Bacalar is one of those places you need to see to believe. A shimmering lake in the most idyllic shade of turquoise seems to extend endlessly, like an extension of the picture-perfect Caribbean. Except it’s not the sea at all — it’s the Laguna de Bacalar, a freshwater lake, the second largest in Mexico. Known as the Lake of Seven Colors, the waters here are so brilliantly blue and translucent that Bacalar has been bestowed with the moniker of the Maldives of Mexico. Laguna de Bacalar is a 42-square-kilometer lake that sits tucked in the southeastern corner of the state of Quintana Roo. Steeped ..read more

In a bid to strengthen bilateral ties, high-ranking NASA officials Bill Nelson and Pamela Melroy visited Mexico this week. Their agenda included meetings with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, students and researchers. Nelson, a Democratic senator from Florida who served from 2001 to 2019, has been the administrator of the United States Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) since May 2021. Melroy, a former astronaut who piloted Space Shuttle missions in 2000 and 2002, is now NASA’s deputy administrator. Discussions with the president focused on using space-based instruments to tackl ..read more

Casa Madero, nestled in the municipality of Parras de la Fuente in Coahuila state, proudly holds the title of the oldest winery in the Americas. With a history dating back to 1597, it has been producing wines uninterruptedly for centuries and earning its reputation as a true leader in the winemaking industry, while also holding the spotlight as Mexico’s first organic vineyard. In the vast landscapes of early colonial Mexico, Spanish conquistadors were obsessively searching for gold deposits. In 1568, explorers set out from Zacatecas in search of the precious metal. When they arrived in Coahuil ..read more

Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara has announced the suspension of three high-ranking police officials after officers from a special operations unit appeared in a music video with a singer who has released songs dedicated to drug traffickers. “In relation to the video circulating on social media about the Special Operations Police Unit [UPOE], I’ve ordered an internal investigation,” Jara wrote on the X social media platform on Wednesday. “Until the situation is completely clarified, I’ve given the instruction for the director of the UPOE, Rodolfo Montero Arista, the director of the State Support Fo ..read more

What was it about Mexico that so captivated some of the renowned dashing, eccentric and artistic Brits of the previous centuries? Mexico had such a magical hold on Frederick Catherwood, Aldous Huxley, Leonora Carrington, Sir Edward James and Fanny Erskine Ingles that they wrote about it, painted it, got deeply involved in society and made it their home.   As a Brit who’s spent the last fifteen years living between New York City and San Miguel de Allende, I’ve often mulled over what kept those who blazed the trail before me, whether they returned home too soon or never at all. Whereas ..read more

A ritual sacrifice, in which a chicken was killed as an offering to a pre-Columbian rain god, was held in an unlikely location on Wednesday — the Mexican Senate. During the sacrificial ceremony, the chicken was killed as an offering to the god Tláloc, who was worshipped by several pre-Columbian Indigenous peoples, and continues to command a healthy respect in modern-day Mexico. Oaxaca Senator Adolfo Gómez (in a white shirt holding a baton) observes as the sacrifice of a live chicken is conducted in an outdoor area of the Senate complex in Mexico City on Wednesday. (Cuartoscuro) Organized by th ..read more

The United States government’s annual human rights report on Mexico has once again drawn the ire of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who asserted that the document contains false information and is disrespectful of Mexico’s sovereignty. The U.S. Department of State (DOS) published its “2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices” on Monday. Its report on Mexico once again identified “significant human rights issues” including “credible reports” of a range of abuses, among which were: Unlawful or arbitrary killings, including extrajudicial killings Enforced disappearance Torture or cr ..read more

The British Embassy in Mexico has set ambitious goals for 2024, including strengthening trade and investment opportunities, championing climate action and fostering cultural and educational exchange. We want to share a quick overview of our work and our plans for the year and beyond. Bicentennial celebrations In 2023, the diplomatic relationship between the United Kingdom and Mexico reached a significant milestone as the two countries celebrated two centuries of friendship. The Embassy is planning a year-long jubilee in 2024, in tandem with institutions such as the British Council, the Anglo F ..read more

In a night of celebration for the North American bar scene, Mexico City’s Handshake Speakeasy stole the show, becoming the first-ever Mexican bar to be crowned number one in the prestigious North America’s 50 Best Bars list. The announcement at a live ceremony held on Tuesday at the Rosewood, in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, marks a significant moment for the bar and the country’s cocktail culture. Handshake Speakeasy, known for its innovative and modern approach to mixology, has led the Mexican drinks scene since opening its doors in 2021. If you are not in Mexico City, you can taste their m ..read more

The National Guard (GN) has arrested a taxi driver in Quintana Roo who allegedly charged a Canadian tourist over CAD $1000 (around US $730) for a five-minute ride through Cancún International Airport. According to the tourist, Xavier Cormier, the alleged scam was for a ride from one of the airport terminals to another — roughly a five-minute journey — which Cormier said in the summary to one of his videos he was told would cost five dollars. Cormier said that two minutes after paying with his credit card, he realized that his card had registered a payment of over CAD $1,000.  @calisthenix ..read more