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.
Last updated: Jul 16, 2010
Tips & articles
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Ask Lonely Planet: what’s a non-beachy honeymoon idea?
28 July 2010
Here at Lonely Planet, we have travel experts on tap. In this excerpt from the August 2010 issue of Lonely...
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Agave adventures: sipping the spirits of Mexico
19 July 2010
Drinking agave-born elixirs is key to a trip to Mexico, but the salt-shot-lime routine (and head-pounding...
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Mexico’s other beaches
15 July 2010
The sugary sand and crystalline waters of Mexico’s beaches have enticed travellers for decades, but the...
Thorn Tree forum discussion
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Mexico
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
Related Groups
Our favourite Mexico Blogs (beta)
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Las Guacamayas (Scarlet Macaws) – Photo of the Day
Blog: Trans-Americas Journey - 30 July 2010
We spent the past week driving around the the Carretara Fronteriza, a road in the far corner of Chiapas that follows the Guatemalan border. This road encircles the Lacandon Jungle and includes several national parks and the enormous and pristine Monte Azul Biosphere Reserve which is one of the most bio-diverse areas in all of [...]
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Falling for Mexico City on the Metro
Blog: Girl, Unstoppable - 30 July 2010
I am partial to beauty that needs to be searched for. Beauty that colorfully stands out in the middle of grays and grittiness and grime. Beauty that surprises those who look out for it and is made more beautiful by the surroundings it contrasts. Mexico City, a prime purveyor of beautiful-ugly, suits this partiality. The [...]
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Buying Air Tickets – How to find the best flights and cheapest fares
Blog: My Little Nomads - 29 July 2010
Tips, advice and great web sites for finding the best airlines and cheapest prices for your next vacation.Read more: Buying Air Tickets – How to find the best flights and cheapest fares Most popular post: The 5 Best Greek Islands for Kids and Families Most emailed post: Preventing Malaria When You Travel
