We just got back from a Mexico family trip that was supposed to be one thing and turned into something better. Spring Break, two kids, two parents, Mexico City to the Yucatan, and one very specific mission: get our youngest in front of a real axolotl. Everything else was built around that. The fact that the trip rolled into Mayan ruins, a White Lotus level resort, and two of the best restaurants in the world was, as the kids would say, a vibe.
Here is the playbook, the wins, and the stuff I would do again in a heartbeat.
Why we picked Mexico for Spring Break
Our son is obsessed with axolotls. He loves playing Minecraft, and the Axolotl has always been one of his favorite parts of the game. Now, the Axolotl has become his favorite animal. So when Spring Break came up and we asked the boys what they actually wanted, the answer was easy. Mexico City has Xochimilco, the only place on Earth where axolotls still live in the wild. Yucatan has cenotes, Mayan history, and a resort we came across on social media. Pair that with the fact that we speak Spanish, the food is unreal, and the people are warm, and the decision pretty much made itself.
A quick note for any dad reading this and wondering: we felt safe the whole time. Drivers were super professional, hotels were dialed, police presence was everywhere, and being able to talk to people in their language smoothed out almost every wrinkle.
Mexico City: Days 1 through 4
We flew into CDMX and had a driver waiting to take us to the Intercontinental Presidente. We grabbed a one bedroom suite that fit the whole crew and headed straight to The Palm for dinner. The boys ordered steak, mom and I exhaled, and the trip was officially on.
Day 2 was zoo day. Chapultepec Zoo is huge and free, and the axolotl tank was the first stop. Our son lit up. He was over the moon excited to finally see them in person. This is what it’s about you know? Then we witnessed the beauty of three jaguars, including a black one that was the size of a small couch. Later in the day we hopped over to Coyoacán, walked the market, picked up a couple of toys, caught a local dance performance in the plaza, and ducked into the Frida Kahlo Museum. So much history in that section of town.
After freshening up back at the hotel, we headed out for dinner to another steakhouse because, well, the kids voted. And they always vote steak.
Day 3 was the day. Xochimilco. The tour begins on a canal boat heading out to a working Chinampa where we will meet live Axolotl’s. Upon our arrival, we met with the farmers and our youngest tried everything they put in front of him. Which is not the kid I knew before this trip. The Chinampas run their own conservation work for axolotls, and seeing them up close in their actual habitat was the moment we came to Mexico for. It was an amazing experience to see how they are trying to bring back the Axolotl population which is under severe threat of extinction. The tour took most of the day, so we ordered room service for the kids, and the adults got ready for a date night!
That night Marisol and I went out, just us, to Quintonil, currently the third best restaurant in the world. Reservations are hard to come by, but we lucked out with a cancelation and booked it without even thinking twice. We sat next to a Puerto Rican guy who was dining solo, and lives in New York, so we traded stories the whole night. The food definitely lived up to the hype. Wow. Every dish was amazing, timely, and perfectly presented. It was the kind of dinner you remember for years.
Day 4 was the pivot day. We had Six Flags Mexico on the calendar, which is the biggest Six Flags in the world, but it turned out to be closed on Tuesdays. Wah Wahhh. So we audibled to Aztlán, a newer amusement park in the city, and ended up having a blast. Rides, carnival games, and a haunted house that genuinely scared us. The staff inside were laughing and giving us tips because we could not see a thing. We liked it so much that we did it twice. The boys came out gassed up. We closed out the day in an old school kid coaster that was a little rough for the little one, so back to the hotel we went!
That night the wife and I slipped in another date dinner at Pujol, number 33 in the world. Location was a bit larger than Quintonil. So didn’t feel as exclusive. Beautifully done though. Food was great. Not Quintonil great, but great. Mexico City really does have an extraordinary culinary scene. I could just go out to eat every night over here!
Yucatan: Days 5 through 7
This is where our Mexico family trip shifted gears. We flew from CDMX to Mérida, picked up by our driver upon our arrival, rolled through the small town of Chocholá, and pulled up to Chablé Yucatan. If you have seen White Lotus, you already get it. We had a two bedroom casita with a private pool, indoor outdoor showers, a multi room sound system, a living room, and it looked so inviting, that the kids did not even unpack before they were in the water.
Chablé has its own ecosystem on property: two restaurants, a spa, outdoor racquet courts, a golf course, bikes, a small zoo, and a cenote. Our concierge Luis dialed in a daily “get started” meal every morning: tea for me (no coffee, ever), juices for the kids, fresh fruit, bread, and these energy bars I am still thinking about. Shout out to Luis!
Day 6 was the big excursion. Chichen Itza with our sharp guide, then Cenote Ik Kil for a swim. Chichen Itza was one of the largest Mayan cities and also rumored to be quite mythical. Luckily we got there early before the main tourist rush, so we were able to walk around and see most of the archaeological site. This ancient city thrived for over 600 years! It’s amazing how these cities were built and how sophisticated its geometry was.
Well it was getting hot, crowded and the boys were getting cranky so it was time to hit the road again. Next stop, Cenote Ik Kil. The cenote was hands down the highlight of the trip for the boys. They jumped in (numerous times), swam around, and took in the beauty of sacred Mayan sinkhole. After a little over an hour in the cenote, we climbed back up, and changed out of our wet clothes before getting a quick bite to eat. Back at the resort, mom and I went in the pool for a bit while the boys played games on their ipads. That night we ate at the pool restaurant, shared some laughs with a newlywed couple from Spain, and caught a local dance performance on property.
Day 7 was reset day. My wife and I love trying to fit in a spa day during our travels, and this time we did a: hydrotherapy circuit, steam, sauna, then full body massages. Our youngest hit the kids club, and the oldest went out on a bike ride to check out the property. Later on, we all had lunch together and took the boys to the on property zoo where they were able to feed and hang out with some of the animals. It was closing time for the farm, so we headed back to our casita and dropped off the boys. My wife and I jumped on our bikes and rode the property trails for about an hour or so taking in the grounds for the last time.
We ordered room service for the boys (a recurring theme, no notes) and capped the trip with a tasting dinner at the second restaurant. Ix’im, the other restaurant on property, by the way, is home to what they bill as the largest tequila collection in the world. Yes, we looked. Yes, it is a lot of tequila.
What I would tell another dad planning a Mexico family trip
A few things stood out across the whole Mexico family trip that I want to put on the record.
The boys bonded harder than I expected. We played multiple rounds of Imposter (the social deduction game), the kind of nights that turn into inside jokes for years. The trip gave them long, unstructured pockets where they had to entertain each other, and they rose to it.
Moms and I got real time. Two world ranked restaurants, a spa day, and a couple of bike rides where it was just us. On most family trips that does not happen. We made it happen by leaning on the resort’s kids club and trusting room service for the boys when the schedule called for it.
The food was a non event in the best way. Pickier eaters became less picky. Our youngest tried things on a chinampa I could not have gotten him to try at home. Mexico has a way of doing that.
Build the trip around the kid’s obsession. The axolotl was the spine. Everything else (Mayan ruins, cenotes, resort time, world class dinners) hung off of that one decision and the trip felt focused instead of scattered. If you are planning your own Mexico family trip, find the obsession and start there.
The day 8 reality check
It was an early start as we had to connect back into Mexico City. Between the layover and delay in departure, we didn’t get home until 1am local time. Layover at the Centurion Lounge in Mexico City was rough (small space, mid construction, and our flight was delayed). That is the only piece of feedback I have for the entire eight days. If you are flying back through MEX with kids late, plan for it.
Final word
Spring Break done right looks like this. A Mexico family trip that mixed culture, nature, food, and a private pool the kids did cannonballs into for a week. We did not crush ourselves trying to see everything. We picked one anchor (our son and his axolotls), built around it, and let the experiences carry the weight.
Saving the date for next year already.
Pops
