Traveling Lately: Mexico
recs for visiting Puerto Vallarta, Los Pueblos Magicos, & CDMX
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I was fortunate to spend Christmas through New Year’s Day traveling with my boyfriend around Mexico. I wish I could take more credit for the itinerary, but that was almost entirely him. Obviously, I feel quite lucky. But now you get to benefit from my luck via this Traveling Lately edition of The Lately! Over the course of nine days, we visited Puerto Vallarta, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, and Mexico City.
Maybe you’re planning a trip and want recommendations. Maybe you just want to scroll down to see some of the (many) taco pictures I took. If that is the case, you can start scrolling now. Maybe you’re looking for some easy to travel with beauty products. Again, scroll now. Valid reasons, all of them. But it was a really amazing nine days, a perfect balance of rest and activity, small town, beach, and city. And if you are looking to plan a trip to Mexico, I hope this helps!
Puerto Vallarta (3 nights)
WHERE WE STAYED: Villa del Palmar Resort & Spa.
We got the best holiday gift of all when the resort upgraded our room to an ocean facing suite. We spent the rest of the trip joking we got the Pineapple Suite, minus the whole relationship issues, murder thing (White Lotus Season 1, anyone?)
HOW WE GOT THERE: We flew directly from LAX to PVR on American Airlines.
It was a very easy flight, though going through customs once we arrived took over an hour. So maybe don’t book yourself a diving expedition right after you land and prepare for lines. You are not the only person who thought going to Puerto Vallarta was a good idea.
The resort itself was about a 10 minute cab ride from the airport.
WHERE WE ATE: The resort offers an all-inclusive meal plan, which we chose to do.
We definitely go our money’s worth. We were only in PV for a few days, Christmas being one of them. The resort has seven different restaurants at which to dine, and in three days we tried almost all of them (we decided to skip the sushi spot, as to avoid potential food poisoning before the real trip even began.) Nothing we ate was memorable in a “best meal ever” sort of way, but it was all good enough for what it was. We certainly did not starve.
THINGS TO SEE & DO: Again, we were only there a few days, one of them being Christmas, so we stayed on the resort property.
We mostly read by the pool, watched the sunset on the beach, kayaked in the ocean, enjoyed an assortment of Christmas shows put on by the resort, ate, and drank. Rough life, I know.
The resort offers a variety of activities and experiences including whale watching, motorized water sports, horseback riding, and diving expeditions. There were also an assortment of workout classes on going throughout the day.
And if we had been in PV longer, we would have visited the Malecon, a mile long shopping and dining promenade in the heart of Downton, and Los Arcos, a set of islands that sit off the coast of Vallarta’s southern shore.
**DO YOU NEED TO KNOW SPANISH: No, but it’ll help at the airport and in getting a taxi. Most of the hotel staff spoke English, though not everyone.
**Disclaimer: while I took 6 years of Spanish in school and have lived in Miami and Los Angeles, my Spanish is embarrassingly bad. I can understand a lot, but my speaking skills leave a lot to be desired. My boyfriend on the other hand speaks Spanish quite well, and that certainly minimized stress-levels.
Guanajuato (1 night)
WHERE WE STAYED: Casa Cobalto (Airbnb)
Without a doubt the coolest Airbnb I have ever stayed in. There are A LOT of stairs to get to the unit, but the views are completely worth the effort.
HOW WE GOT THERE: we flew from PVR to BJX (Guanajuato International Airport) on Volaris and then took a cab into Guanajuato City.
WHERE WE ATE:
Brunch: Casa Valdez — we shared chilaquiles and huevos rancheros. The fresh squeezed orange juice was also fabulous, and they bring you a complimentary assortment of breads and pastries.
Dinner: Costal Cultura Cafetera — we shared croquetas, tuna, and salmon. The drinks here are also delicious and impressively made.
THINGS TO SEE & DO: Guanajuato is known for its silver mining history and colonial architecture.
The core of the town is small enough that in an afternoon you’ll be able to walk and explore it all. We had this list going in (again, I can take no credit for any of it) and we just sort of wandered, checking Google maps every so often, and hit almost everything we hoped to see that way.
Monumento Al Pipila: Essentially a huge observation deck overlooking the entire town. You can take a funicular up, or if you don’t mind stairs, you can walk. (The line to the funicular was far too long, so we walked)
University of Guanajuato — more stairs, but another pretty view of the city
Teatro Juarez — a beautiful theater, we didn’t go inside, but even just the outside is worth visiting
Callejon del Beso (The Alley of the Kiss) — think Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, but in Mexico…the story goes that two star-crossed, ill-fated lovers, lived on this alley and would kiss from their balconies until their untimely end. Now, it’s said couples should stand on the third step and kiss will have good luck. We’ll never know if that’s true because the alley was too crowded and we left.
Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato — a beautiful church
Plaza de la Paz — the plaza just outside the aforementioned church
Templo de San Diego — another pretty church
Jardin de la Union — a nice park (right outside where we ate brunch)
Mercado Hidalgo — a large indoor market
Underground Tunnels — the city is built over a series of underground tunnels. If you take a cab into the city, you’ll drive through them, and there are few places for you to safely walk down in to explore
Guanajuato Plazuela San Fernando — a pretty plaza
Plaza de Los Angeles — another pretty plaza
Calle del Truco and Calle de Sopena — nice streets
The one thing we saw that I wish we had done was a Callejoneadas walking tour. Performing men dressed in renaissance garb play instruments as they lead crowds singing and drinking through the streets. The tour seemed to run every 15 minutes and ended just outside our airbnb, so we caught the tail end all night long.
DO YOU NEED TO KNOW SPANISH: Of all the places we went, this is the one I’d say most strongly yes, it would behoove you to brush up on your Spanish. I think in all our hours of walking around, we heard maybe just two other people speak English. And our waiter at dinner did speak English, but everywhere else was only Spanish.
San Miguel De Allende (1 night)
WHERE WE STAYED: Arturos House Centro II (Airbnb)
A great location very close to the center of town. The only negative…there was no soap of any kind (shower gel or hand soap) in the unit, but that aside, no complaints
HOW WE GOT THERE: we took a Primera Plus bus from the bus station in Guanajuato to the bus station in San Miguel, and then a taxi to our Airbnb.
I was incredibly impressed by the bus; it was MUCH nicer than any bus I’ve taken in the US.
WHERE WE ATE:
Biblioteca Pública de San Miguel de Allende’s Cafe — all the proceeds from the restaurant go to funding public programs. It’s located in a plant filled courtyard; lots of people sitting and reading. So of course, I loved it.
Baja Fish Taquito — we got an assortment of fish and shrimp tacos, all of which were delicious. They have a nice balcony on which to dine, too.
Panio — we ordered chocolate croissants and spinach empanadas to take on our bus ride to CDMX and they were delicious!
28 Barra de Cafe de Especialidad — we grabbed afternoon coffee here, and they had oat milk so I was able to have my first latte of the trip :)
The one place we really wanted to go for breakfast, but weren’t able to because the line was so long, was Lavanda Café de Especialidad.
THINGS TO SEE & DO: San Miguel de Allende is known for its baroque Spanish architecture, thriving art scene, and cobblestoned streets.
Just like in Guanajuato City, you can easily wander San Miguel and take in all the major sites in a day.
Fabrica La Aurora — probably my favorite place we went in San Miguel. It’s a renovated textile mill filled with galleries and works by local artists. There are also shops and a restaurants and even a tasting room. The whole space is gorgeous, and you can roam for a long time. A short, safe walk from the town’s center
Parque Benito Juárez — second favorite place we visited in San Miguel, this park is absolutely gorgeous
Biblioteca Pública de San Miguel — yes, I had to visit the library
my happy place Plaza Civica — a pretty square
Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel — one of San Miguel’s most famous and recognizable churches
Jardin Allende — another lovely park
Church of the Immaculate Conception — another beautiful church
Ignacio Ramírez Market — a large, vibrant market with food and crafts. we bought some margarita glasses here
every street was prettier than the next
DO YOU NEED TO KNOW SPANISH: While we felt like the only English speaking people in Guanajuato, in San Miguel every third person we overheard was either American or Canadian. Of course, being able to speak Spanish here will be incredibly helpful, but I think you can manage if you don’t.
CDMX or Mexico City (3 nights)
WHERE WE STAYED: a Loft in Condesa (airbnb)
Couldn’t have been in a better spot. Condesa, if you aren’t familiar, is a a vibrant, beautiful, trendy neighborhood filled with restaurants, coffee shops, parks, sooooo many dogs (I have never seen a city with more golden retrievers in my life)…I loved it here. Our airbnb was steps — literally steps — away from our favorite taco place.
HOW WE GOT THERE: We took an ETN bus from San Miguel’s bus station to the CDMX bus station.
It was about a 4 hour long drive, but once again, the bus itself surpassed expectations. Super comfortable, and again we had tv screens on the back of each seat. Once we arrived in CDMX, we were able to uber around with no trouble.
WHERE WE ATE: where didn’t we eat? (Pujol 😭)
Tacos Don Juan — steps from our airbnb and the first thing we ate in CDMX. We got the carnitas tacos and would have come back for the quesabirria were they not closed for New Year’s Eve. Taco perfection.
Panadería Rosetta — this bakery is seemingly on everyone’s “must visit” list and for good reason. There was a solid line around 9am, but it moved pretty quickly. We got an assortment of croissants; I especially recommend their guava roll.
Churrería El Moro — phenomenal churros and dipping sauces
(l-r) Tacos Don Juan, Panadería Rosetta, Churrería El Moro Fuego & Cafe — delicious coffee, got another oat milk latte and was a very happy girl
Ticuchi — one of the best meals I have EVER had. Lead by world renowned Mexican chef Enrique Olvera, Ticuchi serves innovative, light dishes with a vegetarian and pescatarian takes on Oaxacan cuisine. Delicious drinks. For me, a must if you’re in Mexico City.
some of what we ordered at Ticuchi (l-r) hummus with tomato, carrots with mole, and scallops El Turix — get the cochinita pibil, the slow roasted pork taco dish seen below. drooling just thinking about it.
Ficelle — another fantastic bakery. We picked up a few treats for NYE here. Definitely recommend the opera cake and tiramisu eclair.
El Hidalguense — known for their barbacoa (a.k.a. slow-cooked lamb tacos seen below). I’m not a lamb-girlie, so I tasted a bite and then mostly enjoyed some chilaquiles
(l-r) El Turix, Ficelle, El Hidalguense Taquería El Califia — we got take out from here when my stomach started to turn on me (a week of tacos and pastries will do that.) I enjoyed the chicken soup immensely. Also recommend the Tacos Al Pastor.
Pizzas Nosferatu — we got pizza to go from here on NYE and it was delish. Not worth going out of your way for necessarily, but still quite good.
Notably, we could not get a reservation at Pujol. We tried for weeks, checking every day for cancelations and adding ourselves to the waitlist…alas, next time!
Other places on our list that we didn't hit this time around (but many of which my boyfriend has eaten at before and recommends) include…
Taquería Orinoco — recommended tacos include al pastor, res, and chicharron
Taquería Los Gueros — recommended taco: al pastor
Taquería los Parados — recommended taco: al pastor & al carbon
El Visilto — a mechanic turned late night spot, recommended taco: al pastor
Taquería los Abanicos — recommended taco: carnitas
El Pescadito — recommended taco: pescado
El Auténtico Pato Manila — asian fusion
Taquería el Greco — recommended taco: arabes
Tacos de Canasta los Especiales — recommended taco: canasta
Tacos Hola el Guero — recommended taco: guisado
Taquería el Torito — recommended tacos: suadero & tripa
Balcón del Zócalo— a nice rooftop spot in El Centro
THINGS TO SEE & DO:
We sure got our steps in in CDMX! We ubered a few times, but mostly lotsssss of walking.
Explore Condesa & Roma — walk through the parks and pretty streets and be sure to stop by the iconic Ángel de la Independencia
Bosque de Chapultepec — an enormous park (1,700 acres) that you should absolutely wander through. It contains tourist destinations such as…
Museo Nacional de Antropología — this museum contains artifacts from Mexico's pre-Columbian heritage, such as the Stone of the Sun (or the Aztec calendar stone) and the Aztec Xochipilli statue. a highlight of the trip, for sure
— a historical museum that was once home to a series of presidents. It also boasts incredible views of the city
shots from the top of Chapultepec Castle
Explore El Centro — as the name indicates, this is the center of this city and it dates back as far as the Aztec era. Some things to see while there…
Palacio del Bella Artes — hosts performing arts events
Zócalo — a large plaza and prior to the colonial period, it was the main ceremonial center in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan
Metropolitan Cathedral — the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico
Templo Mayor — the remains of the main temple of the Mexica people in their capital city of Tenochtitlan
Palacio Nacional — the seat of the federal executive in Mexico and the official residence for the President of Mexico
Palacio Postal — a gorgeous old post office
Gran Hotel Ciudad de México — a beautiful hotel with stunning stain glass ceilings
Murales de Diego Rivera
If we’d been in town longer and if it hadn’t been New Year’s Eve, we would have also visited the Museo Frida Kahlo, the canals of Xochimilco, and Teotihuacan (the home of many of the most architecturally significant Mesoamerican pyramids built in the pre-Columbian Americas, namely the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon.)
DO YOU NEED TO KNOW SPANISH: You should be able to get around totally fine in the heavily touristy areas with just English. But speaking Spanish will certainly help, especially if you plan on venturing to more hole-in-the wall type spots.
We spent several hours on January 1st posted up at a Starbucks (one of the few places open) before heading to the airport and flying back to Los Angeles.
This was very long — I know — so if you read this far a huge thank you! And if you know anyone headed to Mexico who might benefit from this travel guide, please pass it along.
The last thing I’ll include here is some of what I packed with me…
Travel Essentials:
Kindle — I read Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday and started The Fury by Alex Michaelides (both advanced copies available now for pre-order, thank you net galley!)
Dyson AirWrap — just brought the blow-dryer piece and the two curlers. Travels easy and makes your hair look great so quickly
Amika Dry Shampoo (travel size)
Murdle Volume II — these logic puzzles kept us endlessly entertained on travel days (and any other second of downtime we got)
Vooray Belt Bag (code SAMANTHA30 at checkout)
Rent the Runway clothes — if you want your travel wardrobe to feel different than your regular one (30% off your first month through the link)
Quay Sunglasses (currently 50% off)
Total travel envy!!! Your AirBnb in Guanajuato is incredible!
What a trip!!! Thx for the tips Samantha!