best vacation spot in mexico – Mexico is a country rich in vacation spots.
Its squares, parks, churches, historical infrastructures, beaches, and other natural attractions have made it the country in Latin America that most seduce foreigners, with an influx in 2017 of more than 35 million international visitors.
“Beautiful and beloved Mexico” also ranks eighth worldwide regarding tourist visits from other countries.
Whether you are outside or inside Mexican territory, it doesn’t matter. Spend your vacation in any of these 19 best places in the land of tequila and mariachis.
1. Playa del Carmen
A paradise on earth: is Playa del Carmen, a place that gained so much popularity to become one of the most visited places by Mexicans and foreigners.
The hotel offers water activities, and the rich nightlife attracts travelers.
The most fashionable place in the Yucatan Peninsula has grown with the arrival and establishment of North Americans, South Americans, and Europeans, who have added their influence to the local gastronomy.
Nowhere in Mexico will you find such a wide variety of flavors within a few feet of each other.
Fifth Avenue is the most visited place in Playa del Carmen; its main street is full of trendy clubs, international restaurants, and retail stores.
During the day, tourists prefer to sunbathe, bathe on its beautiful beaches and drink cocktails in front of the immense ocean. In addition, they can enjoy the facilities of the first-class hotels.
2. Tulum
The beauty of the landscapes is guaranteed in the Yucatan Peninsula, and it could not be different in Tulum.
This magical place in the Mexican Caribbean Sea has some of the best beaches in the country, with white sand and turquoise water. But, although they are its greatest attraction, it is not the only one.
Tulum is also known for its preserved ruins of an ancient Mayan port, found on a high cliff on the edge of the Caribbean Sea, the only archaeological site built overlooking the ocean.
In addition to its numerous and beautiful cenotes, there is a wide variety of maritime activities such as diving and snorkeling, nature reserves, water parks, street art, restaurants, and much more, just a few meters away.
Tulum offers the perfect combination of relaxation, fun, and adventure.
3. Cozumel Island
Cozumel Island is ideal for those who know how to appreciate the value of nature.
It is in front of Playa del Carmen and has become a growing destination for its crystal clear waters and incredible marine life. In addition, it is one of the preferred destinations for diving and snorkeling.
On the island, you will find the Chankanaab, an ecological park that surrounds a lagoon with underwater caverns and is home to dolphins, manatees, and sea turtles.
This earthly paradise is almost intact, far from the hand of man. Deserted beaches, wild natural parks, and stunning landscapes await exploring.
4. Izamal
Each building in Izamal is painted yellow, which earned it the name “The Yellow City,” a singularity that will remain in your memory forever.
A town erected on 12 small hills in the ruins of an ancient Mayan city still preserves the vestiges of its enormous power: cenotes of ritual sacrifice found around it.
Observing the ancient Mayan ruins in the middle of the city is an enriching cultural and historical experience.
Izamal deserves your visit even on a day trip from Mérida, the capital of Yucatán.
5. Mazatlan
Once famous for its 20 kilometers of beach, Mazatlan is again drawing tourists to its historic sites, educational museums, and white-sand beaches.
Its hotel offer is as wide as it is exaggeratedly expensive. Therefore, instead of leaving your money in these complexes, go to Old Mazatlán, the historic center, where prices are lower, the pace of life is not so dizzying, and Mexican culture is rescued.
If a break from the sun is what you need, go to the city and enjoy a performance at the Ángela Peralta Theater, attend one of its many museums or enjoy a traditional meal in restaurants in Plazuela Machado.
6. Acapulco
Acapulco, there is only one, and it is in Mexico. It used to be 1950, the favorite place to rest for artists such as Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, and Elvis Presley.
The city has overcome its insecure and violent past with which it lost visitors, to return to being the ideal place to rest in luxury and tranquility.
Its avant-garde hotel constructions and tourism investment have once again put Acapulco at the top of places to visit in Mexico.
7. Guadalajara
Guadalajara is the second most important city in Mexico and is known mainly for its tequila and mariachi.
Great exponents of its traditional music have emerged from its streets and squares, such as Alejandro Fernández, Pedro Fernández, and Vicente Fernández, all known worldwide.
Its nights are impressive due to the musical culture that the city naturally has.
Guadalajara adds countless museums and cultural sites, such as the Neoclassical Degollado Theater, which preserves the country’s history. Its cathedral is one of the most impressive: it has two golden towers that distinguish it.
8. The Capes
Los Cabos is where the sun shines all year long, and the desert beautifully meets the sea.
This municipality, south of Baja, California, encompasses Cabo San Lucas, San José del Cabo, and the Corredor Resort. It is one of the most visited Mexican areas for its beautiful natural landscapes and spectacular hotel offer.
Surfers and divers love Los Cabos for its pleasant weather and ocean. It is also famous for its world-class golf courses and sport fishing, attracting more than 2 million tourists annually.
9. Mexico City
This list would be incomplete without Mexico City, not only because it is the capital but also because of its flourishing cultural scene, numerous haute cuisine restaurants, and the hipster, bohemian youth subculture.
Today, what was once known as a high-crime metropolis is a safer city with transformed and regenerated public spaces.
History buffs have an unbeatable offer in museums dedicated to preserving Mexican heritage in the capital.
It is estimated that Mexico City will soon be among the world’s great metropolises, such as New York, Rome, Paris, and Berlin.
10. Merida
The Yucatan Peninsula —full of hotels and the most beautiful beaches— has Mérida as its capital and largest city.
Most tourists who visit it come from the coast and seek to escape from the sun and sand to get to know the Mexican culture in museums, art galleries, restaurants, and theaters.
It also adds a large number of well-preserved colonial buildings and a vibrant cultural scene, as well as a rich Mayan heritage.
The city’s central point is the Plaza de la Independencia, which is accompanied by the Mérida Cathedral (similar to a fortress) and the Church of the Third Order (white limestone).
11. Chichen Itza
Along with the beaches, it is the most visited site in the Yucatan Peninsula. It is not in vain that UNESCO declared Chichen Itza a World Heritage Site in 1988. It is one of the most famous and best preserved Mayan sites.
Tourists love the day trip to see its mystical pyramids and temples; one of them, the Kukulkan, was chosen in 2007 as one of the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
Near Chichen Itza, several impressive cenotes and smaller archaeological sites are also worth visiting.
12. Akumal
Akumal, which means “Place of the Turtles” in Mayan, is a resort in the Yucatan Peninsula and a spawning place for hundreds of sea turtles.
Tourists —from nearby destinations such as Playa del Carmen and Tulum— cannot resist the temptation to swim accompanied by this type of reptiles and to enjoy the Aktun Chen Natural Park, known for its caves, cenotes, and underground rivers.
The bay has a curved beach to the north, while the Yal-kú lagoon teems with colorful tropical fish, rays, and barracuda.
13. Holbox Island
Although its waters are not as crystal clear as those of the rest of the beaches of the Yucatan Peninsula, Holbox Island is just as rich for swimming and resting.
One of its attractions is that you can dive alongside whale sharks, the largest fish in the ocean. It is common to see boats full of travelers willing to live this adventure in the summer months, a period in which the dangerous animal approaches the coast.
Isla Holbox is also a refuge for more than 150 bird species, including flamingos and pelicans.
14. Copper Canyon
The majestic Barrancas del Cobre, located in the Sierra Tarahumara, is the longest and deepest in the world, even deeper than the Grand Canyon in Arizona, United States. Its name is due to the copper tone of its walls.
You can camp in its impressive forests. The ever-changing tones and shapes of the mountains seem to melt into the horizon, and it is home to indigenous people who live isolated from the world: two tourist attractions.
Although the canyon can be explored by hiking, biking, and horseback riding, the ideal is to do it on a train that runs through the Copper Canyon from Chihuahua to Los Mochis, passing through tunnels and the Sierra Madre.
15. Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta is a city on the Pacific coast of Mexico that mixes a bit of tourism from all over the country: lively nightclubs, beautiful beaches, colonial buildings, and lush forests.
English is widely spoken, and although it has a lot of movement of travelers, its tranquility and pleasant people make it an alternative to the outstanding tourist destinations in Mexico.
The boardwalk is one of its main charms, full of contemporary sculptures, bars, and night spots.
16. Sumidero Canyon
In the state of Chiapas, in southern Mexico, is the Sumidero Canyon, a tourist attraction that attracts hundreds of travelers due to its impressive walls crossed by the Grijalva River.
The landscape is better appreciated when you break into this natural immensity from a boat.
Many tourists flock to Sumidero Canyon to bike, swim, hike, camp, and have a picnic. It is also popular with extreme mountain athletes.
17. Cancun
The capital of tourism in Mexico is Cancun.
Although travelers enjoy its beautiful beaches and the most luxurious all-inclusive hotels, Cancun is not only a party because, in the city’s center, there are still native Mexicans who enjoy traditional local food and salsa instead of modern hits.
In this area, the prices are lower, and the culture is felt more than in the area of hotel complexes. If you want sun and sand, take a bus, and you will be on spectacular beaches in a few minutes.
18. Marietas Islands
To the west of Mexico, opposite Puerto Vallarta, is the Marietas Islands, a natural paradise, home to abundant marine life and a highly sought-after destination for scuba diving.
The government used to carry out military activities on this group of islands, but that has now been superseded. So now, the human hand is almost invisible.
The caves and rock formations are spectacular, so it is common to see them in landscape photographs in tourist promotion magazines.
Islas Marietas has been declared a National Park, and only a few companies are authorized to transport tourists to this natural wonder.
19. Palenque
As or more impressive than the ruins of Chichen Itza are those of Palenque, a Mayan city located in Chiapas, in southern Mexico.
Travelers often forget to visit them because they are not as popular, but the number of people who come to appreciate these monuments does not decrease over time.
The ruins are in the middle of the forest. They are surrounded by impressive waterfalls and caves waiting to be explored. It is advisable to stay in the establishments along the highway between the city of Palenque and the ruins.
