Hi Mexico-loving friends!

Hi Mexico-loving friends! Covid restrictions continue to ease and life looks more and more like it did in the before times south of the border. Masks are still required in many indoor locations and some other precautions are still being taken, but the country continues to see numbers decrease and all states remain in the "green."

Traffic Light Changes

For those that are new around here, last year Mexico's federal government created a traffic light system to help businesses and people understand the risks of Covid-19 in each state around Mexico. It was then up to the state governments to decide how to interpret these traffic light colors. The entire country has been green now for over a month and it seems that these updates on the traffic light system may no longer be needed. As always, I will keep you up to date with any future changes, but for the six weeks or so no new updates have been issued in regards to the traffic light system You can view the full map of the traffic light system on the government website here. Green means that all states will have all tourist sites, museums, beaches, boardwalks, and restaurants back open with some precautions still being taken. As you can see from this article, you will no longer need masks outdoors in Mexico City, Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Quintana Roo.

Latest Mexico Content

A few months ago, I hired a few Mexico-based writers to help me keep up to date with all of the best things to see, do and eat around Mexico. Together we have been writing up a storm these last few months! Here are the blog posts that went live this month over on Eternal Expat. Best Beach Clubs in Tulum Ultimate Guide for Where to Stay in Oaxaca (a neighborhood AND hotel guide!) 13 Best Restaurants in Oaxaca Best Beach Clubs in Playa del Carmen I would love to know what YOU want to know more about in Mexico. What destinations are you itching to visit and want to have guides for traveling to?! Hit reply and let me know!

Mexico Content Around the Web

Immigration Changes My friend Alex of Backpacking Brunette has been keeping everyone up to date about all of the changes going on with immigration in Mexico. She is constantly in contact with immigration experts in Mexico and the last few weeks have seen quite a few changes for those that are interested in obtaining temporary residency this year.  You can check out the two main updates here: Mexico Immigration Changes for Residency  Policy Change for Appointments at Immigration Mexico City's New Airport Mexico City's new airport recently opened its runways and there are internal flights already taking place across the country including from Mexico City to Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, and Villahermosa.  The plan is that there will soon be flights later in 2022 that connect with hubs in the US. The airport took just over two years to build and the idea is to help reduce some of the traffic that comes through the current airport, Benito Juarez, which is located only a few miles east of the city center. This newer airport is located in Mexico State and is about 30 miles from the city center (45 km). You can read about its opening here. Dangers in Puerto Vallarta The US Embassy has issued a warning for residents of Puerto Vallarta to be aware of possible dangers in the coming weeks. While I think it's important not to live entirely by these warnings, it's worth reading more about this to make sure you keep yourself as safe as possible if you are planning to travel to PV in the coming weeks. You can read more about it in this Mexico News Daily article here as well as on the US Embassy website here.

Expats & Locals Around Mexico

As always with Mexico, I highly recommend seeking out people who are currently living in the places that you want to visit. With Covid rules changing constantly and safety issues cropping up every now and again, only people who are on the ground there living it every day can share with you what's really happening. For updates about Mexico City, as always I recommend following Ubish Yaren on Instagram. You can also follow Anais of The Curious Mexican for updates on the restaurant and food scene in Mexico City and what is back open. For updates about what's going on in Oaxaca, Susan of Brooklyn Tropicali has been sharing her updates of what's going on around the city and state of Oaxaca. Trisha of PS I'm On My Way currently lives in Cabo San Lucas and can share some insights into what is happening there with you. Check out her website here. For regular updates about life in Merida and around the Yucatan, check out Mexico Cassie who has also recently written a fantastic guide about Traveling Yucatan with Kids. Shelley of Travel Mexico Solo also shares her experiences in Merida and around the Yucatan. Her Instagram is a particularly good resource for what she's seeing at the moment. The Yucatan Times is the local English newspaper in Merida that shares local updates and news reports. To keep up with what's going on in and around Querétaro, follow Alex of the Backpacking Brunette. Vallarta Daily is the local English news there where you can learn about any changes in the situation in Puerto Vallarta and the surrounding Nayarit beach towns as well. Janine Around the World is traveling around the Riviera Maya at the moment sharing her experiences on her blog and Instagram. Riviera Maya News is the local English newspaper there where you can keep up with changes. I believe this is the region that is changing the most in regards to safety at the minute and if you plan to independently travel here (renting a car and exploring without tours or away from resorts), then I highly recommend speaking to someone who is there right now. As always, a great place to keep up to date with news about what's happening all over Mexico in English is Mexico News Daily.

Visiting Mexico Soon?

If you are planning a trip to Mexico soon, I hope you'll have a browse of the different Mexico guides on my blog or have a search through my YouTube videos to help you plan your trip! I also have FOUR extensive guidebooks available for Baja California Sur, Mexico City (updated in late-2021 with tons of new content!), Merida, and Guanajuato! If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to email me by simply hitting reply on this email. Speak soon and safe travels, Laura

Four things to know about travel right now 🧐 🌎 🏁

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If travel feels more complicated than ever, you’re not alone. Some Covid-era rules are changing and it can be hard to know what the rules are right now—let alone what they’ll be by the time your trip rolls around. Here’s a quick roundup of where things stand now, what you need to know for trips in the next few weeks, and how to plan with confidence.  Masks are off...for now...if you want...with some exceptions The federal mandate requiring masks on public transport was set to expire May 3 but on April 18, a judge ruled it unlawful, and within hours, all major airlines in the US said they would no longer require masks on planes. The Justice Department is appealing, but in the meantime masks are not required on domestic flights. However, some airports are still requiring them, including JFK, LGA, and LAX. Additionally, they may be required on some international flights, depending on the rules of the destination. The best way to get clarity: check the website of the airports you’re traveling through, and contact the airline if you’re not sure if masks will be required on the plane (and it’s a good idea to travel with an extra mask or two, just in case). For those who prefer to wear a mask, of course you’re still welcome to do so and it does provide benefits to the wearer—anecdotally, SCF team members observed a third to half of passengers masked on flights during the past week. If you don’t feel comfortable flying with those around you unmasked, you may be able to get a refund. Both Alaska Airlines and United have said they’ll work with customers who have booked nonrefundable flights if they are no longer willing to fly after the change in rules.  Testing is still required for entry to the US There are plenty of rumors flying about this requirement ending soon, but for now all US citizens returning to the US from another country must present a negative test result taken one day prior to departure, even if you’re fully vaccinated. (Here’s our guide to finding a test.)  Many flights are still changeable for free Tickets above basic economy are still changeable for free (though you may have to pay a fare difference) on all the major US airlines and on most international airlines—we’ve got a list here. So if you’re still not comfortable making plans set in stone, you can book in pencil and make changes if you’re not ready come trip time. On most airlines, this means when you cancel your flight, you get a credit to use within a particular period (usually one year). If you’re worried about being able to use the credit, try to book on an airline with more options for future trips. For example, if there’s a flight to France operated by Air France but bookable on Delta, book it on Delta. That way if you have to cancel your trip and take the credit, you won’t be limited to a future flight on Air France; you can use your credit on any Delta flight.  Want a refund? Wait for a flight change If you have a trip booked that you know you don’t want to or can’t take, don’t cancel it and take the credit right away. If the airline cancels it or significantly changes the schedule you’re entitled to a cash refund. What counts as a significant change varies by airline, but generally it can be around an hour or two. Here’s our guide with more details.

On weekends they taste like pozole and a lot of beef belly. 😋🥘🌶🔥

Orégano shared a post.

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Los fines de samana saben a pozole y mucha pancita de res.

Hasta luego Isabel Tercero ⭐️ #Tributo