If you’ve ever wandered through the weekend art market in Roma, then you’ve probably seen this image of a fly on the side of a building along Álvaro Obregón. The fly was even recently featured in a Mexico City street art slideshow on BBC travel.

This is what the building used to look like back when I first arrived in Mexico City. A couple of weeks ago I was walking along the avenue and noticed that the fly was gone, replaced with an advertisement for The Kraken Black Spiced Rum.

The fly may be gone, but the street art scene in Mexico City is thriving. The All City Canvas Urban Art Festival wrapped up this past weekend leaving behind new street art and murals throughout the city, including several along Reforma.

What’s the street art scene like in your city?

Sunday evening entertainment along the malecon, or waterfront promenade, in Puerto Vallarta.

On the beach in San Francisco, a.k.a. San Pancho, Nayarit.

In a dense jungle setting, far from roads on the bank of the Río Usumacinta lies the ancient Mayan city of Yaxchilán. Yaxchilán is believed to have been one of the most important of the classic Mayan cities in the Usumacinta region. The city was settled prior to 250 A.D., peaked in power and importance between 681 and 800 A.D. and was abandoned shortly thereafter. Getting to the ruins from Palenque requires 173 km of overland travel and an additional 22 km by lancha, or motor boat.

The summer season has arrived in Mexico. Back when I used to live in Philly summer meant festival season, but with year round warm weather in Mexico anytime is a great time for a celebration. Even so, there are still some festivals that only take place during the summer months. I’m thinking that this summer, rather than book a cheap flight out to the coast, I’ll explore more of the Central Highlands, maybe take a trip south to Oaxaca or north to Baja California’s wine region to check out Mexico’s best summer festivals.

La Guelaguetza — Oaxaca, Oaxaca

La Guelaguetza is a festival of traditional music, dance and folklore that takes place on the last two Mondays of July in the capital city of Oaxaca in Oaxaca state. Meaning offering in the ancient Zapotec language, la Guelaguetza is one of the largest and well-known festivals in Mexico and attracts thousands of tourists to the city each summer. I’ve seen performances of La Guelaguetza before, but never in Oaxaca’s hilltop Cerro del Fortín amphitheater during the annual festival, which is now a nationally recognized cultural event organized by the state.

Festival International del Mariachi y La Charreria — Guadalajara, Jalisco

The Encuentro Internacional del Mariachi y La Charreria, Guadalajara’s annual festival of Mariachis and Mexican rodeo runs from late August into early September. During the festival, Guadalajara welcomes mariachi groups from all over the world. There are concerts, street performances, parades, and exhibits, not to mention the opportunity to take a ride out to Mexico’s agave capital on the Tequila Express. The lakeside villages of Chapala and Ajijic are located just outside Guadalajara. They’re on my shortlist of places to visit this year and maybe if I time it right, I can catch the festival as well.

Fiestas de la Vendimia — Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California

Originating in ancient Greece, the Fiestas de la Vendimia take place each year in mid-August in the beautiful Valle de Guadalupe region of Baja California. The festival celebrates the grape harvest with a variety of events including concerts, wine and cheese tastings and a running of the bulls, and coincides with several other local festivals including a Paella festival and a wine and tango festival, all of which are unique to Mexico. Baja California is just a short ferry ride or flight from mainland Mexico.

What’s your favorite summer festival in Mexico?

Photo credits: 1, 2, 3

One of the things that makes Mexico such an attractive destination is the low cost of traveling here. Getting around is easy and inexpensive, you can enjoy a good meal for very little and even the occasional splurge doesn’t have to break the bank.

Here are my top five money-saving tips for travelers to Mexico:

Long distance bus travel in Mexico is comfortable and cheap!

Travel Long Distances by Bus

Buses are one of the most popular ways to travel long distances in Mexico. Even with the introduction of low-cost airlines like Volaris and VivaAerobus, I’ve found that it’s still often less expensive to take the bus than it is to fly. Opt for executive or first class buses which are clean, comfortable and travel direct. Of course it takes longer to get to your destination, but you can relax and enjoy the scenery along the way.

Chances are that you’ll still need to fly to get to Mexico, and you may find good deals to Mexico and the Caribbean using Southwest Airlines promo codes online.

Food stalls at Mexico City's Medellin Market, a local favorite

Eat on the Street (and in the Markets)

Mexico is known around the world for its street food and markets, and it’s not unusual to find chefs at some of the city’s best restaurants offering up their own unique take on traditional Mexican street food specialties. Street food and market tours are popping up around the country, and a trip to the neighborhood taco stand or comida corrida stall at the market is quickly becoming a favorite tourist attraction.

Whether you’re lining up alongside the locals for the experience, or simply because you’re low on cash, you’ll find that you can eat very well for cheap on the street.

Budget lodging at the Hotel Villa del Mar in Puerto Vallarta

Stay at Hostels and Budget Hotels

Mexico offers excellent budget accommodation options for travelers. I’m not talking about the guest houses advertising rooms for 100 pesos/night, you’d be better off avoiding those. Instead, look for hostels, posadas and hoteles económicos with rooms priced at around 300-550 pesos/night. I’ve been able to find plenty of simple, clean and comfortable rooms within this price range in cities and tourist destinations throughout Mexico. Of course, you can expect to pay even less for a hostel dorm bed.

If you prefer staying at nicer hotels with more amenities you can use online coupon codes to save money on hotel and all-inclusive resort packages.

A ride on the Metrobus in Mexico City costs just 5 pesos (about 40 cents)

Use Public Transportation

Mexico has some of the least expensive public transportation in the world. Here in Mexico City you can choose to ride the Metro, Metrobus, Trolleybus and countless local bus routes. They’re often crowded, but the wait times are short. In fact, I’ve yet to find somewhere in Mexico City that I can’t get to on public transportation. In many other parts of Mexico your options are limited to just the local buses, but chances are there’s a route that goes anywhere and everywhere you want to go.

Taxi fares in the city are also generally low, but when compared to the 3 pesos that it costs to take the Metro, it’s easy to see how the savings can really add up.

Travel deals to Mexico's stunning Riviera Maya do exist!

Book Travel Deals Online

Finally, sometimes it’s best to plan ahead. The internet offers a wealth of travel deals and resources to help you plan the perfect trip, and a cheap Caribbean coupon may even save you money on your next visit to Mexico’s Riviera Maya.

Note: The current exchange rate (at the time of writing) is about 13 pesos to the dollar.

Share some of your peso-saving travel tips in the comments!

Photo credits: 1, 4, 5

This post is supported by CouponCodes4u.

Misol-Ha

Misol-Ha is a picturesque 35m jungle waterfall located in the state of Chiapas in southern Mexico. The waterfall gets it’s name, which means “streaming water”, from the river that falls off the edge of the cliff creating the falls. Misol-Ha is a popular tourist attraction with hiking paths, a cave and a wide pool that’s a favorite local swimming spot, especially during the dry season. You can follow the main pathway along the rocks behind the falls for fantastic close-up views of Misol-Ha. The waterfall is most often visited on day trips and vacation tours that also include a stop at Agua Azul.

Agua Azul

Agua Azul is a spectacular series of waterfalls and turquoise blue pools located in the Chiapas jungle. The waterfalls are formed by the joining of the Tulijá and Shumula rivers and hundreds of individual falls thunder through the rocky gorge. Numerous miradors, or lookout points, are located along the walkways that run alongside the falls and swimming in the pools is a favorite activity. Rustic cabins provide inexpensive on-site lodging, or you can opt to stay at one of the hostels in nearby Palenque and visit on a day trip or tour. The best time to visit Agua Azul is during the dry season or after a few consecutive days without rain since heavy rains tend to make the water murky.

El Chiflon

Arguably the most impressive of Chiapas waterfalls, El Chiflon is a series of falls that are located in the southern part of the state near the town of Comitán. The main attraction at El Chiflon is the 70m Velo de Novia waterfall. A man-made walkway and viewing area extend around the base of the waterfall offering an amazing up-close experience where, in addition to enjoying some spectacular views, you’re likely to get drenched by the spray coming off the falls. During the dry season it’s possible to swim in certain areas at El Chiflon and visitors can also take a zip-line tour over the Río San Vicente.

Photo credits: 1, 2, 3

Church in the beach town of San Francisco a.k.a. San Pancho, Nayarit.

The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, also known as UNAM, is Mexico’s largest public university, one of the most recognized universities in Latin America and a source of much national pride. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007, the Central University City Campus (Ciudad Universitaria) is located southwest of the historic center in the city’s Coyoacán borough. The campus was constructed between 1949 and 1952 by more than 60 architects, engineers and artists. According to whc.unesco.org;

“The campus constitutes a unique example of 20th-century modernism integrating urbanism, architecture, engineering, landscape design and fine arts with references to local traditions, especially to Mexico’s pre-Hispanic past. The ensemble embodies social and cultural values of universal significance and is one of the most significant icons of modernity in Latin America.”

A tour of the campus should definitely be on your list of things to do when your flight touches down in Mexico City. The campus houses the Olympic Stadium, about 40 faculties and institutes (including the Centro de Enseñanza para Extranjeros), a cultural center, botanical garden, the Central Library, and a few museums. It’s also one of the most artistically detailed universities in Latin America with murals by several well-known Mexican artists including Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros.

The University City Campus is a favorite weekend destination among city residents and a popular attraction among travelers arriving to Mexico City on international flights. The closest Metro stations are Universidad, Copilco and Miguel Angel de Quevedo. University shuttles are free and a great way to tour the campus. UNAM also has campuses in San Antonio, Chicago, Los Angeles and Gatineau, Quebec.

Photo credit: via flickr

Happy Easter! This photo was originally posted in April of 2011.

Summer has arrived in Mexico City. These past couple of weeks have been unusually warm with temperatures reaching into the low 90′s. Add to that the crowds, congestion and smog, and it’s downright hot in the capital. In an attempt to cool off, people are heading out to the Plaza de la República for a run through the fountains. The fountains are especially popular with the kids, although I’ve seen people of all ages — many fully clothed, shoes, bags and all — making a quick dash through.