- Mexico City
- from iStock
Mexico Travel Guide
Summary
Mexico's beguiling mix of ancient and modern, from its sleepy villages to sophisticated beach resorts and bustling cities, makes it a fantastic all-round holiday destination. The Yucatan Peninsula's Cancun and the island of Cozumel are magnets for beach-lovers.
The Pacific coast resorts of Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta are also perfect for a traditional sun, sea and sand break, with a spot of diving, Mayan architecture and whale watching thrown in.
Mexico City, Guadalahara and Oaxaca are bustling metropolis's and will get city lovers' hearts racing, while nature lovers should head to remote Baha California or the Copper Canyon for its dramatic mountain scenery.
Getting there/around Mexico
Thomson Fly and First Choice offer weekly charters from UK and regional airports. Aeromexico and Mexicana offer scheduled services but they are not direct.
Internally, domestic flights aren't cheap and it's best to book them before you leave the UK. There are train and bus services for those looking to explore on a budget, but they are not fantastically reliable and should be used cautiously.
Mexico beaches
The Caribbean beaches of the Yucutan Peninsula are by far the easiest to get to from the UK and offer a range of watersports including diving, snorkelling and kayaking. Lively Cancun, Cozumel and up-and-coming Riviera Maya share dazzling, white-sand beaches, great nightlife and well-priced accommodation.
Pacific coast resorts with beautiful beaches include modern Acapulco, traditional Puerto Vallarta and newbie, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo for the adventurous. For a laid-back ambience head to Puerto Escondido, while surfing dudes should make a pipeline for Zicatela.
Mexico sightseeing
Mexico City, the country's vibrant capital, is one of the world's most populous cities and will sweep you up in its energy and vitality. It's a vast city so get your bearings from the viewing platform of the centrally located, 44-storey Torre Latinoamericana building.
Explore historic Zocalo, one of the world's largest public squares, where you'll find the Presidential Palace, Catedral Metropolitana and Aztec ruins.
Admire murals in the Palacio de Bellas Artes and the Museo Mural Diego Rivera and enjoy live Mariachi music in Plaza Garibaldi which comes alive after dark. Travel just 30 miles outside the city to enjoy the 2,000-year-old Teotihuacan, Mexico's largest pre-Hispanic city. Other Mayan sites include jungle-shrouded Palenque and Chichen Itza.
Alternative cities worth visiting include Guadalajara with its impressive museums and long musical heritage and the colonial splendour of Oaxaca. Find bucketloads of Spanish colonial grandeur in the Yucatan's state capital of Merida.
Mexico family attractions
Mexicans love kids and families are welcomed wherever they go. In beach resorts there's plenty of watersports, dolphin spotting and snorkelling to keep little ones happy.
If you're holidaying on the Yucatan Peninsula, take the kids to Playa del Carmen's Xcaret Eco Theme Park where they can swim with dolphins, see shows and explore ancient ruins. Cancun also has a water park where you can interact with marine creatures.
Mexico day trips
If you're staying in Mexico City the most obvious day trip is out to the spectacular ancient ruins of 2,000-year-old Teotihuacan, Mexico's largest pre-Hispanic city. It's about 30 miles from the city so can easily be explored in a day.
If you are based on the Yucatan Peninsula at Cancun or the island of Cozumel, places of interest for a day trip include the extensive Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, or those around Tulum further down the Riviera Maya coast. After you've seen the ruins Tulum has some beautiful beaches on which to relax.
The Islas Mujeres are a short boat ride from Cancun and offer a delightful contrast to the glitz and glamour of Cancun. Revel in the laid-back atmosphere and enjoy safe snorkelling in Garrafon Marine Park.
Eating out in Mexico
Mexican cuisine is a rich mix of native Indian, French and Spanish cuisines based around tortillas, refried pinto or kidney beans and chilli peppers - of which around 100 varieties are used in cooking.
Many dishes are served with a sauce which can be made from numerous different ingredients from avocado (guacamole) to chocolate.
Mexico nightlife
Mexico is famous for its year-round, colourful fiestas which seem to take place almost every month. These lively celebrations often go on for days and mark any occasion big or small. In February just before Lent, Carnaval is the huge party, Semana Santa takes place the week before Easter, while the Day Of The Dead on November 2 is Mexico's best-known fiesta.
The nation that knows how to party also ensures that there are plenty of lively bars and clubs in major (and minor) towns and resorts. Live music, dancing and tequila drinking are common in plazas and squares.
Mexico shopping
Mexico City has two huge malls, Centro Comercial Santa Fe and Centro Comercial Coyocan where you'll find international brands such as Max Mara, French Connection and Levi's. Markets like Centro Artesanal Buenavista and La Ciudadela are great places to pick up souvenirs.
In Cancun there are shops galore along Yaxchilan Avenue in Centro or visit Tulum Avenue's mercado stalls for souvenirs. The Hotel Zone has a number of shopping plazas or malls too. Good pressies include embroidered clothing, woven blankets, ceramics, silver jewellery, leather goods, toys, baskets, hats and hammocks.
If you like Mexico, take a look at the following travel guides:
Cancun, Mexico
Guardalavaca, Cuba
Barbados
