MexicoFlow

Settle In. Branch Out.

Week of August 24, 2026

NEED-TO-KNOW: Mexico Just Set Another Tourism Record

Apparently, everyone got the memo about Mexico.

New government figures show that 51.1 million international travelers entered Mexico during the first half of 2026, a 7.7% increase over the same period last year.

That wasn’t the only record.

Mexico welcomed 24.5 million international tourists, who generated approximately US$18.8 billion in spending during the first six months of the year.

Cruise tourism was particularly strong: 6.6 million cruise passengers arrived during the period, an increase of more than 15% compared with 2025.

Even Mexico’s airports were busy, handling approximately 93.9 million domestic and international passengers during the first half of the year.

So if your favorite beach town, Pueblo Mágico or airport feels a little busier lately…

It probably is.

Mexico’s government has publicly stated that it wants the country to become one of the five most-visited destinations in the world.

What This Means for Expats

More tourism can bring better flight connections, restaurants, services and infrastructure.

But there’s another side.

Popular destinations can also see rising rents, heavier traffic and increased pressure on water, roads and other local resources.

For those of us who live here, Mexico’s tourism boom is something worth watching — because tourism doesn’t just change vacations.

It changes communities.

TRAVEL UPDATE: Delta & Aeroméxico Get a Big Win

People who regularly travel between Mexico and the United States got some potentially good news last week.

A U.S. federal appeals court overturned a Department of Transportation decision that would have forced Delta Air Lines and Aeroméxico to end their nearly decade-old joint venture.

The partnership allows the airlines to coordinate schedules, pricing and capacity on flights between Mexico and the United States.

Delta also owns approximately 20% of Aeroméxico.

The U.S. Department of Transportation had argued that the partnership harmed competition, but the appeals court ruled that the government’s analysis had been inconsistent and inadequate.

For travelers, the important part is simpler:

The Delta–Aeroméxico partnership survives for now.

That matters because coordinated airline partnerships can make connections, schedules and route options considerably easier when traveling between the two countries.

The U.S. government could still pursue additional legal options, so this may not be the final chapter.

But for now, your Delta/Aeroméxico relationship status remains:

It’s complicated — but they’re still together.

MEXICO LIVING TIP: That Restaurant Tip Is NOT Mandatory

Here’s one worth remembering.

In Mexico, a restaurant cannot legally require you to leave a tip.

PROFECO — Mexico’s federal consumer protection agency — recently reminded restaurants, bars and cafés that gratuities are voluntary.

A business cannot simply add a mandatory tip or service charge to your bill and require you to pay it.

And there’s another rule many people don’t realize:

Businesses shouldn’t add a surcharge because you pay by card.

PROFECO says charging customers an additional commission for paying by credit or debit card violates Mexico’s consumer-protection rules.

Restaurants and bars must also:

Display their prices clearly.
Include applicable taxes in advertised prices.
Honor reservations as agreed.
Clearly explain promotions and their conditions.
Provide a bill showing what you’re actually being charged.

Of course, tipping for good service is customary in Mexico, and most of us happily do it.

The important distinction is:

A tip is your choice.

So before automatically paying a restaurant bill, take ten seconds and actually look at it.

Those mysterious little extra charges deserve questions.

HEALTH & INSURANCE: The Cheapest Policy Isn’t Always the Cheapest Policy

When comparing international health insurance, it’s tempting to jump directly to one number:

The premium.

But two plans with similar premiums can leave you with very different financial exposure.

Before choosing coverage, look beyond the monthly or annual price and ask:

What’s my deductible?

What’s my maximum out-of-pocket exposure?

Are outpatient visits covered?

Is hospitalization covered at the private hospitals I would actually want to use?

What happens if I need treatment in the United States?

Are pre-existing conditions excluded?

Is evacuation included?

And perhaps most importantly:

What does the policy NOT cover?

Saving a few hundred dollars on the premium doesn’t feel like much of a bargain if the cheaper policy leaves you responsible for tens of thousands of dollars during a serious medical event.

International insurance isn’t about finding the cheapest plan.

It’s about understanding the financial risk you’re keeping versus the risk you’re transferring to the insurer.

Brett LaMar helps expats compare those differences before choosing coverage.

Request a health insurance quote from Brett

CITY SPOTLIGHT: PÁTZCUARO, MICHOACÁN

There’s a Mexico beyond beaches.

And Pátzcuaro is a very good example of it.

Located high in the mountains of Michoacán at roughly 2,100 meters above sea level, Pátzcuaro feels dramatically different from Mexico’s coastal destinations.

Think cool evenings, red-tile roofs, whitewashed buildings, cobblestone streets, plazas and pine-covered mountains.

The town was an important center of the Purépecha civilization, one of the major Indigenous civilizations of pre-Hispanic Mexico — and notably one the Aztec Empire never successfully conquered.

Today, Purépecha culture remains deeply woven into the region.

The heart of town is Plaza Vasco de Quiroga, an unusually large colonial plaza surrounded by historic buildings, restaurants, cafés and shops.

But Pátzcuaro is also the gateway to Lake Pátzcuaro and the communities surrounding it.

Boats travel to islands including Janitzio, while nearby villages remain known for traditional crafts including copper, pottery, woodwork, textiles and lacquerware.

Why MexicoFlow Likes It

Pátzcuaro offers something many expats eventually start looking for:

A completely different version of Mexico.

It’s walkable.

It’s historic.

The climate is considerably cooler than the coast.

There are mountains and lakes nearby.

And because it’s roughly an hour from Morelia, you’re not completely disconnected from a larger city and airport.

Most foreigners hear about Pátzcuaro because of its extraordinary Día de Muertos traditions.

But you don’t need to wait until November to discover it.

EVENT OF THE WEEK: MEXICO CITY MARATHON

Mexico City
Sunday, August 30, 2026

This Sunday, thousands of runners will take over the streets of Mexico City for one of Latin America’s major running events.

The Mexico City Marathon sends runners through some of the capital’s most recognizable neighborhoods and landmarks.

And at Mexico City’s elevation — roughly 2,240 meters / 7,350 feet above sea level — those 42.195 kilometers aren’t exactly happening under easy conditions.

Even if running a marathon sounds like an activity invented specifically to ruin a perfectly good Sunday morning, the event can still be fun to experience as a spectator.

If you’re staying in CDMX this weekend, however, there’s something else to know:

Expect road closures.

Major sporting events can significantly affect traffic and transportation throughout central Mexico City.

If you have an airport transfer, brunch reservation or somewhere important to be Sunday morning, check your route beforehand and leave extra time.

Sometimes knowing about the marathon is more important than running the marathon.

FOOD WORTH TRAVELING FOR: CARNITAS

Since we’re visiting Michoacán this week, we can’t leave without eating.

And that means carnitas.

Michoacán is widely considered the spiritual home of this Mexican classic.

Traditionally, pork is slowly cooked in its own fat in a large copper pot called a cazo, creating meat that’s tender and juicy while some of the exterior pieces become beautifully crisp.

Then comes the difficult decision.

Maciza?

Costilla?

Buche?

Cuerito?

Or…

surtida — a mixture of everything.

Add warm tortillas, onion, cilantro, salsa and lime and you’ve got one of Mexico’s great examples of food that doesn’t need to be complicated to be exceptional.

And if you find yourself at a busy carnitas stand in Michoacán surrounded by locals at 10:30 in the morning:

Don’t ask whether it’s too early for carnitas.

It isn’t.

SPOTLIGHT ON MEXICO’S ICONS: PEDRO INFANTE

If you’ve spent enough time in Mexico, you’ve probably seen his face even if you didn’t know his name.

Pedro Infante was one of the biggest stars of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.

Born in Mazatlán in 1917 and raised in Sinaloa, Infante became both a hugely popular actor and singer during the 1940s and 1950s.

His films frequently portrayed working-class Mexican characters — carpenters, ranchers, mechanics and ordinary men — and his charisma made him enormously beloved.

He appeared in films including Nosotros los pobres, Ustedes los ricos and Tizoc, while recording hundreds of songs during his career.

Then, in 1957, Infante died in a plane crash in Mérida.

He was only 39.

His death transformed an already enormous celebrity into something approaching a cultural legend.

Decades later, his music still plays, his movies are still watched and his image remains instantly recognizable across Mexico.

Think of him as part movie star, part singer and part permanent piece of Mexican pop culture.

LEGAL & RESIDENCY CORNER: Temporary Residency Has a Four-Year Clock

If you have Temporary Residency in Mexico, there’s an important number to remember:

Four years.

Temporary residency is generally issued initially for one year and can then be renewed, but you can ordinarily remain in temporary status for a maximum of four consecutive years.

After that, eligible residents generally transition to Permanent Residency rather than continuing to renew temporary status indefinitely.

And there’s a practical reason to start thinking about this before the last minute.

Permanent residency has some meaningful advantages.

You no longer need annual residency renewals, and unlike temporary residents, permanent residents generally have an unrestricted right to work in Mexico.

But immigration circumstances vary — particularly for people whose residency is based on family connections, employment or other specific situations.

So if you’re approaching year four, don’t wait until your card is about to expire to figure out what’s next.

Put a reminder on your calendar months ahead of time.

Mexico is considerably more enjoyable when you’re not panic-Googling immigration rules three days before your residency expires.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT THIS WEEK: MEXICO’S AXOLOTL PROBLEM

You’ve probably seen them.

Cute little faces.

Frilly external gills.

Permanent-looking smiles.

The axolotl has become one of Mexico’s most recognizable animals.

But there’s an uncomfortable contradiction behind all that cuteness.

The wild Mexican axolotl is critically endangered.

Its remaining natural habitat is concentrated in the canals of Xochimilco in southern Mexico City.

Researchers from UNAM estimated around 6,000 axolotls per square kilometer in 1998.

By 2014?

Around 36 per square kilometer.

Researchers conducting the latest census hadn’t physically captured a single wild axolotl after two years of searching, although environmental DNA in the water confirms that some still survive.

Habitat loss, polluted water, invasive species and increasing pressure on Xochimilco have all contributed to the decline.

Meanwhile, axolotls are everywhere in Mexican pop culture — stuffed animals, murals, souvenirs and artwork.

They can even regenerate limbs and portions of some organs, which makes them extraordinarily interesting to scientists.

So if you visit Xochimilco, remember:

Behind the cute Mexican mascot is an animal fighting to survive in the last fragments of its natural home.

That’s a Mexico story worth knowing too.

WHAT’S COMING UP IN MEXICO

August 30 — Mexico City Marathon
One of Latin America’s premier marathons takes runners through the streets and landmarks of the capital.

August 29–30 — Thai Festival, Mexico City
CENART hosts a free weekend celebrating Thai culture, including food and Muay Thai demonstrations.

September 15 — El Grito
The night before Mexican Independence Day, plazas across the country fill with music, food, fireworks and the traditional Grito de Dolores.

September 16 — Mexican Independence Day
A federal holiday commemorating the beginning of Mexico’s independence movement.

September 23 — Festival del Maíz, Ocosingo, Chiapas
A celebration centered around maize — one of the foundations of Mexican cuisine and culture.

September — Micoturismo Season, Estado de México
Guided forest excursions introduce visitors to Mexico’s extraordinary mushroom diversity and traditional knowledge surrounding wild fungi.

September is almost here — which means Mexico is about to turn very red, white and green.

FUN FOODIE FACT: “Salsa” Doesn’t Automatically Mean Spicy

Here’s a useful distinction for newcomers.

In Spanish, salsa simply means sauce.

It doesn’t automatically mean something is going to burn your face off.

Mexico has an enormous universe of salsas made from tomatoes, tomatillos, chiles, avocado, seeds, nuts, herbs and countless combinations of ingredients.

Some are extremely spicy.

Some aren’t spicy at all.

And here’s another useful restaurant phrase:

“¿Pica mucho?”

Is it very spicy?

Just remember that the Mexican definition of “no pica mucho” and your definition of “no pica mucho” may be two completely different things.

Proceed accordingly.