Living at Altitude in Mexico

Altitude sickness is not something people typically think of when visiting or living in Mexico. While altitude can become a significant issue for a small few people, for most of us it’s a matter of taking time to acclimatize.

If you’re planning to visit or live in one of the popular destinations in the central highlands of Mexico, you’ll be going to a high-altitude zone. The more popular destinations at altitude include:

• Mexico City: 2,250 meters (7,350 feet)
• Guadalajara: 1,560 meters (5,108 feet)
• Querétaro: 1,860 meters (6,100 feet)
• San Miguel de Allende: 1,900 meters (6,233 feet)
• Cuernavaca: 1,510 meters (5,000 feet)
• Tepoztlán: 1,710 meters (5,600 feet)
• Puebla: 2,135 meters (7,005 feet)
• Guanajuato: 2,012 meters (6,600 feet)
• Oaxaca: 1,585 meters (5,200 feet)
• San Cristóbal de las Casas: 2,200 meters (7,200 feet)

While these cities are known for their idyllic climate (typically characterized by warm sunny days, and cool nights), they are also situated at altitudes that might prove challenging for a short while after you arrive.  Considering the elevation of a place is especially important for travelers with asthma or other breathing problems, and Mexico City is particularly challenging for those with breathing difficulties between December and April, when the combination of the altitude and trapped air pollution can make the capital’s air quite uncomfortable.

The symptoms of altitude sickness can take two or three days to make themselves apparent and may include:

• Headaches
• Loss of appetite
• Dizziness or nausea
• Fatigue
• Sleeplessness
• Shortness of breath

A related article, Breathing Easy at High Altitudes in Mexico, offers tips and advice to help you acclimatize to higher altitudes.  It can take up to a week for your body to fully adjust.

Altitude sickness is rarely fatal at altitudes below 11,000 feet (3,500 meters), and on average Mexico’s colonial cities are situated at an elevation of some 6,000 feet above sea level. The summit of Mexico’s highest mountain, Pico de Orizaba, peaks at 5,636 m (18,500 feet)—and even that is well below the so-called ‘death zone’ of 8,000 meters: the height at which oxygen levels are too low to sustain human life. Nonetheless, anyone planning to undertake mountaineering expeditions in Mexico should come well prepared.

For a small few people, even altitudes over a couple of thousand feet may cause health problems.  If your symptoms are more serious, seek lower elevation (head to the coast) and seek immediate medical attention. Medical professionals may administer oxygen or Acetazolamide (Diamox) to stimulate breathing. If you have had altitude sickness before, consider asking your doctor for this medication as a preventative measure.

For some people, especially runners and other endurance athletes, Mexico’s high elevation areas are exactly what they are looking for, and many runners preparing for international competition train in the mountains around Mexico City.

If you are looking for a “kick your butt” training challenge, try the 1,200 foot run-climb to the mountain pyramid “El Tepozteco”, in Tepoztlán, Morelos.  As Modern Hiker’s website puts it, “There aren’t too many places where you can find a trail that will kick your butt with elevation gain, bring you to the ruins of a 500-year-old religious complex, and drop you off right next to a market filled with unbelievably delicious hand-made food…”

See Also: Why 7,000 feet can’t deliver a free lunch

Monica Rix Paxson is an expert in the field of Mexico healthcare. She is author of the English Speaker’s Guide to Medical Care in Mexico, and co-author of The English Speaker’s Guide to Doctors Hospitals in Mexico – eBooks available for immediate download. She resides full-time in Mexico.