Shoestring Budget Holidays in Mexico: Affordable Adventures Await

Your options

However, every holiday destination is not so cheap as the locals know that you are from a wealthier nation and expect you to have deep pockets. This means that you will have to devise ways of organizing your holidays so you pay only what you can afford.

• The first option is to look for destinations where traditionally the holidays don’t cost much.
• The second option is that you choose the time of the year when everything will not cost as much as it does in the peak season.
• And the third option is that you plan your holiday in such a way that it doesn’t cost much.

Here we suggest some Mexican destinations and the art of lowering your holiday costs.

Tour Mexico City for less

The capital of Mexico is among those few cities in Latin America that existed before these lands were colonized. It rains here in the summer, and no one will want to be here for a holiday in this season. But you can consider the shoulder season months of May and October when you can expect to find everything including flights to Mexico City for less. Even if you come in other peak season months, there are hostels and budget hotels that won’t charge you much. You can try the street food which is available readily. There are open markets and plazas where you don’t need to pay an entry fee to visit. There are museums like Freda Kahlo with free admission and you can see the palaces of the colonial era with the locals. If you time your vacation right, you can come here on the days of major festivals like the Day of the Dead to see the whole city celebrate together.

Affordable holidays in Oaxaca City

This city is the capital of the state of the same name in the south of Mexico. Here you will find plenty of arts and crafts, though you don’t need to pay to look at them. You can catch the buses like the locals to visit different parts of this city. There are areas where you will be able to find accommodations that are highly affordable. You can enter the major cathedral with majestic architecture for free and enjoy music played by street artists. You will be able to see murals from one wall to another to admire the work of local artists. As for the food you will be able to find eateries offering items from the local cuisine, prepared fresh in front of you for your snacks and meals.

To reach Oaxaca City from the USA, you can fly into Oaxaca International Airport (OAX). While there are no direct flights from most US cities, connections are available through hubs like Mexico City (MEX) or Houston (IAH) on airlines such as Aeroméxico, Volaris, and United. From Mexico City, the flight to Oaxaca takes about 1 hour. For affordable options, you can find cheap flights to Oaxaca here.

Merida for budget beach travel in Yucatan

This city is on the Yucatan peninsula and within driving distance from the beaches. So, if you don’t feel like paying for the expensive hotels along the beaches, you can look for cheaper accommodations here as long as you don’t mind sharing a taxi to reach the seaside. You will find plenty of cenotes, the open wells, where you can swim with your entire group. The famous archeological sites of Mexico will be closer to you than any city close to the beaches and you can easily ride buses for these. If you want to watch locals singing and dancing, all you need to do is find out the areas where they do this.

To book affordable flights to Mérida, Yucatán, you can explore options on FlightsChannel. They offer deals on flights from various US cities to Mérida International Airport (MID), including direct and connecting flights via hubs like Houston and Mexico City. For more details and to find the best rates, visit Cheap Flights to Mérida.

Cheap getaways in Puerto Escondido

This destination is known to offer budget holidays when compared with other cities next to the Pacific Ocean in the vicinity. It is a major attraction for surfers and a large number of them are domestic tourists. You can choose to swim or sunbathe if surfing is not your cup of tea. You will find a lot of seafood at most eateries and the meals here don’t cost much. There are plenty of small old hotels, though some new ones costing more have come up in recent decades. You will find plenty of local handcrafts including clothes which you can wear once you get back to your home city to show everyone where you have been. There are plenty of bars and cafes where you can mingle with other tourists and locals, as you learn more about everything around you.

To reach Puerto Escondido from the USA, you'll typically fly into Mexico City (MEX) or Guadalajara (GDL), and then take a connecting flight to Puerto Escondido International Airport (PXM). There are no direct flights from the USA, so connections via Aeroméxico or Volaris are common. Alternatively, you can fly into Oaxaca City (OAX) and take a bus or a short domestic flight to Puerto Escondido. For more details and to compare prices, check out Cheap Flights to Puerto Escondido.

Discover history for free in San Cristóbal de las Casas

This landlocked city is in the state of Chiapas, the state bordering Guatemala to the south. Whether you are a backpacker or traveling with your entire family, you will find plenty of things to do that are either totally free or don’t cost much. You can walk through the city streets to admire architecture of a different kind or go to the major squares with open spaces. There are quite a few natural wonders close to the city including rivers and waterfalls. If you think that Mayan culture is extinct, think again, there are plenty of areas in and around San Cristóbal de las Casas where you will find people living the old way, with their traditional languages, culture, and cuisine. If you have come this far, you should visit the various archeological sites including old temples and cathedrals.

To reach San Cristóbal de las Casas from the USA, the nearest airport is Tuxtla Gutiérrez International Airport (TGZ). From Tuxtla, it's a 1.5-hour drive or bus ride to San Cristóbal. There are no direct flights from the USA to Tuxtla, but you can fly via Mexico City (MEX) or Houston (IAH) with airlines like Aeroméxico or Volaris. For flight deals, you can check out options for cheap flights to Tuxtla Gutiérrez here.

Conclusion

We have listed some destinations where you will be able to arrange holidays without burning a hole in your pocket. However, all of these are not close to international airports, and you can further lower your budget by choosing buses to get to these destinations instead of flights on offer from domestic Mexican airlines. Another travel hack is that you should plan your holidays early, even if you book some aspects of your holiday later in anticipation of lower charges.