Travel writer Cristina Alonso grew up in Mexico City and shares her love for her country in a new book, The Concious Traveller Mexico, that goes beyond the tourist hotspots and embraces sustainability and authentic experiences while travelling.
Ría Celestún Biosphere Reserve
Celestún, Yucatán
Some places are so magical they can only exist in Yucatán, and this reserve is one of them. Placed over the mouth of the largest groundwater basin in the state, the sprawling 591 sq km reserve is part of the Yucatán coast wetlands, resulting in a stunning world of mangroves, low rainforests and springs that seem to extend endlessly, taking you through wide open spaces and intriguing natural tunnels created by the mangroves as you explore on a relaxing boat ride.
Our boat departed from the dock, gliding through clear, fresh water. Celestún, explained our guide, is home to a large variety of birds, including pelicans and ducks, as well as sea turtles and alligators (this last bit scared one of the kids on board). Abundant fish make Celestún mainly a fishing community, too. But the stars of the show are the pink flamingoes — “the pinkest in the world’’, says our guide — which feed on tiny shrimp and rest on these tranquil waters, creating serene natural postcards. While they live in the reserve year-round, it’s likely you’ll find larger colonies during the winter. The reserve also includes the Baldiosera and Cambay springs, where our boat stopped for a few minutes, granting us a welcome, refreshing swim before we headed back to dry land.
Several tour operators offer tours to Celestún from Campeche or Mérida — it’s about a one and a-half hour drive from the Yucatán capital — but it’s also very easy to do it on your own. In our case, we drove to the visitor centre and purchased our tickets directly.
As in other protected areas, like Balandra, you need to buy a bracelet from CONANP, the organisation that oversees the country’s protected natural areas. One piece of advice: boats only depart from the dock with eight people on board. If you’re not travelling in a group, I recommend asking fellow travellers on the dock if they want to share, thus avoiding the pricier private tour.
Access info: CONANP, descubreanp.conanp.gob.mx/es/conanp/
Swimming with Whale Sharks
La Paz, Baja California Sur
A bucket-list item for many, swimming next to a whale shark is awe-inspiring — a reminder of nature’s majesty and our role in protecting it. Baja California Sur’s Sea of Cortez is one of the best spots in the world to embark on this adventure, not just because these magnificent animals spend time here during their yearly migration — usually between October and April, although the season may vary each year — but also because of strict government regulations that ensure this is an ethical experience.
Tours with Baja Adventure Co. (and most certified companies) depart from the Costa Baja marina, where you’ll get a quick briefing from your guide and prepare your equipment before boarding the boat. There are usually four shifts during the day, as local authorities don’t allow for more than 14 boats to visit the area at the same time. Once you have passed a safety checkpoint the boat will get closer to the whale sharks, maintaining a low speed to avoid disturbing the animals.
As the largest fish in the sea, whale sharks are filter feeders, which means they eat plankton, small fish and shrimp that they filter through their gills. The fact they can’t eat you doesn’t make them less imposing — whale sharks can measure up to 10m and weigh 20 tonnes. They’re also surprisingly quick — at least in my experience! I never thought I’d have to swim so fast to keep up with these gentle giants. That said, it’s essential to respect their territory as you swim beside them: groups are limited to five divers per guide, you can’t make noise while you’re next to them and you absolutely cannot touch them.
A couple of other things to consider: tours are only allowed when there are enough whale sharks in the area, so stay in touch with your tour provider to confirm or reschedule your experience if necessary. Also, non-snorkellers in your party are still welcome to join and hang out on the boat.
Tours: Baja Adventure Co., bajaadventureco.com
Reserva de la Biósfera de Sian Ka’an Chunyaxché, Quintana Roo
Sian Ka’an had been on my to-do list for ages, after an unexpected illness forced me to cancel my visit a few years back. This breathtaking reserve, once inhabited by the Maya, gets its name from their language: sian ka’an means ‘origin of the sky’. It’s hard to think of a more fitting moniker for a 528,148-hectare reserve that holds nine ecosystems, including mangroves, rainforests and a coral reef, and is home to hundreds of bird species, manatees and even jaguars.
Giddy with expectation, I brought my partner, Justin, along on this adventure: nothing but nature for the next couple of hours. We chose Community Tours Sian Ka’an for their thoughtful approach. Led by local guides, tours are carefully planned to ensure the reserve remains as pristine as possible: there are only two tours each day, and boats can only fit six passengers.
As we left the shore, we encountered a magnificent lagoon of turquoise waters so clear that we had to stop ourselves from jumping in. Stretches of green framed the water and the breeze felt cool against our faces. Mangroves, explained our guide, capture carbon from the air and are part of why this reserve is so important.
Another unique feature: the underground river system connecting cenotes and lagoons.
Deeper into the reserve, we encountered a tiny Maya temple built among the vegetation — yet another proof of this society’s mind-blowing level of knowledge and unmeasurable legacy. To cool down, our guides took us to one of the reserve’s most amazing spots: Mayan Canal. This tranquil body of water vibrates with a soft yet powerful undercurrent that gently pulls you along — ‘’like a real-life lazy river’’, noted Justin — allowing you to literally let go of all need for control or movement and, for a few precious moments, feel as one with this magnificent corner of the Yucatán Peninsula.
Community Tours: Community Tours Sian Ka’an, siankaantours.com.mx
Fauna Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California Norte
I’d been dreaming of eating at Fauna for years before I finally got the chance to go. Not to overhype it for you but, yes, it was everything I was expecting and more. The brainchild of talented husband-and-wife duo David Castro Hussong and Maribel Aldaco, who’s in charge of the sweet side of the experience, Fauna honours the region’s bounty, from its rich, fertile soil to its cold, generous oceans. By establishing close, nourishing relationships with local farmers, fishermen and suppliers, David and Maribel guarantee each dish reflects total freshness and supports local producers, while showcasing the thrilling nuances of Mexican cuisine: the fatty, the salty, the acid and the spicy.
The menu at Fauna isn’t only amazingly imaginative, but it also allows each ingredient to taste exactly as it should while surprising the palate with each bite. Inspired by the season’s freshest product, it changes periodically, which means you may not always find the same dishes — but you’ll definitely find something amazing. Case in point: the ceviche prepared with ike-jime fish — a humane Japanese fishing technique — the crunchy sopes topped with bluefin tuna, the crispy roasted broccoli and the iconic grilled quails. The perfect ending: one of Maribel’s delicate creations, like the honey semifreddo.
Paired with fantastic wines from Bruma winery — another star within the Bruma complex, which also houses a hotel — or original cocktails made with seasonal specialties, these creations highlight the very best of Baja’s flavours. Set in a welcoming dining room, Fauna invites you to immerse yourself in a truly shared experience with its beautiful reclaimed-wood communal tables, crafted in-house and paired with chairs designed by Mexican studio La Metropolitana, and its lively open kitchen, allowing you to witness the magic in real time.
Above the tables, a retro sign reclaimed from an old bar reads ‘Open’: a perfect symbol of this restaurant’s spirit.
Address & Info: Carretera Vinícola LA Cetto, Fraccionamiento A-B, P74, 22760, Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California Norte
instagram.com/faunarestaurante
Palenque Archaeological Site
Palenque, Chiapas
As one of the most important cities from the Maya society — alongside Calakmul in Campeche and Tikal in Guatemala — Palenque is a spectacular example of the impressive knowledge and power that this culture achieved. Reaching its heyday during the Classic Period (600 to 800), Palenque was a civic and ceremonial centre, housing a population of about 6000 before it was inexplicably abandoned. Immersed in the lush jungle, the natural scenery frames an impressive group of buildings that feature stunning architecture and exquisite carved reliefs.
At the centre of the site, you will find El Palacio — the largest complex, made up of three temples — and El Templo de las Inscripciones, a stunning construction with intriguing hieroglyphics that have been studied intensively, revealing clues to the city’s history. You’ll notice that many of these buildings are in notably good condition — considering they are centuries old — a result of them being buried under the jungle for many, many years, which helped protect them from decay and looters. Experts believe that 90% of the site still hides underground.
In 1987, the Palenque Archaeological Site and National Park were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, thanks to their exceptional cultural and natural value. The park covers 1722ha and is home to more than 1475 species, including howler monkeys and jaguars. The fastest way to reach this wonder is by flying to Villahermosa, Tabasco, but you can also do it from Chiapas — the drive is quite long but worth it. I recommend finding a certified tour operator that provides a full-day tour of Palenque and nearby sites, like the Agua Azul waterfalls. This breathtaking series of waterfalls flows down the Tulijá River, creating natural ponds held by the river’s limestone riverbed, which gives the water an unbelievable turquoise hue — hence the name, ‘Blue Waterfalls’.
The Chiapas jungle is rich, hot and humid, so I suggest visiting between November and April to avoid the rainy season and high temperatures. Whenever you visit, remember to bring sunscreen, a hat, comfy shoes and bug spray, as the jungle is also home to a healthy amount of mosquitoes.
Kiae Dayn
Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca
A 35-minute drive from downtown Oaxaca, Teotitlán del Valle is the epicentre of the state’s textile tradition — a town lined with boutiques and workshops dedicated to this ancient art that remains very much alive, thanks to local families who have passed their knowledge from one generation to the next. Such is the case of the Méndez family. Kiae Dayn, which means ‘on the hill’ in Zapotec (a family of more than 50 indigenous Mesoamerican languages), is the Méndez family home and workplace, which they have generously opened to curious travellers who want to witness the art of Oaxacan textiles first-hand.
My host at Kiae Dayn is Froylán Méndez, a talented weaver and gifted colourist who specialises in natural dyes. Froylán has taken several courses to develop his craft, but it’s his natural hunger for knowledge that leads the way as he experiments with red that comes from the cochineal — a tiny insect that lives in cacti — blue from indigo powder, or yellow from the Mexican mint marigold. He shows me how wool starts changing colour as he dips it into a tub with a unique chemical blend paired with indigo, a pure dye obtained from the jiquilite bush, which only blooms once a year. He also shares how the weaving tradition has evolved over history — from the arrival of the Spanish, who brought wool and introduced new instruments, like the pedal loom and distaff, to the influence of Navajo-themed designs a few decades ago.
It was Froylán’s grandfather who started the tradition and taught his son Miguel, who in turn taught Froylán and his brother how to work the loom. Today Miguel and his sons each have their loom at Kiae Dayn, ranging in different sizes to create pieces of several formats. In fact, Froylán’s loom belonged to his maternal great-grandfather, who also practised this craft. Placing a printed or hand-drawn design next to them, they delicately weave a single wool thread through the loom, pressing on the pedals below to switch the threads’ positions. With a fine comb they tighten the threads together, ensuring a smooth, uniform result. Watching them work with such dedication and apparent ease is enthralling — a necessary reminder of the immense value that hides between the threads of Oaxacan textiles.
Address & Info: Claveles 9, Tecutlán, 70420, Teotitlán del Valle
instagram.com/kiae.dayn
The book: This is an edited extract from The Conscious Traveller Mexico (Hardie Grant Explore), RRP$NZ44.99. Photography Cristina Alonso and others.