Mexico attractions

The southernmost beach in the Santa Cruz area, Playa La Entrega—or La Entrega Bay—offers over 600 feet (182 meters) of sandy shoreline; beautiful coral reefs; and clear, calm waters ideal for swimming, scuba diving, and snorkeling. Highlights include a variety of tropical fish, on-site seafood stalls, and proximity to the scenic Huatulco Bay Lighthouse lookout.

One of Cozumel’s most popular dive sites, Paradise Reef (Paraíso Reef) is famous for its clear water, diverse coral structures, and teeming schools of colorful fish. Here you can spot large sea species such as eels, rays, and nurse sharks in addition to smaller creatures such as seahorses, boxfish, and delicate pipefish.

The second oldest cathedral in the Americas, the Mérida Cathedral (Catedral de San Ildefonso) was built atop a Mayan temple in the 16th century. Notable for its relatively austere façade and surprisingly stark Moorish interior, Mérida Cathedral also houses some of Mérida’s most significant religious artifacts, including the Christ of Blisters statue.

Stretching roughly 3 miles (5 kilometers) along the La Paz coastline, the Malecón is a wide boardwalk that’s frequented by travelers, locals, joggers, families, rollerbladers, and cyclists alike. Lined with restaurants, bars, and shops and dotted with sculptures and benches, it’s the ideal spot for a stroll at any time of day and offers sweeping views over the ocean.

Originally a public green space in 1592, Mexico City’s Alameda Central features fountains, statues, and lush landscaping. The urban park is a popular spot for locals and visitors to relax, people watch, and explore historic, cultural, and artistic sights like Diego Rivera's famous mural,Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park.

Avenida Kukulkan, also known as Cancun’s Hotel Zone, is a pulsing thoroughfare lined with oceanfront resorts that separate the Caribbean Sea from the Nichupte Lagoon. This long, flat strip is home to some of Cancun’s best shopping, dining, and nightlife. From Avenida Kukulkan, various paths lead out to a limitless stretch of white sand.

In the Juan O’Gorman-designed San Ángel houses where Rivera and Kahlo lived and worked—now known as the Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo Studio-Museum—you can explore the pair's work, legacy, and former living spaces. Quieter and lesser known than Kahlo’s Casa Azul in Coyoacán, this Studio-Museum gives you a new perspective on the artists.

Situated beneath the Monte Albán archaeological site, the artisan town of San Antonio Arrazola offers a respite from the hustle and bustle of Oaxaca. Best known for its fantastical painted wooden figurines called alebrijes—and the street art dotted around town dedicated to them—San Antonio Arrazola is the ideal spot to pick up some souvenirs from your time in Oaxaca.

The so-called "Coffee Capital of Mexico," Coatepec is one of Veracruz’s most alluring pueblos mágicos (magic towns) where coffee, culture, and cloud forests combine. Situated at the foothills of the Cofre de Perote, Coatepec—once a sacred Aztec site now strewn with cafés and an impressive orchid garden—offers a quieter alternative to nearby Xalapa.

Cenotes Sac Actun is one of the world’s largest known underwater cave systems. Filled with crystal-clear water and lined with limestone stalactites, the freshwater cave is home to colorful fish, bats, and animal fossils. Sac Actun is simultaneously one of the most impressive and least crowded cenotes on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Take on roller coasters, river rapids, and laser tag at Six Flags Mexico—the only Six Flags theme park in Latin America. Located at the southern edge of Mexico City, this theme park brings to life comic book characters and cartoons via all manner of family-friendly attractions, spread across seven areas, including DC Super Heroes.

Tracts of untouched forest, coral reefs, and mangroves characterize the UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve Huatulco National Park (Parque Nacional Huatulco). Unlike other stretches of the Oaxacan coastline, Huatulco National Park is a meticulously preserved hotspot for rare creatures, virgin beaches, and hiking trails.

Home to some of Mexico’s most impressive José Clemente Orozco murals, the 19th-century Hospicio Cabañas Cultural Institute (Instituto Cultural Cabañas) is a former orphanage-turned-arts center. This UNESCO-recognized building is also notable for its imposing neoclassical architecture, among the best of its kind in Mexico.

The charming, bohemian vibe of Mexico City’s La Condesa neighborhood attracts locals and tourists alike. The stylish area boasts a thriving food scene, as well as plenty of bars and clubs. Its wide, tree-lined avenues are dotted with modern cafés, galleries, and boutiques mixed with fixtures of its past, including art nouveau mansions and art deco apartment buildings.

Claiming the title of the world’s number one tequila, Jose Cuervo is not only a legendary brand in Mexico and the US, but all around the globe. More than 250 years of tequila-making experience is put to use in Tequila, Mexico at the Jose Cuervo Distillery (Fábrica La Rojeña), the oldest distillery of its kind in the Americas, where visitors can discover the art and science of authentic tequila.

With miles of untamed jungle, the Punta Laguna Nature Reserve (Otoch Ma'ax Yetel Kooh) is one of the best places to get up close to the Yucatan’s varied wildlife. The 12,355-acre (5,000-hectare) reserve is home to more than 600 spider and howler monkeys, as well as pumas, crocodiles, coatimundi, white-tailed deer, and a large variety of tropical birds.

Maguey Bay (Bahía Maguey) is an easily accessible bay with a popular beach of the same name. A handful of busy seafood shacks line the beach, and visitors can sip cold beers on patio chairs, or splash around in the bay’s calm, clear waters. You’ll find lots of amenities here, too, as Maguey tends to be one of Huatulco’s busier bays.

Marked by holy cloisters, intricate gilt interiors, and a baroque facade, the Santo Domingo de Guzmán Church (Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán) is perhaps the defining landmark of Oaxaca City. Located just off Oaxaca’s “tourist corridor,” Santo Domingo adjoins the Oaxaca Culture Museum and is backed by the scenic Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Gardens, making it a must-visit for any traveler in the city.

With spindly, cross-topped spires and intricate stonework, the 20th-century Templo Expiatorio del Santísimo Sacramento is one of Mexico’s most striking examples of neo-Gothic architecture. Stick around for the march of 12 miniature Apostles when the German church clock strikes the hour and admire the impressive stained-glass windows both inside and out.

Pay homage to distinguished artists, writers, and politicians from Jalisco at Guadalajara’s neoclassical Rotunda of the Illustrious Jaliscans (Rotonda de Los Jaliscienses Ilustres). Close to 100 urns are contained within the rotunda, which is encircled by leafy trees and 22 bronze statues depicting other famous Jalisco-born figures.

The state capital of Quintana Roo, Chetumal is a vibrant port city on the Yucatan Peninsula’s east coast. Surrounded by jungle and just minutes from Maya ruins, Chetumal sits on the border with Belize and serves as a jumping-off point for trips to the Belize Cayes and Tikal in Guatemala. Between the two countries is a duty-free shopping zone.

Near the Uxmal ruins in Mexico’s Yucatan, the Choco-Story interactive chocolate museum and cacao plantation focuses on the history, culture, and sustainability of cacao growth in the area. It’s a community-driven, eco-friendly enterprise that makes for a unique and educational visit for the whole family.

Founded in 1551, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) is one of the country’s largest, oldest, and most prestigious universities. However, it’s the UNESCO-recognized Mexico City campus—known as Ciudad Universitaria (University City)— which is of most interest. Visitors can freely explore the grounds, admire the murals, and drop by the on-campus art, history, and science museums.

Set in the remote Sierra Tarahumara Mountains in northwestern Mexico, the UNESCO-listed Copper Canyon (Barrancas del Cobre) is larger than the Grand Canyon in the United States but draws in a fraction of the visitors. The vast canyon is laced with footpaths, but the main mode of travel for visitors is the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railway (El Chepe).

Occupying just 1 square mile (2.4 square kilometers) in the remote Lacandón jungle, the ancient ruins of Bonampak are diminutive by Mexican archaeological standards. However, this former settlement is home to some of the best-preserved Maya frescoes and murals in the country, which depict ritual sacrifice, ceremonies, and more.

Playa Mia Grand Beach Park offers myriad options for enjoying the Caribbean Sea, whether you want to swim in the warm ocean, enjoy a massage, zip down water slides, or float in one of the park’s many pools. Here you can find beachfront lounge chairs and hammocks, a buffet and full bar, and even an underwater Maya city to explore.

The heart of any Spanish Colonial city is the central plaza, or Zócalo, and the ancient Mexican port town of Acapulco—despite its modern facelifts—is no exception. The constant swirl of activity, live music on weekends, and vendors selling every sort of souvenir are all here, mixing and mingling with tourists and locals relaxing in the shade during the day.

An excellent example of classic Spanish defensive architecture, the Fort of San Diego (Fuerte de San Diego) was built in 1616 to fight off increasing attacks by British pirates on the trade port of Acapulco. Today the star-shaped fortress houses the Acapulco Historical Museum (Museo Histórico de Acapulco), with good displays on city history.

The Plaza Carso branch of Mexico City's Soumaya Museum houses the eclectic $700 million private art collection of one of the world’s wealthiest men. Its exhibitions of European masters and Mexican art are on par with the world’s top museums, while the towering building itself is a shimmering work of art on the Mexico City skyline.

The country’s second-largest metropolis and capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, Guadalajara retains a vibrant historical center (centro histórico) filled with colonial plazas, churches, and stately buildings. This downtown area includes some of the city’s top tourist attractions, such as the Palacio del Gobierno, Teatro Degollado, and the Instituto Cultural Cabañas.