Mexico Newsletter —
July 2023

Your monthly Mexico newsletter is filled with inspiration, meaningful knowledge, helpful connections, and tips for better living, lifestyle, and leisure in Mexico.

Summertime arrives in Mexico

The feel of summer is taking hold across Mexico. It’s the season of high temperatures accompanied by a slower pace of life as schools break for summer recess, and the seasonal rainstorms bring welcome refreshment and color to Mexico’s vast and varied landscapes.

After some initial heavy rains fell in late May, many places experienced a hot and dry spell during June.  This can happen in some regions some years—and July often ushers in the torrential downpours which are typical during the rainy season.  The heaviest rainstorms are often preceded by local windstorms.

Summer brings heavier traffic flows to Mexico’s roads and highways as families take time away to travel for leisure and recreation.  Whether you have your own car or are renting a vehicle for a road trip in Mexico this summer, our extensive information about driving here helps you to plan ahead and travel safely on Mexico’s roads.

Mexico’s Copper Canyon is popular with visitors at this time of year, as the heavy rains cause the canyon’s rivers to swell, and their flora to burst into life.  For those planning ahead for tours this coming fall, summer is a good time to book a visit to experience the monarch butterflies that arrive to overwinter in Mexico.

The longest daylight of the year happens around June 21st in Mexico. As summer continues to unfold the daylight will gradually decrease as we head into the fall, but as we often mention on these pages, Mexico offers you long daylight all year long, accompanied by extraordinary light.

This month’s newsletter shares ideas and insights for planning and enjoying a warm and agreeable summer season in Mexico. Whatever your plans are —whether you’re visiting Mexico on vacation, enjoying the long slow summer days living here, or traveling this season— we wish you and your loved ones a pleasant and reposeful summer.

Matthew Harrup is founder and editor of Mexperience.

Mexico Lifestyle & Leisure Notebook – July 2023

Enjoy highlights of hand-picked articles that have been recently added or updated, as well and gems from our archives.

On the road again: Summer is one of the busiest times of year on Mexico’s roads and interstate highways.  Our articles and insights about driving in Mexico share key things you need to know before you hit the road, and our guide to auto insurance will help you to get the coverage you need for peace of mind when you’re driving.

Dressing against the mosquitoes: The rain season brings a proliferation of mosquitoes as the heat and moisture propels the females to breed. This article shares practical advice and tips for dealing effectively with mosquitoes when you’re visiting or living in Mexico.

Lost and not found: If you lose or severely damage your Mexico residency card, you will need to enter into a special procedure to get a replacement.  The procedure varies depending on whether you are in Mexico or abroad when your card becomes lost or unusable.

Taking it with you when you go: Most people who come to Mexico to live want to bring a shipment of their personal goods with them. This article describes the Menaje de Casa and the procedures for importing your personal goods.

Mexico’s Súper Peso keeping its cool in the summer heat: Mexico’s currency continues to appreciate against the US dollar. Its gains are partly a reflection of the US dollar’s weakness against a basket of currencies. Our article about the history of Mexico’s currency shares some perspective.

Skies deliver summer refreshment: Mexico’s rainy season brings refreshment and color to the landscape and welcome respite from the dry season.  The rains start (generally) in May/June and run through to October each year—sometimes spilling over into November. Learn more about the refreshment offered by Mexico’s summer rains and how to live well during the rain season here.

Means for a Mexico retirement: There are two calculations you will need to make to determine the financial means you will need to have at your disposal to retire in Mexico: the first is related to how much you need to qualify for residency, the second is how much money you need to live in retirement in Mexico.

The Copper Canyon is bursting into life: Summer is peak season in the canyons, as the rains bring growth, color, fragrance, and vibrancy to this most remarkable natural landscape. Take an extraordinary train journey through Mexico’s Copper Canyon to experience dramatic landscapes and absorb breath-taking natural scenery.

How to approach a lifestyle change: How you approach a potential move to Mexico, or approach changes to your lifestyle if you’re already here, will usually depend on your personality and the evolving priorities of your life situation.

When sorry seems to be the hardest word: Apologizing in Spanish can be complicated if you get into the semantics of the verb disculpar, which means to excuse or exonerate, and its noun form, disculpa.

The longevity of the humble telephone number: Telephone directory books were pulped years ago, but telephone numbers live on, and readers continue to ask about how to dial telephone numbers to and from Mexico including cell phones, landlines and toll-free service numbers.

That faint scent of vanilla: Kindles can house an entire library of books, but the tactile touch and distinctive scent of an old paperback novel is worth the extra weight for many avid readers. In the space of a few years, much has changed regarding access to books in Mexico, thanks largely to the proliferation of eBooks, portable reading devices, and online shopping—although Mexican bookshop chains continue to flourish here.

Short on atmosphere, long on flavor: Discover Mexico’s simple, often family-run, diners that are woven into the fabric of local neighborhoods and offer authentic Mexican flavors amidst an informal and friendly atmosphere.

Adjusting your timescale expectations: Whether you are buying or selling land or property in Mexico, you need to manage your expectations regarding the time scales involved in finding a buyer if you’re selling, and then exercise patience as you move in the procedural phase to close the transaction after you have agreed a price and signed a contract.  Learn about time scales for home transactions in Mexico.

Summer nostalgia, revisited: There’s nothing quite like the enjoyment of an ice-cream on a slow, hot, summer’s afternoon. Mexican ice cream and popsicle choices are varied, flavorsome, and widely available from local stores, fancy-brand parlors, and street vendors.  Try a new flavor this summer!

Not just vacation weather: The weather and local climate affect us in many ways, everyday. If you’re thinking about living in Mexico, it’s worth considering how the climate varies by region and by season, and choosing a location in Mexico where you’ll feel comfortable all year round.

Getting well, staying well: Health care and medical insurance is one of the most common concerns people have when thinking about moving to Mexico.  There are choices for those seeking health and medical coverages for long term stays in Mexico, including a state-run program, private health insurance, and medical evacuation insurance.

Discover and experience more of Mexico

Mexperience helps you discover Mexico and experience the wide range of opportunities available here for lifestyle and leisure.

Mexico Lifestyle

Whether you’re considering a move to Mexico, in the throes of moving here, and even if you’re already here and considering ways to reformulate your current situations, our Mexico lifestyle planning articles and eBooks provide invaluable help and local knowledge:

• Lifestyle Planning articles and updates
• Mexico Home Life updates—practical insights for daily living
• Discover places to live in Mexico
• Latest updates and real estate and property in Mexico
• Browse the latest updates about Spanish language study

Mexico Leisure

Whether you’re visiting Mexico or living here, there’s an abundance of travel and leisure options for you to explore and experience.

• Browse the latest Travel & Leisure updates
• Guides: Colonial Cities, Beaches, Pyramids, Big Cities, Nature
• Discover custom travel tours of Mexico

Mexico Essentials

Articles and insights about essential things you need to know as you make your Mexico lifestyle and leisure plans

• Latest Mexico Essentials insights
• Guides to transport and getting around in Mexico
• Insurance coverages for your Mexico lifestyle