Of course. 10,000 Mexicans will converge on the beach. If you've never been in Mexico for Semana Santa, then you're in for a big surprise. Consider it "Mexican Spring Break."
I was down last year, and I would probably avoid Easter Weekend in the future. It was a logjam through town and if I hadn't been staying in Playa Encanto I don't think I would have had that great of a time. You definitely want to be on the outskirts of town and pretty much forget about going down to Old Port. But if crowds and festivities are your thing then go.
On the plus side, the border wait wasn't bad at all; less than 2 hours.
I was down there last year during Semana Santa staying at one of the condos. Even the condos were crowded and tons of kids. So much for a nice quiet weekend. It seemed like there were 5 kids to each adult.
Chari....the festivities can be great....I didn't make it down last year, but heard there were about 20 Mexicans camped in the space next to mine (yes...one space...I got that info from Ramone)....and my 2 plastic chairs grew legs....fortunately they were cheap ones that I've had for a while!!!
Thanks everyone, but notice I said anything "special" (gotta say it like the church lady, LOL!) meaning do they have a parade or carnival.......things like that. I already assumed that it would be a busy weekend, but I didn't realize that it gets THAT busy!!!!!!!!! It should be different, and interesting, given that most of the visitors will be Mexican nationals and not American tourists. We ALWAYS have a great time in RP no matter what (or nothing) is going on:-D
I usually love busy times in RP, but gotta admit that Semana Santa makes me want to stay indoors. Just way too many people. Even our small gated community feels under siege.
Rosy....I'm curious.....does Semana Santa bring in much $$$ for the local businesses?
They leave money in a different way. More in the convenience stores and super markets and taco stands. Of course room rentals are over the top, although they do cram in lots of people. The Calle 13 bars do well. They don't do much for the businesses on the Malecon except maybe for Flavios. The answer is yes, they do leave a great deal of money in the city. The energy is different and the type of tourism is different, so I tend to want to stay indoors at home and avoid stopping anywhere. Whereas during Spring Break and Bike Week I love being out in the places watching and interacting with the visitors. Maybe this time will be different because it's our first Semana Santa with the Visitor Assistance office. I'll let you know.
there is a lot of money spent on beer, tacos and gasoline... seems that everyone likes to drive around town for this holiday... I agree that this is a good time to stay off the streets if possible...