Quintana Roo

Quintana Roo’s Seaweed Now a Regulated Resource (And Maybe Dinner)

Quintana Roo blends beach life, bureaucratic whimsy, and cultural flair—from sargassum regulations and planetarium bus routes to crocodile discoveries and a mayor-turned-uncle splashing in seaweed-free waves.

Mexicanist

08 Aug 2025 — 4 min read

Local yacht captain lowers prices 30 % and starts serving margaritas. Tourism finds a way.

Welcome to the Mexicanist, your bi-weekly dose of sun-soaked, slightly-bizarre news from Mexico's tourist-friendly corners. We're here to tell you the stories you won't find on the back of a resort postcard, the real stuff that makes this place so damn interesting.

Sargassum is Now a Legally Recognized Sea Vegetable

If you’re planning a trip to Quintana Roo, pack your swimsuit, your sense of humor, and maybe a small net for harvesting sargassum—because as of this week, that smelly brown seaweed washing up on your beach towel is officially a regulated fishery resource. That’s right. The Mexican government has upgraded sargassum from “annoying beach nuisance” to “national seafood.”

A surreal photo of a Mexico City Metro station flooded with murky water.

The City Built on a Lake is Now Fighting for its Life Against the Water Below

In an epic, 500-year-long battle with its own foundations, Mexico City is sinking under the weight of record-breaking rains, a drainage crisis, and a history of botched urban planning.

Empty gas pumps with a frustrated attendant shrugging—fuel crisis in Monterrey’s suburbs.

Why Monterrey’s Gas Stations Are Empty and How Locals Beat the Heat

With gridlocked traffic from a failing $7.3 billion system and a gasoline shortage plaguing drivers, the city of Monterrey finds hope in a young girl's fight against a rare disease, supported by the community's beloved soccer fans.

A soaked businessman stands waist-deep in floodwater outside Mexico City metro station.

U.S. Troops Ordered Into Mexico as President Vows 'Not On Our Watch!

A retiring legal titan warns that Mexico's new judicial reform will be a "historical error," just as the new president faces down a U.S. troop threat and the potential closure of a historic Nissan plant.

A sunlit beach in Quintana Roo with clean turquoise water, a lone traveler walking barefoot at dawn.

Mother of All Mistakes: Son Fleeing Cops Mows Down His Own Mom

Mexican authorities are tackling crime and sargassum, the Cancun airport is packed with tourists, lucha libre is rocking Isla Mujeres, and an ancient Mayan town is getting a cultural facelift.