Mexico attractions

Unlike its serene neighbor dedicated to lovers, this secluded, cheekily named beach is known for having riptides and tumultuous waves, making it suited for sunbathing but dangerous for swimming and snorkeling. Although the beach is known by name among locals and tourists alike, it's reachable only via boat—making it popular with those looking for a secluded, dare we say romantic, experience.

Situated in a jagged David Chipperfield–designed building, the Jumex Museum (Museo Jumex) is both architecturally and artistically noteworthy. Comprising numerous exhibition galleries, a library, and terrace, this museum houses the private contemporary collection of Eugenio López Alonso—one of the largest of its kind in Latin America—including works by Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol, and more.

Specifically designed for cruisers, Costa Maya Port sits on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, south of Riviera Maya and the Yucatan region, and just north of Belize. While the port’s resort–like atmosphere draws many tourists, visitors can also venture out on shore excursions if they would like to get out on the water or visit ancient Maya ruins.

Avenida Revolución (Revolution Avenue) is the main thoroughfare of historic downtown Tijuana. Lined with cafés, restaurants, hotels, and fast-food chains, it serves as the city’s tourist center. The metallic Tijuana Arch stretches over Avenida Revolucion, greeting visitors. A recent remodeling of the avenue has brought wider sidewalks, the addition of rapid bus lanes, and a reduction in car traffic.

This gallery in San Jose del Cabo's Art District is a vibrant space showcasing innovative and interactive art. Known for its religious-inspired pieces, the gallery blends technology with creativity, offering touch-activated and sound-reactive exhibits. Visitors come here to appreciate the uplifting themes of love, faith, and positivity, as well as the chance to explore unique artwork.

Located in San Jose Del Cabo, Plaza Mijares is a large town square lined with trees, monuments, and Spanish colonial buildings. A good place to start a tour of the city, the plaza hosts a variety of community events and is a popular gathering place for both locals and visitors. Plaza Mijares is a short walk from other major attractions, including the San Jose del Cabo Art District.

Despite that ominous name that translates from Spanish as Beach of the Dead, Playa de los Muertos is one of Sayulita’s most attractive stretches of golden sand—and it’s very much filled with life. Local families and tourists love this crescent-shaped cove and the diverse crowd it attracts.

A famed site of Mexican counterculture, the art deco Chopo University Museum (Museo Universitario del Chopo) is now dedicated to preserving the memory of underground cultures and movements. Known for its German–designed, iron-and-glass facade, 154-foot-high (47-meter-high) towers, and pine wood roof, El Chopo—as it’s known locally—is a must for fans of off-the-beaten-path attractions and experiences.

Summer's Ranch (Rancho Verano Distileria de Tequila) is a popular distillery in Jalisco, Mexico—a region known for its tequila. Here, you can learn about the traditional tequila-making process while touring the agave fields, exploring the distillery, and enjoying tastings of the handcrafted spirit. It's a must-visit destination for tequila enthusiasts and anyone interested in Mexican culture and craftsmanship.

Among the cheesemakers in the Valle Ojos Negros east of Ensenada, La Cava de Marcelo is one of the few cheese farms that welcomes visitors for wine, craft beer, desserts, and naturally, cheese. A small family business that has been in operation for generations, La Cava de Marcelo produces a variety of homespun cheeses, which it serves with spices, butter, ricotta, and more.

Also called the Cenote Negro (Black Cenote) for its dark-blue waters, the cenote gets its name from a local legend about an old woman who cursed the land and all who stepped on it after being evicted from her home. The cenote has sheer drops of 100 meters (330 feet). It is the smallest, diameter-wise, of Bacalar's four cenotes.

The jungle-clad Sierra Madre mountains stretch along Mexico’s western coast from Santa Cruz to Arizona. In this wilderness escape you can trek through the forest, discover off-the-beaten-path villages, and experience outdoor adventures such as ziplining and rappelling.

Designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito, the International Museum of the Baroque (Museo Internacional del Barroco) celebrates art’s most flamboyant movement. While the structure’s clean lines and blinding white exterior provide a contrast with the extravagant artwork inside, its curved forms and skylights connect to baroque themes; the collection ranges from masterpieces by Rubens to immersive audiovisual exhibits.

Located about 1.5-hour drive north of Cabo San Lucas, Fox Canyon (Cañon de la Zorra) has a short hiking trail through the Baja California Desert passing by a freshwater lagoon and 40-foot (12-meter) waterfall. Bring your bathing suit and keep your eyes out for local wildlife and indigenous plant species in this secluded natural oasis.

On a small bay 10 minutes from “downtown” Todos Santos, this heavenly beach is where local fishermen (who keep a yellow chapel on the sand) launch their panga boats—and where hikers take on the Old Port of Todos Santos trail, a roughly 4-mile (6.5-kilometer) out-and-back coastal stunner. Though the beach is serene, the waters can be rough for swimming.

This bohemian and LGBTQ+-friendly enclave is one of Mexico City’s top places to party. But singing karaoke and dancing until the early hours aren’t the only activities in this colorful barrio. It’s also home to Little Korea, full of restaurants and shops, fashionable boutiques, and some of CDMX’s best dining opportunities.

Tucked into downtown Cancun near Parque de las Palapas, Christ the King Church (Iglesia de Cristo Rey) is one of the city’s first Catholic houses of worship. With its crisp white exterior, simple gable-roof design and serene garden grounds, the church is a popular stop for travelers seeking a Sunday Mass or a peaceful pause in the heart of the city center.

Encompassing the northern reaches of the Sierra Madre Oriental, Cumbres de Monterrey National Park is home to some of the country’s largest cave complexes, most impressive waterfalls, and highest summits, including the noteworthy Cerro de la Silla and its saddle shaped peak.

Unlike most museums of its kind in Mexico, Tamayo Museum (Museo Tamayo) brings together a collection of over 1000 pre-Hispanic artifacts and presents them as artwork rather than archaeological finds. At this 18th century Oaxacan mansion-turned-museum, visitors can marvel over Mayan, Olmec, and Purepecha sculptures, figurines, and more—once the private collection of Zapotec artist Rufino Tamayo.

With a rich nautical history dating back to the 16th century, Acapulco has a lot to offer with its beautiful beaches, buzzing nightlife, and jungle-clad hills. This port in the Pearl of the Pacific—long a favored resort of the rich and famous—remains a frequent stop on cruise itineraries along Mexico’s Pacific coast.

Bahia de Zihuatanejo is a beautiful, sheltered bay on Mexico’s Pacific coast that’s known for its calm, turquoise waters and picturesque scenery. With beaches where you can go swimming and snorkeling, along with charming beachfront restaurants and a vibrant local culture, it’s a popular destination all around.

Glimpse into Mexico’s complex past in historically rich La Antigua, thought to be one of the first Spanish towns in Mexico. Highlights include some of the country’s oldest surviving colonial buildings, such as the 16th-century home of Hernán Cortés and what’s thought to be the oldest church in the Americas, Ermita del Rosario.

One of just three of its kind in Mexico, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Mexico City is a family-friendly attraction located in a conveniently central neighborhood. Over nine exhibition rooms in a building designed to look like a medieval castle, marvel over the vast selection of oddities and intrigues—such as shrunken heads—before exploring the swivel tunnel and more.

Santa María la Ribera is a so-called barrio mágico (magic neighborhood) home to verdant parks, mansion houses, multiple museums, and the impressive and elaborate Kiosko Morisco bandstand. A more off-the-beaten-path alternative to the city’s other hotspots, Santa María is an ideal place to escape the crowds in the Mexican capital.

There is no shortage of beautiful beaches in the laid-back surf town of Sayulita, but Playa Sayulita (Sayulita Beach) still manages to stand out. It’s the town’s main and most-visited stretch of sand and attracts families, tourists, and surfers with its enticing waves.

This popular diving site is named after the nearby Villa Blanca Hotel. Part of Mexico’s Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (the largest in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia), Villa Blanca Wall is one of the best spots in Cozumel to catch the underwater scenery that the island is famous for: schools of tropical fish, candy-colored corals and sponges, sea turtles, and more.

Indisputably Puebla’s most picturesque street, Alley of the Frogs (Callejón de los Sapos) is a brightly-colored stretch of colonial buildings in Puebla’s historical center. The cobbled street is lined with cafés, antique stores, and flower-filled plant pots, so it’s the perfect place to capture photos. At the weekend, an artisan market takes over.

Set along Cozumel’s gentle, turquoise-colored western coastline, Yucab Reef is one of the island’s most popular diving sites. Divers and snorkelers come here to admire this stretch of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System in all its glory. Angelfish, sea turtles, rays, barrel sponges, and a wide range of colorful corals are among the easiest to spot year-round.

Part of the Chichen Itza complex on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Gran Juego de Pelota is an ancient Mesoamerican ball court. Visitors are drawn to this landmark to learn about the significance of the ball game, which was central to Maya culture. The impressive architecture and ruins of the archaeological site, as a whole, provide insight into the rituals and social structures of the ancient civilization.

Though it’s not necessarily recommended, you could spend your entire Puerto Vallarta vacation in the Centro Histórico (Centro for short), the town’s cobblestoned historic center. From here, you’re a stone’s throw from the Malecón boardwalk and Zona Romántica—and can while away the time exploring art galleries and eateries that seem a world away from the modernized port area.