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Much as you might hate to admit it, it's not all about the tequila. Put down that glass and embrace the sporting buffet Mexico has on offer. You can indulge in a bit of rugged volcano-trekking, fishing off the Pacific coast or surfing the 'Mexican Pipeline', which, let's face it, sounds kinda cool.
Mexico's second and third highest mountains, Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, form the eastern rim of the Valle de México. While craterless Iztaccíhuatl is dormant, Popocatépetl in recent years has spouted plumes of gas and ash, supposedly even signalling the arrival of the new Pope. Iztaccíhuatl remains open to climbers and is perhaps all the more fetching because of its neighbor's unpredictable outbursts.
(on the México Puebla border)
car
walking
The existence of cliff dwellings at Cuarenta Casas (Forty Houses) was known to the Spaniards as early as the 16th century. Despite the name of this site, only about a dozen adobe apartments are carved into the west cliffside of a dramatic canyon at La Cueva de las Ventanas (Cave of the Windows). This is the only cave accessible to the public.
Last occupied in the 13th century, Cuarenta Casas is believed to have been an outlying settlement of Paquimé, and perhaps a garrison for defense of commercial routes to the Pacific coast. Though the site is not as well preserved as the dwellings at Casas Grandes, its natural setting and the hike required to get there make it a worthy outdoor excursion.
bus from Madera bound for Largo
| full | US Dollar 1.00 |
These ruins give Casas Grandes (Big Houses) its name. The crumbling adobe remnants are from what was the major trading settlement in northern Mexico between AD 900 and 1340. Partially excavated and restored, the networks of eroded walls now resemble roofless mazes. The passageways are chained off to protect the walls from damage.
Your admission fee also covers entrance to the adjoining Museo de las Culturas del Norte.
(central North Mexico)
tel info 636 692 41 40
bus marked 'Casas Grandes/Col Juárez' from Constitución in Nuevo Casas Grandes
| full | US Dollar 4.00 |
Mayanists consider Calakmul, which means 'Adjacent Mounds', to be a site of vital archaeological significance, as it was once the seat of a nearly unrivalled superpower. It was even further-reaching in size - and often influence - than Tikal in Guatemala. Lying within the vast, untrammeled Reserva de la Biósfera Calakmul on the Yucatán Peninsula, the ruins are surrounded by rain forest, best viewed from the top of one of the several pyramids.
taxi from Xpujil
car
| full | US Dollar 4.00 |
This fabulous archaeological zone lies in a mountain-ringed offshoot of the Valle de México. Site of the huge Pirámides del Sol y de la Luna (Pyramids of the Sun and Moon), Teotihuacán was Mexico's biggest ancient city and the capital of what was probably the country's largest pre-Hispanic empire. A day here can be awesome - don't let the hawkers get you down. Bring a hat, water and your walking shoes.
The site's main drag is the famous Avenue of the Dead, a monumental thoroughfare lined with the former palaces of Teotihuacán's elite. To its south is the pyramid-bedecked La Ciudadela, believed to have been the residence of the city's supreme ruler. Enclosed within the citadel's walls is the Quetzalcóatl Temple, with its striking serpent carvings.
Heading north, you pass the world's third-largest pyramid: the awe-inspiring, 70m (230ft), 248-stepped Pyramid of the Sun. The avenue terminates at the Pyramid of the Moon, flanked by the 12 temple platforms of the Plaza de la Luna. Nearby are the beautifully frescoed Palace of the Quetzal Butterfly, the Jaguar Palace and the Temple of the Plumed Conch Shells. Teotihuacán's most famous mural, the Paradise of Tláloc, is in the Tepantitla Palace, northeast of the Pyramid of the Sun. There's a museum to help make sense of it all.
tel info 594 956 02 76
bus bound for Los Pirámides from Mexico City's Terminal Norte
| full | US Dollar 3.50 |
Maybe it's the romantic history of spice ships and pirates; maybe it's the golden beaches, tropical jungles and lagoons; or perhaps it's the high-rise hotels, glittery nightlife and famous daredevil cliff-divers that have made Acapulco the first and foremost resort town in Mexico.
Once a hotbed of Hollywood stars and jet-setting playboys, Acapulco now basks in only slightly faded glory. New touristic life is being breathed into the city, in part by American university students who come to spend their spring break in a more welcoming and economical environment than Cancún.
The arc of beach that sweeps around Bahía de Acapulco can be a good place to relax, but step off it and you'll find much of the city to be bedlam: clogged traffic, crowded sidewalks and smoggy fumes. Traditional Mexico is easier to find here than in the country's other resorts and you will likely hear more Spanish spoken than English. Most visitors come here to wine, dine and dance the night away to a salsa beat; take part in the wealth of activity in and around the water; and to stretch out on the sun-drenched sand and watch other beautiful people doing the same.
With Tijuana as its frontier post, Baja is the epitome of 'south of the border'. The peninsula is renowned for its long coastline of fine white beaches, peaceful bays and imposing cliffs, sharply contrasting with the harsh and undeveloped interior.
Baja has long been a hideout for revolutionaries, mercenaries, drinkers and gamblers, but these days visitors are attracted by more healthy pursuits like horse riding, surfing and whale-watching. Highlights include Loreto, with its Spanish mission history and offshore national park; the extraordinary pre-Columbian rock-art sites of Sierra de San Francisco, near San Ignacio; La Paz, the laid-back capital of Baja California Sur and known for its equally gorgeous beaches and sunsets; and the hiking paradise of Sierra de la Laguna, a botanical wonderland of coexisting cacti and pines, palms and aspens set beside granite rockpools.
If you're looking for the 'real' Mexico, this is the place to find it. Birthplace of tequila, mariachi music, sombreros, charreadas (rodeos) and the Mexican Hat Dance, cosmopolitan Guadalajara is the place to immerse yourself in Mexican culture.
Part of Guadalajara's appeal is that it has many of the attractions of Mexico City - a vibrant culture, fine museums and galleries, a lively nightlife and great food - but few of the capital's problems. It's modern, well-organized and unpolluted, with enough attractions to please every visitor.
Mexico's reputation for full-blooded festive fun is well founded: just about every month sees a major national holiday or fiesta, and every other day is a local saint's day or town fair celebration. Carnaval, held late February or early March in the week before Ash Wednesday, is the big bash before the 40-day penance of Lent; it's particularly flagrant in Mazatlán, Veracruz and La Paz. The country's most characteristic fiesta is the wonderfully macabre Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), held the day after All Saints' Day on November 2. The souls of the dear departed are believed to return to earth on this day, and for weeks beforehand the country's markets are awash with the highly sought-after candy skulls and papier-mâché skeletons that find their way into many a visitor's souvenir collection. December 12 is another big day on the Mexican calendar, celebrating the Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the country's major religious icon.
