Jane and Bill Wilkinson’s Top Ten Mexico Destinations

After ten trips south of the border, five of which were in a truck camper, Jane and Bill Wilkinson share their top ten favorite truck camping destinations in Mexico. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...



In our travels, We have covered almost all of Mexico, especially the interior.  We’ve been to places like Oaxaca, Chiapas, el Bahio (the colonial area of Mexico including San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, and Queretaro), the jungles and highlands of Veracruz, the State of San Luis Potosi, and Michoacan, including beautiful Patzcuaro, Morelia, the Monarch butterfly areas.

We are spending more and more time in San Miguel de Allende.  This is largely because of the sizable English-speaking community there which spawns many activities.  We also like the fact that we can walk to everything. 

For shorter visits, I love all the following places.  I am listing these in a rough geographical order, imagining a drive from north to south down the eastern part of the country and then east into the Yucatan, doing a loop.  One would then proceed west towards Chiapas and Oaxaca, and then proceed north on a somewhat more western route. 

I have numbered the following recommendations but they are not ranked as it would be very hard to do so.  I have also included other destinations because they are en route and should not be bypassed.


State of Guanajuato

1. San Miguel de Allende - Weber’s RV is the place to stay in town if there is space.  It is very popular for smaller rigs; truck campers will fit.  There also is an RV park for larger rigs several miles outside of town.  

The hub of the town is the Jardin in the city center or centro.  Along with the English-Spanish library, the biblioteca, which has a popular café and two small theaters for films and talks.  Art galleries and venues abound, and over 100 non-profits in the town welcome volunteers. 

Above: Parroquiamain church in San Miguel de Allende

The city has preserved its enchanting colonial feel and actively courts tourists, offering some sort of event nearly every week.  Besides being attractive to foreign tourists, Mexican tourists from other cities flock there on weekends.


2. Guanajuato (City) - Guanajuato is the capital of the state and is about an hour drive from San Miguel de Allende. 

It has an interesting university in the center, and offers very good cultural and tourist opportunities.

Guanajuato is visually enchanting.  The city is built over dried riverbeds so the traffic runs under the city in tunnels.  The center is at the bottom of a steep canyon and the multi-colored houses climb the hillside in a picture postcard fashion.  There is an RV park for small rigs close in, and a spacious one for all sizes further out.


State of Queretaro

3. Queretaro (City) - This is a larger city with lots of light industry, commerce, and a very charming colonial centro.  There is RV parking for smaller rigs at a very nice motel in town.  I believe most truck campers would fit.  We also recommend that you visit nearby Bernal (full name is Peña de Bernal).


State of Puebla

Puebla/Cholula - I mention Puebla on this list because it is worth a look-see as you go south and it is a good stopping point.  There is a new toll road that bypasses the Mexico City area called Arco del Norte and it brings you out near Puebla.  

The RV campground is in nearby Cholula.  Cholula is famous for a spectacular church, which is really a cathedral, built on top of what was one of the tallest pyramids in Mexico.  The Spaniards did this to demonstrate their own power, and the power of their religion, to the indigenous population.  You can tour the inside of the pyramid underground. 

The town of Cholula is a really a busy suburb of Puebla, and is quite pleasant. Some of the most interesting small churches in Mexico are in small towns around Puebla.  Puebla also is famous for its Talavera pottery.


State of Veracruz

4. Xalapa or Jalapa (pronounced Ha la pa) - This is the capital of the state and has a vibrant cultural scene, including a renowned symphony and a good university.  Not to be missed is the Museum of Anthropology which has an amazing collection of pre-Hispanic art and artifacts, including several of the huge Olmec heads (they look like heads of a giant football player) that date to many centuries B.C.  The building is a modern building designed by I.F. Stone and is located on lovely grounds. 

There are no RV parks in Jalapa.  There is dry camping at a hot-springs water park, off the highway to Veracruz (and near the interesting former hacienda of General Santa Ana, the scourge of the Alamo and also of Mexico). 

On our last visit, we camped in the Costco parking lot after getting permission from the manager.  There is a security guard there all night.  Also worth visiting are the nearby towns of Coatepec (an official Magic Town, or Pueblo Mágico) and Xico (pronounced Hee Ko).  The area is lush and tropical, but mountainous, and is a coffee growing region.  If you are interested in river rafting, this is a good area for that.

Veracruz - If you are driving near the city of Veracruz, it is worth a stop over.  Veracruz has a Caribbean port flavor, a very pleasant downtown, some of the best coffee in Mexico, and has an old Spanish fort in the harbor that was built to defend against pirates. 

There are a couple of RV parks on or near the beach south of the city.  In addition, there are some RV parks north of Veracruz on the water of the “Emerald Coast”.

Tlacotalpan - This is a very magical “Magic Town” south of Veracruz and inland on river, definitely worth a stop.  We obtained permission to dry camp in the parking lot of the Port Captain’s building.

Lake Catemaco - This is a pleasant resting spot on a lovely inland lake not far from the Gulf of Mexico.  Paul Bellows (or was it the Church’s) also mentioned this.  There is a nice American-owned RV park there.


5. The Yucatan Peninsula (three states – Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo - you also pass through Tabasco to get there) 

This is a region rather than a destination city and one should plan on spending a month driving it on more or less a loop route.  The Church’s book, “Travelers Guide to Mexican Camping” will tell you where to stay.

Above: Mayan Ruins at Sayil, Yucatan

The main attractions of the Yucatan Peninsula are the numerous spectacular Mayan ruins and the beaches, particularly those along the Caribbean.  The cities of Campeche and Mérida are also worth a visit.  There is a sizable expat population in Merida and a lot going on.  On our two visits there it was unseasonably hot and muggy. 

Above: South of Merida, Yucatan

Also not to be missed is the “Magic Town” of Izamal (where we dry camped on the street) and some of the numerous old hemp haciendas in the area.  Mérida was one of the wealthiest cities in the western hemisphere in the late 1800s and up through World War I because of its hemp production.  The invention of synthetic rope products brought an end to this heightened prosperity.  Mérida still has a lot to offer, including free nighttime entertainment downtown.


State of Chiapas

6. San Cristobal de las Casas - This is an immensely charming small colonial town that is located along the original Camino Real or Royal Road to Guatemala.  It is located at a fairly high altitude and can be pretty chilly in the winter months. 

There is a heavy indigenous presence there with lots of people, particularly women, dressed in their native costumes.  A lot of people speak Spanish as a second language, if at all, and their first language is one of the several Mayan based languages of the area. 

San Cristobal de las Casas, like Oaxaca, is a popular destination for Europeans of all ages and you’ll also run into people doing studies or working with non-profit organizations relating to native cultures and the environment.  Some of the nearby villages are definitely worth a visit (you can go by cab or by mini-bus, known as combis or collectivos.) 

One particularly famous village is Chamula, with its rustic church where the villagers have so reverted to their native traditions that the Catholic Church no longer considers it Catholic.  Inside, pine boughs are spread on the floor and you might see brightly costumed men doing a chant or engaged in a trance-like dance.  There will be candles all around, and local Curanderos (healers or shamans) will be working on health issues, sometimes with the assistance of chants, eggs, or even a chicken sacrifice, along with Coca-Cola (belching caused by the carbonation is believed to release evil spirits).  Photographs inside are strictly forbidden and many indigenous people do not like their pictures taken.

Above: Chiapas, Tonina Ruins

Other parts of Chiapas are interesting also, including the area south to and along the Guatemalan border.  This area is lower in elevation and features a tropical jungle with lakes.  The nearby spectacular Mayan ruins of Palenque has long been a favorite of hippies and new agers.  If you have time, there are two other interesting ruins along the Guatemalan border.  There also are impressive Mayan ruins closer to San Cristobal at Tonina.


State of Oaxaca

7. Oaxaca (City) - Oaxaca is the capital of the state and a very popular tourist destination, known for its local color, culinary traditions, world-class artists, mescal, and variety of crafts including rugs, textiles, colorful wood carvings, pottery, and language schools.

Oaxaca is a colonial city made wealthy in part by Cochineal, which are insects that feed on cactus leaves and produce a bright crimson dye that was wildly popular in Europe before the introduction of synthetic dyes.  There are satellite communities around the city that specialize in a particular handicraft and are a lot of fun to visit. 

The market places in Oaxaca are among the most interesting with fresh produce, cheeses, chapulines (fried grasshoppers), and other delicacies.  Marketplaces anywhere in Mexico are a lot of fun. 

There are two large and fascinating ruins near Oaxaca.  Monte Alban is right at the edge of the city and is huge.  Mitla, further out, is smaller and more intimate.  If you go to Mitla, you will go by the charming town of Tula that boasts the world’s biggest tree and the rug weaving and dying center of Teotitlan Del Valle.  Tourists from all over the world go to Oaxaca and an active explat group there supports an English-language library.

Many people who drive into Oaxaca from the four-lane route like to exit by dropping down to the Pacific to visit one or more of the popular coastal communities (Puerto Escondido, Puerto Angel, Zipolite beach area or Bahias de Hualtulco).  I call the road to the ocean the road from hell, given that it is mountainous, narrow, winding, and has occasional unmarked washouts.  I vowed we’d never do it again, but we did it twice and survived.  The beaches make it worthwhile.  You can then drive north along the coast to Acapulco and beyond, although the drive is rather slow and tedious, with lots of topes (speedbumps).


State of Michoacan

8. Morelia and Patzcuaro - Morelia is the capital of the state and has a very European feel to it.  It is quite a lovely, bustling city.  Explats who live there rave about it, despite a small level of violence from La Familia drug cartel.

Morelia does not have an RV park.  Nearby Patzcuaro (about 45 miles away) has the look and feel of a Spanish country town.  It is a charming tourist destination with a large lake on one side and pine-covered forests on the other.  There are two RV parks in Patzcuaro. 

The villages around the lake are known for different crafts, as is Santa Clara del Cobre, the charming copper capital of Mexico, to the south.  The famous monarch butterfly preserves are located about 100 miles east of Morelia.  They are worth the visit in February to early March.


State of Jalisco

9. Lake Chapala - Along with San Miguel de Allende, the north side of Lake Chapala is the most popular inland destination for North American snowbirds.  The hillsides above the lake are populated with gated communities.  The community center is the charming little town of Ajijic (pronounced ah hee heek).

The most popular RV park, Roca Azul, is at the west end of the lake and suffers from the disadvantage of not being very close in.  However, the area is a good jumping off point for visiting Guadalajara, Tequila, and some of the charming mountain resort towns in the area.  One of our favorites is Mazamitla, which is in the hills above the south side of Lake Chapala.  Located near Mazamitla is Hacienda Contreras RV Park, which is mentioned in Paul Beddows interview.  It is definitely worth the visit.


State of Zacatecas

10. Zacatecas (City) - Zacatecas is a little to the north and somewhat out of the way, so it is not visited as much by North American tourists.  That’s too bad, because it was once a rich mining town that retains a very old European look and feel. 

Zacatecas is always sunny, but can be pretty chilly in the dead of winter due to the high altitude.  Zacatecas is quite a cosmopolitan city, with some excellent art museums.  Wealthy past citizens collected some outstanding art, which they later donated to these museums.  It also has a vibrant cultural scene.

The two RV parks are part of hotels that are under the same ownership.  Smaller rigs should opt for the one that is close to town as the crow flies.  Actually, it is perched high above the town center, easy walking down, but climbing back up will have you gasping for air caused by the steep slope and by the altitude.  You can opt for a taxi.  The RV location that handles larger rigs is further out and requires a taxi ride to get into town.


Five Camping Recommendations:

Your first choice should be the RV parks listed in the Church’s Mexico book.  They are secure, generally gated, and the gates are shut at night.  Some are quite nice, and some are not.  If you can’t get to a RV park, then the options are:

1. Pemex gas station truck stops along the toll roads.  You’ll be overnighting alongside large trucks and they can be quite noisy, but reasonably safe.  They are open twenty-four hours, are well-lit, have food, and clean restrooms.

2. We’ve camped on the streets of some small towns and felt safe.

3. You can go to a motel and ask to park in a corner of the parking lot.  Offer perhaps 150 pesos (a little less than $15) to dry camp, depending on locale and class of motel.  Sometimes they want to simply rent you a room.  We did that in one small town, which was all of 300 pesos (<$30).  We stayed in the camper but used their shower.

4. Balnearios are water parks located at the numerous thermal springs that are all over Mexico.  They are immensely popular in the summer and on weekends.  Many don’t mind if you camp in their parking lot overnight.

5. Other tourist attractions will sometimes allow parking overnight.  We have dry-camped at a Wild West movie set, now a museum, near Durango.  We have also camped at a small archeological museum in Tabasco state, in a hot springs public park in Michoacan, and in the parking lot at the Rosario butterfly preserve.  We have boondocked at a couple of beach locations, but beware, thieves prey on beach campers in some areas.


Mexico City

So far, I’ve failed to mention Mexico City.  We’ve spent a little time there, but not a lot.  We hope to go back and visit again.  It can be a fabulous place and a terrible place. 

There are two campgrounds in the distant suburbs that are listed in the Church’s book.  From those campgrounds you can take a lengthy bus ride into the city.  Some people opt to take a hotel room in the city for a night or two, rather than do the lengthy commute back to their rig.  One of the RV parks has the advantage of being located at Teotihuacan, the spectacular pyramids located northwest of Mexico City.

Mexicans are so friendly and will give you directions even if they’re wrong because they want to help you.  The new maps are a godsend so study them before you go.  I also recommend learning as much of the language as possible.

To see more photos and information about Mexico visit our blog at www.gringodogs.com.