Meagan Drillinger
At the beginning of each year, I like to take a step back, particularly when it comes to traveling in Mexico. I spend most of my on-the-road-24/7 life in Mexico, and when you're living in the middle of something it can be difficult to see the forest for the trees. Mexico is changing at a lightning pace. It's developing fast enough to keep up with an insatiable client who now knows that the country is so much more than its (understandably iconic) beach destinations.
This week, I became acquainted with a new term: the travel dupe. It's been all over the Internet and piling up in my inbox, so it's safe to say that we can expect a lot more references to "travel dupes" in 2024. But for those who have been around a while, you'll soon recognize that the dupe is not a new concept. It just has a new name. A dupe is essentially just another word for a destination that is "off the beaten path." It's a destination that acts as a less-trodden alternative to busier nearby destinations, with similar experiences and offerings, but far less visibility on a global scale.
I love to talk about these destinations in Mexico, particularly as more and more places succumb to overtourism and overdevelopment. Of course, this is a double-edged sword because the more we talk about dupes, the more they get integrated into mainstream travel, and before you know it, they are dupes no more.
Still, as I look at Mexico travel in 2024, I can't help but see a few destinations bubbling to the surface, all of which offer welcome, low-key alternatives to nearby destinations that have gotten overwhelmingly popular and crowded. So where am I eyeing in 2024? Here are my top Mexico travel dupes for the new year.
Nayarit
The Riviera Nayarit is a Mexico destination that is far from off the tourist trail. But the interior of Nayarit state is much less familiar to mainstream travelers, and yet it has so much to offer. For example, its capital, Tepic, has a lot to offer culture-seekers through its architecture, museums and traditions. Tepic was founded in 1531 as the capital of the Kingdom of New Galicia, a region that was made up of what is now Jalisco, Colima, Nayarit, Aguascalientes, Durango, Sinaloa and San Luis Potosi. From the downtown Plaza de Armas to the Purisima Concepcion Cathedral, the Regional Museum of Nayarit and the Juan Escutia House-Museum, Tepic has plenty of heritage, history and culture to offer.
Tepic's airport is under construction and is poised for an expansion, which will include its main terminal building, an extended runway and a new control tower. In 2023, Aeromexico inaugurated its first route between Mexico City and Tepic with seven weekly flights.
Stepping away from Tepic, the mountains of Nayarit are just as fascinating, with Magical Towns, native communities, temples, hot springs, spas, waterfalls and mountainside coffee plantations.
Costalegre
If you were not already aware of the Costalegre, then chances are you heard about it in 2023 with the opening of the highly anticipated Four Seasons Tamarindo. The ultraluxe five-star resort turned heads and shone a spotlight on a coastline that has been beloved by in-the-know travelers for decades.
But the news is not done spilling out of Costalegre just yet. It was recently announced that Six Senses will be opening its first Mexico property there in 2026. The Six Senses Xala will be part of the Xala community that has been under development for the past several years. The Six Senses Xala will be flanked by 5 miles of white-sand beaches and will include 51 accommodations, all with private pools. The village-like architecture will be integrated into the landscape. True to the Xala and Six Senses ethos, the resort will also feature a sustainability angle, including the reforestation of 590 acres of land and the construction of a new coastal protection reef.
The resort also happens to be 10 minutes from the new Chalacatepec Airport, though this is a project that has been on the books for years and has yet to have a completion date set.
Costa Oaxaquena
Oaxaca's coastline, or the Costa Oaxaquena, is one of Mexico's most rugged, wild and spectacular. It was put on the map by destinations like Puerto Escondido and Huatulco. Puerto Escondido has long been a favorite beach escape of mine. In fact, it used to be my favorite dupe for other beach destinations along the Pacific coast.
These days, it seems we need a dupe for Puerto Escondido, as more and more high-end hotels open and the airport prepares for an expansion. A highway connecting Oaxaca with Puerto Escondido has been under construction for years now, and though plans for its inauguration were scheduled for Nov. 29, that has since been delayed because of landslides.
Still, these updates and changes have me eyeing Oaxaca's coast, particularly the smaller beach towns like Mazunte and Zipolite. These beach destinations are between Puerto Escondido and Huatulco and have been quietly growing in popularity over the past several years. In fact, Zipolite is now one of the most popular LGBTQ spots, especially for travelers who find the LGBTQ scene in Puerto Vallarta to be too crowded and overwhelming.
Southern Quintana Roo
Finally, with the opening of Felipe Carrillo Puerto Airport in Tulum, I would be remiss not to mention Southern Quintana Roo. The opening of the airport, as well as the inauguration of the Maya Train, has made once-far-flung destinations not only accessible, but downright convenient for mainstream travelers to access.
The new airport and the train will open destinations like the lakefront Pueblo Magico of Bacalar, as well as the more remote beaches south of Tulum like Punta Allen, the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve and Mahahual. These bohemian, barefoot casual, backpacker-friendly hideaways are now at a tipping point. The trickle of tourism has already begun, and it will only flow faster from here.