This is the unexplainable element that defines Mexican life and its people. This is the unnameable thing that makes Mexico feel different than any other country. The traveler who finds Mexico’s sabor will surely fall in love with the place, and in falling in love, realize that this pervasive flavor allows Mexico to somehow surpass and transcend its beaches, its ruins, and its stereotypes of men in sombreros leaning over cantina counters.Those who have experienced Mexico and discovered its sabor will inevitably return time after time to seek out the same sensation and delight in its thrill. Take a good look around you, smell the smells, see the sights, climb the ruins. But once in a while, put the book down and truly discover Mexico.
Mexico’s lush jungles, golden beaches, and romantic deserts entice visitors year-round. Temperatures fluctuate widely throughout the country. Winters tend to be mild while summers vary from warm to excruciatingly hot, with temperatures in both the arid North and the moist Gulf regions soaring to more than 50°C (122°F). Exceptions to the rule of infernally hot summers are high altitude regions such as the Valley of Mexico and the Oaxaca Valley, which remain spring-like in any month. Rainfall, like temperature, varies greatly between the temperate north and the tropical south. While it seldom rains in the northern border states, rain falls abundantly in the humid south, sometimes exceeding 15cm per month. The official rainy season lasts from May to November, during which the soggy south receives an average of two to three hours of rain every afternoon. The best time to hit the beaches is during the dry season (November-May), when afternoons are sunny, evenings balmy, and nights relatively mosquito-free.
The peak tourist season (high season) encompasses December, Semana Santa (the week before Easter), and midsummer. Additionally, unless you want to spend your vacation rubbing elbows with hormone-charged, booze-seeking US college students, it’s best to avoid resort towns such as Mazatlán, Cabo San Lucas, and Cancún during the waning weeks of March and the early weeks of April, traditional US spring break. Central Mexico and spots on the so-called gringo trail see the most tourist traffic during mid to late summer, when throngs of Spanish-language students hit both the books and the trendy cafes in search of “Spanish immersion.” If you travel to Mexico during any of these times, you should expect to pay slightly higher prices at hotels and restaurants.
things to do
Mexico has no end of attractions. From climbing age-old Maya temples to haggling for silver trinkets in colonial open-air markets to diving through coral reefs to dancing the merengue with margarita in hand, each region boasts its own cultural allure and culinary appeal.
The great Civilizations
A journey through Mexico is like a whirlwind through time. The ancient Olmecs— known world over for their colossal carved heads—were the first to call Mexico home, settling the villages of San Lorenzo, La Venta, and Tres Zapotes in the humid Gulf Coast around 1000 BC. Centuries later, a mighty empire rose in the Valley of Mexico at Teotihuacán, the ruins of which were so impressive that even the Az tecs thought the city had been built by the gods. Farther south, the Zapotec capital Monte Albán rivaled Teotihuacán in greatness, occupying a stately hillside position overlooking the verdant Oaxaca Valley. To the east, in the lowland jungles of the Yucatán Peninsula, the Classic Maya built grand cities such as Palenque, which continue to dazzle visitors with their distinct Classic architecture and lush settings. Returning to central Mexico, admire the Tlaxcalans who drew the breathtaking murals at Cacaxtla, and the Totonacs who carved the Pyramid of Niches at El Tajín. After the fall of the Classic civilizations, Post-Classic powers like Tula, the birthplace of the feathered-deity Quetzalcóatl, and Mitla, whose intricate carvings and religious architecture are second to none, kept Mesoamerican traditions alive. Head back into the Yucatán for a rendezvous with the warring Post-Classic Maya trio of Chichén Itzá, Mayapán, and Uxmal. Finally, witness the great end of Pre-Hispanic Mexico in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán (modern-day Mexico City).
Sand and Surf
Mexico’s infinite stretches of sparkling golden and white beaches will please even the most discriminating beach-goer. Those in search of a crowd like to strut their stuff in Cancún, home to millions of bronzed bodies. If the glam tourist scene isn’t your style, ramble down the turquoise coast toward Tulum, and cavort amidst the beachside ruins. The splendid shores of Isla MujeresError! Bookmark not defined. promise a quiet respite from the insanity as do Isla Cozumel, where coral is king and scuba is queen, and Isla Holbox, quiet keeper of the most splendid sunsets in the Western Hemisphere. Those preferring golden sand to the harsh white stuff should make tracks to the Southern Pacific Coast. The surfing towns of Puerto Escondido, Puerto Ángel, and Zipolite beckon with formidable waves and scantily clad beach bums. Farther up the coast sprawls the grand old dame of beach resorts, Acapulco, complete with men in tiny briefs plunging off high cliffs. The stately duo of Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo host tons of sun-worshippers, as do always popular Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlán. Bolder beachgoers might want to stray off the beaten track and head north to some of the most overlooked—and most spectacular—beaches in the country. Discover San Felipe, on the calm Sea of Cortés, or bask beneath the stars on beautiful Bahía de La Concepción, one of the most pristine beaches in the world. For those who like things shaken—not stirred—no trip to Baja California would be complete without a quick jaunt down the peninsula to rocking Cabo San Lucas.
Colonial Legacies
The influence of Mexico’s colorful history has left its imprint on the constructed landscape. If they could speak, each brick in each church in each city would tell stories of treason, murder, and conquest. The best place to begin a historical investigation is of course, Mexico City, the sprawling megalopolis with a population (25 million and counting) nearly equal to that of a medium-sized country. Check out the stately Palacio Nacional, home to Spanish viceroys and Mexican presidents, and stop by Coyoacán, where Hern án Cortés established his government and tortured the Aztec Emperor Cuauhté moc. Heading out of el D.F., visit Cuernavacam, former home of Cortés, and Taxco, the colonial silver town whose narrow, winding streets recall visions of Spain. Skip down south to the faded limestone streets of Oaxaca, birthplace of the nation’s first president with indigenous roots, Benito Juárez. Swing by meticulously planned Mérida, a large Maya center converted to a modern city by the Spanish. Frolic with mummies in Guanajuato, and don’t miss artsy San Miguel de Allende or its friendly neighbor, Dolores Hidalgo, where Father Hidalgo sounded the Grito de Dolores (the electrifying speech calling for Mexican Independence). Relax in San Luis Potosí, the nation’s wealthy silver and gold capital, before coming back down through steamy Veracruz, the first city founded by the Spanish, Mexico’s main port, and the site of numerous foreign invasions. Farther inland is Tlaxcala, the city-state that collaborated with Cortés to defeat the Aztecs. Neighboring Puebla epitomizes colonialism, with its order and rigidity embedded in the city’s gridded streets and cobblestone walkways.
LET’S GO PICKS
- Best way to warm yourself up:
On a distillery tour in Tequila, where 3 free shots x 16 factories will definitely bring on a flush.
- best mountaintop view:
The dazzling vista of the calm turquoise Sea of Cortés, the frothy deep-blue Pacific, and the rugged Baja peninsula from Picacho del Diablo (3086m) in Parque Nacional Sierra San Pedro Martír.
- best place to lose yourself in the crowd:
Amid the 25 million residents of big, bad Mexico City.
- Best dried up dead people:
The 122 naturally mummified residents of Guanajuato’s infamous Museo de las Momias, and their sugary, sombrero-wearing miniatures sold outside.
- Best only-in-mexico ice cream flavors:
Chicharrón (pork rind), elote (corn meal), aguacate (avocado), and cerveza (beer).
- best place to take a very long nap:
On the long, isolated and unbelievably soft sands of Playa los Algodones in San Carlos.
- Best time to break out the short shorts:
Hurling yourself off a 35m cliff while emulating the famous, half-naked Acapulco cliff divers.
- best place to observe wild animals in their natural habitat:
Spy on the bronzus americanus romping in the Cancún, Mazatlán, and Cabo San Lucas ecosystems.
- Best place to admire really large heads:
At Parque-Museo La Venta in Villahermosa, where 33 gigantic Olmec sculptures collected from throughout the Gulf Coast stare at you along a winding jungle path.
- Best thigh-master substitute:
Climbing the massive Pyramid of the Sun in the ancient and sophisticated city of Teotihuacán.
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