Driving the Baja Highway
The Baja 1,000 is considered one of the most dangerous, but exciting, races in the world.
It winds through mountains and desert in the most remote parts of Baja California with drivers dodging Mother Nature's homespun hazards like rugged dry washes and rapid changes in altitude. They also deal with free-roaming livestock, rattlesnakes and one of the largest concentrations of big, bad cacti on the planet.
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The remarkable road to San Marcos, Jalisco
During twenty-four years of reconnoitering the highways and byways of western Mexico, I have never come across a road as rewarding as the 53-kilometer stretch from Tala to San Marcos in the state of Ja...
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Mexico's endless Pacific beach: sun, surf, sand, seafood and solitude
There's more to the Mexico seashore than skimboards, seafood and sun-bathing bronzed bodies: there is solitude. There are vast stretches of uninhabited or unfrequented beaches lounging serenely beside a roiling sea that stretches westward seemingly into infinity.
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A driving tour from Oaxaca to San Cristobal de las Casas and Palenque: Part Two
Cinco de Mayo celebrations in Mexico
There are Mexicans these days who have never attended a Cinco de Mayo celebration. The holiday has taken a back seat to the many saints' days and other festivals.
The growth of celebrations in the Uni...
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A driving tour from Oaxaca to San Cristobal de las Casas and Palenque: Part One
Copoya, Chiapas
GPS on the road to San Pancho, Nayarit
The woman's voice from the dashboard announces, "In three point five kilometers, turn right onto I 80 toward Qptlantapque." - "What did she say? What is she talking about?" I ask. I'm driving, peering at the array of green signs ahead which look vaguely familiar. Not one comes close to matching any destination our audible guide has pronounced with such an unusual number of consonants. Bill consults the Mexico map book spread across his lap. "Ignore her," he says and takes the GPS from its special perch to enter new information.
read moreTwo weeks in Veracruz: a travel diary
I was the only passenger they patted down looking for AK47s and rocket launchers. The sombrero made me look like Clint Eastwood. I'm sure that's what it was.
read moreTapalpa: Land of colors
Tapalpa is an alpine town south of Guadalajara. Surrounded by forests, lakes and streams, Tapalpa beckons visitors to its restful landscape. One winter weekend, as my van snakes up the Sierras, I stare...
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Walking the walk, talking the talk - Colimilla, Colima
"When you return from your friends in Guadalajara, I will take you to the freshest, finest seafood in Colima!" promised Nestor, as we left the hotel that he managed in Melaque, Jalisco. Well, I do no...
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Laguna Catemaco, Veracruz
The lush green volcanic hills of southern Veracruz permitted only glimpses of the approaching Laguna Catemaco. Small islands hid among swirls of soft grey neblina.(fog) They appeared then disappeare...
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Ruins in the rain forest: An excursion to La Selva Lacandona
Many visitors in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, realize that the quaint mountain town, aside from being a destination in itself, is a perfect jumping-off point for dozens of side-trips. Surround...
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The People's Guide To Mexico
"Por favor (please) and gracias (thank you) are the most important words you'll use in Mexico."
If I could own only one guide about getting to know Mexico, it would be The People's Guide t...
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Walking the walk, talking the talk - a wee malarkey about Melaque,
San Patricio/Melaque, on the Pacific Coast of Jalisco draws its name from Saint Patrick. Legend goes that Saint Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland and drove out all the snakes to boot. Locals say ...
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Cenote daydreams, Yucatan, Mexico
Recollections of stunning ruins, fantastic snorkelling,
exquisite food and friendly people.
The Yucatan is unlike any other region of Mexico. It has unique terrain, climate, cuisine and peop...
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Huitussi, Sinaloa, Mexico
Have you ever tried to do a "good" deed and found that you had difficulty pulling it off?
It happened to me on my second road trip to Mexico. From the previous year's journey through the Baja, I knew ...
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Hike to a coffee plantation - San Blas, Nayarit
When tourists visit tropical Mexico, they are sometimes invited to visit a coffee plantation. My invitation came when I was camping with my family near Aticama, a small village on the Nayarit coast, 10...
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A dream in Baja
On a surf-pounded beach in Baja Sur, I sat with my family of five, in a circle of campers around a crackling bonfire. The flickering flames cast each storyteller’s face in turn with a ruddy glow. The...
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Walking the walk, talking the talk - ¿Mucho macho, eh?
“Watch out, Mom!” yelled Rose as the metal hulk of a city bus bore down upon the busy street corner. Hopping instantly back onto the curb, I choked on gasoline fumes while litter swirled in the bus...
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Walking the walk, talking the talk - Colima part 2 - the Sierras
“Everything about Colima smacks of the sea or the sierra,” I said appreciatively, gazing from the balcony of travel-writer Susan Dearing’s condominium. The sun rose like a great gold marigold abo...
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Walking the walk, talking the talk - Colima - sea to Sierra, by Wendy Devlin in Mexico Connect
Part 1 Colima - The Sea
Six years ago I briefly visited the small state of Colima. With my family, I drove straight through the state without stopping along Colima’s eighty-seven miles of coastline,...
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Hike to Cuastecomate, Jalisco
The curving expanse of the Bahia de Navidad greets a rocky headland at the west-end of Melaque. The tranquil cove is sheltered from the open sea behind a tier of craggy sea stacks. Around the rocky hea...
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Walking the walk, talking the talk: Security of mind
How safe is tourist travel in Mexico? This question rates among the most controversial on any Internet forum about Mexico. Crime is a complex subject woven deep in any country's social fabric. The foll...
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Our Mexico hotel in Melaque
One hour north of Manzanillo, Colima, the Primero Plus gave one final jolt in front of Melaque’s bus station. From air-conditioned comfort, we stepped down into the afternoon warmth. By arriving mid ...
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Iguanas in Mexico fly at midnight
It was Nestor's gold capped smile that greeted us in the lobby of a small San Patricio Melaque hotel. At 2 a.m. his warm greeting enhanced his offer of the last available room on a busy holiday weekend...
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