Etiquette in Mexico

The church of Santo Domingo de Guzman, Oaxaca city. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Mexicans are warm and formal at once: politeness matters, and a little Spanish goes a long way.

Greetings

Greet with buenos dias/tardes/noches when entering shops and restaurants. A handshake or a cheek kiss (one cheek) is normal among acquaintances.

Use usted with older people and in formal settings; titles (senor, senora, licenciado) are used more than in English.

Meals are social: lunch (comida) is the main meal, often 2-4pm. Tipping 10-15% in restaurants is standard.

It is polite to say provecho (enjoy your meal) when arriving at a table or passing diners.

Drinking in the street is technically restricted in many places; bars and restaurants are the norm.

Dress modestly for churches; ask before photographing people, especially in indigenous communities.

Do not climb structures marked off-limits at archaeological sites, and never take stones or artifacts.