Mexico
Why go?
Mexico has something for everyone: vast deserts to jungle, ancient
Mayan ruins to tropical Caribbean beaches, snow-capped volcanoes to
bustling modern cities. It's beautiful and diverse, with
breathtaking vistas you’ll never forget and numerous
cultures, cuisines, handicrafts, music and art forms. It's one of
the fastest developing industrial powers in the world: some of
Mexico’s cities are at the height of urban sophistication
while other parts of the country feel more like a half-forgotten
Spanish colony, with an all-pervading influence of native American
culture.
Whether you like to dive along superb stretches of barrier reef,
lose yourself in jungle surrounding long-forgotten Mayan ruins,
surf the Mexican coastline or join the Day of the Dead
celebrations, you won't be short of things to do.
Any Downsides?
Crossing the border from the States takes you from the first to the third world. Along with dead dogs and potholed roads, as you’d expect in any country that’s still developing, you'll find a culture where things don’t always run like clockwork. While the bus network rivals the US in efficiency, elsewhere timetables shouldn’t always be trusted. The mañana mañana philosophy may be largely a gringo perspective on Mexico, but it’s true that the local temperament is much slower and that patience is absolutely vital. To have an easy journey, you’ll have to accept that in Mexico people work to live, and they don’t live to work. Prices (particularly in the Yucatán) aren't always as cheap as you might expect.
What's where?
- Baja California: Dazzling waters provide the perfect venue for watersports; other delights include mountains, golf, whale-watching and the galleries of Todos Santos Read More >>
- Central Highlands: Captivating handicrafts, quirky museums, colourful festivals and cities with a distinctly European air - a place for fun-lovers and free spirits Read More >>
- Chiapas: Mayan villages, bohemian markets and lovely varied terrain, with highlands, jungles, beaches, hills and waterfalls in equal measure Read More >>
- Mexico City: A blaring, buzzing and often undersold metropolis, full to the brim with museums, art galleries, markets, bars and history Read More >>
- Oaxaca: A melting pot of teeming forest, rugged peaks and steamy lagoons centred around art-filled Oaxaca city and the Zapotec ruins of Monte Albán Read More >>
- Pacific Coast: From jetsetty Puerto Vallarta to hippy Puerto Escondido, eco-resorts of all budgets offer diving, surfing, and turtle- and whale-watching Read More >>
- The Yucatan: Mexico's top tourist region has golden beaches, Mayan ruins, tropical jungle, colonial towns, sleepy villages and world-class diving on unspoilt reefs Read More >>
Current Weather – Time
In Mexico City: