Mexico Tourist Traps

 
by pedroebc
 
  •   Tourist Traps
    by pedroebc
  •   Tourist Traps
    by travelnut71
  • The legend museum near The Pípila
      The legend museum near The Pípila
    by pencho15
  • Jungle looking guys painted up
      Jungle looking guys painted up
    by BruceDunning
  • REady for another with authentic-huh
      REady for another with authentic-huh
    by BruceDunning
 

Most Viewed Tourist Traps in Mexico

26.

Shopping-Prices   Cancún

Shopping-Prices, Cancún

 22 Reviews  This is an open market in downtown Cancun. The place is very charming and different. You can find jewelery and art and crafts. The place is just a a market to rip pleople off. The sales people are... 

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27.

Time Share   Puerto Vallarta

Time Share, Puerto Vallarta

 18 Reviews  These characters are EVERYWHERE in Puerto Vallarta region,in stores,resturants,walking the beach,they may be a bagboy or the resturant owner,they start out being really friendly and overly... 

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28.

5th Avenue   Playa del Carmen

5th Avenue, Playa del Carmen

 3 Reviews  The vicious feathered warrior-god beckons to you because you can't help but look his way. "Come, come! It's okay, have your picture taken with me." Excited, you go and stand beside him. The god... 

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29.

Taxis   Cabo San Lucas

Taxis, Cabo San Lucas

 6 Reviews  Salt Creek, You’re over thinking the whole airport taxi situation. They are not out to get you and they are not all scammers. The prices are high but they are posted and everyone pays the same amount.... 

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30.

Avenida Revolucion   Tijuana

Avenida Revolucion, Tijuana

 10 Reviews  yes, the majority of tourist say this the unique sight of tijuana, but are worng, the big problem is that the hassles of sellers, or club waiters always call tourist come here, beggars and taxis are... 

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31.

Time Share   Mazatlán

Time Share, Mazatlán

 9 Reviews  We went to Stone Island and were approached by a guy telling us that for a non committal presentation,we would be paid $200 and have a free breakfast. My wife and I decided that because the guy was... 

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32.

Cliff Divers   Acapulco

Cliff Divers, Acapulco

 4 Reviews  We went to see the cliff divers at night and paid (only) $3 each and watched most of it from the top of the stairs area before gong down a few steps into the 'paid' area. Better view up top! And they... 

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33.

TimeShares   Cancún

TimeShares, Cancún

 24 Reviews  I purchased a seven night vacation at The Royal Cancun during a timeshare presentation for Royal Resorts (aka: Interval Servicing Co Club Internacional de Cancun ). Upon returning home from vacation 5... 

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34.

Attractions   Puerto Vallarta

Attractions, Puerto Vallarta

 9 Reviews  Located 12 km south of P.V. is a little village called Mismaloya. All I remember about it is that there is a very luxurious hotel nearby, and that 5 km north from there "El Eden" is located. "El Eden"... 

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35.

Activities   Cabo San Lucas

Activities, Cabo San Lucas

 6 Reviews  Not to far from the center of town in Los Cabos is a Bull Fight Ring. WHen we were there, they advertised bull fights on Thursday nihgts. We knew it would be bloodless so we went expecting to see a... 

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36.

Zebra Painted Donkeys   Tijuana

Zebra Painted Donkeys, Tijuana

 4 Reviews  The tourist trap IS Tijuana -- you begin encountering it at the moment you cross the border. Remember that this is being written by someone with deep affection for Mexico and C. America. We walked... 

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37.

Siteseeing   Mazatlán

Siteseeing, Mazatlán

 8 Reviews  I took a jungle tour to mean...a jungle tour, not a boat ride to a coconut plantation through a "jungle". The scenery was still nice, but it wasn't what I expected. Getting dive bombed by the pelicans... 

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38.

Booking Tours   Cancún

Booking Tours, Cancún

 10 Reviews  I've booked many tours in Cancun. The best advise I can give is to book your tours face to face. Avoid booking online. There is little recourse if things don't measure up. I always leave my hotel to... 

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39.

Shopping   Puerto Vallarta

Shopping, Puerto Vallarta

 7 Reviews  I purchased a yellow diamond ring from Pacific Jewelry/Gad & Co (both stores owned by the same people) in April 2010. When I returned to the US, I had the ring appraised and found it was worth less... 

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40.

Time Shares   Cabo San Lucas

Time Shares, Cabo San Lucas

 9 Reviews  The Presidente Intercontinental Los Cabos or Holiday Inn Los Cabos is a beautiful resort with great food but DO NOT BUY THE VACATION CLUB MEMBERSHIP! The will tell you you can resale your points - Not... 

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41.

Shopping   Mazatlán

Shopping, Mazatlán

 3 Reviews  The Golden Zone beach area is beautiful, but it also has some drawbacks. Vendors. Yes, I feel that most of the time everyone has the right to do what they want, but trying to push touristy wares is... 

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42.

Taxi's   Cancún

Taxi's, Cancún

 8 Reviews  When we arrived back from A day trip to mexico City [where we did not feel we were ripped off even once] it was 1am. The taxi to the airport had cost us 300 pesos that morning. however, we were quoted... 

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43.

Nearby Towns   Puerto Vallarta

Nearby Towns, Puerto Vallarta

 2 Reviews  I know that this might be an unpopular tip among back packers, but Yelapa is nothing more than a tourist scam. First the people that live there refuse to admit that there is a road to this place. You... 

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44.

Night Life   Cabo San Lucas

Night Life, Cabo San Lucas

 3 Reviews  Wabo, over priced and not recommended to vistit. There are lots of bars to visit that are cheaper and a lot more fun. Friday and Saturday night go to The Blue Marlin or Squid Row, best sea food place... 

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45.

Snorkeling   Cancún

Snorkeling, Cancún

 5 Reviews  Before going to Cancun, one of my friends told me to avoid going on group snorkeling tours. You wade out into the lagoon in a long line and then all you can see is other people. For this reason, I did... 

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46.

Independant Trips   Cancún

Independant Trips, Cancún

 7 Reviews  $35.00 tourist boat in the hotel zone or take the peoples boat at Cancun ( newer boat ) or Puerto Juarez. Catch the public bus R-1 or R-2 at the hotel zone. It will say on the window Puerto Cancun or... 

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

HUICHOLES AND PEYOTE

by pedroebc

TATEWARI - Nuestro abuelo de Fuego"...Uno detras de otro iban bailando en circulo o marcando el tiempo con sus pies, dejando en el centro a los musicos y al maestro de los cantos que invitaban, y cantando en el mismo tono musical que les marca. Bailan toda la noche desde la cinco de la tarde hasta las siete de la manana, sin parar ni abandonar el circulo. Cuando paraba el baile si lo quedaban de pie aquellos que les quedaban fuerzas, ya que la mayoria despues del peyote y el vino no podian utilizar sus piernas..." Una vez al año, los huicholes hacen un viaje sagrado para recoger Hikuri. Les guia un experimentado mara akame o Chaman, que esta en permanente contacto con Tatewari (nuestro abuelo de fuego). Tatewari es el ultimo dios Huichol, tambien conocido como Hikuri, el dios del peyote. Se le personifica con plantas de peyote en las manos y pies, y es el que interpreta todas las...

Tip Photo
FRIDA KAHLO in Mexico city

by pedroebc

FRIDA KAHLO house is in coyoacan, in san angel the diego rivera house, dolores olmedo museum, modern art museum, and one museums near xochimilco have paintings of these two master of the mexican painture.. THIS MUSEUM IS NOT FREE !!! NEITHER SUNDAYS MUSEO DOLORES OLMEDO in the south of mexico city, contains amazing pictures of Frida Kalho and Diego Rivera...have amazing birds, amazing house, amazing gardens... wow!!!one of the best antiqueties from Asia I ever seen..MUSEO_DOLORES_OLMEDO

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just dont talk to anyone at the flea markets

by mckinney906

They will have the original price jacked up and then try to act like they are doing you some favor and lower it to a price that is still high or what it is worth. Tell them the price you want to give them for it but if they dont agree say fine and walk away and more than likley they will give in and give it to you for that price. See above!

SAN MIGUEL ALLENDE

by pedroebc

San Miguel Allende celebra EN SEPTIEMBRE sus fiestas..El 16 de septiembre es el DIa de la Independencia mejicana. 300 anos estuvieron los mejicanos colonizados por Espana hasta que en 1810, el padre Hidalgo llama a los ciudadanos a luchar por la libertad. El grito, que asi se llama hoy en dia a dicha lucha, provoco una guerra que dura once anos. En la actualidad, cada quince de septiembre se reunen los habitantes de San Miguel Allende por la noche para festejar su victoria con fuegos artificiales. Casi una semana mas tarde, el 21 de septiembre, siguen las fiestas con la conocida "Sanmiguelada" o "Pamplonada" que cada ano atrae a mas de 20.000 visitantes de todo el mundo. El momento mas esperado es a las 12 del mediodia, entonces es cuando los mas valientes vestidos de camisetas blancas y bufandas rojas se enfrentan a toros salvajes. En el nombre "Pamplonada" se puede apreciar que esta...

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Becareful!

by marimar_72

Do not,,I repeat,DO NOT buy any tickets to visit the chichin itza (or any attraction)from any store ,They will take your money and promise to pick you from your hotel but they never do. If you want to go sight seeing just arrange with your hotel.Maybe it will be a little more expensive,but at least you can be sure your money will not be taken for nothing! Just talk to the concierge!

A tourist attraction with tourist food

by melosh

The worst Mexican food I remember eating in Mexico, was in the cave restaurant near Teotihuacan. (And it happened twice, in both 1968 and 1994 -- I had stupidly hoped that they had changed management and cook and I wanted to impress friends with the beauty of the site.)The food was bland, salsa feeble and the prices reflected the location and not the quality. Do not plan this as a long leisurely typical comida. Enjoy the setting and save your real eating money for somewhere else.This would qualify as a off the beaten path visit, and as I indicated seeing this cave restaurant is worthwhile. From the pyramid of the sun as seen in the picture you head to the right, then turn left at the corner of the pyramid and continue along this side to the "back" entrance. You walk across the parking lot, exit the archelogical site, cross the road and follow the signs about a block. I can not testify...

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Travels Cheques

by Enzyme_X

If you are using travels cheques while traveling in Mexico, keep in mind that some banks don't accept cheques after 2 pm.This is more important if you go to more remote places where you can't find many banks or exchange offices.It happened one time that bank run out of pesos. So always keep somewhere a reserv for harder days.

National museums are closed on Mondays

by melosh

For years I had told an artistic friend that he just had to see the Anthropology Museum in Mexico City, one of the great museums of the world. Finally we convinced his wife to let him go for a "boys long weekend out" trip. The four of us men had a great time over the weekend. Following my plan we saved the last day of our trip for our museum visit, but I, of all people, should have remembered that Monday national museums are closed in Mexico. I am not sure my friend's wife believed this story. Especially when we told her that this just meant we just had to go back to Mexico see the museum. If you make this type of mistake, your best approach probably includes food, music and a generous sharing of alcoholic beverages. Private museums are often open on Monday.

You care, but don't want to be played for a fool

by melosh

Even in the USA I can not identify strangers with needs which are not self-distructive, so how am I to do this in a foreign country where I am more likely to be face to face with extreme poverty? Even if I had millions, I could not satisfy the need,let along separate the truly needy from the opportunistic. Should I just go by with a casual, "I give at the office"? These are real questions for the traveller to foreign lands. My answer has been two fold: 1) I watch who the locals help because they tend to help people they recognize and ignore strangers. I think most travellers would be surprised at the charity of shopkeepers in many third world countries. Watch carefully when the really little old lady enters a shop or restaurant. And 2)I usually buy an extra roll of bread, or piece of fruit and share with someone who seems to be in need. If they do not want it or need it, they can tell...

Cold Chili

by mocca

As everywhere in the world, mexico has good icecream, with good flavours.But there is one you should try to steer away from, the chili one. Because it is HOT.But as they don't alwasy have names with the icecreams, you could end up with it anyway as it looks just like strawberry icecream. But you then will be in for a good hot suprise.

Top 3 Hotels in Mexico

Four Seasons Mexico City  Mexico City

 6 Reviews and 219 Opinions  If you are there over the weekend, do forget to check-out the rate. We paid about US$165 excl tax... 

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Club Med Cancun All Inclusive  Cancún

 4 Reviews and 958 Opinions  I spent a week at the Club Med from 18-25 May 2008 with my 12-yr old daughter and thoroughly enjoyed... 

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Marival Residences & World Spa Puerto Vallarta  Puerto Vallarta

 6 Reviews and 313 Opinions  We had a DREAM VACATION at the Marival Resort. We will be going back once or twice a year. The... 

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Questions and Answers

Hermanater profile photo

Q:  Going to Puerto Vallarta for Cino de Mayo. Never been to PV before. Any tips you can provide me? 

lmkluque profile photo

A: I have not been to Puerto Vallarta but know about it as a popular tourist resort town. I do live next to the Mexican border and have experience with Mexicans and... 

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