Five tips to travel more sustainably in Mexico

Book eco-friendly accommodations.

Choose hotels or hostels certified for sustainability, such as those with LEED or Green Key certifications. Many eco-friendly lodgings in Mexico use renewable energy, minimize water use, and reduce plastic waste.

Use public transit and bikes.  

Biking is one of the most sustainable ways to move around a city, and luckily Mexico City has an amazing bike renting system you can use. Explore the city at your own pace, side by side with the locals. You simply pay through an app, grab the nearest Ecobici and go exploring – make sure to leave it at a designated bike stand when you are done, instead of leaving it wherever you want.

Support marine conservation by using a responsible tour operator. 

Seeing sea turtles or dolphins is very popular in Mexico, particularly on the Yucatán Peninsula, but also on the Baja Peninsula. Check that any organized trips are tied in with a marine conservation initiative.

Avoid coral and tortoise shell jewelry. 

Although black coral harvesting is still legal in Mexico. It should display the government label saying that it comes from a licensed source, although many are faked. Tortoise shell jewelery or decorative goods are illegal, as they are made from the shells of sea turtles. Don’t buy anything made from fur or feathers, either.

Skip single-use plastic water bottles

Avoid buying bottled water. Instead, pack a bioplastic water purifier bottle that lets you safely fill up at any tap in Mexico. One Water-to-Go filter replaces 400 single-use plastic bottles that would otherwise end up in landfills, beaches, and oceans.

Choose biodegradable sunscreen

Biodegradable sunscreen offers protection from UV rays without most of the chemical ingredients often found in regular sunscreens. Also dubbed "reef-safe" or "coral-safe," it's considered to be eco-friendly in that it will not damage plant or animal life as it washes off your skin in the water.