• 2 days ago
Want a less-touristy, crowd-free trip to Mexico? In this video, Afar’s associate editor of destinations, Chloe Arrojado, shares her five best tips for exploring Mexico beyond the main tourist destinations. From pueblos mágicos to off-the-radar cenotes and underrated food markets, these tips will help you experience Mexico like a local.

In This Video:
- The charm of Mexico’s pueblos mágicos
- How to find authentic local food in mercados
- The best cenotes and beaches beyond Cancun
- Cruise ports that offer real cultural experiences
- Festivals that most tourists never see

Recommended cruise partners:
- Lindblad Expeditions: https://fave.co/3zEtjAF
- Holland America Line: https://fave.co/4iF3PHk

Want to explore more? Drop your favorite hidden spots in the comments! If you enjoyed this video, don’t forget to like and subscribe for more off-the-beaten-path travel guides.

Check out the full video—then head over to afar.com to learn more at https://bit.ly/41xBsTT

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Category

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Travel
Transcript
00:00Hey guys, it's Chloe, Afar's Associate Editor of Destinations.
00:03One of my favorite parts about the job is finding those lesser-known places that travelers should put on their radar.
00:08And for me, Mexico is one of the best countries for finding them.
00:11I've traveled all around the country, and no surprise, my most enriching experiences have not been at an all-inclusive in Cancun.
00:17So if you're kind of over the hordes of tourists, and honestly nowadays, who isn't?
00:21I've got five tips for getting away from the crowds in Mexico.
00:24Mexico's small towns are, in my humble opinion, some of the most underrated places to visit.
00:32They're called Pueblos, and they're spread all throughout the country.
00:35The government even has around 175 or so of them that they deem Pueblos Mágicos, which translates to magic towns in Spanish.
00:41These are towns that the government deems especially beautiful, charming, historic, aka definitely worth a visit.
00:47I've visited a few of these Pueblos Mágicos myself, and I love how they give such a strong sense of community.
00:52For example, I'll never forget visiting Valladolid in the Yucatan Peninsula.
00:55I was in a jewelry shop, and the customer in front of me totally forgot to pay.
00:58By the time this shopkeeper realized, he just kind of looked at me, shrugged, and said,
01:02well, I'll find a way to get payment from him next week.
01:05Needless to say, this is not the kind of interaction that you'd expect in a big city.
01:09There's a good chance you missed out on the best places to get food in Mexico.
01:12If you really want to get the good stuff, head to a mercado the next time you visit a city or town.
01:16They're these big buildings where people come and buy local produce or food of the region.
01:21Oaxaca's Mercado Bente de Novembre, for example.
01:24You can get tortillas topped with meat, beans, vegetables known as playunas at one stand, and roasted grasshoppers at the next.
01:30It'll definitely be a more memorable experience than margaritas at a touristy restaurant.
01:35So we've all been to a pretty beach, but have you ever gone swimming in a sinkhole?
01:38Throughout the Yucatan Peninsula, there are a ton of these natural sinkholes known as cenotes that travelers have the opportunity to swim in.
01:44You can book a cenote tour online, but I honestly recommend asking around and speaking to locals.
01:48When you talk to them, you can learn about some lesser-known cenotes because, honestly, some of them are just off the beaten path.
01:53But if you are convinced that you want to do a beach-esque activity, I still recommend that you stay away from the cancuns and tulums and go somewhere smaller.
02:00When I was in Bacalar, for example, I saw the Lagoon of Seven Colors, which was this really cool place where soil, sunlight, and other factors create an effect where you can see a ton of different colors in the water.
02:10This one's for my cruisers out there.
02:12It's no secret that ports like Cozumel and Puerto Vallarta can feel a little tourist-trophy sometimes.
02:17Instead, look into trips that disembark at smaller ports for more authentic experiences.
02:21Cabo Pulmo in Baja California serves a great example, as it's home to one of the continent's oldest reefs.
02:27Puerto Chiapas in the Southern Pacific is another great one, as you can see some lesser-known lion ruins over there.
02:32Cruise lines with smaller ships and more adventure-focused itineraries like Lindblad Expeditions and Holland American Line are going to be your best bet for finding these smaller ports.
02:40Time your trip with a local festival, and you can get an experience that not a lot of other tourists see.
02:45A quick Google search and you can find festivals like the Noche de Rábanos in Oaxaca on December 23rd, where people display artwork made out of radishes.
02:53Or go to the Fiesta de la Candelaria in Tlacotópan, a town by the Gulf of Mexico.
02:58During the celebration, people listen to a special kind of guitar folk music known as San Jarocho, which mixes Spanish, African, and indigenous culture.
03:06I hope this video gets you thinking of all the different ways you can get off the tourist trail in Mexico, because trust me, it is so worth it.
03:12If you enjoyed this video, give us a like. And if you want to get notified when we share more places and more ways to get off the tourist trail, remember to hit that subscribe button.
03:20Happy travels!