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Bariatric surgery: Tijuana or Cancún for your recovery?
The recovery rules for bariatric surgery are the same in both cities, because they come from the same published guidance. What changes is the city around you: the weather, the hills, the crowds and how much there is to do on each day of your stay.
Short answer
On day 3, our Tijuana list has 5 things that fit the rules and our Cancún list has 5. On day 7, it is 6 in Tijuana and 5 in Cancún.
Typical stay: 5 to 10 days: 1 to 3 nights in hospital, then a recovery hotel near the clinic
Confirm with your surgeon. These are general activity limits from published aftercare guidance. Your clinic's written instructions always come first, and they may be stricter or looser for your procedure.
At a glance
| Tijuana | Cancún | |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | Mild and dry most of the year, around 20 to 27°C in summer. Bright sun even when it feels cool. | Hot and humid all year, 27 to 33°C, with hurricane season from June to November. |
| Getting around | Clinics usually include transfers from the San Ysidro border. Inside the city, use a ride app or the clinic driver. Avoid walking long distances in the first days. | Buses run along the Hotel Zone all day. Taxis and clinic drivers link Downtown, where many dental clinics are, with the hotels. |
| Clinic districts | Zona Río, Zona Centro, Playas de Tijuana | Downtown (Centro), Hotel Zone, Puerto Cancún and Malecón Tajamar |
| Emergency number | 911 for ambulance, police and fire. | 911 for ambulance, police and fire. |
Safe things to do, day by day
Activities from our city lists that fit the published limits on each day. Tap a day for the rules and the full plan.
| Day | Tijuana | Cancún |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Rest day | Rest day |
| Day 2 | Rest day | Rest day |
| Day 3 | 5 safe things | 5 safe things |
| Day 4 | 5 safe things | 5 safe things |
| Day 5 | 5 safe things | 5 safe things |
| Day 6 | 6 safe things | 5 safe things |
| Day 7 | 6 safe things | 5 safe things |
What fits, and what to skip
Tijuana
- Day 3: Lucha libre night, CECUT cultural centre and dome cinema, Playas de Tijuana seafront and the border wall.
- Day 7: CECUT cultural centre and dome cinema, Avenida Revolución walk, Lucha libre night.
- Skip on day 3: Valle de Guadalupe wine tour, Avenida Revolución walk.
Cancún
- Day 3: Maya Museum of Cancún, Mercado 28, Glass-bottom boat or lagoon cruise.
- Day 7: Maya Museum of Cancún, Glass-bottom boat or lagoon cruise, Mercado 28.
- Skip on day 3: Chichén Itzá day trip, Coco Bongo show.
Checks before you book
Tijuana
- Ask for the clinic's COFEPRIS health licence (Mexico's health regulator).
- Ask for the dentist's or surgeon's cédula profesional number and check it in Mexico's national register of professionals.
- For bariatric surgery, ask whether the surgeon is certified by the relevant Mexican surgical council and which hospital the operation is in.
Cancún
- Ask for the clinic's COFEPRIS licence and the dentist's cédula profesional number, which you can check in Mexico's national register of professionals.
- Ask whether you are getting porcelain or composite veneers, how many teeth will be prepared, and the lab that makes them.
- Get the plan, number of visits, guarantee and price in writing before you fly.