House Sitting In Mexico: Everything You Need To Know

Over the past few years, house sitting has grown exponentially as a means to travel. Especially for those of us who enjoy spending an extended amount of time in one location, rather than simply ticking off the “must-sees” and moving on.

Indeed, the choices for house sitting now extend well beyond the traditional hotspots of the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Part of the reason for this is the explosion in the number of expats who’ve moved from North America and Europe to tropical destinations in other parts of the Americas. For instance, we’ve completed a number of assignments in Brazil, The British Virgin Islands, St Vincent & The Grenadines, Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia, to name but a few.

But perhaps the biggest boom has been the availability of house sitting in Mexico. With an ever-increasing number of people either emigrating there from the USA or Canada (lured by great weather, superb food and a lower cost of living), or spending the winter months there living in a second home (aka “snowbirding”), homeowners are catching on to the benefits of having live-in carers for their pets and property when they’re not around.

As we write (2024), we’ve completed six house sits in Mexico – in Ajijic (Lake Chapala), Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Sayulita, El Pescadero (Baja California Sur) and Mexico City – over a period of six months. We’ll admit we love it there. And we fully intend on returning in the future.

So, in this article, we’ll describe what it’s like to live in Mexico as a house sitter, based on our own experiences. We’ll outline some of the challenges you might face. And we’ll point you in the right direction to find out more.

What is a house sitter?

It’s a question we’re often asked. Basically it’s an exchange of services between a homeowner (who needs pet care and/or security for their home while they’re away for a period of time) and a house sitter (who assumes responsibility for both in exchange for free accommodation).

By doing so, the house sitter is able to experience living in a new environment as a local (albeit in comfortable surroundings), as well as being able to explore the area. And, for us, house sitting in Mexico offers the best of both those worlds. Beautiful accommodation in authentic Mexican neighbourhoods with a whole raft of eating out, sightseeing and cultural experiences on the doorstep.

Of course, as the vast majority of house sits involve the care of pets, that comes with a considerable amount of responsibility. So a house sitter needs to be able to balance that responsibility with the feasibility of exploring the area they’re staying in.

We’ve been doing it since 2016, so we’d like to think we’re fairly experienced. But it’s never too late to start. Indeed, we’ve collated our experiences into a comprehensive guide on what it is and how to get started.

Start by setting up a free account with Trusted Housesitters

If you’re new to this concept but want to give it a try, you’ll need to sign up for one or more specialist websites that connect owners with potential house sitters. The world’s largest platform is Trusted Housesitters, with tens of thousands of opportunities around the globe.

By creating a free account with them you can preview what housesits are currently on offer, filtered by country, region or city.

You can do that by following this link and clicking on the “Find a house sit” tab. If you then decide to join as a member, you’ll also receive a 25% discount on your first year’s subscription.

Why house sitting in Mexico is so attractive

There’s a plentiful supply of quality accommodation

To be clear, the vast majority of house sits in Mexico are owned (or leased) by immigrants, expats or “snowbirds” (with second homes) from the USA and Canada. And, to a lesser degree, from Europe and elsewhere. They tend to congregate in particular locations that offer plenty of quality accommodation, along with access to great food, weather, scenery, beaches etc.

So, if you’re looking for a house sit with that extra bit of Mexican authenticity (in other words, Mexican owners, a Mexican-only neighbourhood etc) you’ll have to work a little harder.

But, as the growth in numbers of people emigrating to Mexico continues unabated, so will the opportunites to house sit. Especially as many homeowners are introduced to the concept of house sitting by friends and neighbours in their new community.

Immerse yourself in Mexican daily life

For us, this is one of the big attractions. Yes, many of the sits are located in more touristy areas, with some facilities geared towards expats rather than local people, but that doesn’t mean you can’t experience genuinely Mexican daily life. Especially where food is concerned.

For example, during our two-month stay in Guanajuato, we would wander to our local plaza to buy our breakfast gordita from a mobile stall, choose our freshly prepared squeezed juice from a tiny hatch in the wall and buy our still-warm corn tortillas from the nearest tortilleria. Later, we might buy our fruit and vegetables from our favourite stall in Hidalgo Market, but save the huitlacoche (an edible fungus that grows on corn) for the elderly lady who sells it on the kerbside. And, in return, we’d be treated almost as locals by the people we interacted with. Simple pleasures, but ones we usually get the biggest kick from.

Of course, if you want to properly engage with ordinary, local people (rather than just those employed in the tourist or hospitality industry), it helps if you know some basic Spanish. So book yourself into a local Spanish school and a conversation practice group (there’ll be plenty about where there are expat communities) or choose an online course.

It’ll be worth it. We found most Mexicans to be friendly, welcoming people who were genuinely interested in what we thought of their town, country or culture.

The fantastic food

For us, Mexican cuisine is up there with anything that, say India, Thailand or Italy can offer. And it can be extremely good value for money, too.

Of course, many of the housesit destinations come with international restaurants and European-style coffee shops. But, whether you’re in Cancún or a tiny village in Baja, you’ll undoubtedly come across authentic Mexican food to die for.

For example, the ubiquitous tacos (and their derivatives) are everywhere – in restaurants, cafés, cantinas and mobile stalls. Many come with fillings specific to that region. Some are on the right side of the healthy eating spectrum. Others certainly are not. Suffice to say, we love them!

Obviously, Mexican food is more than just tacos. Although you’re never that far away from a tortilla, a bowl of rice, some black beans and a selection of salsas. Our Guanajuato Food Guide gives you a flavour of what’s typically on offer.

And it’s not only about eating out, either. As we’ve mentioned, we really enjoy buying local produce and experimenting with Mexican dishes at home. All you need to do is research some recipes you’d like to try, buy your ingredients locally and, through trial and error, start to create your own masterpieces.

Such as our tostada (a crispy, flat tortilla) topped with refried beans, sliced tomatillo, tomato, avocado, fried egg and salsa macha (hot and crispy chilli salsa). OK, we didn’t quite nail the presentation but they tasted wonderful for breakfast!

You can get 180 days in Mexico without a visa

Residents of the USA, Canada, the UK and much of Europe can visit Mexico for up to 180 days without the need for a visa. That’s as long as the visit is for tourist or education purposes and not for paid work. So it opens up the possibility for longer-term or multiple housesits to make the most of your time.

Mexico has excellent transport links

It’s pretty straightforward getting around Mexico, despite the lack of a country-wide passenger rail network. The luxury inter-city buses are fast, comfortable and relatively inexpensive. And budget airlines (such as Viva and Volaris) can be even cheaper – especially if you don’t have checked-in luggage.

If you’re house sitting in the Yucatan Peninsula, the newly opened Tren Mayaa (Mayan Train) connects the main archaeological sites, Pueblo Magicos and beach resorts in the region.

There are so many great sight-seeing opportunities…

Naturally, if you’re house sitting in Mexico, you’ll still want to find time to go full-on-tourist from time to time. And there’s so much to choose from. For instance, the historic Mayan and Aztec sites like Chichén Itzá, Palenque and Teotihuacán; the natural wonders of Copper Canyon, the Monarch Butterfly Reserve and the Sea of Cortez; the coastal delights of the Mayan Peninsula, Oaxaca and Baja California; and the pueblo magícos (“magic towns”) such as Izamal, Tequila and Pátzcuaro.

…and cultural events to experience

And, if you’re lucky enough to be house sitting when there’s a festival in town, then you’re in for a treat.

Mexicans don’t need much of an excuse to set up a festival, which often includes crowd-pleasers such as live music, dancing, fireworks, tequila (or mezcal) and the inevitable taco stalls. They can occur throughout the year but can be specific to a region or town.

However, some of the national festivals (eg: Día de Muertos – Day of the Dead) are such big events that booking hotel or Airbnb accommodation needs to be done well in advance. And it’ll probably cost substantially more than normal, too. Another benefit of being able to housesit during those periods instead.

So, where can you house sit in Mexico?

Although most house sits are based in the Baja peninsula, central Mexico or the Yucatan peninsula, there are others to be found in less travelled places, too. But, to give you a flavour of where you can house sit in Mexico, here’s our rundown of the most popular destinations, running west to east.

The Baja California Peninsula is a big favourite for lovers of desert landscapes, whale watching, big game fishing, beaches and seafood tacos. Due to its easy access from the USA (especially California) there are plenty of US & Canadian expat housesits, both in the north (such as Rosarito and Ensenada) and south (Cabo San Lucas, Todos Santos, La Paz and Loreto).

We housesat in El Pescadero, near to Todos Santos, for two months. Much quieter and laid back than its brasher cousins along the coast, it’s nevertheless an up-and-coming area for those who want to avoid the excesses of Cabo San Lucas et al.

On the opposite side of the Gulf of California, Mazatlan (in Sinaloa state), with its beaches, 21 km of malécon (boardwalk) and vibrant nightlife has a growing expat community. And, in neighbouring Nayarit, Puerto Vallarta is a famously upmarket, traditional resort with an international flavour.

We housesat just up the coast from there in Sayulita, which has more of a hippie / backpacker vibe. Although, to be honest, it was far too dusty for us. And it seemed like there were as many as three American tourists for every Spanish-speaking Mexican. Not a place we’d particularly recommend.

Heading inland, Jalisco state has a couple of hotspot areas for house sitters. The big attraction is Lake Chapala, with its large retiree expat population and spring-like climate. Most house sits are in and around the lakeside town of Ajijic, with its cobbled steets, colourful buildings, street art and plentiful restaurants. There’s also a sizeable influx of city dwellers who travel down from Guadalajara to severely test the resort’s capacity to cope during weekends and public holidays.

We housesat for three weeks within a gated community in nearby San Juan Cosalá.

Just north of Lake Chapala, Guadalajara is a lovely city with a fantastic historic centre. Although we didn’t house sit, we did spend some time there and would jump at the chance to return if a sit became available.

Southeast of Jalisco, Michoacán state has a poor reputation for safety, but there are a couple of house sitting destinations that are true gems. Pátzcuaro is a beautiful and historic lakeside town with strong connections to its indigenous heritage. Which culminates in Mexico’s most authentic Day of the Dead celebrations at the beginning of November.

And, less than an hour away by road, the gorgeous city of Morelia is full of colonial-era grand buildings, wide streets and a big University population. Both are considered safe for tourists to visit and we feel are more authentically Mexican than some of those to the west.

North of Michoacán, the state of Guanajuato is home to three colourful towns/cities with historic roots in the Mexican Revolution. Dolores Hidalgo is where the revolution began before it escalated in nearby Guanajuato (the state’s capital).

We’ll nail our colours to the mast right here – having spent two months house sitting there, Guanajuato is undoubtedly our favourite Mexican town. And we’ve written quite extensively about it. It might be a little rough around the edges for some but, for us, its history, superb street food and unique nightlife make it a special place. And it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site to boot.

However, for pure aesthetics, it’s hard to beat San Miguel de Allende, the ridiculously picturesque town 90 minutes away by road – and another UNESCO World Heritage Site. With clean, cobblestoned streets, beautifully maintained buildings, upmarket restaurants, cafés and boutique shopping – together with colourful parades and fireworks displays galore – it’s no wonder that it attracts so many expats from across the world. And plenty of wealthy Mexicans, too. Of course, that also means higher prices and LOTS of English-speaking voices.

Between San Miguel de Allende and Mexico City lies Santiago de Querétaro, another of central Mexico’s colonial-era cities. And then Mexico City itself is a sprawling, high-altitude metropolis with a number of house sitting hotspots that are worth seeking out. Most tend to be in the historic centre of the city, specifically the bohemian neighbourhoods of Condesa and Roma. As for us, we completed a one-week sit in the upmarket neighbourhood of Polanco, close to the shiny, silver curves of the futuristic Soumaya Museum.

Just a couple of hours east of Mexico City, Puebla is another historic city with a lovely old centre, and is famous for its signature culinary speciality, mole poblano. We spent a week-or-so there in the build-up to the Day of the Dead celebrations and would love to return for a house sit if we can.

Five hours southeast of Puebla by road, Oaxaca is another foodie destination and home to one of Mexico’s biggest Day of the Dead festivals. And, like Puebla, it specialises in moles – only Oaxaca has seven different types. Factor in tlayudas (extra-large, thin tortillas smothered with refried beans and various toppings), stringy Oaxacan cheese, smoke-filled BBQ stalls and enough crispy fried grasshoppers to frighten any unsuspecting child and you begin to realise why it’s considered Mexico’s culinary capital.

Oh, and did we mention that Oaxaca is the chocolate and mezcal (a smokier version of tequila) capital of Mexico, too?

Also in Oaxaca state, Puerto Escondido is one of several beach resorts along the tropical coastline that have developed from sleepy surfing towns to burgeoning ex-pat communities. We haven’t been there yet but have plans to do so on our next visit.

And, in the far east of the country, the twin states of Yucatán and Quintana Roo face both the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

Merida is the capital of Yucatán and is said to be Mexico’s safest city. It’s also a great base for exploring the Gulf of Mexico beaches, Mayan ruins (such as Uxmal) and the many cenotes (open caves with crystal clear pools). And the city itself is another Mexican hotspot for foodies, too.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Quintana Roo will be familiar to anybody whose taken a package holiday in Mexico as it’s where the brash super-resorts of Cancun and Playa del Carmen are located.

Some things to consider

Look at different ways to find house sits

We’ve already identified the Trusted Housesitters platform as a great place to start your search. However, there are some other ways to improve your reach.

For instance, Housesit Mexico is a dedicated platform for Mexican sits that might serve you well as a complement to Trusted Housesitters. Or as a cheaper alternative.

But, if you think about it, lots of expats in one place tend to lead to expat Facebook groups. So identifying and joining one or more of those groups can lead to conversations about house sitting opportunities.

And, once you’ve started your first assignment, there’s a good chance your host might know other people on the lookout for sitters, too. Just ask for a referral.

The pets you’ll be looking after

The vast majority of advertised sits include caring for one or more pets. Mostly dogs and cats, but sometimes other pets, too (eg: horses, reptiles, birds). So when choosing your sit, bear in mind what you’ll be committing to once you’ve agreed to it.

For instance, if the homeowner wants their two dogs to be walked three times per day, that might interfere with any of your plans to go off exploring. On the other hand, you might like the idea of exploring the local area and taking the dogs with you. Or perhaps you’d be better off looking for a sit where there are just a couple of cats.

Our preference would normally be for where a dog is needing one long morning walk, which fits in perfectly with our lifestyle. It’s very much a case of “horses for courses”.

Staying safe

It won’t have escaped your attention that Mexico has a bad reputation for violence, largely as a result of drug cartel activity and a high incidence of femicide. And there’s no escaping the fact that outbreaks of violence are a potential hazard throughout the country.

Having said that, most incidents involving tourists are those that involve muggings for money. Which, to be honest, can happen in cities across the world. That’s not to downplay the issue. Drug gang violence is a real problem. But it’s normally between themselves rather than gangs versus tourists. The headlines come when tourists and innocent bystanders get caught in the crossfire.

However, it goes without saying that you need to follow basic safety measures to reduce the chances of being mugged or caught up in any gang-related violence. Be aware of your surroundings, dress modestly, don’t wander along empty unlit streets at night and heed your home country’s travel advice.

But don’t let the warnings and headline horror stories put you off from going – most people don’t encounter any problems at all. We’ve spent nine months backpacking and house sitting in Mexico without a sniff of trouble.

The biggest threat we faced was from street dogs. Ian was attacked in Guanajuato by three dogs that took a dislike to him as he walked through their territory (no injuries sustained, but shaken by the experience). And he was also confronted by several dogs from a rooftop in San Juan Cosala.

Again, this is not just a Mexican problem, but it’s something we became wary of as we explored our surroundings.

Final thoughts on house sitting in Mexico

For many reasons, Mexico is one of our favourite house sitting destinations. And with a plentiful, and ever-increasing supply of attractive housesits available throughout the year, it’s becoming easier to find them on sites such as Trusted Housesitters and Housesit Mexico.

Indeed, there’s a lot more we want to see and do in the country. Which we’ll almost certainly do by combining guest house accommodation with periods of house sitting. Especially in states we’d like to explore more of, such as Oaxaca, Puebla and Guanajuato.

So, if you’re new to house sitting or are thinking of plunging in, we’d suggest Mexico as a great place to start. And, if you need any advice, feel free to use our Comments section below and we’ll post a response right away.

What did you think?  Do you have any recommendations on house sitting in Mexico? Or perhaps you’re planning to do it the near future? Either way, we’d love to hear from you so please add your comments below.