Mexico Travel Guide
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Award-winning GAA tours of Mexico are friendly, good value, small group vacations: Mexico Family Discovery; Ruta Maya; Specials and Late Availability; Yucatan Highlights |
Mexico Pictures | Mexico Beaches | Mexico Map | Mexico Tours
Holidays in Mexico:This brilliant Central American country has been a vibrant and multifaceted tourist destination for many years, loaded with landscapes of every description from bleak deserts to dramatic mountains while superb beaches range from activity-stuffed, all inclusive holiday resorts to stretches of sand devoid of packaged life forms. Then there are the chart-topping ancient pyramid sites, strange and colourful festivals, varied wildlife, terrific weather (if you get your timing right), excellent public transport systems, superb undersea life on one coast (the Caribbean) and great surfing on the other (Pacific), good food and booze, pleasant colonial towns and all at a reasonable prices.
Downsides: - Sometimes it's perhaps not quite as colourful as the myth of Mexico might suggest; there is no lack of dull towns and dreary landscapes. - Banditry and thievery are not a myth. - Many Mexicans are resolutely uncommunicative (unless you've got $ in your hand) and taxi drivers in particular are a disgrace. - Handicraft quality has gone down the toilet. However! Good handicrafts and people seem to have migrated out to the coastal resorts...try Mexico City and find out why!
Holy Moly
Weather in Mexico:Best:
November-April.
Length
of stay:
Merida, Yucatan
Places to visit in Mexico:**Mexico
City. Visit excellent museums, see superb murals at the
Palacio Nacional, frolic around the Zocalo, take a little canal boat ride on the watery 'gardens' of Xochimilco and do day trips out to the magnificent pyramids of Teotihuacan, perhaps the city of Puebla, the Cholula pyramid and maybe the volcano of Popocatepetl 45 miles (70 kms) away.
***Oaxaca, a large city with a relaxed, pretty old town centre, lovely main square and the ancient Zapotec site of Monte Alban nearby. A great location for Dias des los Muertos festivities. The origins of the Day of the Dead Festival can be traced back as far as the indigenous people of Mesoamerica. The modern day festivities take place on 1st /2nd November each year when relatives gather in cemeteries in Oaxaca where they build altars and bring along food and party with the souls of their dead.
***Monarch Butterfly Breeding Sites. Nature reserves in the highlands of the state of Michoacan host millions of butterflies between November and March of each year, although numbers have declined sharply recently so don't leave it too late.
**Merida, a small, delightful old town with agreeable free, daily concerts and dance, good restaurants and good access to the ancient Maya site of Uxmal.
**Barranca Canyon del Cobre, Copper Canyon. A stunning 6 hour train ride from Los Mochis on the Pacific coast up the mountains to Divisadero or Creel drops you on the edge of Mexico's Copper Canyon. This is makes a great region for those who wish to escape extranjero overload - hiking (tho' trails are not well marked), horseback riding, birding, and Tarahumara Indians.
*Guadalajara - A traditional city that is the home of mariachi music and tequila and enjoys perpetual spring weather. Guadalajara's colonial downtown is pleasant and sophisticated.
*Tijuana - Mexico's busiest border crossing with the USA and a long-standing target for bargain shopping for southern Californians due to its proximity with San Diego.
Palenque © Brendan Macpherson Ancient sites***Uxmal, a good warm up for Chichen Itza: a pleasing and unusually rounded Magician's pyramid with other interesting and well-preserved Maya buildings. Makes a perfect day trip from Merida. ***Chichen Itza. A sensational Maya pyramid and many other strange and unusual structures in the middle of a large (tho' quite dull) expanse of greenery. Stay 2 nights nearby and do it properly, but sadly it is now forbidden to climb pyramids and other attractions are roped off to prevent access. **Tulum, Mexico, is the only Mexican archaeological site beside the sea, with more than fifty well-preserved structures, a small beach beside the main temple and a modest hotel zone nearby offering cabins and diminutive eco-hotels along this coast 120 miles (150 kms) south of Cancun. ***Palenque (in Chiapas state, Pacific coast) a wild Maya pyramid complex surrounded by rainforest; wonderfully evocative and isolated but a long way to go from most of the other tourist hotspots. e.g. 10 hours drive from Merida, 13 from Cancun or fly to Villahermosa, about two hours away from the site by road. *El Tajin is an ancient World Heritage Site built by the Totonacs in the state of Veracruz, east of Mexico City. The cluster of sacred structures is near Poza Rica, Papantla, or the small beach resort of Tecolutla.
Mexico old culture and festivals guide
Playa del Carmen, Mayan Riviera Mexican Beaches
Maya Riviera (Caribbean Coast): **Cancun is known for its spectacular 5 star beaches, clear blue waters and hectic nightlife but little culture. During America's Spring Break (sometime from the middle of March to late April) it is famously rowdy, with binge drinking, drug use and casual sex. **Playa del Carmen for a lively beach scene and excellent bars/restaurants/shops though getting overdeveloped. **Puerto Morelos, Akumal and Tulum beaches are smaller, less developed options, but backpackers would probably find more accommodation to their taste along the southern Pacific coast.
***'Los Cabos' ('Cabo' in the USA) is a lively 20 mile beach resort area at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. The warm Pacific waters and massive stretches of white sand backed by sophisticated hotels, restaurants, bars and other attractions run from raucous Cabo San Lucas (another spring break vacations target, along with Cancun) down to quieter, colonial San José del Cabo. **Sea of Cortez - to see whales, swim with dolphins and sea kayak in the warm waters along the eastern coast of Baja California near La Paz. *Mazatlan is a vibrant port town, both a transport hub with ferries to Baja California, and a beach destination with huge stretches of sand. Mazatlan is a popular Spring Break destination due to its variety of low-cost accommodation. **Acapulco, a lively 20 mile bay of beaches, bars and hotels that has entertained Elvis, Sinatra and Kerouac but still has space for budget travellers. A bit brash, decaying and with and nightmarish traffic, but quiet spots survive, as do most of the famous (45m/148ft) cliff divers at La Quebrada. **Puerto Vallarta to **Puerto Escondido region has great beaches and a huge range of facilities from pricey to backpacker.
Here's a possible 2 week 'Yucatan in ruins' itinerary containing some of Latin America's prime sights/sites: Fly to Cancun - to Chichen Itza via Ek Balam ruins - to Uxmal via Mayapan - to Edzna - to Palenque - to Bonampak and Yaxchilan - to Chamula and San Cristobal de las Casas via Agua Azul and Tonina - to Calakmul and Becan via Balamku - Tulum - Cancun.
Getting away from the crowdsThis is one of the world's most popular vacation destinations with over 20 million foreign visitors a year, though most Mexico vacations are centred around all inclusive holiday beach resorts as well as the central part of the country. American tourists tend to cluster on the Baja peninsula and the modern beach resorts such as Cancun and Puerto Vallarta, while European tourists gravitate around smaller resort areas in the south like Playa del Carmen. The least busy part of Mexico is probably the northern interior or the far south in the vicinity of Guatemala. The best way to stumble across less tourists is to visit Mexico in the low season months but when the weather is good, such as November, January, February and maybe March (but for March check when US colleges take their Spring Break that year).
Cozumel's dolphin play park ActivitiesHiking, Biking and Horse Riding: All over the country but especially well developed in Baja California and Copper Canyon (Barranca del Cobre), an awesome gorge that's bigger than the USA's Grand Canyon. Climbing: Mountains are not the only climbing option in Mexico, volcanoes are also hot and there's a fine pair less than 100 kms south of Mexico City - Iztaccihuatl (5,255m/17,342 ft) and Popocatepetl (5,420m/17,887 ft). White Water Rafting: Veracruz, Chiapas, Oaxaca and Morelos states. Scuba diving: Best dive spots are around
Cozumel island and Cancun on the east side
and the Pacific coast between Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco, Manzanillo
and the Sea of Cortez, Baja on the west side. Snorkelling and swimming with dolphins: Off 'Maya Riviera', especially Cozumel, Isla Mujeres. Surfing: All down the Pacific Coast, around Baja California (Ensenada), Mazatlan and especially Puerto Escondido's Zicatela Beach. Sea Kayaking: The Baja peninsula. Wind Surfing: Puerto Vallarta, Los Barriles, Manzanillo. Whale, dolphin and seal watching: off Baja California and Puerto Vallarta. Grey whales are especially visible in February. Sea Turtle watching: around Puerto Vallarta and Zihuatanejo. 'EcoParks': The Maya Riviera is site of several Ecological Parks, such as Xcaret, Xel-Há and Garrafón; aimed at conserving flora and fauna of the region, as well as being tourist attractions. At these parks tourists can learn about the Mexican culture, and also enjoy activities like swimming with dolphins and snorkelling. Golf: With well over 100 courses around the country there's plenty of choice though Baja Sur's Los Cabos is reputedly Mexico's best golfing destination with Puerto Vallarta area a close second. Butterflies:
Cozumel cruising
Transport:Domestic Mexico airlines are acceptably efficient and low cost if you book in advance. The Mexican bus network is all-encompassing with the exception of the Baja Califironia peninsula and a vast array of carriers are available, many of a very high standard (express buses labelled 'directo'). This is our preferred form of transport outside cities but avoid long-distance night buses as bandits like to take them - in a different sense. When travelling by bus do not put valuables in your check-in bags in the storage locker of the bus. Cars - rental or bringing your own.
But be warned, like many Latin America cousins... Insurance - American automobile insurance is not accepted in Mexico while vehicles with foreign plates must obtain permits before being allowed into the interior of Mexico. This can be done at the border checkpoints by showing your vehicle title or registration, as well as immigration documents and a valid credit card. Night Moves - Tourists are warned about being out on roads at night. Although bandits are rare in metropolitan areas, they may pop out of the woodwork in rural areas, along with cattle, dogs, and wild animals. The best bet is to drive during only daylight hours. If possible, follow a bus or truck that seems to be driving safely. Taxis are a practical way to get around but ensure that either you agree on a price beforehand or there is a working meter. Mexico City is particularly difficult for taxis and though they are easy to find they may be more of a problem to leave! The safe solution is to phone a taxi company from your hotel/restaurant or get a taxi from a established station (Taxi de Sitio).
A shaman (witch doctor) at work in Mexico City Health: Diseases you should be concerned about, at least, are Typhoid (get
a jab); Hepatitis A and B (get a jab); Hepatitis B, C,D (take care
what you eat, drink, or who you share fluids with, blood included);
dengue fever and malaria - both acquired from mosquitoes.
Safety:
Money:
Tipping:
Electricity:
Visa Guidelines:
Drugs and bribery:
Time Share bores:
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