Although Roman Catholic Church leaders urge their flocks to treat Easter as a time for reflection and abstention from excesses, few people in this country take heed. In fact, Easter is the time when most Mexicans let their hair down and head off for a week or two of hard partying at the beach. Many winter foreign residents of coastal towns such as Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Barra de Navidad and Mazatlan have headed north prior to the Easter invasion. Hotels have been booked for months, and many families who arrive without reservations simply pitch a tent on the beach.
Easter is the perfect time to visit Guadalajara and Mexico City since the mass exodus to the coast reduces traffic and smog levels dramatically.
Driving on the highway, however, is riskier at Easter. Traffic more than doubles as many city drivers venture out on the highway for their only time in the year. The combination of hot weather, slow going and irritable drivers leads to an increase in the number of accidents and fatalities. Despite intense campaigns by organizations such as the Red Cross, many drivers do not heed the warnings and continue to drive recklessly. Anyone heading for the coast should allow plenty of extra time for their journeys.It’s not only the beach that fills up during Easter. Many of the colonial towns and cities of central Mexico are popular too. Guanajuato, San Miguel, Queretero, Zacatecas and Morelia will expect their fair share of visitors this year. Those heading for any of these places should call ahead and make hotel reservations.
Getting tradesmen to work during Semana Santa can be difficult. Some owners of small stores shut up shop for the entire week and many also take off Semana de Pascua (the week after Easter). Nearly all schools suspend classes for two weeks and while government offices officially only close for Holy Thursday and Good Friday, one should not expect normal service on other weekdays during the two-week Easter period.