🇲🇽 MexicoFlow
Settle In. Branch Out.
Week of September 21, 2026
🌀 Need-to-Know: Hurricane Polo Strengthens Off Mexico’s Pacific Coast
If you’re on Mexico’s Pacific coast this week, Hurricane Polo is the weather story to watch.
Polo rapidly strengthened into a hurricane south of Mexico and is forecast to intensify further. The storm is expected to remain primarily offshore, but that doesn’t mean the coast is in the clear.
Heavy rain, dangerous surf and tropical-storm-force winds could affect portions of Guerrero and Michoacán, with rainfall totals potentially reaching 12 inches in some areas. Flooding and mudslides are possible in areas receiving the heaviest rain.
For anyone traveling along Mexico’s Pacific coast this week, this is a good time to check conditions before getting on the road or heading to the airport — particularly rather than relying on a forecast you looked at several days ago.
The good news: current forecasts keep Polo’s center offshore. The less-good news: hurricanes don’t have to make landfall to make a mess.
Follow the latest Hurricane Polo coverage from AP
💰 Money Matters: The Dollar Is Back Above 17 Pesos
After dipping below 17 earlier this month, the dollar has regained a little ground.
Banco de México’s historical exchange-rate series showed the peso at approximately 17.22 per U.S. dollar on September 21, compared with 16.97 on September 15.
That’s not a dramatic swing, but if your income or savings are in U.S. dollars, you’ve probably noticed how much these small movements matter over time.
For perspective, US$1,000 converted at 16.97 gets you about 16,970 pesos. At 17.22, it’s about 17,220 pesos — roughly 250 pesos more.
And remember: the rate you actually receive from your bank, ATM or money-transfer service won’t necessarily match the reference rate because spreads and fees vary.
Check Banco de México’s exchange-rate data
🌊 Caribbean Update: Mexico Has Removed More Than 124,000 Tons of Sargassum
If you’ve been anywhere near the Mexican Caribbean this year, this probably won’t surprise you.
More than 124,000 tons of sargassum have reportedly been removed from Mexican Caribbean beaches during 2026, with Playa del Carmen among the hardest-hit areas.
And the problem isn’t merely cosmetic.
The unusually heavy season has affected tourism and even Mexico’s destination-wedding business. El País reported that tourism industry representatives say thousands of reservations have been canceled amid the extraordinary influx. Hotels and government agencies have spent heavily on collection and mitigation efforts.
There is an interesting shift happening, though: instead of treating sargassum entirely as garbage, researchers, businesses and governments are increasingly looking at ways to turn it into usable products and energy. Quintana Roo is working toward a large circular-economy facility intended to process the seaweed and produce products including biogas.
For travelers, the practical lesson remains simple: Caribbean beach conditions can change enormously from one location — and one day — to another.
Don’t assume “Cancún has sargassum” means every beach from Cancún to Tulum looks the same.
✈️ Travel Update: Tulum Gets More International Flights This Winter
Tulum’s relatively new airport is getting another connectivity boost.
For the 2026–27 winter season, seasonal nonstop service is scheduled between Tulum and Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, Quebec City and Newark.
Air Canada, Air Transat, WestJet and United are involved, with service beginning on different dates from late October through December. Together, the routes are expected to provide as many as 10 weekly frequencies.
For residents of the Riviera Maya, that’s significant. Cancún will obviously remain the region’s giant international gateway, but having another airport with direct North American connections gives travelers more options — especially those living south of Playa del Carmen.
See the Tulum route announcement from Mexico’s Tourism Ministry
🏥 Health & Insurance: The Cheapest Policy Isn’t Necessarily the Cheapest Option
When comparing international health insurance, it’s tempting to start with one number:
What’s the premium?
But two policies with very different prices may also have very different deductibles, coinsurance, geographic coverage, hospital access and rules surrounding pre-existing conditions.
A lower annual premium can make sense if you’re comfortable paying routine medical expenses yourself and primarily want protection from a major hospitalization or illness.
Someone else may want broader coverage because they travel frequently, want treatment options outside Mexico, or simply prefer more predictable medical expenses.
The useful question isn’t necessarily:
“Which policy costs the least?”
It’s:
“What am I actually protected from if something expensive happens?”
That’s particularly important for people moving to Mexico who discover that private doctor visits can be relatively affordable and assume a major hospitalization will be inexpensive too.
Brett helps expats compare plans based on how they actually live, where they want to receive treatment and how much financial risk they’re comfortable carrying.
👉 Request a Health Insurance Quote
👉 Read the Health Insurance for Expats in Mexico FAQ
🎨 Worth a Trip: Guadalajara Art Week Starts September 24
If Guadalajara has been sitting on your “someday” list, this week gives you an excuse.
Estación Material Vol. 5 runs September 24–27 as part of Guadalajara Art Week, bringing contemporary art and galleries together at Galería Plataforma. Mexico’s official tourism site lists the event for September 24–27.
Guadalajara sometimes gets overshadowed internationally by Mexico City, but it’s one of Mexico’s major creative and cultural centers in its own right.
And unlike an event that requires planning six months ahead, this one is happening this week.
📅 September 24–27, 2026
📍 Guadalajara, Jalisco
🌮 Food Worth Traveling For: The Gorditas of Northern Jalisco
A gordita sounds simple: corn masa, cooked until golden, filled or topped with something delicious.
But Mexico has a habit of taking apparently simple foods and turning them into intensely regional traditions.
In Colotlán, Jalisco, the gordita is important enough to get its own annual festival. This month’s Festival de la Gordita included a competition for the largest gordita alongside regional food and festivities.
Colotlán sits in northern Jalisco, far from the beach-resort version of the state most foreign visitors know.
That’s part of what makes food travel in Mexico so much fun. You can eat something called a taco, tamal, mole or gordita in one state, travel a few hundred kilometers, order the “same” thing — and receive something completely different.
MexicoFlow challenge: the next time you travel somewhere new in Mexico, ask what that town makes differently rather than asking where to find the food you already know.
🍷 Put This on Your Radar: Guanajuato’s Wine Harvest Season Isn’t Over
You may associate Mexican wine primarily with Baja California, but Guanajuato’s wine country continues to grow.
The state’s 2026 Vendimias season still has several events ahead, including the IX Fiesta de la Vendimia at Viñedo Los Arcángeles in Dolores Hidalgo on September 26, followed by additional harvest celebrations around Dolores Hidalgo and San Miguel de Allende in October.
That makes this a particularly good time for a weekend road trip through Guanajuato wine country — especially if you’re already based in central Mexico.
📅 September 26 and additional dates in October
📍 Dolores Hidalgo & San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato
See Guanajuato’s remaining 2026 vendimia dates
🌿 Settle In. Branch Out.
Mexico is enormous, complicated and constantly changing.
One week we’re watching a hurricane offshore; the next we’re talking about contemporary art in Guadalajara, Caribbean seaweed, wine country and why your gordita changes depending on where you order it.
That’s exactly why we love paying attention.
See you next week. 🇲🇽
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MexicoFlow
Settle In. Branch Out.