Mexico is a country of vibrant culture, stunning scenery, and rich history, making it an ideal destination for backpackers looking for adventure and a unique travel experience. Whether you’re a first-time backpacker or a seasoned traveler, Mexico offers endless opportunities to explore its diverse landscapes, indulge in its world-renowned cuisine, and immerse yourself in its fascinating culture. From the bustling streets of Mexico City to the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean coast, Mexico has something for everyone. In this blogpost, I will show you my ultimate backpacking route through Mexico, covering some of the country’s most iconic destinations and hidden gems, as well as some practical tips to make your journey smooth and unforgettable.
I recently just got back from a 5 month solo backpacking trip through Mexico, and even after that I didn’t get to see everything because Mexico is HUGE. Below is the route I took and I honestly think it was the best route to take if you’re really trying to experience the beauty this country has to offer, I suggest the slow travel route through the reliable bus system of Mexico. I also suggest having this as a loose itinerary and not booking too ahead of time just in case you are loving the place you are visiting and want to spend more time there- room for spontaneity is key when traveling (if you have time).
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IS MEXICO SAFE FOR SOLO FEMALE TRAVELERS?
YES! I personally did never felt unsafe during my 5 months exploring through Mexico. There are many hostels throughout the country and many travelers making the same journey as well. If you are nervous, stick to more popular destinations first than ask your hostel about the other places you are going to, but like I said, I visited a lot of cities and towns throughout Mexico and never felt unsafe. It also doesn’t hurt to have a basic understanding of Spanish before you go so you can get around easier.
A lot of people assume Mexico is dangerous because of the gang related activities like the cartel, however, they aren’t really interested in messing with the tourists as it would shed a bad light on the country. Like any place, there are areas to avoid and minor crimes to look out for (petty crimes like stealing, pickpocketing, etc.).
USEFUL THINGS TO KNOW:
Before you go:
Useful websites & apps to use on your mexico journey:
- busbud.com
- ado.com
- blabla car
- google maps
- google translate
Seasons to be aware of in Mexico:
- Whalesharks: “Whale shark season in the Yucatan Peninsula, including Cancun, Isla Mujeres, and Isla Holbox, runs from June to September. Whale shark season in Baja California Sur runs from October to May”
- Turtle releasing: on the Pacific coast you can release turtles from August-December
- Bioluminescence: bioluminescent plankton in Isla Holbox from April-November but you can see them in a lagoon near Puerto Escondido almost all year round (go when there is no moon out for better visibility)
- Butterfly migration in Michoacan: November-March
If you’re a nature lover and want to make sure you’re seeing the most nature possible, I made an Ultimate Nature Travel Guide for Mexico you can checkout here!
SAMPLE ITINERARY: *you can do this route from West to East or East to West of Mexico, this is West to East*
Since I was starting from the west coast of the US, I chose to fly from LA to Puerto Vallarta. However, I wasn’t aware of the beauty in Baja California until after I started my Mexico journey started. So if I was to start again, I would actually fly from San Diego to Tijuana then Tijuana to Cabo to explore and do a work exchange in Baja California then fly from Baja California to Puerto Vallarta.
Fly into Puerto Vallarta, spend 3 days there then take a bus 40 minutes away to the little surf town of Sayulita.
I spent a month in Sayulita doing a work exchange in a surf hostel and loved every minute of this little slow town. Spend at least a week in Sayulita (you will love it I promise) then head back to Puerto Vallarta.
*you can either take a bus to Guadalajara & Tequila then take a bus to CDMX or take a flight for $40USD to Mexico CIty (CDMX)* I chose to skip Guadalajara although I wish I hadn’t since it was on the way already.
From Mexico City you can take a ton of day trips! Day trips you can take from Mexico (inorder) I took were:
- Grutas de Tolantongo for the hot springs, full video on how to get there without a tour here
- San Luis Potosi for the various waterfalls and blue waters
- Nevado De Toluca to hike the volcano
- Tepoztlan a pueblo magico that has a great mountainscape for hiking
- Michoacan to see the butterfly migration
- Cholula to hike the second and third highest volcanoes in Mexico and eat yummy vegan food
- Guanajuato (my friends went here however I did not- i heard it was a cute colorful town)
- Teotihuacan (pyramids near Mexico City that have hot air balloons)
After taking some day trips, you can take a bus from Mexico City to Oaxaca City. You really only need 3 days there to try the famous mole, go to Hierve de Agua and Monte Alban. Before leaving Oaxaca City make sure to withdraw some cash since there are no ATM’s until Puerto Escondido.
The best way to get to the coast and see some beauty along the way is to take a the Lineas Unidos bus from Oaxaca City to San Jose del Pacifico. San Jose del Pacifico is a small mountainous town that is known for its famous mushroom journey and beautiful sunsets. You can find the cozy cabin mountain vibes here that allow you to disconnect and enjoy the scenery. I stayed at Bostel Rancho Viejo Hostel and it was probably one of the nicest hostels I have ever stayed at- it felt like you were renting a cabin with other travelers. I also heard La Cumbre was a great hostel with mushrooms being sold at the check in counter. *you can spend max 3 days here & BRING CASH BECAUSE THERE ARE NOW ATMS*
From San Jose del Pacifico you can take a van aka “the bus” (the same kind of van you took there) towards the ocean coast to Zipolite. I loved Zipolite! It’s known for its legal nude beach and a chill hippie town vibe. *there are NO ATM’s here*
- you can visit Playa Del Amor and Playa Zipolite (both nude beaches) and eat at the yummy Mai Mai Thai Cuisine restaurant for some yummy food
From Zipolite you can head to the next little hippie town which is only 10-15 minutes away by collectivo, Mazunte, which has more restaurants, shops, and things to do. In Mazunte definitely hit up El Tiburon smoothies for a really delicious smoothie or juice and head to Punta Cometa to watch the sunset. If you stay at Cabanas __ here you will see the most beautiful sunrises from your room on top of the hill.
From Mazunte, you can take a collectivo to San Augustine and take the bus to Puerto Escondido. Puerto Escondido is another surf town on the Pacific Coast of Mexico but is much larger than Sayulita. Here there is more of a party scene, restaurants and professional surfing. This is also another place I did a work exchange, I stayed in Centro and volunteered at Puerto Dreams Hostel with Worldpackers! You can look into and apply to the here.
My Ultimate Puerto Escondido Travel Guide with 50 pinned locations including hidden waterfalls, the best snorkeling spot, and hidden hot springs.
For better surfing (especially for beginners/intermediate surfers) you can take a collectivo, taxi then a boat to a little “island” called Chacahua. I loved Chacahua! It is a TINY little beach town surrounded by a lagoon and ocean; it is a beautiful place to disconnect, focus on surfing and camp on the beach. If you have a tent (which I could use free by working at the hostel) you can just camp on the beach and wake up to beautiful sunrises.
Just take the same route back towards Puerto Escondido and take the bus to Tuxla or I personally chose to catch the sunset at Punta Cometa in Mazunte, eat dinner at my favorite vegan Moroccan place and then take a taxi to catch the night bus from Pochutla to Tuxla.
In Tuxla my friend and I stayed at Hostel Centro Tres for two nights (although you could do one night here) so we could visit Sumidero Canyon the next day. The hostel offers a pretty nice tour that takes you to the Canyon, plus 4 miradors and drops you off in San Cristobal De las Casas -and yes you can take your bags into the tour van to bring with you to San Cristobal de las Casas.
San Cristobal de Las Casas is a beautiful town that is very lively, has a lot of good restaurants (many vegan options), and markets. Many people take tours from the famous Cascada El Chiflon and Lagos de Montebello, but I chose to take a bus from San Cristobal De las Casas two hours away to Comitán to avoid taking a tour.
In Comitan a friend and I stayed at the GOES Place (300 pesos for one night so 150 peso each) which was literally a 5 minute walk from the collectivo pick up to head to the waterfalls- video with all the details you need below. *you can get it for cheaper in person, pay for one night then ask to pay in cash and it will come out to 300 pesos per night)
Take a bus back to San Cristobal de las Casas to catch a night bus to Palenque. The actual drive to Palenque is only 5 hours but the bus takes a different route when it’s nighttime to avoid a dangerous road, so the bus ride is about 10/11 hours long. You can either visit for one day or two days. I suggest at least two so you don’t feel rushed, especially if you are going to see the ruins. In Palenque, you can visit Cascada Agua Azul, Cascada Misol-Ha and the Palenque Ruins.
From Palenque you can take a night bus towards Merida since the journey is about 12 hours. There are many cenotes near Merida that you can visit by renting a moped to visit them. I liked Merida, however I think the best cenotes were in Valladolid. To visit the cenotes in Merida you need to drive an hour and a half away to get to them.
From Merida, you can take a bus two hours away to Valladolid which is a good halfway point between Merida and the coast. I suggest at least 3 days in Valladolid so you can go explore the cenotes, Chichen Itza (one of the wonders of the world) and enjoy the cute town!
From Valladolid you have a couple options to either go to Cancun or go up to Chiquila to visit Isla Holbox. I actually skipped it since there wasn’t enough time for me to explore but I’ve heard great things about Isla Holbox so you should definitely go (although it is expensive so budget well for this).
You have two options once you get to Cancun: bus down the coast and hit Tulum, Playa del Carmen and end your Mexixo journey in Bacalar before heading towards Belize to continue to Central America OR you can go down to Bacalar, hit Playa del Carmen and Tulum on your way back up to Cancun and take a flight from there.
From Cancun I took a Bacalar (since I wasn’t continuing on to Central America)! My friend stayed at Casa Lahar hostel which was a little out of the way (40 minute walk from Centro) but also it was $15 a night and right on the lagoon. You can stay in Bacalar for at least 3 days and then take a bus to Tulum.
In Tulum you can explore cenotes, enjoy the beaches and ruins. You can take a bus north towards Playa del Carmen to explore the party scene on 5th avenue and island hop to Cozumel to snorkel and dive. You can continue heading back up the coast back to Cancun and then island hop to both Isla Mujeres and Isla Contoy as well.
This itinerary just hits most of the main points of Mexico but like I mentioned before, MEXICO IS HUGE! If you truly want to see the most of Mexico I would definitely suggest at least 3 months, but you can always focus on one or two states at a time.
If you want the grand tour of Mexico, all the places below I highly recommend:
- 2- 3 days Puerto Vallarta
- 1 week in Sayulita
- 2-3 days in CDMX
- 2 days in Grutas de Tolantongo
- 3-4 days in San Luis Potosi
- 3-4 days Cholula
- 2-3 days in Oaxaca City
- 2-3 days in San Jose del Pacifico
- 2-3 days in Zipolite
- 2-3 days in Mazunte
- 1 week in Puerto Escondido
- 2-3 days in Chacahua
- 1-2 days in Tuxla
- 2-3 days in Mazunte
- 1 week in Puerto Escondido
- 2-3 days in Chacahua
- 1-2 days in Tuxla
- 2-3 days in San Cristobal de las Casas
- 2-3 days in Merida
- 3-5 days in Valladolid
- 3 days in Isla Holbox
- 2-3 days in Cancun
- 3 days on Isla Mujeres
- 2-3 days in Playa del Carmen
- 2-3 days on Cozumel
- 5 days in Tulum
- 3-5 days in Bacalar
I hope this blogpost helped you get a good idea on how to get around and what to see in Mexico during your backpacking trip. Make sure to subscribe to my blog so you dont miss out on future blog posts with travel tips and itineraries.
Happy traveling xx
