Our Complete Guide to WANDERLUST Festival - VALLE DE BRAVO, MEXICO

so you're thinking about heading to WANDERLUST festival in VALLE DE BRAVO, MX?

I will start by saying that Valle de Bravo is an incredibly magical place surrounded by mountains and blessed by the waters of beautiful Lake Avándaro. The festival is held on the breathtaking grounds of El Santuario Resort & Spa. The staff are warm and inviting and the views are spectacular. The Wanderlust Festival is nothing but good vibes all weekend long. You won't need to pack much, but it does help to arrive prepared. So here it is... a recap of the first Wanderlust festival in Mexico at the beautiful El Santuario Resort in Valle de Bravo. We can't wait to do it all again next year ;)

HOW TO PLAN & WHAT TO PACK for Wanderlust Festival Mexico

PLAN & PREPARE:

First, you’ll want to make sure you purchase your festival ticket! You can explore your ticket options here. Now it’s time to plan for travel in Mexico!

It's a smart idea to start your Wanderlust journey by learning some basic Spanish because... Mexico is a Spanish speaking country! It is important to at least know some basics so that you can converse and get around and ask for help or directions. Make it a point to familiarize yourself with basic greetings, common questions, your contact information, and numbers (for exchanging your dinero!)

Prepare your travel documents ahead of time! It may sound silly but DOUBLE CHECK the expiration date on your passport! You will need a valid passport to enter Mexico of course. Once you arrive in the country, all of your transactions will be in Mexican Pesos. To lock in the best rate, exchange money for Mexican pesos at the bank. You will definitely need pesos to make purchases with many of the vendors at the festival. You can also exchange money at the airport or draw pesos out from a cajero automático (ATM) using an ATM or debit card. Be aware that you may be hit with foreign bank or translation fees so check with your bank for a list of fees. While you are at it, let your bank know that you will be traveling out of the country. I personally recommend carrying a travel credit card with you as many of them offer waived foreign transaction fees. Lastly, a coin purse is a particularly great idea for all of the change you'll be getting back!

ESSENTIAL TRAVEL APPS:

Language Dictionary: Google Translate or Spanish Dict
Language Learning App: Memrise or Duolingo
Free Messaging App: What's App
Live Exchange Rate App: Currency Exchange
Booking Accommodations: Air BnB
Getting around: Google Maps or Waze

GETTING THERE:

You'll be able to hire a driver to get to Valle de Bravo. This is a great direct option to your hotel or accomodation. There are also a few very cheap bus routes that will get you into the town. If you are confident in your driving, consider renting a car (we used Hertz) and driving from the airport in Mexico City or Toluca to Valle de Bravo using the new highway. If you drive to Valle de Bravo via the new highway, you will also need to pay toll fees using pesos which will cost about 350 pesos each way from Mexico City, so be prepared with enough $cash$! The drive from Mexico City is not bad but expect to be stuck in heavy traffic among assertive drivers, construction, and human-directed traffic control until you are out of city limits. It will take approximately 3 hours. There is valet parking at the festival, at El Santuario Resort.

WHAT TO PACK:

You're going to the festival to be active! Right?... do not leave home without your active wear: shorts, leggings, sports bras, t-shirts, tank tops, hair ties or a head band.

The sun in Valle de Bravo can be really intense during the peak of the day when the lake gets direct sun Not all yoga and meditation venues are covered or shaded and you may in direct sun. Pack a hat or visor and sunglasses. Definitely bring a layer to cover your arms, back and chest and be sure to apply plenty of sunscreen. Speaking of sun, don't forget to bring swim wear for pool parties and stand-up paddle board. Flip flops are also a smart item to pack... as you move from class to class, you'll be taking your shoes off before entering the yoga and meditation spaces. While you will still be able to do activities without a yoga mat, but know that the festival is pretty a much 'bring your own mat' atmosphere or buy one from the market. You may also wish to bring along a towel, yoga strap or yoga bag. Definitely make sure you sign up for at least one trail run! Pack good running shoes and socks and your camera phone for the sunset views ;) When the sun sets, temperatures drop and the night air in Valle de Bravo can be quite chilly. Pack and wear layers! A sweater, fleece, sweatshirt, pashmina, or light jacket is a great option. You only need one. After dark, you might find yourself at a campfire kirtan session or at a dance party at the main stage. A pair of jeans and a sweater for night festivities is perfect!

Don't forget the necessities: deodorant, tooth brush, tooth paste, hair brush, lip balm, castile soap as shampoo and body wash, dry shampoo, multi-purpose wet wipes. bug repellent... underwear ;) cross body bag or small backpack. Some extra things to bring: a watch, camera phone, all chargers for electronics you bring.

WHAT WE'RE PACKING IN OUR BEAUTY BAG > BEAUTY ON THE GO: MY WANDERLUST YOGA FESTIVAL BAG ESSENTIALS

EATING & DRINKING:

Organic acai bowls by Vero Amore at Wanderlust Festival

It will be easy to feel busy experiencing all of what the festival has to offer but make it a point to nourish yourself and stay hydrated during the day. IN BOLD AND CAPS! You'll have the best experience if you remember to take care of yourself! You can purchase food from one of the several food vendors. You'll be able to fill a re-usable water bottle with filtered water at the many hydration stations so keep your water bottle full! Acai bowls and fruit smoothies are about 100 pesos and sandwiches and salads are about 200 pesos. Bottled water and more substantial meals can also be purchased at the El Santuario resort bar & restaurant. If you eat at the restaurant, a typical service tip should be 15%. The restaurant accepts debit and credit cards. After the festival there are plenty of places to eat or gather in the town of Valle de Bravo about 20 minutes from the resort.

YOUR RECOVERY KIT:

So many things to do. Gotta do em all! If you've been a little too ambitious in an arm balance workshop, or fell asleep in the sun and woke up to sunburn, a recovery kit is the most amazing thing to pack. Bring along a couple of sheet face masks, topical pain-relief balm, an aromatherapeutic essential oil, aloe or after-sun lotion. Vitamin C lozenges, rehydrating facial mist, and protein or nutrition bars. Bring some bonus items like Yoga Tune-Up balls for muscle recovery and a book to read by the pond as you watch the swans glide by or better yet, ... a journal to reflect on your experiences :)

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