The following article is reproduced with the kind permission of the Consul General in Austin Texas. It first appeared in their : September 1996 - Austin, Texas - Ye... read more

For a city named Peace, it has a rather grim history. A Spanish expedition sailed into the bay in 1533; the leader and several of his soldiers were killed by the indigenous residents soon after, by som... read more

The rugged Baja California peninsula and the Sea of Cortez, or Gulf of California, have been bewitching hardy visitors for decades. Some of the early fans were John Steinbeck and Earl Stanley Gardner, ... read more

Early in 1980, exploring various off the beaten track areas of Mexico looking for potential geography fieldwork sites, one fateful Saturday morning found me standing in the main plaza of the small Mich... read more

Juan Mata Ortíz is a small village of potters, farmers and cowboys in Northern Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, an unschooled artistic genius, Juan Quezada, taught himself how to make earthenware jars i... read more

November is a festive month here in Ajijic, beginning with the celebrations of All Saints Day and Day of the Dead, and ending with the feast of the village's patron, San Andrés. Invariably the most l... read more

In response to all the positive feedback on my Day of the Dead article, here are a few related activities you might pursue in the Guadalajara - Lake Chapala area during late October - early November. I... read more

Excerpt from a work in progress "Have Pets, Will Travel" Curiosity can kill a cat, but in my case, it got me a parakeet. When I first arrived in Mexico, everything fascinated me. In this particular c... read more

As you walk toward the main square from the bus terminal in Dolores Hidalgo, it's hard to imagine the impassioned frenzy that heated this Mexican village on September 15, 1810. Here, on the balcony of ... read more

The Aztecs called it tianquiztli, Nahuatl for the marketplace". Modern Mexicans refer to it as the tianguis, mercado sobre ruedas ("market on wheels" - a term used mostly in Mexico City), ... read more

Northern Mexico often gets short shrift in the tourist literature. Several guidebooks recommend one blast south as quickly as possible because there is "nothing but empty desert in Chihuahua, Coahuila or Nuevo Leon." Au contraire!

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Whenever I'm travelling in Mexico and I arrive in a new town, the first thing I want to see is la plaza de armas, the heart of almost every Mexican village, town or city. The way it is laid out, maintained and used tell me more in a few moments than I'm likely to learn in hours of exploring the town itself. I always favor hotels on or near the zócalo and, after dinner, I'm inclined to find a bench to just sit and watch the swirl of humanity in the warm evening light.

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What a thrill it would be to climb to the uppermost bell of this magnificent cathedral, I thought. read more

Situated about 300 miles north of Mexico City at an elevation of 6,200 feet, San Luis Potosi doesn't suffer the high summer temperatures and humidity of coastal areas. Although it's out of the Colonial Circle of cities such as San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Morelia, and Patzcuro, SLP, too, is rich with colonial architecture and history.

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Texas has the Alamo, New York has its Empire State Building, but only Michoacan has Patzcuaro. Every travel poster extolling Michoacan has a shot of fisherman wielding the famous butterfly net. Look closely, and you'll spy a tiny cone-shaped island, topped by a statue of Jose Maria Morelos, hand reaching to the sky. That's Patzcuaro's jewel: Janitzio. read more

Nestled between the hills and clouds at 7,500 ft. above sea level and only 25 miles from San Miguel Allende, is Pozos, Guanajuato. This once opulent colonial city lived through several gold bonanzas ... read more

Mexico Connect Forum Discussion Threads Posted by Ann Bice on June 29, 1997 We are planning to check out the Guad-Lake area for potential retirement-it sounds too good to be true. Anyway, we can g... read more

We've thoroughly enjoyed reading this site recently and now have another question. With a lake the size of Lake Chapala there must be pleasure boating but haven't found much info. We're thinking about bringing a boat or buying there. Does anyone know about marinas, boats for sale, boating activities, living aboard, etc.? Any help is appreciated...

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I need to arrange for bus tickets for 7 people from Mexico City to Oaxaca on the morning of the 21st of December. I've heard that the "Uno" is the one to take and I'd like to make reservations for the 7 of us in advance. Is it possible to do this and if so, how? And if you're really familiar with the buses, how much?

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The ubiquitous land crab — about the size of the palm of a hand © Barbara Sands, 2010 "If you've ever traveled the mainland side of the Sea of Cortez, just south of the town of El Golfo de Santa... read more

Nayarit is still one of Mexico's best kept secrets. Here you will find rich traditions, beautiful beaches, and "secret places" to discover for yourself. If you are planning a trip to explore Nayarit, y... read more

Brown, arid hillsides barely visible in a distant haze. Isolated green cacti with contorted, knotted arms, coarse, spiny fingers and bright red, seemingly nailpolished fruits set against an endless tan... read more

The following information has been summarized and updated from my book, Spas & Hot Springs of Mexico. I recently had the hard duty of visiting three of Mexico's world-class spas. There are about a... read more

Squatting on the rocky cliff high above the bay, two young boys watched the man below who, knee deep in water, held his net ready. Suddenly, the boys yelled and pointed to a school of fish swimming beh... read more

The following is a quick guide to the cuisine of Nayarit. This guide was discovered by Conner and adapted from the original Spanish version by Camille. There are several foods listed for which there ar... read more