We love visiting Mexico so much. The beaches, the delicious food, the bright colors of the homes and textiles, their amazing hospitality- it’s the best!! But to have the very best experience, there are some very important social and cultural tips you need to know before you go.

Plus, we have to tell you about our favorite market in Cancun, and how to barter when you’re there- Mercado 28!! Let’s get started!

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Important Tips when visiting Mexico

Before we went on our family trip to Mexico, we sat down with our kids for an evening to talk about what to expect when we got there. The social and cultural norms are different from country to country, and we wanted to make sure they were prepared.

Only drink bottled water!! Don’t drink any water from the sinks or taps or even at restaurants. This includes the ice in your drinks. In Mexico, they don’t filter the water the same as the USA and you could spend your whole trip super sick if you are drinking anything but bottled water.
Bring cash!! Mexico is a culture where everyone is doing their best to work a little harder for some extra cash. Whether they are helping you with your bags at the airport, washing your window at a stop light, pumping your gas, giving great service a restaurant, bringing you fancy drinks at the pool, playing mariachi music at your table, you want to have small bills around to give them tips.
When we were at our all inclusive resort and would leave a couple dollars on the table at the end of the meal, we could count on our waiters to be watching for us by the door at our next meal to get us the best seat in their section. A little goes a long way.
Make sure you have a working debit card. We found this out the hard way. I had left mine at home, and we realized when we got there that my husband’s debit card wasn’t working. Not only do do you need cash for tips, but there are a lot of places in Mexico that only accept cash.
Oftentimes, they would say they take credit cards, but their machine wasn’t working. We tried wiring ourselves money through Western Union and our bank, but the money transfer pick up places never wanted to cash out for us. It was pretty frustrating! If you do end up in the same pickle, send yourselves small amounts of money, the larger sums take a longer time to come through and most vendors won’t fill it anyway.
Also, if do end up wiring yourself some money, make sure you have your hotel confirmation sheet and your passport with you. Make sure the spelling on the money transfer is the same as it is on your passport. They are super picky about it and will turn you away!
Have money for toilet paper!! If you leave your resort, most public bathrooms will make you pay for toilet paper. The whole bathroom experience is a bit different. Sometimes the toilets are squatters and don’t have a seat.
Throw your TP in the trash!! Our resort had toilets like America, this was just when we went outside the resort. This seemed super weird and gross when we first got there. Their toilets and sewage don’t handle TP very well, so all the toilet paper goes in a garbage can, usually in the stall with you.
They will get in your face to make a sale. This probably surprised my kids the most, how the people there are hustling all the time to make some money and don’t mind harassing you a bit as you are walking down the street to get your attention.
If they have you try something on or are offering you something for free, they are trying to sell you something. No stranger is just giving away free bracelets!
Barter when you’re buying! Most of the stalls and stands we went to, bartering was expected. They will give you a high price and you want to come back with a price that is lower than you are expecting to pay. Haggle back and forth for a bit to come to a price you can agree on.
If they aren’t budging on a price, walk away. They will most likely follow you or call you back to negotiate some more.
Also, if you happen to be at a market - we really love Mercado 28 in Cancun- there will be lots of stores with similar products. If you have time, pop into to different stores and see who will give you the best price, or bring that price back to another store if there is a pattern or item you like a little better. If you come upon a store that there are several things you want, you can usually bundle the items together for a lower price.
Get the fresh fruit!! The mangoes and other fruit sold on the side of the road or in the markets is unreal. So ripe and just dripping with the sweetest juices!! I’m dreaming of it!!
Stop for some fresh tortillas at a tortilleria (tortilla bakery). You can get a whole bundle of them for less than a dollar. These were great snacks for us when we needed something easy for our kids, especially on our way to the airport.

Mercado 28 - Mexican Market in Cancun- Why we love it!

There are so many colorful stalls and stands in Mercado 28. It’s a giant flea market filled with all the trinkets and souvenirs you could want or to take home to your family and friends. Things you can expect to find there: nativities, soccer jerseys, accessories, fabrics, clothing, ceramics, leather goods, jewelry, toys, home decor, as well as some other handicrafts. It’s usually open from 9am-7pm, so you have a good window of time to stop by.

We spent a couple hours there. Our kids had an absolute blast and came away with little toys, necklaces, shells, figurines, chess boards, t-shirts and soccer jerseys. They were thrilled to see how far their money could go with the cheap prices. I loved the dishes, and beaded Christmas ornaments.

There are also some restaurants at Mercado 28. We didn’t get any meals, but we had the most delicious mangoes!! Mangoes, pico de gallo, chips and guacamole were daily staples in our diet on that trip!!