Mexico

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Isla Mujeres, Yucatán Peninsula

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

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Thorn Tree forum discussion

Recent posts

  1. tropical_storm avatar
    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…
  2. thecontemplativelife avatar
    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…
  3. oliwood avatar
    RE: Northern Mexico - Safe?

    by oliwood 15 九月 2011

    What are the 3 others please? Thanks for your replies.

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  1. Mexico City
  2. Guadalajara
  3. Puerto Vallarta
  4. Oaxaca
  5. Cancún
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