This beachfront amusement park near Cancún, is a popular, family-friendly destination. It’s divided into different sections, including Wet’n Wild, Underworld, Aah!Ventura, Grand Prix, Fun World, and Dolphinaris, each of which offers attractions such as waterslides, ziplines, dolphin encounters, go-karts, a high-tech arcade, and more.
North of Acapulco, freshwater Coyuca Lagoon, or Laguna de Coyuca in Spanish, spreads across some 28 square miles (72 square kilometers) and is particularly important for migrating birds. Several small islands along the coast act as sanctuaries for colonies of pelicans, herons, storks, and other species. The lagoon is also a popular destination for water sports.
At Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, you can explore pristine beaches, vibrant coral reefs, and desert landscapes, and spot an abundance of fish and sea life. This protected park is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned for its snorkeling and diving opportunities.
Cabo San Lucas may be known for its beaches, but the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range serves up opportunities for adventure beyond the sea. Located in the south of the Baja California peninsula, visitors flock to the region for hiking, the chance to spot rare birds, horseback riding, and climbing, while surrounded by the beauty of the Sierra de La Laguna Biosphere Reserve. As you walk through its oak and pine forests, you’ll pass hidden waterfalls, thermal pools, and dramatic rock formations.
Try street food, pick up souvenirs, and do some people-watching at Palapas Park (Parque de las Palapas), which buzzes with locals, live music, food vendors, and shopping stalls. At this central plaza in downtown Cancún, you get an authentic look into Mexican culture that you can’t find at the nearby beaches and resorts. Come hungry, as street food options range from freshly fried empanadas to cheese-topped elotes (grilled corn on the cobs).
Playa Palancar is a laid-back beach where you can swim, snorkel, or just relax in a hammock under the coconut-palm trees. It’s one of Cozumel’s most beautiful beaches, with fine white sand and access to an outstanding coral reef just offshore. For a relaxing beach day away from the crowded tourist spots, there’s no better place.
Similar to San Antonio’s popular riverwalk across the border in Texas, the Mexican city of Monterrey boasts its own popular esplanade, known as the St. Lucia Riverwalk (Paseo Santa Lucía). The pedestrian walkway, which runs along an artificial river and connects the Macroplaza to Fundidora Park (Parque Fundidora), attracts tourists and locals with its relaxing setting, restaurants, boat rides, murals, and museums.
For an authentic and lively Puerto Vallarta beach experience, Los Muertos Beach (Playa Los Muertos) can’t be beat. Located just south of Olas Altas Beach in the Romantic Zone, this gay-friendly stretch of sand fronts a pier and is lined with bars and restaurants. Locals and families also love this beach and its diverse crowd.
Thought to be the highest lighthouse in the Americas, El Faro in Mazatlán sits 523 feet above sea level and has been in operation since 1879. Now a Mazatlán landmark, visitors can walk along the glass lookout platform, admire panoramic views over the port city of Mazatlán, and catch some of the city’s best sunsets.
Replete with museums, concert venues, and even an amusement park, Fundidora Park (Parque Fundidora) is one of the most multifunctional urban green spaces in a predominantly industrial city. Take advantage of the designated bike paths, attend lively music festivals, and more at a park which combines culture, nature, and history with ease.
The 18th-century Governor’s Palace in downtown Guadalajara is an essential destination for visitors interested in the politics and history of one of Mexico’s most important cities. While appealing from the outside—the imposing baroque building is decorated with a number of carved gargoyles—the draw of the building for most travelers comes from the José Clemente Orozco murals which decorate the interior.
One of the oldest squares in Mazatlán, leafy Plazuela Machado dates from 1837 and is a jumping-off point for further exploration of the Mazatlán Old Town. Surrounded by brightly colored restaurants, galleries, and the Ángela Peralta Theater, visitors can soak up the laid back, family-friendly atmosphere at Plazuela Machado by day, and enjoy live music performances by night.
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.
Situated 30 minutes outside of Oaxaca proper, this former Dominican convent in Cuilapam de Guerrero is an impressive complex which includes cloisters and a roofless chapel. Once home to praying monks and the place where former Mexican president Vicente Guerrero was executed, the 16th-century Cuilapam Convent is now a place to enjoy religious murals and sweeping views over the valley below.
Because El Caracol means “snail” in Spanish, there persists a myth that a giant conch shell once sat on top of these Mayan ruins, which are located in Cozumel’s Punta Sur Eco Beach Park. However, the name and snail sculptures that adorned the dome of the tiny temple actually refer to the rows of real snails that were embedded in the stucco.
Ría Lagartos, a little fishing village on the Mexican Riviera, is home to Parque Natural Ría Lagartos, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve best known for its flocks of flamingos. Situated alongside a long estuary, the park boasts more than 380 bird species, including tens of thousands of flamingos. The birds use Ría Lagartos as their breeding ground.
Still relatively unknown to tourists, the Copalita Ecological Park and Ruins (Parque Eco Arqueológico Copalita) sit on the shores of the Pacific Ocean in the Huatulco resort area. Remnants of pyramids, temples, a ball court, and a pre-Hispanic lighthouse dot the lush landscape of the archaeological park, which also includes a massive stone believed to have once been used in sacrifices.
Escape the humidity of Puerto Vallarta or Boca de Tomatlán in charming El Tuito, a laidback, traditional town in the Jalisco mountains. Although overlooked by many travelers, here you can get an insight into local life, sample regional produce—such as panela cheese and raicilla (an agave spirit)—and relax in the main plaza.
Located in the heart of San José del Cabo, San José del Cabo Church (Parroquia San José) was founded by Jesuits in 1730. This simple Spanish colonial-style church, with brilliant white bell towers and a peaceful interior, pays homage to Jesuit priest Nicolas Tamaral, who was martyred on the site where the building now stands. Inside, you’ll find colorful depictions of saints and other religious figures, while the outside square bustles with activity.
Mexico City’s Museum of Tequila and Mezcal (Museo del Tequila y el Mezcal) offers a lesson in the history, production, and significance of Mexico’s agave-based spirit. The museum also covers Mexican history and pop culture, with exhibits on its location at Plaza Garibaldi. The building is topped by a rooftop bar where you can sample shots overlooking CDMX.
Calm water, lifeguards, and soft sand make Palmilla Beach (Playa Palmilla) one of the most family-friendly beaches in Los Cabos. Snorkelers, swimmers, and stand-up paddleboarders will all find plenty to enjoy here, or you can simply relax, rent an umbrella and a beach chair, and soak up the peaceful atmosphere.
Countless millions of monarchs transform the tree-lined trails of Piedra Herrada Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary into a sea of fluttering orange-and-black wings. The sanctuary is one of the most accessible ways to see this awe-inspiring natural spectacle that draws travelers from around the globe, as it’s within day-tripping distance of Mexico City and far easier to reach than the far-flung butterfly reserves located deep in the mountains.
At Mexico City’s Jamaica Market (Mercado Jamaica), just outside the city center, colorful flowers arrive by the truckload, filling the air with the scents of roses, hydrangeas, and lilies. In addition to the flowers displayed, Jamaica Market is also known for its local produce stalls and authentic street food at low prices.
Explore the underground wonderland of one of the world’s largest cave systems at Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park, located in the south of the Sierra Madre mountains. The caves comprise more than 90 chambers, some with ceilings that tower more than 230 feet (70 meters) overhead, and are just a 45-minute drive from the silver city of Taxco.
In the shadows of the Macuiltépec volcano, surrounded by misty mountains and cloud forests, Xalapa’s cool climate and highland scenery make it one of Mexico’s most attractive state capitals. This Veracruz city is a cultural hub and a UNESCO Creative City of Music with a large student population and some notoriously spicy cuisine: Xalapa (or Jalapa) is the birthplace of the Jalapeño chilli.
A small colonial city in Mexico’s Yucatan region, Izamal combines the aesthetics of old and new, with ancient pyramids standing alongside an old Spanish monastery and yellow-painted town buildings. The city was once an ancient Maya ceremonial center, and the largest pyramid—dubbedKinich Kak Mo—was a holy site built for the Maya sun god.
In the García Caves (Grutas de García), a 50-million-year-old cave complex hidden with the Cumbres de Monterrey National Park, multicolored lighting enhances the drama of several striking rock formations. Explore 16 distinct chambers—including one bathed in natural light—admire the stalagmite shaped like a human hand, and more.
A quieter alternative to nearby Coyoacán, San Ángel is also the ideal place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city center. Beloved for weekly arts and crafts markets and its charming small-town feel, San Ángel is characterized by colorful colonial buildings, cozy cafés, and cobblestone streets. Spend an afternoon here people watching in the plazas and shopping for handicrafts.
Home to Huatulco’s harbor, Santa Cruz Bay (Bahía Santa Cruz) is located just minutes from La Crucecita and offers shops, restaurants, hotels, and easily accessible beaches. It’s the jumping-off point for boat tours of Huatulco’s bays, or for hiring small fishing boats to visit some of the Oaxacan coast's more remote spots. Sheltered water teeming with marine life makes it a great place to swim, too.
At Cenote Chaak Tun, outside Playa del Carmen, venture inside hidden subterranean caves that the ancient Maya believed were sacred portals to the underworld. Follow the beam of your headlamp into an enormous cenote, where centuries-old stalactites drip from above, and swim and snorkel in its fresh water rivers and pools.
