🇲🇽 MexicoFlow
Settle In. Branch Out.
Week of September 28, 2026
🌀 Need-to-Know: Hurricane Polo Is Now Heading for Baja California Sur
Last week, we were watching Hurricane Polo strengthen off Mexico’s Pacific coast.
What happened next was remarkable.
Polo rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane, becoming one of the strongest storms seen in the eastern Pacific basin. It has since weakened, but as of early Monday morning, the National Hurricane Center reported Polo as a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) southwest of Baja California Sur. NASA Science
This time, the storm isn’t expected to remain safely offshore.
Hurricane conditions are expected in portions of Baja California Sur today, with Polo then moving toward Sonora. The National Hurricane Center is warning about life-threatening winds and flash flooding across parts of both states today and Tuesday. NOAA National Hurricane Center
If you’re in the affected region, this isn’t a sightseeing storm. Avoid beaches and flooded roads, follow local Civil Protection instructions, and expect possible road closures and transportation disruptions.
Follow the latest official Hurricane Polo advisories
✈️ Mexico Keeps Breaking Tourism Records
Despite everything from hurricanes to sargassum making headlines, Mexico continues attracting enormous numbers of international visitors.
New government figures released September 25 show that Mexico welcomed 59.7 million international visitors from January through July 2026 — 7% more than during the same period in 2025.
Of those, 28.9 million were international tourists. International travelers spent approximately US$21.7 billion, while cruise passenger arrivals jumped 13.6% year over year to 7.4 million. Gobierno de México
Another interesting number: tourism now supports approximately 5.07 million jobs in Mexico, representing 9.3% of national employment. Gobierno de México
That’s a reminder of just how enormous tourism has become to Mexico’s economy — and why improving airports, roads, destinations and connectivity continues to receive so much attention.
See Mexico’s latest official tourism figures
💰 Money Matters: Banxico Holds Interest Rates at 6.5%
Mexico’s central bank made its latest interest-rate decision on September 24.
The verdict: no change.
Banco de México kept its benchmark overnight interest rate at 6.50%. Banco de México
Meanwhile, Mexico’s most recently reported annual headline inflation rate stands at 3.26%, while core inflation is higher at 3.88%. Banco de México
For those of us living in Mexico, interest rates can sound like dry economic news, but they influence borrowing costs, savings rates, investment and — indirectly — the peso.
We’ll continue watching both inflation and the peso as we head into the final quarter of 2026.
See Banxico’s monetary-policy decisions
✈️ Travel Update: Querétaro Gets a Direct Route to Acapulco
Here’s one that may be particularly useful for central Mexico residents.
A direct Querétaro–Acapulco route is now operating three times a week — Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
The route began operating June 2, but Mexico’s Tourism Ministry highlighted the connection this week as part of Acapulco’s continuing effort to expand its air connectivity. A new Puebla–Acapulco route is also scheduled to begin December 1. Gobierno de México
For people living in Querétaro, that makes a Pacific beach escape considerably easier than the traditional long drive.
Acapulco has been through an extraordinary few years, particularly following destructive hurricanes, so its tourism recovery remains a story worth watching.
Read the Tourism Ministry announcement
🏥 Health & Insurance: Why Your Deductible Matters
When comparing international health insurance, people naturally look at the premium first.
But the deductible can matter just as much.
A higher-deductible plan generally means you’re agreeing to cover more of your medical expenses yourself before insurance begins paying eligible expenses. In exchange, the insurance premium may be lower.
That can make sense for someone who is comfortable paying for routine healthcare in Mexico and primarily wants insurance protecting against large, financially disruptive medical events.
A lower deductible may be preferable for someone who expects to use their coverage more frequently or simply wants less financial exposure when something happens.
Neither approach is automatically better.
The important part is understanding what you would actually owe during a serious medical event — before you’re standing at a hospital admissions desk trying to figure it out.
Brett helps expats compare deductibles, geographic coverage and other plan differences based on how they actually live in Mexico.
👉 Request a Health Insurance Quote
👉 Health Insurance for Expats in Mexico: FAQs
🍽️ Worth a Trip: Puerto Vallarta’s Big Food Week Starts October 4
If food is a perfectly legitimate reason for you to plan a trip — welcome to the club.
Vallarta Nayarit Gastronómica 2026 runs October 4–7 in Puerto Vallarta.
The 18th edition brings together chefs, restaurants and culinary professionals, with the official Mexico tourism calendar highlighting participation from Michelin-starred chefs. Visit Mexico
Puerto Vallarta already has one of Mexico’s strongest restaurant scenes, so a food festival there isn’t exactly a hard sell.
📅 October 4–7, 2026
📍 Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
See Puerto Vallarta’s official events calendar
🎬 Coming Up: Morelia International Film Festival
October is shaping up to be a very good month for cultural travel.
The Morelia International Film Festival runs October 16–25 in Michoacán’s beautiful colonial capital. Mexico’s official tourism calendar describes it as a showcase for Mexican and international cinema and emerging filmmakers. Visit Mexico
Even if you’re not a serious film person, Morelia itself makes this one worth considering.
The historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city’s pink-stone colonial architecture makes it one of Mexico’s most distinctive cities.
📅 October 16–25, 2026
📍 Morelia, Michoacán
This is exactly the kind of Mexico trip we like at MexicoFlow: go for the event, stay because you discovered a city you hadn’t really considered before.
💀 Start Planning Día de Muertos Now
Yes, it’s still September.
But if you want to experience Día de Muertos somewhere special this year, now is the time to start thinking about it — not October 30.
Mexico City’s official 2026 program already includes events stretching through October and into November.
Among them:
Festival Flores de Cempasúchil: October 18–November 1 along Paseo de la Reforma.
Mega Procesión de las Catrinas: October 25 on Paseo de la Reforma.
Ofrenda Monumental: October 29–November 2 in the Zócalo. Mexico City
Día de Muertos isn’t Mexican Halloween. At its heart, it’s about remembrance — welcoming the memory of people who have died through ofrendas, food, flowers, photographs and traditions that vary considerably across Mexico.
The giant city celebrations are spectacular, but some of the most meaningful experiences happen in smaller communities.
We’ll have much more on Día de Muertos as we get closer.
See Mexico City’s official 2026 Día de Muertos guide
🌽 Mexico Living Tip: October Is a Great Month to Explore
October sits in a sweet spot in many parts of Mexico.
The summer rainy season begins winding down in much of the country, cultural calendars become packed, Día de Muertos preparations begin appearing, and destinations start transitioning toward the busy winter travel season.
Instead of waiting until November or December, look at places within a few hours of home that you’ve never visited.
A Pueblo Mágico, vineyard, archaeological site, mountain town or weekend food festival doesn’t need to become a major vacation.
Sometimes Mexico is best experienced two nights at a time.
🌿 Settle In. Branch Out.
This week’s Mexico is a pretty good example of why there’s always something to talk about here.
A major hurricane is crossing Baja. Tourism numbers are breaking records. Acapulco is rebuilding its connections. Puerto Vallarta is getting ready to eat very well, Morelia is preparing for film lovers, and cempasúchil season is almost here.
October should be fun.
See you next week. 🇲🇽
👉 Get a Health Insurance Quote
👉 Browse Past MexicoFlow Issues
👉 Visit BrettLaMar.com
👉 Watch Brett LaMar on YouTube
MexicoFlow
Settle In. Branch Out.