Mexico is an amazing country to visit and there are a diverse range of things you can see and do while you here.
When to Go
The best time to visit Mexico City is between March and May, even though the streets are pretty crowded this time of year. Your trade-off is beautiful weather, especially considering the city’s winters can be really chilly and the summers can be really rainy. You should also prep yourself for the elevation — the thin air can make it tough to breathe at times.
Highlights
Beaches
Mexico boasts a fantastic variety of beaches along both coasts. On the Baja California Peninsula, many head for Los Cabos, to San Lucas and San José. To the east, on the Caribbean side, make for Isla de Mujeres, a slender island off the Yucatán coast fringed by crushed coral sands.
Cenotes
The limestone terrain of the Yucatán peninsula is peppered with deep, naturally formed pools known as cenotes, ideal for swimming or diving. Some, such as Xlacah near the archaeological site of Dzibilchaltún, have ritual significance for the local Maya. Others, like Dos Ojos near Akumal, connect to underground cave networks.
Costa Azul
Mexican resorts offer a full range of water sports, including windsurfing, sea-kayaking and parasailing. Surfers will find plenty of point breaks down the Pacific coast, notably along the Costa Azul of southern Baja, at Sayulita, Matanchén bay south of San Blas and Puerto Escondido on the Oaxaca coast.
Cancun
One of the most visited places in Mexico is Cancun. Those with a ticket to one of Cancún’s 15,000-capacity beach parties will want to sleep all day as they will need all the energy they can get. Spring Break is the ultimate party period. For a more distinctively Mexican blowout, try the Pacific port of Mazatlán for Carnival (preceding Ash Wednesday).
Chichén-Itzá
The ceremonial city of Chichén-Itzá was built over 1,000 years ago, but the Mayan magic still draws crowds. Each spring and autumn equinox, shadows show Kukulcan (the snake) working his way up the steps. Other amazing but less-visited Maya sites include Calakmul in southern Campeche and Bonampak, with its polychromatic murals, in Chiapas.
Mexico City
The capital is positively brimming with historic and cultural attractions. Its gigantic main square is overlooked by the imposing Catedral Metropolitana and flanked by the remains of the Aztecs’ ceremonial centre. Of the city’s myriad museums, the one must-see is the National Museum of Anthropology, covering Mexico’s astounding archaeological legacy by region.
Even the most ambitious travelers have difficulty exploring all of Mexico in a short period, so you should carefully plan your days. Popular activities include exploring the famous Metropolitan Cathedral and the Frida Kahlo Museum. Favorite cultural institutions are the National Palace presidential residence and the Palace of Fine Arts. Also, be sure to stroll the Central University City Campus, a UNESCO World Heritage site that’s famous for its 20th century architecture.
Puebla
For chic colonial-style, look no further than Puebla, nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Madre. Church domes and house walls are covered in talavera, colourful glazed tiles that are still produced by the town’s artisans.
Ranches
Luxury guest ranches let you play at being cowboy, with action-packed days in the saddle and relaxing evenings of fine local cuisine and indulgent tequila tastings
Teotihuacán
Located 50km (31 miles) northeast of Mexico City, Teotihuacán grew to be the largest of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic cities, with an estimated population of 200,000 during its prime in the sixth century AD. Its greatest building is the Pyramid of the Sun, standing at a height of 63m (207ft). It is joined on the Avenue of the Dead, Teotihuacán’s main street, by another enormous building, the Moon Pyramid, which was originally part of a ‘Moon Plaza’. The site was first excavated in 1884. Visitors can also see the various palaces once inhabited by the priests who ruled the city; research has brought to light many of the rituals of this ancient civilisation, including ceremonial human sacrifice and elaborate festivals.
Tequila
Mexico is home to the ever famous tequila drink. Home to Mexico’s most popular export, this town in Jalisco state sits amidst fields of blue agave, the plant that is the basis of tequila. You can sample José Cuervo and Sauza’s finest at the distilleries. The best way to arrive is by the Tequila Express, a tourist train from Guadalajara.
Xochimilco
A world away from Venice, brightly painted trajineras (a type of gondola, usually accompanied by mariachi singers) can be hired to cruise the beautiful, tree-lined canals and Aztec-engineered floating gardens of Xochimilco, an indigenous town at the southern reaches of Mexico City.