🇲🇽 MexicoFlow
Settle In. Branch Out.
Week of September 7, 2026
Welcome to MexicoFlow — your weekly mix of useful Mexico living information, places worth discovering, culture worth understanding, and the little things that make living here interesting.
And if you haven’t heard from us in a while, welcome back. We’re glad you’re here. 🇲🇽
🇲🇽 NEED-TO-KNOW: Mexico’s Biggest Night of the Year Is Almost Here
If Mexico seems to be getting progressively more red, white and green every day, there’s a reason.
We’re officially one week away from El Grito.
On the evening of September 15, people will gather in plazas across the country to celebrate the beginning of Mexico’s independence movement.
At approximately 11 p.m., Mexico’s president will appear at the National Palace overlooking Mexico City’s Zócalo, ring the historic bell and lead the traditional Grito.
Similar ceremonies happen with governors and local officials throughout Mexico.
And then?
🎆 Fireworks.
🎺 Music.
🌮 Food.
🇲🇽 Flags everywhere.
This year’s Mexico City celebration is already shaping up to be a big one.
Intocable will perform a free concert in the Zócalo on September 15, with festivities beginning earlier in the evening.
Different boroughs throughout CDMX are also hosting their own free concerts and celebrations.
🌿 MexicoFlow Tip
You do NOT need to be in Mexico City to experience El Grito.
In fact, one of the best ways to experience it can be in the central plaza of whatever Mexican city or town you’re already living in.
Check your municipality’s social-media pages this week for the local program.
If you’ve never gone before:
Go.
This is one of those nights when living in Mexico instead of merely visiting it feels particularly special.
🏡 MEXICO LIVING TIP: September 16 Is the Holiday — But September 15 Is the Party
Here’s an important distinction for newcomers.
September 16 is the official national holiday.
But most of the celebrating happens the night before.
September 15 is when you’ll encounter concerts, crowded plazas, El Grito, fireworks and very late nights.
September 16 is when you may encounter:
🏦 Closed banks
🏛️ Closed government offices
📋 Delayed administrative services
🚗 Road closures for civic parades
😴 A noticeably quieter morning
Restaurants and tourist businesses may remain open, but don’t assume normal Wednesday business hours.
If you need banking, immigration paperwork, government services or anything administrative next week:
Don’t leave it until September 16.
Mexico will be busy doing something else.
🩺 EXPAT INSURANCE QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Can I Get Health Insurance in Mexico With a Pre-Existing Condition?
This is one of the most important questions to ask before choosing a health insurance policy in Mexico.
And the answer isn’t simply yes or no.
It depends on the condition — and the insurer.
A pre-existing condition is generally a medical condition, diagnosis or sometimes prior treatment that existed before your insurance coverage began.
Depending on the insurance company, your medical history and the particular condition, an insurer may:
✔️ Cover the condition normally
✔️ Cover it after a waiting period
✔️ Offer coverage with specific conditions or limitations
✔️ Exclude that particular condition while covering unrelated medical expenses
✔️ Increase the premium
or
❌ Decline the application
That’s why two people of the same age looking for health insurance in Mexico may receive very different options.
Don’t hide your medical history.
This is important.
Leaving a known medical condition off an insurance application can create much bigger problems later if the insurer reviews your medical history during a major claim.
The goal isn’t simply to get a policy issued.
The goal is to have a policy you can actually rely on when something expensive happens.
What should you ask before buying health insurance in Mexico?
If you have an existing medical condition, ask:
Is my condition covered or excluded?
Is there a waiting period?
Does the exclusion apply only to that condition or related complications too?
Could the condition become eligible for coverage later?
Are my current medications covered?
What happens if I need hospitalization related to the condition?
And get the answers before you purchase the policy.
Brett LaMar is a U.S.-licensed insurance broker based in Mexico who specializes in helping expats compare private and international health insurance.
Rather than assuming a particular insurer will accept your medical history, Brett can help determine which options actually make sense for your situation.
👉 Read: Health Insurance for Expats in Mexico — Frequently Asked Questions
👉 Compare Health Insurance Options With Brett
🔎 THE 60-SECOND INSURANCE LESSON
Deductible vs. Premium: Don’t Confuse the Two
Here’s insurance terminology worth understanding.
Your premium is what you pay to have the insurance.
Your deductible is the amount you’re responsible for before certain insurance benefits begin paying.
A plan with a very high deductible may have a lower premium.
A plan with a lower deductible may cost considerably more.
Neither is automatically better.
Someone who primarily wants protection from a catastrophic $100,000 hospitalization may deliberately choose a higher deductible and self-pay routine medical expenses.
Someone who wants insurance participating much earlier in their healthcare expenses may prefer a lower deductible — and accept the higher premium.
The important question isn’t:
“Which plan is cheapest?”
It’s:
“How much financial risk am I comfortable keeping myself?”
That’s a much better way to shop for health insurance.
🏘️ CITY SPOTLIGHT: ZACATLÁN, PUEBLA
This week’s MexicoFlow road trip takes us into the mountains.
Zacatlán de las Manzanas sits high in Puebla’s Sierra Norte, surrounded by forests, waterfalls, misty mountains and — as the name suggests — apples.
At roughly 2,000 meters above sea level, the climate can feel worlds away from Mexico’s tropical coast.
The town is known for:
🍎 Apple orchards
🍾 Apple cider
🕰️ Clockmaking
🌲 Mountain scenery
💦 Waterfalls
🏘️ Pueblo Mágico charm
One of the town’s unusual landmarks is its enormous Floral Clock, while local clockmaker Relojes Centenario has been producing monumental clocks in Zacatlán for more than a century.
But one of the best parts of visiting isn’t necessarily in town.
It’s the landscape surrounding it.
Nearby you’ll find forest trails, waterfalls and dramatic viewpoints where the Sierra Norte drops into deep ravines.
🌿 Why MexicoFlow Likes It
This is exactly the kind of Mexico many foreigners don’t realize exists.
Cool.
Green.
Mountainous.
Sometimes foggy.
And completely different from the Mexico sold in beach-resort advertisements.
Bring a jacket.
Seriously.
🍎 FOOD — OR DRINK — WORTH TRAVELING FOR: SIDRA
When Mexico celebrates Christmas and New Year’s, bottles of sparkling apple cider suddenly appear everywhere.
A lot of that tradition leads back to Puebla’s apple-growing regions, including Zacatlán.
Zacatlán’s climate is ideal for apples, and the town became famous for transforming them into sidra — apple cider.
You’ll find versions ranging from sweet and sparkling to more traditional fermented varieties, along with apple preserves, juices, breads and sweets.
If you visit Zacatlán, tasting local apple products is practically mandatory.
And if you don’t drink alcohol?
No problem.
The town has plenty of nonalcoholic apple products too.
Mexico has tequila country.
Mezcal country.
Wine country.
Apparently it also has:
Apple country. 🍎
🎭 TRADITION OF THE WEEK: DANZA DEL PASHTÚ
On September 8, Mexico’s official tourism calendar highlights the traditional Danza del Pashtú.
The dance comes from Zoque cultural traditions and represents the struggle and duality between good and evil.
It’s another reminder of something that’s easy to forget when we casually talk about “Mexican culture.”
There isn’t just one.
Mexico is home to dozens of Indigenous peoples with distinct languages, histories, foods, clothing, music, beliefs and traditions.
What you experience culturally in Chiapas can feel completely different from Oaxaca.
Which can feel completely different from Yucatán.
Which can feel completely different from Sonora.
Living in Mexico gets considerably more interesting once you stop thinking of Mexican culture as one thing.
🎤 SPOTLIGHT ON MEXICO’S ICONS: JUAN GABRIEL
If you’re going to spend September in Mexico, this is someone you should know.
Juan Gabriel — “Juanga” — was one of the most beloved entertainers in Mexican history.
Born Alberto Aguilera Valadez in Michoacán in 1950, he wrote hundreds of songs and became famous for his enormous voice, theatrical performances, flamboyant style and extraordinary ability to connect with audiences.
He wrote not only for himself but for many other major Latin artists.
And his music crossed generations.
Grandparents knew Juan Gabriel.
Their children knew Juan Gabriel.
Their grandchildren know Juan Gabriel.
One of the defining moments of his career came when he performed at Mexico City’s prestigious Palacio de Bellas Artes in 1990.
At the time, bringing a hugely popular commercial singer into one of Mexico’s most prestigious cultural institutions was controversial.
Juan Gabriel walked in anyway.
And made history.
There’s something wonderfully appropriate happening this Independence Day:
A newly restored presentation of that famous Bellas Artes performance — Juan Gabriel: Mi Primer Bellas Artes — is being shown in U.S. theaters on September 15, 2026.
More than a decade after his death, Juanga is still filling theaters.
That’s a Mexican icon.
🦎 CAN MEXICO SAVE THE AXOLOTL?
A few weeks ago, we introduced you to one of Mexico’s strangest and most lovable animals.
The axolotl.
Those tiny smiling salamanders once thrived throughout the waterways surrounding Mexico City.
Today, the wild Mexican axolotl is critically endangered and survives primarily in the canals of Xochimilco.
But here’s the hopeful part:
People are trying very hard to save them.
Researchers at UNAM have spent years developing something called the Chinampa-Refugio model.
Instead of simply breeding axolotls and releasing them into polluted canals, researchers are trying to repair the ecosystem the animals actually need.
They work alongside traditional Xochimilco farmers — chinamperos — to create protected canal areas beside working chinampas.
Biofilters help improve water quality and block invasive fish such as carp and tilapia that threaten axolotls.
In other words:
They’re not just trying to save an animal.
They’re trying to rebuild its home.
❤️ And You Can Help
UNAM operates an official Adoptaxolotl conservation program.
You can virtually adopt an axolotl or contribute toward habitat restoration, with donations helping support research, conservation and the work required to protect the remaining population.
We told you we’d come back to these little guys.
We meant it.
🦎❤️
👉 Visit UNAM’s Official Adoptaxolotl Conservation Program
⚖️ LEGAL & RESIDENCY CORNER: Don’t Let Your Residency Card Expire While You’re Not Paying Attention
Temporary residents:
Take out your residency card.
Look at the expiration date.
Seriously.
We’ll wait.
Mexico’s Temporary Resident status can generally be renewed until you’ve reached the maximum period allowed under that status.
But immigration paperwork is considerably easier when you’re dealing with it before a deadline rather than after one.
A simple habit:
📱 Put your residency expiration date in your phone calendar.
Then create another reminder 60 days beforehand.
That gives you time to verify current INM requirements, gather documents and plan around travel.
The Mexican bureaucracy isn’t particularly interested in:
“I forgot.”
Your future self will appreciate the reminder.
📅 WHAT’S COMING UP IN MEXICO
🎭 September 8 — Danza del Pashtú
A traditional Zoque dance representing the duality between good and evil.
🍎 September 12–16 — Festival de la Manzana, Arteaga
A celebration of the apple harvest in the mountains of Coahuila.
🇲🇽 September 15 — El Grito
Plazas across Mexico fill with music, food, fireworks and Independence celebrations.
🇲🇽 September 16 — Mexican Independence Day
National holiday. Expect closures and civic celebrations throughout the country.
💃 September 17 — Baile del Algodón
A traditional celebration of textile heritage connecting generations through dance.
🏙️ September 17–20 — MEXTRÓPOLI, Mexico City
Architecture, design and urbanism take over parts of the capital.
🌽 September 23 — Festival del Maíz, Ocosingo, Chiapas
A celebration of the crop at the heart of Mexican civilization and cuisine.
🥘 September 26 — Festival de la Paella
Another September food festival worth keeping on the radar.
September is one of those months when you could build an entire Mexico road trip around festivals alone.
🌮 FUN FOODIE FACT: Why Is Mexican Independence Food Green, White & Red?
Once you notice it, you’ll see the colors everywhere this month.
🇲🇽 Green. White. Red.
Mexican cooks have turned the colors of the flag into food.
Chiles en nogada may be the most famous example:
🌶️ Green poblano chile
🥛 White walnut sauce
❤️ Red pomegranate seeds
But you’ll also see Independence-themed desserts, aguas frescas, pastries and restaurant specials using the same colors throughout September.
It’s patriotic branding you can eat.
And we’re completely fine with that.
🌿 SETTLE IN. BRANCH OUT.
There’s a difference between living somewhere and understanding where you live.
You can spend years in Mexico knowing the best restaurants and beaches while barely scratching the surface of the country around you.
Then one little thing catches your attention.
Why are there flags everywhere?
What’s that dance?
Why does everyone know this singer?
Why is that salamander on murals, money and stuffed animals?
You start asking questions.
And Mexico gets bigger.
That’s what we want MexicoFlow to be.
One useful thing.
One interesting thing.
One place you haven’t considered.
And one more reason to understand the country you’ve chosen to spend time in.
We’ll meet you back here next week.
🇲🇽 MexicoFlow
Settle In. Branch Out.
🩺 HEALTH INSURANCE FOR EXPATS IN MEXICO
Brett LaMar is a U.S.-licensed health and life insurance broker specializing in health insurance for expats living in and visiting Mexico.
Whether you’re a full-time resident, snowbird, retiree, digital nomad or frequent visitor, Brett can help you understand your options — in English — and compare coverage based on how you actually live.
👉 Health Insurance for Expats in Mexico — FAQs
👉 Get a Personalized Health Insurance Quote
📺 More From Brett
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Settle In. Branch Out.