Mexico Travel

Mexico's landscape is largely made up of highlands, mountains and volcanoes. The Citlaltépetl and Popocatepetl volcanoes to the south of Mexico City are the highest mountains in the country at over 5,000 meters. The longest river in Mexico is the Rio Grande in the north.

The flora in Mexico is very species-rich. Large quantities of our food, such as corn, potatoes, tomatoes, vanilla and tobacco, come from Mexico. Cacti, yucca palms and agaves grow in the desert regions. Central Mexico is characterized by highland plains and steppe areas. On the coasts there are miles of sandy beaches with many palm trees. Mexico's wildlife is huge and rich in species. Mexico's lowlands are home to exotic animal species such as jaguars, monkeys and pumas. The highlands are home to black bears, lynxes, badgers, sloths, raccoons and deer.

According to the latest estimates, Mexico has around 129 million inhabitants, making it the largest Spanish-speaking nation in the world. The largest number (approx. 60 %) of Mexicans are mestizos or Ladinos, who are descendants of the indigenous Indian population's connection with the Spanish. The proportion of the indigenous population, the indígenas, is estimated at around 10 %. The rest is made up of immigrants of European descent (mostly Spaniards).

Even though it is not enshrined in law, the official language of Mexico is Spanish. There are also 62 indigenous languages that are recognized as official national languages.
Around 83 % of Mexico's population are Catholics. Traditional Mesoamerican religions are still practised in parts of Mexico today, sometimes mixed with Christian elements. In general, it can be said that religion plays a greater role for the rural population than for the inhabitants of large cities, where the importance of religion is increasingly waning.

Mexican cuisine is also becoming increasingly popular in other regions of the world and there is a reason for this: it is particularly varied and full of flavor. Mexican cuisine focuses on pre-Columbian and Spanish elements, but Caribbean, French and Arabic influences are also recognizable.

The special thing about Mexican cuisine is the clash of many different flavors, spicy and mild, sweet and sour, tart and delicate. There is no real 'typical' Mexican cuisine, but rather a combination of many typical regional dishes (platos típicos). In southern Mexico, aromatic stews, many types of vegetables and tropical fruits are very popular. Northern Mexico is known for its meat dishes and Central Mexico for traditional foods such as corn, beans and poultry. The Yucatán Peninsula has some culinary specialties, such as cochinita pibil, shredded pork stewed in banana leaves in an earth oven.

The traditional Mexican breakfast consists of huevos rancheros, fried eggs on warm tortillas. Lunch, which usually starts at 2 pm and can last until late afternoon, consists of a sopa (a thin soup), a main course and a dessert. Dinner is rarely served before 9 p.m., although several courses can be served, usually including meat, chicken or fish.

Generally speaking, you can only get to know the breadth of Mexican cuisine if you stop off at fondas, taquerías or toterías and enjoy the inexpensive food from the loncherías, comedores and puestos de comida (street stalls).

Mexico's (alcoholic) national drink is tequila. This is not made from fruit or grain, as is often assumed, but from the 8 to 10-year-old, steel-blue Agava americana or Agava tequiliana weber, whose leaves retain a liquid, so-called aguamiel (honey water), which is fermented into tequila.

Due to the vast size of the country, its location between two oceans and the extremely different altitudes, Mexico has different climate zones. In the south, the climate is tropical and humid, while in the north it is predominantly dry and hot, with temperatures of up to 40 °C in summer.

There is a rainy seasonbetween May and October and the whole of Mexico is generally considered a potential earthquake zone. In addition, Mexico (as well as Central America, the Caribbean and the southern states of the USA) is hurricane season from May to November, when tropical storms, heavy downpours and, as a result, severe flooding can be expected.

Travelers should therefore always follow the regional weather forecasts and heed the advice of the local safety authorities.

The ideal time to travel to Mexico is between the months of November and May, with peak season between December and January. Then again between April and May and generally in the week before Easter, which results in higher prices and fully booked hotels.

German citizens who wish to enter Mexico as tourists do not need to apply for a visa beforehand. When entering Mexico, you will receive a tourist card (FMM), which allows a stay of 180 days. The fee for the tourist card (currently 594 MXN) is already included in the price of the flight ticket and therefore only needs to be paid locally when entering the country by land. The card is stamped and the validity period is entered. The tourist card should be kept in a safe place, as it must be presented or handed in again when leaving Mexico. If lost, a new card must be purchased at the latest when leaving the country (for a fee of approx. €20).

Valid entry documents for German citizens:
- passport/temporary passport
- children's passport

Important: Travel documents must be valid for at least 6 months or for the duration of the planned stay (if this is longer than 6 months).

Further information can be found on the website of the Federal Foreign Office.

In the Quintana Roo region there is an extra tax that must be paid by travelers. This tax, VISITAX, amounts to 224 MXN and must be paid by all vacationers over the age of 15. However, it does not matter whether this is done before, during or at the end of the trip, as proof is only required before departure. Payment can be made at https://www.visitax.gob.mx/sitio/. All you need is your passport number and payment can be made either digitally or in cash at the airport.

Mexico's national currency is the Mexican peso. Every major hotel has bureaux de change where euros and US dollars can be exchanged. Cash can also be withdrawn with a Maestro card from ATMs displaying the Maestro symbol.

Major credit cards are widely accepted. However, payment difficulties can sometimes occur. It is therefore advisable to always have some cash with you.