Mexico keeps pulling us back. We’ve been to Mexico City three times now (most recently for C’s fifth birthday), we moved to Oaxaca for the year, and we head to the beach whenever February gets to be too much.
Spring break 2027 lines up nicely with Easter, and Mexico is close, easy and very good with kids. Here's the PTO math, plus three ways to do it: the city one, the culture one and the beach one.
The PTO math
Easter 2027 is Sunday, March 28. Two ways to use it:
The week before Easter: Saturday, March 20 to Sunday, March 28. 4 PTO days if your office closes on Good Friday (March 26), otherwise 5. 9 days away.
The week after Easter: Saturday, March 27 to Sunday, April 4. 5 PTO days (4 if you get Easter Monday off). 9 days away, usually with fewer crowds.
Spring breaks vary by district, so check yours and then book hotels ASAP (popular spots do book up, some clients booked in September!)
Pick 1: Mexico City (the city one)
Best for: food lovers, families who like to walk, and anyone who wants a big city that still feels green.
Where to stay: we really like Hipódromo or Condesa, ideally on Ámsterdam, right around Parque España and Parque México. You can walk to Roma, and you can also walk to the Chapultepec forest and most of the trendy restaurants. Of course, Ubers are easy as well. Message me for hotel recs.
What we love with kids:
Chapultepec. Walking up to the castle and playing in the parks. There's also a great kids' museum.
Xochimilco. We just did C's fifth birthday party there. It's really fun and colorful, and the mariachi bands can board the boats.
The pyramids at Teotihuacán as a day trip.
Coyoacán. The Frida Kahlo house and neighborhood are great with kids, and an easier "centro" than the historic center.
Centro, if you go. Bellas Artes and the Palacio Postal are beautiful, and there are excellent taco places near Bellas Artes. DM me on Instagram for links.
Just wandering. Playing in the parks and walking the green, leafy streets.
Where to eat:
Taco stops make a nice, easy dinner for adults and kids. At Maizajo we took turns standing at the bar while someone sat with the kids nearby (we even passed quesadillas down to them). Orinoco is another favorite.
Entremar, Contramar's sister restaurant: easier to get into, with a nice open upstairs indoor-outdoor patio.
Fancy, sans kids: Gaba, the Taco Omakase at Pujol, Pujol.itto, cocktails at Bar Mauro, and really too many to mention!
Pick 2: Oaxaca (the culture one)
Best for: families who want color, crafts and markets at a slower pace, with easy day trips.
We went in April 2026 with C. I'd spend 3 to 4 days in Oaxaca City and stay near El Llano park or in the Jalatlaco or Xochimilco neighborhoods, a few blocks from the busiest part of the center. Where I'd book:
Best for families: Grand Fiesta Americana Oaxaca. A full-service hotel right by El Llano park, with an indoor pool, a spa and a good restaurant, and kids 11 and under stay free in your room.
Best overall: Hotel Escondido Oaxaca, near Plaza de la Danza. Beautiful design, a rooftop pool and a great location. I've visited but haven't stayed. It's best with older kids, since the rooftop has big drop-offs and no railings, and light sleepers should know about street noise.
Best value: City Centro by Marriott, in Jalatlaco a few minutes' walk from El Llano, with an outdoor pool. The rooms are small, but the price and location are hard to beat.
What we loved:
Teotitlán del Valle. A textile workshop where you see the dyeing is incredible and very interactive. We did ours at Taller Carmen.
Hierve el Agua and Mitla. If you go that way, add one or both for a good day trip with kids. I like it better than Monte Albán, though those ruins are nice too and only 20 minutes from the city.
In the city. Play in El Llano and at the Bicentenario playground, visit the Mercado de la Merced, and wander the Jalatlaco and Xochimilco neighborhoods (Oaxaca's Xochimilco, not the canals in Mexico City).
Casa Oaxaca. A beautiful terrace near Santo Domingo, with refined, excellent Oaxacan food, and still okay with a kid. There's really too much good food and drink in Oaxaca for one post; it'll get its own.
What to know: April is hot in Oaxaca; you’ll want afternoon rests with a pool, if possible.
Pick 3: Mérida and Kanai (the beach one)
Best for: families who want beach time plus a little culture, with a road trip in between.
On our April 2026 trip, after 4 days in Oaxaca, we flew to Mérida for a half day and a night. Then we rented a car and drove to the coast, stopping at Chichén Itzá and to swim in Cenote Chukum on the way. We loved Mérida, and I'll have more recommendations after we go back in December.
Where to stay: in Mérida, near Parque de Santa Ana. On the coast, the St. Regis Kanai, outside Cancún, is our favorite Mexico beach hotel with kids. We've stayed twice, in April 2025 and again this April (and there are direct flights from the East Coast to Cancún).
What we loved:
The leafy plazas, live music and vibes of Mérida’s centro.
The Tortuga kids' club. It's fun, with themed days, crafts and water time.
The way they treated C. A kid-size robe, slippers and toiletries were waiting in the room on our first visit, decorate your own cupcakes for a half birthday surprise on our next.
Beach games and afternoon treats. Giant Jenga on the sand, plus smoothie shots and paletas by the pool in the afternoon.
The St. Regis bar that also serves the kids' menu. A real cocktail for you and the kids' menu for C, at the same table.
Make it your perfect trip
Want city and culture? Pair Mexico City and Oaxaca. It's a short flight between them.
Want adult time? Book a sitter for one night and do the fancy list: Gaba, Pujol's taco omakase, cocktails at Bar Mauro.
Want a bit of everything? Do what we did: Oaxaca first, then fly to Mérida and road-trip to the beach, with ruins and a cenote on the way.
Bumps along the way
Street food is where Mexico City, especially, shines, and where little legs don’t. Our ideal taco crawl meals ended in 1-2 stops, especially during April heat. Pick 1 stop or do takeout. And hold the cilantro and onions!
Want help planning your spring break? I can map out the dates, find family-friendly places to stay (with perks where I can get them), and handle the bookings. Reach out.
