President Peña Nieto halted the federal subsidies on gasoline. The result was a 20% increase. So, we are paying $4/ gallon. Since a lot of goods are trucked in, prices are going up everywhere. And public transportation has increased.
Propane also had an increase. This has raised the price of tortillas, which are a staple here.
State ran electricity has also gone up.
Here in the Yucatan, the minimum wage is 80 pesos a day.
Since the Trump election, the peso has fallen and approaching 22 pesos to the US dollar. So this would be a great time to visit.
If you are considering the Yucatan Peninsula, I could give some suggestions. PM me and tell me what your interests are. I would be happy to assist.
Many Americans are worried about drug-related/ethnic violence for holidaying in Bonnie Ulster.
However, even at the height of the Troubles there was a difference between hiring a temporary lodging in the Falls Road with your wee Union Jack in your hand, and staying at a 3 star hotel near the Giant’s Causeway.
Taking your advice next month! Very much looking forward to it. Flying into Cancun, and immediately getting the hell out of there to Tulum. Would love any suggestions around there for foodie things (not just restaurants; would love to check out local markets, or maybe even cooking classes), culture, public transit, live music - I’m generally quite happy not to drive when vacationing, but a preliminary check tells me that if we want to go to Chichen Itza, it probably makes more sense to rent a car for the day because buses are minimal to nonexistent, and I refuse to spend $$$$ for a stupid bus tour when I’m fluent in Spanish and prefer traveling independently anyway.
We are fairly intrepid travelers who like culture and don’t enjoy spending vacations entirely on the beach sipping margaritas anyway; what’s the point of leaving the U.S. if you’re just going to hang around with other Americans and get drunk?
I think I would ask if the weak peso is more important than the rampant inflation if purchasing in US dollars, and that would decided whether or not now is really a great time to vacation in Mexico.
A lot of resorts along Riviera Maya only deal in dollars as a hedge against the peso, for example. Now your airport transfer will cost more, so possibly now is not a great time to visit Mexico.
Even if you want to try to keep it cheap, those MXN$12 street tacos are probably MXN$15 if tortilla prices are going up.
Which is still a heck of a lot cheaper than my local $1.75 tacos (and my local place is Mexican-owned and -patronized; we live in an immigrant neighborhood. Obviously in a less ethnic neighborhood, tacos are going to be more expensive than that).
harmonicamoon, that is a lovely invitation. I wish I could take advantage of it right now!. But hours cut back at work so time to buff up my resume and find steady employment.
We stayed in Valladolid and had no need for a rental car. We rented bikes from our hotel for visiting the cenotes that were not far from town (quite an adventure riding there). There are many buses (ADO) that run to Tulum and Chichen Itza. There are also the colectivos since you mention you are fluent in Spanish.
Thanks - I have an awesome Mexican client who also suggested Valladolid. The Tulum hotel reservations are not set in stone. Maybe it would make more sense to take a bus straight from Cancun to Valladolid, go to Chichen Itza early the next morning, maybe even stay 2 nights in Valladolid, and then take a bus onward to Tulum? That way there’s no need to wake up at the crack of dawn to take a 2-hour bus ride to Chichen Itza, and no need to rent a car at all, which I kind of prefer. Plus it sounds more relaxed, and we could just meander back to Valladolid at our leisure on a colectivo.
We loved Valladolid. Old colonial town with some awesome churches to visit. We stayed at the Mesón del Marqués which I recommend (their breakfast and dinner are also great). We were going to visit Ek Balam but had to abandon that trip due to the problem of “trying to cram too much into one visit.” When we go back, we’ll probably stay a couple nights in Merida as well.
I love Mexico and I especially love the people. Been there better than 30x. From Tijuana to Quintana Roo and from Oaxaca to Matamoras. But to be honest, it’s been 10 years since I’ve be there. I would imagine the Quinata Roo is still a relatively safe place to be, plus some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. For me, it’s less than an two hour plan ride.
Yes, do stay in Valladolid. Bueno, it’s my home town.
If you must go to Chichen Itza (on your bucket list?), best to be there when it opens at 8am. At 10am the buses from Cancun arrive. And it ain’t pretty.
Close to Valladolid is Ek Balam. I believe it is nicer than the Chichen Itza.
And spend two or more days here. Lots to see. And the food is great. I can recommend lodging and restaurants.
I am not real big on Tulum. It is gringolandia. Nice beaches, but they are always windy. But if you kite surf, it is the place.
And also, many love to take advantages of “the Gringo” not to mention things just move slower down there. Read a couple of the many books about expats.
I have heard many stories of condo home owner’s associations gone bad.
Some friends bought a home. And spent some bucks making it a home. And a Zumba place opens next door. And they can’t sleep because of the noise. And they can’t sell because of the noise.
Mexico has everything. From deserts to tropics to snow. Move around and experience it all. Rent don’t buy.
I think we will for a bit, but I do love my beaches, too. Some of my favorite childhood memories are near my grandparents’ house, which was on the Jersey shore, 3 blocks from the Atlantic. I don’t remember not knowing how to swim in the ocean.
When in Rome, you know? And yes, everything I’ve read so far says to go first thing in the morning, which was what made me think maybe it would just be easier to stay the night before nearby.
Nicer in what sense?
By all means, please do!
We were there for just a couple of hours about 4 years ago; my husband Tom Scud’s brother and sister-in-law wanted to do a yoga workshop in Puerto Morelos, so they made us an offer we couldn’t refuse at the time: airfare and hotel in exchange for babysitting for their 4-year-old daughter during the yoga workshop. It was great to be in Mexico, but the babysitting duties were rather…limiting. We basically had part of one day free, which was when we hightailed it down to Tulum by bus. Which didn’t leave us time to do anything beyond seeing the ruins, and even that at a not terribly leisurely pace. So I vowed we would go back sometime when we were unfettered, and voila, here we are.
And let’s face it, we’re gringos. Never tried kite surfing, and the idea of landing doesn’t thrill my gimpy ankle. But I miss the saltwater in an inexplicable way.