Drinking Mexican Coffee in Cancun

Is It Safe to Drink Coffee in Mexico?

Necta Coffee Machine- How I Got Good Coffee in Mexico

This question was on my mind as I prepared to go to Mexico for a week-long vacation- is it safe to drink coffee in Mexico?  I have read lots of warnings not to drink tap water in Cancun because parasites in the water cause diarrhea also known as "Montezuma's Revenge".  At the Cancun Airport, there were even signs on the bathroom mirrors warning people not to drink the water.

But a week without coffee would be tough.  Especially in a place that has potential for good local coffee beans.  Some reading on the Internet convinced me that hot coffee should be OK- the high temperature kills the parasites that I have mentioned.

It turned out that the resort I was visiting had treated water, so even the tap water at the resort was probably safe- although I didn't trust it.  I used bottled water for drinking and even to brush my teeth.  I really didn't want to have problems with amoebic dysentery.

Since the resort had treated water, and then this water was heated, I felt OK to try the coffee.  They may have even used bottled water to make the coffee- we noticed that the water glasses they served at dinner were filled from jugs of bottled water.

Mexican Coffee in Cancun

I had read some travel reviews that said it was almost impossible to get a good cup of coffee in Cancun- the coffee at the hotels is terrible and the only hope is a Starbucks.  The resort I stayed at was actually about an hour south of Cancun and finding good coffee there was no problem.

The resort had an Italian Necta coffee machine.  It was loaded with whole coffee beans and had settings to brew shots of espresso or Caffe Americano.  This machine could also brew cappuccino and other drinks with milk.  The menus on the machine were in a foreign language, either Spanish or Italian, so I sometimes ended up with a surprise.  Sometimes the machine would not brew, so I simply moved on to a different machine since I was not sure what the problem was.

During my stay, I noticed that some of the machines had a small sign that said "decaffeinato".  I am not an expert on Spanish, but I think that means decaffeinated.  I am pretty sure most people did not notice the small sign.  I tried both the regular coffee and decaffeinated.  It was an espresso roast, strong and fresh.

Overall, I would rate the coffee I had in Mexico as quite good, but your experience could vary quite a bit depending on what your hotel has to offer.


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