HELLO FROM MEXICO ☀️

This dreary Kentucky weather made it semi-painful to sit down and put together a recap of our recent vacation to Mexico! Reminiscing on the warm sun, soft sand and and lively fiestas is enough to tempt anyone to browse flight prices. What started as a tamilyrip for a family wedding quickly turned into one of the best getaways Mario and I have taken. Come along for a peek at our family festivities, resort memories and a few of my top tips for all-inclusive travel. ✈️

WELCOME TO PUEBLA

We hit the ground running on day one! Cousin Danny had a performance the evening we got to town and there was no chance we were missing it. (Side note – Danny performed “Marry You” at Mario and I’s wedding in 2016 and it’s one of my favorite memories! He is so talented!) The eats, drinks and photo ops at La3a Ronda are unmatched. I did a horrible job taking photos but got lots of videos – head over to this post where I rounded up our first part of the trip for a peek!

WEDDING READY

DRESS LINKED HERE | HANDBAG OPTIONS LINKED HERE

If you hadn’t heard, the Hispanic culture sure knows how to throw a fiesta! Danny and Cinthya had a traditional Catholic ceremony followed by a never-ending dance party. The bride and groom are both performers, so this was an absolutely extravagant get together. Once again, I was horrible when it came to taking photos! The video content on this post perfectly sums up how amazing the celebration was from start to finish.

POST-WEDDING FIESTA

TWO PIECE OUTFIT LINKED HERE | HANDBAGS HERE

We were a few of the only people that actually went to sleep the night of the wedding. I’m serious – most people truly stayed up and continued the fiesta the entire next day! I had to call it a night by 2 am. By lunch the next day, a new band was on site and the party was starting all over again! Delicious eats, lots of drinks and all the dancing resumed like it never ended. We closed out the day with a trip to the market, micheladas and dinner at a delicious cantina. An early night was a must because we were heading to the airport for an AM flight to our resort!

OFF TO THE BEACH

Okay, Cozumel was so good to us! After the hustle and bustle of family and wedding festivities, this half of the trip was dedicated to ocean views and pool days. We spent most afternoons swimming up to the bar at our all-inclusive resort, snacking on bottomless eats and pretending we didn’t have a care in the world! 🌊 Scroll through for a few of my favorite memories from the week.

BOAT AND SNORKELING DAY

Don’t be fooled – y’all know I wasn’t actually joining everyone for snorkeling! 😂 I was living my best life on the boat while they took to the crystal blue waters and explored. I don’t love being out in big bodies of water, but going out on a boat is always an adventure I’ll encourage! You may have seen the clearest waters or whitest sands on another trip, but no two are ever the same. Boat days are a great getaway from the resort to take in all your destination has to offer!

EVERYTHING ELSE

The market has hundreds of vendors and is the best spot to grab keepsakes, snacks or just get offsite for a bit.

Chilaquiles are one of my favorites! Waking up after a long night of fiestas was a little easier knowing these were calling my name down at the all-you-can-eat restaurant.

A FEW TRAVEL TIPS

☀️ Bottomless eats + drinks make an all-inclusive the best deal ever.

☀️ When you can, do something authentic and unique to your location! Resorts are amazing, but it’s usually not a true reflection of the actual culture to the area you’re visiting. Usually the front desk can give you safe, unique recommendations on places to check out if you’re looking for a little venturing offsite.

☀️ Go to the market, not the resort gift shop, if you’re getting souvenirs. There is so much variety! Sometimes the vendors are even making, painting or personalizing items right in front of you. It’s way more affordable and authentic in comparison to what you’ll find onsite at your resort.

☀️ Pack your sunscreen! The sun in Mexico is no joke. Within a day or two I had some serious redness. I’m so happy I packed a good facial sunscreen and re-applied it throughout the day. The SPF in your makeup is not enough to give you true protection. I highly recommend packing it vs. planning to purchase when you get there – it’s pricey when you get beachside!

☀️ Swap dollars for pesos at the airport! Many places and all transportation services don’t take cards. The airport has quite a few places to convert your money and your dollar doesn’t stretch nearly as far as pesos!

☀️ You have to pay for everything if you aren’t at the resort. Like, ev👏ery👏thing. We ventured out for a day of exploring and I was so confused when I couldn’t get in the restroom. Turns out you have to pay to use the restroom in public places! It’s basically pennies, but definitely something to note.

☀️ Most places still require masks. Even on the resort, masks are required for indoor events.

☀️ Pack a few dressy, nice outfits. Typically there are a few nicer events onsite at resorts and some even have dress codes. The nicer restaurants required reservations and had a dress code posted in the window. It’s essentially to prevent people from wearing swim cover ups and casual styles but definitely nice to know if you’re trying to plan outfits!

All of this beach talk is giving me the travel itch again. ✈️ Where to next?! We have a few trips on the books, but I have a feeling I’d be able to squeeze in another! Let me know your favorite destination in the comments!