<p>I’m an international student and I go to school in soCal. I’m learning Spanish so I’d like to visit Mexico over spring break with a couple of my college friends. We will not have a car to drive down, so we’ll probably fly over. Does anyone have any recommendations for must-visit places? My spring break is a week, but I guess I’m looking at spending 4-5 days in Mexico.</p>
<p>Honestly? I wouldn’t go to Mexico. I would not let my college kids go.</p>
<p>[Civic</a> leader from El Monte, Calif., is victim of Mexican violence - latimes.com](<a href=“http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-elmonte2-2010jan02,0,1294578.story]Civic”>Violence extends its grip)</p>
<p>[Mexico’s</a> Drug War - Stories, Photos, Videos - Mexico Under Siege - World News - Los Angeles Times](<a href=“http://projects.latimes.com/mexico-drug-war/#/its-a-war]Mexico’s”>http://projects.latimes.com/mexico-drug-war/#/its-a-war)</p>
<p>I would go to Puerto Rico instead.</p>
<p>I haven’t decided where to go yet, I just thought Mexico because it’s really near and I have a couple of Mexican friends at college there. Since it’s not safe, I’d appreciate suggestions for other Spanish speaking locales. Puerto Rico sounds interesting…</p>
<p>Mexico is safe, depending on where you go. The areas very close to the border are not places that I would visit at this time. Where are your friends in Mexico?</p>
<p>Got home Saturday from two weeks in the Yucatan. Statistically, this is one of the safer places to go in Mexico. We flew in and out of Cancun and drove a several-hundred-mile route seeing ruins, beaches and some fascinating little cities with a blend of colonial and Mayan influences. Loved it.</p>
<p>That said, Spring Break in Cancun (and many Mexican resort towns) is known for complete debauchery. As an adult who likes loves Mexico, I avoid it in March and April. I would not encourage/pay for my kids to go there, unless they had exhibited a clear understanding of personal limits on drinking and the crazy behavior it can lead to. We’re not there yet, and even if I felt confident they weren’t going to party themselves into a lot of trouble, being around masses of out-of-control kids isn’t their or my idea of a good time.</p>
<p>Where are your Mexican friends from? Could you visit their home towns and also have some fun and cultural experiences thrown in?</p>
<p>ebeee, I think you and I are on the same track with visiting the friends rather than the resorts.</p>
<p>I’m not looking to go to resort towns, it’ll be overrun by partiers. My Mexican friends are studying at UNAM in Mexico City, but I’m not sure if they’ll be having classes and how much free time they would have. Does anyone have opinions on visiting Mexico City?</p>
<p>we have friends who’ve lived in Tepoztlan, outside Mexico City, for years…lovely little town. I love, love Playa del Carmen, down the coast from Cancun-- definitely a tourist town but still very Mexican–I don’t know how much spring break spills over there from Cancun, have visited in Feb. only…but, it is charming and a very nice stepping off point for Mayan sites etc…Tulum is further down yet and too quiet for any spring breakers, I think. Friends go to Costa Rica regularly (with their young kids) and love it there.</p>
<p>You should go to the US State Department travel advisories and look at Mexico City. Not exactly recommended.
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<p>Playa Del Carmen is a great idea. We were there 3 years ago between Palm Sunday and Easter, and, though it was lively, there was not a wild spring break atmosphere. I highly recommend it, go to Tulum, and go snorkling. Our friends who live down there have not reported any problems.</p>
<p>Mexico City is great. A really interesting city with lots to see and do. Great food too!</p>
<p>The danger in Mexico is in border towns. Being a tourist flying into Mexico City would not concern me. Do watch for the bad neighborhoods in choosing where to stay.</p>
<p>I’ve discussed with my Mexican friend and now I’m pretty sure I want to go to Mexico City. I’ll probably be there for four days in the middle of March – what should I do in the city proper? Any opinions on daytrips? A website I found suggested Texco and Teotihuacan.</p>
<p>There are some Mayan ruins near Mexico City - I’ve seen a documentary on it - but can’t remember the name. We went to Tulum and Chitzenitza - both Mayan ruins and it was incredible. I would suggest you find the ruins and make a day trip out of it. Hire a local guide if you don’t go with a tour group. YOu can find them at the ruins. We love Mexico. Went to Playa del carmen - going back to Cancun. Just stay away from the borders. The country is beaultiful and the people very kind and welcoming.</p>
<p>Mexico is beautiful, but right now, the drug-related violence concerns me.</p>
<p>My son just returned from Costa Rica and said wonderful things about it. Friendly people, gorgeous environment, relatively safe, too.</p>
<p>I’ve been to the Dominican Republic, and loved it.</p>
<p>Costa Rica is wonderful. My dad used to go every year (all over but preferred the cloud forest and the Pacific coast) before he passed but San Jose is …not so wonderful or at least not so safe. </p>
<p>Certain areas of Mexico , even aside from the border towns, are not safe . And the border towns truly, truly suck. All of them. I’d stay out of Sinaloa state (heavy cartel activity) and Chiapas (almost always in a state of political unrest). Cancun is just a nightmare. Not my speed at all. Playa del Carmen all the way down to Tulum is great. Xcaret and Xel Ha get high marks. Chichen Itza excursions are nice, but there are Mayan ruins in many places. Cozumel is cheap and easy to get to with great snorkeling and you can ferry to Playa. My extended family takes 4 or 5 trips a year to various spots in Playa or Cozumel but…it’s resorts and that doesn’t really sound like what you want. </p>
<p>I’d say maybe head to one of the colonial towns. San Miguel de Allende is the most popular with Europeans and a great place, but maybe not the true Mexican cultural experience you want anymore than the beach towns above. </p>
<p>Tell me more about what you are looking to do and maybe I can make a suggestion. </p>
<p>Batopilas (at the bottom of the incredibly beautiful Copper Canyon area) is my next Mexico destination but I’ll be on a motorcycle. ;)</p>
<p>BTW, I think you may mean Taxco. I’ve never heard of Texco. ;)</p>
<p>As you can tell, Mexico is one of my favorite destinations and I sent my soon to graduate high school daughter down in 2006 to a resort south of Playa with just her bestie. Gave her rules to follow and bought a Mexico phone plan for a month. They are not big partiers and they had a ball. Saw a lot. Did a lot. Are there dangers? Sure. Do you need to plan wisely? Absolutely. </p>
<p>(Just read my D my post and she said that many, many kids/students could NOT resist the temptations to over-indulge, even at a “safe” resort . “We were offered alcohol everywhere we went. We were offered drinks and were not specifically told they were alcoholic but it was pretty obvious.” It goes without saying that being out of control in Mexico is a recipe for near-certain disaster.)</p>
<p>We have vacationed in the Playa /Tulum area for the past 6 years with our Ds. It has been very safe. You just have to do your research and be aware. Be prepared and stay smart.</p>