Your guide to Mexico
Top destinations in Mexico
Cancun
Cancun is a city where white-sand beaches hug the Caribbean Sea and ancient Maya culture meets a never-ending fiesta. Come experience Mexico at its best.
Guadalajara
With food as colourful as its streets and handicrafts, Guadalajara is a cocktail of traditional culture and urban excitement. Explore the museums, markets and malls of Mexico’s second-largest city.
Mexico City
From cutting-edge art and ancient ruins to one of the world’s most exciting food scenes, North America’s biggest city steals your heart again and again.
Puerto Vallarta
Lounge on white-sand beaches, gorge on Birria tacos and uncover pristine nature in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico’s Pacific Coast resort city.
Mexico: fast facts
| Language | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Currency | Mexican peso ($) |
| Time zone | Mexico City - UTC-6 (CST) |
Mexico highlights
Pre-Columbian ruins
Civilisations thrived in Mexico for centuries before the arrival of the Spanish, and you can still walk among the well-preserved ruins of those cities today. The ruins at Chichén Itzá and Palenque preserve Maya hieroglyphs from the 6th century AD. Or marvel at the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon in the ancient city of Teotihuacan, more than 2,000 years old.
Day of the Dead
‘Día de los Muertos’, or the Day of the Dead, is one of Mexico’s most important celebrations. On the first two days of November, Mexicans honour their departed loved ones by making altars with offerings such as sugar skulls, marigolds and bread called ‘pan de muerto’. Oaxaca City is the epicentre of the celebrations, where cemeteries glow by candlelight. Mexico City also hosts an annual parade.
Lucha libre
Seeing a ‘lucha libre’ (Mexican wrestling) match is one of the best things to do in Mexico. Most major cities have arenas where masked fighters face off in semi-staged bouts involving acrobatic manoeuvres off the ropes and the occasional tossing of a folding chair. In the crowd, everyone from toddlers to grandmas cheers for the ‘técnicos’ (good guys) and boos the ‘rudos’ (bad guys).
Things to do in Mexico
Top attractions
Archaeological sites like Teotihuacan near Mexico City and Chichén Itzá on the Yucatán Peninsula give you a glimpse at what life was like for the people who lived here before the Spanish conquest. In Jalisco, tour the agave fields and distilleries of the town of Tequila to learn the deep history and culture behind the popular spirit.
Beaches
The beaches in Mexico are world-class, from the rugged Pacific Coast to the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. Travellers come to snorkel in Cozumel, catch surf waves in Zihuatanejo and buff out their tan lines at Playa Zipolite, Mexico’s most famous nude beach. You can even commune with friendly grey whales in Baja, where they swim right up to the boat.
Nature
Mexico’s landscape spans arid deserts, lush tropical forests, coral reefs and mangroves. There are volcanoes to hike (Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl, near Mexico City), rivers for rafting and waterfalls to gawk at (like Agua Azul in Chiapas). Don’t miss the mystical freshwater cenotes of the Yucatán Peninsula, formed from sinkholes in underground caves.
Culture and museums
There are more than 150 museums in Mexico City alone, making it one of the cultural capitals of the world. You could spend a whole day at the National Anthropology Museum, the Frida Kahlo Museum and the Jumex Museum, which displays contemporary art. But keep an eye out for the quirkier ones too, like the Antique Toy Museum.
Cuisine
Whether you’re dining at one of 18 Michelin-starred restaurants in Mexico or at a family-run taco stand, chances are you’re going to have a great meal. While the cuisine varies by region, tacos are universal. The best feature handmade tortillas topped with grilled or stewed meats or fried fish and drizzled with homemade salsa — not all of which is spicy!
Family friendly
The massive National Museum of Anthropology is by itself worth a visit to Mexico City. Visiting the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve during the annual migration will leave you speechless, as millions of the delicate creatures blanket the mountain forests near Michoacán, seeking warmth and mates. And the Riviera Maya has it all, from kid-friendly resorts and snorkelling to white-sand beaches with gentle waves.
Find the best time to visit Mexico
Weather in Mexico
May – October: This is Mexico’s rainy season. Though mornings are often sunny, afternoon showers are common, especially in the central and southern regions. Peak hurricane season occurs in September and October, with the Yucatán Peninsula and the Pacific coast facing the highest risk. If you’re chasing dry, sunny winter weather, you’ll find lots of it in the northern deserts.
November – April: Mexico’s dry season is the most popular time to book a trip. Travellers escaping northern winters arrive at coastal resorts to find clear, sunny skies and warm days. March is the best time to visit Mexico City, when the pretty purple jacarandas are in bloom.
Events in Mexico
Mexican Independence Day (September): Hundreds of thousands of revellers gather on Mexico City’s central square for ‘El Grito’ (the shout or cry). At midnight, the president appears on the balcony of the National Palace and leads the crowd in a chant of “Viva Mexico” to celebrate Mexico’s independence from Spain.
Cervantino Festival (October): The city of Guanajuato hosts one of Latin America’s largest cultural festivals with performances by top talent in music, theatre and dance.
Día de los Muertos (November): During the Day of the Dead, the whole country honours its departed ancestors with marigolds, altars and elaborate offerings. But Oaxaca’s celebrations are in a class of their own, with candlelight vigils in the cemeteries.
Know before you go
Local etiquette
Start conversations with strangers with a smile and a warm greeting like ‘buenos días’ (good morning). It’s customary for riders on public transport to give up their seat for pregnant women and elders. Be especially respectful around churches and religious sites. Dress modestly (no tank tops or shorts) and honour any posted signs that say photography is off-limits.
Health and safety
In Mexico City, subways and buses have women-only cars at the front, a safety measure that should be respected, even at rush hour. Wear mosquito repellent in coastal areas where dengue fever and chikungunya are present. Always opt for bottled water over tap, and give yourself time to acclimatise to the altitude in Mexico City.
LGBTQ+ travel
Mexico is generally welcoming to LGBTQ+ travellers, especially in the capital, whose Pride parade is one of the largest in Latin America. The Zona Rosa neighbourhood has been a gay-friendly hub since the 1970s. Puerto Vallarta is also renowned as one of the top resort destinations for LGBTQ+ travellers, offering a vibrant social scene with bars, dance clubs and cabarets.
Budget
It’s easy to experience Mexico without breaking the bank. A short taxi ride runs about 175 Mexican pesos ($), a casual meal can be had for under $200, while a cappuccino will run you about $60.
Getting around Mexico
Public transport
Buses: Mexico has a large network of comfortable buses equipped with air conditioning, Wi-Fi and on-board entertainment. Bus trips are cheap and flexible but not always fast.
Trains: Passenger rail isn’t really a thing in Mexico, except for a couple of tourist trains in Sinaloa, Tequila and Baja California. The Tren Maya connects some Yucatán cities and archaeological sites.
Boats: Other than cruise ships, boats aren’t a commonly used mode of intercity travel. One exception is the overnight car ferry that runs between La Paz and mainland cities in Sinaloa. There are also ferries connecting the major Yucatán resorts to islands like Cozumel and Holbox. Many beach towns offer water taxis that run locally along the coast.
Domestic flights
Mexican cities are well connected with domestic air routes. Find reasonable fares with national carrier Aeromexico and through low-cost airlines like Volaris and Viva. Many domestic flights connect through Mexico City.
Driving
Mexico’s highways and toll roads tend to be safe and well maintained. But free roads can often be in pretty bad shape. It’s best to avoid driving at night, use caution in remote areas and make sure you’ve got a full tank of gas.
