Many people think that in order to travel, you need an incredible amount of money. This often discourages them from trying something new. However, we break down these barriers. Assuming you want to travel for a year, it's best to have at least €4400 ($4850) with you. This will allow you to rent a nice room in a good price and visit various attractions. Of course, inflation means that prices are going up, so that needs to be taken into account now.
The state of Chiapas stands out with many attractions in Mexico that can be visited with a low cost of living. One of the most interesting cities that is definitely worth visiting for at least a week or a month is San Cristobal de las Casas. The small town is located among the low surrounding mountains and is fascinatingly diverse. It differs from other cities in Mexico in terms of its climate, as temperatures usually do not exceed 28 degrees, and by avoiding the rainy season (which occurs from June to October), you can enjoy very good weather for a longer time.
An interesting idea may be to travel through towns such as Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Bacalar, Palenque (which can be very hot usually), San Cristobal de las Casas, Mazunte (including Playa Zipolite), Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca (pronounced "wah-ha-ka") (which can be reserved especially during holidays like the Day of the Dead, due to colorful ceremonies and parties), Acapulco, and Mexico City.
Each of these cities has its own atmosphere and climate. Mexico is such a large country that you can be surprised by how different the climate is on the Yucatan Peninsula, in the heart of the jungle, and in cities like Mexico City or San Cristobal. Rich and transparent cenotes in Tulum (interview), or the last Mayan city - Coba, ruled by women - are just a few of the places worth spending time.
Returning to the state of Chiapas, we can stay there longer if we want to spread our trip over a few months.
Food
Here you have to be careful. For example, Europeans cannot eat everything that Latinos eat. Local residents say that for the first week, it's worth avoiding salads and some exotic fruits that Europeans don't know because their stomachs are not accustomed to. Also, although street food is cheap and tasty, it can cause stomach aches. It's better to ask for reliable places or choose some restaurants. I experienced this myself, as did people from the hostel. A good idea seems to be to go to the local market (mercado local), where they sell fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as everything else. Here you can save a lot of money (for example, 1 euro will buy us 4 medium-sized avocados or a kilogram of tomatoes). This is one of the reasons why I liked this city. You can prepare a real feast here for a small price. Of course, the famous tacos don't need to be mentioned. Also, quesadillas, empanadas, enchiladas, or burritos, among others, allow you to enjoy the taste and have a good meal.
local mercado, fot. Anna Chajda
Transport
When it comes to transportation, you can travel between cities and within them using colectivos. These are small local buses. In some hot spots like Puerto Escondido, you might have to jump into a semi-open, covered car and hold on tight. However, usually these are normal buses for passenger transportation. Tickets cost around 0,5-1 euro, and for longer routes, around 2,5 euro between cities. For larger distances, the most popular and rather cheap option are ADO buses. For a taxi ride to the airport, for example in Mexico, we'll pay about 4-5 euro if we bargain, but in Cancun, it can be 10-12 euro (perhaps because it's further away). It's always worth taking colectivos if they're available.
San Cristobal del Las Casas 2023, Anna Chajda
Attractions
In large cities, prices are usually fixed and nobody will change them, but in smaller ones, you can often bargain. In San Cristobal, for example, there is a WhatsApp group available to everyone where posts about parties and various cultural events are uploaded. You can ask there, for example, about a low-cost trip to Palenque or renting trekking bikes for a trip to the mountains to explore beautiful places with waterfalls or caves. You can add the group by finding one of the many advertisements on the street with its code.
It's good to know that Mexicans usually refer to white tourists as "gringos," and when they see them, they can often overprice things. However, experienced travelers may notice this in many Latin American or Arab countries.
The secrets of Chiapas. How to spend a year in Mexico
