my first substack: Mexico diary
Our 3rd time in this beautiful country and there’s still more to see!
I almost titled this post “off the beaten path”, but it was too cliché, even though that’s exactly what this trip was.
When most people think Mexico, they envision all-inclusive resorts on a stunning beach, a buffet to satisfy every need three times a day, and a pool that wraps around the entire property.
For me, a resort is watered-down drinks, manicured entertainment, questionable swim-up bars, and eager families lining up at 6 a.m. for a deck chair.
Therefore my approach to Mexico is a bit different—I go for the culinary mastery, rich history, impressive focus on design, and the people. The Mexican people are so welcoming and proud of their gorgeous country.
But you didn’t come here for shade on all-inclusives or my opinion on travel style—you came here for THE LINKS.
You all have been so patient 🤍 Here’s what I’ve detailed below: accommodations, what to do/see, where we ate, and of course PHOTOS. Organized by the three destinations we visited—Mexico City, Puerto Angel, and Merida. Let’s get into it.
MEXICO CITY
A common question and fear: is it safe? In my experience, YES! We’ve been there twice, and I’ve had more uncomfortable moments with strangers at home in Toronto, unfortunately. Travelling in any city has risks, even when you live there.
My advice is to stay in areas that have safe reputations. Roma Norte and La Condesa fit that bill, and also happen to be GORGEOUS. Tree-lined avenues everywhere you look, lush parks, and cafés on every corner. Plus it’s incredibly walkable to everything fun and tasty. We felt very safe even though travelling as an interracial couple has been difficult in the past.
Hotel Dama was such a gem. Both Christoph and I verbally said that almost every time we walked back in after dinner (cheesy, I know). It’s a small boutique hotel with extremely clean rooms and a rooftop patio that makes you question why you’re only staying five days. Located in between the two most important parks in the city, this little design-focused hotel was the perfect stay. The fully marble bathroom is huge.
Pack comfortable shoes because walking the long, surprisingly tropical streets of Roma Norte and La Condesa will have your 20k steps a day goal covered, and give you a chance to explore the areas. Although Uber is extremely affordable there, I suggest hitting the pavement for any destination under 30 minutes away. You’ll see and experience so much more.
Without going into too much detail, here’s what to see:
Casa Gilardi and Casa Luis Barragán
You can visit homes designed by renowned Mexican architect Luis Barragán. His works gives me so much inspo, cool isn’t even the word. Get tickets well in advance—they sell out super quick.
We went here in 2022—it’s a must-see and very cool to see the famous artist’s home, works, clothing, and garden.
Parque México and Parque Chapultepec
If you take my advice and stay at Hotel Dama, you’ll be located within walking distance of both these beautiful parks. Chapultepec is enormous—think Central Park of CDMX with museums and a castle you can tour inside. Parque México is small, extremely lush, and full of locals enjoying their dogs or a pick up game of soccer.
Biblioteca Vasconcelos
I didn’t get to go here because it was closed (*single tear rolls down cheek). But go if you can—it’s an architectural masterpiece.
Mercado Jamaica
Immerse yourself in Mexican culture by walking through the narrow pathways of this market. You don’t have to buy anything to experience the local flower trucks, artisan craft stalls, and food suppliers in this dense part of the city. Take an Uber here.
There is so much more to do in the city. I can’t list everything but I encourage you to do research and see what piques your interest. Make a list and set an itinerary because time flies in this stunning place.
FOOD—a culinary hub. I’ll list my faves, this time with NO explanation. Trust me bro.
Cafés:
Panderia Rossetta
Odette
Quentin
Maque
Walk north of Parque México—there are tons more there. You can’t miss, they’re all good.
Restaurants:
Choza (only open on Saturdays lol)
Expendido de Mais (go early to get in line)
Jowong
Restaurante Rosetta
Pigeon
Churro El Moro
Taqueria Orinoco
Contramar
Telodo
Felix Pizza
Salon Palomilla
Ling Ling
PUERTO ANGEL
Not to be confused with the ever popular Puerto Escondido, which we’ve travelled to and loved. I can do an entire separate post on that. Puerto Angel is VERY SMALL, right on the Pacific Ocean, and very local. When I say off the beaten path, this is what I mean.
If you’re interested in a room with ocean views that won’t break the bank, this is your spot. It’s a bit of a drive (45 minutes away from Huatulco airport) but worth it. We had the most incredible beach day ever here. Good mems.
Casa Bichu will give you your own SPACIOUS cabin with sliding shutters that open up to this view:
The restaurant on-site was super cute, staff were great, and the food was decent. Get the garlic shrimp or the hamburger. The bathroom in our casita was a bit rustic but drinks were strong and I’ll never complain about that.
The hotel has beach access but I recommend walking over to the furthest beach on that cove as it’s quieter and the snorkeling was incredible—only cost $7 for the day. Be careful—the tide can be strong, so take precautions (I wore a life jacket).
Puerto Angel is all about relaxing. You can walk into town to eat if you want but because there isn’t much to see, we just enjoyed our room on the water most of the time.
We also stayed at Hotel Xeno, a bit higher up on the hill in town. Stunning views also but you’re not right at the beach. Both places are great—bring bug spray and wear it.
MERIDA
In the beautiful province of Yucatan, Merida was a cool place to see. The streets are made up of rustic blocks of old haciendas, cafés, and Calle 47, which is known as Corredor Gastronómico de Mérida.
Rent a car here as there are many sites to see outside of the city, outlined below:
The now-famous Airbnb with ancient wrought iron doors, a pool I think about daily, original frescos on the walls, and perfectly decent water pressure for Mexico. This stay was magical.
I could have locked myself in this beautiful hacienda for days with no need to venture out. But we did venture and here’s what we did:
Uxmal Mayan ruins
Chichen Itza Mayan ruins (wait we didn’t actually make it there but I heard it’s cool, go if you can)
Cenote Yaal Utzil (there are thousands of cenotes, look up which ones suit you)
Izamal City
Progreso Beach
Coqui Coqui perfumery and spa
Calle 47 is full of restaurants— I recommend walking the strip and being spontaneous. Some that stood out in the city were:
Marmalade Centro (coffee, brunch & best cinnamon bun of my life)
Gin 47
Ariadna
Catrín
El Lagarto de Oro
Ok fine, I’ll be basic one more time during this post. MEXICO HAS MY HEART!!
Thank you!