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.
Last updated: 2011-9-27
Tips & articles
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Master the art of cooking like a local
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One of the best souvenirs you can bring back from a trip is some tasty dishes to share with your...
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Delicious destinations for iconic dishes
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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 九月 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 九月 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 九月 2011
What are the 3 others please? Thanks for your replies.
Hotels & Hostels
Top cities in Mexico
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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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San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas: First Impressions
Blog: Oaxaca Cultural Navigator - 3 二月 2012
San Cristobal de las Casas is a compact, walkable mountain town filled with energy, cafes that seat 10 or 15 people at most, coffee and wine bars, and villagers from indigenous pueblos selling crafts in markets, street corners and … Continue reading →
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Ecotourism on Isla Mujeres: Save the Turtles
Blog: Vagabond3 - 2 二月 2012
I love this company and you will too. There are some companies that just do good.They provide a much needed service that will help the environment and have an everlasting effect on the ecosystem. Tortugranja on Isla Mujeres is one of those do good operations that I want to tell everyone about and support as much as I can. When we visited La Tortugranja, it was no surprise that we immediately fell in love with the sea turtles. They were...
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Mexican Days
Blog: The Mexile - 1 二月 2012
I love this video. The owner of this Vimeo account released another great video last year which went viral in the Mexpat community. This new one is just as good if you ask me. And worth watching full screen. I … Continue reading →
