Mexico Travel Tips

Take a break from the beach on your next visit to Mexico.  Head inland and discover natural beauty, archaeological treasures, and good old-fashioned fun everywhere you turn.

For example, why not join a bilingual guide and explore some of Puerto Vallarta’s hillsides, valleys, villages and jungle—on horseback! For centuries, Mexican cowboys (charros) have relied on their four-footed steeds and now you can follow in their footsteps and beyond. Experience beaches, such as Xcaret and Tres Rios parks in Cancun, river banks and lush forests, with stops along the way for traditional meals, a cooling splash in the river and historic highlights. See mysterious desert landscapes, tropical flowers and picturesque haciendas. Ride for a morning, a day, or take off into the remote countryside on a multi-day tour.

Horses too tame for you? Hop on the back of a Harley Davidson and roar away on a motorcycle tour of the back roads of Cancun. Set your own pace. Stop for a stroll through a village church or cobblestoned marketplace. Spread a picnic in a shady spot overlooking the blue waters below. Take in the sound of mariachis and enjoy the rush of fresh air on your skin.

Or how about testing some rugged trails on an all-terrain vehicle (ATV)? Breathe in the pure mountain air while your eyes and spirit are treated to spectacular views. Discover a magnificent waterfall and relax for a while in the middle of nowhere! Visit a private ranch and pick a fresh mango, papaya or banana right off the tree. Head to the beach or ride through jungle paths, swim in a clear 60 foot deep cenote, explore caves and climb ancient Mayan ruins.  Try the Playa del Carmen jungle tour, or a Vallarta back roads tour.

Visit a natural warm spring, such as Oaxaca’s Hierve el Agua, in use for more than 2,400 years. As the water runs off of the edge of the nearby cliff, minerals create a petrified waterfall, one of only two such sites in the world, the other being in Turkey. Or see the thundering Cascada de Eyipantla in Veracruz, with its 246 descending steps (you might recognize it from one of the dozen movies filmed there).

Try biking, trekking, or birdwatching (some 950 species on view in Baja and the Yucatan!). Visit private homes or artists’ studios in Puerto Vallarta or San Miguel de Allende. Go mountain-climbing on Mexico's volcanoes. Explore lost cities, pre-Columbian rock-art sites near Merida, Playa del Carmen and Cancun, sub-tropical rain forests and pristine Caribbean beaches while soaking up the culture of Mexico's indigenous cultures. There’s so much to do—and so many ways to do it—you’ll be planning your next trip before you ever leave!

Learn More About Mexico’s World Heritage

Highlights:

Mexico’s charms are nowhere more evident than among its World Heritage sites, designated by UNESCO as those places of significant cultural and natural heritage—sure to lure and enhance any Mexico trip.

Should your travel sights be set on the Baja Peninsula, Sierra de San Francisco in the El Vizcaíno reserve is home to a spectacular assemblage of rock art paintings.  Some dating back 5,000 years, the depictions of animal and human figures embellish hundreds of locations. 

Heading to Puerto Vallarta?  A side trip to Guadalajara offers the imposing Hospicio Cabañas.   Built in the early 1800s as an orphanage, the cabañas are now a wonderful music and art center adorned with the murals of Mexican master Orozco.

Built atop the site of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, populous Mexico City claims  temple ruins, the continent’s largest cathedral and superb 19th and 20th-century architecture.  South of the capital, Xochimilco is known for its 16th-century structures and chinimpas, or floating gardens.

Near the city of Oaxaca, Monte Albán is a complex of stone pyramids, platforms and mounds.  Take care climbing the structures’ steep steps!  The Historic Center of Oaxaca boasts five-hundred-year-old edifices that include the baroque-style Cathedral of Oaxaca.  A day trip here is a “must” for guests on holiday in coastal Huatulco.

On the slopes of Popocatepetl, the famous snow-capped volcano, the country’s earliest monasteries stand.  All fourteen structures, built along the Convents Route and once occupied by Franciscan, Dominican and Augustinian missionaries, are excellently preserved.

Complement your Cancun nights with a tour of pre-hispanic Chichén-Itzá in the Yucatán.  The stone carvings that decorate the Temple of the Jaguars, the Platform of Venus and more are fascinating examples of Mayan-Toltec artistry.  South of Cancun, Sian Ka'an is a splendid bio-reserve of tropical rainforests, wetlands and the world’s second largest barrier reef.

In historic Puebla, southeast of Mexico City, see dozens of 16th and 17th-century churches and the eccentric Alfeñique House, whose plaster work resembles meringue candy—then shop for armloads of brightly colored Talavera tile and dishware.