Mexico + Central America + the Caribbean: Food, Drink, Travel!

Food + Recipes

Travel

By Region: with food and travel notes

Costa Rica

Guatemala

Mexico

The Pacific Region of Mexico

Puerto Vallarta

Pueblos Mágicos on the slow bus to Guadalajara from Puerto Vallarta (or visa versa)

These little ‘Magic Towns’ near PV are worth visiting. There are only three buses per day on this route so if you’re taking the bus you would probably want to stay in one of them. You can also do them as day trips from Puerto Vallarta but it’s expensive (~$100 pp) and you end up spending way too much time on the road. Another alternative would be to rent a car and tour around. Al’s choice of a place to stay would be San Sebastian at Los Arcos de Sol. I am undecided – they were all marvellous!

San Sebastian
- The organic coffee plantation
Mascota
Talpa

Meandering down the Pacific Coast from Puerto Vallarta by bus

Catching a bus down the coast from PV
Barra de Navidad, Colomilla & Malaque
Manzanillo
The Iguanario in Manzanillo, an iguana sanctuary
Catching a bus from Manzanillo to Lázaro Cárdenas
Zihuatanejo, 20 years later
The second day in Zihuatanejo
Stopping in Marquelia (Catching a bus from Zihuatanejo to Puerto Escondido while avoiding Acapulco)
December 12 is the Saint Day of the Virgen de Guadalupe
Puerto Escondido, 30 years later
December 18th is the Saint Day of the Virgen de la Soledad
Whale-watching in P.E.

The Mid-West Region of Mexico

Guadalajara

Day 1. We stayed in the Posada Regis, cheap and conveniently located near the historical city centre…
Day 2. The Parque Agua Azul and nearby artisan market were disappointing but Museum of the Arts near the University and the Neo-Gothic style church next-door were great..
On Day 3 we had our first encounter with Central Nueva, Guadalajara’s bus station nightmare.
Another Pueblo Mágico, Tequila, the town (and the drink)
La Quemada Meso-American Ruins
Tlaquepaque, a tony suburb of Guadalajara with exquisite shops and unique crafts, and near Guadalajara’s airport if you plan on carting all that stuff you bought home!

South of Guadalajara

Ajijic & around Lake Chapala
Colima’s Adopt-a-Gringo Day
- Comalón in Comala, a Pueblo Mágico where “you can eat all day for the price of a beer”

North East Loop from Guadalajara

Aguascalientes
- The journey by bus from Ajijic to Aguascalientes
- Teocaltiche
Zacatecas
- The Best of Zacatecas
- Ascending the Cerro de la Bufa, the hill where Pancho Villa won the last battle of the Mexican Revolution and took Zacatecas.
- The Coronel brothers’ two world-class art museums which include magnificent ruins to wander around in
- A side trip to Guadalupe with its historic monastery and artworks
San Luis de Potosi
Querétero
San Miguel de Allende
Guanajuato

The Central Region

Officially this area is comprised of the metropolis of Mexico City, D.F. (population of 25 to 30 million), plus the states of México and Morelos.

Mexico City, an Overview

The Food

The Sights

Palacio de Bellas Artes
Palacio Postal, the Postal Palace
La Merced Market
The Suburb Coyoacán’s Frida Kahlo’s ‘Casa Azul’
Xochimilco, the former floating gardens of the Aztecs, now a floating festival
January 6, Three King’s Day in Mexico City

Puebla

All About the Food of Mexico by Region

Mexico is so lively and the food is to die for – we can duplicate the Margaritas but have had trouble coming up with all the fresh perfectly ripe avocados and pineapple, and the tortillas here are a bit like cardboard – in Mexico you can eat them with just a bit of salt on them and they are so good!