Black women have been in a decades-long love affair with Mexico, becoming repeat travelers and residents throughout the years. From actress Tessa Thompson's Mexican roots (a la her mom) to Lupita Nyon'go's birthplace and upbringing, to Tracee Ellis Ross' favorite solo travel hot spot, the country and culture have long been linked with women of African descent.
As of late, it's even been listed as one of the "best countries for Black women to live," and is often mentioned by avid travelers, retirees, digital nomads, and Black women expat influencers as a great place to not only enjoy a few unforgettable adventures but to find solace, connection, and community. From the city chic vibes of Mexico City to the rich culture and history of popular tourist spots like Guadalajara and Tulum, to the off-the-beaten-path regions like Oaxaca, Mexico has experiences for almost every travel taste.
I've recently joined the "Amo México" club, venturing to Cabo and another new favorite of mine, Puerto Vallarta, which I've visited twice since 2023. What keeps drawing me back, you ask? Here are three good reasons this beach resort city on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas in Jalisco is a guaranteed yes, whether solo or not, and should be a repeat offender on your 2025 travel bucket list:
1. Along with the abundance of amazing cultural experiences involving great food, they take honoring the ancestors to a whole other level.
In my "La Catrina" makeup on the Malecon during the Dia De Los Muertos celebrations
Janell Hazelwood
On my second trip to Puerto Vallarta this year, I created a new travel tradition that is now a requirement for all my future Mexico itineraries: A taco tour. We walked through the cobblestone streets adjacent to our resort with a guide from Vallarta Eats, supporting women-owned (or women-led) spots and eating the most delish Mexican taco staples that put any Tex-Mex dishes you've ever had in the States to shame.
From flavorful birria at Birria Chanfay, made the traditional way (not dousing the taco in the juices but putting focus on the succulence of the marinaded beef inside them) to homemade corn tortillas pressed and grilled right in front of us at Marisma's, you just can't beat the experience.
And if you're lucky enough to grab a flight deal to travel in early November 2025, Puerto Vallarta is the perfect place to experience all of the mystique, reverence, and revelry of Dia de Los Muertos or "Day of the Dead," when families get together to pay homage to their loved ones who have passed on.
While the celebrations are held all over Mexico, with Mexico City being the popular host of thousands of locals and visitors, Puerto Vallarta lets you in on the celebration of life in a way that's not as overwhelming and packed but is just as enjoyable.
Pausing for a food tour break with Vallarta Eats
Janell Hazelwood
Get your La Catrina on, catch a mariachi band, bar hop in Puerto Vallarta's town center, and catch a parade along the Malecon for views of the ofrendas (altars) elaborately decorated in bright pinks, oranges, and yellows in remembrance of the beloved departed. It will make you rethink how you celebrate those you've lost and maybe even create a few new practices of honoring the generations who came before you.
2. You can get the most bang for your buck at a range of resorts and spas that actually make you second-guess even leaving the property.
Mountain views from the suite
Courtesy of Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa
For this particular trip, I stayed at the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa, located on a sandy strip along the Sierra Madre Mountains and Banderas Bay. It was a property where you could enjoy a tasting with a tequila sommelier, play all day in the massive pool with your kids, or enjoy a romantic sunset walk along the beach just steps from your hotel room. The mountain views from my suite were top-tier, and I was high enough to get moments of peace while still being able to eavesdrop on all the pool-bar excitement beneath me.
Standout parts of my stay included a massage to the Ohtli Spa, which perfectly mixed a contemporary setting with authentic ancient wellness practices, dinner at Las Casitas, one of six restaurants on the property, and lounge sessions near the massive pool where I could find a spot that was close enough to the beach shore for a cool breeze, mezcal margarita and plate of fish tacos, but far enough from the splashy amusement at the pool.
Ohtli Spa
Courtesy of Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa
La Casitas
Courtesy of Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa
As someone who's a self-proclaimed anti-resort girlie, this property stands as one of the exceptions since I felt like I could customize my experience to my liking, pick and choose when I wanted to turn up or zone out—all while enjoying Mexican dishes and cocktails that actually tasted authentic and were worth ordering over and over again. Oh, and add to that the vicinity to downtown Puerto Vallarta (a quick Uber ride) and you've got yet another reason Puerto Vallarta remains on the must-visit list year after year.
3. There's a nice ratio of men to women which makes for a refreshing change of scene and vibes no matter what season you visit.
According to 2020 (most recent) government numbers, the population is 50% men and 49% women. (In the U.S., women have outnumbered men since the 1950 Census. Do with that what you will.) If you're single (or mingling regardless of your relationship status) this is one titillating draw for visiting Puerto Vallarta. And even if not single, it's refreshing to get a different experience when out and about, especially if you like to venture outside of the resort to make a few new contacts (or a new bae who might be happy to foot the bill for your next trip out there.)
And when it comes to enjoying the company of another visitor or a local, you've got options. If the evening activities at the resort like a gourmet dining experience, a sunset turtle release, or a couples dip in the infinity pool, head further into town to a club for dancing or try a few daytime activities like whale watching (mid-December to late March), shopping on the boardwalk, or a visit to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral.
Puerto Vallarta has also hosted celebrations includingthe Pilgrimage of Our Lady Guadalupe, which includes parades and fireworks in early December, the Festival Gourmet International, a culinary event showcasing the best chefs and restaurants usually held in November, New Years Eve festivities all along the Bay and other local beaches, Fiestas De Mayo with live music (typically held in May through early June), and Fiestas Patrias in Puerto Vallarta which includes the celebration of Mexico’s independence in September.
Puerto Vallarta always offers a new spin on an old adventure if it's somewhere you've been before (like me), but if it's not, you need to go and see for yourself why it's one of the top places to visit in Mexico. It's a must-go next year for your spring or fall break with bae or the family or simply for that long-lost solo vacation you've been itching to finally take the leap on.
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RELATED
At the beginning of the year, we are being shown how significant 2025 will be for love. From March 1, 2025, until April 12, 2025, Venus, the planet of love and relationships, will be retrograde. Venus goes retrograde approximately every 18 months and hasn’t been retrograde since the Summer of 2023. With love taking a step back at the beginning of the year, we move through a time of understanding the emotional world better and letting go of trying to control outcomes here.
What Does 2025 Have in Store for Love?
It’s time to refocus your relationship priorities overall, and with this retrograde happening in both Aries and Pisces, Aries being the first sign of the zodiac and Pisces being the last; there is a chapter we are closing and a new one we are walking into.
Another significant factor that is influencing relationships this year, is Jupiter’s entry into Cancer. Jupiter brings blessings, abundance, luck, and expansion, and in water sign Cancer, brings these gifts to your emotions. Cancer rules emotional safety, foundations, close loved ones, family, support, and emotional well-being, and with Jupiter in this sign from June 9, 2025, until June 30, 2026, we experience blessings in stability within love. This is a good year for building stronger foundations in love, aligning with those who are loyal and supportive, knowing what you need emotionally, and being a lot clearer on it.
Letting Go of the Past: The Astrological Theme of 2025
Overall, the guideline for the year when it comes to love is to focus on the bigger picture and let things work themselves out without forcing them to. Magic will come in for you this year when you can assess your needs and wants, let go of illusions or smoke and mirrors, and focus on the things you want for yourself rather than what you don’t. Your focus and beliefs on love are the priority right now, and things will be coming full circle for the better.
Read below to see your personal 2025 love forecast. Read for your sun, moon, and rising signs.
ARIES
2025 is one of the more significant years for you, Aries. A lot of the major transits are happening in your sign, which includes Venus retrograde in Aries at the beginning of the year, Neptune in Aries from March 2025 until 2039, and Saturn in Aries from May 2025 until 2028. Not to mention, Chiron, the wounded healer is currently in your sign until 2027.
What this means for you when it comes to love, is that you have learned a lot about where you want to be here, and it’s the year to implement more of these tools and knowledge of the heart.
This year for love is about honoring your integrity and what you need personally to thrive in life and creating that space to let it in. You need someone who will be there for you through whatever you are experiencing in life and not someone who adds to these challenges. This year is a time of rising above, and choosing better for yourself.
TAURUS
2025 for you when it comes to love, is all about perspective and taking better care of your heart, Taurus. Uranus, the planet of change, rebellion, progress, and upheaval, has been in your sign since 2019, and this year you get a break from all of the surprises. From Jul. 7, 2025, until Nov. 7, 2025, Uranus leaves your sign and enters Gemini, giving your mind and your heart some time to breathe.
This year you are being given the opportunity to see things for what they are, rather than what you fear them to be. You are able to see your relationship dynamics clearer, allowing you to feel more confident in what you are building and creating for yourself in this area of your life. What you are working on this year is letting go of overthinking, and allowing things to play out the way they are meant to in love.
GEMINI
This year you are feeling in balance when it comes to love, Gemini. Relationships are important to you in life overall, as you are a relationship-oriented sign, but it can be difficult at times to keep the balance and perspective here. This year, with lucky Jupiter in your sign until June, you have the opportunity to be blessed with some fortunate circumstances personally and within romance.
You are feeling yourself this year, and this is attracting you success and new opportunities within love.
Uranus will also be in your sign this year from Jul. 7 until Nov. 7, and some surprises are in store for you. Pay attention to what happens in your love life during this period, as similar themes will be coming back around for you when Uranus officially enters its Gemini transit from 2026 - 2032. Overall, this year is about balancing what’s coming and going in love, and finding your peace within your inner confidence for it all.
CANCER
2025 for you, Cancer, is about stability in love. You are growing emotionally from the ground up, and are feeling a sense of support, confidence, romance, and receptivity in your love life this year. You are one of the lucky signs of 2025, and this is due to Jupiter, the planet of blessings, entering your sign from June 9, 2025, until June 30, 2026. While Jupiter is in your sign, your life expands and you are able to see the gifts of your world that may have been harder to come by previously.
This is a year of spending more time with your loved ones and feeling more heard and supported emotionally. Safety and security are especially important to you this year, and you are only entertaining the people who feel that way about you and provide that. Many Cancers will be expanding their families this year or developing a long-term relationship, and overall this is a year of feeling stronger when it comes to love.
LEO
When it comes to love this year for you, Leo, it’s about trusting your intuition and listening more to what your heart is telling you. There are not many major transits happening in Leo in 2025, which means there is a lot of room to grow, but you may be feeling a lack of support or encouragement to do so. A lot of Leos are taking a step back to look at where they are currently in love, and yearning for some change and a new direction here.
Neptune will be in your 9th house of adventure for most of this year, and you are being asked to get inspired and do things differently, but don’t take unnecessary risks in love that may not serve you in the long run.
It can be easy to get lost in the fantasy of love rather than the actual reality you’ll live in here, and taking more time to understand yourself, your relationships, and the dynamics in your love life will be necessary. Overall, your heart is healing this year and you are moving away from the past and creating your new future.
VIRGO
This year when it comes to love, you are going through changes that are aligning you closer to your goals and dreams here, Virgo. You are focused on making things work that you want to see bloom, and also letting go of putting effort into people that aren’t reciprocating the same energy. With the North Node entering your sister sign Pisces and the South Node moving into your sign from Jan. 11, 2025, until Jul. 26, 2026, you are doing a lot of letting go over the next year.
However, with the North Node being in your 7th house of love, new doors and gifts are also opening up for you and your partnerships. The more you can let go of perfection and overworking your mind and your heart, the more blessings you will experience when it comes to love this year. In 2025, you also have two Eclipses in your sign, and there are overall a lot of changes Virgos are moving through this year. Your main guidance for love is to stand by the things that serve your heart and release yourself from what burdens it.
LIBRA
Love is coming to fruition for you this year, Libra. You have been through a lot in your personal life these past few years, and walking into 2025, you are ready for some positive change. This is a year of feeling in balance with your personal goals and dreams, and what you are experiencing romantically and financially as well. Relationship dynamics are serving you and your sense of abundance, and many gifts are coming your way in love this year.
With Neptune, Chiron, and Saturn all being in your 7th house of love, your love life and partnerships are the main focus for you in 2025.
You are moving through changes, overcoming previous obstacles, and bringing back the dreamy energy here. With Chiron in the 7th, you are still doing some healing of the heart, but with Neptune now entering, it all feels a little more romantic and spiritual at the same time. This year is about believing in the impossible in love, taking care of yourself, and allowing someone else to take care of you as well.
SCORPIO
This year is all about opportunity when it comes to love, Scorpio. You have your eyes on the prize and are focused on what you want for yourself, but also how you want to show up for love as well. You have goals and intentions that you are setting for your love life this year, and a lot of them reflect the passion and strength you are feeling as you enter the year. Vesta is in your sign this year until September, and you have a spark within you that is a magnet for success and love. You are walking forward confidently and are feeling inspired, sexy, and magical this year.
This is a very sensual and powerful year for you, and this energy is being reflected in the relationship experiences you are having. Jupiter also enters your 9th house of adventure halfway through the year, and there is something special about the trips you are taking and the risks you are taking in love. Overall, this is a year of doing things your way and attracting love to you through your inner confidence and charisma.
SAGITTARIUS
This is a beautiful year of feeling balanced and abundant in love, Sagittarius. There is a lot of energy coming in and you are giving a lot of love as well. This sense of synergy you are feeling within your love life this year has a lot to do with Juno, the asteroid of soulmates, in your sign from Feb. 19 - Apr. 15. Your people are coming in and you have options this year, Sag.
This is a year of feeling loved for the inspiring, outgoing, and unique being you are, and meeting more people who match your energy.
Saturn also enters your 5th house of romance this year, and you are learning a lot through your experiences with others. You are learning how to be more confident in who you are and what you want for yourself and also recognizing the importance of making more time for fun and playful experiences. This is the year to see love as a more light-hearted experience and to not take yourself too seriously.
CAPRICORN
You are letting things come to you when it comes to love this year, Capricorn. You are feeling beautiful, capable, and worthy, and you are receiving the gifts that come from this sense of confidence and patience. This past year, you were setting a lot of new goals for yourself and your relationships, and in 2025, you are experiencing the results of these efforts.
Jupiter moves into your sister sign Cancer from June 9, 2025, until June 30, 2026, and enters your 7th house of love, partnerships, romance, marriage, and harmony. Your love life and experience of it all are expanding this year, and benevolent Jupiter is sending blessings to this area of your life. This is a year of things coming full circle for you in love, and you feel less confused about it all and more sure of yourself and what is becoming for you here.
AQUARIUS
Love is a highlight for you this year, Aquarius. You are coming together with another, and many Aquarius’ will be forming new relationships or growing within a strong relationship. You are experiencing the fruition of your dreams in love, and are also able to heal and let go of past emotional experiences that have been overwhelming for you in the past.
The North Node enters your 12th house of closure this year, and you are motivated towards change, cleaning house, and releasing the cobwebs of the past.
You are walking into new emotional experiences with less baggage and self-doubt, and are experiencing a fresh start in love. This is a year of asking for what you need emotionally and receiving it. Love is coming in for you in harmonious and magical ways, and you are rewriting your story in love in 2025.
PISCES
You are moving through a lot of changes when it comes to love in 2025, Pisces. This is a year of closure, healing, and giving yourself a fresh start, and the way you enter the year will be a lot different than the way you end it. The North Node of Destiny enters your sign this year, and the South Node of Karma enters your 7th house of love. So, a lot of your focus this year is on your personal goals and path, and there may be some neglect or lack of focus on your relationships.
This can create some discord with those close to you, and your guidance for this year is to try to balance the personal successes and wins you are experiencing, with the love changes that also need your attention right now. Know that what leaves your life this year is being replaced by something better, and also know that your healing doesn’t need to have a timeline and you can take as much time as you need to grow. Overall, you are turning a new page in love in 2025.
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She adds, “Ambitious women have a notion where to prove to me you care, you must do these things, and that (simply) doesn’t work. It’s a setup for consistent disappointment. People are voting because of ‘their’ interests. No one is doing things with you at the center of their mind.”
fotostorm/ Getty Images
She believes that women, especially Black women, often want to feel special and chosen because that’s how we usually show up for others. She encourages women to think differently, and sometimes, that might even mean redefining what it means to “protect your peace.”
Oftentimes, people associate cutting ties with someone as an effort to “protect their peace.” While space should surely be held for that, it’s also important to know that experiences in life will require you to work through your discomfort, not abandon it.
“We live in a world where you can opt-out and not do the work, or you’re going to agree to do life solo for the rest of your life,” Alex says. “That’s a small world to live in. [It] gives you a reason to not engage. It’s coming from a good spot of not wanting to be hurt, disappointed, or played. You will have more of what you don’t want to experience if you focus on what you don’t want.”
Accepting people for who they are might also help you better coexist with them. “Accepting doesn’t mean agreement, “ Alex says. “The path to peace is accepting the things I can change, and that’s not other people. Observe and see who people are, understand the conditions of that person, and show up to make sure you’re covered.”
If it’s worth it, try to find other ways that you can relate to someone who thinks differently than you. Sometimes, all we want is for people to see us as individuals.
Communicating with someone with opposing viewpoints allows you to see each other as humans “first.” According to Alex, “The aim should be walking in love and building relationships. We are created to be in community. In order for us to thrive and be well, we need community. Period.”
Another important tip on how to navigate difficult relationships is to not employ yourself to make every encounter with someone, a teachable moment. Everyone doesn’t “need” to know your viewpoints on controversial topics and vice versa. Don’t exhaust yourself with thinking you have to save people from their thoughts. We all have access to the same social media and the same internet.
SDI Productions
If people think differently than you, then that’s based on other lived experiences that you may not have; respect that. Just because someone disagrees with you, it is not an invitation to start a confrontation. Disagreements usually leave room for everyone to gain a better understanding as well. Try to make more efforts to be curious rather than defensive during these conversations to avoid feeling attacked.
Ultimately, there is nothing to feel guilty about when making a decision that will make you feel safe. It is, in fact considered a form of self-care. But if you don’t have that option, before you attempt to walk away, make sure you’re always leaving space to see the human in people.
To learn more about Alex and her “Dessert and Discussions,” you can follow her on her INSTAGRAM at Alexthelovengineer.
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Feature image by Delmaine Donson