Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna Cuatrociénegas
Northeast Mexico
With hundreds of shimmering cerulean pozas (pools) and streams in the middle of the Desierto Chihuahuense (Chihuahuan Desert), this 843-sq-km nature…
Must-see attractions in Copper Canyon & Northern Mexico
Reserva de la Biosfera El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar
Sonora
About 30km from Puerto Peñasco are the lunar landscapes of El Pinacate, one of the driest places on earth. This remote, spectacular 7145-sq-km reserve is…
Chihuahua & Central North Mexico
These ruins, in a broad valley with panoramas to distant mountains, contain the mazelike adobe remnants of northern Mexico’s most important trading…
Monterrey
Blast Furnace No 3 in the former industrial site of the Parque Fundidora has been converted into Horno3, an exceptionally impressive high-tech, hands-on…
Chihuahua & Central North Mexico
Chihuahua’s former Palacio Federal (built 1908–10) has been used as a mint, a monastery, a military hospital and a post office, but is now a beautifully…
Monterrey
This stunning mountainside reserve is just 12km from downtown Monterrey. There's great hiking and mountain-biking on over 60km of well-marked trails…
Monterrey
The stunning 2.3km promenade of Paseo Santa Lucía is a world-class example of urban regeneration. This (artificial) river forms a turquoise ribbon through…
Monterrey
This sleek modernist museum on the Plaza 400 Años presents an extensive but easily manageable chronological history of Mexico. In the heart of the museum…
Northeast Mexico
Located within the Cuatrociénegas Reserve, these blinding-white gypsum sand dunes – the second largest in North America – contrast superbly with the six…
The Copper Canyon & Ferrocarril Chihuahua Pacífico
Around 7km east of San Ignacio's town center, through verdant farmland, is the Valle de los Monjes. A spectacular outcrop of vertical red rock formations…
Chihuahua & Central North Mexico
Housed in a spectacular colonial mansion, this well-conceived museum pays deep homage to the Mexican revolutionary hero Pancho Villa. Sixteen rooms worth…
The Copper Canyon & Ferrocarril Chihuahua Pacífico
Five hundred years ago, over 550,000 sq km of dry tropical forest stretched down the coast from northern Mexico to Panama. Today only 2% of virgin forest…
Chihuahua & Central North Mexico
This impressive city museum features an interesting collection of interactive exhibits, from pre-Hispanic times through colonization to the present day,…
Northeast Mexico
Mexico ranks 10th in the world in terms of avian diversity, and this fascinating museum displays more than 3000 stuffed and mounted species, many in…
Northeast Mexico
Saltillo's top attraction, this no-expense-spared natural history museum is highly enjoyable and informative (even if you don’t speak Spanish). Exhibits…
Sonora
Also known as Bird Island, Isla San Jorge is one of the best boat excursions in northern Mexico. This rocky island 40km southeast of Peñasco is home to…
Sonora
Named for the cotton-ball-like dunes on the south end of the beach, Playa Los Algodones is arguably the most beautiful beach in northern Mexico. The sand…
Northwest Mexico
This fabulous hands-on museum is a must if you're traveling with kids. There are areas and activities for all ages, including virtual reality games, giant…
Sonora
Created by an eco-minded group of residents back in 2014, this lush reserve encompasses some 112 hectares of pristine tropical deciduous forest. Well…
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…
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…
Monterrey
Formerly a vast steel-factory complex, this once-blighted industrial zone has been transformed into a huge urban park. Designers cleverly retained the…
Northeast Mexico
The official visitor center for the Cuatrociénegas nature reserve, this small structure has informative displays about the reserve in Spanish and English…
The Copper Canyon & Ferrocarril Chihuahua Pacífico
Meaning 'Horseshoe' in Rarámuri, the peaceful waters of this U-shaped lake reflect the surrounding pines and rock formations. Paddleboats can be rented…
The Copper Canyon & Ferrocarril Chihuahua Pacífico
Few natural sites in Mexico boast the exquisitely pristine beauty of the country’s highest full-time waterfall, Cascada de Basaseachi, where a plume of…
Bahía de Kino
This mountainous island, Mexico's largest, lies 3km off the coast from Punta Chueca. It was once a Seri homeland, but was depopulated when the island was…
Chihuahua & Central North Mexico
Flower- and fountain-filled Plaza de Armas is graced by the handsome baroque Catedral del Basílica Menor. A popular meeting spot, there's a bandstand,…
Monterrey
Don't miss the outstanding Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, its entrance marked by Juan Soriano's gigantic black dove sculpture. Inside, its idiosyncratic…
Chihuahua & Central North Mexico
This well-conceived museum, created in a traditional Mennonite architectural style, holds hundreds of household goods and farm tools from the early years…
Monterrey
At the southern end of the Macroplaza, the red 70m concrete tower Faro del Comercio (Lighthouse of Commerce) soars above the city, its green lasers…
Sonora
CEDO is a wonderful place to learn about Rocky Point’s fascinating desert-meets-sea ecosystem. Dedicated to the conservation of the upper Gulf of…
Northeast Mexico
In the picturesque Valle del Tunal, this mountain-backed vineyard is one of the highest in the world. The 2100m growing conditions along with technical…
Museo Casa Venustiano Carranza
Northeast Mexico
Housed in Venustiano Carranza's childhood home, this well-conceived museum relates the life story of Cuatro Ciénegas' most famous son. From mayor to…
Chihuahua & Central North Mexico
Huápoca has trails to a triple set of cliff dwellings that the Mogollón inhabited from about 1200 to 1450. You get only distant overlooks of the first two…
The Copper Canyon & Ferrocarril Chihuahua Pacífico
Sitting alongside the Cusárare Mission church, this museum holds an exceptional collection of colonial religious paintings.
Jardín Botánico Benjamin Francis Johnston
Northwest Mexico
This verdant park occupies part of the former estate of Benjamin Johnston, the American who founded the sugar mill around which Los Mochis grew up in the…
Chihuahua & Central North Mexico
Many of the big-screen cowboys have swaggered through this film set. Today the set is a souvenir-drenched theme park with mock film productions on…
Sonora
The magnificent views from this overlook shouldn't be missed on a visit to San Carlos. From a lofty perch 200m over the crashing waves, you can take in…
The Copper Canyon & Ferrocarril Chihuahua Pacífico
This mission was built by Jesuits in 1741 as a religious meeting place as well as a school to teach the locals Spanish and different trades. In 1826…
Sonora
A popular spot for snorkeling and dive excursions 28km west of San Carlos, Isla San Pedro Nolasco is a rocky island nature reserve that's home to a large…
