Into Mexico We Go

💭 It feels good to be back in Mexico City. The sights, the sounds, the chaos, the tacos al pastor… I definitely missed all of it. And I made it back just in time for Día de Muertos, which is one of my favorite times of the year here. I finally bought my first pan de muerto of the season too, which I’ll be sharing with friends. Glad to be home. — Adam, in Mexico City 🇲🇽

Region: Oaxaca · Category: Regional / Home cooking / Celebration · Price: $1-2 USD

Oaxacan tamales are made with masa mixed with lard and wrapped in banana leaves instead of corn husks, which gives them a softer, moister texture than the central Mexico version. Filled with black mole and chicken or vegetables. Eaten for breakfast, celebrations, and Día de Muertos. Finding a good tamale vendor in Oaxaca is one of the great early-morning pleasures of living there.

What's in it: Masa harina, lard, chicken broth, baking powder, banana leaves. Filling: black mole sauce with shredded chicken, or bean and chile. Steamed for 1-2 hours.

Flying around Mexico can cost less than a nice dinner, but timing changes everything. The same Mexico City to Mérida route jumps from about $39 to $475 on the Friday before Día de Muertos. Those headline prices are usually “Zero” fares that cover only a small personal item under the seat, so a carry-on adds roughly 250 to 600 pesos ($13 to $32). On Viva’s own site, the 611 peso ($33) airport tax (TUA) is listed on top of the base fare, so always check the final checkout total.

Based on today's exchange rate of 18.67 pesos per dollar — Oct 23, 2026. As the peso/dollar rate fluctuates, your real USD cost will vary.

⭐ This week I'm recommending Baja Bound — a simple way to get insurance for Mexico before you hit the road. They offer coverage for cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, RVs and camper vans, ATVs/UTVs, boats, trailers, homes, and rentals, along with driver’s license liability policies. Whether you're driving across the border, bringing your RV down, or protecting a home in Mexico, you can compare options and purchase coverage online before your trip.

Having a Mexican bank account makes daily life dramatically easier — paying rent, utilities, local transfers, and avoiding ATM fees on every transaction. Opening one as a foreigner has gotten easier, but still requires the right documents and sometimes patience.

Avg rent (1BR furnished): $1-200-$2,000 USD/mo
Cost of living: High-Very High
Expat friendliness: High
Expat community: Large, primarily American
Internet reliability: Good (40-80 Mbps)
Geography / vibe: Desert coast
Pueblo Mágico: No

A desert peninsula beach destination at the southern tip of Baja California, known for sport fishing, dramatic rock formations, and a large American expat and tourism community. More resort-town than real city, but some expats genuinely love the lifestyle — great weather, outdoor activities, close proximity to the US, and easy direct flights from most American cities.

→ Senate sends the 2027 Economic Package to a floor vote after committees approved it unchanged, including a 17.8% hike that raises the foreign visitor fee to 1,158 pesos. (La Jornada)

→ National Geographic named Maya Ka’an a top 2027 destination in its Best of the World list, highlighting the Quintana Roo region’s community-led Mayan tourism. (Riviera Maya News)

→ Puerto Vallarta’s Day of the Dead festival runs October 25 to November 8, with the giant Catrina unveiled November 1 and the parade on November 2. (Vallarta Daily)

→ The peso weakened to 18.71 per dollar on Friday as higher-than-expected inflation raised doubts about Banxico’s next rate move. (El Imparcial)

→ Mexico’s insecurity perception fell to 58.1%, its lowest level in 13 years, with San Pedro Garza García, CDMX’s Benito Juárez, and San Nicolás de la Garza rated safest. (El Financiero)

📅 Oct 29 — Festival del Día de Muertos Tulum Begins, Tulum
Tulum launches its first Festival del Día de Muertos, running through Nov 3 with music, dance, folklore, and cultural programming tied to the Día de Muertos season.

📅 Oct 30 — Francisco I. Madero’s Birthday Anniversary, Nationwide
Mexico marks the 153rd anniversary of the 1873 birth of Francisco I. Madero, the Coahuila-born revolutionary leader who became president and was a central figure in the Mexican Revolution.

📅 Oct 30 — Paseo de las Ánimas, Mérida
One of Mérida’s signature Hanal Pixán events runs from the Cementerio General toward Parque de San Juan, with hundreds of altars and participants dressed as ánimas lining the route.

📅 Oct 30 — Janal Pixán 2026 Begins, Cancún / Puerto Juárez
Cancún’s Maya Día de Muertos celebration begins with a maritime procession in Puerto Juárez and continues with altars, catrinas, music, traditional food, and cultural performances through Nov 2.

📅 Oct 30 — Festival Cultural de Calaveras Begins, Aguascalientes
Aguascalientes opens its major Día de Muertos festival, with 10 days of parades, altars, concerts, cultural events, and activities celebrating the state’s strong connection to José Guadalupe Posada and La Catrina.

📅 Oct 31 — Gran Desfile de Día de Muertos, Mexico City
Mexico City’s huge Día de Muertos parade begins at 2:00 p.m. and travels from the Reforma/Chapultepec area toward the Zócalo with floats, monumental catrinas, dancers, music, and major road closures along the route.

📅 Oct 31 — Desfile de Catrinas, Mérida
Mérida’s Festival de las Ánimas continues with its evening Catrina parade from Plaza Grande to La Plancha, featuring roughly 30 themed contingents, folkloric groups, mojigangas, alebrijes, music, and elaborate costumes.

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