Mexico Travel Guide
Mexico is a country in North America, lying between the United States of America to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast. Its extensive coastlines include the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Mexico has warm people, unique food, art and archaeology, pyramids, museums, Haciendas, 6,000 miles of shoreline, superb architecture and 21st century cities, weather from snow mountains in the Sierras, to rainy jungles in the Southeast and desert in the Northwest, lots of golf courses throughout the country, excellent fishing, world top destinations like Acapulco, Cancun, Cozumel, Los Cabos, and Patzcuaro.
The country was formally known as the United Mexican States, and is the 5th biggest country in the Americas, spanning nearly 2 million square kilometers. Today it has become one of the most popular tourist countries on earth (over 20 million foreign visitors last year). Much of the tourist industry is centred around the beach resorts as well as the altiplano in the central part of the country. Visiting the northern interior allows visitors to get off the beaten path a bit. American tourists tend to predominate on the Baja peninsula and the more modernized beach resorts (Cancn, Puerto Vallarta), while European tourists congregate around the smaller resort areas in the south like Playa del Carmen and colonial towns San Cristbal de las Casas.
Things to do
Mexico boasts some of the finest beaches, most luxurious resorts and best tourist facilities in Central America. Mexico has a spectacular historical heritage, and contains a variety of tourist attractions, such as archaeology sites, ancient cities, pyramids, national parks, and museums. Mexicos mysterious history, specifically the Aztec and the Maya civilizations, have also attracted numerous tourists worldwide. Mayan sites such as Chichen Itza are dotted across this picturesque area, timeless reminders of a remarkable civilisation along with elegant colonial cities such as Merida and natural parks offering unforgettable experiences from swimming with dolphins to game fishing.
Places to visit
Mexico is made up of 31 states, the capital being Mexico City. Mexico City is most popular with tourists as an ancient Meso–American city and the site of many popular tourist attractions such as the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. The city is also home to the Plaza Mxico and to the Mexican National Palace, built on the site of Montezuma's palace, and the huge Metropolitan Cathedral, the largest in the Western Hemisphere, built over the even greater Temple of Teocalli.
Guadalajara, Jalisco, the second–largest city by population in the Republic, is home of some of Mexico's best known traditions, such as tequila, mariachi music and charros, or Mexican cowboys. Its similitude with western European countries mixed with modern architecture and infrastructure makes Guadalajara very attractive to tourists. Along with Mexico City and beach destinations (Cancn, Acapulco, etc.), Guadalajara is one of the most visited cities in Mexico. Cultural tourism is the main attraction, the city being home to a large number of museums, art galleries and theatres.
Monterrey was founded in the late 16th century. The downtown district is the oldest section in the city, surrounded by newer neighbourhoods. The Museo de Historia Mexicana (Museum of Mexican History), MARCO (Monterrey Museum of Contemporary Art), Metropolitan Museum of Monterrey and the Museum of the Palacio de Gobierno, or State House, are some of the better known museums in the city, as well as nationally. The Santa Luca Riverwalk is a popular tourist site, connecting the Fundidora Park with the Macroplaza, one of the largest plazas in the world.
