Introducing Mexico
Marvelling at a 1300-year-old Maya palace at Palenque as parrots screech and howler monkeys growl in the sweaty emerald jungle around you. This is Mexico. Sliding from a palm-fringed sandy beach into the warm, turquoise waves of the Pacific at Puerto Vallarta. This, too, is Mexico. Dining on salmon enchiladas and chrysanthemum salad at a Mexico City fusion restaurant, dancing through the night at a high-energy Guadalajara nightclub, kayaking at dawn past a colony of Baja California sea lions – all these are unique Mexican experiences. Every visitor goes home with their own unforgettable images. Such a large country, straddling temperate and tropical zones, reaching 5km into the sky and stretching 10,000km along its coasts, with a city of 19 million people at its center and countless tiny pueblos everywhere, can hardly fail to provide a huge variety of options for human adventure.
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Mexico is what you make of it. Its multi-billion-dollar tourism industry is adept at satisfying those who like their travel easy. But adventure is what you’ll undoubtedly have if you take a just a few steps off the pre-packaged path. Activity-based tourism, community tourism and genuine ecotourism – the type that actually helps conserve local environments – are developing fast in rural areas. The opportunities for getting out to Mexico’s spectacular wild places and interacting with local communities are greater than ever – from world-class canyoneering near Monterrey or cooking lessons in the Veracruz countryside to hiking the Oaxaca cloud forests and snorkeling the coral reefs of the Yucatán.
Planning your first trip to Mexico? Be ready for more crowds, noise, bustle and poverty than you're accustomed to, especially if it's your first trip outside the developed world. But don't worry – most Mexicans will be only too happy to help you feel at home in their country. Invest a little time before your trip in learning even just a few phrases of Spanish – every word you know will make your trip that little bit easier and more enjoyable.
Travel Alert: The level of drug-related violence throughout Mexico is a major problem, with the states of Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango and northern Baja California the worst affected. Tourists are not specifically targeted, but any travellers visiting these areas, and in particular the cities of Ciudad Juárez, Nogales and Tijuana should exercise extreme caution. Check Safe Travel for current government warnings.
Getting Ready to go?
- Download our new Spanish Offline Translator app. Simply talk or type, and it translates. Available for iPhone, iPad and Android
- Download the free 20-page 'Mexico - Getting Started' guide, featuring a detailed overview, highlights, and nine Lonely Planet itineraries
- Tour around the highlights of Southern Mexico and Guatemala
- Visit the famous whale sanctuary at Magdalena Bay
Last updated: Feb 13, 2012
Tips & articles
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Cancún and the Riviera Maya
10 February 2012
Yearning for sun, sand and eye-popping natural beauty? A trip to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula – and its crowning resort developments...
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Planning the perfect destination wedding
9 February 2012
Wedding gowns that cost more than a new car. Cheesy 1980s cover bands. Bland chicken dinners. Snarling mother-in-laws demanding you...
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Paradises on Earth
9 February 2012
Gin-clear water at bath temperature, a breeze ruffling the coconut palms, and sand as fine and white as sugar –...
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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RE: New to Mexico, will probably fly to Cancun for a week...no ideas what to do
by tropical_storm 15 September 2011
Thanks a lot Anonimo, I hadn't thought of Googling it... How patronizing. I would really like some serious help. I don't have a clue…
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Re: Mexico City & Suburbs Chrismas to the New Year
by thecontemplativelife 15 September 2011
Thank you for the information and suggestions, as they've been quite helpful. I have "Let's Go" Mexico, but it seems most guidebooks…
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RE: Northern Mexico - Safe?
by oliwood 15 September 2011
What are the 3 others please? Thanks for your replies.
Hotels & Hostels
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Mexico
Things to do
- All things to do (3,953)
- Activities (579)
- Entertainment (633)
- Restaurants (1,272)
- Shopping (341)
- Sights (1,111)
- Tours (17)
Make it happen
Our Top Picks For Mexico
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1 Mexico City
Highland megalopolis, ancient Aztec capital, kaleidoscopic canvas of riveting museums, culinary adventures and masked wrestlers...what more could you ask for from Mexico's action-packed capital?
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2 Oaxaca
Feast your eyes and your stomach on the incomparable artistic and culinary delights of colonial Oaxaca city
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3 Palenque
Ancient Maya temples rise majestically from a thick steamy jungle. Absolutely awe-inspiring.
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4 Teotihuacán
Explore a pair of mysterious and majestic pyramids, remnants of a mighty civilisation
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5 Puerto Escondido
Super-relaxed coastal town for all tastes: surf, beaches, fishing, wildlife, nightlife
Fast Facts about Mexico
- Famous for
tequila, the Aztecs, Salma Hayek, Gael García Bernal, Octavio Paz, Day of the Dead, drug wars, chilies, telenovelas, lucha libre, Corona beer
- Area
1.9 million sq km
- Lucha libre legends
El Santo (the most legendary of all), Místico, Blue Demon, Mil Máscaras, Tinieblas, El Medico Asesino, El Satánico
- Population
111,211,789
- Number of languages spoken
50
- Head of state
President Felipe de Jesus Calderon Hinojosa
- Highest mountain
Pico de Orizaba
- First Mexican in space
Rodolfo Neri Vela
Our favourite Mexico Blogs (beta)
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Oaxaca: Beauty is Everywhere — And It’s Safe, Too
Blog: Oaxaca Cultural Navigator - 22 February 2012
Oaxaca is beautiful and safe, says Elliot Stoller, who visited in December 2011. He recently wrote to me and ordered the self-guided tour map of Teotitlan del Valle to prepare for his trip next year.
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The Truth About The Mayan Calendar And The Cycles Of Our Lives
Blog: Landlopers - 21 February 2012
I was looking through some travel promotions lately and noticed a theme, at least in one part of the world. Disaster. End of the world. The Seven Horsemen are coming, so why not come to Mexico and enjoy some snorkeling? That’s right, on December 21,...Copyright LandLopers All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.
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Mixteca Women Who Weave: Oaxaca Show and Sale, February 25
Blog: Oaxaca Cultural Navigator - 18 February 2012
Judith Radtke and Jo Ann Feher just told me about this great show and sale coming up on Saturday, February 25 in Oaxaca City. If you are in town, they invite you to stop by.
