Vacaciones en Zipolite, Oaxaca. ¡Rífate y participa! Apoya a Piña Palmera, A.C, Modelo de atención a la #discapacidad
Budget, Backpackers, Surfers, Beach Lovers, Naturalist, Hippie, Sun and Sand worshipers, Off the Beaten Path Paradise! Everyone is welcome at Zipolite!
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A little about Playa Zipolite, The Beach of the Dead . . .
Playa Zipolite, Oaxaca, Southern Mexico, on the Pacific Ocean. A little bit about my favorite little get-away on this small world of ours.Zipolite, a sweaty 30-minute walk west from Puerto Angel, brings you to Playa Zipolite and another world. The feeling here is 1970's - Led Zep, Marley, and scruffy gringos.A long, long time ago, Zipolite beach was usually visited by the Zapotecans...who made it a magical place. They came to visit Zipolite to meditate, or just to rest.Recently, this beach has begun to receive day-trippers from Puerto Angel and Puerto Escondido, giving it a more TOURISTY feel than before.Most people come here for the novelty of the nude beach, yoga, turtles, seafood, surf, meditation, vegetarians, discos, party, to get burnt by the sun, or to see how long they can stretch their skinny budget.I post WWW Oaxaca, Mexico, Zipolite and areas nearby information. Also general budget, backpacker, surfer, off the beaten path, Mexico and beyond, information.REMEMBER: Everyone is welcome at Zipolite.ivan
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- Zipolite Nudist - - - Zipolite Nudista
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- Budget Backpackers Off The Beaten Path - - - Mochileros económicos fuera del camino trillado
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Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Zipolite with my bb #beach #summer #surf #me #dog #mum #insta #instapic #instatrip #instatravel ... Instagram Zipolite with my bb #beach #summer #surf #me #dog #. 97 likes. 7h · lologaldoZipolite with my bb #beach #summer #surf #me #dog #mum #insta ...
Zipolite with my bb #beach #summer #surf #me #dog #mum #insta #instapic #instatrip #instatravel ...
Zipolite with my bb #beach #summer #surf #me #dog #. 97 likes. 7h · lologaldoZipolite with my bb #beach #summer #surf #me #dog #mum #insta ...
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Somewhere, by me Pinterest This Pin was discovered by Karla Requenes. Discover (and save) your own Pins on Pinterest.
Somewhere, by me
This Pin was discovered by Karla Requenes. Discover (and save) your own Pins on Pinterest.
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Year in Zipolite , Oaxaca Magical towns of Mexico Holidays Zipolite for holidays year - end, it is extremely gratifying, first, by the particular appeal of this charming corner ...
Year in Zipolite , Oaxaca
Holidays Zipolite for holidays year - end, it is extremely gratifying, first, by the particular appeal of this charming corner ...
Fin de año en Zipolite, Oaxaca
Viajar a Zipolite para pasar las vacaciones de fin de año, es sumamente grato, primero, por el atractivo particular que tiene este encantador rincón oaxaqueño. Pero además, por los sitios cercanos de la Riviera Oaxaqueña, que se pueden visitar. Uno de tales lugares es la vasta playa de La Ventanilla, la cual es célebre por dos razones principales. La primera se refiere a las tareas de conservación ecológica de los lugareños, y la segunda, por una curiosa formación de rocas que pareciera ser una ventana abierta al horizonte marino.
En el marco de unas vacaciones de fin de año en Zipolite, si se visita La Ventanilla, no hay que perderse el paseo en bote de remos que ofrecen los lugareños, para conocer una laguna costera repleta de mangle y aves exóticas. En el centro de esta laguna, existe una isla con abundantes palmeras, misma que se utiliza como criadero de cocodrilos. En tal sitio se puede descansar, comer ricas quesadillas y sopes, acompañados de refrescante jugo de coco. Algo importante que se debe tomar en cuenta, es que, en la playa de La Ventanilla, no se puede nadar, ya que es mar abierto y muy frecuentada por el tiburón chato.
Otro lugar cercano a Zipolite que merece tomarse en cuenta para un excelente tour, es Mazunte. Quienes opten por disfrutar sus vacaciones en Zipolite, además de visitar Puerto Ángel y La Ventanilla, también pueden explorar la pequeña comunidad de Mazunte. En la actualidad, Mazunte es un relevante sitio para la protección de la tortuga marina. Allí justamente se localiza el Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga, el cual también funciona como acuario, museo criadero y centro de investigación.
Por todos estos posibles tours, pasar las vacaciones de fin de año en Zipolite, es una decisión por demás acertada. A veces es conveniente descansar de los grandes complejos hoteleros y los destinos turísticos fastuosos para experimentar la belleza y sencillez de comunidades como Zipolite. Rústica, pura, natural, tranquila y cautivadora, de esa manera se experimenta la oferta turística particular es esta mágica población oaxaqueña. En la década de 1960, esta playa se hizo famosa, por constituirse en la única playa nudista de nuestro país. Y si bien en nuestros días se practica menos el nudismo en este lugar, Zipolite puede gozarse como una espléndida playa a mar abierto, con un clima paradisiaco, una deliciosa oferta culinaria, algunos hoteles rústicos y bohemios para pernoctar, y muchos atractivos más.
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Como llegar de Playa Zipolite a Ciudad de México Ruta Como Llegar Le mostramos el mapa, detalles e indicaciones para llegar de Playa Zipolite a Ciudad de México por carretera de la forma más rápida y corta.
Como llegar de Playa Zipolite a Ciudad de México
Le mostramos el mapa, detalles e indicaciones para llegar de Playa Zipolite a Ciudad de México por carretera de la forma más rápida y corta.
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zipolitebeach • Check images about zipolitebeach on Instagram imgwonders.com Check b_giulio's Instagram ON waves in Zipolite... #zipolite ... Check che_omay's Instagram Sunset at Zipolite Beach, Mexico. #zipolitebeach #zipolite ...
zipolitebeach • Check images about zipolitebeach on Instagram
Check b_giulio's Instagram ON waves in Zipolite... #zipolite ... Check che_omay's Instagram Sunset at Zipolite Beach, Mexico. #zipolitebeach #zipolite ...
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ipolite infinite-coincidence.com Viz: don't make the same mistake that we did in Zipolite. Like most tourist hotels and guesthouses we stay at in Mexico, the nudist colony happens to ...
Zipolite
Viz: don't make the same mistake that we did in Zipolite. Like most tourist hotels and guesthouses we stay at in Mexico, the nudist colony happens to ...
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"His mind, always gathering correspondences, thinks it has found a new one."
If you ever want to stay in a discreet nudist hotel, look out on Tripadvisor for codewords like ‘broadminded’, ‘especially for adults’ and ‘not child-friendly’. If you choose judiciously you may, upon walking through the door, be delighted – just like we weren’t – to see two French tourists splayed out in all their flaccid glory in the alfresco bar/reception area, umbrellas in their drinks and gallic pudenda making the most of the warm sea breeze*.
Conversely, if for some bizarre reason you don’t want to stay in such a place, do not choose places which are described as such. I.e: don’t make the same mistake that we did inZipolite.
Like most tourist hotels and guesthouses we stay at in Mexico, the nudist colony happens to be foreign-owned. In Puerto Escondido itself we stay at a place owned by a Swiss couple, and when we move on to Mazunte the proprietors turn out to be French. The actually quite charming nudist place belongs to an Italian who got halfway to learning Spanish and then got stranded out of his depth. He flounders between the two languages in a way that’s distressing to witness. I would happily dive in and save him, but then he isn’t wearing a swimming costume. Italians love this bit of the Oaxacan coast, because it was the setting (and ‘Puerto Escondido’ was the title) of a 1989 film about a guy from Milan who looks like a young Silvio Berlusconi getting mixed up in drug smuggling, partly because of a series of misunderstandings. It’s therefore possible that the owner of the hotel didn’t know he was starting a naturist colony. It’s also possible I misunderstood the film as I was watching it in Italian and at this point, after three months in Mexico with my Italian wife, Itañol is rapidly becoming my best second language.
Conversely, if for some bizarre reason you don’t want to stay in such a place, do not choose places which are described as such. I.e: don’t make the same mistake that we did inZipolite.
Like most tourist hotels and guesthouses we stay at in Mexico, the nudist colony happens to be foreign-owned. In Puerto Escondido itself we stay at a place owned by a Swiss couple, and when we move on to Mazunte the proprietors turn out to be French. The actually quite charming nudist place belongs to an Italian who got halfway to learning Spanish and then got stranded out of his depth. He flounders between the two languages in a way that’s distressing to witness. I would happily dive in and save him, but then he isn’t wearing a swimming costume. Italians love this bit of the Oaxacan coast, because it was the setting (and ‘Puerto Escondido’ was the title) of a 1989 film about a guy from Milan who looks like a young Silvio Berlusconi getting mixed up in drug smuggling, partly because of a series of misunderstandings. It’s therefore possible that the owner of the hotel didn’t know he was starting a naturist colony. It’s also possible I misunderstood the film as I was watching it in Italian and at this point, after three months in Mexico with my Italian wife, Itañol is rapidly becoming my best second language.
It’s certainly warm enough to strip off. We’re at the top of a cliff and the heat and wind are immense. I have to keep covered up, I tell everyone, because I’m scared of getting badly sunburnt. It wouldn’t be the first time. If you really want to know just how painful excessive exposure to the sun can be, go to Tioman Island in Malaysia at the hottest time of the year and spend five straight hours in the sun, dismissing every attempt by your sister to get you to put some suncream on. It hit me three or so days later on the bus from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur: I was seized by an extremely insistent itching deep beneath my skin all over my chest, back and shoulders. Fearing that I might be having a heart attack brought on by excessive exposure to all the spiciest foods that Asia has to offer, I looked up the health bit of the Lonely Planet and learnt it was probably something called ‘prickly heat’, and that I should apply talcum powder asap. When I got to KL I ran like the wind to the nearest pharmacy, where to my relief I saw that they also sold something called ‘tiger balm’. The word ‘balm’ sounded soothing, like ‘calm’. Or ‘balsam’. Or ‘balsamico’. It doesn’t matter. It made it (at a generous estimate) about thirty times worse, and I spent my entire first, last and only evening in the Malaysian capital showering my torso with cold water. Which, in turned out, also made it worse. Over the next three days I became a gibbering monkey, incapable of more than ten seconds of conversation before I would have to go back to grimacing, scratching and at some points actually screeching. I never got to the point of stealing cameras and throwing my excrement at tourists, but I can tell you it was a pretty close shave.
It was such a traumatic experience that I’ve never made such mistake again, unless you count once in Spain, the first few days in Thailand and pretty much any time I’ve been anywhere really hot where the prospect of getting a fabulous suntan really quickly was just too good to pass up on. That’s why, on the second beachday in Zipolite, having magically overcome my aversion to exposing myself as soon as we left the hotel complex, upon feeling a familiar deeply-buried itch in my chest I run like the wind to the nearest pharmacy, desperately garbling some nonsense about cream-of-after-the-sunshine**. Luckily they do have some, so I down it in a single gulp, give a satisfying burp of relief and go back to working on that tan.
It was such a traumatic experience that I’ve never made such mistake again, unless you count once in Spain, the first few days in Thailand and pretty much any time I’ve been anywhere really hot where the prospect of getting a fabulous suntan really quickly was just too good to pass up on. That’s why, on the second beachday in Zipolite, having magically overcome my aversion to exposing myself as soon as we left the hotel complex, upon feeling a familiar deeply-buried itch in my chest I run like the wind to the nearest pharmacy, desperately garbling some nonsense about cream-of-after-the-sunshine**. Luckily they do have some, so I down it in a single gulp, give a satisfying burp of relief and go back to working on that tan.
It’s blisteringly hot but we can’t cool down in the sea. It’s just too wild. It was actually on this beach that the wife of the Mexican-American writer Francisco Goldman was killed by a wave about three years ago, an event he describes in the heartbreaking memoir ‘Say Her Name’. We move on to another village in search of calmer waves, less violent winds and the Perfect Beach Hut, and luckily soon come across a collection of round bungalows on stilts with bamboo walls. This is perfect, I murmur as we lay back on the bed. Sorry? mouths Chiara. I say it again, this time MUCH LOUDER, but it’s no good. It sounds like we’re at the top of Mount Popocatépetl in a Force 12 gale. Using sign language I manage to communicate that we should go downstairs and change our booking from three nights to one. The Parisean owner is thankfully very obliging once I’ve explained that we have to leave earlier than expected to look for my aunt’s favourite pen, which has got blown away PAR LE VENT.
The wind might be annoying to tourists, but it’s being put to good use a little further down the coast. The Isthmus of Tehuantepec (quite a challenging name for a Spanish Spanish speaker to pronounce, I’d imagine) hosts most of the country’s wind farms. Although it obviously sounds laudable (and god knows Mexico desperately needs to move away from its dependence on fossil fuels) it’s more problematic than it might first appear. Objections have come from local indigenous people, who say that the resultant encroachment on their land and fishing resources has been accompanied by threats and attempts at bribery. Although in Europe campaigns against wind power are often fuelled and funded by fossil fuel companies or their self-appointed defenders (as this clip from the documentary ‘Age of Stupid’ demonstrates), in Mexico mitigating the effects of the changing climate will be, like so much else, riven by conflict between rapacious commercial interests and people whose land is their only livelihood.
The wind might be annoying to tourists, but it’s being put to good use a little further down the coast. The Isthmus of Tehuantepec (quite a challenging name for a Spanish Spanish speaker to pronounce, I’d imagine) hosts most of the country’s wind farms. Although it obviously sounds laudable (and god knows Mexico desperately needs to move away from its dependence on fossil fuels) it’s more problematic than it might first appear. Objections have come from local indigenous people, who say that the resultant encroachment on their land and fishing resources has been accompanied by threats and attempts at bribery. Although in Europe campaigns against wind power are often fuelled and funded by fossil fuel companies or their self-appointed defenders (as this clip from the documentary ‘Age of Stupid’ demonstrates), in Mexico mitigating the effects of the changing climate will be, like so much else, riven by conflict between rapacious commercial interests and people whose land is their only livelihood.
Not that this level of wind is normal, even for the Oaxacan coast. The following day we witness our, and apparently Mazunte’s, first ever tornado. It twirls inland a mere 200 metres down the beach and whips off a few roofs, but luckily no-one is hurt. For the second time in two months I narrowly avoid becoming a victim of climate change. Over the next few days no boats can go out to sea. On the last night of our holiday there’s a power cut, but the Italian restaurant next door is on hand with candles, lukewarm white wine and burnt pizza served up to a passionate soundtrack of Neapolitan swearwords. We move on to an open-air bar where they’re playing Electrocumbia (my new favourite kind of music). It takes a while to get going but then some French-Canadian crusties turn up with their dogs and take over the dancefloor. Maybe it’s the music, maybe the mezcal cocktails or maybe just the fact of being so far from home, but the dogs just can’t contain their romantic impulses. It adds another dimension to the phrase c’est une vie de chien, but it’s nice to know that it’s not only we humans who do slightly embarrassing things when we’re on holiday.
* Apparently the French phrase for ‘wedding tackle’ is ‘bijoux de famille’ (lit: family jewels).
** Which I’ve learnt over the years is the product specifically designed for such situations.
Monday, January 16, 2017
Casa Oaxaca Discount Hotel Selection Discount Hotel Selection: Casa Oaxaca, Zipolite, Mexiko. Featuring free WiFi throughout the property, Casa Oaxaca is situated in Zipolite, 100 metres ...
Casa Oaxaca
Discount Hotel Selection: Casa Oaxaca, Zipolite, Mexiko. Featuring free WiFi throughout the property, Casa Oaxaca is situated in Zipolite, 100 metres ...
Casa Oaxaca
Featuring free WiFi throughout the property, Casa Oaxaca is situated in Zipolite, 100 metres from Zipolite Walkway. The beach is just a short walk from Casa Oaxaca. Some units include a seating area for your convenience. A kitchen and terrace or balcony are featured in certain rooms. Every room is equipped with a private bathroom equipped with a bath or shower. Love Beach is 1.2 km from Casa Oaxaca, while White Rock Zipolite is 200 metres from the property. The nearest airport is Bahías de Huatulco Airport, 30 km from Casa Oaxaca.About Casa Sol Zipolite We believe that meeting new, interesting people and making friends is one of the best parts of travel. Our goal is to create a relaxing, social ...
About
We believe that meeting new, interesting people and making friends is one of the best parts of travel. Our goal is to create a relaxing, social ...
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ips for Flying in Mexico and Finding Cheap Domestic Flights JAN 16 Posted by Ted Campbel
https://nohaybronca.wordpress.com/author/nohaybronca/
Author Archives: Ted Campbell
Tips for Flying in Mexico and Finding Cheap Domestic Flights
Posted by Ted Campbell
Mexico’s discount airlines and general airport information
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Unless you enjoy excessive air conditioning, bad movies in loud Spanish, or sleeping sitting up, don’t take a long-distance bus between major cities in Mexico, at least not before checking the price of domestic flights.
This isn’t because long distance buses are bad, uncomfortable, or dangerous. In fact, for most independent travelers in Mexico, the bus is the way to go. A variety of bus companies with competitive prices travel all over the country, and riding them can be a fun experience that brings you closer to the locals. Second- and third-class buses are often surprisingly cheap, and though expensive, first-class buses are much nicer than Greyhound, with big reclining seats and plenty of legroom.
But a flight from, say, Mexico City to Cancun is bound to be cheaper than the first-class bus, especially if you start looking for discount fares a month or so early. And obviously much faster—a two-hour trip instead of 20 (or more).
Looking for flights
Before you commit to that overnight bus trip, take a look at the schedules and prices of Mexican airlines, which I’ve listed below. If possible, start searching for flights about a month or two before your trip and check back from time to time as these airlines may have temporary promotions. A good way to hear about these discounts is to sign up for their mailing lists or follow the airlines on Facebook or Twitter.
Although you can view them in English, their websites can be a little clunky, so search with patience. One good feature of many websites is that you can see the prices for the days before and after the day you choose, so you’ll know if a different date is cheaper.
When you are ready to pay, these discount airlines try to add on all kinds of extra fees, like for extra luggage or choosing your seat early. Just say no to everything.
Tip: If you’re a resident of Mexico, like me, and will fly international, when buying tickets check the box that you’re a Mexican citizen so you won’t pay the fee for foreigners to enter Mexico, which is about 20 USD and automatically added to the price of flights. But it depends on the airline; this won’t work if the webpage also asks for the passport number.
Sometimes these airlines show up on travel sites like expedia.com, but it’s a good idea to check their websites directly. And of course other airlines fly within Mexico, including all the big international ones. But, like for that overnight bus ride, ALWAYS compare with Mexico’s domestic companies:
Aeromexico
Aeromexico is a major airline with destinations all over the world, so it may not have the cheapest prices, but it’s worth a look.
Interjet
Interjet is an inexpensive option for all the major cities in Mexico and nine in the U.S., and it also has regular flights to Cuba and several destinations in Central America.
Volaris
I have mixed feelings about Volaris. Their flights are typically the cheapest, especially during their regular promotions. They have more destinations than Interjet, including lots of cities in the U.S.
I’ve flown with Volaris many times and while usually everything is fine, the company is clearly disorganized and sometimes unprofessional: Big delays are common, they send you way too many emails after you buy tickets (in Spanish, which has confused a few of my English-speaking friends who wondered what all the notices were about), they do everything they can to add extra charges to your flight, and you can’t trust any information you get from their call center. But hey, their flights are really cheap, and I have no complaints about the courtesy of their flight attendants and staff, other than that one manager in Cancun…
VivaAerobus
VivaAerobus has fewer destinations to Mexico and the U.S. than Interjet or Volaris, but their prices can be incredibly low.
Magnicharters
Based in Monterrey, Magnicharters is a small airline that offers travel packages (hotels, etc.) and also flies to Orlando and Las Vegas.
Aeromar
Other than to McAllen, Texas, Aeromar only flies within Mexico. It’s a smaller airline, so your options are limited, but discounts abound.
Checking in
Always check-in online to avoid long lines at the airport. This is especially true for major holidays, like Christmas, New Year’s, Semana Santa (the week before Easter when everyone is off work), and the last two weeks in July.
Another reason is that because of their low prices, these independent airlines can be quite popular, so there may be long lines all the time, not only on big travel days. Also, having low prices means that they charge for everything, including choosing your seat and extra bags. So checking in early can let you know what you’re in for.
But as I mentioned above, their websites can be clunky and don’t work well. So if the online check-in doesn’t work, think about showing up to the airport a little early.
In bigger airports, like in Mexico City, you may see several different lines of people waiting for one airline. Ask a staff member for the correct line before committing to a wait. Also be aware that there may be two different check-in desks, domestic and international, in different parts of the airport.
Immigration and Customs
Although the information above deals with domestic travel, your first experience flying in Mexico will most likely be when you arrive from abroad. So here are a few tips about that.
After you get off the plane and enter the immigration area of the airport, make sure you get into the line for foreigners, not the one for Mexican citizens. Give the immigration officer your passport and the tourist card you filled out on the airplane. If you didn’t get it on the airplane, look for them in the waiting area. They are called the forma migratoria múltiple, or FMM.
It’s in Spanish but with English translations in the little boxes. Fill out both parts, and don’t write anything in the USO OFICIAL (official use) section.
They usually don’t ask any questions, but simply stamp your passport and the FMM. If they do ask anything, it will probably be which hotel you are staying at, so have that info prepared just in case.
They’ll give you the bottom portion of the card. Put it in a safe place because you’ll need it to leave Mexico. If you lose it, you’ll have to pay an expensive fine, somewhere around $50 USD.
On arrival, most travelers to Mexico receive permission to stay six months in the country. You can see how much time they give you on the card.
The fee to enter Mexico, which changes often but is currently about $20 USD, is automatically included on the price of your plane tickets. In a way, that card is a receipt for the fee.
Next, after getting your luggage from the baggage claim, you’ll go through customs. Have the customs form filled out, which they also should have given you on the plane.
The procedure is simple—when the officer waves you forward, give him or her the form and press the button. It’s random: If the light turns green, you are free, and if it turns red, you will be searched. Like anywhere in the world, if you get searched, don’t complain or cause problems, which will automatically slow down the process. Just cooperate and keep your mouth shut.
When you are flying within Mexico, of course, you don’t need to go through immigration or customs, though you will need your passport for identification.
Transportation out of the Airport
Every airport I’ve been to in Mexico is modern, safe, and easily navigable, even Benito Juarez International in Mexico City.
The most important information about any airport is how to get out of it. In Mexico the easiest way is to use a safe taxi—taxi seguro in Spanish. They are also called taxi autorizado, or authorized taxis.
The price depends on which part of the city you will go to. Look at your hotel’s address for the colonia (neighborhood), often abbreviated to Col. If you’re downtown, near the city’s zócalo (center square), the colonia is probably centro.
Prices may be posted, or you may have to ask. If you don’t speak Spanish, write the name of the colonia on a piece of paper to give to the person. The price is for the trip, not the amount of people, so you can save money by finding someone on your flight to share with if your destinations are the same.
Compare the different prices from the different booths. If the attendant does not show you a written price, either posted in the booth window or from a folder or laminated document, be suspicious of being overcharged.
You pay at the booth and get some sort of receipt or ticket. Then walk outside and look for a line of taxis and give the taxi driver your ticket. You don’t have to tip him at the end of the ride, though I’m sure he’d appreciate 10 or 20 pesos.
The safe (or authorized) taxis are more expensive than the loose taxis waiting outside, but they are safe (hence the name). Do not take a ride with someone who approaches you inside the airport, which is definitely not safe. Keep looking for the taxi booths.
Larger airports may have buses as well, which is a good option if your destination is far from the airport, like a nearby town.
For instance, you can take a bus from the Tuxtla Gutiérrez airport in Chiapas to San Cristobal de las Casas (about an hour away), or from the Cancun airport to Playa del Carmen (1 hour 20 minutes away). There are stations in both terminals of the Mexico City airport with buses going to surrounding cities like Puebla, Querétaro, and Toluca.
To find the little bus station or group of booths inside the airport, look for bus icons on the signs inside the airport after you leave customs that say transporte foráneo (ground transportation), autobuses foráneos, or terminal autobuses (bus terminal).
Of course, you can always rent a car and pick it up at the airport. Read all about driving in Mexico and renting cars here.
Changing Money
Try not to change money at the airport, as you’ll get a bad exchange rate. If you must, at least wait until after customs. The money-changing booths you see inside the baggage claim area typically have the worst rate.
To prepare for this, look up the official exchange rate online at a website like coinmill.com. Then you’ll have an idea of how much extra you’re paying. (Of course, not even banks change money at the official rate—they always raise the rate a little more for buying and lower it a little for selling.)
Make some notes about how many pesos your home currency will get you, so you aren’t trying to make rushed calculations after a long flight. Make a sheet like this:
- $10 USD = 216 pesos
- $20 USD = 432 pesos
- 100 pesos = $6.62 USD
- 200 pesos = $9.25 USD
(These are just examples—please don’t use them. Actually as I write this in early 2017, the peso is the lowest it has ever been against the U.S. dollar, at least since it was devalued in the ’90s.)
Currency exchange booths never change money at the official rate. The peso will always be worth a little less when you sell it and a little more when you buy it. Another tip—besides comparing the rate with your notes, also look at the difference between the rates for buying and selling. The bigger the difference, the more you’re getting ripped off.
A good alternative is to withdraw from an international ATM inside the terminal. Make sure it is from a bank, not a “commercial” ATM that charges higher fees. Common banks in Mexico are Bancomer, Banamex, Banorte, Santander, HSBC, and Scotiabank.
You’ll know the ATM has access to international networks if it has symbols like Cirrus, Plus, or Pulse. Look at the back of your card for these same symbols. If there are no symbols, you can try it, but it may not work. And for some reason the Visa or Mastercard symbol doesn’t always guarantee your Visa or Mastercard will work. If it doesn’t, just look for another bank ATM.
Of course, another option is to look for an exchange bank back home and get pesos there before you leave. Exchange banks specialize in currency exchange and, in my experience, always have the best rates, though of course compare to the official rates. You might even be able to do this at a regular bank. Not only will you save money, but you’ll save yourself the hassle of changing money once you arrive. Be sure to hide it in your socks!
Final Tips
Leave your hotel early the day you depart. You may get stuck in traffic or the airport may be inexplicably busy that day. Sure, waiting in the airport is boring, but it’s better than running around lost and frantic.
Be sure you know which airport terminal your flight will depart from or if you have a layover and must change planes. They are based on airline, and it’s easy to figure out by searching Google.
Tip: In the departure area of the Mexico City airport (maybe others too), you can buy a beer at a convenience store and drink it at the gate, certainly for a better price than at TGI Fridays.
Mexico City, for example, has two terminals too far apart to walk between. You take a little train and you must show your boarding pass to use it. Cancun has three terminals and a little shuttle bus running between them, though terminals 2 and 3 are within walking distance (5-10 minutes).
Which brings me to my final tip. Tequila and other booze is cheaper at a liquor store or big box store (Comercial Mexicana, Wal-Mart, etc.) in the city than at the duty-free shop in the airport. (Remember, NEVER buy tequila from a tourist shop, like near the beach, as it will be flagrantly overpriced.) Just wrap a few bottles up in your checked luggage, depending on how many liters you are allowed to bring into your country. At the moment it’s three liters for the U.S., but you should confirm this with a Google search.
Have a nice flight, and please ask questions in the comments if I’ve forgotten something.
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