SLOW SALLY & CREW

One of the things we love most about Mexico is its bustling cities. When we first visited the country in 2016, we knew next to nothing about its cities and had our sights set on the beaches of Baja. I had imagined (likely due to news media) that Mexico’s cities would be derelict, dirty, and crime ridden. Imagine my surprise when we stopped in Zacatecas and discovered a colonial gem whose beauty rivals that of many famous European cities. There we were, wandering around the city in our camping clothes, feeling rather self-conscious amongst the well dressed locals in their business suits. My mind was truly blown.

Since that first visit to Zacatecas eight years ago, we’ve explored 12 of Mexico’s mainland cities, some of them multiple times. Based on those experiences, we’re sharing with you our 6 favourites for an urban vanlife adventure. And let me tell you, picking favourites was not easy! In fact, we had to abandon our effort to rank the top 6, it just seemed too subjective and somewhat arbitrary. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed every single city we’ve visited, and you couldn’t go wrong visiting any of them.

But First, the Fine Print!

Before we get started, here are a few things you should know about our top 6 list:

• We chose our top 6 cities from the 12 mainland cities that we’ve visited (we only included cities with > 150,000 people and didn’t include cities on the Baja Peninsula). At the end of the post, we’ve included a list of cities that didn’t make our top 6.
• We visited the cities between 2016 and 2023.
• We chose our top 6 mostly based on the overall magnificence of the city, but we also considered climate, costs, how much we enjoyed the food, complexity of driving in the city, and quality of the camping options.
• Our choices are based on our own preferences, limitations (Walter the dog), experiences, as well as the year and time of year we visited.

And now, onto our Top 6 (in no particular order)!

Guanajuato – Central Mexico

Why It Made our Top 6: UNESCO site, vibrant streetscapes and public spaces, excellent Baroque and Churrigueresque architecture, delicious street food, full service centrally located “RV Park”

Where We Camped: We spent a few nights at the Morril “RV Park”. I’m not sure that it quite qualifies as an RV Park… more like a parking lot with clean bathrooms and hook-ups. There was one other campervan parked there and the rest of the ‘park’ was filled with local cars, coming and going daily. No matter – it was centrally located with million-dollar views. A perfect base for several nights.

What We Loved: Staring endlessly at the colourful buildings that spill down the hillsides into the valley, creating a palette of vibrant colour in every direction. Exploring the subterranean street system that handles much of the city’s traffic, allowing for excellent pedestrian spaces throughout the city. Shopping for snacks, fruits and veggies at the huge, chaotic central market building. Eating cheap and delicious street food – enchiladas, tacos, tortas and pastries – yum! Strolling through the city streets in the evening, which teem with music and nightlife. Admiring views of the city from high up on El Pipila. Chatting with the super friendly locals and national tourists, who all wanted to love on Walter.

What We Didn’t Love: Driving in the city! Thankfully we managed to avoid the tunnel system but even so, the streets were incredibly narrow, steep, and terrifying to navigate in Slow Sally. Navigating in and out of the city was white-knuckle driving.

We decided not to rank our top 6 cities, but if we had, Guanajuato would be our #1! Read more about our adventures in Guanajuato here.

Morelia – Central Mexico

Why It Made Our Top 6: UNESCO site, impressive Morelia Cathedral, extensive pedestrian streets and walkways, delicious regional cuisine/candy, overnight parking that is free, secure, and centrally located

Where We Camped: We spent two nights “camping” in the convention centre parking lot under a canopy of leafy trees. It was free, within walking distance of the cathedral and surrounded by parks, a dog park, and several restaurants. Even better, the police were stationed nearby 24/7 and assured us the area was safe. A perfect base for a few nights.

What We Loved: Soaking in the sights and people watching around the stunning Morelia Cathedral and Plaza de Armas square. Taking photos and strolling along the city’s many pedestrian streets. Devouring enormous cups of fruity gazpacho, one of our new favourite snacks. Stuffing ourselves with local cuisine, including an excellent breakfast on the dog-friendly patio at La Guarecita Tostadores de Café y Cacao. Chatting with national tourists in one of the many squares.

What We Didn’t Love: Several people were begging at the restaurant patios that surround the cathedral. We understand that many people in large cities like Morelia are in need – but being constantly interrupted/guilted during a meal is never a pleasant experience.

San Miguel de Allende – Central Mexico

Why It Made Our Top 6: UNESCO site, fairy-tale-esque La Parroquia Cathedral, clean and vibrant city streets, fine dining, easy to explore, full service and centrally located RV Park

Where We Camped: We spent several nights camping downtown in the San Miguel RV Park and Tennis Courts. The RV Park is manicured and has all the amenities a vanlifer could possibly want. The sites are snuggled in amongst the tennis courts, which is fine if you don’t mind waking up to ‘tok-tok’ of tennis balls and overly competitive expats swearing and making excuses over every missed ball. Some campers found this annoying, we found it pretty amusing. A perfect base for any length of stay.

What We Loved: Admiring the beauty and charm of the colonial buildings in the central area; La Parroquia cathedral and surrounding central square feel like they’re right out of the pages of a fairy-tale. Eating at fine restaurants, a surprising number of which are dog friendly (I ate the best chilaquiles of my life at the Lavanda Café de Especialidad). People watching in the central square on the weekend when it is at full capacity with expats, national and international tourists and locals all vying for a bench in the shade. The Mexican wedding parties doing photo shoots were particularly interesting. Capturing a view of the city from El Mirador. Relaxing and meeting other travellers in the RV Park.

What We Didn’t Love: San Miguel de Allende attracts a huge number of expats and international tourists. Often when we visited the historic centre, there were more gringos than we could shake a stick at and we were as likely to hear English spoken, as we were to hear Spanish, especially on weekdays. The city’s popularity has also driven prices up, making it more expensive than many other parts of Mexico.

Read more about our adventures in San Miguel de Allende in the second half of this post.

Puebla – Central East Mexico

Why It Made Our Top 6: UNESCO site, molotes and other regional cuisine, big city vibes, glazed tile buildings, centrally located hostel that welcomes van travellers, cool high elevation climate

Where We Camped: We spent three nights “camping” in the van on the street outside of the Chante 18 hostel in the Centro district. The hostel let us park out front and use all their amenities, including a communal kitchen, shower, lounge areas, WiFi, and eat their continental breakfast. Unfortunately, according to iOverlander, Chante 18 has since closed. The Tourist Police Station now appears to be an option.

What We Loved: Sampling the delicious local specialties, including chiles en nogada, molotes and mole sauce. Strolling through the colourful downtown streets at night to experience a taste of the nightlife. Joining a free walking tour, which provided us with a great overview of the city’s history, architecture, and where to find the best Mexican candy shops. Admiring the ornate and glazed Talavera tiles on so many of the downtown buildings. Meeting and getting to know other travellers at the hostel. Soaking in the big city vibes… Puebla is the 4th largest city in Mexico.

What We Didn’t Love: Driving into the city and finding a place to park near the hostel was chaotic and stressful. When we finally arrived, we had to circle the block several times attempting to park Slow Sally. The city is so big that it can require a lot of walking to get between places/attractions, some of which is through less remarkable areas. Travelling with Walter meant that alternative transportation options were limited.

San Cristobal de Las Casas – South Mexico

Why It Made Our Top 6: excellent coffee and cafes, Mayan culture and crafts, vibrant pedestrian streets, easy to explore, convenient location along the Pan-American Highway, full service centrally located RV Park, cool high elevation climate

Where We Camped: We’ve spent many nights camping at the Rancho San Nicolas campground, which sits right on the edge of the city. It has all the amenities a van traveler could want and is within walking distance to historic centre. We always meet other interesting travellers at Rancho San Nicolas, many of whom are travelling the Pan American highway all the way to Panama or Argentina. The campground is shaded, quiet, and reasonably priced for the level of service – a perfect base for any length of stay.

What We Loved: Exploring the numerous pedestrian streets, which make sightseeing a real treat. Discovering the Chiapielart leather shop, where we purchased so many beautiful, handcrafted items, including several dog collars. Purchasing a little bit of everything at the huge central food and craft markets. Taking part in the week-long Easter festivities, which drew a lot of national tourists. Drinking coffee and eating at the many restaurants (Mexican and international cuisine) that line the Real de Guadalupe pedestrian street. Soaking in Mayan culture and admiring traditional clothing.

What We Didn’t Love: The large number of expats and international tourists give parts of the city – Real de Guadalupe in particular, a very touristy feel. This has attracted some of the less appealing aspects of tourism, including a lot of begging along restaurant patios. Also, we both suffered from what we suspect was food poisoning while visiting the city. Yes, this could happen anywhere, but a lot of tourists seem to get sick in San Cristobal.

Read more about our adventures in San Cristobal de Las Casa here and here.

Zacatecas – North/Central Mexico

Why It Made Our Top 6: UNESCO site, stunning colonial buildings and streetscapes, music in the streets, silver jewellery shops, centrally located free secure overnight parking camping, few international tourists, cool high elevation climate

Where We Camped: Our “campground” for 3 nights was the parking lot atop Cerro de la Bufa, the site of Pancho Villa’s battle of Zacatecas and the highest point in the city. We chose this one for a few reasons: it’s free; it’s secure (police have a small station at the top and a 24-hr presence; the views are fantastic; and it’s a short walk or teleferico (cable car) ride into the heart of the city. A perfect base for a few nights.

What We Loved: Stumbling upon a gorgeous, ornate church, every time we turned a corner. Geeking out on the elaborate streetscapes that are so narrow, colourful and full of character. Admiring the views from Cerro de la Bufa, where you can get a birds eye view of the entire city. Buying silver jewellery for super reasonable prices at the many silver shops. Eating delicious baked goods purchased at the market and the Santa Cruz Panificadora. Discovering cheap and delicious gorditas. Very few international tourists.

What We Didn’t Love: Feeling a little more on edge than in other cities… unfortunately, cartel violence in the state of Zacatecas is on the rise. There is a noticeably high police presence in the city. Hiking up to our van on Cero de la Bufa at the end of each sightseeing day was a bit exhausting (although good for us I’m sure). If we didn’t have Walter with us, we would have considered cheating and taking the cable car.

Read more about our adventures in Zacatecas here.

Which Cities Didn’t Make Our Top 6… and Why?

Cities we visited that didn’t make our top 6 include: Campeche, Mazatlan, Queretaro, Oaxaca, Mexico City, and San Luis Potosi. We loved these cities too, and in some cases, choosing to leave them out of our top 6 was super difficult. But ultimately, our criteria dictated our choices. It’s important to keep in mind that everyone’s criteria are different, and it’s likely that everyone’s top 6 would look a little different too. We hope that our top 6 will give you some ideas and inspiration for an urban vanlife adventure in Mexico.