On the Pacific Coast in the state of Guerrero, Zihuatanejo is a quiet coastal village on a protected bay near the built-up resort of Ixtapa. The bay burrows deep inland, which leaves Zihuatanejo’s beaches with mostly gentle, aquamarine waters to float and snorkelling in. The hinterland has the last summits of the Sierra Madre del …
A World Heritage city in southern Mexico, Oaxaca has a special identity that comes from indigenous cultures like the Mixtecs and Zapotecs. They built settlements close by and still have significant minorities across the state. Minutes from Oaxaca is Monte Albán, a lofty Zapotec city atop a ridge, and after losing a few hours in …
A border city with a rakish reputation, Tijuana is almost a byword for earthy pleasures. And while tequila, margaritas and sleaze are still front and centre, Tijuana’s character has changed a little since American traffic slowed because of Mexico’s cartel war. Yes, there are grubby parts, especially if you venture into the Zona Norte. But …
In the dry grassland and desert of the Central Mexican heartland, San Miguel de Allende is a World Heritage city with a large community of artists as well as retirees from the United States and Canada. San Miguel’s name was changed in 1826 in honour of Ignacio Allende, a commander in the insurgency during the …
A coastal city in Sinaloa, Mazatlán has been a honeypot for foreign tourists since the stars of Hollywood’s golden age came down for fishing trips and to socialise on Plaza Machado. Mazatlán dates back a century before and was planned by a Filipino banker who made his fortune from the pearl trade. Most tourists will …
A prosperous industrial city in the north of Mexico, Chihuahua is on the western flank of the desert of the same name. Chihuahua’s 18th-century cathedral is the outstanding Baroque monument in the north of the country and is the highlight of an engaging historic centre. A few giants of Mexican history lived in Chihuahua, either …
When the Spanish founded Mexico City in the 16th century they built everything on top of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire. In the city’s Historic Centre there are Baroque monuments constructed with recycled pre-Columbian blocks, and the excavated ruins of the Templo Mayor sit beside the cathedral and National Palace. This sums up …
On the Mayan Riviera, Tulum is a coastal resort that has become fashionable over the last decade for its laid-back atmosphere and new age crowd. Some of Tulum’s allure comes from its long and wide beaches, peppered with beach clubs and cabaña lodgings, where servers bring everything you could want to your hammock or sun …
A high-rise holiday heaven, Cancún is a planned resort first laid out in the 1970s. Just the name” Cancún” stands for powdery white beaches, turquoise seas, attentive service and easy luxury. You may also think of rowdy students down for Spring Break, and it’s true that people come to Cancún to cut loose for up …
A dream for divers and snorkelers, Cozumel is a diminutive tropical island in the Caribbean Sea off Quintana Roo’s Mayan Riviera. The island’s south and west coasts are encircled by sandbars and coral reefs, inhabited by multi-coloured fish, nurse sharks, sea turtles, rays, eels and starfish. You don’t need to be Jacques Cousteau to discover …