'Y Tu Mamá También': Celebrating the Mexican Road Trip

[Iberostar Hotels & Resorts]

by Andy Jarosz

When it was released in 2001, few suspected that the Mexican movie Y Tu Mamá También would become such a worldwide hit. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, the story is simple enough: two bored teenagers (played by Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal) try to impress an attractive twentysomething at a wedding (Maribel Verdú) with tales of a fabled beach. Although she isn’t interested in keeping them company at first, when she later learns of her husband’s wayward behavior she accepts the boys’ offer and joins them on their road trip to the coast.

The tale follows the unlikely threesome as they make their way through the Mexican landscape. Boastful tales of conquests soon spill over into emotional outbursts and an inevitable series of sexual liaisons. The ending is poignant, sad even, but fits perfectly with the overall mood of the movie. I won’t spoil it any further for those who haven’t yet seen it.

Y Tu Mamá También is set in Mexico City and along the western coast of the country, but I challenge anyone to take a road trip in Mexico after watching the movie and not think back to the scenes of the three lead characters drifting along the long straight highways.

Traveling in Mexico

For many folks who come to the Riviera Maya on vacation, the experience of traveling in Mexico is all about taking a rental car from one of the main resorts along the Yucatan coast to the major Mayan sites. The drive to Chichen Itza from Cancun is an easy two- to three-hour cruise along a modern highway.

If you have time and are looking for a bit of adventure, it’s well worth turning off the main road and taking the slow way through the villages, stopping along the way for a bite to eat and a drink. It’s here where you’ll find the rural Mexico that is depicted in movies such as Y Tu Mamá También – and you may even find two not-so-young men looking for something they lost and have yet to find…

This post is adapted from one originally published on PassportToIberostar.com

Photo | borderlys

[Nicholas Kontis]

Andy,

Vivo parte el ano en Puerto Vallarta. Let's stick with English, as my Spanish should be much better for a part time resident of Mexico. I have driven in many parts of Mexico and I never feel unsafe. It makes me so angry when the U.S. media says that Mexico is unsafe. I surf, dive, drive with a beer in my hand, and nobody bothers me. Sorry, I know this has nothing to do with your story. Y Tu Mamá También - FANTASTICO! Diego Luna what a talented actor. I met him in P.V. once. Well, part of my goal in my travel life is to be the gringo or in my case, Griego, the American living in Mexico who can attest to the fact that Mexico is as safe as any place on Earth. I also live part of the year in Los Angeles. The chances of me having an altercation or as an avid cyclist, getting hit by a car, are much greater in Los Angeles than in Mexico. Common sense exists anywhere in the world. Don't drive at night or in bad parts of town. In 12 years as a Greek American married to a first generation Mexican American wife, my life is much better when I'm south of the boarder. Mexico to me is all about the adventure.

[José Balido]

Awesome movie!