Mexico is two trips, and solo travellers meet on both.
Where people meet#
| Place | The easy way in |
|---|---|
| Mexico City | Roma or Condesa hostel, a taco tour, lucha libre on Friday, a Teotihuacán van |
| Oaxaca | A mezcal or food tour, a cooking class, the hostel rooftop |
| Playa del Carmen | Hostels off Quinta Avenida, a cenote day, the Cozumel ferry |
| Tulum | Town hostels (not the beach zone), bikes to the cenotes |
| Isla Mujeres / Bacalar | Small guesthouses where everyone eats together |
Online, before you go#
Post your trip on Roavi Community: city, dates, what you like. Travellers heading there in the next two weeks appear in the same place, and Local Friends in the city can message you. How the community works. The general guides: how to find a travel buddy and travel communities and apps.
Mexico City#
How to meet locals in Mexico City, first time in Mexico City, best neighbourhoods, where locals eat, is Mexico City safe?
The Yucatán#
Cancún vs Tulum vs Playa del Carmen for the base, day trips from Cancún for the shared-van days, where locals hang out in Tulum.
Safety with a new friend#
Public places first, your own money and room, apps for taxis at night, and the country-level honesty in is Mexico safe for Americans?
A local first#
A Local Friend in Mexico City or Cancún lives there, spends a few hours with you at a rate they set, and takes you where the city actually eats. Rent a local friend in Mexico City.
Start Mexico with someone who lives there.
Meet a Local Friend in Mexico CityThe capital in detail: how to meet other travellers in Mexico City.
Using Facebook for it: travel buddy Facebook groups.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do solo travellers meet in Mexico?
Mexico City's Roma and Condesa hostels, Oaxaca's mezcal and food tours, Playa del Carmen and Tulum hostels, Isla Mujeres and Bacalar's laid-back guesthouses, cenote day trips in shared vans, and Spanish classes anywhere.Is there an app to find a travel buddy in Mexico?
Roavi Community lets you post a trip with your city and dates and see other travellers heading there in the next two weeks, plus Local Friends who live there. Facebook backpacker groups for Mexico are active too.Is Mexico City good for solo travellers?
Excellent: huge, cheap, full of hostels in Roma and Condesa, walkable neighbourhoods, food tours and lucha libre nights that mix people. Normal big-city care applies.Is it safe to travel Mexico with someone I just met?
With normal rules, yes: public places first, your own money and room, no lending, apps for taxis at night. The violence in headlines is overwhelmingly tied to the drug trade, not to travellers.Which part of Mexico is easiest for meeting people?
The Yucatán coast (Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Isla Mujeres) for the beach-hostel crowd; Mexico City for food, culture and a slightly older crowd; Oaxaca for the warmest atmosphere of all.
