puebla adds another facet to your trip.

Apartments? Can't help you there. But there are plenty of reasonably priced, charming, well-located smaller hotels. And having an apartment may tempt you to fix dinner at home, which would be a shame because the restaurants are so good. On the other hand, it would be a great experience to buy all your ingredients at the Abastos Market, bring them back, and prepare your dinner. However, there are cooking classes that will do pretty much the same thing while preventing mistakes - that bag of mole is not for dessert, for example.

I am trying to evade the question about San Miguel, but let's say that Dude's expression 'uber-Americanized' is probably the root cause of almost everything I didn't like.

If you like the beach, Tulum, hands down, is the best area of Mex for someone who wants to see things and be able to walk it. You have the ruins by the sea, the old town of Tulum with the cultural flaver, and super beaches. You can walk the two miles from Tulum to Copal, free clothing optional beach, then walk the beach north to the great ruins along the shore. There are many great restaurants in town and along the beach. Or, you can go south from Copal and find many miles of nearly uninhabited beautiful beaches. It'a all in what flips your switch.

if airfares dont go down we may have to make it PV.
the RT nonstops on alaska from Seattle are hard to beat.

PV does offer some culture/shopping/walking with the beach thrown in for good measure.

Oaxaca definitely! Patzcuaro & Guanajuato & Morelia are all charming but Oaxaca has it all. The folk art there is faulous because it is"the source." Hire a driver & go out to the artists homes in the villages.. Tourism has ben so down there that they will be so glad to se you. Got a good fare on Continental direct from Houston so I am heading there in January for about my 15th visit!

i am still on the fence between oaxaca and guanjuato.
airfair about $600-700 depending. if i could just find it for under $500 from SEA i would purchase today!!

How about SEA to Mexico City then bus to Oaxaca? Dont forget to include transfers from airport & bus fare! Take the most delux bus you can find, ETN probably. The trip is really nice if it is daylight as the scenery is wonderful. You might find a deal to Puebla & could do an overnight there, it is a great Colonial city & a lot easier than Mexico City.

Puebla is only a 2 hr first class bus ride ($17 each way) from the Mexico City airport. I paid for and caught the bus literally inside the airport area. And it is a nice bus w/free drink and snacks and movies. So you can definitely get there cheaply. And a day trip to Cholula is great from Puebla. Puebla is a lovely town for a few days; if you are interested I can fill you in on what I did there. I think you can also do a trip to Tlaxcala from there also.

I'm with Robertino and would suggest both Oaxaca and Guanajuato but if it came to a decision between the two it's Oaxaca, hands down. Oaxaca has incredible food, truly truly incredible food. Everywhere! Beautiful mole and lovely relleños unlike anything most of us have ever experienced here in the U.S. Simple soups that are little pieces of art.
Guanajuato is a beautiful city and has a wonderful vibe (lots of international students at the university there) and lots of political history but it doesn't have the food vibe like Oaxaca. Plus Oaxaca has the ruins which are not to be missed. Be sure to get a guide to take you around the ruins because they are a wealth of information.

I love Oaxaca too, and was just there for a week at the end of Oct. 2009. But there are other places in Mexico that are magical in their own way. If jetset can't afford to get to Oaxaca, I think she can get to a place she can afford to get to and not be disappointed. Air cost is a big concern to her.

I was very interested to see this thread because I'm contemplating a trip to Oaxaca. It seems to have all the elements I love--history, culture, art, ruins, sacred sites, high quality crafts, excellent food. I've been to Mexico twice--many years ago to Acapulco, Taxco, and Mexico City, and then a later trip to the Yucatan. I got sick on the first trip and pretty much ate everything on the second trip and was fine. My question to the Oaxaca veterans: How much care do you have to take with what you eat and drink?

In Oaxaca- my opinion anyway, is you do have to be a bit more careful than many places, e.g. Guanajuato food wise. I don't know why, but I have been going to Oaxaca for 20 years and more people I talk to at various language schools tell me they have gotten sick than have others at various destinations in Mexico. Maybe because some of the food is a bit more exotic, I don't know. Having said that, if you eat at the normal well trafficked restaurants you will probably not have any trouble and it is certainly worth it. The only time I was sick In Oaxaca or or Mexico for that matter, I was really sick. I believe there was some tap water on the just washed plates. My friends that live there say you need to be careful as one drop will do you in. So, be at bit careful and it should be fine. I don't want to discourage travel to OAX it is certainly my favorite place in Mexico and I would go today if I could. I have managed to bring two groups with no one getting sick. Just be a bit cautious. Also in the event you do get sick go to the Dr. I have been to Dr.s for sinus infections and such in Mexico and if anything gotten better treatment than in the U.S.

Thanks, Dude!

i word of caution is always well taken and needed.

Oaxaca is certainly one of my favorite places, but I just returned from a trip to the colonial towns and loved it. We flew into Guadalajara, stayed there for 1 night, then went to Patzcuaro - it truly is a magical city. We spent a full day there, then went to Morelia. It was fascinating to see these two contrasting towns. We saw the butterflies, then returned to Guadalajara. Next day, we went to San Pancho (little town just north of Sayulita) where we stayed for 2 days, then on to PV for 2 days before flying out.
I see that the airfare to Guadalajara is currently only $295 if you go before Feb. 11 from NYC - I suggest checking that out, as most places mentioned in my trip are within a 4 hour drive from there. I took my husband and 2 friends from Switzerland with me - it was their first trip to mexico, and they already want to go back! Here are our pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/heymanis...QE&feat=email#

great photos of what looks like a fabulous trip.
i NEED those monkeys!!!
how did you get from city to city (mode of transportation)?

I echo pdx! Those are fantastic photos! I've been to all those places and your pictures brought back wonderful memories.

Thanks for posting them.
Sandy (in Denton)

now you've got me going.....i'm starting to research a mexico trip vs. the europe trip that was lurking in the back of my mind. even with $800 airfare we can make a fairly budget trip if we get $60 hotel rooms. i would consider other places (that have cheaper airfare) but the food is so elegant and outstanding in oaxaca and i want my husband to experience it. maybe an open-jaw flight that will get us into oaxaca and out of a beach city?

jetsetj-You do know that if you have an Alaska Airlines credit card you buy one ticket & get a companion ticket for 50$-new ones went up to $99 companion. Can't beat it.Use them all the time

hi again
loved the photos..
no i didnt know about the alaska credit card. i will see if that would work for us as we dont use cards.

we dont want to be on a 4 hour bus trip once we get to mexico and would rather spend more $$ not to have to take bus to Oaxaca.

still watching and waiting for below $500 airfair SEA to OAX.
we cant go until April.

Thanks junejuly for the photos and the itinerary ideas. Never been to Mexico, but I've been toying with the idea. Oaxaca is definitely up there, but I like the Guadalajara/Morelia/Patzcuaro idea - with the butterflies thrown in! Might help to get me off my monkey kick.

Thanks for the positive feedback on the photos - mostly hubby's doing, but some were mine. :)
We rented a car for the trip - with the toll roads, we found the driving to be very easy, even without our GPS. The avenues are pretty much designed to run to other cities, and hotel can tell you how to get to the right one with a straight shot from there.
I just saw that if you leave before Jan 11, they have round trip flights to Guadalajara for only $295 - such a bargain!
I can't recommend our trip enough.
Oaxaca has amazing food, but so does Michoacan and Jalisco. Our favorite restaraunt in Guad was el Sacremonte, and El Arrayan in Puerto Vallarta.
Best of luck!

Found $674 (all taxes and fees included) to Oaxaca or $334 to Mexico City. I think I would consider a 4 hour bus trip. Look at it this way, you also get to view the countryside between destinations for little or nothing.

barney,
i dont want a 4 hour each way bus trip. even though it would be scenic, one way might be ok but having to travel 4 hours to catch the plane home would be no fun at all.

i have a few fare alerts in affect. I pray for something good soon..