Responsible tourism in Mexico
Our Mexico Vacations
Mexico bespoke vacation, Cultural Heartlands and Caribbean Coast
Explore one of Latin America' most vibrant destinations
Mexico vacation, Mexico City and the Yucatán
12 day exploration of Mexico City and Yucatán
Mexico small group vacation, a food adventure
Get an authentic taste of Mexico on this 8 day tour
Mexico small group vacation, culture & beach
2 week discovery Mexico's Aztec, Zapotec & Mayan cultures .
Yucatan tailor made vacation in Mexico
A culturally-focused journey in the Yucatan Peninsula.
Guatemala & Mexico overland vacation
Discover Mayan ruins and pristine beaches of the Caribbean
Day of the Dead festival vacation, Mexico
Celebrate the Day of the Dead Festival in Mexico
Mexico, Belize & Guatemala tour, Mayan encounter
Travel through paradise between the Yucatan & Guatemalan.
Central America vacation
Explore some of the very best Aztec & Mayan sites
Mexico & Cuba Tour
Fun, sun, history and culture in Mexico and Cuba.
Mexico food adventure vacation
Taste your way through traditional poblano delicacies
Mexico small group vacation, culture and nature
Explore the culture and nature of vibrant Mexico
North and Central America overland tour
Explore North & Central America on this epic overland
Mexican heartlands small group tour
Discover Mexico’s heartland on this immersive trip
Mexico wildlife and sea kayaking expedition
Marine life and sea kayaking adventure in Baja
Ocean research vacation in Baja, Mexico
Participate in turtle research and observe ocean wildlife.
Luxury Mexico self drive vacation
The Yucatán peninsula self-drive vacation
Yucatan bike tour in Mexico
Discover the beauty of the Yucatan Peninsula by bike
Mexico multi-activity and whale adventure
Active adventure with wildlife in Mexico
Highlights of Mexico vacation
Get under the skin of Mexico on this 8 day cultural vacation
Yoga & cooking vacation in Mexico
Yoga, culture & cuisine in the vibrant mountains of Mexico
Central America small group tour
Epic Central American journey from Mexico to Costa Rica.
Monarch butterfly tour in Mexico
Amazing natural event in Mexico: Monarch butterfly migration
Mexico to Costa Rica tour
In depth cultural adventure of Central America
Mexico & Guatemala vacation
Enjoy an action-packed tour from Playa del Carmen to Antigua
Mexico sea kayaking vacation
Adventure on the waters of Espiritu Santo
Anchorage to Tierra Del Fuego tour by overland truck
Epic overland trip from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego
Mexico self drive vacation
Discover the Yucatán peninsula on a classic self-drive
Family self drive vacation in Mexico
Our family vacation to Mexico’s Yucatán
People & culture
Not just 'those Mexicans'
What you can do
Read up on and support the various indigenous peoples living in the parts of Mexico you plan to visit. Do not put them in a box or behind a metaphorical ‘wall’, otherwise you are feeding the Trump-esque machine of meanness. The Minority Rights website is an excellent starting point. You may also want to find out more about the campaign to save the Sierra Madre region for the people who have protected it for generations. You can read more at The Huichol Center for Cultural Survival and the Traditional Arts.
The Huichol Center: A model for cultural survival from David H. Rose on Vimeo.
All inclusive resorts
What you can do
Seek out a fairer way to leave your mark on Mexico and travel with a responsible tourism vacation company. And if you want to really push the envelope, you could always contact the all inclusive resorts and ask what their responsible tourism policies are, if they source food locally, employ locally, pay a living wage, offer cultural tours with local guides… the list goes on. After all, most of these businesses won’t wake up and smell the Fairtrade coffee until tourists actually start demanding to see change.
Wildlife & environment
The humungous floating hotels
We don’t sugar coat it at Responsible Travel: we are not a fan of giant cruise ships. Not all cruises are irresponsible, but the giant ‘sleep thousands’ ones that anchor up between the months of February and April, are not a pretty picture. Particularly when it comes to the marine environment. Recent research shows that these colossal cruise ships are savaging our seas. Friends of the Earth (FOE), and a network of environmental organisations in 74 countries, has rated the leading liners, based on their water treatment, sewage treatment and air pollution efforts, and this report shows the good, the bad and the ugly. And yes, most of these liners head down Mexico way.What you can do
If you want to take a cruise, do so with a responsible cruise operator, but they are rare. Generally they won’t sleep more than about 100 people. Support the work of organisations like Friends of the Earth, the first organisation to lead on serious research into the environmental damage caused by cruise ships. And if you feel very passionately, write to the Ministry of Tourism to tell them that you don’t like what cruise ships are doing to this famous ‘eco’ destination. Sometimes they listen. They did in Dubrovnik, and reduced the numbers allowed to anchor. Baby steps and all that.
Whale & dolphin watching
If you do want to see dolphins and whales in the wild, then Mexico is a wonderful place to do so, especially on the Baja California Peninsula, where whales come in their droves between the months of February and April. Most whale and dolphin watching companies act responsibly, but don’t book with one that doesn’t show signs of stringent conservation and animal welfare practices. The focus of the trip should be on education rather than sensation and a responsible company will have details of expert guides on their website, their experience and qualifications. An environmentally aware guide will give a detailed talk before and during the trip, for example. Operators that replace guides with pre-recorded talks are only interested in cutting costs rather than caring for cetaceans. They might charge less for their service but, for a once in a lifetime experience, do you really want the no frills-no fairness experience?
Read more about issues regarding Dolphin and Whale watching in our travel guides for more details. And support the work of organisations like Born Free Foundation, and the World Cetacean Alliance. The latter is a global partnership which was formed to protect the world's cetaceans from all sorts of threats, and an organisation that really gets whales, rather than just wanting to get money out of whales. And in general, unless very well supervised, don’t swim with dolphins.