Tourists Heading To Mexico Should Know That Public Bathrooms Often Lack One Common Feature

Mexico! America's neighbor to the south is a land of incredible contrasts and jaw-dropping scenery. From white sand beaches to verdant jungles, rugged highlands, deep canyons, open desert — as well as active volcanoes — Mexico has it all. The country is also home to a fascinating culture informed by thousands of years of history, along with a fiery, mouth-watering cuisine that may just make you go weak in the knees.

Mexico is by far the most-visited foreign destination for American tourists. While many head to the gated compounds of the country's sprawling beach resorts, others get a bit more daring and dive into the "real" Mexico. This is a place that can't be experienced from the pampered, easy environs of the big hotels, but rather in the rural villages, humming cities, and enchanting towns like these "pueblos magicos," where Mexico's true treasures lie.

Seeing Mexico at its most authentic also means that things can get a bit rough around the edges, especially when it comes time to use the public bathrooms, which — given the spice level of some of the local cuisine — may be more often than you'd like. While the state of these restrooms can vary from decent to dire, you may also notice that many have one thing in common: a lack of toilet seats. This can make things ... challenging at times.

Like any mystery, the question of Mexico's missing toilet seats has no single explanation. That said, a few factors likely come into play. While some may get pilfered, one answer is that the seat was never there to begin with, and the authorities who built the bathroom excluded it simply as a cost-saving measure. Sanitation is another issue: Perhaps the seats were left out since they're a pain to clean, especially in unisex restrooms where men may not be so accurate with their aim.

There is also the question of the high mineral content in the Mexican water supply. According to the website Everything Playa del Carmen, these tend to build up deposits on porcelain, which is often cleaned off with muriatic acid. This caustic chemical does a terrific job of dissolving these minerals, as well as — you guessed it — plastic toilet seats.

One theory that makes a lot of sense is that Mexican toilets were never designed as places to linger. "When you come across a toilet without a seat, don't fret, it is meant to be that way," writes Bodie Kellogg in the Mexican News Daily. "The basic porcelain fixture is all that is required to take care of business. And further, the lack of a seat assures that no one gets comfortable and decides to scroll through their phone for the next 20 minutes; it is not a restroom, it's a toilet room."

The lack of toilet seats isn't the only inconvenience in Mexico when seeking out places of relief. Like anywhere outside of the U.S., there are things that will require getting used to. Once you've figured out these cultural differences, it will make answering nature's call while out in public a much more stress-free endeavor.

The first rule is to always carry your own toilet paper, as you can never depend on a public toilet to keep any in stock. Most likely they won't. While we're on the subject of paper, most public bathrooms south of the border will request (or demand) that you deposit the used goods into the wastebasket next to the proverbial can. While this can cause some visitor's skin to crawl, it's done as a measure to guarantee the old pipes don't get clogged, which is the more disgusting alternative (when you think about it).

You'll also need to constantly carry a bit of change — five or 10 pesos coins — to pay the entrance fee at many public facilities. Sometimes, you'll hand it to an attendant, while other times, you'll feed it into a metal turnstile that will make you feel like you're about to ride the subway. After that, you're free to get on board and do your thing, but just don't expect the comfort of a seat. For a bit more on-the-ground wisdom when visiting Mexico, check out these common mistakes to avoid.