Extended travelling - 1 year trip to México

Hey all,

I’m Portuguese guy who lives in Lisbon and I’m thinking about to take a one year trip to México. I’m a “backpacker” and don’t want to travel to the tourists and “mainstream” places.

I want to immerse in the Mexico culture and get to know the locals. So, do you guys have any tips? How do I get a whole year VISA?´

Thank you a lot guys.

Don't know about the visa.

The thing with Mexico is that the places most worth visiting are not secret, and tend to be touristy. If you want the full-on Mexico experience, start in Mexico City ("DF" to everyone in Spanish). With 20+ million people, you're not going to be overwhelmed by other tourists. It's the heart and nerve center of the country, one of the world's best cities for eating, and a batshit-crazy vibrant metropolis that's the capital of Latin America.

The north of the country, particularly states like Sinaloa, Chihuahua, and Tamaulipas, are violent places convulsed by the drug war right now. On the other hand, the south of the country, while having problems, is relatively safe to visit.

What are you interested in? Beach and surf? Culture? Mexico is a big country, and I'm not going to write you a novel about it without knowing what you're looking for. If you're Portuguese, you're probably already semi-proficient in Spanish, so the language won't be an issue.

You can only get a visa for 180 days, then you'll have to leave the country and come back again, suggest you use Guatemala for this, as it's far easer to enter than the Excited States.

As JR has stated you can only get a six month visa or tourist card. You must leave the country and then return, the same day if you wish. On return, you will be issued another six month tourist card. 294 pesos each.
Felix makes a good suggestion about spending time in Mexico City. I would add that any of the colonial cities such as Guadalajra, San Luis Potosi, Aguascalientes, Puebla, or Oaxaca will involve you with the local people and Spanish will be the predominant language. There are not that many International tourists visiting Mexico at the moment. It would be good in my opinion to travel south during your fifth month and cross into Guatemala at either Campeche or Tapachula to renew your tourist card. (Visa) First class bus service is excellent in Mexico and will allow you much freedom to travel to the colonial cities, beaches, and ruin sites.