Oh good one, Mike. You always manage to make me laugh. The first, re those Pueblos Magicos: "Which is a good thing b/c I'm not going to write about them today." And the second was the German Shepherds barking on the roofs. You always cover all the bases. And man, what a stretch—a magical barrio. Oh, and that brings up your 'magical cul-de-sac.' So wild. I know tourism is up, so what the heck is going on? Oh, I forgot - we're not supposed to ask.
Thanks Jeanine, glad it was good for a laugh! I did have a bit of fun with it. And yes, tourism is up, and I know it is all due to those magical neighborhoods (or maybe Cancún…)
Well, how about that? I live *near* a barrio mágico, though not in one. Which is fine. I like my quiet street. I've been to the barrio mágico nearby a few times. It's nice, although definitely off the beaten track. A beautiful location.
I didn't even know about such a program. I keep learning new things on Mexico Listo, that's for sure. Thanks, Mike!
I'm beginning to suspect that I'm one of 5 people who know about this program🤣. It is not well advertised, either internally or externally to Mexico. Live and learn! Thanks for reading, Victor, and for your nice comment!
Very enjoyable article! I was collaborating with the magazine Mexico Desconocido when the Pueblos Magicos program started. The first ones were truly magical. Now that the number is up to 177 though, I've found that there is a range of magic--some of these towns don't quite manage to get a rabbit out of that hat.
Great article Mike, When I was in London a few years ago, one of the best parts of that vacations was being in many of these normal or average neighbourhoods. At one second you could be in a neighbourhood where you have a mix of cafes along with the cultural diversity of restaurants and then next thing you know you end up in another part of the neighbourhood that has a quiet biking trail and was also a place where Gandhi used to take his weekly strolls in. Don't know if you can call it magical, but definitely love the uniqueness for sure. Same feeling when I was in Berlin. I think it's a good idea to have Barrios Magicos helps people move away from the congested tourist sites.
I wonder if there is any monetary or real benefit to the designation that is felt by the community. I guess free advertising? With the pueblos my understanding is that the government gave money to fix up the town and make it attractive to tourists, but I could be wrong about that.
You are right about the pueblos - originally the federal government did provide some funding for the towns. AMLO did away with that and made it the responsibility of each state to fund their own pueblos mágicos. Likewise with the barrios, there is a stipend given. And of course there is the expectation of increased tourism which also comes with an economic benefit, but I'm left wondering how many potential visitors (both national and foreign tourists) even know/care about this program.
Oh good one, Mike. You always manage to make me laugh. The first, re those Pueblos Magicos: "Which is a good thing b/c I'm not going to write about them today." And the second was the German Shepherds barking on the roofs. You always cover all the bases. And man, what a stretch—a magical barrio. Oh, and that brings up your 'magical cul-de-sac.' So wild. I know tourism is up, so what the heck is going on? Oh, I forgot - we're not supposed to ask.
Thanks Jeanine, glad it was good for a laugh! I did have a bit of fun with it. And yes, tourism is up, and I know it is all due to those magical neighborhoods (or maybe Cancún…)
Well, how about that? I live *near* a barrio mágico, though not in one. Which is fine. I like my quiet street. I've been to the barrio mágico nearby a few times. It's nice, although definitely off the beaten track. A beautiful location.
I didn't even know about such a program. I keep learning new things on Mexico Listo, that's for sure. Thanks, Mike!
I'm beginning to suspect that I'm one of 5 people who know about this program🤣. It is not well advertised, either internally or externally to Mexico. Live and learn! Thanks for reading, Victor, and for your nice comment!
Thanks ... I didn't know about the barrios mágicos ...
News to us all! Thanks for reading and commenting, Joyce!
Very enjoyable article! I was collaborating with the magazine Mexico Desconocido when the Pueblos Magicos program started. The first ones were truly magical. Now that the number is up to 177 though, I've found that there is a range of magic--some of these towns don't quite manage to get a rabbit out of that hat.
lol - yes, the magic is spreading rather thin! Still, a lot of these places are definitely worth a visit. Thanks for the comment, Brian!
I'm fairly sure, whichever source you check, this isn't a magic Colonia... But it's mine, so I make magic here 🫂
Good point - no government intervention required! Thanks for the reminder, Nadine!
I think we know what sort of barrio I'm in.
Yes, I don't expect you'll see Wendy and Tiger Lily strolling down your lane any time soon.
Great article Mike, When I was in London a few years ago, one of the best parts of that vacations was being in many of these normal or average neighbourhoods. At one second you could be in a neighbourhood where you have a mix of cafes along with the cultural diversity of restaurants and then next thing you know you end up in another part of the neighbourhood that has a quiet biking trail and was also a place where Gandhi used to take his weekly strolls in. Don't know if you can call it magical, but definitely love the uniqueness for sure. Same feeling when I was in Berlin. I think it's a good idea to have Barrios Magicos helps people move away from the congested tourist sites.
That is an excellent point, Fahim, and beautifully illustrated. Thank you for your inspirational comment and for reading.
Oh funny.
I wonder if there is any monetary or real benefit to the designation that is felt by the community. I guess free advertising? With the pueblos my understanding is that the government gave money to fix up the town and make it attractive to tourists, but I could be wrong about that.
You are right about the pueblos - originally the federal government did provide some funding for the towns. AMLO did away with that and made it the responsibility of each state to fund their own pueblos mágicos. Likewise with the barrios, there is a stipend given. And of course there is the expectation of increased tourism which also comes with an economic benefit, but I'm left wondering how many potential visitors (both national and foreign tourists) even know/care about this program.