Many travelers know the cabana-laden beaches of Cancun and the galleries and rooftop scene of San Miguel de Allende. While many like Todos Santos call their fair share of influencers, not all of them are tourist-packed Instagram traps. While in Mexico City, she recommends hitting up markets like Mercado San Juan for gourmet and exotic food lovers, Mercado de Coyoacan for traditional Mexican snacks, or the Mercado de Jamaica for fresh flowers and traditional food like tlacoyos , which are stuffed corn masa cakes.
Overflowing burlap sacks of multi-colored spices sit next to barrels of dried chilies, while the smell of achiote wafts through the air. Wander the aisles to uncover everything from crispy tlayudas charcoal-grilled tortillas topped with meat, beans, and vegetables to roasted grasshoppers. Over in the central city of Puebla, visit the Mercado de Sabores and pick up a plump, overstuffed cemita , a thick sandwich filled with meat, avocado, cheese, and chipotle.
Think Mexico is all about flights and rental cars? Think again. Plus, you may meet other travelers and dust off your Spanish with locals. Buses and colectivos, with their many stops connecting remote parts of the country, make it easier to get to more hard-to-reach destinations. In Yucatan, for example, colectivos can take you from bustling Merida to the white-sand beaches of Celestun and other towns along the Gulf Coast. While Cancun has its foam parties, smaller towns throw celebrations that are both intimate and electrifying.
Son jarocho music, a local guitar folk music fusing Spanish, Indigenous, and African culture, fills the air in early February as residents dress in vibrant red costumes. Here, turquoise waters meet pink sandstone cliffs, and the sea lions are always ready for a swim.
Authorized tours like On Board Baja will take you sailing around the island, hiking along its rugged trails, and picnicking on its remote beaches.
