Cuernavaca
In the main cathedral of Cuernavaca is the small Museo de Arte Sacro, a museum (opened in 2018) displaying 92 pieces of religious paintings, ornaments and…
Must-see attractions in Mexico
Morelia
Some 3km south of the city center and near the convention center is the Orchid House, which exhibits nearly 3000 species of wild and hybrid orchids. Best…
Zacatecas
Juárez ends at a tiny but charming park of the same name. The Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas' administrative headquarters are housed in the…
La Parroquia de Santa María de la Asunción
Northern Central Highlands
The 19th-century neoclassical La Parroquia de Santa María de la Asunción with its pink facade and decorated tower is the town's centerpiece. It overlooks…
Xalapa
A dense, jungle-like nature park where you’ll forget you’re in the city. It’s 1km from the center on Avenida Ávila Camacho. Joggers and walkers enjoy…
Villahermosa
Named after Tabasco's best-known naturalist, the small Museo de Historia Natural has good displays on dinosaurs, space, early humanity and Tabascan…
Northern Central Highlands
If you have your own wheels, this impressive botanical garden, with over 4400 varieties of cactus, is on the east edge of the village of Cadereyta de…
Acapulco
One of the beaches closest to Old Acapulco is Playa Tlacopanocha, directly across from the zócalo, noteworthy more as a departure point for bay cruises…
San Miguel de Allende
This fascinating private collection of more than 500 masks provides an excellent context to the Mexican mask tradition. It is open by appointment only…
Statue of Alexander Von Humboldt
Veracruz City
The statue of Alexander Von Humboldt depicts the German naturalist/explorer who visited the area in 1803–04 and collected important information about the…
Templo El Santuario de la Virgen de Guadalupe
Inland Michoacán
This church has a striking neoclassical facade and dates from the early 19th century. In the tower's face are four statues of the Seven virtues: Faith,…
Museo del Vestido de Santa María Magdalena
Veracruz
Go through Xico's main church to the courtyard behind to find this esoteric, niche display of St María Magdalena’s past festival dresses – hundreds of…
Veracruz City
A larger-than-life statue of former president, independence-era hero and local boy, Venustiano Carranza, stands guard outside the Faro Carranza.
Palenque
Built in the 8th century by Ahkal Mo’ Nahb’ III and restored in 1955, the tower has remnants of fine stucco reliefs on the walls, but you’re not allowed…
Yucatán State & the Maya Heartland
It's all cement and stone but nevertheless the Plaza de la Cultura is an agreeable place to take in the evening breeze, enjoy the view of the church and…
Polanco & Bosque de Chapultepec
Specializes in sculptures, paintings and photography by contemporary Latin American and Mexican artists, including works by Francisco Toledo, Rufino…
Centro Histórico
Philatelists can ogle a design of Mexico's first stamp and other relics in the 1st-floor postal museum at Mexico City's main post office.
Chichén Itzá
The structure at the ball court's north end, called the Temple of the Bearded Man after a carving inside it, has finely sculpted pillars and reliefs of…
Manzanillo
Playa La Audiencia, lining a gorgeous cove on the west side of Península de Santiago, has tranquil water and is popular for waterskiing and other noisy…
Chiapas
The eye-catching white cathedral’s clock tower tinkles out a tune on the hour to accompany a kitsch merry-go-round of apostles’ images, which emerges from…
Veracruz City
Two blocks inland from the malecón is the 1998 Altar a la Patria, an obelisk marking the buried remains of those who defended Veracruz during its numerous…
Xalapa
Check out what's on at the cultural center of Universidad Veracruzana – there are often free concerts and other events in the evenings as well as…
Museo Nacional de Arquitectura
Alameda Central
A museum within the Palacio de Bellas Artes that features changing exhibits on contemporary architecture and retrospectives such as the buildings of the…
Museo de las Culturas Populares
Chihuahua & Central North Mexico
A bit run down, this small museum exhibits craftwork from Durango state’s indigenous Tepehuanes and Huicholes and other artisans, including some…
Tapachula
Tapachula's secondary plaza is a quiet, though not espically attractive, spot that has fountains lining the main walkways and some shady spots for…
Querétaro
The 17th-century Templo de Santa Clara has an extraordinarily ornate baroque interior. Masses are held frequently so you'll have to inquire as to the best…
Northeast Mexico
Massive slabs of marble, some of it encrusted with fossils of fish and other marine life that swam in this valley when it was an ocean, greet you at this…
Morelia
Built as a monastery in 1761, the Ex Convento de San Diego now houses the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences of the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás…
Centro Histórico
This Baroque church is all that remains of the first Dominican monastery to be established in Mexico. It makes a quieter alternative to the Catedral…
Inland Michoacán
Paracho’s cultural center is in the heart of town opposite the main square. It contains the small Museo de la Guitarra.
Palenque
Main entrance to the ruins with snack bars. You're likely to be launched upon by guides; ensure they are the registered guides, identifiable by their ID…
Zihuatanejo
In front of downtown, this is Zihua's least appealing beach for bathing, since the water could be cleaner. But the water is calm and without strong…
Chiapas
Flanked by grand buildings, this pretty plaza has modern sculpture pieces and manicured mature flat-topped trees where birds flock and chirp in the…
Xalapa
Southwest of the town center, this attractive park has an expansive collection of subtropical and cloud-forest plants. The pines are particularly prolific.
Veracruz City
This piece of modern architecture with an evening light show that divides opinions is the centre of the Veracruz oil industry. It's not open to the public.
Cholula
In the middle of Cholula's huge zócalo is the 19th-century Capilla de la Tercera Orden. The church forms part of the Ex-Convento de San Gabriel.
Veracruz
The pale salmon-painted Capilla de la Candelaria dates from 1779. Its mid vault is made of Veracruz coral stone and the interior is elaborately painted.
Xalapa
This modern municipal art gallery, hosting a variety of temporary exhibitions, includes an auditorium that is used for film screenings and other events.
Chetumal
Set just off the waterfront, construction on this government building began in the 1930s and the present-day three-story structure was finished in 1945.
San Cristóbal de las Casas
This pretty white-and-turquoise church suffered severe damage during the 2017 Chiapas earthquake and was closed to the public at the time of research.
