Tingambato Archaeological Site
Inland Michoacán
Stroll through luscious avocado groves to the beautiful ruins of this ceremonial site called Tinganio in Purépecha, which predates the Purépechan empire…
Must-see attractions in Mexico
Santuario de la Virgen de Ocotlán
East of Mexico City
One of Mexico’s most spectacular churches is an important pilgrimage site for those who believe the Virgin appeared here in 1541 – her image stands on the…
Valladolid
Featuring over 3000 pieces of museum-quality Mexican folk art, this private collection is interesting in that objects are presented in an actual private…
Western Central Highlands
Comala’s obligatory sight is this former home of Mexican artist Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo (1923–2000), which now contains a museum dedicated to the man’s…
Veracruz
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel's ‘Iron Palace’ is Orizaba’s fanciful art nouveau landmark. The palace’s interior has been converted into several small museums …
Chiapas
A lovely water feature tucked 10km off the highway, where two rivers cascade dramatically from a high point of 35m and you can swim in clear blue water…
Chiapas
These sprawling Maya ruins feature three ball courts, a 20m tiered pyramid and other structures rising from a wooded hillside. Tenam Puente was one of a…
Tabasco
The Maya ceremonial site of Malpasito is 600m (signposted) uphill from the village of the same name. Apart from the beautiful setting, what’s remarkable…
Querétaro
While a museum of calendars might not sound riveting, this extraordinary museum is unexpectedly interesting. It takes a wide angle view of calendars and…
Parque Nacional Barranca del Cupatitzio
Inland Michoacán
This incomparable urban park is just 15 minutes west of the main plaza, but it’s another world. Tropical and subtropical foliage is thick and aflutter…
Inland Michoacán
Pátzcuaro’s leafy main square – more commonly known as 'Plaza Grande' – is Mexico’s largest plaza after the Zócalo in Mexico City and the only one in the…
Veracruz
From Xico, it's a pleasant, signposted 3km walk (or short drive along a potholed road) to the spectacular, plunging, 80m Cascada de Texolo. From the…
Zacatecas
The excellent Museo Rafael Coronel is not to be missed. Imaginatively housed in the ruins of the lovely 16th-century Ex-Convento de San Francisco, it…
Chiapas
Thirty kilometers from Palenque, these 25m-high curtains of water aren't the most dramatic water features in the area, but the turquoise river pools make…
Tulum
Templo del Dios Descendente is named after the relief figure of a descending god, aka the Diving God.
Veracruz City
Occupying a former naval academy, this high-tech museum offers a titanic lesson in Mexico’s maritime heritage, with plenty of interactive displays and an…
North of Mexico City
This gorgeous, sprawling cultural center is an oasis of calm at Pachuca’s bustling heart. Formerly the Convento de San Francisco, the complex includes…
Chiapas
Although this excellent museum is very small it's crammed with treasures from the area’s many archaeological sites (Spanish signage only). It's arranged…
Museo Regional de Antropología
Villahermosa
Villahermosa's excellent regional anthropology museum (even the shiny modern building it's housed in is impressive) holds some stunning exhibits on Olmec,…
Museo de Sergio Arturo Castro Martínez
San Cristóbal de las Casas
The story behind this extraordinary collection – that's overseen by an even more extraordinary person, Don Sergio – is as interesting as the museum itself…
Ensenada
Opened in the 1930s as Hotel Playa Ensenada, the extravagant Riviera del Pacífico, a Spanish-style former casino, is rumored to have been a haunt of Al…
La Huasteca Potosina
The stunning cascades of Minas Viejas are well worth the 78km trip northwest from Ciudad Valles, if only to see the gorgeous turquoise waters here. The…
Museo Histórico de San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende
This is the house where Mexican independence hero Ignacio Allende was born in 1769, a fact that draws a steady stream of Mexican pilgrims year-round. The…
Zacatecas
The Museo Pedro Coronel is housed in a 17th-century former Jesuit college and is one of provincial Mexico's best art museums. Pedro Coronel (1923−85) was…
Veracruz
If you want to learn a bit more about the history of coffee in the region, visit this excellent museum, which displays antique coffee-making tools…
Santuario de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios
Cholula
The Pirámide Tepanapa is topped by the brightly decorated Santuario de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios. It's a classic symbol of conquest, but possibly an…
Xilitla
British-born but Mexican at heart, Leonora Carrington (1917–2011) was one of the last surrealist artists and a key player in the Mexican women's…
Veracruz
The ground floor of the city's cultural center have been transformed into this well-designed museum on Córdoba's prime product: coffee. Most explanation…
Cholula
The Arabic-style Capilla Real has 49 domes and dates from 1540. The mosque-inspired design makes the yellow church unique to Mexico and creates a…
Tijuana
This atmospheric arty alley reflects TJ's growing urban art scene. The walls are painted with vibrant graffiti-style murals – the perfect backdrop to the…
Mazatlán
Surrounded by splendid 19th-century buildings, this gorgeous tree-lined plaza comes alive in the evening, when market stalls pop up, couples stroll hand…
East of Mexico City
The national puppet museum displays dolls and marionettes from all around the world in a fantastic renovated building on the zócalo. It’s a fun stop for…
Chichén Itzá
Upon entering Chichén Itzá, El Castillo (aka the Pyramid of Kukulcán) rises before you in all its grandeur. The first temple here was pre-Toltec, built…
Cobá
Nohoch Mul (Big Mound) is also known as the Great Pyramid (which sounds a lot better than Big Mound). It reaches a height of 42m, making it the second…
The Copper Canyon & Ferrocarril Chihuahua Pacífico
Along the scenic drive to Batopilas, about 100km south of Creel, is one of the region's most spectacular views: La Bufa canyon. Dropping 1800m, it's deep…
Riviera Maya
Conveniently located right off the main highway, Cenote Azul is one of the easiest Riviera Maya cenotes to visit. It’s also one of the region’s most…
Costa Maya & Southern Caribbean Coast
Though it’s a chore to get to, this site is definitely worth a visit for its secluded, semi-wild nature. Dzibanché (meaning ‘writing on wood’) was a major…
Centro Histórico
One of Mexico City’s most iconic structures, this cathedral is a monumental edifice: 109m long, 59m wide and 65m high. Started in 1573, it remained a work…
Valles Centrales
Second only to Monte Albán in their importance, though not as old, the ruins of ancient Mitla date from the final two or three centuries before the…
Monterrey
A monument to Monterrey’s late-20th-century ambition, this city-block-wide series of interconnected squares, also known as the Gran Plaza, was created in…
