7 Best Places in Mexico to Experience
Majestic Mexico graciously offers you a veritable feast for all the senses, particularly in the seven best places in Mexico to travel like a local. Experience Mexico’s outdoor adventure, ancient history discovery, Pacific and Caribbean beach playgrounds, interesting traditional foods and lasting memories. Once here, you will easily and quickly slip into the Mexican way of life – “la buena vida” (the good life) – living life to the fullest.
With Mexico’s almost-perfect tropical to temperate climates and six thousand miles of Pacific and Caribbean coastlines, you’re treated to the best places in Mexico where you find bougainvillea-drenched surroundings, blissful sun-kissed beaches and intriguing heritages throughout the country.
Whether you seek Riviera Maya lively beach escapes, Spanish colonial UNESCO sites like those at Guanajuato, or picture-postcard highland towns like San Miguel de Allende, you’ll discover deep-seated ancestral history and imbedded traditions everywhere. Each place proudly invites you to learn about their distinctive culture eloquently displayed through colorful handicrafts, traditional attire, fiesta celebrations and delicious (sometimes exotic) food specialties.
As one of the world’s best places in Mexico to live, travel, or retire, the bevy of travel choices within Mexico astounds. And due to the country’s close proximity to northern neighbors, cheap airfare and attractive affordability nationwide, you can always easily return to further adventure, discover and enjoy.
So, pick your climate and choose your preferences for things to do in Mexico – soft sugary sandy beaches, cooling cloud tipped mountains, cultural immersion, land and sea adventures, foodie discovery and so much more.
Of course, the locals know best how to live the “la buena vida” and are most willing to share the good life with you.
To help with your trip planning, discover why we chose these seven spots as great picks to experience “la buena vida” like the locals and the opportunity to stay longer, spend less and experience more.
San Miguel de Allende – Picture Perfect Haven
The US love affair with San Miguel de Allende, a few hours north of Mexico City and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, heightened after World War II subsequently evolving into its stature today as a top expat and tourist destination. Often the first spot for newcomers to Mexico, the quaint small town’s extraordinary charms often convince many visitors to return as part-time or permanent residents.
It’s totally understandable why many consider the idyllic postcard-worthy town a “must see” event. You can become immersed in the historic district’s Spanish colonial influences, be gently serenaded by ubiquitous cobblestone street musicians and overwhelmed by the sheer natural beauty of seemingly freshly paint-brushed highland landscapes – all at one time!
Adding to the ‘from-out-of-a-movie scene’ ambiance, you’ll find vendors selling colorful textiles while foodie stalls stationed below curvy wrought-iron balconies tempt you to follow mouth-watering smells leading to their local fresh fare.
Nice and neatly tucked in, San Miguel de Allende easily serves as an authentic introduction to Mexico – a flavorful “taste” of the town’s vibrant rhythm, ancient traditions, color-drenched surroundings (think ochre, rust, salmon, jelly bean colors) – and some of the most gracious, warm hosts found anywhere.
Despite its international fame, San Miguel de Allende remains affordable especially when you rent an apartment and frequent some of the local-favorite eateries.
Puerto Vallarta – Pacific Paradise
A longtime favorite with US visitors, many first-timers originally came here as tourists only to return later to stay full or part-time. They found beautiful Puerto Vallarta a livable, welcoming and affordable oasis that they could easily call their home away from home – without being too far from family and friends up north.
Puerto Vallarta offers you all the sparkling eye-candy and charm of a traditional Mexican oceanside village with palm tree dotted cobblestone streets. But particularly notable and popular is the city’s beloved promenade “El Malecon” which hugs the golden beach for about a mile around Banderas Bay with the glorious Sierra Madres mountain range as the backdrop.
Wandering the 30 minutes’ walk just steps away from central Puerto Vallarta, you’re treated to stunning sand sculptures and other artworks decorating the walkway.
As the social heartbeat of the city, both locals and visitors flock to “El Malecon” throughout the day (particularly at sunset) where you can leisurely sample local delicacies like skewered grilled fish and Mexican “street food”, sip a refreshing “coco de agua” out of a coconut or a “tuba” which is the alcoholic version, gawk at street performers, visit jewelry shops and engage in some serious people-watching.
Puerto Vallarta draws many snow birds and long-stay visitors who find Puerto Vallarta very affordable because it’s easy to rent an apartment near the center and there are plenty of good local eateries catering to both the local and international crowd.
Riviera Maya – Mexico’s Dreamy Beach Escapes
Skirting 80 miles of fabulous sun-drenched Caribbean coast, the Yucatan’s Riviera Maya stands out as the most popular tropical getaway in Mexico.
Many come for the sheer delight of frolicking in warm crystal-clear turquoise water, basking atop soft sugary sand sparkling like diamonds in the sun and enjoying warm weather year-round. And, when you stay more than a few days, you have time to adventure beyond the beach and discover colorful hidden gem coastal towns along the famed Riviera Maya coast.
If you slow travel, hugging the stunning Caribbean coast, starting from Cancun in the north to Tulum in the south of the peninsula, you’ll experience deep-seated cultural traditions whether stopping at a tiny fishing village or a Mayan ruin.
Visitors have found that when adventuring through the Riviera Maya, there’s always an interesting spot to see or a fun activity to do, just around the next corner and often in surreal tropical surroundings. You’ll encounter well-preserved Mayan ruins, refreshing cenotes (fresh water underground caverns) and other rare unexpected attractions.
Despite the resort hotel and jetsetter vibe in tourist-centered areas like Cancun, affordable vacation rentals are widely available along the coast and a good option when staying for a while. Also, once you leave the “hotel zone” and go where the locals dine, meals not only cost less but are very likely better.
Riviera Maya Beach Playgrounds
Cancun
Along the Riviera Maya, Cancun is known as one of the best places in Mexico to vacation. Cancun offers you an idyllic tropical paradise. Overflowing with beach goers and chain hotels amidst a party atmosphere, it’s hard to imagine that the town used to be an isolated coconut plantation and now boasts a busy international airport welcoming droves of visitors to the Riviera Maya.
Away from the tourist-thronged ‘hotel zone’, both traditional Mexican and international eateries flourish and affordable lodging (vacation rentals) attracts travelers looking to experience Cancun and travel like a local.
Playa del Carmen
Playa del Carmen used to be a working seaside village but now claims a cruise ship port, a reputation as a world-class vacation destination and is touted as one of the fastest growing cities in Mexico.
Considered one of the best places in Mexico for beaches along the coast, Playa del Carmen also offers the world’s second largest reef system attracting many water adventurers. You’ll find that, although a popular tourist attraction with international restaurants and fun activities, it’s more laid back than Cancun making it an expat and snowbird favorite.
Tulum
Off the beaten track, Tulum was not as well-known as Cancun and Playa del Carmen as a beach tourist destination but rather as an eco-friendly, untouched remote spot. Most visitors primarily came to explore ancient Mayan culture and the famous archaeological site containing the ancient walled city’s ruins towering above the sea.
The formerly walled Mayan city has gone from yesterday’s backpacker travelers to today’s ‘bohemian luxury’ travelers with low-rise luxury hotel developments (some rustic, some with thatched roofs) and new stores popping up everywhere. Reminiscent of the past, you’ll still find organic, farm to table and traditional Mexican fare downtown but right alongside them are new French cafes, art galleries, fancy cocktail bars and boutique hotels.
Despite its new status, Tulum remains an adventure destination for budget travelers who choose hotel-alternative lodging and opt foodie eateries that locals frequent and that are a little off the tourist beaten track
Mexico City – Latin America’s “Big Apple”
Although often overshadowed in the past as one of the best places in Mexico, competing with Mexico’s wildly popular beach escapes on both coasts, today’s Mexico City vigorously and proudly reclaims its stature as a world class global destination. Today, Mexico boasts a capital that is cosmopolitan without losing sight of its vast and rich cultural heritage.
A common refrain about Mexico City is that you will never lack for something to do and see since there’s a plethora of interesting spots within the city itself (museums, art galleries, historic buildings, food markets, shopping malls, great restaurants) as well as intriguing “must-see” day-trip adventures (the Aztec iconic pyramids, “Temple of the Sun” and “Temple of the Moon” at theTeotihuacánarchaeological site and 7 more digs nearby).
If a history buff, you’ll revel in the city’s unique architecture, exuberant celebration of the arts and proud ancestral traditions. If a foodie, the city’s ubiquitous restaurants and street food are an “edible paradise” for you to sample both local traditional fare as well as newly acclaimed Mexican cuisine.
For an extended visit, there are many interesting neighborhoods to choose from. Ranging in affordability, each one has a variety of vibrant food markets, appealing restaurants and an impressive selection of accommodations for an exciting interlude in the capital.
Guanajuato – Colonial Highlands Grandeur
A UNESCO World Heritage site and culture-lover’s haven, this 16thcentury Spanish colonial gem offers not only magnificent era architecture but colorful plazas for socializing and café-lined streets for strolling with music wafting in the background.
Exploring Guanajuato, you’ll notice a delightful ambiance throughout pedestrianized areas in the famed historical center and other city-center points of interest resulting in a bustling, yet low-key, setting for both locals and visitors going about their daily life.
Although a well-known and very popular Colonial Highlands city, Guanajuato is not touted as a top tourist destination. Rather, Guanajuato shines more as a very affordable, authentic destination for pleasant stays where you rub elbows with locals and easily stay within a reasonable budget – even for months at a time.
Other than the city’s pervasive charm and culture, another good reason to consider a stay in Guanajuato is that it’s an attractive “home base” from which you can adventure beyond the city on discovery day-trips like to magical places like San Miguel de Allende (1 ½ hrs. approx.).
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