January 31, 2025

7 Ways to Escape the Crowds in Mexico

Here’s how to craft an offbeat adventure a little more removed from the typical places.

Ruins in the middle of a forest — Avoid the crowds and head into lesser-visited places like Sierra Madre mountains.

Traveling off the tourist trail in Mexico isn’t simply about dodging the crowds. It’s about the thrill of a colectivo ride through forested landscapes and the awe of stumbling upon a secluded beach where yours are the only footprints.

Many travelers know the cabana-laden beaches of Cancun and the galleries and rooftop scene of San Miguel de Allende. But if you’re ready to trade your resort wristband for a pair of hiking boots or a plate of something you’ve never heard of, lesser-known small towns and quiet islands are calling.

Town with desert mountains in the background — Mexico’s Pueblos Mágicos are spread throughout the country.

1. Find magic beyond the usual suspects

Mexico’s 177 Pueblos Mágicos (Magical Towns) are villages that the government deems particularly charming. While many (like Todos Santos) call their fair share of influencers, not all of them are tourist-packed Instagram traps. Take Calvillo, Aguascalientes, in central Mexico: This guava-scented haven, one of the world’s biggest producers of tropical fruit, is a far cry from the likes of Sayulita. Here, the streets are quieter, the guava candy is abundant, and the town is at the doorstep to the Sierra Fría, known for hiking trails and waterfalls.

If you’re a fan of history and architecture, head to Ahuacatlán or Amatlán de Cañas in western Mexico, both of which offer a peek into the country’s colonial past. The Jesús Nazareno church in Amatlán de Cañas dates back to the 18th century.

2. Embrace the mercado scene

Mexico’s markets are sensory overload in the best way—rows of stalls selling freshly made tortillas, sizzling tacos al pastor, and unrecognizable fruits you’ll want to check out. In lesser-visited towns, markets are a cultural exchange, where you can chat with vendors and maybe learn the secret to their abuela’s mole recipe.

“Mexico City‘s food markets are truly the heartbeat of the city’s culinary and cultural experience,” sayes Karla Tovar, a team member at Bikes and Munchies, a cycling and food tour company based in Mexico City. “Exploring them is one of the best ways to dive into the local food scene and understand the traditions that shape Mexican cuisine.”

While in Mexico City, she recommends hitting up markets like Mercado San Juan for gourmet and exotic food lovers, Mercado de Coyoacan for traditional Mexican snacks, or the Mercado de Jamaica for fresh flowers and traditional food like tlacoyos, which are stuffed corn masa cakes.

Oaxaca‘s Mercado 20 de November is another such dizzying display. Overflowing burlap sacks of multi-colored spices sit next to barrels of dried chilies, while the smell of achiote wafts through the air. Wander the aisles to uncover everything from crispy tlayudas (charcoal-grilled tortillas topped with meat, beans, and vegetables) to roasted grasshoppers.

Over in the central city of Puebla, visit the Mercado de Sabores and pick up a plump, overstuffed cemita, a thick sandwich filled with meat, avocado, cheese, and chipotle.

Purple car driving through a street — Colectivos are usually privately owned.

3. Public transport is your best friend

Think Mexico is all about flights and rental cars? Think again. Try hopping on a bus or a colectivo (a small, shared van), where you’ll ride with locals and, sometimes, a badly dubbed action movie playing on repeat, depending on the length of the trip. Plus, you may meet other travelers and dust off your Spanish with locals.

Buses and colectivos, with their many stops connecting remote parts of the country, make it easier to get to more hard-to-reach destinations. In Yucatan, for example, colectivos can take you from bustling Merida to the white-sand beaches of Celestun and other towns along the Gulf Coast.

Small dolls on display — The Night of the Radishes is an annual event held on December 23.

4. Celebrate like a local

While Cancun has its foam parties, smaller towns throw celebrations that are both intimate and electrifying. Whether it’s the Festival de Calaveras (end of October/early November) in Aguascalientes or the Guelaguetza Indigenous culture celebration festival in Oaxaca (July), you’ll find music, dancing, and food that outshines any resort buffet.

The Fiesta de la Candelaria in Tlacotalpan, a town by the Gulf of Mexico, blends Spanish and Afro-Cuban influences. Son jarocho music, a local guitar folk music fusing Spanish, Indigenous, and African culture, fills the air in early February as residents dress in vibrant red costumes.

And definitely don’t skip the quirkier festivals. How about the Noche de Rábanos (Night of the Radishes), when people create works of art out of the vegetable, in Oaxaca? Or a gathering of healers and shamans in Catemaco, Veracruz, for La Noche de Brujas (Night of the Witches)?

5. Dive into nature

“While much better known for its rich history and culture, Mexico is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world and offers world-class wildlife, nature, and adventure opportunities for even the most well traveled,” says Zach Rabinor, CEO of travel agency Journey Mexico.

Start with Espíritu Santo, a UNESCO-protected island off the coast of La Paz. Here, turquoise waters meet pink sandstone cliffs, and the sea lions are always ready for a swim. Authorized tours like On Board Baja will take you sailing around the island, hiking along its rugged trails, and picnicking on its remote beaches.

For an off-grid experience, Islas Marías is your next stop. Once a penal colony, this cluster of islands opened for tourism in 2024 offers a glimpse into dozens of endemic species. Because the islands are located 60 miles off the Pacific Coast of Nayarit, the only way to get there is by ferry. You can depart from either Mazatlan or San Blas and, currently, all visitors must be part of a three-day, two-night package that includes a tour guide and accommodations.

And let’s not forget the parks and preserves: Las Pozas in Xilitla is full of waterfalls and jungle paths, while El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve in Baja California Sur offers whale-watching and desert landscapes that are awe inspiring. (Baja Ecotours specializes in whale-watching tours in the biosphere.)

6. Reconsider the resort

Ditch the cookie-cutter resorts and check into boutique hotels and haciendas in small towns. They’re not only more intimate but also steeped in the area’s culture. Take the Hacienda el Carmen Hotel & Spa, which occupies a 17th-century structure less than 50 miles from Guadalajara. Inside the ochre-and-brick facade, guests can dine alfresco to the sounds of classical guitar, while a small spa and stables set the scene for on-site activities.

If you’re loving your time on Island Espiritu Santo, consider a glamping adventure with Todos Santos Eco Adventures’ Camp Cecil. Overlooking one of the uninhabited island’s most attractive beaches, the camp features cozy tents, an on-site chef, and drinks under the stars.

Ruins surrounded by flat land — Travel to Progreso and you can visit Mayan ruins.

7. Avoid major cruise ports

If you’re cruising around Mexico, steer clear of itineraries that stick to well-trodden ports like Cozumel or Cabo San Lucas. Instead, seek cruises that stop at lesser-known places such as Loreto, where you can kayak in the Sea of Cortez, or Progreso, a gateway to the Yucatan’s cenotes and ancient ruins.

By avoiding major ports, you’ll bypass crowds of disembarking passengers and enjoy a more relaxed, authentic vibe. Smaller coastal towns and islands like La Paz or Huatulco offer scenic beaches and seafood to rival the big-name spots like Puerto Vallarta or Cabo San Lucas—without the chaos.

Is Zero-Waste Travel Actually Even Possible?

by Sonya Bradley | All Media, Media

Is Zero Waste Travel Even Possible?

By: Kathleen Rellihan

April, 2024

Travelers today are more conscious of their environmental footprint, even if it often seems abstract. But what about the trail of waste travelers create?

Todos Santos, Mexico, is beloved for its rugged coastline and wilderness. — Todos Santos is beloved for its rugged coastline and water. Josh Withers/Unsplash

The shimmering emerald cove beckons; reaching it requires a trek up the cacti-dotted cliffs under the Baja sun, then a scramble across boulders on a small beach. But if you arrive at the right time, the water is calm enough for a swim, and you may spot sea lions on the rocks or a whale in the distance. You might also, unfortunately, see a few plastic bottles.

This popular trail in Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, became a favorite of mine during the nearly two years I was based there. Now the small town is grappling with the effects of enchanted visitors who end up staying (hello, me), and it’s trying to avoid going the way of other overdeveloped coastal areas—ones without the infrastructure to support rapid growth, thus ending up with overflowing landfills and waste that leaches into the ocean (hello, Tulum).

“How do we prevent ourselves from becoming just another overrun beach town?” Bryan Jáuregui says. She’s a founding member of Alianza Cero Basura – Zero Waste Alliance, a community-led initiative to implement a plan for a zero-waste future for Todos Santos and the neighboring town of El Pescadero. Jáuregui’s question has urgency: These towns are located in Baja California Sur, the least populated but fastest-growing state in Mexico. As the co-owner of Todos Santos Eco Adventures and Los Colibris Casitas boutique hotel, she calls it “enlightened self-interest” to take on her town’s waste problem.

This tension is not unique to Baja. Around the world, destinations are struggling to balance tourism and economic growth for locals while protecting their natural resources. And even though travelers are more conscious of their environmental footprints than ever, what can they realistically do about them? Is leaving behind zero waste during travel even possible?

Born out of the 1970s ethos of environmental advocacy, the zero-waste movement is focused on sending as little material waste to landfills as possible. The “five Rs” of a zero-waste lifestyle, coined by Bea Johnson in her book, Zero Waste Home, are the movement’s mantra: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot (i.e., compost).

A growing number of individuals are embracing these concepts at home: They are eschewing single-use plastics, purchasing bulk items at grocery stores, and taking their food scraps to community compost centers. It gets harder, however, to keep this mindset on the road: Most travelers eat out for most meals and, depending on where they go, don’t necessarily have access to potable drinking water. Travelers are inherently overconsumers.

In some places, tourists generate up to twice as much waste as residents due to the packaged goods they buy, including travel-size toiletries. Eight out of 10 tourists visit coastal areas, contributing to the 8 million tons of plastic that enters oceans and kills 100,000 marine animals a year, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. But it’s more than plastic; often overlooked is food waste. The hotel industry alone produces 79,000 tons of food waste yearly. Cruise ships can generate about 1.3 pounds per person per day on average. Cutting down can make a significant difference, says Vishal Kumar, CEO of Waste Warriors, a nonprofit in the Indian Himalayan Region.

“The creation of less waste means less demand for the production, packaging, and distribution of goods, which results in reduced greenhouse gas emissions throughout the value chain,” Kumar says. When organic waste is dumped into landfills, it releases methane, which has 20 to 80 times more global warming potential than CO2. Aiming for zero waste, then, is a climate solution.

We don’t need 12 people doing zero waste perfectly each year. We need 12 thousand, or 12 million people doing it imperfectly. Court Whelan

In 2007, Natural Habitat Adventures eliminated plastic water bottles from their trips and became the world’s first carbon-neutral travel company. It then took on another ever-growing environmental issue: waste.

Twelve years later, in July 2019, the company led the world’s first zero-waste trip in Yellowstone National Park. To divert 99 percent of the trip’s waste—which would otherwise end up in a landfill—guests carried bamboo cutlery that they washed between meals and a compost bucket for all uneaten food scraps.

While Natural Habitat Adventures isn’t leading 100 percent zero-waste adventures anymore, that doesn’t mean the experiment failed. “We learned that zero waste is possible. However, it is indeed very resource- and time-intensive,” says Court Whelan, chief sustainability officer of Natural Habitat Adventures, of the 18 months researching and planning for the trip.

“I don’t think the extreme confines of zero-waste travel is the end goal. I think examples of zero waste, whether it’s on a certain trip or camp, leave an inspirational echo across the industry.” It’s more about instigating change, and any “waste-lessening movement” is moving toward the goal line, he adds.

“We don’t need 12 people doing zero waste perfectly each year. We need 12 thousand or 12 million people doing it imperfectly.”

One of the best ways travelers can work toward a zero-waste mindset on the road is to dig deeper into where their dollars are going.

Alianza Cero Basura created a way for travelers to support businesses in Todos Santos and El Pescadero that self-assess their waste-reductions impact with a directory of Waste Wise All Stars. Beyond using this guide to find local restaurants and hotels actively working to reduce their waste, travelers can fill up their water bottles at one of Alianza’s refill stations installed throughout town. Alianza also created the first community-led organic waste farm and research center in Baja California Sur; it produces soil-enhancing products and compost, diverting 60 percent of the town’s organic waste from the landfill.

Meanwhile, Norwegian cruise company Hurtigruten—which banned single-use plastics in 2018 and has introduced zero-emissions vehicles and hybrid-powered cruise ships—in April 2024 launched a zero-edible-food-waste program with a goal to, well, reduce food waste to zero grams per guest. Edible food waste from Hurtigruten’s Original Coastal Express ships, which sail along the coast of Norway, will be composted and sent to a local farm that will use it to cultivate products that Hurtigruten will use in its menus. “Farm to fleet to farm” is its goal.

Still, the most obvious and easiest way to create less waste is by refusing. Consider: The more things we acquire, the more things will become waste. On the road, think about what you need. Can you split dishes with your fellow travelers? Get bulk snacks for your road trip? Share some gear instead of everyone packing their own?

Another simple habit is employing reusables—and not just a water bottle. You can buy a zero-waste travel kit, or make one of your own, which could include a reusable tote bag (I carry my trusty Baggu bag on every trip); a reusable silverware kit that doesn’t look like camping gear; and bags and capsules to carry toiletries. My collection of silicone Stasher bags are for more than packing snacks; I use them to carry all my toiletries, which are poured into my magnetic, stackable Cadence Refillable Travel Capsules.

Pack light, and pack items that have multiple uses. Not only does doing so lessen your carbon footprint, but also it can save your sanity and budget. Instead of buying new gear for every trip, consider renting or buying used gear: On a ski trip in Aspen this year, I rented ski pants from Suit Yourself, a mobile ski clothes outfitter. Kit Lender rents outdoor gear and apparel, and Patagonia and REI let you buy and sell your clothing. (Check out AFAR’s guide to places to buy used clothing gear.) Root Adventures also discourages buying new gear by offering a subsidy for any pretrip gear repair, and it includes gear rentals in the trip price.

Mindsets change—maybe not overnight, but slowly, actions create momentum and conservation culture grows. One of the best ways to do this is to let your dollars do the talking, Whelan says. “Single-use is technically easier. Are we happier people because we are consistently able to make and do the easiest thing possible?”

Zero-waste travel is indeed complicated to attempt and even more difficult to adopt perfectly. When we travel, we’re always pushing ourselves—to climb that mountain, to make that plane connection, to attempt that phrase in Spanish. When we put the effort in, we’re rewarded. Leaving nothing behind is just another mindset to get used to.

This Pristine Uninhabited Island Has an Oceanfront All-inclusive Glamping Site — and Its Sea Is Known as the ‘Aquarium of the World’

by Sonya Bradley | All Media, Media

By: Evie Carrick

October, 2024

Isla Espíritu Santo, an island off the coast of Mexico’s Baja California Sur, is surrounded by whales, sharks, turtles, and rays.

*Camp Cecil in La Paz, Mexico under a starry sky. Photo: GREG FISHER/Courtesy of Go La Paz*

Pure, untouched nature surrounds those who have the chance to set foot on Isla Espíritu Santo, an island off the coast of Mexico’s Baja California Sur. The uninhabited island in the Sea of Cortez is part of a long-protected UNESCO World Heritage site and is home to many endemic species. The sea life off its coast is so vibrant and varied it’s been dubbed the “aquarium of the world.”

Visually, Isla Espíritu Santo is a wonder. The shallow soft green water that surrounds it makes the orange-pink cliffs of the island pop. Ancient cave art and hidden lagoons are waiting to be discovered, as are the island’s deserted beaches.

You can visit Isla Espíritu Santo on a day trip from La Paz, Mexico, but a lucky few can sleep on the island’s remote beaches and enjoy the starry sky, which is void of light pollution. The island’s glamping site, Camp Cecil, isn’t luxurious compared to other over-the-top glamping destinations. But it offers something very few places in the world can: the chance to sleep on an uninhabited island and wake up to a view very few people will ever witness. From camp, the renowned “aquarium of the world” — home to whales, dolphins, whale sharks, sea turtles, and manta rays — is at your feet.

*Vlero Isla Espíritu Santo. Courtesy of Go La Paz*

At Camp Cecil, guests sleep right on the beach in high-ceiling camping tents that are outfitted with real beds and fresh linens. The bathrooms have compost toilets, and the showers are warmed by the sun. The setup is simple and environmentally minded, yet comfortable.

But there is nothing simple about the locale, which is known for its virgin beaches and desert landscape marked by volcanic rock formations. Each morning, guests wake to meet the day’s adventure. You can stay on the island to check out ancient cave art and look for endemic flora and fauna on one of the 10 designated hiking trails, or kayak along the coastline to one of the many bays lined with white sandy beaches.

*A woman snorkeling through the waters of Isla Espíritu Santo. Courtesy of Go La Paz*

Further out to sea, some of the most spectacular ocean creatures await — including giant whale sharks, the largest fish in the ocean. There are also several renowned snorkel and dive sites, and swimming with sea lions is always a visitor favorite.

Guides and any equipment you’ll need are provided by Camp Cecil, including everything from stand-up paddleboards and kayaks to snorkels and binoculars. All meals, prepared by an onsite chef, are also included, as is a nightly happy hour where guests share highlights from the day’s adventures.

An all-inclusive stay at Camp Cecil on Isla Espíritu Santo costs $395 per night for adults, which includes all necessary equipment, meals, the permits needed to sleep on a UNESCO-protected island, and roundtrip transfers to the island. There is a two-night stay minimum for overnight guests and reservations can be made through Todos Santos Eco Adventures

Dipping Into Nature: Mexico’s Baja California Sur with Austin Travels

by Sonya Bradley | All Media, Media

Austin Travels: Dipping Into Nature in Mexico’s Baja California Sur

By: Pam LeBlanc

December, 2023

Above me, a beagle-sized sea lion pup pinwheels through the blue water of the Sea of Cortez. A second darts past with a seagull feather in its mouth, and two more nibble on the tips of the fins I’m wearing.

Scuba diving with a colony of sea lions at Isla Ilotes, a rocky outcropping at the north end of a string of islands near La Paz, Mexico, feels a little like joining recess at the local elementary school. Although my school days are long gone, I’m still having a blast.

My visit is part of a nature-focused, five-day trip to Baja California Sur, in Mexico. I’m traveling solo, and my itinerary includes a night in the artists’ enclave of Todos Santos, two nights of camping on Isla Espiritu Santo, and a night at the posh Baja Club in La Paz before I head home. But this moment, with dozens of sea lions swirling around me, tops the highlights reel.

My guide has warned me not to grab or chase the creatures, but to let them come to me. And they do.

As I swim slowly into an underwater cave where a dozen animals have gathered, a sleek brown pup with blue marbles for eyes nips lightly on the sleeve of my wetsuit. I spin around, and another tugs on the scarf wrapped over my head. I laugh underwater, and they swim into the stream of diamond-like bubbles I exhale.

The sea lions seem thrilled to have visitors.

A night in Todos Santos in Baja California Sur

Los Colibris Casitas is perched on a hillside on the outskirts of Todos Santos, in Baja California Sur. Photo by Pam LeBlanc

To get here, I caught a direct flight from Austin to the main airport in Cabo San Lucas. Then I made the hour-and-15-minute drive to the artists’ enclave of Todos Santos, where I stayed the night at Los Colibris Casitas. From the patio in front of my room at the boutique hotel, perched high on a bluff on the outskirts of town, I can see waves crashing onto the beach far below. Birds circle a fresh water estuary, and a forest of palm trees sways in the breeze. I want to get a better sense of my surroundings, so Sergio Jauregui, the owner of Los Colibris and Todos Santos Eco Adventures, volunteers to give me a tour.

Todos Santos is an artists enclave in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Pam LeBlanc photo

We drive to the town’s center, where he gives me a history lesson as we walk the streets. A mission was built here in 1723, and the last battle of the Mexican-American War was fought nearby in 1848. For the next century, farmers grew sugarcane in the area, but when the town’s main spring dried up in 1950, people moved away.

Things changed again in 1981, when that spring revived. The government paved a road into town, bringing tourists. American surfers sought it out as an alternative to California’s crowded beaches. Then artists moved in, drawn by the golden light.

Today Todos Santos supports 27 galleries, several gourmet restaurants, and a smattering of hotels. The famous song by The Eagles comes to mind when we walk past a pale orange building called Hotel California. We admire murals in the cultural center, duck into an art gallery where tiny images of dancers twirl across colorful canvases, walk across the plaza, and poke our heads into a historic mission.

Onward to Isla Espiritu Santo, part of Baja California Sur

Todos Santos Eco Adventures leads guided camping trips to Espiritu Santo. Pam LeBlanc photo

The next day, I catch a ride to La Paz. The hour-long trip takes me past mountains and thickets of tall cactus, where birds somehow manage to perch without stabbing their toes.

It’s start day for the Baja 1000 car race, a 1,000-mile off-road scramble through the desert that draws souped-up dune buggies, tricked-out pickup trucks and beat up Volkswagen Bugs. I watch a few roll down the starting ramp and speed down the oceanfront boulevard, but I’m more interested in what lies beyond.

From La Paz, it takes about 45 minutes by boat to reach Isla Espiritu Santo, a popular destination for eco tourists. Along the way, we pass a noisy colony of blue-footed boobies. The birds, which show off their teal-colored feet to impress the opposite sex, look almost cartoonish. Frigate birds, with long forked tails and hooked bills, wheel overhead. Rust-colored hills bristle with cardon cacti, their long prickly arms extended skyward, and layer-cake cliffs jut into the sea.

The boat pulls ashore in a cove, and we hoist our duffel bags onto the beach, where a crew has already set up tents. A bucket of water and a rug the size of a picnic table are arranged in front of each one, so we can rinse our feet before stepping inside. This is glamping, after all, and instead of a sleeping bag on the ground, we’ll be snoozing on real mattresses with sheets and pillows.

Camp Cecil

Guests dip their toes in the surf at Camp Cecil on Isla Espiritu Santo. Photo by Pam LeBlanc

Our guide, Andrea Hinojos, gives us a tour of Camp Cecil, another arm of Todos Santos Eco Adventures. At the far end of the cove stands a portable bathroom. There’s a solar shower, too, and, at the other end of the beach, a seating area complete with a cushy sofa. While the kitchen staff works on lunch, Hinojos briefs us on camp life.

We can use the kayaks or swim when we want, but hiking isn’t allowed past the dunes. But the ocean is the focus, anyway.

The sun rises over Camp Cecil on Espiritu Santo. Pam LeBlanc photo

That first night, just three other guests shared the camp with me ––- Joe Oliver and Christine McEnery of Carmel Valley, California, and their friend Rob Goldman of Philadelphia. We hit it off immediately, sitting on beach chairs with our toes dangling in the surf and admiring our surroundings.

McEnery tells me she was looking for a natural experience when she decided to come to the camp.

“I wanted unspoiled nature and it’s not so easy to find that,” McEnery says. She loves outdoor adventure, just like me. “It’s the visuals – looking at the desert in one direction and thinking you’re in the (American) Southwest, and in the other direction it looks like the Caribbean.”

Her husband agrees. “It’s such a departure from work-a-day life of staring at a computer screen,” Oliver says. “It’s such a treat to see great views and have them untouched by developers.”

Diving into the Sea of Cortez

Kayakers glide along a cove on Espiritu Santo, near La Paz, Mexico. Pam LeBlanc photo

The ocean around the island is part of a marine park, and we spend a lot of time exploring it. We snorkel among pufferfish and angelfish. Sea turtles the size of car tires glide beneath us. I dive down to get a closer look at a starfish.

One evening, we push off in kayaks, and paddle past mangroves flush with chirping birds. I can’t take my eyes off a pair of pelicans sitting on a rocky island as the sun sets behind them.

“It’s very beautiful,” Hinojos says, then references ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, who spent time in the area. “It’s secluded. There are no people living here so it’s like a virgin island in the ‘Aquarium of the World.’”

And the food is far from what I’d eat on a regular camping trip. Instead of freeze-dried meals or hotdogs, chefs bring out trays of grilled fish, nachos, ceviche, and flank steak. For breakfast we have huevos rancheros and fresh fruit, and every evening we sample a new cocktail and snacks.

A night in La Paz

I love ocean swimming so much that the guides arrange one last outing before I head back to the mainland.

I leave my snorkel in the boat and dive down deep, touching the white sand on the bottom. It’s here, with the turtles and angelfish, that I feel most at home.

But finally, my water taxi arrives. I towel off and let the wind dry my hair as we speed back to civilization. In La Paz, I check into the Baja Club, then take some time to stroll along the beachfront. That night, I climb the stairs to the rooftop bar, where I sip a margarita and stare at the islands in the distance.

I’m officially spoiled.