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Sofia Durand

Hola! My name is Sofia, and I'm an outdoor enthusiast with a passion for travel. Originally from Yucatán, I've spent my life exploring the natural wonders of Mexico and immersing myself in its vibrant culture.
As a traveler, I believe that the best way to experience a new place is by connecting with its people and exploring its hidden gems.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"I am a specialist in nature and adventure tourism activities such as diving, snorkeling, and hiking. When it comes to destinations, I am particularly well-versed in the Yucatán Península, and the central and southern regions of Mexico."

How did you get involved in travel?

"My passion for travel began at a young age, thanks to my parents, who are biologists, and their love for exploration. They often took me with them on trips to different regions. As I grew older, I began to appreciate not only the natural world but also the cultural richness of the places we visited."

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"When I was a kid, I went on a trip to Calakmul, an ancient Mayan city hidden deep in the jungles of the Yucatán. As we drove deeper into the jungle, we realized that we were surrounded by a herd of wild boars. At first, we were a little frightened, but we watched them calmly grazing on the vegetation around our car for hours. Eventually, the boars wandered off into the forest.
I still remember that encounter with the wild boars, and how it felt to be so completely immersed in the natural world. It was a unique travel experience that I will never forget.
"

Sofia is part of the following groups: Mexico Travel Agents
Top itineraries and travel advice
Family itineraries

Recent trip reviews for Sofia

AMAZING! Great service and real VIP experienc...
Mexico | Dec 30 - Dec 30, 2023

L
Liz S.
Dallas, TX | Reviewed on Dec 31, 2023

AMAZING! Great service and real VIP experience. Loved our personal driver Cesar and our expert guide at Chichen Itza, Rangel. The cenote was sublime- couldn’t have been a better day. Will book again when I come back!

Local specialist: Sofia Durand

High Praise!
Mexico | Oct 18 - Oct 27, 2023

Elizabeth
Elizabeth K.
Norristown, PA | Reviewed on Oct 29, 2023
Go to Mexico City and book your trip through kimkim and Rutopia! Only positive feedback for our experience booking a 10 day trip in Mexico City and Puebla/Cholula. Our drivers were prompt (early, usually!), our guides were knowledgeable and friendly, and our accommodations were wonderful. I really appreciated that in the planning stages, Sofie was willing to make any change I requested - we went through 8 different itineraries until it was the perfect trip for my husband and me. Mexico City... Read more

Go to Mexico City and book your trip through kimkim and Rutopia! Only positive feedback for our experience booking a 10 day trip in Mexico City and Puebla/Cholula. Our drivers were prompt (early, usually!), our guides were knowledgeable and friendly, and our accommodations were wonderful. I really appreciated that in the planning stages, Sofie was willing to make any change I requested - we went through 8 different itineraries until it was the perfect trip for my husband and me. Mexico City is a beautiful, cosmpolitan city with so much to see, learn, do and eat!

Special recognition to our fantastic guides: Emiliano, Mary and Pablo in Mexico City, Eloy in Teotihuacan and Guadalupe (Lupita!) and Maria in Cholula and Puebla. Guadalupe especially went above and beyond by going way over our allotted time by taking us personally to two can't-miss churches in Cholula. The tours were mostly private and the guides were flexible, personable and generous with their time. The "souvenir stops" on some of these tours (which I generally tolerate as part of the deal but mostly dislike) were much less of a hard sell than on other trips I have taken in the past, and some were even pleasant. The vendors were informative but not at all aggressive and there were several tours that didn't include them at all, like our excursion to Xochimilco and our mural walk with Emiliano. We also appreciated the clear and attentive communication from Lizbeth as we were on our trip. She checked in daily to see how we were faring and reminded us of any logistics for the next day.

We had friends over last night and I highly recommended this service to them for planning their next vacation abroad and intend to be repeat customers.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Casa Eva
Colonia San Pedro Cholula, Puebla

A great location in Cholula with a lovely, helpful staff and a delicious breakfast. The only feedback I would mention is that the room itself lacked amenties that are standard in other hotels - no coffee maker in the room (although you can ask the staff to bring you coffee anytime), no hairdryer in the room (again, ask the staff), no filtered water dispenser in the public areas, no mini-fridge, etc. With that said, this is a charming, spotless hotel with staff dedicated to providing excellent service. Thanks especially to Tomas who was attentive and kind and responsive to any request.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Casa Mali by Dominion
Mexico City

Spotless, friendly and perfectly located, Casa Mali is a great option for staying in Mexico City.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Directly across of Parque Mexico in Condesa, there are lots of restaurants right in the vicinity and feels very safe and lively.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Gastronomic tour in Puebla
Gastronomic tour in Puebla
Puebla

Come hungry because you will try all the amazing street food to be had in Puebla. Molotes, tacos arabes, pan de muerto, coffee with Mexican chocolate and more are all on the menu. There is more deliciousness in four blocks of Puebla than you can imagine, and it is well worth it to have a knowledgeable guide to take you to all the best places and make suggestions.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
I cannot say enough about Maria. She is so knowledgeable and friendly and was an absolute delight to spend the day wandering about and eating. Gracias, amiga!
Transport
Between markets and corn in the magical town of Cholula
Between markets and corn in the magical town of Cholula
Mexico

So highly recommended to stroll around the market and the quaint town of Cholula with a lovely guide like Guadalupe. She offered all kinds of things for us to sample and was an excellent, friendly and warm translator. There is a lot of walking on this tour, including a lot of uphill and steps, but totally worth it. Guadalupe let us take our time and made frequent stops to catch our breath and take cute photos along the way. I learned more in the 6 hours I spent with Guadalupe than I ever expected. She is a gem! We also loved the experience of visiting the maiz restaurant. The owners (I forget their names - sorry!) were so friendly and I loved how they warmly and patiently giggled at a couple of Americans clumsily preparing corn tortillas the traditional way. The food they served was fantastic as well. It is a really fun way to spend a little time in Cholula.

Quality of Experience
Food
We loved trying lots of things in the market and the lunch at the maiz restaurant was simple but exquisite.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guadalupe went well beyond her brief by taking us to two stunning churches that were not on the itinerary. We asked for her to maybe translate with an Uber driver so we could do independently, and instead, she chose to take us herself. We are so grateful because we got so much more out of our visit than we could ever have without her.
Transport
Private walking tour of Teotihuacan "The City of the Gods"
Private walking tour of Teotihuacan "The City of the Gods"
Mexico City

Truly worthwhile to take a knowledgeable guide on this outing to learn about the architecture and history of this archeological site. Less walking than I anticipated.

Quality of Experience
Food
Nice meal with great friendly service.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Eloy and Omar are wonderful guides. Eloy is personable and very knowledgeable. I appreciated how he brought his own life experiences into our tour.
Transport
The roads in Teotihuacan are quite bumpy but Omar was a gentle and careful driver. Thank you Omar!
See Teotihuacan by Hot Air Balloon
See Teotihuacan by Hot Air Balloon
Mexico City

If you are wondering if it is worth it, YES! It is worth waking up at 4am! It is worth the price! It is worth the feeling of doubt and the little bit of anxiousness. We felt completely safe and totally at peace floating above the pyramids of Teotihuacan at sunrise and the operation that ran it - Volar en Balon - was completely professional and capable. Be aware that the instructions on the balloon are issued in Spanish. A fellow passenger translated for us and made sure we knew how to absorb the landing safely, but I would recommend the operator make sure that all passengers are informed of the safety instructions.

Quality of Experience
One thing
Food
The food was fine but the service at Volar en Balon could be improved. We were kind of ignored for the duration of our breakfast, coffee not refilled, requests not fulfilled, etc, even when we tried to politely flag down our server.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Be amazed by the pre-hispanic beauty of the chinampas in Xochimilco
Be amazed by the pre-hispanic beauty of the chinampas in Xochimilco
Mexico City

We did an ecological tour of the chinampas of Xochimilco and the tranquil setting was a perfect reset towards the end of our trip to CDMX, as our legs, bodies and brains were tired from all the stimulation and walking. We relaxed on the boat and observed birds and the environment unfold around us. Mary and Rosalva were informative and personable, but allowed time for silent reflection and simple enjoyment, which I really appreciated. When we visited the farm, it was wonderful to see all the products that were growing and to pick fresh peppers, tomatoes, flowers and herbs and enjoy them all right there.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
A Walk among Murals: Exploring the History and Legacy of Mexican Muralists
A Walk among Murals: Exploring the History and Legacy of Mexican Muralists
Mexico City

Emiliano is a knowledgeable and personable guide with a deep understanding of the significance of each mural and the symbols and references in each one. Our entire trip was enriched by this tour, as we were able to connect what we learned on the tour with other things we saw in Mexico City.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Our driver was attentive and communicative. Thank you Alan!
Local specialist: Sofia Durand
Sofia
Sofia Durand
Local specialist in Mexico City | Replied on Nov 16, 2023
Hola Elizabeth! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your incredible experience with us at Kimkim and Rutopia! It brings us immense joy to know that you had such a positive experience, and we deeply appreciate your kind words. We understand that a smooth and enjoyable journey relies on prompt drivers, knowledgeable and friendly guides, and comfortable accommodations, and we're delighted that we met and exceeded your expectations in these aspects. The people we work with are truly... Read more

Hola Elizabeth! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your incredible experience with us at Kimkim and Rutopia! It brings us immense joy to know that you had such a positive experience, and we deeply appreciate your kind words.

We understand that a smooth and enjoyable journey relies on prompt drivers, knowledgeable and friendly guides, and comfortable accommodations, and we're delighted that we met and exceeded your expectations in these aspects. The people we work with are truly passionate about showcasing the beauty and culture of Mexico to our travelers, but it is so nice to read that they have transmitted that feeling to you too :)

We are truly grateful for your recommendation, and we look forward to welcoming them as future travelers. Whenever you are ready to return to Mexico, I would be more than happy to help you plan a trip to explore other beautiful regions, like Oaxaca or the Yucatan Peninsula :)

Once again, thank you for choosing Kimkim and Rutopia for your unforgettable journey in Mexico. We eagerly await the opportunity to assist you with your future travel plans.

Sofi