The overwhelming majority of the population is Roman Catholic, and many Mexicans are deeply religious and conservative in character. Be careful when you bring up issues such as homosexuality; many, especially those outside of Mexico City, are not very tolerant about it.

If you’re a female traveler, be mindful that the country still experiences a high rate of machismo. In particular, wearing shorts outside of large, metropolitan areas and beach resorts is a bad idea, and may lead to uncomfortable attention.

Mexicans have a somewhat relaxed sense of time, so be patient with them. Don’t lose your temper if they arrive 15 minutes later than scheduled. However, if it’s more than 30 minutes, you should be concerned.

Respect Mexico’s laws. Some foreigners feel that Mexico is a place where laws can be broken and the police bribed. While corruption may be common amongst Mexican police, it is extremely disrespectful for foreign nationals to behave in such a manner, and in some cases offering a bribe to an official could get you into even more trouble.

If invited into a home, don’t go barefoot in the house at any time of day or night (except in private).

Watch your language and don’t say “gusto no” for “I don’t want/like” (The reverse is OK). Also, in Mexico (unlike a few countries in South America) “estúpido” means far, far worse than “stupid” in English.